Edited by Zelda Knight and Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald, Dominion: an Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora, Aurelia Leo, 2020.

Dominion is exactly as advertised: an anthology of short stories by writers who are African or from the African Diaspora. It boasts a total of 13 short stories, all remarkable in their own way.

Eugen Bacon, Claiming T-Mo, Meerkat Press, 2019.

Claiming T-Mo is a unique story blurring boundaries between scifi and fantasy and telling the story of three women-a mother, a lover, a daughter- and their relationship to T-Mo, a troubled man.

Priya Sharma, Ormeshadow, Tor, 2019.

This coming-of-age novella very much reminded of The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley in that it takes place in rural England in the past and has slight, but pivotal, SFF elements. It is nonetheless very much its own story and an engrossing read.

Simon Morden, Bright Morning Star, NewCon Press, 2019.
Audiobook available on Audible.

Bright Morning Star by Simon Morden is scifi novella successfully revisiting the trope of human society viewed by an outsider, an AI, arrived on Earth to explore it.

Alex DiFrancesco, All City, Seven Stories Press, 2019.
Audiobook available on Kobo.

All City is a near future apocalypse/post-apocalyptic (climate) novel told from different points of view. It deals with gender, class, race and mental health issues, and, to put it bluntly, I loved it.

Arkady Martine, A Memory Called Empire, Tor, 2019.
Audio book available.

To me, there are outstanding scifi novels that were published in 2019: The Outside by Ada Hoffmann, and A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. It took me some time to finally read it, but oh boy, did I enjoy it!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Jo Fletcher Books, 2019.
Audio version available on Audible.

Mayan Gods, the Jazz Age in Mexico and a downtrodden young woman finding her voice and her strength in a world which is more full of magic than she ever thought.

Stewart Hotston, Tangle's Game, Abaddon Books, 2019.

Tangle's Game is fast pace, fun, near future thriller, that tackles efficiently themes that should concern us all about data and technology.

Bethany Morrow, MEM, The Unnamed Press, 2018.
Audiobook available on Audible.

MEM is a scifi novel set in an alternate 1920s Montreal. Though it lacks a little oomph, it has a compelling premise and is a thoughtful take on humanity.

Juliet Kemp, A Glimmer of Silver, The Book Smugglers, 2018.

Catching up on this scifi novella has been a delightful experience. It'll be a great read if you're looking for a relatively low-key, thoughtful and hopeful story.

Craig Laurance Gidney, A Spectral Hue, Word Horde, 2019.

A Spectral Hue is a remarkable story of hauntings. But it's not a horror novella. It actually deals more with the uncanny, the weird, and above all, it is about grief, art, and identity, particularly when you are oppressed.

Tasha Suri, Empire of Sand, Orbit, 2018.
Audiobook available on Audible.

I'm a year late to this party but despite a rocky start, I really enjoyed Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, a stand-alone fantasy novel set in a world inspired by Mughal India.

Wole Talabi, Incomplete Solutions, Luna Press Publishing, 2019.

Incomplete Solutions is a collection of short stories and one novella from acclaimed writer Wole Talabi. This review will mostly examine the novella, "Incompleteness Theories", but will also briefly talk about the splendid short stories in this volume.

Ada Hoffmann, The Outside, Angry Robot, 2019.
Audiobook available on Audible.

The Outside by Ada Hoffmann will probably be one of my favourite science-fiction novels of the year. It's smart, it's fast paced, it doesn't go for easy shortcuts, the worldbuilding is very interesting and it has great characters.
Once again, Angry Robot proves that small presses have some of the best stories out there at the moment.

Jonathan Ward, Caleuche, Fox Spirit Books, 2019.

Caleuche is a space opera thriller after a technological apocalypse occurs. It uses tropes and has some stereotypical elements, but it is a gripping read for a cosy evening in.

Claire G. Coleman, Terra Nullius, Hachette Australia, 2017.
Audiobook available on Audible.

I'm sorry I missed this book when it was published in 2017. It feels like being late to a party, but better late than never. This scifi dystopia certainly makes for a grim party, but it is a powerful, unmisseable one.

Suyi Davies Okungbowa, David Mogo, Godhunter, Rebellion Publishing, 2019.

David Mogo, Godhunter is an interesting debut fantasy novel. It has its flaws but who could resist the lure of a deserted post-apocalyptic Lagos as the setting?

Juliet McKenna, The Green Man's Foe, Wizard's Tower Press, 2019.

After the success of the first novel in the Green Man series, McKenna comes back to it with another very entertaining instalment.

Adrian Tchaikovsky, Walking to Aldebaran, Rebellion Publishing, 2019.

Good day, and welcome to your annual review of a Tchaikovsky story (and I haven't even read yet Children of Ruin...)!
This latest offering is a dark and compelling scifi novella that will take you into a maze full of monsters...

Jan Morris, Hav, Faber & Faber, 2006.

I came into Hav by chance. I lost myself in its maze for two weeks, walking its streets, never wanting to leave. I had to, of course, other books were waiting. But Hav will probably one of my favourite encounters of the year.