Best SF/fantasy of 2003-In No Order! (So Far)
Explore the best SF and fantasy books of 2003 in this curated list! Discover top-rated titles, hidden gems, and must-reads from a stellar year in speculative fiction.
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A Fortress of Grey Ice
by J. V. Jones
Ash March joins the last of the mysterious, mythological Sull to help prepare them for the coming war, while Raif, an outlaw and outcast, continues the journey to find the Fortress of Grey Ice and destroy the Endlords.
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Blade Dancer
by S. L. Viehl
From the critically-acclaimed author of the Stardoc series science fiction novels comes the story of a young woman about to confront the truth of her heritage. Professional shockball player Jory Rask is beloved on all of Terra-but her life may be forfeit once the xenophobic society that despises aliens learns that she is not quite human.
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Talon of the Silver Hawk
by Raymond E. Feist
In a distant land, high among the snow-capped mountains, a peaceful nation is mercilessly put to the sword...yet one will survive. Little more than a boy, Talon of the Silver Hawk must carry on until, someday, he can take vengeance. Leaving the icy vastness of his ancient home, Talon descends into the dangerous land of his adversary. Treading a perilous path, he must survive battlefields, court intrigues, treacherous enemies, backstabbing friends, and beautiful yet deadly women to discover the evil responsible for the annihilation of his people.
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Altered Carbon
by Richard K. Morgan
In the 25th century, humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself - a person's consciousness can be easily downloaded into a new body, making death nearly obsolete. Ex-U.N. envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before, but his last death was particularly brutal. Resleeved into a new body in Bay City (formerly San Francisco), Kovacs is thrown into a shady, far-reaching conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that buys and sells human existence. As a warrior-for-hire, he is called to help a far-flung planet's government put down a bloody revolution. But when a rogue pilot and a sleazy corporate fat cat offer him a lucrative role in a treacherous treasure hunt, he's only too happy to go AWOL with a band of resurrected soldiers of fortune. All that stands between them and the ancient alien spacecraft they mean to salvage are a massacred city bathed in deadly radiation, unleashed nanotechnology with a million ways to kill, and whatever surprises the highly advanced Martian race may have in store.
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Gridlinked
by Neal Asher
On the brink of burnout, Cormac disconnects his brain from the artificial intelligence network that enables rapid interstellar travel and is forced to track and elude a vicious psychopath while uncovering fiercely guarded secrets.
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Way of the Wolf
by E. E. Knight
As the Reapers enslave human souls in an attempt to create a New Order, thriving on blood, terror, and fear, Lieutenant David Valentine, a member of an elite guerrilla force known as the Wolves, is determined to destroy the Reapers and reclaim Earth for all humankind. Original.
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Lord of Snow and Shadows
by Sarah Ash
Combining the best of fantasy traditions with her own unique vision, Sarah Ash brings to dazzling life a new saga filled with epic adventure and unforgettable characters. Far-reaching in scope and imagination, Lord of Snow and Shadows embarks on a journey like no other--into a shape-shifting world teeming with political intrigue, astonishing magic, and passions both dark and light. Raised by his protective mother in the sunny clime of the south, Gavril Andar knows nothing of his father--or the ominous legacy that awaits him. But his innocence is about to be shattered. The man who ruled the wintry kingdom of Azhkendir, a man infused with the burning blood of the dragon-warrior known as Drakhaoul, has been murdered by his enemies. It is his fiery, chameleonlike blood that pulses through Gavril’s veins. The news is Gavril’s first taste of death--but it will not be his last. For blood is the liquid that seals his fate. Expected by clan warriors from the north to avenge his father’s murder--and still his unquiet ghost--Gavril is kidnapped. He soon learns that becoming Drakhaon means not only ascending to the throne of Azhkendir but changing, in subtle ways at first, into a being of extraordinary power and might. A being that must be replenished with the blood of innocentsin order to survive. Ensconced in Kastel Drakhaon with no means of escape from the icebound kingdom, and carefully watched by neighboring rulers waiting to move against him, the untested Gavril must fight to retain his human heart and soul in the face of impending war--and the dark instincts that threaten to overpower him. Man and beast, spymaster and insurgent, nature and the netherworld--all collide in phenomenal twists and turns. A masterwork of adventure fantasy, Lord of Snow and Shadows will leave you stunned--and longing for more. From the Hardcover edition.
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ID: 0812555481
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The Destroyer Goddess
by Laura Resnick
An epic saga of such grand scale it must be told in two books Laura Resnick, author of In Legend Born, has created a novel so epic in power and scope that it could only be told in two parts. In The White Dragon, part one of In Fire Forged, the island nation of Sileria had finally been freed from the tyranny of foreign Valdani rule by Josarian, the rebel leader who became the Firebringer foretold in prophecy. But Josarian was slain by the White Dragon, a creation of Kiloran, the most ruthless of the powerful mages called waterlords, who terrorize those who depend on their mercy for the water that all life must have. Now that mercy is denied. As the waterlords begin a reign more terrible than that of the Valdani, Tansen, Josarian's second-in-command, joins forces with Mirabar, a Guardian who is feared and admired for her fire magic, and Zarien, a mysterious sea-born boy. Mirabar and her bitter enemy, Torena Elelar, the faithless wife of a Valdani aristocrat, contend with prophecies both vague and daunting, each destined to serve the destroyer goddess in her own way as they try to discover the meaning of Mirabar's visions. The fragile alliances forged by Tansen between the peasant shallaheen and the Guardian resistance begin to crumble as he tries desperately to save Sileria. Zarien, however, is determined to bring Tansen to the sea goddess Sharifar to be her consort. But no goddess is as easy to placate as mortals may think . . . . And Kiloran will stop at nothing to trap Tansen and crush the resistance in order to maintain his tyrannical reign. As the power struggle among Sileria's warring factions intensifies to a fevered pitch, the tremors of Mount Darshon increase, threatening to engulf them all in molten death. Kiloran and Tansen prepare for a final confrontation that will change Sileria forever. But no one may triumph unless the destroyer goddess wills it . . . . With masterful storytelling, Laura Resnick brings this great epic tale to a conclusion that readers will find riveting and enthralling.
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ID: 0446530921
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