11 new science fiction and fantasy book releases to make your May magical
By Lacy Baugher
May 2021 release: Aetherbound – E.K. Johnston
Author E.K. Johnston is most likely familiar to fantasy fans for her bestselling Star Wars novels, including Ahsoka, Queen’s Shadow, and Queen’s Peril. (Because let’s face it, we all deserve more Padme Amidala content and we should say so.)
Aetherbound is Johnston’s latest original young adult fantasy offering, a novel that is at least partially inspired by her time in a galaxy far, far away. While writing Star Wars: Ahsoka, Johnston found a love of writing in space and was inspired to craft her own space adventure – and though Pendt Harland may be an original character, her story still contains Johnson’s signature thought-provoking content and themes of self, gender identity, family all under an authoritarian rule.
The official synopsis describes the story as follows.
"Set on a family-run interstellar freighter called the Harland and a mysterious remote space station, E. K. Johnston’s latest is story of survival and self-determination. Pendt Harland’s family sees her as a waste of food on their long-haul space cruiser when her genes reveal an undesirable mutation. But if she plays her cards right she might have a chance to do much more than survive. During a space-station layover, Pendt escapes and forms a lucky bond with the Brannick twins, the teenage heirs of the powerful family that owns the station. Against all odds, the trio hatches a long-shot scheme to take over the station and thwart the destinies they never wished for."
Aetherbound is available on May 25.