12 new August science fiction and fantasy releases to help wind down summer
By Lacy Baugher
August 2021 release: Devil in the Device – Lora Beth Johnson
The highly anticipated sequel to last year’s Goddess in the Machine arrives this month, picking up right where the first installment in this duology left off and throws plenty of twists at you before the end.
Zhade is ruling Erensed by wearing his brother Maret’s face and Crown, while Andra is in hiding, working to process both her discovery of her dual AI/human nature and unravel the mystery of the cryogenically frozen colonists’ rocket. As a result of the events of the first book, the duo’s relationship is rife with miscommunications and misunderstandings as they both struggle against their worst instincts – and the fact that Zhade’s crown is imprinted with the evil impulses of all who wore it before – to do the right thing, which means saving not just Erensed, but all of humanity.
The official synopsis describes the sequel in more detail.
"Zhade’s power might be going to his head. He’s still getting used to wearing Maret’s face, but he can’t deny that the influence it affords him has its perks. But when the magic of Eerensed starts to turn deadly, Zhade must master the Crown if he’s going to save his people, and Tsurina’s destructive plans for Eerensed aren’t going to make that easy. Worse, he’s starting to see her point. Meanwhile, Andra is in hiding. Assumed dead by the people of Eerensed, she must stay underground if she’s going to live long enough to build the rocket that will finally save the colonists from this dying planet. But when Andra hears voices urging her to destroy everything, she starts to dig deeper into her subconcious. What she finds leads her to question whether she’s destined to be a savior after all. Battling the dangerous forces buried within their minds, can Andra and Zhade truly decide their own fates? They must find a way to work together before two power-hungry leaders and a deadly swarm of rogue technology destroy humanity for good."
Devil in the Device is available on August 24.