Hello and welcome to this Track of Words guest post, kindly contributed by Kate Dylan – author of the fantastic Mindwalker (and, recently announced, the upcoming Mindbreaker – due in September 2023). I read Mindwalker earlier in 2022 and it’s one of my favourite books of the year, a brilliant example of how YA science fiction can be both tremendous fun and incredibly powerful, so when Kate offered to talk a bit about some of the other YA sci-fi novels that have been released recently I thought it was the perfect topic for a guest post! If you haven’t already picked up Mindwalker I would strongly suggest you grab a copy, and Kate’s recommendations below should give you plenty more to look forward to reading too.
Without further ado, over to Kate.
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If you’re a fan of YA sci-fi, I bet you sometimes get frustrated at how few titles make it out into the world compared to YA fantasy – as a YA sci-fi author (and avid sci-fi fan) I know I often do!
The good news is, year on year, we’re starting to see more books hitting shelves, and while the genre remains woefully underserved, there have been some truly outstanding titles published of late. Here are a few of my personal favourites from the last couple of years.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
When she was just twelve years old, Sena lost her moms to Tundar’s infamous – and deadly – sled race. Five years, a stolen wolf, and a whole lot of pent-up rage later, she’s determined to beat the odds and get the hell off her wretched ice planet.
Perfect for anyone who loves spikey girls, animal companions, and high-octane competition plots. If you like dystopian YA novels, you’ll love this book.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Welcome to your nightmare. Zetian is angry. She’s righteous. She’s coming for the patriarchal systems that are sacrificing girls like her to Huaxia’s war machine – and she’s doing it in a giant mecha.
This is the perfect gateway sci-fi, in that it reads like a fantasy novel with a sprinkling of giant robots and tech. It’s also ridiculously fun.
The Aurora Cycle by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
When the Aurora Academy’s golden boy, Tyler, goes AWOL during the end-of-year squad draft, he finds himself stuck with a prickly band of misfits, a stowaway girl with inexplicable powers, and an intergalactic bounty on all of their heads.
If you’re a fan of super pacy, action-filled books – and the found family trope – then this is the series for you.
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
When an alien race conquers Earth, all emotional expression among the surviving humans is outlawed – but seventeen-year-old Ellie doesn’t care. She’s determined to flout their rules by running an illegal library, even though it might get her killed – especially when her books are discovered by M0Rr1S, an Ilori soldier who feels much more strongly than he should.
This is a quieter, sweeter novel that is brimming with heart. Perfect for those who prefer their sci-fi more grounded and character focused.
City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
An heiress, an outlaw, and a band of misfits trying to survive the crime-filled streets of Requiem – a neon-drenched paradise that’s a haven for ruthless gangs, unscrupulous tech companies, and deadly AI.
If you love cyberpunk, bi-triangles, found family, and girls with guns and attitude problems, you’ll love this high-stakes, Firefly-esque thrill-ride.
Bonus entry: Mindwalker by Kate Dylan (that’s me!)
In a neon dystopia, eighteen-year-old Sil uses the supercomputer grafted to her brain to take over other people’s minds and steal technology. But when the company she works for frames her for espionage and puts a bounty on her head, she learns that maybe mind-control isn’t all that good, actually.
I like to describe this book as a Marvel movie in book form – perfect for those who think Endgame did Black Widow dirty and want to see a Natasha-esque character get the story she deserved.
ToW: Also, as mentioned earlier Kate’s next novel – Mindbreaker – has just been announced (coming September 2023). Here’s the official synopsis and temporary cover to whet your appetite:
Born into a religious, anti-tech cult, seventeen-year-old Indra lives a simple, mod-free existence on the fringe of society. But when an illicit trip to the city leaves her with a debilitating – and terminal – condition, Indra must make a choice: die faithful, or betray her Order and accept the cure Glindell Technologies is offering.
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Kate Dylan grew up in a sleepy English town where there was little to do but read, watch movies, and bake. After graduating from the University of the Arts London, she turned her obsession with storytelling and the visual arts into a full-time job as a video editor. But it wasn’t long before she realised that telling other people’s stories wasn’t quite enough; she wanted to tell her own.
Kate’s passion for writing YA novels is fuelled by a love of banter, snark, and all things Marvel. She currently lives in London with her long-suffering boyfriend and their thoroughly indifferent cat.
You can find out more at Kate’s website, and follow her on Twitter and on Instagram.
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So there you go – six YA sci-fi novels (including the bonus Mindwalker) to look out for, all of which sound fantastic. Thanks so much to Kate for curating these recommendations, and for getting involved in the Track of Words Advent Calendar 2022! I’ve had my eye on Iron Widow for a while now and this has convinced me that I definitely do want to read it, while all of the others sound brilliant too. I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to reading all of these. And like I said earlier, I can definitely recommend Mindwalker (and now I can’t wait for Mindbreaker)!
If you haven’t already, you can check out my review of Mindwalker, and a previous guest post that Kate wrote discussing why Mindwalker needed to be science fiction, not fantasy.
Mindwalker is out now from Hodderscape, while Mindbreaker is due out in September 2023. Check out the links below to order/pre-order your copies:
*If you buy anything using any of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.
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