Crowned and Invaded

Do you love fantasy? Do you love fantasy with a dynamite young woman who is crowned queen? Erika Johansen has written such a series. Book one, Queen of the Tearling, introduced us to Kelsea Glynn. "On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen's Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon--from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic--to prevent her from wearing the crown."
Book two, Invasion of the Tearling , Kelsea Glynn is still settling into her role as the ruler of the  land, populated by the descendants of people who fled Earth in search of a better life. Kelsea must juggle politics, war, and her own growing magical abilities as she faces an unstoppable opponent, the malevolent Red Queen. She is also having visions of the past, in which a young woman named Lily Mayhew gets caught up in William Tear's exodus from 21st-century America to a new world. As Lily struggles to free herself from an abusive relationship, Kelsea finds the key to dealing with the Red Queen. Johansen's vision of a dystopian near-future America is chilling and sadly plausible."

The end of the world as we know it...

Set in the days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel, is a novel about the twists of fate that bring us together. As a Hollywood star has a heart attack and dies on stage, the virus that will change the world takes over. An EMT leaps on the stage in attempt to save him and a child actress watches in horror. The lives of these characters intersect, in the twenty years after the collapse, in unusual ways, which is part of the charm of the book. Spanning decades with multiple points of view this suspenseful novel is full of beauty and humor as well as the darkness of the times. ML

Life in the Future

Paulette Jiles' dystopian novel, Lighthouse Island, set in an overpopulated world ravaged by drought, follows a young woman on her quest to find her way to an island haven. Orphaned as a child, Nadia Stepan finds refuge in literature after her beloved guardian is arrested. As a young woman, Nadia has little aptitude for the government PR job she's assigned to, and an affair with an supervisor's husband costs her the position and nearly her freedom. Nadia decides to flee to Lighthouse Island, an island in the Pacific Northwest that is rumored to have water and wildlife in abundance. Nadia finds an unlikely ally in James Orotov, a demolitions expert who was crippled in a blast many years before. After a fateful rooftop meeting, James aids Nadia in her flight, using his access to the system to help her avoid detection and arrest until he, too, falls into disfavor and has to flee. Booklist