If You Liked. . . #14: YA Science-Fiction Edition

There were so many awesome sci-fi novels coming out this month, and I can’t help but throw some recommendations out and comps so you know whether you want to check them out or not!

There are so many different branches of sci-fi that I feel like a lot of people don’t recognize, from near-future to space opera to different types of dystopians! And we cover a lot of cool ones here, so keep reading for some new science fiction recommendations based on books you’ve loved!

As always, Goodreads links are in the title and the recommendations work both ways! Enjoy!

If you liked We Set the Dark on Fire, you’ll love Internment!

I have to say, finding the comp for Internment was the hardest one on the list because honestly? What can compare?

Internment is a book about rebellion and fighting for equality and what you believe in. And it took me a while, but I found a great, matching book–We Set the Dark on Fire.

Mejia’s debut also touches on a lot of social topics, in a fantasy setting though, instead of Internment‘s what-if? near-future one. Rebellion and classism and fighting for what you believe in. It’s all there, just packaged in a different world.

At their cores, both books are extremely powerful with strong messages about rebellion. And I would wholeheartedly recommend both for any SFF reader who wants something meaningful and real added to their TBR.

If you liked Heart of Iron, you’ll love Once & Future!

In contrast, Once & Future was the easiest book to find a comp for, because it’s got so may awesome relatable themes.

I think lovers of Ashley Poston’s Heart of Iron will really enjoy Once & Future and both its King Arthur retelling (while HOI is an Anastasia retelling) and its big-corporation takedown.

Plus, space!!! All the space vibes and traveling and royalty. They’ve both got such action-packed narratives, but still woven in with loveable characters. (DO9 and Merlin are my faves!)

So definitely check both of them out, and I’m anxiously awaiting their sequels, AHH!

If you liked Pacifica, you’ll love Want & Ruse!

I thought it would be hard to find a great book that would do Cindy Pon’s Want and Ruse justice, but I managed to find the perfect comp!

When I saw Pacifica on my Goodreads, it immediately clicked. Both Want and Pacifica deal with environmental topics, showing a world where humans have messed up and we’ve unfortunately caused a lot of bad things.

And both books feature adventure and action and a diverse cast of characters. Reading both books give me a special kind of thrill and I can’t shove them in your faces enough!

If you liked Dare Mighty Things, you’ll love The Weight of the Stars!

Dare Mighty Things and The Weight of the Stars are probably the most different books on the list, but they still have their similarities.

They both feature people who yearn to go to space and explore that frontier.

However, The Weight of The Stars is much more poetic and character based and filled with a very contemporary setting, with the idea of going to space as one very, very far away.

While on the other hand, Cassandra Gupta in Dare Mighty Things is basically in the training-to-go-to-space program right from the start at the book.

Nonetheless, both of these books possess that wonder and untold futures that a reader might enjoy (I certainly did!)

If you liked The Sandcastle Empire, you’ll love The Fever King!

The Sandcastle Empire and The Fever King were both 5 star reads for me, and it’s not hard to see why!

Both feature vicious, near-future dystopian worlds which I love. They’re gritty and a little dark and hold a very different type of dystopian setting than 2010s, Hunger Games style stories.

The characters are under high pressure situations and working to unlock the secrets of the world around them–for Noam, it’s who the real bad guy is and for Eden, it’s the question of what’s really going on?

If you want to be absorbed in a gritty and high-stakes world, definitely check out The Fever King and The Sandcastle Empire!

What branch of sci-fi is your favorite?