Kaffe · a free reading list
For Kat: sci-fi & fantasy starters
Five series openers mixing science fiction and fantasy, to start with.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A low-caste miner infiltrates the ruling Golds of Mars; brutal, fast and full of reversals.
+ Cinematic, fast action blending Roman myth and science fiction, building to a gripping final act.
− Some reviewers found it derivative of The Hunger Games, with little originality or plausibility. (summed up from Wikipedia (reception))Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
A lone astronaut wakes with no memory and has to save Earth with science and an unlikely friend.
+ An engaging, suspenseful space survival story about friendship, with infectious enthusiasm for science.
− Some critics noted shortcomings, including problems the hero could have avoided with common sense. (summed up from Wikipedia (reception))The Will of the Many by James Islington
A hidden-identity academy epic in a Rome-like empire where power flows from those who cede their will.
+ Ambitious dark academia with a cool magic system, morally grey characters who all have agency, and a wild ending.
− Leans on school tropes, training montages and philosophising; not for readers who dislike those. (summed up from Grimdark Magazine)Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
A detective and a ship's officer uncover a solar-system conspiracy; the start of The Expanse.
+ Accessible, action-packed space opera with a lived-in solar system, convincing politics and a noir detective.
− Cartoonish corporate villains and weak female characters. (summed up from SFFWorld)The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
A gang of con artists in a Venice-like city is caught in a deadly underworld power struggle.
+ A witty, tragicomic caper with a resilient thief and a richly detailed city.
− The realistic backdrop makes the melodramatic plot feel less real. (summed up from Publishers Weekly)
Start your own reading circle: make a free account with just a name and a password, share your invite link with a few friends, and these books are waiting as your starter picks. No email or personal info.