The 2023 Pratchat Challenge - hosted by mcbenzie

A book that blurs the line between science and magic
Pratchett has both made fun of the way magic makes no sense from a scientific sense, and written about magic as if it was just a different kind of science.

An obvious suggestion, already popular with Pratchett fans (and one himself), is Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London and sequels, in which British police officer and apprentice wizard Peter Grant learns a tradition of magic established by Isaac Newton. But we’ll have some more suggestions soon!
All books added
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Gideon the Ninth

The Locked Tomb #1

Tamsyn Muir

448 pages • first pub 2019 (editions)

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ science fiction adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore

Battle of the Linguist Mages

Scotto Moore

441 pages • first pub 2022 (editions)

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ science fiction video games adventurous funny medium-paced
Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce

Briar's Book

Circle of Magic #4

Tamora Pierce

258 pages • first pub 1999 (editions)

fiction fantasy middle grade adventurous mysterious fast-paced
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

Monk & Robot #1

Becky Chambers

4 hours, 8 minutes • first pub 2021 (editions)

fiction lgbtqia+ science fiction hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Kraken by China Miéville

Kraken

China Miéville

509 pages • first pub 2010 (editions)

fiction fantasy science fiction adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao

The Surviving Sky

The Rages Trilogy #1

Kritika H. Rao

521 pages • first pub 2023 (editions)

fiction fantasy science fiction adventurous mysterious fast-paced
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

Amina al-Sirafi #1

S.A. Chakraborty

489 pages • first pub 2023 (editions)

fiction fantasy historical adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
Babel by R.F. Kuang

Babel

R.F. Kuang

544 pages • first pub 2022 (editions)

fiction fantasy historical literary challenging dark emotional medium-paced
The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller

The Philosopher's Flight

The Philosophers Series #1

Tom Miller

422 pages • first pub 2018 (editions)

fiction fantasy historical science fiction adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Emily Wilde #1

Heather Fawcett

317 pages • first pub 2023 (editions)

fiction fantasy adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced