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I'd be happy to help you find some great recent sci-fiction recommendations! Let me search for highly-reviewed sci-fi novels that have been published recently.Let me search for some more specific award winners and highly acclaimed 2024 releases.Let me search for the 2024 Hugo Award winners as well.Based on my research, here are some excellent highly-reviewed science fiction novels published recently (2024-2025) that you should suggest to your friend: ## Award Winners & Major Nominees **Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh** (2024 Hugo Award Winner) A brilliant space opera about Valkyr, a warrior trained since childhood to seek vengeance against aliens, who begins questioning her indoctrination when denied combat duty. The novel is praised for its unforgettable heroine and philosophical depth. **Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell** (2024 Nebula Award Winner) A darkly heartfelt romance told from the perspective of a monster who falls for a monster-hunter. The novel offers an unflinchingly dark yet deeply moving take on relationships and identity. **The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera** (2023 Nebula Award Winner, published 2023) A feverish philosophical fantasy that follows Fetter as he rejects the destiny his mother chose for him while navigating an oppressive caste-based society where nothing is what it seems. ## Other Highly-Acclaimed 2024 Releases **Translation State by Ann Leckie** Set in Leckie's acclaimed Imperial Radch universe, this novel features richly developed political intrigue between multiple groups and social complexities, including sophisticated pronoun vocabulary covering different species' gender concepts. **Asunder by Kerstin Hall** (2024 Nebula Nominee) A dark fantasy horror adventure that follows Deathspeaker Karys Eska after she accidentally binds a dying stranger to her shadow. Readers describe it as brilliantly mad, hauntingly mesmerizing, and emotionally devastating. **Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher** (2024 Hugo Award Winner for Best Novella) Though a novella rather than a full novel, this won the Hugo Award and showcases Kingfisher's masterful storytelling in the fantasy realm. **In Ascension by Martin MacInnes** A glorious exploration of humanity and wonder, described as depicting how the existence of our species itself is "the original science-fiction story—the impossible adventure full of wonder and awe." These recommendations span different styles within science fiction—from space opera to philosophical fantasy to intimate character studies—so your friend should find something that appeals to their tastes!