If I could sit you down and tell you about ALL of the books I’m excited about that are coming out this year, I absolutely would. It would take three days, several kettles for tea, and you might find me very annoying by the end—because trust me, there are a lot. The books are so good.
And sometimes, when life feels especially dark (which it does often these days, and I hope one day I’m not saying that but, here we are), that’s what we cling to. The books are so good, reading is so wonderful, it’s a privilege to have overflowing bookshelves and access to stories. Not everyone gets to. And it’s a privilege for me, someone who gets genuine joy out of shoving books into people’s hands, to tell you about them. I am lucky to have the platform that I do so that I can effectively yell at you to read things so that we can then talk about them together.
I come to you now at the end of a particular social media era, one which was a gold mine for book recommendations: TikTok has been shutdown (sort of? at least it is undeniably changed), and with it comes the loss of BookTok. I think we can all agree that BookTok, more than any other social media platform on which one may talk about books, had a massive impact on the book world, most especially in genre spaces. While social media has always had a place for books—and I have, at the age of 36, been through several waves of dominant social platforms—I don’t remember there being such a ruckus before. Multiple media write-ups about the power of TikTok for selling books, BookTok tables at every bookstore, huge amounts of self-pub/indie authors getting picked up and made into traditional publication superstars, even that one guy who got sent on that 9 month world cruise just for reviewing one (ONE!!) book.
What made BookTok special was that it was personal—the intimacy of watching someone on your phone lent itself well to connections and parasocial relationships, and TikTok’s casual style made it an easy entry point. Less gloss, more personal. Yet I found just as with other social media platforms with an algorithm, most of the books gaining visibility were…kinda the same. Kinda the same as the stuff I’d seen on Instagram years before, and Youtube before that. And sure, there were pockets of difference—you gotta find your people, as they say. But it is always a game of actively training the search function. With so many books out there, so many great books, why are we still reading the same few titles?
We all have our biases and favorites, we tend to gravitate towards similar types of things. But what is the point of all this bounty, this rich literary landscape, if we’re not venturing out beyond our familiar territory? What’s the point of saying “read diversely” if you don’t check your biases often, or if you’re not actively seeking newness in all its forms? Life is short, my friends, and we live in an overflowing media landscape so there’s always something new to read. And I know, I know—sometimes it’s hard to find good things due to algorithms and an overwhelm of information and search engines that don’t work great anymore, but that’s what I’m here for, or your library, or your friends. I just want you to read well and find joy in exercising your imagination.
That being said, there’s still a lot of to talk about, so let’s get cracking.
First, some stuff you may already have on your pre-order list: We’re getting double T. Kingfisher this year—both Swordheart (February 25, Bramble), and then a fairy tale reimagining later in the year. We’ve also got double Olivie Blake, with Gifted & Talented ( April 1, Tor Books), and then something a little darker in the fall. Honestly, where they get the time and energy for two books a year, I’ll never know. Truly impressive. We’ll also get a new Stephen Graham Jones, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (March 18, Saga), a new Scalzi, When the Moon Hits Your Eye (March 25, Tor Books), and new from Seanan McGuire’s pen name Mira Grant in Overgrowth (May 6, Nightfire). Tochi Onyebuchi is back with an epic in Harmattan Season (May 27, Tor Books), TJ Klune’s doing something new in The Bones Beneath My Skin (February 4, Tor Books), and Chuck Wendig scares us with The Staircase in the Woods (April 29, Del Rey). I’m also excited for a new a new YA fantasy from Akwaeke Emezi, Somadina (April 15, Knopf Books for Young Readers), a new historical fantasy from Guy Gavriel Kay, Written on the Dark (May 27, Ace), and an adult novel from Maggie Stiefvater called The Listeners (June 3, Viking). We’ve got Anima Rising from Christopher Moore (May 13, William Morrow), Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler (April 1, MCD), and Breath of the Dragon from Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee, based on the teachings of Shannon’s father Bruce (January 7, Wednesday). And, of course, we’re looking forward to Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, the latest from V. E. Schwab (June 10, Tor Books).
This year, a much anticipated continuation of a beloved series is coming—Book 5 of Samantha Shannon’s Bone Season series, The Dark Mirror (February 25, Bloomsbury), plus more from Charles Stross’ Laundry Files, in A Conventional Boy (January 7, Tor Books), a new Martin Hench novel from Cory Doctorow, Picks and Shovels (February 18, Tor Books). Mary Robinette Kowal blesses us with more Lady Astronauts in The Martian Contingency (March 18, Tor Books), and we return to the Capital for another Hunger Games novel from Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping (March 18, Scholastic). Saara El-Arifi continues the Faebound Trilogy in Cursebound (February 18, Saga), we get more Dungeon Crawler Carl in The Gate of the Feral Gods from Matt Dinniman (March 11, Ace), plus more of Cassandra Clare’s adult series, The Ragpicker King (March 4, Del Rey). We’re getting more of James J. Butcher’s sci-fi noir series in Cold Iron Task (March 4, Ace), more of Emery Robin’s Roman empire in space with The Sea Eternal (March 11, Orbit), and another story in Sue Lynn Tan’s Celestial Kingdom, Immortal (January 7, Harper Voyager). Carissa Broadbent’s vampires are back in red hot action with Slaying the Vampire Conqueror (March 25, Bramble), as are Robert Jackson Bennett’s detectives Ana and Din in A Drop of Corruption (April 1, Del Rey), Mai Corland’s assassins in Four Ruined Realms (January 7, Entangled: Red Tower), and Tobi Ogundiran’s acolyte in At the Fount of Creation (January 28, Tordotcom). We return to Lee Paige O’Brien’s Broken Tower in A Single Brutal Fate (March 11, Amulet), Eliza Chan’s magical underwater world in Tideborn (March 25, Orbit), and Kacen Callender’s magical academy in Chaos King (April 15, Tor Teen). Chelsea Abdullah’s Sandsea Trilogy continues in The Ashfire King (April 15, Orbit), Vivian Shaw’s doctor to the undead is back in Strange New World (May 20, Orbit), and so are Malka Older’s space detectives in The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses (June 10, Tor Books). Plus, Brigid Kemmerer brings us Carving Shadows into Gold, the sequel to Forging Silver into Stars (January 28, Bloomsbury YA), Katherine Addison returns to the world of The Goblin Emperor in The Tomb of Dragons (March 11, Tor Books), and Gregory Maguire revisits our favorite wicked witch in Elphie: A Wicked Childhood (March 25, William Morrow).
We’ll also see a big series finish for Rebecca Yarros with Onyx Storm (January 21, Entangled: Red Tower), James Rollins’ Moonfall series with A Dragon of Black Glass (February 18, Tor Books), and Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn saga with Oathbound (March 4). Emberclaw is the final installment in L. R. Lam’s Dragonfall duology (March 4), the Waxways series from Scott Reintgen finishes out with A Burning in the Bones (February 4, Margaret K. McElderry), Alex Pheby’s Cities of the Weft concludes with Waterblack (January 14, Tor Books), as does Hannah Kaner’s Fallen Gods trilogy with Faithbreaker (April 1, Harper Voyager). Vanessa Le’s the Last Bloodcarver duology comes to an end in His Mortal Demise (March 18, Roaring Brook Press), and so does Tehlor Kay Mejia’s duology in Lucha of the Forgotten Spring (February 18, Make Me a World). Django Wexler brings the laughs with Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, the wrap-up to How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (May 27, Orbit), Margaret Owen’s Little Thieves series closes out with Holy Terrors (April 1, Holt Books for Young Readers), Kamilah Cole’s duology finishes with This Ends in Embers (February 4, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), and the Vita Nostra series from Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, translated by Julia Meitov Hersey, finishes with the epic School of Shards (June 17, Harper Voyager)
Now, here are 30 standouts to put on your TBR for the first half of this year!
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman

I hate to start the list off this way but to be fully transparent, I am way too much of a horror baby to read past the first chapter of this—there’s a level of fucked-up-ness I like, and a level which I cannot handle. Clay McLeod Chapman, a lovely human and a brilliant writer, has written something that falls into the latter category—so I phoned a friend, horror expert Emily Hughes, who promptly texted back: “uhhh this one’s pretty brutal dude”. But a novel about misinformation and the descent into right-wing propaganda has to be brutal, it’s brutal enough in real life. This one follows a man who drives down to see his parents after not hearing from them, only to find them having fallen victim to a plague—a mind-altering plague spread through the media. When he tries to turn off their TV they attack him, and the violence escalates from there. I’m told there’s something about a blender, something about a pizza cutter, and something about Anderson Cooper. It’s clear the plague is wide-spread and near impossible to escape, and neither is Chapman’s creativity. If you’re a horror lover who reads on hard mode, this one’s for you. (January 7, Quirk Books)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

It is the story of the Humes, robots left after humanity has left the Earth, left to adjust their own programming and repair their own bodies and discover what life has to offer. It is the story of Zelu, her literary novel rejected from another publisher and recently fired from her adjunct professor job (after telling the entitled white boy in workshop that his work was shit, which like, there’s always one of those and she was right, Justice for Prof. Zelu), who begins to write something just for fun, she writes and writes until the power company shuts off her power and then writes some more. It is a story about the tough reality of being a working writer, but it is also about storytelling, the power of creation, embodiment, culture, and joy. Nnedi Okorafor is not pulling any punches in her latest, Death of the Author, a cross-genre turducken of a novel. This feels like a breakout work from someone who is already a superstar, and it’s clear that Okorafor fucking loves writing. Death of the Author is a special, special book. I can’t wait for you all to experience it. (January 14, William Morrow)
Brother Bontë by Fernando A. Flores

It’s a beautiful feeling, as a reader, to know that you have no idea what’s going on but you’re in safe hands and along for the ride. Fernando A. Flores is a supremely confident writer, the type of writer who throws you into a situation with no explanation and expects you to keep up. Brother Bontë honestly feels like being in the middle of a Bosch painting—lots to look at, all chaos, but incredibly beautiful and carefully crafted. Neftalí’s house has been ransacked by the police (the chupacabras); records smashed, glass shattered, things confiscated, but thankfully they were unable to find the two books she’s hidden. Because they’re outlawed, you see, in her small Texas town, and no one learns how to read anymore (Neftalí is one of the few capable). The authoritarian mayor has even given book shredders to its average citizens, so gangs of young boys on bikes can wreak havoc. It’s only by a chance encounter with a pair of rebellious tías that one of Neftalí’s remaining books is saved (the eponymous Brother Brontë), and it becomes very precious indeed. The encounter and the book lead Neftalí and her friend Prosperpina on a path to rebellion and revolution. There are plenty of 1984-esque stories out there but this is by far the most exciting and thought-provoking one. (February 11, MCD)
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

Capricious House itself is beautiful—old, unusual, but ornate. Its employees are well-trained, diligent, loyal. Things run like clockwork. They must, because the mistress of the house is particular, and she guards many secrets. She is also a giant (GIANT) spider. Hache Pueyo’s But Not Too Bold is a gothic wonder that follows Dália, the newly appointed keeper of the keys, a role she’s been training for all her life. When her mentor is (maybe mistakenly) eaten by the spider mistress of the house, Dália is called upon to take her place and to help uncover something precious that was stolen. And the Arachnid-In-Charge takes a, let’s say, “special interest” in Dália. Ya know, in a “gal pals” way. But Not Too Bold accomplishes a lot in the span of a novella—a dreamy yet dangerous world, romance and intrigue, curiosities abound. After this, I am desperate for more work from Pueyo cuz I bet it’ll be deeply weird and honestly, we all need more of that in our lives. (February 11, Tordotcom)
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

Sometimes it’s really hard for me to write a description for a book that’s not just like *frothing at the mouth* and *high pitched scream*, because that definitely is how I’m feeling internally about Hungerstone but I probably need to do a little more to convey my excitement to you, so here we go. Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone is a Carmilla retelling— historical, feminist, and decidedly thirsty. Lenore dreams of Carmilla even before they meet, a strange, dangerous, yet alluring woman who appears beside her bed. When Carmilla actually comes into her life, the result of a carriage accident on the way to the new country estate Lenore’s social-climbing husband has purchased, the beautiful spectre enters her life with fervor. As all good vampire stories do, Lenore is torn between fear and desire, and Dunn has fleshed out the interior lives of these characters as well as the world around them. With plenty of homoeroticism, a shit ass douchebag husband, and beautiful historical details, Hungerstone is the retelling we’ve all been—sorry for this—craving. Okay yeah that was cheesy, but you get what I mean. I just needed more lesbian vampires so I’m excited about this, leave me alone. (February 18, Zando)
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

Reading this was like having a delightful spell cast on me, and I loved every minute of it. Amal El-Mohtar goes solo with her first novella, and trust me it was well worth the wait. It’s giving Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meets Holly Black vibes—a little fairy tale, a little mystical, a lot of heart. The River Has Roots follows the Hawthorn sisters, Ysabel and Esther, who live at the border of the human world and faerie. Their family is tasked with caring for the land, which they do happily, and life is good. But they’re also two girls living alone and it’s not exactly modern times so one of them will have to marry eventually, and Esther has to hide the fact that she’s been seeing someone from faerie (who’s been avoiding locking it down, which I don’t get cuz Esther is very wife-able)—and the complications of that spiral into devastation. El-Mohtar’s prose is breathtaking, the magic is old (Legolas voice: very old) and wild, and every moment magical. Now I’m off to find my own faerie lover and you can’t stop me! (March 4, Tordotcom)
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

Look, I won’t call myself a hardcore romantasy person, but if you present me with hot demons I am IN. I am so in. In the world of Amélie Wen Zhao’s lush, action-packed new duology, the world is plagued by mó, demons who take on the appearance of beautiful humans in order to lure in their pray. And I’m gonna level with you here—I would be fucking dead in this world. I wouldn’t last a minute. But thankfully Àn’yīng is smarter than me, and has trained to hunt the mó after one killed her father and left her mother permanently damaged. Her only real chance to save her mother and protect her little sister is to attend the prestigious practitioning school in the Immortal Realm where her father trained. Only problem is, there’s a deadly competition to get in. Luckily, Àn’yīng has her training and the mysterious guardian trapped in her jade pendant to help her (my notes say: “I BET HE’S HOT”). There’s no one to trust but herself—she just has to hope her heart’s desire doesn’t get in the way of her goal. With a truly badass heroine and intricate lore, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is the (THEE) romantic fantasy of the season. (March 4, Delacorte Press)
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses

Oooh it’s fucked up, ooh boy it’s fucked up!! We got ourselves a creepy cult, y’all!! There is just something special about characters getting violently religious at the end of the world, don’t you think? The thing is, no matter how fucked up the Sacred Sisterhood is, our unnamed narrator–an “unworthy” (meaning she isn’t allowed to look upon Him)(meaning she hasn’t been mutilated in some way yet) but devoted member of the order—believes she is safer here than anyone else, and that her devotion will eventually lead to great things like maybe getting her ear drums burst or her eyes sewn shut. Until then, she and the fellow members torture each other or are tortured by the Superior Sister, and make sacrifices to keep the haze of the ravaged outside world at bay. Of course, A Stranger Comes to Town and fucks all this up, challenging everything our narrator believes to be true. Now, I’m a horror baby, but Bazterrica writes in such a way that makes this intensely readable, even when it’s disturbing—which brings me to my most beloved state as a reader, which is “what the hell did I just read?” The Unworthy is a gruesome, wondrous curiosity. (March 4, Scribner)
The Antidote by Karen Russell

It’s an intimate thing, holding memories for other people. It has to be. And though The Antidote, a prairie witch who acts as a vault for the small town of Uz, Nebraska, isn’t conscious of the memories she holds, she feels them in her—and she feels their loss, too. When she loses 15 years worth of transfers due to the dust storm on Black Sunday (a real historical event of the Dust Bowl) just as the farmers lost their crops, you can understand how this would be equally if not more devastating. Through The Prairie Witch’s story, along with that of farmer Harp Oletsky and his basketball star niece Dell, Karen Russell tells the story of a town, its strange happenings, of motherhood and grief, of the land and its memory. Russell is one of our most spectacular wielders of the surreal, and The Antidote is an absolute flex. (March 11, Knopf)
Rose/House by Arkady Martine

Now this is where I break one of my rules, because this is technically a re-issue but Martine’s sci-fi gothic is irresistible. I’m making up for the fact that A Memory Called Empire was published before I was doing these lists and I didn’t get the chance to gush about it so we’re going all in on this, baby. Yeah, you heard me, I said sci-fi gothic, there is a creepy house and it is in the FUTURE!! Dr. Selene Gisil was once assistant to the great architect, Basit Deniau, who was by all accounts a total asshole. She’s since moved on. It’s not her fault that in his will, he left Rose House to her—and she is the only one allowed inside, once a year, for only a week. Because Rose House is not just built with A.I., but sentient and haunted (and, by all accounts kind of a bitch). So it’s more than a little fucked up when she gets a call saying there’s been a murder inside Rose House. The mystery unravels with never-ending twists and turns and brilliant prose, and Rose/House is clearly another jewel in the crown of sci-fi queen Arkady Martine. Just remember folks: All A.I. is bad, even if it comes in a sexy creepy labyrinthine house-shaped package. (March 11, Tordotcom)
Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin

When Tam was young, Aunt Tigress cured her of illness—an act which, against her mother’s wishes, brought Tam into a world of magic and folklore. From then on, Tam’s life was marked by her run-ins with mythical creatures. As much as she tries to put it all (including some tragic and affecting incidents in her youth) behind her so that she can focus on college and taking care of her mom and the hot girl Janet she’s been seeing, the mark that her no-good child-stealing witch-aunt Tigress left on her life is unmistakable. When Aunt Tigress is killed, Tam is forcefully pulled into danger and into a world she’s been told to resist. Emily Yu-Xuan Qin’s novel feels full and tactile—its characters are messy, harsh, and human, its world bloody and rich with sensory detail. And look, you don’t just name your characters Tam Lin and Janet with no thought behind it, okay? We’re going deep in on folklore here. This is the author’s debut, and I cannot wait to see what they do next. (March 18, DAW)
Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Ooooh my god it’s cute, oh my god it’s so cute! Murder by Memory is one of those books that just immediately puts a smile on your face. In this cozy sci-fi mystery, Detective Dorothy Gentleman wakes up in a new body. Now, this isn’t entirely unusual—she’s on a sentient generation ship, one that is able to keep copies of its residents’ minds in a Library for when their bodies fail and need to be remade, effectively granting them several lifetimes. But the body Dorothy is in doesn’t belong to her, and the ship (Ferry, who is incredibly cute and sings sea shanties) alerts her to a potentially devastating mystery that only she can solve. Dorothy is an incredible friend to be with on this wild ride, with smarts and sass that keep pace with a propulsive plot. The vibes here are like Murderbot mixed with Legends and Lattes—which is a great recipe for fun, if you ask me. (March 18, Tordotcom)
The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

Erika T. Wurth is one of the most exciting writers in horror right now, and it’s easy to see why. From the very start of her latest, The Haunting of Room 904, you’re on the edge of your seat as we follow Olivia, a real deal clairvoyant and the best in the business. But a few emotional encounters with spirits, she’s set on a path to investigate something truly dark and twisted that may just reveal something about her sister’s tragic death years earlier. If that’s not enough, it’s all tied in with the slaughter of the Cheyenne people at the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and the vengeful spirits that created. At their core, all ghost stories are about trauma and loss, and in The Haunting of Room 904, Wurth explores this on multiple levels—both cultural and generational, and personal trauma. But perhaps the most compelling part of this novel is the way care, friendship, and atonement remain present alongside the horrors. Wurth’s latest hits on multiple levels, and is sure to keep you turning pages. Just make sure to keep the lights on. (March 18, Flatiron Books)
Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou

You know when you start reading a book and you get that feeling of like, “oh no, this is about to become my whole personality, I’m going to shove this book in everyone’s faces and be really annoying about it?” Cuz that’s how I felt by the end of the first page of Sour Cherry, Natalia Theodoridou’s gothic fabulist exploration of abuse cycles. Our narrator tells her story while being surrounded by the ghosts of dead women, and through this frame tale we are introduced to Anges, a wet nurse, and the strange baby she cares for, with his sharp teeth and sharp nails. Strange and increasingly violent things begin to happen around him, maybe because of him, though he never admits to it. So unravels a Bluebeard’s Wife-esque fairy tale horror that questions monstrosity, masculinity, romance, and power. Theodoridou’s writing is atmospheric—a word I typically try to avoid when talking about books but I really am sitting here now still stuck in the headspace of this book. It is deeply affecting and unsettling, much like the story our unnamed narrator tells within. (April 1, Tin House)
When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory

Are you looking for an adventure? Well then, hop on the bus for the North American Impossibles Tour, an eight day ride through the physics puzzles of the land—you’ll see the Frozen Tornado, the Hollow Flock, the Zipper, and Ghost City! It’s the tour guide’s first day on the job but don’t worry, she’s got anxiety and a binder to guide you. It’s been seven years since the Announcement that we’re all actually living in a simulation, and the simulation has started to, well, glitch. But now that everyone’s done freaking out about it, we can monetize that, right? Right. On board is a cast of vibrant characters—narratively referred to by their archetypes, like THE INFLUENCER, THE RABBI, and THE HONEYMOONERS—that are either going to band together or do severe psychic damage to each other. Daryl Gregory’s latest is an absolute riot and a joy from the jump. As the characters wrestle with reality (and each other), we’re taken on a whirlwind tour of weirdness. And I, for one, could not be more ready to go. (April 1, Saga)
A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang

You know that scene from The Two Towers where the Ents take on Isenguard? Of course you do, because you’re a person of taste and culture. A Palace Near the Wind feels like that scene in novel form. Lufeng is a Wind Walker, a tree-like being that cares for the natural world. She is currently the eldest princess, and unfortunately that means she will soon be wed to the human king as part of an agreement between their people—a bride in exchange for delayed expansion of the human empire (and therefore preservation of the natural lands). In a sort of Bluebeard’s Wife situation, Lufeng’s mother and sisters were previously given to the king, and have never returned. Unfortunately her people are kinda trapped into this deal—give over a bride or get your homeland obliterated—but she believes her family to still be alive somewhere. So she goes, and she’s pretty keen on killing the king for all he’s done. What follows is a high fantasy filled with political intrigue, mystery, heart, and eco-conscious worldbuilding. There’s something for everyone here, especially if you’re into deep lore and badass tree content. (April 8, Titan)
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Before I get into this, I need you to know that I started reading The Raven Scholar at a completely normal person hour and then blinked and it was 2am. One of those reading experiences, you know? I was fully engaged from the jump and write to you now feeling completely obsessed. The world of The Raven Scholar is richly developed; its prose and dialogue absolutely sing, its characters are rich and real and charming as hell. In this world, everyone affiliates with one of the Guardians—Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound—each with its own domain and set of expected professions (and normally I’m not super down with the whole ‘have a single symbol for your whole personality’ kind of worldbuilding, like a fantasy Meyers-Briggs, but its voluntary and done as adults so it feels less limiting). With the emperor set to step down from his reign, a festival begins during which seven contenders will compete to be the next leader, one from each affiliation. But at the start, one is murdered, which results in the titular raven scholar Neem Kraa down a path to unravel the mystery and a generations-long political intrigue involving many betrayals and coverups. The fact is, friends, that I’m in love with this and I need you all to read it so we can talk about it. Okay? Okay. Also, there is a very good chameleon named Pink-Pink. ALSO ALSO THERE ARE FOOTNOTES. (April 15, Orbit)
Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin

Shell is desperate for work after having lost her job and moved back in with her parents, and though it isn’t what she went to school for, a job in a florist shop could be a saving grace for her. Having flowers in her life will be a burst of beauty after all the shit that’s happened. Plus the florist, Neve, is… well, engaged, but really nice to look at. Could be great, right? A new friend, “gal pals”. Only Shell doesn’t realize something—someone—is watching her, becoming intertwined with her life and her relationship with Neve. Plants grow, after all. They have needs. They must be fed. So begins a psychological genre-bending beauty of a novel, a sort of Little Shop of Horrors for the social media age. Eat the Ones You Love is full of yearning, complicated relationships, and uncanny botany. It’s a total mindfuck in a good way, a really good way. (April 22, Tor Books)
When the Tides Held the Moon by Vanessa Vida Kelley

Okay, as I tell you about this book, I need you to imagine me here waving a big Puerto Rican flag okay? It’s important. Because our protagonist here, Benny, is a Puerto Rican in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, and it’s nice to see him get to smooch a hot merman knowing how rough that would have been. Vanessa Vida Kelley’s queer historical romance is breathtaking (lol get it cuz he’s a merman and they have to be underwater, but seriously—) both in its storytelling and its presentation; the author is also an artist and the pages of this book feature a multitude of illustrations. Benny is, as I mentioned, a migrant, and his job as an ironworker leads to a strange opportunity. A local sideshow, Morgan’s Menagerie of Human Oddities has asked for an ornate water tank, one that must be transportable. Benny is unprepared for the creature that gets put inside his build, nor how it makes him feel to connect with a being who challenges his whole worldview. What unfolds is not only a tender romance between these two men, both held captive by their circumstances, but a story about found family, about marginalized communities and outsiders, about freedom and the ocean. If you’re looking to feel heartache and hope, this one’s for you. (April 29, Erewhon)
Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame by Neon Yang

One of the most beautiful experiences as a reader is that feeling when a book comes along and its writer seems to have somehow read your mind, somehow found a secret desire etched in the depths of your brain, and put it here on the page for you. And that’s exactly how I felt when the new Neon Yang came across my desk—a high dragon fantasy that follows a mysterious masked knight. The knight is legendary—their many triumphs over the dragons that plague the Sun Empire are known throughout the land, yet no one knows anything personal about them. They’re the most accomplished guildknight in history. But Yeva, the person under the mask, isn’t prepared for what awaits her in Quanbao, a neighboring land that lives in peace with dragons. Because what awaits her is not only a super hot queen, but an unravelling of everything she’s ever understood to be true. Neon Yang’s careful craft yields a tender story of romance and self-exploration that feels like a dream. Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning accomplishment. (May 6, Tordotcom)
Portalmania by Debbie Urbanski

I think we’re going to start seeing a lot of stories that re-imagine the portal—no longer simply a door to a magical land with talking animals. But the portal has always been a metaphor—for coming of age, trauma, death, transformation, what have you. Debbie Urbanski’s new collection Portalmania probes into all of these and more, with stories that span all speculative subgenres. The stories investigate not only what might be on the other side of the portal but what might keep us here, alongside big questions about monsters, bodies, gender, relationships, and family. Urbanski uses all the tools in her toolbox to craft these weird little wonders—and you know me, I love a weird little story collection. Pick this one up if you’re curious and willing to risk it all to see worlds beyond. (May 13, Simon & Schuster)
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

You know, I really respect a writer who creates a holy man character and immediately has them blaspheme, that’s hilarious. And Joe Abercrombie is clearly having a good time with The Devils, a sort of fantasy horror Suicide Squad. In the holy city of an alternate Europe, Brother Diaz rushes to a meeting with Her Holiness, expecting some kind of positive recognition—only to be told that demons, monsters, and witches exist, and he’s being made vicar of a secret order tasked with eradicating them. His new flock are a bunch of demons, monsters, and witches seeking redemption, and essentially given permission to go fully unhinged in the name of the church. This, of course, includes putting rough and roguish lost princess Alex (who RULES) on the throne. Rife with complex politics, violence, hilarity, and shittalk, The Devils is a fucking riot of a book. Oh, and there’s a sexy lady with a bunch of knives. Just thought y’all might want to know that. (May 13, Tor Books)
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling

The vibes are STRONG with this one—from the very beginning I was hooked on Caitlin Starling’s latest dark fantasy, absolutely gorging myself on its prose. Aymar Castle is under siege, its people starving and becoming restless. They keep sending messengers out in hopes of seeking aid but none return. Phosyne, a nun-turned-attic-witch hoping to find a solution to their lack of food and clean drinking water. When the king demands a miracle and assigns her a chaperone to urge her work in the form of the imposing and powerful Ser Voyne (who is HOT), both women are faced with an impossible task. Trelia, a servant girl who catches rats to eat and trade and hates Ser Voyne, discovers a hidden part of the castle that might lead to a way out. But the suffering continues until one day, four beings arrive in the castle, claiming to be saints—and everyone goes absolutely apeshit about it. The Starving Saints is a delirious descent into madness, with three fascinating women at its core. This one is for people who like a little sacrilegious weirdness and also wish Game of Thrones was just a fancam of Brienne of Tarth. (May 20, Harper Voyager)
The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien

Somewhere beyond borders, outside of any one country’s control, there is the Sea—a collection of buildings that has become a waystation for displaced peoples seeking refuge or a new start. The Sea is a liminal place, seemingly endless and unbound by the laws of physics. Not only do people of all nations gather here, but of all time periods as well. Lina arrives as a young girl, alongside her ailing father, and though he insists its temporary she begins to form a life at the Sea. One day she opens a door she’s never seen before and it leads her to a collection of strangers: a philosopher, a scholar, and a poet, all from other homelands and eras. As these characters grapple with what they left behind, there is an exploration of big ideas—what makes a home and what might drive us from it, what makes a good life, an education, a family. The Book of Records is a beautiful work that’s sure to astound. (May 20, W.W. Norton)
That Devil, Ambition by Linsey Miller

I am a sucker for a dark academia/magic school story, and this one absolutely hits the ground running—so much so that my notes from reading are mostly just “oh I’m loving this! I LOVE this!” That Devil, Ambition is pure unhinged fun. Fabian is a year away from graduation in a magic school. Along with his friends Euphemia and Credence, he’s ready for their final honors class. Which, oh, begins with the summoning of a devil who will be their teacher for the year. Their only assignment is to kill the Professor Devil before the end of the year—a task which, if passed, will grant Fabian his pick of jobs and his full tuition (which is MASSIVE) reimbursed. If he fails, they’ll murder mother, who serves as his tuition loan collateral. Are you in?? Yeah, I thought so. All the characters are fucked up, harboring dark secrets, driven by their personal desires and determination. That Devil, Ambition is an absolute ball, a delight, a joy—if you’re a dark magic school sicko like me who likes stories about young people doing high-stake murders and having Emotions about it. (June 3, Storytide)
When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

It’s a fairly easy decision for Sam, daughter of the most feared man in town, to make a deal with a devil to save her younger brother’s life. In another part of town, Neera cleans blood from the hotel room a boy she once knew was staying in, a boy she hasn’t seen in a week. That same night, Reid Langley rushes home to discover his older brother was driving the car that nearly killed Sam’s brother. And Isaiah, a young true crime podcaster, receives an email with hints to the missing boy’s whereabouts. So begins a cacophony of disasters, secrets, and scandals in the small southern town of Carrion and its wealthier neighbor Clearwater, all of them tied to local legends about three devils and the deals they make. Xan Kaur’s debut is a tangled web of a mystery that highlights inequities and systemic injustices for marginalized communities, alongside that gloriously dark folklore that makes southern gothics so alluring. This one just gets more wild as it goes on, so be ready for the bumpy ride. (June 3, Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers)
A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

Hey, friend. Hey. Listen. SFF reader to SFF reader, you know you’re in for an adventure when you crack open a new book and it’s got both a map AND a dramatis personae. And A Song of Legends Lost absolutely delivers on the promise of adventure. It’s a fantasy of epic proportions, with an expansive world and complex characters that inhabit it—everything feels so alive and vibrant. The many cultures of the Nine Realms exist in the wake of the loss of the Scathed, a people that leaves only artifacts of techwork behind. It’s believed that the monstrous greybloods need the techwork to survive, which is why the Nine Realms live under threat of their violence. Invokers are able to call forth the spirits of their ancestors to defend the lands, but this is a skill wielded only by a few bloodlines. Jinao is looking to prove himself on the battlefield in hopes of being chosen by his ancestors for the Bond to make him an invoker, but the world may have other things in store for him. Meanwhile, Temi, a woman from the slums whose family has been running a secret techwork trade, discovers a power unlike anything anyone’s ever seen. There are lots of threads to follow from there as this book unravels, but it never feels overwhelming or confusing. A Song of Legends Lost is a sweeping and impressive debut that definitely sets up for many more stories in this world. (June 3, Saga)
Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings

Don’t you just love a mysterious door that pops up out of nowhere? I love when a mysterious door pops up out of nowhere! When a story starts like that, you know things are going to get weird, speculative, and existential. Do you go through the door, do you wait for something to come through? Do you philosophize what might be beyond without ever truly knowing? In the latest from prose powerhouse Megan Giddings, several doors appear across the world, inspiring a crop of new religions to form around them. For Ayanna, it’s hard being raised in the Church of the Blue Door while her twin sister Olivia attends Catholic church with their mother. Not everyone understands the allure of the door and the theology that it has inspired—but Ayanna has seen the door open and spoken to a being on the other side. Of course one of the twins disappears through the doors, but Meet Me at the Crossroads is just as much about what’s beyond the mysterious door as it is about sisterhood, Blackness, faith, and curiosity. Giddings’ latest is deeply engaging and not to be missed. (June 3, Amistad)
The Witch Roads by Kate Elliot

Kate Elliot has mentioned a few times on social that this is the book that reignited her love of writing, and it shows—the world of The Witch Roads is expansive, with rich lore and lands to get lost in. And we walk through these worlds with Elen, a whip-smart deputy courier, who makes her living by navigating the dangerous imperial roads. It is said that these roads are protected by the bones of holy people buried beneath, who watch over the humble and weak, but the deadly Pall and its Spore still loom as a threat. There is danger at every turn, yet like her heroine, Elliot walks through this world with confidence—it’s clear that all these details have been thought out and will come into play as the plot unfolds; every intricacy fascinates and forces you to pay attention. This is for readers who love really intense worldbuilding that gives you the sense a million adventures could take place in this world—and good news for y’all, book two of this duology is coming later in the year. (June 10, Tor Books)
The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton

You know, usually I don’t like putting something on the list I haven’t actually read yet, but I know Tessa Gratton’s work well enough to know this is going to be absolutely magnificent. I’m just assuming the reason it’s not in my hands currently is because the universe hates me, personally, and wants me to suffer. Gratton’s work strikes that perfect balance between fantasy and romance—an equal amount of plot and heat, neither one suffering for the sake of the other—and she’s made a name for herself writing extremely badass heroines. The Mercy Makers follows Iriset, an outcast with a special ability to re-work human bodies and appearances. While she’s able to use this skill to help criminals conceal themselves, she dreams of testing the limits of her abilities. After all, if you’ve got that kind of power, so many things are possible that could change the world. Of course, it could also lead her into a great amount of trouble, and many disasters and dramas await. But Gratton’s work has always inquired into the possibilities of gender and sexuality, which adds an interesting layer to the magical element. This the first in a trilogy, comped to Kushiel’s Dart and Priory of the Orange Tree, and from the sound of it there’s a love triangle/poly situation happening, which are a lot of things that ping the joy centers of my brain. I’m about two seconds away from breaking into the Orbit offices to steal the manuscript. Seriously, someone hold me back. (June 17, Orbit)
Stay tuned for more in the second half of the year, and happy reading!