Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, and Other Speculative Fiction
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities, and the crushing weight of all their unrealized adolescent potential. Olivie Blake’s Gifted & Talented is out now! To celebrate, we’re sharing books’ gorgeous interior artwork (big thanks to Polarts). Take a look 🎨
Trans Day of Visibility is a time to celebrate trans joy and uplift trans voices. These powerful reads spotlight trans stories across genres—bold, brilliant, and unforgettable. Check em’ out!
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac FellmanNotes from a Regicide is a heartbreaking story of trans self-discovery with a rich relatability and a science-fictional twist from award-winning author Isaac Fellman.
When your parents die, you find out who they really were.
Griffon Keming’s second parents saved him from his abusive family. They taught him how to be trans, paid for his transition, and tried to love him as best they could. But Griffon’s new parents had troubles of their own – both were deeply scarred by the lives they lived before Griffon, the struggles they faced to become themselves, and the failed revolution that drove them from their homeland. When they died, they left an unfillable hole in his heart.
Griffon’s best clue to his parents’ lives is in his father’s journal, written from a jail cell while he awaited execution. Stained with blood, grief, and tears, these pages struggle to contain the love story of two artists on fire. With the journal in hand, Griffon hopes to pin down his relationship to these wonderful and strange people for whom time always seemed to be running out.
In Notes from a Regicide, a trans family saga set in a far-off, familiar future, Isaac Fellman goes beyond the concept of found family to examine how deeply we can be healed and hurt by those we choose to love. Out on 04/15/2025!
Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane AndersIn the vein of Alice Hoffman and Charlie Jane Anders’s own All the Birds in the Sky comes a novel full of love, disaster, and magic.
A young witch teaches her mother how to do magic–with very unexpected results–in this relatable, resonant novel about family, identity, and the power of love.
Jamie is basically your average New England academic in-training–she has a strong queer relationship, an esoteric dissertation proposal, and inherited generational trauma. But she has one extraordinary secret: she’s also a powerful witch.
Serena, Jamie’s mother, has been hiding from the world in an old one-room schoolhouse for several years, grieving the death of her wife and the simultaneous explosion in her professional life. All she has left are memories.
Jamie’s busy digging into a three-hundred-year-old magical book, but she still finds time to teach Serena to cast spells and help her come out of her shell. But Jamie doesn’t know the whole story of what happened to her mom years ago, and those secrets are leading Serena down a destructive path.
Now it’s up to this grad student and literature nerd to understand the secrets behind this mysterious novel from 1749, unearth a long-buried scandal hinted therein, and learn the true nature of magic, before her mother ruins both of their lives. Out on 08/19/2025!
The Genesis of Misery by Neon YangAn immersive, electrifying space-fantasy, Neon Yang’s debut novel The Genesis of Misery is full of high-tech space battles and political machinations, starring a queer and diverse array of pilots, princesses, and prophetic heirs.
“This is Joan of Arc meets Gideon the Ninth with a touch of Pacific Rim thrown in as a treat. A mind-blowing rollercoaster ride of a space opera, propulsive and strange in the best way.”—Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling author
It’s a story you think you know: a young person hears the voice of an angel saying they have been chosen as a warrior to lead their people to victory in a holy war.
But Misery Nomaki (she/they) knows they are a fraud.
Raised on a remote moon colony, they don’t believe in any kind of god. Their angel is a delusion, brought on by hereditary space exposure. Yet their survival banks on mastering the holy mech they are supposedly destined for, and convincing the Emperor of the Faithful that they are the real deal.
The deeper they get into their charade, however, the more they start to doubt their convictions. What if this, all of it, is real?
A reimagining of Joan of Arc’s story given a space opera, giant robot twist, the Nullvoid Chronicles is a story about the nature of truth, the power of belief, and the interplay of both in the stories we tell ourselves.
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka AokiGood Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki’s Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful adventure set in California’s San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts.
Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six.
When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka’s ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She’s found her final candidate.
But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan’s kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul’s worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline.
As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows“Stolen me? As soon to say a caged bird can be stolen by the sky.”
Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he’s ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different solution: for Vel to marry his former intended’s brother instead.
Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock.
With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love—as both will learn—is quite another.
Byzantine politics, lush sexual energy, and a queer love story that is by turns sweet and sultry, Foz Meadows’ A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is an exploration of gender, identity, and self-worth. It is a book that will live in your heart long after you turn the last page.
It’s time to spring (see what we did there) into some books where things are really going down. Explosions! Sword fights! Dragons! Fire! These action-packed reads will keep you busy all Spring long.
The Devils by Joe AbercrombieA brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey
Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.
Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side. Out on 05/13/2025!
Anji Kills a King by Evan LeikamAn unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat—perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman.
She killed for a cause. Will she die for it too?
Anji works as a castle servant, cleaning laundry for a king she hates. So when a rare opportunity presents itself, she seizes the chance to cut his throat. Then she runs for her life. In her wake, the kingdom is thrown into disarray, while a bounty bigger than anyone could imagine lands on her head.
On her heels are the fabled mercenaries of the Menagerie, whose animal-shaped masks are magical relics rumored to give them superhuman powers. It’s the Hawk who finds Anji first: a surly, aging swordswoman who has her own reasons for keeping Anji alive and out of the hands of her fellow bounty hunters, if only long enough to collect the reward herself.
With the rest of the Menagerie on their trail, so begins an alliance as tenuous as it is temporary—and a race against death that will decide Anji’s fate, and may change the course of a kingdom. Out on 05/13/2025!
Harmattan Season by Tochi OnyebuchiAward-winning author Tochi Onyebuchi’s new standalone novel is hard-boiled fantasy noir: Raymond Chandler meets P. Djèlí Clark in a postcolonial West Africa
Fortune always left whatever room I walked into, which is why I don’t leave my place much these days…
Veteran and private eye Boubacar doesn’t need much—least of all trouble—but trouble always seems to find him. Work has dried up, and he’d rather be left alone to deal with his bills as the Harmattan rolls in to coat the city in dust, but Bouba is a down on his luck deux fois, suspended between two cultures and two worlds.
When a bleeding woman stumbles onto his doorway, only to vanish just as quickly, Bouba reluctantly finds himself enmeshed in the secrets of a city boiling on the brink of violence. The French occupiers are keen to keep the peace at any cost, and the indigenous dugulen have long been shattered into restless factions vying for a chance to reclaim their lost heritage and abilities. As each hardwon clue reveals horrifying new truths, Bouba may have to carve out parts of himself he’s long kept hidden, and decide what he’s willing to offer next.
From the visionary author of Riot Baby and Goliath, Harmattan Season is a gripping fantasy noir in the tradition of Chandler, Hammond, and Christie that will have you by the throat—both dryly funny and unforgettably evocative. Out on 05/27/2025!
The Sunlit Man by Brandon SandersonFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson—creator of The Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn Saga, and countless bestselling works of science fiction and fantasy—comes this standalone novel showing a rare glimpse of a future Cosmere universe.
Running. Putting distance between himself and the relentless Night Brigade has been Nomad’s strategy for years. Staying one or two steps ahead of his pursuers by skipping through the Cosmere from one world to the next.
But now, his powers too depleted to escape, Nomad finds himself trapped on Canticle, a planet that will kill anyone who doesn’t keep moving. Fleeing the fires of a sunrise that melts the very stones, he is instantly caught up in the struggle between a heartless tyrant and the brave rebels who defy him.
Failure means a quick death, incinerated by the sun… or a lifetime as a mindless slave. Tormented by the consequences of his past, Nomad must fight not only for his survival—but also for his very soul. Out now in paperback!
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John ScalziNew York Times bestselling author John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to date: When the Moon Hits Your Eye
The moon has turned into cheese.
Now humanity has to deal with it.
For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now… something absolutely impossible.
Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives — over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.
It’s a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket.
The Sky on Fire by Jenn LyonsEnter a world ruled by dragons…
The Sky on Fire is a daring new fantasy heist adventure that will thrill fans of Temeraire, Fourth Wing, and Dragonriders of Pern
Anahrod lives only for survival, forging her own way through the harsh jungles of the Deep with her titan drake by her side. Even when an adventuring party saves her from capture by a local warlord, she is eager to return to her solitary life.
But this is no ordinary rescue. It’s Anahrod’s past catching up with her. These cunning misfits—and their frustratingly appealing dragonrider ringleader—intend to spirit her away to the dragon-ruled sky cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon’s hoard.
There’s only one problem: the hoard in question belongs to the current regent, Neveranimas—and she wants Anahrod dead.
From Jenn Lyons, the acclaimed author of the Chorus of Dragons series, this soaring standalone fantasy combines conniving dragons, lightning banter, high-stakes intrigue, and a little bit of heat.
The Silverblood Promise by James LoganSet in a city of traders and thieves, monsters and murderers, this page-turning epic fantasy debut is a must-read for fans of Nicholas Eames and Joe Abercrombie.
Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and—thanks to a duel that ended badly—the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and wondering how he might win back the life he threw away.
When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father’s death.
His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow.
For in Saphrona, everything has a price—and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.
Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim; translated by Anton HurFrom award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim & translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur, Blood of the Old Kings begins an epic journey unlike any other.
There is no escaping the Empire.
Even in death, you will serve.
In an Empire run on necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest.
Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she’s willing to fight for it.
Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire’s chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people’s sacred guardian.
Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her.
In the heart of the Imperial capital, Cain is known as a man who gets things done. When his best friend and mentor is found murdered, he will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible, even if it means starting a war.
Step into a world of necromancy, murder, and twisted magic. A world in need of a hero.
The Moonfall Series by James RollinsFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes a captivating adventure series, Moonfall, in which an alliance embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world.
Who Will Claim the Starless Crown?
A gifted student who foretells an apocalypse. A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home. A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother’s shadow and claims a purpose of his own. Or an imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact – one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe.
The moon’s made of cheese now, so it’s time to find your dairy twin. Take this quiz inspired by When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi and embrace your inner cheese. 🧀
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Spring has officially sprung, and we’re moving from harsh winter days to soft sunny ones! If you’re on the hunt for some books to read out in the sunshine, then you should definitely take a look at the list we’ve put together for you. These books are soft, peaceful reads that will have you either bubbling with laughter or feeling as fuzzy inside as a newborn spring duckling. We hope you enjoy!
From the USA Today bestselling author of In the Middle of Hickory Lane comes Heather Webber’s enchanting novel, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities! Two women find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. Both must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.
Part travelogue, part culinary history, all capitalist critique—comedian Jamie Loftus’s debut, Raw Dog, will take you on a cross-country road trip in the summer of 2021, and reveal what the creation, culture, and class influence of hot dogs says about America now.
An Irish Country Cottage is a charming entry in Patrick Taylor’s beloved New York Times and internationally bestselling Irish Country series. As a new and tumultuous decade approaches, sectarian division threaten to bring unrest to Ulster, but in Ballybucklebo at least, peace still reigns and neighbors look after neighbors.
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge is bestselling author Spencer Quinn’s first novel in a new series since the meteoric launch of Chet and Bernie–introducing the irresistible and unforgettable Mrs. Plansky, in a story perfect for book clubs and commercial fiction readers.
My Three Dogs is a charming and heartfelt new novel from the #1 bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, about humankind’s best, most loyal friends, and a wonderful adventure of love and finding home.
The weather is getting warmer. That means it’s the PERFECT time to take your reading outdoors! Get yourself basket of snacks and soak up the sun with these reads!
The Sunlit Man by Brandon SandersonNothing screams “sunny day read” quite like a story set on a world where the sun is relentless and survival is a race against time. Sanderson’s latest novel in The Cosmere universe follows Nomad, a man constantly on the run, leaping from planet to planet. With its pulse-pounding action and intriguing world-building, The Sunlit Man is a perfect book to lose yourself in while basking in the warm glow of the real sun.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John ScalziEver wondered what would happen if the moon suddenly turned to cheese? In this delightful and absurd novel from John Scalzi, humanity faces the ultimate existential crisis…cheese-related doom. With Scalzi’s trademark humor and snappy dialogue, this book is ideal for those looking for a lighthearted yet thought-provoking read to pair with a picnic spread (especially if it includes cheese).
The Green Creek Series by TJ KluneA werewolf saga might not be your first thought for a breezy outdoor read, but TJ Klune’s Green Creek series is packed with emotion, found family, and lyrical storytelling that makes it impossible to put down. If you’re craving a deeply immersive tale with strong characters and a bit of supernatural spice, bring Wolfsong (the first book in the series) along for your next outdoor reading session.
Glass Houses by Madeline AshbyA tropical island, an AI-controlled mansion, and a group of people mysteriously disappearing. What more could you want in a near-future whodunit? Glass Houses is an expertly crafted, mind-bending thriller perfect for fans of Glass Onion and Black Mirror. If you love a good mystery with a touch of eerie sci-fi, this one is an excellent addition to your beach bag or picnic basket.
When Among Crows by Veronica RothThis Slavic folklore-inspired novella is a dazzling mix of magic, destiny, and unconventional heroism. Roth’s lush storytelling and rich world-building make When Among Crows a great choice for an afternoon in the park. Plus, at novella length, it’s an easy read to start and finish before the sun sets.
Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria GriffinIf you like your sunshine with a side of blood, this one’s for you. This dark and hilarious novel blends horror, humor, and heart as it follows a protagonist struggling with monstrous urges in a world where being a little bit carnivorous is just part of the deal. It’s weird, wonderful, and wholly original—a perfect read if your picnic leans more goth picnic in the cemetery than gingham blanket in the meadow. Out on 4/22/2025!
The Devils by Joe AbercrombieSunny days call for something devilishly good, and Abercrombie’s upcoming novel delivers. A mix of crime, espionage, and the signature grimdark humor he’s known for, The Devils introduces readers to a crew of rogues attempting the ultimate heist in a world of magic and deception. Whether you’re lounging under a tree or sipping iced tea on the patio, this gripping tale will keep you hooked. Out on 5/13/2025!
Anji Kills a King by Evan LeikamFor fans of action-packed fantasy with high stakes, Anji Kills a King is a must-read. Following Anji, a skilled assassin tangled in political intrigue and vengeance, this novel delivers on both sword fights and sharp storytelling. If your idea of the perfect picnic includes high-octane adventure and a bit of royal betrayal, this book is a perfect match. Out on 5/13/2025!
The Murder Show is a pulse-racing novel about secrets, old friends, and how the past never leaves us by New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award winning author Matt Goldman!
Showrunner Ethan Harris had a hit with The Murder Show, a television crime drama that features a private detective who solves cases the police can’t. But after his pitch for the fourth season is rejected by the network, he returns home to Minnesota looking for inspiration.
His timing is fortunate — his former classmate Ro Greeman is now a local police officer, and she’s uncovered new information about the devastating hit and run that killed their mutual friend Ricky the summer after high school. She asks Ethan to help her investigate and thinks that if he portrays the killing on The Murder Show, the publicity may bring Ricky’s killer to justice.
Ethan is skeptical that Ricky’s death was anything but a horrible accident, but with the clock running out on his career, he’s willing to try anything. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they’ve dug up more than they bargained for. Someone is dead set on stopping Ethan and Ro from looking too closely into Ricky’s death — even if keeping them quiet means killing again…
The Murder Show will be available on April 15th, 2025. Please enjoy the following excerpt!
Twenty-two years after Ethan Harris heard Ricky O’Shea’s blood, yes heard Ricky’s blood as it dripped from his body and splattered on the soft ground below, Ethan wheels his carry-on bag into his childhood home. He drops his luggage in the entryway, walks through the small living room, and continues into the kitchen where he sees a note on the countertop:
Welcome! At the Shapiros. Home around nine. There’s a plate in the refrigerator if you’re hungry. xoxo—Mom
She signs her texts, too. As if Ethan doesn’t know who the sender is. He’s about to check out what’s inside the refrigerator when he looks out the kitchen window and sees Rosalie Greeman—at least he thinks it’s Ro Greeman—standing in her mother’s living room. The Greeman house is directly behind the Harris house. The backyards run into each other. No fence. No hedge. No trees. No obstacles whatsoever so Ethan can see clearly into Ro’s mother’s house.
Ro and a man appear to be arguing. Their arms flail. The man’s back is turned toward the window. Ethan can’t see his face. But he can see Ro’s and he feels her anger. Ethan used to know Ro well, back when they were teenage neighbors living in these houses with dreams of leaving and never coming back.
Ro and the man now stand five feet apart. They’re pointing at each other. Shouting at each other. Ethan, of course, can’t hear a word but he knows Ro’s body language. At least he used to. He has no idea who the man is.
The argument looks like it could escalate into something physical. Something dangerous. Ethan is far from a tough guy. He’s never been in a fistfight in his life. That’s forty years of never fighting, and it seems a little late to start now. His choices are to call 911 and hope the police get there in time to stop whatever might happen or to go over there himself and knock on the door like the old neighbor he is. Just to say hello and tell Ro that he’s back in town for a week or two and . . .
Ethan exits the kitchen and walks back through the living room that hasn’t changed since he moved out of this house over two decades ago. He rarely visits Minneapolis anymore. The Harris family gathers once or twice a year, but usually at one of Ethan’s siblings’ homes, which is far larger than his parents’ bungalow. Ethan’s surprised to see the same Sears furniture. Soft man-made fabrics in earth tones. Same light-sucking drapes. Same Judaica on the bookshelves reminding him that he’s returned to Minneapolis to visit his parents for the High Holidays. That’s the excuse he gave them anyway—the real reason is more complicated. And desperate. There’s the familiar Seder plate, menorah, and Shabbat candlesticks. Nothing has changed. For Ethan’s entire youth, his parents lived like they were on the run. But when they settled down, they really settled down.
He continues toward the front door and catches sight of himself in the entryway mirror. When Ethan was in high school, this is where he’d check his appearance before leaving the house to meet with friends. Back then, he had no gray hair, no lines on his forehead, no crinkles around his eyes. Now his dark curls are riddled with silver, and Ethan’s olive skin complains about life. And he’s missing one thing he had in high school. Cocksureness. He was sure of himself when he was younger. A confidence blanketed in ignorance. But then life did what life does, and all that youthful bravado leaked out through the lines in his face like steam through fissures in geothermal rock.
Perfect. No confidence and he’s about to knock on a neighbor’s door to interrupt two fighting adults. Ethan Harris to the rescue. What a joke. He hitches his jeans up. Why do they keep slipping down? He sighs something regretful, opens the front door, and jogs around toward the backyards. This is where he met Ro Greeman the summer between ninth and tenth grade.
Ethan was mowing his new yard when Ro pushed her mower into hers. No fence. No hedge. No trees. No obstacles whatsoever. Just one patch of green with no impediment to Ethan stealing glances of the neighbor girl’s long legs sticking out of short shorts as she put one foot atop the engine and pulled the starter cord. Ro’s mower sputtered but didn’t catch. Ethan watched her unscrew the gas cap, look in, and shake her head. Then she did something he didn’t expect. She walked to the back of her backyard where it met the back of his backyard. She looked at him, he killed the engine on his mower, and fifteen-year-old Ro Greeman said, “Hi. I’m Ro. Could I borrow a hit of gas?”
Ro looked at him with brown-specked blue eyes, as if she’d received neither dominant nor recessive genes but rather genes that just want to get along. She had long limbs and light brown hair that fell halfway down her back. Her nose was freckled from the sun as if it were the factory that sent brown specks to her blue eyes. She wore no jewelry. She wore men’s clothing. Based on their size, she wore men’s work boots that were either too big for her or she had circus-people feet. She was, thought Ethan, strikingly beautiful in a most unconventional way.
Ethan said, “No. Sorry. I’m not giving you any gas.” He heard his voice shake and hoped she didn’t notice. He was taking a chance, talking this way to a girl, the first he’d met since moving to Minneapolis.
Ro’s eyes widened, and her shoulders slumped. That is not how Minnesotans act toward one another, especially when meeting for the first time. If you have gas in your can and your neighbor needs gas, you share. It’s in the Minnesota Constitution.
“But I will make a deal with you.” Ethan tried to sound serious. Businesslike. “I’ll mow your lawn today and buy you more gas if, in return, you show me around the neighborhood. I just moved in. I don’t know anything about anything around here. Or anyone.” He was playing the vulnerability card. Another risk because she might see him as pathetic and not worth her time.
Ro took a good look at Ethan. He was short—five foot six— had a baby face damp with sweat, and dark brown eyes that looked especially warm above his baby-blue T-shirt. She said, “I’m not making a deal with you. I don’t even know your name.”
“Ethan,” he said. He held out his hand. “Ethan Harris.”
Ro hesitated as if she were being asked to do something indecent. Indecent but exciting. Maybe exhilarating.
“Do you play Scrabble?” said Ro. “I do,” said Ethan.
Ro extended her hand and said, “Okay, Ethan Harris. That’s a nice enough name. Deal.”
Ethan hears a scream that jolts him out of his jaunt down memory lane and back into the present. He breaks into a run, and thirty seconds later, he stands on the Greemans’ front step. Ethan hears shouting from within the house. Ro’s voice and the man’s voice. But he can’t make out what they’re saying. He presses the button on the Greemans’ Ring doorbell. Once, twice, three times. He hears footsteps, and a moment later, Ro opens the door.
She stares at him as if she’s looking through Jell-O. Is that who I think it is? she wonders. And then Ro Greeman says, “Ethan?” Ro clutches a pink, steel water bottle as if it’s her life source. She still has blue eyes with specks of brown. Her brown hair falls to her shoulders. She wears old Levi’s, a navy quarter-zip fleece, Hoka running shoes with marshmallow soles, and forty years on her pretty face. Ethan feels a chill. It could be from Ro. It could be that it’s mid-September in Minnesota and autumn has sent out feelers to introduce itself.
“Ro,” says Ethan. He doesn’t have to manufacture a smile—it bursts onto his face whether he likes it or not.
Ro presses her right palm against her chest. “Oh my God. I can’t believe it’s you.” Her hand moves from her chest to her mouth as if she’s trying to stop what she’s about to say. “Look at you. You’re a man.” She laughs.
Ethan laughs with her. He has not seen Ro since the summer after high school—he grew three inches in college—now he and Ro stand eye to eye. “This is so…Wow, it’s good to see you.”
“Come in, my long-lost friend,” says Ro. “Please.”
Ethan steps through the home’s small entryway and into the living room. He hardly notices that the furniture is pushed toward the center of the room and covered in tarps. A stepladder, cans of paint, brushes, and rollers are clustered on the floor near the fireplace. Ethan isn’t sure if he should shake Ro’s hand or hug her, and she seems equally unsure. They kind of stumble into an awkward hug, but once they’re there, neither wants to let go. The man in the room announces his presence with a heavy sigh.
When they part, Ro Greeman says, “Ethan, you remember Marty Mathis.”
“Hey,” says Ethan. “Nice to see you, Marty.” That’s a lie because it’s not nice to see Marty Mathis even after all these years. Marty is two years older and started dating Ro when he was a senior and she was a sophomore, stealing her away from Ethan. At least in Ethan’s mind because he and Ro were never boyfriend and girlfriend. What a loser Marty Mathis was. Couldn’t get a girl his own age. Although neither could Ethan. But maybe he would have if Marty Mathis hadn’t been in the way. That’s what Ethan told himself anyway. And worst of all, Marty continued dating Ro even after Marty had graduated. He was that weird twenty-year-old who came back for senior prom. Loser. Loser. Loser.
“Nice to see you, Ethan,” says Marty Mathis with dead eyes. He is medium height, medium build, with a struggling head of hair, thin and in retreat. The anger in his eyes is not mollified by his charcoal suit, blue shirt, black tie, and black dress shoes. Marty looks like he’s either in the early stages of growing a beard or he needs a shave, and most likely a drink.
“I haven’t seen Ethan since we were eighteen,” Ro says to Marty. “Since we were children.” She smiles then turns to Ethan and says, “What are you doing here? Are you visiting your parents?” She seems genuinely happy to see Ethan.
Maybe it’s not happiness, thinks Ethan. Maybe it’s relief that he interrupted something that was about to go bad. Real bad. He steals a glance of Marty Mathis. The man is seething under a façade of fatigue. Ethan’s about to answer Ro’s question, but Mathis speaks first.
“I should get going,” says Mathis.
“Sorry,” lies Ethan. “I didn’t know I was interrupting.”
“Don’t worry about it,” says Mathis. “We were just having a work chat.” He stares something unkind toward Ro and adds, “Nothing we can’t finish tomorrow.” He walks toward the front door and without looking at Ethan says, “Welcome home, Ethan. Hope you have a good visit.” Like that he’s gone, and Ro shuts and locks the door behind him.
“Are you okay?” says Ethan.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I saw you through the window. It looked like you were arguing. Did you get back togeth—”
“No,” says Ro. “God, no.”
“Not that it’s any of my business. Man. First time I see you in how many years and . . .” Ethan manages a smile. “I was worried.”
“Ethan Harris,” says Ro, “all growed up into a man, but still sweet.”
They hear the rev of Mathis’s pickup and tires squeal as he pulls away from the curb. Ro drops her eyes in embarrassment. Marty is acting like a pissed-off teenager.
Ethan wants to save her from her shame and says, “I don’t know if I’m all that sweet. Want to come over for a drink?”
If the seasons are changing, our TBR lists should be too! Spring is all about fresh starts, and what better way to embrace that than by refreshing your TBR with the most anticipated new and upcoming reads? 🧹
The Sunlit Man by Brandon SandersonFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson—creator of The Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn Saga, and countless bestselling works of science fiction and fantasy—comes this standalone novel showing a rare glimpse of a future Cosmere universe.
Running. Putting distance between himself and the relentless Night Brigade has been Nomad’s strategy for years. Staying one or two steps ahead of his pursuers by skipping through the Cosmere from one world to the next.
But now, his powers too depleted to escape, Nomad finds himself trapped on Canticle, a planet that will kill anyone who doesn’t keep moving. Fleeing the fires of a sunrise that melts the very stones, he is instantly caught up in the struggle between a heartless tyrant and the brave rebels who defy him.
Failure means a quick death, incinerated by the sun… or a lifetime as a mindless slave. Tormented by the consequences of his past, Nomad must fight not only for his survival—but also for his very soul.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John ScalziNew York Times bestselling author John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to date: When the Moon Hits Your Eye
The moon has turned into cheese.
Now humanity has to deal with it.
For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now… something absolutely impossible.
Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives — over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.
It’s a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket.
Gifted & Talented by Olivie BlakeFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities, and the crushing weight of all their unrealized adolescent potential.
Where there’s a will, there’s a war.
Thayer Wren, the brilliant CEO of Wrenfare Magitech and so-called father of modern technology, is dead. Any one of his three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children would be a plausible inheritor to the Wrenfare throne.
Or at least, so they like to think.
Meredith, textbook accomplished eldest daughter and the head of her own groundbreaking biotech company, has recently cured mental illness. You’re welcome! If only her father’s fortune wasn’t her last hope for keeping her journalist ex-boyfriend from exposing what she really is: a total fraud.
Arthur, second-youngest congressman in history, fights the good fight every day of his life. And yet, his wife might be leaving him, and he’s losing his re-election campaign. But his dead father’s approval in the form of a seat on the Wrenfare throne might just turn his sinking ship around.
Eilidh, once the world’s most famous ballerina, has spent the last five years as a run-of-the-mill marketing executive at her father’s company after a life-altering injury put an end to her prodigious career. She might be lacking in accolades compared to her siblings, but if her father left her everything, it would finally validate her worth—by confirming she’d been his favorite all along.
On the pipeline of gifted kid to clinically depressed adult, nobody wins—but which Wren will come out on top? Out on 4/01/2025!
Notes From a Regicide by Isaac FellmanNotes from a Regicide is a heartbreaking story of trans self-discovery with a rich relatability and a science-fictional twist from award-winning author Isaac Fellman.
When your parents die, you find out who they really were.
Griffon Keming’s second parents saved him from his abusive family. They taught him how to be trans, paid for his transition, and tried to love him as best they could. But Griffon’s new parents had troubles of their own – both were deeply scarred by the lives they lived before Griffon, the struggles they faced to become themselves, and the failed revolution that drove them from their homeland. When they died, they left an unfillable hole in his heart.
Griffon’s best clue to his parents’ lives is in his father’s journal, written from a jail cell while he awaited execution. Stained with blood, grief, and tears, these pages struggle to contain the love story of two artists on fire. With the journal in hand, Griffon hopes to pin down his relationship to these wonderful and strange people for whom time always seemed to be running out.
In Notes from a Regicide, a trans family saga set in a far-off, familiar future, Isaac Fellman goes beyond the concept of found family to examine how deeply we can be healed and hurt by those we choose to love. Out on 4/15/2025!
Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin“Do you mind me asking—what kind of help do you need?”
After losing her job and her fiancé and moving back from the city to live with her parents, Shell Pine needs some help. And according to the sign in the window, the florist shop in the mall does too. Shell gets the gig, and the flowers she works with there are just the thing she needs to cheer up. Or maybe it’s Neve, the beautiful shop manager, who is making her days so rosy?
But you have to get your hands dirty if you want your garden to grow—and Neve’s secrets are as dark and dangerous as they come. In the back room of the flower shop, a young sentient orchid actually runs the show, and he is hungry . . . and he has a plan for them all.
When the choices are to either bury yourself in the warmth of someone else’s fertile soil, or face the cold and disappointing world outside—which would you choose? And what if putting down roots came at a cost far higher than just your freedom? Out on 4/22/2025!
This is a story about desire, dreams, decay—and working retail at the end of the world.
The Devils by Joe AbercrombieA brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey
Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.
Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side. Out on 5/13/2025!
Anji Kills a King by Evan LeikamAn unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat—perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman.
She killed for a cause. Will she die for it too?
Anji works as a castle servant, cleaning laundry for a king she hates. So when a rare opportunity presents itself, she seizes the chance to cut his throat. Then she runs for her life. In her wake, the kingdom is thrown into disarray, while a bounty bigger than anyone could imagine lands on her head.
On her heels are the fabled mercenaries of the Menagerie, whose animal-shaped masks are magical relics rumored to give them superhuman powers. It’s the Hawk who finds Anji first: a surly, aging swordswoman who has her own reasons for keeping Anji alive and out of the hands of her fellow bounty hunters, if only long enough to collect the reward herself.
With the rest of the Menagerie on their trail, so begins an alliance as tenuous as it is temporary—and a race against death that will decide Anji’s fate, and may change the course of a kingdom. Out on 5/13/2025!
Another TJ Klune book dropped, you know what that means! Dive into TJ Klune’s carefully curated playlist to get the perfect listening experience while reading The Bones Beneath My Skin.
By TJ Klune
The 90s were a weird, weird time. At the beginning of the decade, very few had cell phones or internet. By the end, many did. The 90s changed so much of how we view the world today.
And then, of course, there’s the music. Below, you’ll find twelve songs I’ve selected for The Bones Beneath My Skin playlist. For those who remember such a time, welcome back. I hope much of the music here makes you bittersweetly nostalgic. For the younger crowds, consider this a lesson in music from the 1900s. You are welcome.
TJ Klune
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
In my eyes
Indisposed
In disguises no one knows
Hides the face
Lies the snake
And the sun in my disgrace
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You gotta promise not to stop when I say when
Oh, my life is changing everyday
In every possible way
And oh, my dreams
It’s never quite as it seems
Never quite as it seems
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
I’m worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
When you were here before
Couldn’t look you in the eye
You’re just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You’re so fucking special
Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
Some day somebody’s gonna make you
want to turn around and say goodbye
Until then, baby, are you going to let ’em
hold you down and make you cry?
Don’t you know?
Don’t you know, things can change
Things’ll go your way
If you hold… on for one more day
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who’s there
‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life
Tryna make ends meet, you’re a slave to money then you die
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
To celebrate the release of The Tomb of Dragons, we asked Katherine Addison to share the five dragons that shaped her love for these legendary creatures. From classic literature to pop culture icons, these are the dragons that left a lasting mark on her storytelling.
by Katherine Addison
My book, The Tomb of Dragons, the third book in the Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy, comes out on March 11. Given the title, it will not be a surprise to anyone that the book contains…dragons. The dragons in this case happen to be dead (again, as the title suggests), but that does not make them any less central to the plot and themes of the book.
I had written short stories about dragons before:
Draco campestris which is up at Strange Horizons; After the Dragon, at Fantasy Magazine on the Psychopomp website; Learning to See Dragons at Uncanny Magazine. But this was the first time they insinuated themselves into a novel. I found that dragons, like cats, immediately expand to fill all available space. Dragons, again like cats, have opinions and are not afraid to share them. I loved writing about them; the problem was generally confining them to one room, as it were.
And when I considered the matter, I realized that my love of dragons has deep roots. Let me offer you five snapshots:
Baby’s first dragon.
My maternal grandmother, of whom I have no memory, gave me The Hobbit for Christmas in 1980. I had just turned six. My dad read it to me multiple times.
Smaug is important to me in ways I actually find very difficult to articulate. He was not my introduction to the fantastic. I know I encountered The Sneetches and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and There’s a Nightmare in my Closet and Where the Wild Things Are and The King with Six Friends and Sir Toby Jingle’s Beastly Journey and goodness knows how many other picture books that I no longer remember, before Christmas 1980. And the fact that Smaug (and Gollum and Mirkwood Forest) started my lifelong love of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien is true, but insufficient. Smaug is special to me in and of himself, and I’ve been wandering around the house for the past hour trying to figure out why.
Dragons are powerful. They are enormous. They can fly and breathe fire. (They are also impossible, as Terry Pratchett points out very kindly in Guards! Guards!) They can talk—you can have a conversation with a dragon, even if lurking behind every word is the knowledge that the dragon is planning to kill you. They take up a space in the imagination halfway between beast and person, tipping one way or the other depending on the artist. Maybe it’s the desire to talk to animals that makes dragons so appealing. (I read the Dr. Dolittle books as a kid, too, and loved anything with talking animals.)
Or maybe that’s not it at all.
Shout-out to Richard Boone, the voice of Smaug in Rankin Bass’s 1977 animated version of The Hobbit.
A dragon is a girl’s best friend.
I was a horse-crazy little girl with very limited access to horses. Of course I read every horse book I could get my hands on, but the dragons of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books scratched some of the same itch. (Plus, as mentioned of dragons above, they could fly and breathe fire.)
I remember distinctly that I did not want a queen. I wanted a dragon who could go out and do things. Plus, you know, a gigantic best friend who could just EAT people who were mean.
And a dragon as a best friend is really only a logical step further from a dragon you can talk to.
For some reason, one of my English textbooks in junior high (that being what we had before “middle school” was invented) included “The Rule of Names” by Ursula K. LeGuin. I read that story SO MANY TIMES, both because I had a dearth of other reading material and because I loved it. I suspect that much of my own obsession with names comes from that story. Its world-building is amazing. And it has a magnificent dragon, hiding behind the prosaic shabbiness of Mr. Underhill.
It’s a LeGuin story, so there’s a lot going on, names and dragons and heroes (or “heroes”), and of course the hoary admonition not to judge a book by its cover, which LeGuin turns into something surprising and delightful.
Yes, the business with the dragon skull in The Tomb of Dragons is absolutely an homage to The Hero and the Crown, another story I read over and over. (Both a horse book and a dragon book!) Maur provides one of the great dragon fights in English literature, and is in some ways an even greater embodiment of evil than Smaug, since his evil does not dissipate, however slowly, after his death, but becomes invisible—indirect and insidious rather than the straight-out in-your-face fire-breathing evil that Aerin thinks she is prepared for. This more quiet evil, psychological rather than physical, was horrifying to me as a child and is horrifying to me now.
I love Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly for many reasons, but one of them is the idea that a dragon can be a character—not a human being, but nevertheless a person. The great dragon villains of my childhood—Smaug and Maur—are in fact great and terrible, but they aren’t characters in the way that Morkeleb is. (You could argue that one of the points of “The Rule of Names” is Yevaud’s desire to be a person in a way that he cannot be when he is a dragon.) Morkeleb is a non-human creature who struggles to understand what has happened to him when he falls in love with a human woman. (He is Not Happy about it, which is one of the reasons I love him.) Hambly writes characters with great empathy and deftness, and her dragon is no exception.
I watched Dungeons & Dragons faithfully every Saturday morning as a kid. (The IMDb tells me this happened from 1983 to 1985, so ages 8 to 10. Peak kiddom.) The premise of Dungeons & Dragons was that a group of friends inadvertently crossed into a world run by D&D rules (via the medium of a rather sketchy roller coaster). Each of them was involuntarily assigned into a character class. They found themselves in a world instantly recognizable to anyone who has played D&D—or Zork, for that matter. They got assigned quests by Dungeon Master, who was gnomic and smug and could disappear at will. They battled various villains and monsters. And Tiamat.
Tiamat was awesome. (The IMDb does not give anyone credit for her voice; Wikipedia tells me it was Frank Welker.) Not only did she have five heads, she was the only creature the main villain, Venger, feared. And she was a girl.
I was not a feminist in 1985. But I mostly didn’t like being a girl. (I would like it even less when puberty hit in 1986.) The things I liked doing were not “girl” things. They weren’t really “boy” things, either, but in the ‘80s, gender neutral defaulted to “boy.” I didn’t want to wear make-up. I didn’t care about pretty clothes. I wasn’t Interested In Boys. I wanted to read books about elves and vampires and aliens and scullery boys on quests and terrifying things living in the sewers of small Maine towns. I accepted as normal the fact that most of these books had male protagonists and male antagonists. But I loved books like The Hero and the Crown, with a female protagonist overcoming the limits of her gender role. And I loved Tiamat for being a dragon who was female. Not because her femininity was the point (it most certainly was not), but because she existed and was female and at no point did her femininity keep her from being monstrous and terrifying. She was a dragon, and I loved her for it.
Tiamat’s main head:
