Science Fiction/Fantasy

The novel opens on a nameless boy and his grandmother, in an unspecified and wooded country, during a war that-- also unnamed-- resembles WWII. Lyrical, beautiful, and focused keenly how human connection struggles against the threat of mortality, this extraordinarily quiet work warmed me to my bones. Slowly paced, Durbin here writes a treatise on war, love and God which only just happens to contain a faun and a faerie puzzle. - a.c.

These are the stories of the comic book women whose storylines were hijacked, waylaid or destroyed by or in service to the men they love. I found myself drawn into each-and-every one of these, including one of the most fascinating looks at a Harley Quinn-esque character. Valente’s work is never for the faint of heart, but as always you will find it deeply moving and rewarding if you give it a try. - Jax

A young boy sees his dead father every night in his home, dressed head to toe in fancydance regalia. Why is he appearing now, and only at night, and only to the boy? There's conflict here-both inward in terms of identity, loss, and cultural ties, and outward with the disturbingly mystical events trailing behind the ghost's appearance. Reading before bedtime is thrilling, but not necessarily endorsed by this reader, due to creepiness. - Louise

This debut from Kat Howard both charmed me and blew my mind. At its core it is the story of two sisters who find not only themselves when they go to an artist's retreat, but also what it means to be sisters. It is also a fairy tale told in the modern world. Howard writes beautifully and with such talent that I can't wait to see her next offering to the fantasy world. - Karena

Fans of alternate-history novels will find a compelling, thought-provoking story in this thriller/mystery. The setting is a contemporary America in which the Civil War never happened and slavery still exists in the southern states. The main character, Victor, is a former slave who now works for the government hunting escaped slaves who are on the run trying to reach Canada. This is a well written, intriguing and suspenseful read. - Trey

Corey J. White’s Killing Gravity draws from sci-fi inspirations as diverse as Aliens, Anne McCaffrey’s The Rowan and even a little Firefly while still managing to create a unique world all its own. Gender-fluid characters and a strong female protagonist make it relevant and timely while the tight-pacing is a welcome change for genre fans tired of 2000-page opuses that collapse under the weight of info dumps and world building. While this is the first entry in White’s The Void Witch Saga, this instalment is more invitation than commitment. - Aaron

In her atmospheric and steady burn of a novel, Ami McKay pulls as much from historical notes as she does from whispered lore to spin a supernatural web. Two seasoned witches apprentice a young woman who isn't fully aware of her powers, but things don't go as any of them plan. Settle in with a cuppa and be transported to 1880s NYC, where witchcraft is an alluring taboo and an undeniable force in each characters' lives. - Kelly

An epic fantasy that kicks off a trilogy perfect for fans of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time. In a world where magic is criminalized, young Davian discovers he possesses a long-forgotten power. Along with his friend, he embarks on an incredible, expansive journey to stop a terrible evil. With such extraordinarily immersive world-building, you won’t want the trilogy to end! - Kelly

If 99.009% of the human race died tomorrow but somehow you survived, what would be your next step? For Jamie, it is a quest through the stars to make it back home. But where is home? And who are the people that make home mean something? I was entranced by this exploration of humanity at its worst and at its finest, and by the questions The Space Between the Stars so unabashedly asked. - Jax

A captivating, charming premise involving magic, science, and quantum physics steamrolls into a fast-moving, time-traveling plot with more historical weirdness than anything you’ve seen on Doctor Who. Told through documents, journals, letters, and highly irreverent acronyms, this book delighted me with its offbeat playfulness. I’ll never look at Vikings or a Walmart the same way again. - a.c.