Science Fiction/Fantasy

Brilliant! Hank Green has written an engrossing debut novel with a fun, vibrant, emotionally powerful and completely non sequitur plot. In a New York crosswalk, protagonist April May’s discovery of giant, sentient, maybe even alien omnipotent robots completely upends her life, both professionally and romantically. Through the eyes of this young, queer antihero and her robots, we see humanity in its modern context: how people love, connect, and create belief in a media landscape that sometimes degrades humanity. - a.c.

One part coming-of-age parable, one part psychological horror, this book combines dark fantasy with contemporary magical realism. Beautifully translated from its original Russian, Vita Nostra brilliantly explores the period in early adulthood in which we consider the price we’re willing to pay to discover our full potential and learn how we make ourselves vulnerable when we strive for outside approval. - Ilana

Reading The Last Unicorn is like drinking a warm cup of cocoa on a rainy night, so it was lovely to read this wonderful first draft and see the origins of the book. So many things changed before the story became the book we know, but the writing in this early version is so entrancing it’s hard to believe this wasn’t the final adventure. There is so much to delight in, both in the familiar and the new. - Ivy

"These books, I include for the reader who has been stuck for awhile, because we have all had those days. These are the books that have burst me out of a reading funk, because they let me just get caught up in a story without effort or hesitation. Sorcerer to the Crown is light, warm, hopeful, a science fiction and fantasy romp, with a period-literature feel but a contemporary sense of right and wrong. If you like to see the underdog win and you want your protagonists headstrong and charming, read this! Great for the grownup Harry Potter reader. It will give you the joy of reading again." - a.c.

Full of poems for the bold feminist princess you never knew you were, Fierce Fairytales is the perfect collection for fans of Rupi Kuar and Amanda Lovelace. Nikita Gill turns fairytale tropes on their head and invites new readings of their protagonists, turning helpless maidens into warriors with agency. The women in these poems don’t wait for the prince to come and rescue them - they’ll do it themselves, thank you very much! - Jessica

Fast paced and hard hitting, this blend of history and fiction will grab you and refuse to let go. What is the difference between colonization and invasion? For the people of Terra Nullius, aka Australia, this question reverberates through the past and into the future. I found myself surprised and drawn ever deeper by the twists and turns of the plot, while engaging in its historical context. This book is speculative fiction at its absolute best! - Jax

I am so freaking excited for this book! I love folk tales, and this one is particularly rooted in the Jewish folklore it is drawn from. I hope you, like me, will be eagerly anticipating the book the acclaimed Madeline Miller praised so highly, calling it, “...a gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood, and two young women trying to find their way in the world.” Sure to appeal to fans of Bear and the Nightingale and Spinning Silver, two of my absolute faves, I can’t wait to get my hands on it! - Jax

This gripping fantasy novel focuses on Nahri, a young conwoman in 18th-century Cairo who accidentally summons a djinn warrior, and is then swept into an epic adventure to discover the truth of her heritage in Daevabad, the djinn capital city. The book features gorgeous prose, fantastic characters, and a riveting plot, with superb worldbuilding inspired by Islamic mythology. - Stuart

This book is pure, joyous fun. England’s new Sorcerer Royal is cursed and the fate of English magic is held in the hands of the capricious fairy court. Add in the strong-willed sorceress Prunella Gentleman, a coup afoot in the Thaumaturgical society, and some powerful Malaysian witches and you get this charming, romantic fantasy. - Clara

Every ten years, the Dragan––a mysterious and powerful wizard––takes a teenaged girl from a local village as payment for his protection. Agnieszka is certain he won’t choose her, until he does, but she gives the Dragan more than he bargained for. Novik’s narrative drew me right in with its strong female characters, richly detailed world, and trope-defying plot. - Jade