Mystery & SF/F Recommendations, 2016

It is a rare storyteller who can make a new tale seem familiar. Naomi Novik deftly accomplishes this feat in Uprooted. Agnieszka is a compelling, stubborn protagonist and the exacting “Dragon” is her perfect foil. The premise is precise and well crafted, combining Russian folktales with a classic European fairytale. It felt like coming home to the fantasy roots of my youth. —Ivy

For all of you who’ve just torn through Neil Gaiman’s new collection of non-fiction, The View from the Cheap Seats, there’s no better time to revisit some of his earliest short fictions. Whether these stories push you to wonder about the imagination’s role in reality, or if the introduction inspires you to put fingers to keys, you’ll be glad you returned to its pages, whether it was your first time or your twenty-third. —Aric

The story starts with a girl in a bloody dress walking down a dark highway and only gets stranger from there. The girl, after being orphaned at a young age, was taken in by a mysterious figure known only as Father. He trains her to become a Librarian of Languages in his odd library. This book takes all the elements of a fantasy novel and turns them on their head. Wherever you think this story is going, you're wrong. —Ivy

A wholly original, rich science fiction folktale steeped in the language and legends of the Caribbean. Tan-tan is a little girl lost, looking for the way home. Also, it so happens, she is the Robber Queen with a heart of gold, saving two lives for each one she takes. Her story will take you through new worlds delightful in speculative invention, yet familiar in the people and prejudices inhabiting them. —Jocelyn

This is a little book that packs more punch and imagination than some novels I’ve read recently, delving into themes of identity, discovery and empathy with great skill. Not only do you feel the scope of this fascinating world, but, astoundingly, author Nnedi Okorafor connects the reader to the main character Binti so swiftly, so effortlessly, that I teared up at the conclusion to her 90-page story. This is the definition of bang for your buck. —Jax

Fans of battle scenes, revenge plots, kick-ass females, creative demonology, and non-hetero-normative characters rejoice. Crown for Cold Silver is the fantastic start to a fresh fantasy series that turns so many of the genre’s tropes on their heads. It's fun, feisty, and ferocious. BONUS: Book 2—A Blade of Black Steel—was recently released, and it’s excellent as well. —Nici

This is a thoughtful and intricate story of a legacied war. Of the founding of nations. Of men who would be great. Of gods and their desires. And of the friendship of men. It is an epic story that speaks with the language of legend and myth, but looks to real world ideals, ideas, and consequences. I look forward with hope to the future installments of the series. —Jocelyn

A Vietnam vet returns home and finds his specialty is rescuing children from abusive situations. It’s the only job that provides the adrenaline he needs that matches the war.  Keeping Watch  takes psychological suspense to its highest level. It’s also the best book I’ve read that conveys the psychological horrors of that war and it’s my favorite Laurie King stand-alone title. —Clytia

Will Keller, war photographer, is more than happy to get lost in Cambodia’s underbelly and forget his past. Despite his efforts, he is drawn into a search for a lost girl, a trip that takes him across the country and through his past. The author draws on personal career experience as a photojournalist to bring life (and death) to this hauntingly stark and brutal novel. I read this in one night, unable and unwilling to drag out the suspense. —Rachel

If you’ve heard of a criminal profiler, you have John Douglas to thank. He was one of the first to explore at the psyche of a killer to predict their next move and help law enforcement catch the worst killers imaginable. In this memoir, Douglas recounts the early days of profiling and talks about killers we all know of—including Santa Cruz serial killer Edmund Kemper. Warning: It’s about serial killers. It gets nasty. —Flannery