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Spring 2026
Forthcoming SF Books
After The Fall by Edward Ashton, St. Martin's Press, £21.50 / Can$41 / US$29, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-250-37565-0.
Humans must be silent. Humans must be obedient. Humans must be good. All his life, John has tried to live by those rules. Most days, it’s not too difficult. A
hundred and twenty years after The Fall, and a hundred years after the grays swept in to pick the last dregs of humanity out of the wreckage, John has found himself bonded to Martok Barden nee Black Hand, one of the "good" grays. Sure, Martok is broke, homeless, and borderline manic, but he’s always treated John like an actual person, and sometimes like a friend. It’s a better deal than most humans get. But when Martok puts John’s bond up as collateral for an abandoned house in the woods that he hopes to turn into a wilderness retreat for wealthy grays, John learns that there are limits to Martok’s friendship. Soon, he finds himself caught between an underworld boss who thinks Martok is something that he very much is not, a girl raised by feral humans who has nothing but contempt for pets like John, and Martok himself, whose delusions of grandeur seem to be finally catching up with him. With sixty days before Martok’s loan comes due, John must unravel the mystery of how humans wound up at the wrong end of domestication and find a way to turn Martok’s half-baked plans into enough profit to buy back his life, all while avoiding getting butchered by feral humans or having his head crushed by an angry gray. Easy peasy, right?
Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes, Transworld, £14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50825-6.
A ghost ship. A salvage crew. Unspeakable horrors. Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed - and made obsolete - when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate. What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the Solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn't right. Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.
Star Wars: Outlaws – Low Red Moon by Mike Chen, Del Rey, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-94555-3.
ND-5 and Jaylen Vrax embark on their descent into the galaxy’s underworld in search of answers and opportunity, in this prequel to Star Wars Outlaws.
neatly and meticulously by his parents. Then the Empire stripped it all away on trumped-up charges of conspiracy against his family. A battle droid arrives at the family compound with a mission to kill every last member of the Barsha clan. Jaylen manages to fend off the attack as the sole survivor, but realises the droid, who he re-programmes, is his only chance to stay alive. But he can no longer be Jaylen Barsha – he’ll have to live now as Jaylen Vrax. Former Separatist battle droid ND-5 knows he should be scrap metal, all things considered. He was a proficient contributor to the Separatist cause, but what is a soldier without a war? Perhaps, the droid thinks, with a partner he can be more. ND-5 just has to earn Jaylen’s trust.
If We Cannot Go At The Speed Of Light by Kim Choyeop, MacLehose, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44761-3.
The debut short story collection from a big-name Korean writer. Meet the alien species that put the humanity into human beings/ Discover the fate of Slefonia III once warp travel became obsolete. Visit the Mind Library to commune with the dead. Kim Choyeop became an instant literary sensation in Korea with her debut short story collection. Each of these bite-size speculative masterpieces represents a journey into the
unknown, guided by a writer blessed with limitless imagination. From alternative futures to distant alien planets, in the company of scientists, space explorers and ordinary citizens in extraordinary situations, Kim Choyeop revels in making the impossible seem not only possible but somehow inevitable. Each story focuses on an specific issue of discrimination against women or other marginalised groups, adding a mind-bending twist to hold a mirror to modern society and its everyday iniquities. Kim Choyeop 's first short story collection sold 200,000 copies in Korea and her first novel, The Greenhouse at the End of the World, sold 150,000 copies.
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke, Orbit, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-751-57375-6.
This is a hugely welcome reprint of Clarke's novelisation of the screenplay he wrote with Stanley Kubrick way back in 1968 of the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey a film that consistently polls as one of the best SF films of all time. There's a new cover (sadly).
Woman Alive (1936 / 2025) Susan Ertz, Manderley Press, £19.99, hrdbk, 147pp, ISBN 978-1-068-66136-5
A curious science fiction novel from 1936 by Anglo-American writer Susan Ertz. The book is set in London in a dystopian future where only one woman is left alive after all others in the world are wiped out in a pandemic caused by a poisonous gas. This brand new edition is introduced by the acclaimed comedian, broadcaster, actor and writer Graham Norton, who has described the work of Susan Ertz as 'glorious”' meanwhile, the new cover has been commissioned by the renowned cartoonist and illustrator Tom Gauld, whose work combines a love of books and science. Susan Ertz was a popular novelist of the interwar years, best known for her novel Madame Claire, which was chosen as one of the first ten Penguin Books paperbacks One of her earlier titles – Woman Alive – is an important work in the canon of speculative fiction, until now largely forgotten among the works of her contemporaries such as George Orwell, H. G. Wells and Aldous Huxley. Woman Alive is set in 1985 and is at once a satire and a commentary on the rising threat of nationalism in 1930s Britain. The novel is cinematic in structure, conjuring a world in which feminism and pacifism are woven together to tell the story of Stella – an accidental survivor who became queen of England and the hope of humankind. The relevance of this novel to 21st-century society is of course heightened post-CoVID-19.
Star Wars: Reign of the Empire – The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed, Penguin, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-94827-9.
First book in a new Star Wars trilogy, 'Reign of the Empire', set in the first year of the Empire and charting the rise of the resistance.
Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-06050-4.
Earth is a ruin, and the scattered remnants of humanity scavenge what they can from the stars. Finding herself with no money and little to occupy her groundside, the narrator (‘I’) takes a commission aboard the hunter-barque Pequod as it sets out in pursuit of the Leviathans living in the atmosphere of a gas giant. However, once aboard, she finds herself pulled inexorably into the orbit of the barque’s captain, a charismatic but fanatically driven woman who the narrator names only as ‘A’. As the Pequod plunges ever deeper into the turbulent, monster-haunted atmosphere of the gas giant, the narrator begins to lose herself in the eerie world of Leviathan-hunting and the captain’s increasingly insistent delusions. The only thing that might keep her grounded is the bond she develops with Q, a woman from the wreck of Old Earth, whose skin is marked with holographic light and who remembers things others have lost.
EXODUS: The Helium Sea by Peter F. Hamilton, Tor, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-07378-2.
For millennia, the Crown Dominion has been at relative peace, with the Celestials in control and the human population little better than serfs. But now the Crown Dominion is facing a crisis of epic proportions – one that could change the balance of power in the Centauri Cluster forever – as an exiled faction that has been waiting for seven thousand years beyond the Helium Sea has returned to wreak their vengeance. For Finn and his human allies, who have ended up at the centre of this conflict either through circumstance or manipulation, this is an unprecedented opportunity. If they can band together, they may be able to outwit the Celestials and finally earn their fellow humans a place of independence and power in the Crown Dominion. To achieve this, they must first locate and master ancient artefacts of immense power that could give them a much-needed edge in the conflict ahead. And all while ducking the forces that are determined to knock them off the board for good… This book's rlease ties in with an SF action-adventure RPG coming soon from Archetype Entertainment.
The End of Everything by M. John Harrison, Serpent's Tail, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-800-81294- 9.
A crafted, funny and surprising post-apocalyptic adventure. The world seems to be coming to an end. Government barely functions, the seas are full of new creatures, Europe has been mislaid: yet the exact cause of the catastrophe remains obscure. Is it an alien invasion? An ecological collapse? Or an unprompted change in the nature of reality? Phillip Tennent makes a living selling exotic life-forms washed up from the Channel – until he lands a creature whose shape-shifting properties threaten to destabilise everything he thinks he knows. M. John Harrison, acknowledged master of science fiction, unsettles and entertains in this slyly satirical adventure into the limits of human knowledge and mastery.
Star Wars: The Acolyte – Wayseeker by Justina Ireland, Penguin, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-94831-6.
Vernestra Rwoh has spent over a decade exploring the Outer Rim as a Wayseeker, answering to no other authority but the Force itself. But after Jedi Master Indara arrives to ask for Vernestra’s aid in person, bringing her back to Coruscant, Vernestra finds herself pulled back into Coruscant’s complicated world of Republic politics and underworld crime. As the two delve further into their investigation, and the lines between Jedi and Republic business blur, Vernestra must reconsider what it means to serve for Light and Life.
Godfall by Van Jensen, Transworld, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50808-9.
A massive asteroid hurtles toward Earth and humanity is braced for annihilation - but the end doesn't come... Because it's not an asteroid... it's a three-mile-tall alien figure that comes to Earth outside Little Springs, Nebraska. Dubbed 'the giant', its body apparently pierced by a blade, its arrival transforms this quiet red-state farm town into a top-secret government research site and major metropolitan area, flooded with soldiers, scientists, government agents, bureaucrats, spies, criminals, conspiracy theorists... and a killer. As the sheriff of Little Springs, David Blunt thought he'd be keeping the peace among the same people he'd known all his life, not breaking up chanting crowds of conspiracy theorists, busting drugs gangs, dealing with doomsday cults, struggling to control town hall meetings about immigrants, and invaders and the construction of a mosque. Or trying to catch a cunning and seemingly untraceable killer. As the brutal, bizarre murders strike ever closer to home, Blunt - increasingly troubled by strange, unsettling dreams of a cosmos in chaos - throws himself into the hunt for a killer who seems somehow connected to the Giant. With bodies piling up and tensions in Little Springs mounting, he realises that in order to find the answers he needs, he must first reconcile his traditional sense of things with the town, and the world, he now lives in - before it's too late.
The Library of Traumatic Memory by Neil Jordan, Head of Zeus – Ad Astra, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-92329-8.
In the late nineteenth century, Montagu Cartwright embarks on a new architectural project: building the Huxley Mansion on the edge of the peninsula. In present day, Christian Cartwright works as a librarian at the Huxley Institute, a successful but mysterious organisation at the cutting-edge of medical and scientific advancements. There is the Library of Traumatic Memory, which seeks to relieve patients from their most painful memories; the Clairvoyant Program, which explores the world of dreams and their possible connection to reality; and the Forever Wing, which pushes the boundaries of human mortality. But when one of the Institute’s devices allows Christian to communicate with his recently deceased lover, Isolde, the secrets of the Institute begin to unravel and Christian must confront the true and terrible dangers that lay ahead.
Doctor Who: Stormcage – A River Song Adventure by Alex Kingston, BBC Books, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-785-94975-3.
Alex Kingston has always played River Song. Now, in this immersive, multi-strand adventure she invites YOU to become the beloved character yourself! Professor River Song, imprisoned in the Stormcage Containment Facility, welcomes the excitement of aliens storming her prison. They’re here to spring a creature wanted for terrible crimes. Their assault rips through reality to create the ultimate escape route: a Fate Nexus. A gateway to multiple exit points in time, space and beyond. In this book YOU are River, tasked with stopping the criminals and saving reality. Only YOU can choose the path through these pages. You'll steer River through past, present and future on all kinds of audacious adventures. You’ll meet old enemies, familiar friends and, of course, the Doctor. Will you hunt down a happy ending or find disaster and death? The chances are yours to take!
We Burned So Bright by T. J. Klune, Tor, £18.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-00942-8.
Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good, long life. Together, they’ve experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world. Now, the world is ending for real. A wandering black hole is coming for Earth, and in a month, everything and everyone they’ve ever known will be gone. Suddenly, after forty years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They’re in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it’s all over. On the road, they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how – impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, new friends. And as the black hole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked Moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.
Radiant Star by Ann Leckie, Orbit, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-51795-7.
A standalone Imperial Radch novel. The Temporal Location of the Radiant Star has always been a source of both conflict and hope for the people of Ooioiaa. However, the imperial Radch see it only as an inconvenience, an antiquated religious site soon to be absorbed into their own, superior culture. But local politics is complicated, and the Radch have made one last concession: one last man will be allowed to join the mummified bodies in the temporal location to become a ‘living saint’. But this one decision will ripple out to affect every part of the city. Amidst a slowly worsening food shortage, riots and a communication blackout from the rest of the Radch Empire, a religious savant will entertain visions of his own sainthood, a socialite will discover zer comfortable life upended and a young man sold into servitude will find unlikely escape.
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee, Orbit, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52671-3.
Space opera. Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend has to come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow – to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her legacy. But when a competitor offers her a final mission, it’s one she can’t refuse. Soon, she’s thrust deep into a world of corporate espionage, duty-bound duels, and shadowy secrets. What she uncovers will change humanity’s existence in the stars forever.
Loss Protocol by Paul McAuley, Gollancz, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-399-63556-1.
Across a country ravaged by climate change, a man must hunt for the truth about a murderous environmental cult. Eight years after the downfall of his sister’s cult, Marc Winters has found refuge as the wildlife ranger of a small, unremarkable island. But when the counterterrorism police come calling, everything he thought he knew about his sister’s fate is turned upside down. The cult lives on, believing the world could be healed by collective dreams fuelled by psychotropic mushrooms – and they believe Winters possesses information crucial to their success. Blending noir-inflected conspiracies and double-crosses, this chimerical story keeps its secrets until the last page.
Eradication by Jonathan Miles, Riverrun, £14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44903-7.
Reeling from tragedy, a former jazz musician-turned school teacher named Adi answers a job listing advertising a chance to save the world. The assignment: to spend five weeks alone on the tiny, isolated Pacific Island of Santa Flora and reckon with its invasive population of goats that’s sent the ecological balance severely out of whack, and in doing so preserve the countless bird and plant species from certain extinction. What follows, however, is anything but balanced. The threats to the once-Edenic island, Adi soon learns, aren’t exactly what his employers said they were – and, complicating things further, he discovers he’s not alone on the island. Fearful for his own life, and for the fate of the island’s, Adi spends his sundrenched days rooting out the true threat to Santa Flora, and,
by extension, to the world it occupies – and the desperate steps he must take to eradicate it.
Marvel: Black Panther – The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Penguin, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-94652-7.
The Black Panther answers the call of rebellion in this prose adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s graphic novel, The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Lost amongst unfamiliar stars, a man finds himself trapped in an imperial mining camp – one of the countless Nameless violated by the Empire. He knows not how he got there, who he is, or even his name. Quickly, the man proves his worth with an unparalleled skill for battle, and as his reputation amongst the rebels spreads, whispers of hope begin to swirl. Could this be the true T’Challa of old, the Avenger? The one Who Puts the Knife Where it Belongs? As all eyes turn to him, he must decide if he will embrace a future of responsibility as their saviour or pursue the mystery of his true past.
Mars One by Charlotte Robinson, Transworld, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50734-1.
One small step. One fatal mistake. On the barren plains of the Kazakh Steppe, Alyssa Wright stands on the brink of the most ambitious space flight in history: a one-way mission to Mars. But when disaster strikes, she begins to uncover a conspiracy that threatens her life - and the lives of everyone on board. In Hong Kong, a coder vanishes from his home, leaving nothing behind but a cryptic warning and his cat. Pursued by violent forces, his sister finds herself on the run, in possession of the one thing capable of saving him. Amidst a dark vacuum of nothingness, as the Argo spaceship hurtles toward Mars, the crew realise that someone is sabotaging the mission from the inside. Every second brings them closer to catastrophe, and time is running out. Across Earth and space, three stories collide in a breathless thriller that asks: what is the price of progress, and who must pay it?
The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-399-62634-7.
The Safina is a city ship, two centuries into its voyage towards a new habitable world. Its crew maintain the ship, generation after generation, while protecting their Earthling ‘ancestors’ who are kept alive in cryostasis. But a lot can change in two centuries, and people are starting to ask questions. Why should the crew toil for ancestors none of them remember? The system is only secure so long as those in power maintain the obedience of those beneath them. And the crew has had enough.
Star Wars: Trials of the Jedi – High Republic by Charles Soule, Penguin, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-95317-4.
The Force is everything. A single life connected to all life. All things connected to all other things. This is what the Jedi believe, and this is why they fight. For life… and the light.
The Last Man and The Journal of Sorrow by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Oxford University Press, £10.99 / US$13.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-198-89279-3.
Mary Shelley’s The Last Man is a novel set in the aftermath of climate disaster and a war between Greece and Turkey in the late twenty-first century. Shelley’s ‘Journal of Sorrow’ was written after the death of her husband and provides the personal background to the novel.
Anti-State by Allen Stroud, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$34.95 / US$26.95, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-52029-0.
2121 AD. Three years after the first Mars conflict and the colony is still struggling to recover. Corporations fight to hold on to their investments. Old secrets resurface and new faces appear. Magnus Sirocco should never have been allowed to come here. He is a vigilante turned revolutionary who has been given a cause. He doesn’t lose. Ever. Peter Iskander leads a new religious mission to deliver the promised land to their people. And after being investigated, exonerated and promoted, Commodore Ellisa Shann returns, but when a ship is stolen, she is drawn into another deadly duel.
Beyond and Within: Creative Futures (2025) edited by Allen Stroud, Flame Tree Press, £16.99 / Can$34.99 / US$26.99, hrdbk, 416pp, ISBN 978-1-835-62647-4.
A collection of new short stories that draw inspiration from the Creative Futures Research Project, a partnership between Coventry University, a group of science fiction writers and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. The stories imagine future crises that we may have to resolve and the ramifications of our choices on subsequent generations. There are some good authors in the mix here: Tchaikovsky and Powell.
Beneath by Ariel Sullivan, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-07230-9.
Humanity risked everything to rebuild after a devastating war… Twenty-three-year-old Sasha Cadell knows time is running out in the underground city, filled with survivors of the nuclear fallout six years ago. She works in tunnel expansion, trying to escape the memories of those she lost. Her bleak existence is upended when Tristian Hayes, a stunningly handsome, frustratingly determined commander of the Force, recruits her to join him. With his elite team of fighters, they are to embark on a secret mission to the surface. Sasha is thrust into a brutal training with stakes far beyond mere survival. The fate of remaining humankind depends on their success – or failure. As she confronts her own demons, Sasha finds both allies and foes in the training program, as well as a sizzling attraction between her and Tristian that threatens the walls she's built around her heart. But under the surface, secrets and deception run as rampant as illnesses. And not everyone will survive the rise of a power more terrifying than anything they’ve ever known.
Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tor, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-05778-8.
The far-future. After Earth fell, ark ships had hunted for a new home. They sought lost worlds terraformed in Earth’s forgotten past. A ship crewed by maverick humans, spiders and a spectacularly punchy mantis shrimp captain is about to rediscover one such world, and an ark. Then human crewmate Alis wakes to discover that she, her captain and the ship’s intelligence are the only ones left on their ship. But what happened to those who left to explore the ark… and the world below?
Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-04572-3.
In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals. One genetically-engineered raccoon races to expose a deadly conspiracy – before it tears his whole world apart. In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers – artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals’ golden rule: ‘Do Not Bother the Humans.’ Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives. Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they're willing to kill for his secrets. Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way – and shatters their fragile world.
Absolution by Jeff Vandermeer, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-72599-0.
Ten years after Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer returns with the surprise fourth volume in the acclaimed Southern Reach trilogy. This instalment revisits the enigmatic Area X, which captivated readers and critics alike, selling over a million copies and spawning a cult classic film. VanderMeer delves deeper into the mysteries left unresolved, exploring the origins of Area X and the first mission to the Forgotten Coast. Structured in three parts, Absolution offers long awaited answers while posing new questions, delivering a brilliant and haunting exploration of this groundbreaking speculative fiction series.
The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-399-61685-0.
Billed by the publisher as Ocean’s 8 meets Blade Runner. It’s been three years since the Atlas heist. Malia, aka the Obake, the greatest hacker of all time, was set for life – until her new hobby of rigging underground fights lands her in trouble with one of the most dangerous gangs on Kepler Space Station. To save her own skin, she agrees to do the gang’s bidding – but Malia soon realises the work is dirty and there are darker things lurking in the shadows. Things tied to Malia’s past. Things that could decide her future.
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Spring 2026
Forthcoming Fantasy Books
Quiet Spells by Isa Agajanian, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-05003-1.
Ghosts passed through the cottage sitting on the peak of Townsend Hill like passengers in a train station. Some, Teddy Ingram knew, stayed longer than others. More than half a year has passed since the disappearance of Gemma Eakley, and Teddy Ingram still has no clue as to whether she is alive, dead or something worse. With Gemma’s young daughter left in his care, Teddy haunts the rural haven of Townsend like one of its many spirits. But then Aurelia – his beloved ex-rival – returns with the news that her own mother is dead – and a ghost forms from the pages of her farewell to give the would-be lovers a message: They won’t let me rest… One coven’s efforts to reverse the looming extinction of witches involves resurrecting the dead. Her mother’s old coven wants to know what secrets she took with her to the funeral pyre; did she have the key to fixing their botched attempts at necromancy?
A Granite Silence by Nina Allan, Quercus, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-529-43560-3.
A blend of speculative fiction and detective story, A Granite Silence reconstructs a notorious child murder in Aberdeen in 1934. Full of echoes, allusions and eerie diversions, A Granite Silence is an investigation into a notorious true crime case, but also a stylish, imaginative inquiry into who gets to tell a story, how it is told, and why.
Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity, Transworld, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50701-3.
'Leena didn't believe in monsters until she saw Weavingshaw.' The Saint of Silence trades coins for every sordid divulgence uttered to him. The darker the secret, the higher the price. Leena has a secret, one that has haunted her since she was seventeen – she can see the dead. When her brother falls ill, she knows what she must do: seek the Saint. But Leena's secret is more valuable to him that she could have imagined. To save her brother, she must make a deal with him to find the ghost he's searching for. All paths lead to Weavingshaw, a cursed estate on the moors. As Leena grows closer to the Saint, and is plunged into his world of danger, deceit and desire, she learns that he is hiding his own secrets – ones that have the power to destroy them all.
Japanese Gothic by Gemma Amor, Hodder and Stoughton, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
2025 Lee can't remember exactly where he hid the body, but he can remember the blood. Hiding out at his father's centuries-old home in Japan, Lee knows something is wrong with him, and he knows it has something to do with his mother's disappearance almost a decade ago. 1877 A female samurai, Sen, stalks the borders of her home to protect her family from slaughter after the abolition of the samurai class. She's not sure how they'll ever survive, not without her father, who has returned from war with a different soul behind his eyes. When Lee and Sen find one another through a door between their worlds, they're both looking for answers. But what they find in the creaking old house they share is beyond what either of them could imagine...
We Who Have No Gods by Liza Anderson, Transworld, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50708-2.
Vic Wood’s ordinary life crumbles when her younger brother is accepted into the Acheron Order, a secret society of witches tasked with keeping the world of the dead at bay. While Henry inherited their absent mother’s magical abilities, Vic did not. So she is stunned when the Order’s mysterious leader invites her to join the other initiates at Avalon Castle, to prove his controversial hypothesis – that magic can be taught. But outsiders aren’t welcome at Avalon, and Vic has to fight for the chance to stay. Scouring archives and libraries for anything she can use to her advantage, Vic uncovers a dangerous truth: the Order is on the brink of war, and her own mother might have started it. And then there is Xan, the Order’s imposing, ruthless, frustrating head Sentinel. Xan makes no secret that he wants Vic gone. But even the cavernous castle can feel cramped and claustrophobic amidst their electric connection… As simmering tension gives way to violence, Vic must choose whether to leave the preternatural behind, and risk losing her family, or stay, and remain powerless in a world where power is everything.
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-08937-6.
Transported to the ruthless fantasy world from her beloved but unfinished book series, Maggie must find a way to survive – as a great war looms ahead. Spellbinding epic fantasy from bestselling author Ilona Andrews. Set in a city peopled with ruffians, spies, malcontents and murderers, experience out-of-this world adventure and dangerous politics as Maggie tries to survive waking up in her favourite fictional world. When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognise Kair Toren. It’s a city she knows intimately from the pages of a famously unfinished dark fantasy series – one she’s been obsessively reading and rereading, while waiting years for the final novel. Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic and mayhem? Her encyclopaedic knowledge of the plot, the setting and the characters’ ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she’s coming to love.
Beyond and Within – Sauúti Terrors Short Stories edited by Eugen Bacon & Stephen Embleton, Flame Tree Press, £16.99 / Can$34.99 / US$26.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62640-5.
A powerful and haunting anthology of short stories from the groundbreaking Sauútiverse. Sauúti Terrors tells of the doomed, the damned, the shunned, the cunning, the destroyers, the noxious, and more…
Death’s Daughter by S. A. Barnes, Headline, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-43073-4.
After a tragic and terrifying incident when she was fourteen, Jocasta vowed to hide what she was capable of and never take a life again. Instead, she’s carved out a normal life for herself - well, as normal as she can get with a name like Jocasta, and being the one and only child of Death himself. In her fourth year at Beecher University, a rare magical dead zone not far from Salem, Jo keeps her fatal magic at bay with sips of people’s depression, anguish, and bitterness - all tiny deaths on their own. But Jo is lonely. She feels guilty about using her friends to feed, especially when she’s feeding on a certain friend’s frequent disappointments. And then there’s Carter, the smart and sexy - and very human - guy she was (is) half in love with. Whatever it is between them keeps flaring up and turning physical despite their efforts to just be friends. In short, it’s messy, but safe. Or it was. When Devon, a fellow descendent of an Old One, shows up, things get a lot more complicated. He swiftly targets a friend of hers, and, when Jo intervenes, he seems…. amused? Death has just announced Jo as his successor, and various challengers are about to come out of the woodwork - and Devon is actually here to form an alliance. When one of Jo’s friends is killed under suspicious circumstances, it’s clearly the first strike of many from those who aren’t happy with her new inheritance. Now Jo must clear her name with the Beecher city police, while also trying to battle every grudge, every desire for allegiance, and every pissing contest levelled at Death by any descendants wanting to prove themselves. Her safe bubble is about to burst - but Jo will do anything to claim what’s rightfully hers. Even if it means enlisting Devon’s help.
Hesket: A Norfolk Haunting by Sara Bayat, Corsair, £18.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-472-16003-4.
This merges psychological realism and rural terror. Unsettling things are happening in rural Norfolk. At first glance, Hesket is a blink-and-you-miss-it village, a seemingly unremarkable place that belies its horrifying history. There are tales of witch trials and death, of a curse that lies dormant in the landscape where the women condemned as witches are buried, and a great flood that long ago washed Old Hesket away. In present-day Hesket, a new development is planned for this woodland. Following various different voices in which the ordinary and the peculiar converge, Hesket: A Norfolk Haunting chronicles a quiet community of hard-working people, each contending with their own losses amidst daily life. To their horror, the sacred grounds of their beloved old woods are earmarked for development. As the work commences, despite village protests, strange and unexplained events begin to occur and the lives of the villagers start to disintegrate. While each of the eight characters has their own story to tell, beautifully and heartrendingly encapsulated within individual chapters, the narrative connects them in a broader tale of jealousy, love, bereavement and joy from beginning to end.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Flame Tree Press, £9.99 / Can$16.99 / US$12.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62775-4.
Published in 1900, the novel depicts the young farm girl Dorothy and her pet dog Toto, who are swept away to the Land of Oz in a cyclone and meet a whole host of characters on their journey to the Emerald City. In addition to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the first in the Oz series), this edition also includes the novels The Scarecrow of Oz and The Tin Woodman of Oz, centred around two of the original novel’s beloved characters.
The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
This is the city of miracles, but not everything miraculous is good. In a holy walled city, where sin and sanctity are revealed through touch, Csilla - a girl born without a soul – is worth little to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the faithful magic that keep the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her flaw: she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage, without risking the stain of sin. The heretic, however, makes Csilla a counteroffer: clear his name by helping him catch the real killer, and he'll use his angelic gifts to grant her very own soul. Meanwhile, ruthless Ilan, desperate to earn back his position as Church Inquisitor, sees the case as his chance at redemption: he'll bring in the murderer - or, failing that, Csilla and the heretic - and regain his title. But as the death toll rises, and their hunt pits them against the all-powerful and callous Faith, Csilla finds herself torn. Will her salvation come at the cost of everything she believes in?
Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui, Orbit, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52548-8.
Temptress, monster, warrior: Aicha tells the tale of Morocco’s warrior goddess, her strange magic, vicious rebellions and fearless love affair. The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall. Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha’s soul. Only Aicha’s secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco's freedom reaches it violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha’s skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.
A God of Countless Guises by Bradley P. Beaulieu, Head of Zeus – Ad Astra, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-803-28511-5.
In the wake of the great battle at Ancris, the capital lies in ruins – and Faedryn, the
trickster god, is closer than ever to breaking free. While Lorelei races to stop Faedryn before it’s too late, Rylan is too entangled in his own problems to help. The artefact he stole, the one Faedryn needs to break free, is no longer a secret. Now everyone in the empire, from the dragon legions to the ruthless Red Knives, are hunting him. But Rylan soon learns there’s something worse than being caught – losing the shard altogether. As Lorelei and Rylan struggle to undo the damage he caused, their quest uncovers a chilling truth – that Faedryn’s power comes from a twisted contest devised by the elder gods. And even if they keep him imprisoned, the game may very well begin again.
Witch Season by Julia Bianco, Headline, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-42459-7.
Katherine Barnes was an unsettled witch - a witch born to non-magical parents and saddled with a power she couldn’t explain, let alone control. Following a tragic accident that sent her running away from home at sixteen, the only reason Katherine survived was Sylvia Page, the leader of Los Angeles’ Aestas Coven and a former unsettled witch herself, who scooped Katherine up and taught her how to harness the storm inside. Together, over the past thirteen years, Katherine and Sylvia turned Aestas into a halfway house for unsettled witches, creating the home neither of them got to have. Enter Silas Khatri, the heir to the most influential coven in the country who has a mandate from his parents to bring the rogue Aestas Coven to heel. Desperate to muscle Silas out of her territory, Sylvia makes an impulsive decision that gives her untold power - but at the cost of an unsettled teenager’s life. Unaware of her mentor’s betrayal, Katherine launches an investigation into the young witch’s death. As she unravels secrets that go back further than she ever knew, Katherine finds an unlikely ally in the man she thought she hated and an unexpected enemy in the woman who saved her future. With Silas’ real motives and the depths of Sylvia’s treachery all coming to light, Katherine has to decide what’s more important - the family she’s worked so hard to build, or the truth.
The Haunting of a Bronte by Amelia Blackwell, Macmillan, £18.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-05414-5.
Georgiana is transported forty years into her future, to the eerie confines of an early Victorian home. The year is 1843 and a foreboding manor house sets the stage,,,
The Cursed Queen's Daughter by Elly Blake, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Fearless Thea has never known life outside of war. As the favourite daughter of the Sylvan King, she's a relentless fighter who longs to lead his army as First Huntsman, ignoring the pretty clothes and fanciful notions others enjoy. But when a mysterious dress full of dark magic appears on her hearth one evening, Thea doesn't know how to fight an enemy she can't see or touch. Still, her curiosity builds as a new gown appears each night-until she gives in to temptation and is whisked to a forgotten land of shadows. The prince of the shadow realm is a handsome host, and while Thea does all she can to resist his charms, it's clear he knows something about the long-ago disappearance of Thea's mother. All he asks in return is for Thea to dance with him, their dangerous attraction growing each time she returns for more information… This is the second book in a spellbinding series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, with simmering romance and plot twists that will leave readers desperate to enter the Thirstwood themselves.
The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn, Harper Collins, £13.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-79234-3.
A second dragon has awoken – her heart tainted and her power commandeered by two ruthless highbloods whose cruelty knows no bounds. My dearest friend teetered on the brink of death. A dragon saved her, but now she’s tied to him in a way I can scarcely understand. What will this new bond do to the woman I’ve come to love as a sister? With Bloodwing Academy in turmoil and a new headmaster no one saw coming, only one thing is certain: This is going to be one hell of a term.
Good Spirits by B. K. Borison, Harper Collins, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-76043-4.
Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday season exactly like every other: haunting the terrible people of Annapolis in his aimless existence as the Ghost of Christmas Past. But when Nolan is assigned Harriet, the sweeter-than-candycanes antique shop owner, for his holiday haunting, neither of them has any idea why. To escape one another, Harriet and Nolan must unravel the threads that bind them together – all by Christmas Eve.
Butter Cookies and Demon Claws by Peter V. Brett, Harper Collins, £12.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-008-79037-0.
Peace in Tibbet’s Brook is shattered when local businessman Rusco Hog is found dead on the Tanner farm, his injuries suggesting a demon attack. However, Town Speaker Selia Barren suspects foul play; Rusco’s wealth made him many enemies, and everyone seems to have a motive. Determined to uncover the truth, Selia trades her delicious butter cookies for secrets, which prove too tempting to resist.
The Reaper by Jackson P. Brown, Penguin, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-94391-5.
A dark, urban fantasy, set in the heart of a hidden world beneath the streets of London – billed by the publisher as perfect for fans of Legendborn and Ben Aaronovitch.
Myths, Gods & Immortals – The Valkyries introduction by Nancy Marie Brown & Jóhanna Katrín Frioriksdóttir Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$40 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62790-7.
The Valkyries – fierce warrior goddesses who guide souls to Valhalla – embody fight, fate and glory. From famous figures like Brunhild and Skuld to those in the shadows, this collection explores classic stories and imagines new paths. With fresh tales from submissions and an insightful introduction, it offers new perspectives on these iconic beings.
Incarnate by Ramsey Campbell, Flame Tree Press, £12.95 / Can$21.95 / US$16.95, pbk, ISBN 978-1-787-58770-0.
A new edition of this classic exploration of malevolent dreams and monstrous forces, from the master of horror. Five people take part in a study of precognitive dreaming, but the future they all dream of is a nightmare. Eleven years later, the dream creature they released creeps into all their lives in shapes they don’t realise are dreams. If it brings the five together again, far worse will be loosed on the world. Can Molly Wolfe, one of the dreamers, track down everyone involved in time to stop it, or is her search doomed to help it achieve its inhuman aim? Is she too unaware of the way the dream creature has insinuated itself into her life?
Paris Celestial by A. Y. Chao, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
All aboard the Immortal Express - Lady Jing is off to Paris where she will encounter romance, danger and vampires… Now a Minister of Hell, Lady Jing is mind-numbingly bored. All she wants is plain talk and time with her beau Tony Lee, who has been distracted with mortal matters of late (impending war is such a drag). But then a visiting Celtic deity, turns up boneless and drained of yin qi. The only way to help him is to return him to his pantheon's healer, in residence in Paris. Ready for a new adventure, Jing immediately volunteers for the task. Accompanied by Tony Lee, the group settle into the Immortal Express for what should be a run-of-the mill journey until the train is hijacked by the Vampire Republic, who are seeking hostages in their bid to demand recognition by the international pantheons. Jing fears the worst, but when she unwittingly reveals her heritage, the vampires embrace her as one of their own . . . if she abandons her friends. Caught in an impossible situation, can Jing use her wit and spark to save them all?
The Swan's Daughter by Roshani Chokshi, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. After poorly wording a wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand in marriage of the kingdom's heir. Thus, Arris expects that the day of his marriage will be the one of his murdering. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris's parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for the throne, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. But Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him… or lust for power. Until he meets Demelza. As a veritas swan, Demelza's song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides. While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one's life but find the courage to chase a life worth living.
Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Gwendolynne Chan just needs to get through her final year. At Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences, she spends her days using her powers to heal companion animals while her nights are spent studying for exams. As the top student in the magical familiars stream, she is on track to be awarded Dux of the entire school. Harrisford Briggs was born into privilege. His father, the Chief Financial Officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the year. Harrisford, though, can't help but notice that his father has been acting odd. Really odd. And there are strange whisperings, too. Rumours of uncontrollable surges of excess magic, which Magecorp has been trying to cover up, as well as rampant corruption within the Magical Ministry itself. When these magical surges begin to rock their way through London, causing chaos and explosions, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves without a reliable source of magic. To fix this, they must put aside their duelling feelings of lust and loathing, and team up to diagnose the problem. If they fail, not only is their education at stake, but also the fate of the magical world.
A Dark Forgetting by Kristen Ciccarelli, Harper Collins, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-78392-1.
When her grandfather goes missing, Emeline Lark is forced to venture into the woods to save him. There, Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, brutally tries to dissuade her from searching, even as a magnetic spark ignites between them. Undeterred, Emeline enters the court of the fabled Wood King and makes a deal: her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into a curse that threatens the very existence of this eerie world she’s now trapped in.
The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli, Harper Collins, £9.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-008-65065-0.
Rune Winters is on the run from the republic who condemned her and the boy who betrayed her. An ocean away, her only ally is the unlikeliest one: Cressida Roseblood, the deposed witch queen intent on taking back what she thinks hers – the crown, the country, and Gideon Sharpe with it. Gideon will not allow the terrors of his past to rise again, even if this means hunting down every last witch. But there is only one witch who holds the key to Cressida’s return… and Gideon’s heart. And he will stop at nothing to find her.
Our Monstrous Bodies by Emma Cleary, Harper Collins, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-71143-6.
After an ill-omened romance, Brooke travels to Vancouver to care for her estranged sister, Izzy. But when Brooke herself begins to exhibit strange symptoms, Izzy’s care and concern for her sister soon turn to unhinged obsession.
Tales of Heroes Gods & Monsters – Babylon & Sumer Myths & Legends by Fiona Collins & June Peters, Flame Tree Press, £10.99 / Can$19.99 / US$14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62260-5.
Undiscovered until 200 years ago, the stories, myths, hymns and ancient king lists of Sumer and Babylon reveal a rich culture of city states, each with their own gods and tales of creation, floods, adventures, the heavens and the netherworld. This brand new collection offers the tales retold afresh by contemporary storytellers.
The Last Starborn Seer by Venetia Constantine, Head of Zeus – Aria, £18.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-91445-6.
Leilani Stellarion is cursed. The last of a ruined bloodline, she’s shunned for her volatile Starborn magic – gifted with prophetic visions, but slowly losing her grip on reality. Branded a pariah, Leilani is blamed for the Sickening, a curse that fractured the realms of Arcelia and plunged them into war. When her dying mother’s health worsens and a forced marriage threatens her future, Leilani seizes the chance to reclaim her fate. A prophecy speaks of a relic that could end the Sickening – and she’s determined to find it. To retrieve the sceptre, she must survive the deadly climb to Astral Mountain, forge alliances with enemies, and outwit rebel forces. But darker still are her feelings for a rival envoy, which grow under the watchful eye of her betrothed. Hunted by a vengeful spectre and haunted by her magic, Leilani must decide what she’s
willing to sacrifice – before it consumes her.
Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe, Harper Collins, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-75896-7.
One curse, seven princes, and a bookshop you’ll never want to leave… Princess Tanadelle of Widdenmar longs for independence but is cursed to remain in a rundown bookshop in Little Pepperidge until she finds her heart’s desire. Excited, she hires goth teenager Sasha as her assistant, but her new life becomes complicated by the infuriatingly handsome pirate Bash, who has his own curse.
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan, Del Rey, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-94336-8.
A romantic historical fantasy set after WWI, where a young woman must make a bargain with a faerie after inheriting a crumbling and mysterious English manor. Faeries disappeared over 100 years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return… Mouse Dunne once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but in the devastating wake of World War I, it was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams. Then Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her Thistlemarsh Hall, a crumbling manor in the English countryside, once blessed by the Faerie King himself. But if Mouse does not rehabilitate the house in one month, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother. Until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie – especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant – but she is out of options. Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past… or lose everything.
The Arcane Arts by S. D. Coverly, Piatkus, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-349-44877-0.
A dark academia fantasy about an ambitious graduate student at an elite
magic institute and the complicated, consuming relationship she develops with her advisor as they dive into a world steeped in magic, power and obsession. Newlyn University is an elite Vermont college where students can pursue degrees in medicine, history, technology-or the Arcane Arts. Ellsbeth Shore is determined to study Arcane Mechanicals with acclaimed professor Thaddeus Rawlins. Against his better judgment, Rawlins decides to let Ellsbeth pursue a thesis on writ magic, the controversial and banned field of the Arcane Arts that involves controlling other people. As they undertake their clandestine research, their relationship evolves beyond the professional. Harmless flirtation crosses the line into uncontrollable desire, which threatens to bloom into something even more troubling: love. As their project spins wildly out of control, they become entangled in a web of lust and power that could destroy them both.
Brides by Charlotte Cross, Nightfire, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-035-05927-0.
Before Dracula there were… Brides. 'Come to me, and be mine for eternity'1884. When Mafalda journeys to Budapest to care for her grieving aunt, her secret love, Lucy, hurries from London to comfort her, with chaperone and lady's maid in tow. But lady's maid Alice, blessed and cursed with the Sight, is tormented by terrifying visions. When chaperone Eliza falls prey to a disturbing wasting illness, the women hope to seek the healing waters of Transylvania. At a nobleman's invitation, they set out for Castle Dracula. In the depths of the forest, miles from civilization, their host reveals his true intentions; a monstrous ambition which will tear the women apart. And not all of them will survive.
The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien De Castell, Quercus, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44093-5.
Click on the title link for a standalone review. In a desperate bid to prevent the impending clash of divine and diabolical titans and stop humanity from being conscripted into an eternal war, a band of emotionally unstable and mercenary mages step in to save the world.
You Did Nothing Wrong by C. G. Drews, St. Martin's Press, £20 / Can$41 / US$29, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-250-36999-4.
Single mother Elodie’s life has become a fairy tale. She’s met Bren, equal parts golden retriever devoted and sinfully handsome. He’s whisked her and her autistic son, Jude, to the crumbling family house he’s renovating. She has a new husband, a new house, and a new baby on the way. Everything is perfect. Then Jude claims he can hear voices in the walls. He says their renovations are 'hurting' the house. Even Elodie can’t ignore it–something strange is going on. The question is, is it with the house, or with her son? Then the one secret Elodie has been hiding is revealed, and no one is safe anymore.
A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames, Harper Collins, £9.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-008-68720-5.
Everyone in Foss Butcher’s village knows what happens when the magic-workers come: they harvest human hearts to use in their spells. When a sorcerer snags a piece of Foss’s heart without meaning to, she is furious. But the sorcerer, Sylvester, is not what she expected. Petulant, idle, and new to his powers, Sylvester has no clue how to undo the heart-taking. As Foss searches for a cure, she uncovers that there is much more to the heart-taking – and to the magic-workers themselves – than she could have ever imagined…
Sing the Night by Megan Jauregui Eccles, Piatkus, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-349-44815-2.
Billed as a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. Magic. Music. Madness. Murder. For as long as Selene remembers, she's only wanted one thing: to sing the boldest, brightest magic into existence and win L'Opéra du Magician. To the winner goes the spoils of being declared King's Mage, a position her father held years ago, before he lost control of his magic and spiralled into madness, leaving Selene an orphan. But when the competition turns cutthroat and a competitor steals Selene's song, the chance to redeem her father's legacy begins to slip through her fingers. Until, in the depths of the opera house, she discovers a mysterious and beautiful man trapped within a mirror. He offers not only the magic of music, but a darker sorcery of shadow, blood, and want. He can help Selene if she helps him in return but his forbidden magic may not be worth the cost. As the competition continues and mages are driven to ruin competing for the King's favour, Selene must navigate betrayal, the return of childhood love, and the price of ambition.
Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-59705-4.
Yeeran, born for war, has left her lover, the fae queen, only to learn that her former partner now threatens conflict. Meanwhile, her sister Lettle is determined to break the curse binding the fae, believing a mysterious stranger holds the key. With the Fates silent, can Yeeran and Lettle uncover the secret behind the curse and unite their worlds before destruction strikes?
The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by Summer England, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
All gardener Clara Thorne wants is to live "happily ever after" in her beloved town of Moss, magically growing herbs and vegetables and trying to write her book. But Fate has other plans when The Goddess unexpectedly bestows her with an impossible quest. Clara has one month to travel to the cursed and abandoned town of Dwindle and grow them a garden. If she fails, she will be banished. Only Clara's magic doesn't work outside of Moss, a fact she has kept hidden for years. Worse, the Goddess has assigned the absurdly sexy, annoyingly cheerful Hesper Altanfall to keep her safe. All leather and crossbows, Hesper is as determined to protect Clara as she is full of secrets-but Clara would rather eat thorns than accept help. She's had one too many losses, and Hesper might the one to break her beyond repair. But if Clara can find the key to opening her heart, she may just unearth the life and love she's always believed to be
impossible.
Nordlys: Book 2 by Malin Falch, Inklore, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-911-72029-4.
Graphic novel. Separated from Espen and the trolls, Sonja must forge a path through the wondrous landscape of Jotundalen with the troubled and magical Lotta. As the two new friends trek into the mountains to find Lotta’s reclusive people, Sonja will discover her own family mystery that will lead them deep into the darkest and most dangerous corners of the forest. Meanwhile, Espen, desperate to find Sonja, teams up with an unlikely new ally who may lead him to unexpected answers.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, Orbit, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52578-5.
All strays are welcome here. Agnes Aubert is very fond of making lists. These lists kept her afloat when she lost her husband two years ago. And now, as the founder of a cat rescue charity, her meticulous organisation skills feel like the only thing standing between her beloved cats – His Majesty, Banshee and sweet elderly Thoreau, to name a few – and utter disaster. But when Agnes is forced to move the charity, she soon discovers that her new shop is being used as a front; right under her feet is the lair of the decidedly disorganised – not to mention self-absorbed and infuriatingly handsome – Havelock Renard. Havelock is everything Agnes doesn't want in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue, perhaps even romance. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats.
Dark Reading Matter by Jasper Fforde, Hodder and Stoughton, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
The eighth and final novel in the 'Thursday Next' series. Will Thursday find her happy ending? The Dark Reading Matter is a theoretical realm that suggests that the observable bookverse can only account for 20% of the calculated total readable mass. Out there somewhere, possibly, is a larger and more expansive and unseeable 'Dark Bookverse' that contains millions of deleted novels, slush-pile manuscripts, lost poems, forgotten pop culture references, stories and ideas that were still in people's minds when they died. It seems The Goliath Corporation hope to exploit the Dark Reading Matter for profit, and Thursday Next is once again pitted against a familiar foe. As is so often with Thursday's World, a visitor named Roger Thatt who purports to be from Fourth Wall Publishing has some peculiar ideas of his own that require careful thought.
Silver Elite by Dani Francis, Penguin, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-95072-2.
Dystopian romance debut where a young woman must conceal her psychic powers as she is forced to train with the very people looking to kill her.
Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell, Bloomsbury, £22 / US$28.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-639-73673-7.
Once upon a time, on the edge between meadow and forest, there was a lonely child with only his older sister for company. In exchange for being left in peace, his sister made him a playmate – Daye, a girl woven from flowers and words. And for the first time, this boy, Rory, had a friend. Rory couldn’t be happier, until he learns that Daye is a short-lived creature. At
the end of each season, she must be woven back together or fall gruesomely apart. And every time Daye falls apart might be her last. As Rory and Daye grow older and the line between friendship and romance begins to blur, Rory becomes desperate to break this cycle of bloom and decay. But the farther Rory pushes his research and experiments to lengthen Daye’s existence, the more Daye begins to wonder just how much control she really has over her own life.
Half City: Harker Academy Book 1 by Kate Golden, Arcadia, £15.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44369-1.
Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defence. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper. Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She just also happens to be a demon hunter. Ever since her father’s murder, she’s been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider… Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defence. If she enrolls, she’ll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters – and never be alone again. But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast…. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and making it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?
Seasons of Glass and Iron by Kate Golden, Arcadia, £15.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44369-1.
Short story collection. The all-new collected short stories by the Hugo-winning author of The River Has Roots and co-author of This Is How You Lose The Time War. Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories is a collection of acclaimed work from Amal El-Mohtar. With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose. Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award winning and short-listed stories, Seasons of Glass and Iron is a collection that will delight, enchant, amaze, and beg to be treasured for decades to come.
The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Mermaid Zephyra of the Syl dreams of freedom. On the run from a dangerous captor, she's swapped her tail for legs and hidden herself on land in the merrow-loathing kingdom of Mortia. But her freedom is short-lived when she's caught and sentenced to death by the brutal warlock, Arion Stone. Arion is as beautiful as he is cold and deadly, only interested in punishing the merrow he views as evil. He has grown as strong as any warlock might, but at great personal cost . . . which can only be remedied by the heart of the God of Death, lost to a fabled kingdom beneath the ocean's treacherous depths. So Arion offers Zephyra a deal she can't refuse: help him find the heart, and he'll spare her life. With no other options, Zephyra agrees, entangling their souls and forbidden desires in a magical bargain until death do they part. If Zephyra and Arion can't learn to fight together - and trust each other - there are worse things awaiting them than just death…
Of Love & Dragons – Romantic Fantasy introduction by Caren Hahn, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$40 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62781-5.
Dragons may be fierce but they are symbols of great power, and the bond between human and dragon, once forged, can never be broken. Or can it? Can romance deal a deathly trail of vows abandoned, or forgotten, and can realms beyond our time conjure tales of Dragon Lords, warrior princesses and great rivalries? Strong-willed, independent leads navigate epic fantasy worlds and emotionally charged quests, featuring lyrical romance, and of course, majestic dragons.
The Falling Sky by David Hair, Arcadia, £18.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-529-42294-8.
Romara Challys and her Falcons have discovered the truth behind elobyne, the energy crystals that uphold the Triple Empire and are leading to its environmental destruction. But alarmed by the Falcons’ discoveries, the immortal Alephi are stepping out of the shadows to unleash a centuries-old doomsday prophecy that will leave Talmont and the rest of the empire in ash and ruin…
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, Tor Nightfire, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-035-03089-7.
Click on the title link for a standalone review of the hardback. A Southern Gothic, feminist horror set in a maternity home in the 1970s. ‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’ They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippy who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one- knows-who. Every moment of their waking day is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid… and it’s usually paid in blood.
The Soul-Catchers by Naoko Higashi, Transworld, £14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-95901-7.
This is a translation of a Japanese classic. What if you could come back after death to watch over your loved one, installing yourself in a treasured mug, for example, or perhaps your mother's hearing aid, a diary, or even a climbing frame, to feel the clambering limbs of a beloved younger sister? Eleven recently deceased protagonists find themselves floating in the afterlife where a nameless ghost offers them a joyous reunion with their loved ones. But not as you would expect. In a world where souls linger restlessly around after death, unwilling to depart, The Soul Catchers is a comforting, witty, and surprisingly sensual take on the Japanese folk belief that objects can be inhabited by human presences. Utterly charming and feel-good, Higashi's classic is an original exploration of our eternal reluctance to let go…. The Soul-Catchers was made into a film in 2021.
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser, Orion / St. Martin's Press, £20 / Can$41 / US$29, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-250-39634-1.
A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic 'evil' stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children. A widow twice-over, Etheldreda is now saddled with the care of her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, and a razor-taloned peregrine falcon. Her entire life has become a ruse, just like the manor hall they live in: grand and ornate on the exterior, but crumbling, brick by brick, inside. Fierce in the face of her misfortune, Ethel clings to her family’s respectability, the lifeboat that will float her daughters straight into the secure banks of marriage.
The Odyssey by Homer, Penguin Classics, £12.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-241-73359-2.
A new translation, by the author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn, of the ancient Greek fantasy.
Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibanez, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
A lush, atmospheric and achingly magical standalone adult fantasy romance set in Renaissance Italy. In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent-a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition. As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.
Fables, Folklore & Ancient Stories– Welsh Folk & Fairy Tales edited by J. K. Jackson, Flame Tree Press, £10.99 / Can$19.99 / US$14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62259-9.
Wales is rich in lore and myth and the myriad stories have been shared and reimagined through generations. From the legends of ‘Pedws Ffowc and St Elian’s Well’ to the ‘Pwca of the Trwyn’, these stories are brimming with cunning folk, fae and faraway lands – enchanting readers and reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Wales.
A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen, Penguin, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-94717-3.
Norse-inspired fantasy.
Fateless by Julie Kagawa, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-73747-4.
Seventeen-year-old Sparrow, an orphan raised by the Thieves Guild, is determined to prove her worth. However, the guild’s connection to the sinister Circle and their plans to resurrect the godlike Deathless Kings thrust her into peril. Betrayed and on the run, Sparrow must ally with Raithe, an alluring assassin sent to kill her. Together, they embark on a harrowing journey across the Dust Sea, where Sparrow discovers her fate – and that of the world – hangs in the balance.
Beyond and Within – Witchcraft Short Stories edited by Paul Kane & Marie O’Regan, Flame Tree Press, £16.99 / Can$34.99 / US$26.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62597-2.
Anthology exploring what it means to be ‘witch’: the rediscovery and reclaiming of the name, its links to nature, and mythology from around the world. The included authors are: Eugen Bacon, David Barnett, Melissa Bobe, Gabriella Buba, Mark Chadbourn, Eliza Chan, Aveline Fletcher, Helen Grant, Muriel Gray, Kay Hanifen, Lisa L. Hannett, Damien Kelly, Amanda Mason, Alison Moore, Buhlebethu Sukoluhle Mpofu, Angela Slatter and Ally Wilkes. Beyond & Within books have foiled covers and printed edges.
Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-52160-8.
The fate of Middren hangs in the balance as gods and heroes clash in a battle for supremacy. War rages as the fire god Hseth leads a relentless army south, leaving destruction in her wake. To survive, Elo must forge an uneasy alliance with Arren, while Inara seeks aid aboard the Silverswift, grappling with her powers and identity. Meanwhile, Kissen questions her loyalties as she searches for her family.
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer, Transworld, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50963-5.
EXCITING OPPORTUNITY: Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY. Macy Mullins can't say why the job posting grabbed her attention-it had the pull of a fisherman's lure, barbed hook and all-vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she's not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for. Besides, it's only three days' work… Three days, cooped up in a stranger's house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness. What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property -and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity.
Follow the Rites... Follow the Rites... Follow the Rites...
Dragon Cursed by Elise Kova, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
The moment you see a dragon is usually your last... Since the dragons emerged - along with the scourge that ravaged our lands and people - there's only one human city that remains standing: Vingard. But the hellfire from above is nothing compared to the threat from within. For there is no worse fate than being Dragon Cursed. Slowly and excruciatingly, you'll be transformed into a mindless beast who destroys everything - and everyone - you love. Any of us could be tainted. Any of us could be lying. Any of us could be caught and killed by the authorities. And I'm terrified that I might be next. There's only one other person who might suspect my secret. He's like my shadow, following me wherever I go. Part protector, part tormentor, fully annoying. Sometimes I think I am just one of the million unfathomable secrets he keeps hidden. Because Lucan definitely knows something... and if I'm Dragon Cursed, death might be the only mercy I get.
Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff, Harper Collins, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-35054-3.
Gabriel de León has lost everything – his family, faith, and hope of obtaining the Holy Grail, Dior. Consumed by vengeance, he and his loyal brothers venture into the war-torn Augustin Empire to confront the Forever King. Unbeknownst to Gabriel, the Grail still exists and races toward the besieged capital, hoping to end the Daysdeath. As treachery lurks in the halls of power and the king’s legions close in, Gabriel and Dior face a final battle that will determine the Empire’s fate – testing their trust in each other to the breaking point.
A Remedy For Fate by M. A. Kuzniar, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
A missing heart. A magical deal. A sprinkling of fate. Prague, 1769. In the Magic Quarter of the jewel-box city of Prague, Thea runs Stiltskin's Apothecary. There, she brews potions to chase away nightmares and soothe heartache - and strikes bargains to change her customers' fates. The only fate she cannot change? Her own. Seven years ago, Thea bargained away her heart and her memories to the apothecary's owner, the cold, yet enigmatic Jasper, for reasons she cannot remember, and a reward she cannot recall.
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle, Transworld, £12.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50995-6.
New Hyde Hospital’s psychiatric ward has a new resident. It also has a very, very old one. Pepper is the surprised inmate of a mental institution in Queens, New York. In the darkness of his room, on his first night, a terrifying creature with the body of an old man and the head of a bison nearly kills him before being hustled away by the hospital staff. It’s no delusion: The other patients confirm that a devil roams the hallways when the sun goes down. Pepper rallies three other inmates in a plot to kill the monster that’s stalking them. But can the Devil die..? This is being adapted for a TV series.
The Ark and the Empire by Michael Livingston, Head of Zeus – Ad Astra, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-035-91916-1.
Julius Caesar is dead, assassinated on the senate floor, and Rome has been torn in two. Octavian, Caesar’s ambitious great-nephew and adopted son, vies with Marc Antony and Cleopatra for control. As civil war rages and vast armies battle for supremacy, a secret conflict may shape the course of history. Prince Juba, adopted brother of Octavian, has embarked on a ruthless quest for the Shards of Heaven, lost treasures said to possess the very power of the gods. Juba has already attained the fabled Trident of Poseidon, which may be the staff once wielded by Moses. Now he will stop at nothing to obtain the other Shards, even if it means burning the entire world to the ground. Caught up in these cataclysmic events are a pair of exiled Roman legionnaires, a Greek librarian of uncertain loyalties, assassins, spies, slaves... and the ten-year-old daughter of Cleopatra herself.
The Once And Future Queen by Paula Lafferty, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Billed by the publisher as Outlander-meets-Camelot. After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera is content to fade into the background, washing sheets and cleaning bathrooms in a Glastonbury hotel. But when a mysterious guest reveals himself as Merlin and whisks her back to seventh-century Camelot, everything changes. He insists she's not just Vera, she's Guinevere, and only she can undo the curse draining the kingdom's magic and save Camelot from the will of a power-hungry mage. There's just one problem: Vera remembers nothing of her past life. And with Camelot teetering on the edge of collapse, time is running out. As Merlin works to restore her memories, Vera uncovers a tangled history of betrayal, power, and heartbreak. Why does King Arthur recoil at her presence? What truly happened the night the curse was cast? And why does every answer feel like it's tearing her in two? In a kingdom built on legend, Vera must decide who she is-before the past destroys the future.
Masquerade by L. R. Lam, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
The gifted can't hide their talents forever. But monsters await when they step into the light. Micah's Chimera powers are growing, just as dark visions threaten to overwhelm him. Drystan is forced to take him to Dr Pozzi, but can they really trust the doctor? Especially when he gets Micah hooked on a mysterious medicine, and a close friend is revealed to be his spy? Meanwhile, violent unrest is sweeping the country, as anti-royalist factions fight to be heard. Then three chimera are attacked-and the struggle becomes personal. An ancient sect has re-emerged to spread terror once more, and the fate of all chimaera hangs in the balance. When a royal secret brings Micah into the heart of the conflict, he and his friends will need to risk everything to finally bring peace to Elada.
Epic Tales – Faeries & Nymphs Myths & Tales introduction by Jennifer Larson, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$40 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62780-8.
With their enchanting, natural powers and often fragile beauty, faeries and nymphs can be found in myths and tales from around the world. These captivating stories invoke their roots in nature and magic, as well as their turbulent interactions with the human world. Faeries and nymphs are both mythical beings, but they have distinct characteristics. Nymphs can be found in Greek mythology and are considered to be nature spirits. They inhabit various natural environments such as mountains, groves, springs, rivers, valleys and grottoes. Faeries, on the other hand, have a broader mythology. They appear in folklore and literature from various cultures, ranging from Chinese to Roman, Slavic to Korean. In some traditions, fairies are known as the ‘Fair Folk’, a term encompassing various magical beings with supernatural qualities.
Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence, Harper Collins, £13.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-69611-5.
In the Academy of Kindness, girls are sold to a sinister institution designed to create agents of vengeance, modelled after the fearsome Furies. After a decade of bloodshed and brutal training, only three will emerge as avatars of retribution. Rue, who sold herself to the Academy, has endured a lifetime of violence, but just as she finds peace, war comes knocking at her door. With a gripping narrative of survival and revenge, this dark fantasy explores the cost of vengeance and the haunting legacy of the past.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, Harper Collins, £14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-008-75282-8.
75th Anniversary edition. book two in the classic fantasy series, 'The Chronicles of Narnia'. This edition is complete with cover and interior art by the original illustrator, Pauline Baynes. Four adventurous siblings – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie – step through a wardrobe door and into the
land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change… and a great sacrifice. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years.
Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-04862-5.
Centuries ago, necromancy almost destroyed the world. That’s how history remembers it. History remembers it wrong. Mathaiik has studied all his life to join the sacred order of the Idallik Knights, charged with defending their world from the forces of necromancy. Only vestiges of that cursed magic remain – nothing like the fabled days of the Grim Lords, the undead wizards who once nearly destroyed the world. Until monsters once more begin to wake. But something about them is even stranger: whole forests coming alive and devouring anyone so foolish as to trespass, formerly peaceful animals mutating into savage carnivores… the land itself has turned upon humanity and the Knights are powerless to stop it. It’s a good thing, then, that the Grim Lords were never truly destroyed. One of their number sleeps below the Knights' very fortress. And when an army of twisted tree monsters attacks the young initiates in his charge, Math decides to do the unthinkable: he wakes her up.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty, Orbit, £10.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52615-7.
Discover a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast in this delightful debut packed full of wit, charm, adventure and heart, with a dash of magical bureaucracy and a sprinkling of romance. When Poppy Hill was a child, she was stolen from her family’s Montana homestead and taken ‘Otherside’ to the land of the Fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King’s castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers faerie bargains, checking for loopholes in their contracts. But when a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong, she must return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.
Folklore, Fear & The Supernatural – Irish Ghost Stories edited by Maura McHugh, Flame Tree Press, £10.99 / Can$19.99 / US$14.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62773-0.
Celebrate the chill of classic Irish ghost tales in this beautiful Collector’s Edition, drawing threads from folklore, legend and ancient origins. Ghosts and spirits abound, building on the history, mythology and the folklore of the Emerald Isle. Stories include The Child That Went with the Fairies, The Canterville Ghost, The Last of Squire Ennismore, and more. A range of celebrated Irish authors from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries offer mystical, atmospheric tales of lost souls and haunted landscapes.
The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula, Del Rey, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-95400-5.
When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him with the help of a fellow scholar – her former fiancé – in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy. Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician – a palaeontologist who uses fossils to wield magic. But since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she’s stuck selling her fossils instead. Until an ancient dinosaur egg hatches in her hands – she knows that this find could make her career. But when Mary contacts the Society, they demand to take possession of her discovery. And of course, their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, the man who once broke Mary’s heart. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she’s willing to go to finally belong.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco, Hodderscape, £14.99, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin… desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…
Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco, Hodderscape, £22, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
A book of dangerous magic draws two readers into a perilous quest to find it. A prince who prefers games of the head to those of the heart. A librarian who is all sweet sunshine… until she burns. A twisted tale that means they can't trust themselves - or their hearts. As Lore and Sloth navigate the pages of her beloved novels gone wrong, she must channel her inner main character to defeat the Book of Nightmares before the wall between the gods and mortals comes crashing down, dooming them all.
Sight Unseen by Alexis Marie, Piatkus, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-349-44736-0.
Billed by the publisher as a blend ofa slow-burn romance with mystery and magical intrigue when the lives of a fatally cursed woman and a single father with a complicated past collide – just as their quaint small town becomes a powerhungry serial killer’s hunting ground. Veda Thorne is living on borrowed time. After exhausting every magical cure for the fatal curse trapped inside her, she’s accepted her fate. But Veda’s self-imposed isolation begins to crack when she’s asked to tutor Antaris, a child whose pain calls to her own. Hiram Ellis left his wealthy, prejudiced family years ago. Now unexpectedly thrust into single
fatherhood, he returns to his hometown, determined to build a life far from the cold privilege that stifled his own childhood. The last thing he expects is to be drawn to the fiercely protective, sharp-tongued woman helping his son. When a trail of enchanted spider lilies leads Hiram and Veda to discover their deadly tie to a prolific serial killer, they’re forced to set aside their differences to unearth long-buried secrets. But the truth is as deadly as Veda’s curse, and both come at a devastating cost. As victims mount and motives emerge, their greatest challenge is choosing to trust and love each other.
Crescent City Paperback Box Set by Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury, £35 / Can$80 / US$60, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-639-73638-6.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life – working hard all day and partying all Night – until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set toone purpose – to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they're plunged into the fight of a lifetime, making them question everything they thought they knew. With a sizzling romance at its heart and surprises at every turn, the #1 bestselling 'Crescent City' series has captivated readers everywhere with its exploration of loss, power, and love. This collection includes:
House of Earth and Blood
House of Sky and Breath
House of Flame and Shadow
The Tainted Khan by Taran Matharu, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-51772-4.
In the sequel to Dragon Rider, Jai dreams of freedom from the Sabine Empire alongside his dragon, Winter. As they both grow in power, Jai discovers the complexities of tribal politics among the Tainted on the Great Steppe, where he feels like a stranger. With the Sabine Empire wreaking havoc, Jai must rapidly master his magic and warrior skills to protect his loved ones and unite his people. The weight of destiny rests on his young shoulders…
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May, Bloomsbury, £22 / Can$39.99 / US$29.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-91289-6.
A princess and a war-weary god met in the ashes of a broken city, forging a pact in blood and sacrifice. Now, centuries of fragile peace are on the brink of collapse… Bryony Devaliant was born to die – again and again. In Vartena, royal blood is the currency of peace, with every monarch sacrificed and resurrected to appease the gods. But when rebellion stirs, the god-king sends his deadliest weapon to restore order: an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf. Evander has perfected the art of killing over centuries—until his latest target becomes the one person he cannot destroy. When forbidden desire burns between the assassin and the sacrificial princess, their connection threatens the fragile boundary between gods and mortals. And when that boundary shatters, empires crumble. Because when gods fall in love with mortals, mortals are always the ones to break.
Every Version of You by Natalie Messier, Transworld, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-99824-3.
She’s gone back in time to win the man of her dreams, so why is she falling for her worst nightmare? The last place Joey Vasquez wants to spend her Friday night is at this dinner party. It’s only because she misses her geriatric cat, and it definitely has nothing to do with the fact that she is in love with the host Elijah, her dashing golden-retriever best friend who also happens to be married. She’s barely through the door when she runs into the one man she’d sworn never to see again: Alex Aquino, smug broody tech billionaire – and the disaster of a one-night stand Joey spent years trying to forget. The night couldn’t possibly get worse – and then she dies. Given a second chance at life, Joey returns to the year 2012. She’s eighteen again and determined to undo some of her biggest regrets, starting with getting Elijah to love her back. But 2012 is also the year she met Alex, and well… old habits die hard.
Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik, Harper Collins, £13.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-78224-5.
In this dark and seΧy romantasy, desperate mage Riela embarks on a mission to kill a mythical beast terrorising her village. Entering the forbidden forest, she is overwhelmed until the strikingly handsome Garrick saves her, altering her fate. Taken to his magical castle, Riela learns that Garrick is a dangerous Etheri, locked out of his kingdom for nearly a century. As their attraction grows, secrets from Riela’s past threaten their trust, revealing that her life may hold the key to Garrick’s lost power.
The Issa Valley by Czeslaw Milosz, Penguin Modern Classics, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-241-77392-5.
A welcome reprint. Set in a vanished rural world of ghosts and devils, this is a beautiful coming-of-age novel from the Polish Nobel Laureate. ‘Thomas was born in the village of Gine at that time of year when a ripe apple thumps to the ground during an afternoon lull.’ So a boy’s life begins in a winding river valley on the Polish-Russian border where time is measured by seasonal rhythms and ancient songs. For Thomas, the ghosts in the forest are as real as the magical water-snakes that live in the Issa; in the village he is entranced by the women with their cinched waists and the men in their long boots. But when he is shown a map, he discovers a kingdom all his own and starts to dream of leaving the valley behind.
Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison, Virago, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-349-02054-9.
A rediscovered mid-century fantasy classic, billed by the publisher as perfect for fans of Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin and Philip Pullman – the enchanting and subversive tale of a king’s daughter who forges her own story amongst bears and dragons. Halla is the daughter of a king, cast out as a baby into a world of danger and enchantment. She is raised by bears, lives as a dragon, converses with Valkyries and avoids troublesome heroes. But the time of myth is passing, and Odin All-Father offers Halla a choice: will she stay dragonish and hoard wealth and possessions, or will she travel light? Weaving folklore, fairy tale and Norse myth into a shimmering, witty and slyly subversive tapestry, Travel Light is a rediscovered gem of classic fantasy writing – now with a brand new introduction by bestselling author Samantha Shannon. Naomi Mitchison (1897–1999) was a distinguished Scottish author whose groundbreaking feminist books of historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction are as radical, free thinking and bohemian as any author writing today. At the time, her radical voice inspired such writers as Ursula K. Le Guin. She also led a fascinating life as a passionate campaigner for a range of social and political issues, such as supporting socialists in 1934’s Nazi-threatened Vienna, running a women’s seual health centre, protesting at Greenham Common in her eighties, and being adopted as adviser and mother of the Bakgatla tribe in Botswana. She died in 1999 at the age of 101, with over seventy books to her name.
Myths, Gods & Immortals – Odysseus introduction by Silvia Montiglio, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$40 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62779-2.
Odysseus, a hero or a deceiver? An awesome new book, with fresh stories exploring identity, mythology and stereotypes. Odysseus is the craftiest and most quick-witted of the Greek heroes of myth – if not as strong as Heracles, nor as skilled as Achilles – famed for his fateful devising of the Trojan Horse and his eventful and epic journey home to Ithaca. This new Myths, Gods & Immortals collection unveils his myths, cultural legacy and bold re-imaginings. Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Odysseus.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Quercus, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44174-1.
Folk horror meets dark academia in this thrilling supernatural mystery. Graduate student Minerva is researching horror author Beatrice Tremblay. But then she discovers that the malignant force that inspired Tremblay’s most famous novel might still haunt the halls of campus… and be linked to her grandmother’s childhood encounters with a witch.
No Man’s Land by Richard Morgan, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-575-13018-0.
A standalone dark fantasy in a post-First World War Britain which has been overrun by fae. The Great War was to be the war to end all wars – and it might have, had a greater, otherworldly foe not arisen. Overnight, as guns blazed away in France and Flanders, villages in the British countryside were swallowed by the Forest, within which lurked the Huldu – an ancient fae race who have decided that mankind’s ascendency over the world must end.
Duncan Silver will stop at nothing to return the children the Huldu stole. No matter how many Huldu he may have to slaughter.
Wayward Souls by Susan J. Morris, Hodderscape, £22, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Monsters are rising in Ireland-and the only ones who can stop them are two women who might be more dangerous than the beasts they fight... Samantha Harker and Dr. Helena Moriarty might have solved the Paris case, but that doesn't mean the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena trusts them. Sam's power to see into the minds of monsters is a slippery slope to corruption. Worse, Hel's uncanny habit of turning up wherever her notorious father's hand is felt has the Society questioning whether he exists at all . . . or whether it's been Hel all along. So when Special Branch requests aid in Ireland, the heart of Professor Moriarty's hidden empire, they send another agent to monitor them: Van Helsing, who is perpetually suspicious of Sam and a bit of an arse. Their investigation takes them from ancient ruins to the clandestine clubs of the rich and powerful, untangling the mysteries of magic, monsters, and men. But even as Sam and Hel fall deeper into each other's orbit, the secrets between them multiply.
The Witch by Marie NDiaye, MacLehose, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44938-9.
In a small, sleepy town, a mediocre witch, in a mediocre marriage, tries to pass on her gifts to her twin daughters, who have skills far beyond her own. Lucie comes from a long line of witches, powers passed down from mother to daughter. Her own mom was formidable in her powers, but ashamed of her magic. Perhaps as a result, Lucie’s own gift is weak: she can see into the future, sometimes, but more often, she can only see the present of some other location. Not very useful. And the worst part? All she can ever see are insignificant details – a scrap of outfit, the colour of the sky. Lucie’s own children are initiated into their family’s peculiar womanhood when they reach twelve years of age, and in a few short months, Maud and Lise are crying the curious tears of blood that denote their magical powers. Having learned, they take off quickly and fly the nest. Literally.
The Night Prince by Lauren Palphreyman, Transworld, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-911-75110-6.
As dark forces rise, Princess Aurora is caught between two powerful alphas fighting for the throne. Princess Aurora may have survived the Wolf King, but his bite marks her skin. In accordance with Wolf law, that makes her his property. Now, he wants her back. To beat him and take his throne, Aurora and Callum must form a dangerous alliance with one of the most feared Wolves in the Kingdom, Blake. He is their enemy, but he has entangled his life with Aurora’s – meaning she cannot harm him without forfeiting her own life. As she fights to break their connection, she suspects Blake is keeping secrets about a dark power in the north, and the bond between them. There is a bigger game at play than who sits on the Wolf Throne – one that threatens both the Kingdom of Wolves and the Kingdom of Men. With enemies closing in, Aurora may be the only one who can stop an ancient evil from rising – if she can figure out who to trust. To survive, she must decide where she – and her heart – belong.
The Legend of Lady Byeoksa by Esther Park, Wildfire, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-42430-6.
stalker. Born with the unenviable ability to see spirits, she is forced to disguise herself as a man to perform exorcisms in order to break this curse which puts those around her in danger. One night, Bin sneaks into a lavish party at Sagokjeong, the chief state councillor’s country home. There, she bumps into Hyun Eun-ho, a loyal servant to the King sent to investigate the chief state councillor’s suspected treason and one of the most eligible bachelors of the Joseon court. Eun-ho feels an inexplicable attraction towards Bin and tries to get closer to her, while Bin, for reasons of her own, attempts to avoid him. However, they keep crossing paths, becoming increasingly entangled by the inescapable threads of fate. Meanwhile, a darker presence is growing in power in the Underworld and the boundaries between the physical world and the one beyond continue to grow thinner. As evil forces seek to exert their influence over the court, Bin and Eunho must work together to overthrow them. Where will their destined connection lead? Will they finally be able to break the curse?
Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker, Orbit, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52092-6.
Not even the Church of the Invincible Sun is invincible – and somebody has to do its dirty work. Enter Sister Svangerd and her accompanying priest, both accomplished practitioners. Their mission is simple: to make a meddlesome princess disappear (permanently). To get to her, they must attend the legendary Ecumenical Council, the once-in-a-century convening of the greatest spiritual minds the world has to offer. But when they arrive, they find instead a den of villainy that would make the most hardened criminal blush. To complicate matters further, it appears that some people long considered dead might not be after all. What began as a simple murder is about to escalate into a theological debate of terrifying complexity. K. J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt.
A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson, Arcadia, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44050-8.
Billed by the publisher as a rollicking cosy fantasy romance, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Heather Fawcett and India Holton! When Lady Hildegarde Croft’s husband unexpectedly drops dead, their long-held plans to turn their land over to their crofters dies with him. Fortunately, potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Erol
Elmwood, who can raise the dead. Hilde will do whatever it takes to convince him to help… even fall in love.
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce, Orbit, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52915-8.
She’s looking for the truth, but something else is staring back. Newly trained child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field full of experts, she’s been unable to find work, instead aimlessly spending her days stuck in the stifling heatwave sweeping across Britain. So it feels like a welcome reprieve when journalist Sam Hunter approaches her with a proposition. Alice Webber is a thirteen-year-old girl who claims she’s being haunted by a witch. Living with her family in the remote Cornish village of Banathel, Alice’s symptoms are increasingly disturbing. Taking this job will give Mina some experience; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better, Mina is sure of it. But as Alice’s behaviour becomes increasingly inexplicable and intense, the dark cracks in Banathel begin to show. The village has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world, and they have ways of . . . dealing with it. Mina is desperate to understand how deep their sinister traditions go – and how her own past may be the biggest threat of all.
Edgar Allan Poe – Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe, Flame Tree Press, £9.99 / Can$16.99 / US$12.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62778-5.
This beautiful collection with a new introduction compiles Edgar Allan Poe’s most terrifying and otherworldly tales. Included are some of the first modern detective stories, such as ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, as well as his most famous narratives, such as ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher'.
City of Others by Jared Poon, Orbit, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52760-4.
Billed by the publisher as Rivers of London meets A Master of Djinn in this warm-hearted, action-packed urban fantasy debut full of workplace found family, queer romance and supernatural creatures straight out of Southeast Asian lore. In the sunny city of Singapore, the government takes care of everything – even the weird stuff. Benjamin Toh is an overworked and underpaid middle manager in a government department tasked with keeping the supernatural population of Singapore happy and out of sight. But when an entire housing estate glitches out of existence on what was meant to be a routine checkin, Ben has to scramble to keep things under control and stop the rest of the city from following in its wake. He may not have the budget or the bandwidth, but he has the best – if highly irregular – team to help him. Together, they’ll traverse secret shadow markets, scale skyscrapers, and maybe even go to the stars, all so they can just do their goddamn job.
Epic Tales – Kalevala & Finnish Myths & Tales introduction by Tiina Porthan, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$40 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62779-2.
Ddrawn from the mythologies of the world, spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, this time focusing on the tales of Finland. This gripping collection gathers together imaginative and adventurous folktales from Finland, paired together with the national epic of poetry, the Kalevala. Considered to be lesser known in the world of mythology and folklore, these tales will show that Finnish folklore is bursting with life and wonder.
Paradox by Douglas Preston & Aletheia Preston, Head of Zeus – Ad Astra, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-92632-9.
A supernatural-themed thriller. A holy relic brutally defaced. A series of grisly murders. A secret that could change the world. When a holy relic is defaced and a reclusive old prospector horribly murdered, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frankie Cash and Eagle County Sheriff Jim Colcord team up on their most enigmatic and dangerous case yet. The murder is followed by the equally horrendous killing of a controversial scientist, tortured using medieval methods. The investigation uncovers further bizarre murders, a baffling money trail, and a fanatical secret society. But the key to everything is an alien artefact UFO researchers believe will change the world... Meanwhile, the resurrected Neanderthals who vanished into the Colorado mountains during Cash and Colcord's last case are planning something that can only spell disaster
for any nearby Homo sapiens.
The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdi, Harper Collins, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-58842-7.
Clara and Axel return to their village, only to find the forest luring in more villagers. Realising they’ve only treated the symptoms of the curse, they must delve into the woods once more to uncover the identity of the murderer behind it. Battling murderous woodsmen, enchanting ladies, and vengeful ghosts, the stakes are higher than ever.
The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A. T. Qureshi, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-74296-6.
Emmy has an enemy, and his name is Luke. But when both she and Luke approach the same local investor for funding, she’s suddenly unable to avoid him. The kookie investor insists they must compete for the cash by working at the local failing baby dragon bookshop to prove their magical business knowledge. Determined to win the funding, Emmy dives into the task. But making a very flammable bookshop fit for baby dragons is no small feat, and it seems these rivals may need to join forces. Could Luke and Emmy’s fiery animosity spark something more between them?
Innamorata by Ava Reid, Del Rey, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-91066-7.
A visionary and atmospheric gothic fantasy about necromancy, vengeance and soul-consuming love, the first in a duology from the author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth. Once there was an island where the dead walked the Earth, and seven noble houses ruled by the arcane secrets of necromancy. A conqueror’s blade brought them low but defiant against the new order stands the House of Teeth and its last living members. Agnes is the true carrier of the House’s legacy. And she has her orders. She must recapture the secrets of death magic and avenge her family’s fallen honour. She must arrange the betrothal of her beloved heiress cousin Marozia to Liuprand, heir to the conqueror’s throne, for access to the forbidden library in his grotesquely grand castle. Revenge burns in Agnes’s heart but it is Liuprand, the golden prince, who speaks to her soul. This passion is as treasonous as it is powerful, poisoning the kingdom’s roots and threatening to tear the already shattered realm in two. For Agnes’s final order is the gravest: she must not fall in love.
The Sacred Space Between by Kalie Reid, Harper Collins, £14.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-71194-8.
Jude is a saint with dangerous magic – exiled by the Abbey to live out his days alone in a decaying estate on the moors – until gifted iconographer Maeve is sent to paint his icon. Suspecting she’s a spy for her beloved Abbey, Jude makes it his mission to get rid of Maeve as soon as possible. That is, until he discovers that Maeve holds the same tainted magic as he does, and she may be the key to destroying the Abbey’s power…
Sister Wake by Dave Rudden, Hodderscape, £22, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
The first in a high fantasy trilogy, inspired by Ireland's history of English oppression. with the help of their newly arisen gods, croí is finally about to fight back against the empire of the answering - but are the gods on their side, after all? A proud culture oppressed for centuries. An island over-run by bestial gods. And a girl with the power to raise the fallen… For three hundred years the wild island of Croí has been subject to the Empire of the Answering. Clans have been subjugated, their language outlawed, their religion reduced to the whisper of fugitive priests. Until Croí's prayers are answered. The Gods return. Feral and majestic, they stride the land as colossi, throwing the Empire into chaos.
Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-399-63453-3.
Filled with dragons, magic and myth, this is a standalone novel that navigates the seas and the stars of a far-future Cosmere. Illustrated by Esther Hi’ilani Candari.
Shy Trans Banshee by Tony Santorella, Atlantic, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-805-46342-9.
Following in the pawprints of cult hit Bored Gay Werewolf, an expanding universe of chosen families and magical misdeeds. Brian, Nik and Darby – friends practised in ennui, binge-drinking and fighting supernatural crime – are sent by Abe van Helsing to track down a missing colleague in London. There, they uncover a clairvoyancy smuggling ring in the financial district. Who’s kidnapping fortune tellers and how does a timid trans woman named Maeve seem to know everything that’s about to happen?
An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields, Orbit, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52256-2.
When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares offering a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. With a bite of her soul to seal the deal, Claudia is enrolled, taking the place of Odette, a student who mysteriously passed away. Her arrival sparks suspicion and Cassius MacLeod – her infuriating academic rival – spreads the rumour that Claudia had a hand in Odette’s death. Hellbent on clearing her name, Claudia makes a discovery that puts her in direct danger. The only way to protect herself: free Dorian. By night, she studies the stars, slowly unravelling the mystery of Dorian’s prison. By day, she and
Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. But Cassius may not be who he says he is, and soon Claudia must decide: will trusting him be the last mistake she ever makes?
Grace by A. M. Shine, Head of Zeus – Ad Astra, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-804-54798-4.
Gothic horror. To learn the truth would you descend into hell? Off Ireland's west coast lies a lonely, isolated island. Some say no child has been born there for decades. Others speak of strange, inexplicable deaths. No one really knows what happened but locals believe the dark times are behind them. They are mistaken. Grace, adopted at four years old, has never known where she came from. A mysterious phone call leads her back to the island where she was born – and where a terrible evil has been disturbed. As the evil starts to spread, Grace finds herself dragged back into a living nightmare that threatens to engulf anyone who steps into its path.
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer, Arcadia, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-529-44387-5.
Billed by the publisher as a The Eyre Affair meets Alice In Wonderland in
this gorgeous, romantic love letter to books! Rainy March is a proud third-generation book witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps into and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and wrangle characters that go off-script. But when a priceless book is stolen from her own collection, she’ll have to break all the rules, team up with a fictional
character… and find out who she truly is.
Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh, Gollancz, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-399-61159-6.
A man with a deadly past marries into the perfect, respectable family in this thriller from Nalini Singh… says the publisher, who is Gollancz, known for its SF and fantasy though the promotional blurb does not suggest this. However, Nalini is known for her fantasy, so… Love at first sight led Tavish Advani to a whirlwind Vegas wedding – until a fiery explosion leaves his wife in a coma, her wealthy family dead. Tavish thought he left the sins of his LA life behind, but it’s not so easy to shake an investigation into the deaths of several women he once loved . . . though this time, he knows he’s innocent. Desperately trying to clear his name as the authorities zero in, Tavish soon discovers the truth is darker than anything he could’ve imagined.
The Lies of Lena by Kylie Snow, Gollancz, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-399-63878-4.
A dark and delicious fantasy romance from BookTok sensation, featuring forbidden magic, soaring romance and political intrigue! Meet Lena Daelyra: a secret Mage in a kingdom where magic is outlawed, who forms a bond with a prince bound by duty – only for the pair to be torn apart by fate. With dark forces beginning to stir, as destiny would have it, years later their paths collide again, forcing the pair to confront the painful truths of the past in a desperate bid to save their realm. And for Lena, well, her lies could be the key to it all.
Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens, Gollancz, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-399-62454-1.
For New Orleans witchkin, there is no greater honour than to become the Prime – chosen to rule. But the title is meant to pass between two houses of magic. Not to the prodigal daughter of the former Prime who mysteriously died… Dragged back to continue the legacy that nearly destroyed her, Prime has her work cut out. Between her werewolf ex, power-hungry vampires and the skeletons in her family’s closet, Prine must make peace with her past to save her – and all of witchkin’s – future.
Silvercloak by L. K. Steven, Penguin, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-804-95235-1.
Set in a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain, in which an obsessive detective infiltrates a brutal gang of dark mages – knowing that one wrong move will get her killed…
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, Tor, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-04748-2.
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake. Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of Sarmodel, the demon he plays host to, bringing the monster down nearly cost him his life. Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse. Some monsters, it seems, simply won’t stay buried…
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva, Orbit, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52486-3.
A fantasy romance between a halfling and a goblin: imagine a classic opposites-attract romcom taking place in a cosy fantasy setting. Expect romantasy, magical forests, interfering wizards, lots of home cooking and maybe even a kiss at the harvest dance. When a halfling, Pansy, and a goblin, Ren, each think they’ve inherited the same cottage, they make a bargain: they’ll live in the house together and whoever is driven out first forfeits their ownership. Amidst forced proximity and cultural misunderstandings, the two begin to fall in love. But when the cottage – and their communities – are threatened by a common enemy, the duo must learn to trust each other, and convince goblins and halflings to band together to oust the tall intruder.
A Breath of Time – Romantic Fantasy introduction by Caren Hahn, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$40 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-835-62782-2.
Time – at once fleeting and eternal – is a tricksy, intangible dimension. A Breath of Time, part of Flame Tree’s new series of Romantic Fantasy titles, is a collection selected from open submissions filled with stories of lost loves, love discovered, love unreachable unless Time itself is conquered; stories of time-bending, time travelling, time distorting; of alternate history and parallel timelines, of ancient forests returning to haunt the present and great adventures through dreams and timeless mountain tops, all with hearts beating to the rhythm of romance.
The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki, Orbit, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52588-4.
Billed by the publisher as Shogun meets Game of Thrones. Sen Hoshiakari is an exiled prince of a clan that lost everything in his father’s failed rebellion.
Deprived of his birthright, Sen longs to restore his family’s lands and honour. Rui is a peasant girl who saved Sen’s life on the night his family were put to the sword. She is adrift
and unsure of her place in the world, not knowing that the gods themselves have plans for her. As civil war throws the empire into chaos, and demons seek vengeance on the living, Sen and Rui must fight for both their own future and that of their family.
Brighter Than Nine by June C. L. Tan, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
The world has moved on. With the missing death god restored to the underworld, it appears that equilibrium has been regained. But the Nothing continues to threaten the underworld - and the mortal realm. Trapped in Hell, Zizi fights the takeover of his soul by Four's. As he begins to access Four's memories, he discovers a tragic love story that could be the key to keeping the mortal realm safe. Now, Zizi must defy his fate and escape Hell once more. On the surface, Rui's life has changed as she is hailed a hero by the Exorcist Guild. But she soon discovers the spell Zizi was forced to create is transforming innocent humans into vicious Hybrid Revenants. With the help of the other cadets, she vows to stop them. Now magicless, Yiran watches, hungrier than ever, until he begins a dangerous dalliance with Yuki, hoping the Hybrid will recover Yiran's magic. And when he discovers a dark family secret, he must decide what he stands for - before it's too late.
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-55635-8.
In a world of deadly betrayal, Liyen, heir to the Tianxia throne, must renew her kingdom’s pledge to the immortals. When her grandfather’s actions provoke the immortal queen’s wrath, the God of War is sent to attack her home. Determined to break free from the immortals’ hold, Liyen forges a dangerous alliance with the ruthless God of War. As treacherous attraction ignites between them, darker forces threaten her kingdom, and Liyen must risk everything to save her people — even if it costs her heart.
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-399-62897-6.
To save her family from famine, young rice farmer Yin Wei becomes concubine to Prince Terren – a monstrous wielder of poetry magic and heir to the Azalea throne. As Wei is confined to the imperial court, Terren’s cruelty is not the only danger she faces – a deadly succession war rages on. To survive, Wei must master the one forbidden poem powerful enough to kill Terren. But there’s a problem – for the spell to work against a man she hates, it must be written with love.
Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Head of Zeus – Ad Astra, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-035-91916-1.
Eres Ffenegh, "the City on the Back of a Crab", is under siege. The Palleseen have targeted it as the next state for 'perfection' but the city’s defenders – a fragile alliance of locals and Pal deserters – won’t let it fall without a fight. Inside the walls, Devil Jack, apprentice to the notorious conjurer and bawd known as the Widow, is a good man making dangerous bargains with Hell to get back what he’s lost. Meanwhile, Kiffel ea Leachan, the city's champion, has lost everything to the invaders. Both must make their own destinies in a world that's cut them loose. Unfortunately for the Pals, when their long-awaited reinforcements finally arrive, it's not the salvation they were hoping for. In fact, it's the worst kind of help – enough to damn the entire army.
Lochbound by Rebecca Templeton, Sphere, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-408-72487-3.
Billed by the publisher as a dark reimagining of The Little Mermaid set in eighteenth-century Scotland, this enchanting and gothic historical fantasy is Outlander meets Spellbound. There is no happy-ever-after. Kilmara, Scotland. 1725. For fifty years, Iris has accepted the curse that blighted her life. By night, she is a heartbroken woman, destined to walk the misty shores of Kilmara without growing older. By day, she is Moireach, a terrifying monster imprisoned in the murky depths of Loch Moine. When bodies begin appearing on the shore, the villagers are convinced Moireach is responsible. So a hunter – the rugged, ruthless Henry Carver – is summoned to slay the monster of the loch. Iris must break her curse before she is killed for crimes she cannot believe she has committed. But as Kilmara’s hunt for the monster becomes ever more fevered, she and Henry are drawn together in a dangerous game of impossible attraction. And when a figure from Iris’s past suddenly reappears, she must choose what – or who – she is willing to sacrifice to win her freedom… when you are the monster.
Saltwater: A Midsummer Ghost Story by Elaine Thomson, Sphere, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-408-72472-9.
The Isle of Stroma, 1896. Tom Torrance has been sent to oversee the completion of a new lighthouse, which will guide ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the United Kingdom. The construction so far has been plagued by difficulties, giving rise to superstitious whisperings amongst the men, but Tom is a man of sense and science. He will not be cowed by stories of hauntings and bad omens. Yet Tom is unprepared for the conditions on the island: the isolation and delirium of the endless summer nights. He soon learns that the real dangers on the island have nothing to do with the wild waves. There are some problems that science cannot answer, and some threats so ancient and strange, that nothing can keep them at bay.
The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien, HarperCollins, £19.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-77591-9.
A Large print edition of Tolkien’s classic set in the early history of Middle-Earth.
Crown of War and Shadow by J. R. Ward, Piatkus, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-349-44510-6.
Paranormal fantasy. In the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall. Welcome to Kingdoms of the Compass.
Saltswept by Katalina Watt, Hodderscape, £20, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
A pirate faces the gallows drop. A farmer is given a terrible ultimatum to save her daughter. An acolyte ascends to priestesshood, only to find that a blessing really can be a curse. These unlikely bedfellows band together with an inscrutable pickpocket and a talking ottercat in pursuit of the most hopeless of causes: to sail into the Maelstrom, a raging whirlpool from which no one has ever escaped, and find the mysterious treasure hidden within it. The quest will test their fragile allegiance to its limits, but there is more at stake here than getting rich: the magic of the world is in peril, and the barrier between life and death has never been so thin. And in the Bastion, the seat of power in Paranish, the queen has an unquenchable thirst that threatens the world and everyone in it. Can there be honour amongst thieves? Without it, they might never see another sunrise.
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, Penguin, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-529-10106-5.
A group of friends investigate the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in th horror novel from the author of The Book of Accidents.
The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White, Del Rey, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-91770-3.
An obsession with a beautiful serial killer entangles a vampire hunter’s daughter in an immortal Sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the of Lucy Undying. Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing – doctor, scientist and madman devoted to studying vampires – up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a beautiful woman looming over his body. Her father isn’t the only inexplicably dead body. So, obsessed with vengeance, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. But, for reasons even she can’t explain, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to herself: infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to her and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it. And the closer Anneke gets to her devil, the less sense the world makes. Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body. A heart that beats for Anneke alone.
The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-67208-9.
Prince Ashoka, an outcast for opposing his father Emperor Adil Maurya’s brutal campaign against the Mayakari witches, finds his path intertwined with Shakti, a witch determined to avenge her aunt’s murder and the destruction of her village. Bound by a pacifist code, Shakti casts a violent curse that forces both to confront their desires for power. As they grapple with the consequences, they must decide whether to seize control or risk losing everything in a world on the brink of annihilation.
The Trident and the Pearl by Sarah K. L. Wilson, Orbit, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-356-52860-1.
Queen Coralys rules the Kingdom of the Five Isles, but when disaster strikes, killing her husband and destroying half her nation, she pleads with the gods for salvation. And they do save her, turning back the terrible winds and tide, and snatching her islands from the brink of destruction. But the gods have a wicked sense of justice and they demand an exchange for their help: Coralys must marry the first man to set foot on her pier. Coralys expects the fleet of a neighbouring country to come to rescue her people, led by its prince, a loyal ally. What she gets instead is a fisherman so sunburnt and stinking that her court can barely keep their breakfast down. Coralys, undaunted, marries the fisherman just as she promised the gods, and sets out with him in his unkempt dinghy, with nothing but hopes of revenge against the gods to keep her from despair. But what this fearless queen does not know is that the fisherman is actually the god of the sea and he stepped on her dock on purpose. His own kingdom besieged, his body terribly wounded, and his place as a god threatened, the god of the sea has plans to turn the tides set against him and finally offer a place of refuge for his people. But to work the magic he needs will require the willing help of the one woman bent on his destruction.
The Knight and Her Emperor: Volume 1 Art by Winter; Adapted by Heyum; Original story by G.M., Inklore, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-911-72043-0.
Graphic novel. Against all odds, a talented yet overlooked female knight joins forces with an ambitious young king to unite a divided empire in this slow-burn romantasy manhwa adaptation of G. M.’s hit webnovel, now available in English print for the first time. When war erupts in the kingdom of Ehas, a terrible man sees an opportunity and sends his least-loved daughter, Pollyanna, to fight in the family’s name. The young woman, however, also sees her own opportunity: to become the most esteemed knight who has ever lived, thwarting her father’s hopes that she die unnoticed and unknown. In the enemy kingdom of Acrea, the newly crowned King Luxos plans to utilise the war to achieve his vision of a unified continent. When he captures Pollyanna, Luxos orders her execution – until she puts his knights to shame, showcasing her talent as a fighter and a strategist. Seeing in each other a chance to make both of their dreams come true, Pollyanna and Luxos vow to work together to establish peace and build a grand empire. But what happens when the young king realises, battle after battle, that this stalwart knight has conquered his heart?
Dawn of the North by Demi Winters, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-1-399-62822-8.
The lost heir, Silla Volsik, has returned to the north and is tasked with returning peace to the kingdom, all while battling her deepest secret: the shard of a god lives in her mind, twisting her thoughts. Meanwhile, Saga Volsik is held captive and faced with an impossible choice: fight for the man who stole her or let the innocent people of his kingdom die. As a poisonous mist rises, the sisters must unite if they are to save themselves – and their realm – from darkness.
The Night Ship by Alex Woodroe, Flame Tree Press, £20 / Can$34.99 / US$26.95, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-787-58918-6.
Driving a logging truck through the Romanian mountains, smuggler Rosi and her crew come across a radio signal that hints at impending doom. As the world goes completely dark, their truck becomes a vessel sailing across a sea of nothingness. But they’re not alone: transmissions trickle in through the radio from similar isolated islands across the country, from amateur radio hobbyists and police cars and customs facilities. Attempting to rescue survivors and find a way out, the group save more lives, but soon discover that something hungry lurks below, and it’s sending up agents – and transmissions – of its own.
What Roams Beneath The Stars by Harper L. Woods, Hodderscape, £9.99, pbk, ISBN not provided.
Once, the Primordials ruled the world. Having survived the journey through Tartarus, I have embraced my destiny, and become the weapon I went there to seek. Having proven myself in the Trials of the Five Rivers, I have no choice but to claim my birthright from the father who would give me one last gift before abandoning me all over again. Then, with death came new life. Still embracing my human soul, I fight to return to my mate's side. The responsibility to calm the chaos and defeat Mab once and for all is heavy on my shoulders. But love can be both a blessing and a curse, and the man I love more than life itself is my only weakness. Now, the world will burn in her wrath. When the war with Mab reaches a pinnacle, she seeks to use that weakness against me. But I will do whatever it takes to save him. I'll condemn my own soul and doom the world so long as it means I have Caldris at my side.
The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, Transworld, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-857-50531-6.
that will bring meaning to her life, but only if she can evade a dangerous stowaway and find her seat before time runs out… Raya is a lost soul, going through the motions of life without a dream of her own. One night, on her subway ride home, Raya's thoughts wander too far. She wakes on the Elsewhere Express, a magical train that offers its passengers a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging. The train's endless journey is a chance for Raya to reimagine her life - but only if she finds her compartment before time runs out. On board, Raya meets a charming, handsome artist named Q and together they race to find their place on the train, through a boarding car carpeted in meadow grass and along a dining carriage where passengers picnic on lilypads. But a mysterious stowaway has boarded with them, and with it a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train and everything in it. The closer Raya comes to uncovering the stowaway's identity, the nearer she draws to the ultimate question: what is her life's true purpose - and might Q be connected to it?
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by Amélie Wen Zhao, Harper Collins, £13.99, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-008-67282-9.
This is the follow-up to the next title below…
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao, Harper Collins, £9.99, pbk, ISBN 978-0-008-67279-9.
In a world torn apart by the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers, the Immortality Trials offer a chance at eternal life for those brave enough to enter the immortal realm. Àn'y?ng is determined to win the trials to save her dying mother, but survival is no guarantee. When a powerful and handsome rival contestant offers protection, she must decide whether to trust him or risk everything. In this brutal competition, love and danger intertwine, threatening both her heart and the realms.
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Spring 2026
Forthcoming Non-Fiction SF &
Popular Science Books
The Next World War: The new age of global conflict and the fight to stop it by Peter Apps, Wildfire, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-424856.
The Next World War: The new age of global conflict and the fight to stop it takes readers behind the scenes of the most dangerous era of international tensions since the end of the Cold War, as countries and their armies prepare for potential large-scale combat on a scale unseen since 1945. From the beaches of Taiwan to the battlefields of Ukraine, it explores how the globalised world of the 1990s and 2000s has given way to the much more volatile face-offs of the 2020s, and goes behind the scenes in the corridors of power in Washington, Whitehall, Moscow and Beijing. It profiles the fights already happening to examine what could be the worse to come - and the military and diplomatic battle to prevent that escalation. For some, this new era is already a reality. For others, such as European citizens being told to stockpile bottled water or who face possible conscription, it is coming ever closer. But for an unpredictable US and its nervous allies, this growing set of international confrontations from the Arctic to the Philippines represent likely the greatest threat yet to the world the West has built, risking the return of long and bloody wars and the threat of nuclear exchange. For those in power in Russia, China and their growing “axis of upheaval”, those same flashpoints represent the chance to assert territorial claims that often go back a thousand years or more - and humiliate a West that they believe has held them down for decades.
British SF Conventions Volume 4: 1958-1965 edited by Rob Hansen, Ansible Editions, £15.99 / $17.50, pbk, ISBN 978-1-916508-25-5.
This is chronologically the fourth volume in Rob Hansen’s history of the early UK science fiction conventions, though the fifth to be published. As in other such fanhistorical compilations, the story is told in the participants’ and observers’ own words, with explanatory and bridging commentary by Rob Hansen himself. This was a golden age of humorous convention reporting, with many laugh-out-loud observations. Guests of Honour during this period included Kingsley Amis, E. J. (Ted) Carnell of New Worlds, and Bruce Montgomery alias Edmund Crispin. Also on the scene, both as striving professionals and badly behaved fans, were Brian Aldiss, Harry Harrison and Michael Moorcock.
Monsters In The Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks, Hodder & Stoughton, £25, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
A, first of its kind exploration of Stephen King and his most iconic early books, based on research and interviews with King. After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the legendary writer's creative process - most of them never before studied or published. The year she spent exploring King's early drafts and hand-written revisions was guided by one question millions of King's enthralled and terrified readers (including her) have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King's writing stick in our heads and haunt us long after we've closed the book? Part literary master class, part biography, part memoir and investigation into our deepest anxieties, Monsters in the Archives - authorised by Stephen King himself - is unlike anything ever published about the master of horror. It chronicles what Bicks found when she set out to unearth how King crafted some of his scariest, most iconic moments. But it's also a story about a grown-up English professor facing her childhood fears and getting to know the man whose monsters helped unleash them.
A Darwinian Survival Guide: Hope for the Twenty-First Century by Daniel R. Brooks & Salvatore J. Agosta, MIT Press, £26, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-262-55395-7.
How we can use evolutionary principles to save ourselves from the worst outcomes of the climate crisis, shifting the focus from sustainability to survival.
Alive: A Revolutionary Understanding of the Earth’s Intelligences by Melanie Challenger, Canongate, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-30005-2.
A beguiling journey into the unexpected interactions between organisms on our planet. If we look a little closer, life on our planet is a tapestry of intelligence. But the interactions between intelligent life-forms cannot be easily predicted. These lively, unexpected interactions demonstrate agency and can transform the genome of an organism within its very lifetime, altering how its DNA is expressed and handed down. Now, as Melanie Challenger reveals, new understandings of intelligence, cognition and consciousness are leading us to reappraise how we interact with nature as never before. Part philosophy, part science, part personal essay, Alive is a call to appreciate the possibility inherent in life and to re-evaluate our place in it as human beings.
The Age of Alchemy: How Early Innovators Shaped Modern Science by Kit Chapman, Profile Books, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-22115-9.
Reach through time and across continents to see the history of chemistry as it’s never been told. Conventional wisdom tells us that chemistry was ‘invented’ in the eighteenth century. In truth, it emerged gradually over the course of thousands of years, as scientific knowledge was discovered, collected, lost, rediscovered and refined. The first chemists were Sri Lankan steel forgers in the first century BCE; alchemists in third-century Egypt; herbalists in seventh-century China. Whether attempting to transform base metals into gold, cure disease or achieve immortality, these earliest figures blurred science and mysticism in search of answers… This uncovers chemistry’s debts to these earliest innovators, revealing the illuminating story of how they broke new ground and shaped the scientific method.
George Orwell: Life and Legacy by Robert Colls, Oxford University Press, £14.99 / US$19.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-198-83001-6.
This is an is an intellectual biography which offers an original account of Orwell’s life and work from his birth in the high noon of British imperialism in 1903, to his death on the eve of the Cold War in 1950 - a life played out against a background of two world wars, two great revolutions, one long global depression, the rise and rise of Communism, and the war-time pre-eminence of the United States. Yet no matter how alert he was to all these great struggles, and no matter how guarded he was in his personal life, Orwell never turned away from the question of who he was, and the contradictions that entailed.
Next Level: Making Games That Make Themselves by Michael Cook, Bloomsbury, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-399-42339-7.
How generative systems are reshaping the way games are made, how we experience them, and what this reveals about creativity itself. In video games creativity isn’t just seen – it’s played – from exploring endless landscapes, to diving into character details, to immersing ourselves in unpredictable narratives. Yet these elements are often the result of procedural generation – the creative use of algorithms to design game content. Procedural generation is the secret behind some of the biggest hits in video game history, from genre-defying titles in the 1980s, to the most famous blockbusters of today. Next Level demystifies the collection of algorithms and procedural techniques that are often as mysterious as the things they create. Written by game designer and creative AI researcher Mike Cook, it takes us on a tour of generative systems past and present, exploring how they work, the artistic uses they have in some of our favourite games and how procedural generation didn’t just change how we design games, but how we think about creativity.
Earth's Flips of State: The Co-Evolution of Life and Planet by Jonathan Cowie, Oxford University Press, £31.99 / US$49, trdpbk, ISBN 978-0-197-82537-2.
This provides a deep-time exploration of life's evolution and that of the biosphere/planetary system (the Earth system). The Earth's history isn't a steady progression but a series of dramatic shifts, or 'flips', between distinct planetary states, driven by life's innovations interacting with the Earth system. These major flips of state include the great oxygenation event and the rise of multicellular life. Each of these transitions have a number of characteristics in common. That these characteristics are all exhibited today suggests that humanity itself might be on the cusp of another such major transition of the Earth system. If this narrative has any merit then it should be applicable to other world systems and so have implications for exobiology as well as the likelihood of extraterrestrial, technology-wielding species. This book is written in a cross-disciplinary way so that the biology is understandable to geologists and the geology clear to astronomers and so forth. As such, in addition to students, this has a potential popular science readership.
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, Oxford University Press, £25 / US$34.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-198-98537-2.
Celebrating 50 years with a new anniversary edition, this critically acclaimed international
bestseller has sold millions of copies and been translated into over 30 languages. Among the most influential and enduring science books of all time, The Selfish Gene is a classic in every sense of the word. Originally published in 1976, the book soon galvanised the biology community and fascinated a broad general readership. Professor Dawkins’s gene’s-eye view of evolution introduced a completely novel way of looking at survival. Fifty years later, The Selfish Gene still sparks fascination and debate among scientists and science enthusiasts alike, inspiring new directions in research and fresh generations of young life scientists. First-time and returning readers will marvel at the timelessness and universality of this monumental work. In a new epilogue to the 50th anniversary edition, Professor Dawkins reflects on his signature publication and its enduring relevance and appeal. This edition also contains a new appendix, which sheds historical and personal light on the perpetual relevance of the ‘selfish gene’. It also has a new appendix on the work of British zoologist A.G. Lowndes in the 1930s.
The Film Lover’s Guide to London by Thomas Duke, Sphere, £16.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-408-72258-9.
Step inside the film magic! A photographic guide to where your favourite TV shows and films’ famous scenes were shot in London, from Thomas Duke, a.k.a. social media’s leading film account, Stepping Through Film from James Bond to Bridget Jones, Paddington Bear to Sherlock Holmes, London is home to some of the world's most popular characters and has been at the heart of the film and TV world for over 100 years. Now, in The Film Lover’s Guide to London, you'll discover a hidden London you've never seen before. Thomas Duke has been behind the scenes of the world's biggest movies and TV shows, interviewing actors, directors, producers and location scouts to discover what makes magic onscreen. Join Tom as he guides you through more than 70 London locations, from Love, Actually to Bridgerton; from Saltburn to Shaun of the Dead; from the MCU to Heartstopper, exploring beloved classics, festive
favourites and today’s biggest blockbusters, with a sneak peek at some movies not even out yet. Through full colour photography and illustrated maps, Tom pairs his famous film and TV stills with their real-life backgrounds and guides you through how to find the locations and immerse yourself in the filming magic yourself. Complete with trivia, facts and stories from filming, and exclusive contributions from filmmakers, this is the ultimate guide to London for film and TV lovers everywhere.
Empire of AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination by Karen Hao, Penguin, £14.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-802-06465-0.
An account of the tech arms race shaping our planet, from an award-winning journalist and AI insider to the world of Sam Altman and OpenAI.
How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries by David George Haskell, Transworld, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-911-70998-5.
This redefines our understanding of flowers, casting them as powerful revolutionaries at the heart of Earth's story. Far from being mere ornaments, flowers have shaped the very fabric of life on our planet. When they first evolved, they triggered a cascade of biodiversity, transforming oceans, creating new habitats, and even altering the climate. Their beauty turned adversaries into allies, and their adaptability turned environmental upheavals into opportunities for renewal. Haskell reveals how flowers have built and sustained ecosystems from rainforests to prairies, and how they have been pivotal in the evolution of species like butterflies, bees, and birds. Flowers also played a crucial role in human history, flowering grasses calling to our ancestors to leave the trees, laying down the foundation for agriculture and modern civilisation. Through vivid storytelling and profound insights, Haskell illuminates flowers as portals into deep time and essential players in our ecological future.
Harry Potter Sweets And Treats Cookbook by Veronica Hinke & Kim Laidlaw, Quercus, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-529-45062-0.
Recreate the most magical sweets from the Wizarding World with 60 sweet treats and baked good recipes inspired by the Harry Potter films. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make your own Chocolate Frog? Satisfy your sweet tooth with sumptuous delights straight out of Honeydukes? This collection of 60 mouth-watering confections brings the magic of Harry Potter straight to your kitchen. With step-by-step instructions, handy tips and stunning photography, the Harry Potter Sweets and Treats Cookbook will have you making the Golden Trio’s favourite desserts from the comfort of your own home in no time. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just indulging your sweet tooth, these recipes have been crafted to bring a dusting of magic – and sugar – to your everyday moments.
I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan, St. Martin's Press, £22.99 / Can$42 / US$30, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-250-37227-7.
An energetic and impassioned work of popular science about scientists who have had to fight for their revolutionary ideas to be accepted – from Darwin to Pasteur to modern day Nobel Prize winners. For two decades, Matt Kaplan has covered science for the Economist. He’s seen breakthroughs often occur in spite of, rather than because of, the behaviour of the research community, and how support can be withheld for those who don’t conform or have the right connections. In this passionately argued and entertaining book, Kaplan narrates, for example, the history of the 19th century Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis, who realised that Childbed fever – a devastating infection that only struck women who had recently given birth – was spread by doctors not washing their hands. Semmelweis was met with overwhelming hostility by those offended at the notion that doctors were at fault, and is a prime example of how the scientific community often fights new ideas, even when the facts are staring them in the face.
Rogues, Widows and Orphans: When Words Go Wrong and Other Bookish Misadventures by Rebecca Lee, Profile Books, £18.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-22118-0.
A romp through the weird, wow! and wtf? Bookish mishaps of the literary world. It’s a long journey from the germ of a writer’s idea to a finished book – and a lot needs to go right along the way. But isn’t it more interesting when things go wrong? Dive into the dark side of the book world with an expert editor as your guide, in this secret history fizzing with scandals, rivalries, cock-ups and con jobs. We’ll discover how the tiniest of typos can have oversized consequences, unearth horrifying examples of bad taste and worse style, and peek into tales of forgeries and feuds as dramatic as any thriller. We’ll unredact the most egregious cases of censorship, expose hoarders and thieves, and ask: is AI really an existential threat to the literary universe? Or are we our own worst enemies?
The Sexual Evolution: How 500 million years of seΧ, gender and mating shape modern relationships by Nathan H. Lents, Canongate, £10.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-837-26121-5.
At a time when people are testing the boundaries of just about everything related to seΧ and gender, The SeΧual Evolution shows that diverse seΧual behaviour is not a new development, or even a human one. It’s the product of billions of years of experimentation throughout the animal kingdom. Evolutionary biologist Nathan Lents takes readers on a journey from silent crickets to lesbiaη albatrosses to bonobos who kiss, revealing what this incredible array of seΧual diversity can teach us. Amusing, enlightening and meticulously researched, this is a book that will demolish biases held by even the most open-minded among us.
Science and Religion in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis: The Quest for the Best Mental Model of the Universe by Alister E. McGrath, Oxford University Press, £30 / US$40, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-198-98279-1.
This is the first major study of C. S. Lewis’s views on the relation of science and religion, providing a rigorous and historically informed analysis of Lewis’s perspective on the interplay between them, drawing both on his studies of medieval and Renaissance literature and his literary and philosophical explorations of naturalism and materialism. It Challenges commonly-held characterisations of Lewis as anti-scientific, demonstrating his familiarity with historical perceptions of science and religion as well as the major debates on their relationship during the twentieth century.
How to AI: Cut through the hype. Master the basics. Transform your work by Christopher Mims, Headline Press, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-44101-3.
AI is nothing to be afraid of. After all, AI is merely software. It’s great at some things and (at least right now) terrible at others. But for workers who take time to experiment with AI and develop expertise, AI will make them more productive and more creative, saving them time, giving them job security, and boosting their income. In How to AI, Wall Street Journal columnist Christopher Mims introduces readers to people just like them who are at the forefront of using AI in the world of work. Imagine a freelance lawyer who suddenly has a whip-smart assistant to help her nail every deposition. Or a family-run construction company whose new software tool is automating construction bids that used to eat up hundreds of hours. But even as half a billion people around the world have leapt at the chance to use ChatGPT and other tools, millions of us have stayed on the sidelines. Are you one of them? Maybe you feel you should be using AI tools, but you don’t know where to begin. Or maybe you love AI but find yourself struggling to get your co-workers or employees on board. In How to AI, Mims teaches readers twenty-four simple but eye-opening “laws” about AI and how we should approach it, including:
AI is an assistant, not a replacement.
AI isn’t creative, but it can help you be.
Give AI your least favourites things to do.
AI can’t create finished products, but it’s great at prototypes.
Human Robots: The Fight for the Future of Work by Sarah O’Connor, Penguin Press, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-241-70422-6.
An investigation
into how AI and robotics are transforming the way we work. Automation, we were told, was meant to do away with dull and dangerous tasks, freeing us to pursue more fulfilling work. But AI now threatens to turn even creative tasks into dehumanising labour. Investigative journalist Sarah O’Connor has spent the last few years gathering stories of burned-out Amazon warehouse workers, Orwellian employee surveillance softwares, AI job interviews, translators frantically trying to keep up with machines, and lorry drivers endlessly on the road. In Human Robots, she shows us that instead of robotizing our work, we may be robotizing ourselves. But our fear that machines will make us more robotic, O’Connor argues, is not new and has its origins in the industrial revolution, when workers fought against the expectation that they should toil like tireless machines. Inspired by campaigners from nineteenth-century English cotton mills to twenty-first century Swedish mines, O’Connor lays out a path where we can fight for work that is more respectful of our limits, and more worthy of the capacity of our minds.
Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence by George E. Osborn, Wildfire, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-42328-6.
Why is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia the chair of a video games business? Why has Russia used video games as a frontier for influencing public opinion on the war in Ukraine? And how did Steve Bannon mobilise online game communities to bring Donald Trump to power... twice? With almost 3 billion players a year, video games have emerged as a powerful channel of influence capable of reshaping the world around us. In Power Play, leading industry expert George Osborn charts the rise of video how they connect billions across the globe, and how they - and the communities around them - have already been weaponised to change politics and society. From China’s efforts to clamp down on dissent through online play to the role of toxic game communities in fostering extremism, Power Play shows that this influence is already shaping the world around us. As democracies continues to underestimate, undervalue and under-appreciate games, Power Play reveals how this crucial that the battle is being won by authoritarian states, populists and extremists. This is the vital guide to understanding this new frontier for political power, and what we can do to protect ourselves from the malign influence that threatens the foundation of society.
Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment by Madeleine Pelling, Profile Books, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-22235-4.
A spellbinding history that unpicks the incredible stories of a ghost, a witch and a princess. Here lies Fanny Lynes, whose voice, from the grave, set London alight with scandal. Here swings Mary Bateman, who lived a life of threads, solace and lies – and died a prophetess, murderess and witch. Here stands Mary Willcocks. Or is that Anne Burgess? Or, even, exotic Princess Caraboo, from the distant island of Javasu? Three transgressive women, fighting for their lives in the shadows of the Enlightenment. How and why did they slip into scandal? And was each of their hoaxes entirely of their own creation? Questioning culpability and complicity, Madeleine Pelling’s engrossing history of the eighteenth-century hoax reveals a veiled world of moral panic, tall tales and true crime.
The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival by Serhii Plokhy, Penguin, £14.99, pbk, ISBN 978-1-802-06060-7.
From the author of Chernobyl comes a sweeping history of the geopolitics behind the nuclear arms race, from the first atomic bomb to today.
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry and the Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Canongate, £20, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-837-26104-8.
This takes readers to the boundaries of the universe, inviting us to spend time at the edge of what we know about spacetime – and about ourselves. Guided by her conviction that science is for everybody, Prescod-Weinstein renders accessible some of the most abstract concepts of theoretical physics and draws on poetry and popular culture – from Queen Latifah to Lewis Carroll to Big K.R.I.T. to Sun Ra and Star Trek – to tell fascinating stories about the fundamental quantum nature of space-time and everything inside of it. Here we meet the quantum cat that is both dead and alive, learn the difference between dark matter and dark energy, explore the inner workings of black holes and investigate the possibility of a unified theory of quantum gravity. Through Prescod-Weinstein’s clear-eyed and unique perspective, and informed by her deep knowledge of post-colonial history and Black feminist thought, The Edge of Space-Time argues that physics is an essential way for everyone to look at the universe and presents a compelling case that ‘the edge’ is a powerful vantage point from which to see the big picture. Prescod-Weinstein also shows us how spending time with the cosmos is a vital human activity that enriches all our lives.
The Illuminated Man: The Life of J. G. Ballard by Christopher Priest & Nina Allan, Bloomsbury, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-399-41749-5.
This book is about J. G. Ballard. This book is also about death, love
and time travel. In 2024, Nina Allan’s husband, the novelist Christopher Priest died. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the same disease that killed the man whose biography he’d spent his last months working on – the cult author, J. G. Ballard. Ballard possessed one of the most astonishing imaginations of our age, and his novels are among the finest and most unusual fiction that has ever been published. Whether in the hyper-surrealism of High Rise or the erotic violence of Crash, he upended the morality and reality of our world. This book began as a tribute from Priest to Ballard, and turned into a love story written by Nina for Christopher. With access to never-before-seen material, The Illuminated Man explores the history and themes of Ballard’s life. It is the story of two deaths, three science fiction writers and one attempt to turn back
time.
Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain by Zakia Sewell, Hodder & Stoughton, £25, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
Zakia Sewell is on a quest for another Britain. Traversing the length and breadth of our island from Somerset to Scotland, she's seeking out a different story - one that lies beyond divisive national myths and symbols. In Finding Albion, Zakia uncovers an alternative spirit of Britain that is vividly alive today. It is found in otherworldly folk songs, ancient legends, Celtic seasonal rites and mystic stone circles that punctuate our landscape. Her journey begins as the sun rises on the spring equinox over Glastonbury Tor, where she meets neo-pagans reclaiming traditions from our pre-Christian past. At summer's peak at Notting Hill Carnival she hears cultural echoes that passed along the slave trade routes from the Caribbean. On All Hallow's Eve she encounters the ghosts of Empire that are still haunting the nation, and in the depths of a Cornish winter she asks if today's new folk revival could unite our increasingly divided country?
Elemental: How the climate crisis is driving global conflict and will change global power relations by Arthur Snell, Wildfire, £25, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-41294-5.
With over 25 years-experience in conflict zones and fragile states, Arthur Snell travels from the heat of the Sahel to the Arctic Circle to show how climate change is coinciding with a breakdown in geopolitical order, increasing conflict, military spending and violence. Within our lifetimes, rising temperatures, sea levels and scarcity will inevitably drive both conflict and mass migration among the world’s major powers. Natural disasters and the battle for rare metals that are essential to our technology will shake the established world order to its core within this century. When the rain wrecks India’s ability to grow rice, the heat makes building impossible in Saudi Arabia, wildfires rage through America’s most populated regions, and in Russia huge areas of highly fertile land are exposed by the melting ice, what will living on a warmer planet actually be like? Here, for the very first time, Oxford-trained historian and former British diplomat Arthur Snell delivers a comprehensive account of the geopolitics of climate change. Through four sections - Earth, Air, Fire and Water - Elemental blends reportage with analysis and interviews from a range of international experts, policymakers and politicians, to reveal the turbulent future we face - and the choices we need to make to avert disaster.
Reaching for the Extreme: How the Quest for the Biggest, Fewest and Weirdest Makes Maths by Ian Stewart, Profile Books, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-22159-3.
Adventures through some of mathematics’ prickliest conundrums – and why they matter. Many of the most important advances of mathematics have arisen from questions about extremes – shortest lines, smallest areas, fewest colours. The isoperimetric problem – which seeks the shortest path enclosing a given area – dates back to the mythological founding of the city of Carthage. By contrast, it was only in 2017 that the densest ways to pack identical spheres into a space of twenty-four dimensions was finally proved. These questions are more than just thought experiments. From the bestselling mathematician Ian Stewart, this tells the eye-opening stories of these and other similar problems: their histories, the struggles to solve them, and their myriad uses across the globe.
Please Look After This Bear: How Paddington Became British by Aishwarya Subramanian and Melanie Ramdarshan Bold, Oxford University Press, £20 / US$24, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-197-81847-3.
In 1958, a little marmalade-loving brown bear from Peru named Paddington was introduced to the post-war British public. Please Look After This Bear analyses the titular character’s transformation from displaced Peruvian bear to member of a wealthy, upper-class West London family, raising questions about migration, assimilation, tolerance, and national identity. This examines Paddington’s transformation from refugee to member of the wealthy upper class through postcolonial and anti-colonial frameworks
On the Origin of SeΧ: The Weird and Wonderful Science of How Our Planet Is Populated by Lixing Sun, Profile Books, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-805-22328-3.
Explore the spectacular evolving science of reproduction – from frogs and fungi to seahorses, sparrows and everything in between. Let’s talk about seΧ. Not boring, human seΧ, but the endlessly fascinating, varied and complex forms of reproduction that can be found in the rest of the natural world. Whiptail lizards and California condors are capable of immaculate conception, while clownfish and bearded dragons regularly switch between male and female. SeΧ in slime moulds can involve three mating types. For some fungi, it’s twenty-three thousand. And for algae, every single organism is a potential mate – a veritable bonanza.
The Emergent Mind: How intelligence arises in people and in machines by Gaurav Suri & Jay McClelland, Macmillan, £22, hrdbk, ISBN 978-1-035-08834-8.
An journey into the inner workings of human and artificial minds from two leading experts in cognitive and psychological science. Written by experts at the forefront of cognitive science and artificial intelligence, The Emergent Mind is an essential read for anyone captivated by the mysteries of human intelligence or the transformative rise of AI. Have you ever wondered how our minds work – how we think, feel, and act? How is this different from artificial intelligence? And with AI advancing so rapidly, how are these two worlds beginning to intersect?
Chain Reaction: The Wondrous Chemistry of Everyday Life by Ijeoma Uchegbu, Hodder Press, £22, hrdbk, ISBN not provided.
In Chain Reaction, Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu dives into the chemistry that underpins our everyday existence. With warmth and personal anecdotes about the chemistry that has shaped her life, Uchegbu takes us on a journey exploring how our bodies are held together by weak chemical bonds, how our constituent molecules start to break up once our heart stops beating, how our food is stitched together by a careful exploitation of chemical bonds at the interface between water and oil, and exactly what the fibres in our clothes are made of. To be human is to be a walking chemical reaction, as our individual cells are all powered by careful coordination of chemistry. From hairdressing disasters and laundry mishaps to life-saving medicines and kitchen experiments, this eye-opening book reveals that chemical processes are all around us, defining our interactions with the world we live in. This is a story that's both universal and personal, grand and intimate, and it will change the way you see everything.
The Empire of the Ants and Other Stories by H. G. Wells, Oxford University Press, £18.99 / US$24.99, hrdbk, ISBN 978-0-192-86232-7.
Wells is best-known today for his science fiction novels and his prophetic writings, but he began his career as a journalist and wrote an extraordinary number of tales, sketches, and thought-experiments, forty of which are collected here. This edition contains many acknowledged classics, but also collects some of the less celebrated gems found in the pages of the magazines and newspapers in which Wells learned his craft.
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