Pell’s eerie full-length debut (after the novella Cicadas) adapts the Nathaniel Hawthorne short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter” into a gothic tale that blends themes of familial devotion and skewed feminism with sapphic longing and elements of horror. Cordelia “Cordi” Beecher runs away from the abusive charity school in which she was raised to search for her brother Edward, whose letters to her have mysteriously ceased. Her search takes her from London to small-town Farrow, Edward’s last known location. Despite vague warnings from the locals, she follows his letters to Edenfield Manor, home of Lady Evangeline, a skilled botanist, where Cordi takes a job as a maid. There’s something ominous about the manor, and it’s only compounded by Evangeline’s bizarre house rules, including that all employees must cover their nose, mouth, and hands to “tend to the flowers when called upon,” leaving Cordi even more anxious about what grim fate may have befallen Edward. Still, she persists in her attempts to befriend the all-female staff and snoop in the hidden parts of Edenfield—where she discovers some shocking surprises. Even readers unfamiliar with the original will find the plot somewhat predictable, as Pell has a heavy hand with foreshadowing. Still, it’s easy to sink into the spooky atmosphere, and an impressive final twist will catch even the most genre-savvy unaware. For readers seeking fun queer gothic horror, this delivers. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

Four queer women hunt a monster that might not even exist in Nolan’s clever but sometimes perplexing debut. After burning out in the corporate world, Delores “Lawrence” Franklin moves with her best friend, Stasia Lanes, to small-town Mistaken Point, which has recently become infamous for the gruesome murders of several young women. Lawrence lands a job at the local arcade, run by the brusque and mysterious Franklin “Franky” Delores, upon whom Lawrence develops an intense crush. Franky doesn’t think the man in police custody actually committed the murders; she believes a literal monster is responsible. After experiencing terrors they can’t explain, Lawrence and Stasia—along with Franky’s dubious friend Pippa—join Franky in her quest to stop the monster. The moody story wends its desultory way through the summer before kicking into a surprisingly high gear in the final act. Weighty issues like systemic misogyny and domestic abuse are raised but mostly relegated to the background, and an ambiguous ending will leave some readers frustrated, but the atmosphere is undeniably well crafted. Those who don’t mind novels that are more vibes based than plot driven will find Nolan an exciting new voice. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

This cozy romantic fantasy from Wood (Rewitched) explores the strong bonds of found family. After Andromeda “Annie” Wildwood’s family falls into disgrace in the Selcouth witch community, she starts drinking a nightly potion to make herself “perfect,” hoping to avoid further shame. All seems to be going well until she’s tapped by Morena, the coven leader, to train teenage witch Maeve Cadmus, who must learn to control her erratic powers. With reluctance, Annie leaves her beloved London bakery to live in the countryside with Maeve. The coven puts up Annie and Maeve in a quaint if rickety cottage owned by warlock Hal Bancroft—without Hal’s knowledge or consent. When Hal visits the cottage unexpectedly, he’s initially less than pleased to find them squatting, but soon he and Annie strike up a slow-burning romance, bonded by their shared care and concern for Maeve. As the adults learn the full extent of Maeve’s power, they become increasingly concerned about an underground witch group’s sinister plans for her. The novel gets off to a slow start and the true stakes aren’t fully introduced until the middle, but once things pick up, readers will be sucked in. Anyone looking for a lighthearted autumnal romp to snuggle up with will be delighted. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Gailey (Just Like Home) sets this sleek, sexy thriller in a six-person research station in space. Kinsey, the head scientist and researcher, stumbles across the discovery of a lifetime in the desert surrounding their base: proof of life on another planet. Her scientific curiosity has her breaking protocol to bring the sample into the base, where, to the eventual doom of her team, it proves to be an extraterrestrial virus—and far more alive than Kinsey first thought. Isolation and fear of contamination lead to paranoia, compounded by a sandstorm that traps the team inside. The plot becomes a struggle to root out the infected from the healthy, all while Kinsey experiences an exhilarating sexual fixation with the alien virus. Gailey’s genre-aware prose sprinkles nods to The Thing and other sci-fi classics in humorous asides while still maintaining the tension and anxiety of being marooned and helpless. The small cast is skillfully drawn, with wonderfully distinct characters and complicated interpersonal dynamics. The creeping terror of things not being what they seem and people not being who they say they are keeps the suspense simmering. It’s a fun, modern take on first encounter horror. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Ignyte Award winner Clark (the Magic of the Lost series) mixes Iron Age politics with love and the magic of the fens in this well-executed fantasy. Agnir, firstborn child of Garadin Clan Fein, was given by her father to the Chief of Chieftains, Pedhri Clan Aradoc, to keep their clans from war. Raised as a ward of Clan Aradoc, Agnir finds first an ally and then a lover in Pedhri’s daughter, Hadhnri. One afternoon the two escape to the magical Baneswood, legendary domain of the trickster luck-hound, and come across a spring, where they pledge an oath to each other with the sweet water. Though Clan Aradoc has plans for Hadhnri that Agnir can be no part of, the oath leaves the two girls with a sideways blessing: when they craft leatherwork together, they can imbue their pieces with magic that may either protect the bearer or curse them. As Clan Aradoc flourishes, hungry eyes fall on their bounty, threatening the fragile peace. Soon, the lives of all depend on Agnir and Hadhnri’s gifts. Clark’s skill for Viking saga-craft and her clear affection for her sapphic warrior heroines combine into an unforgettable doomed love story. Fans of Clark’s longer works will not be disappointed. Agent: Mary C. Moore, Kimberley Cameron and Assoc. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

The supernatural horror of bestselling YA author White’s staggering adult debut (after Hell Followed with Us) is made all the more terrifying by how deeply it resonates with the very real threats facing trans people. Crane is an autistic trans man who lives and works in Appalachia. He believes he’s found acceptance with “the hive,” an intelligent mass of malevolent worms, and the rural cult that serve its needs. However, when Crane discovers that he’s been impregnated by his abusive partner, Levi, he learns that the hive and his previously supportive community values him as an incubator above everything else, and he is pressured to carry the pregnancy to term. A book about evil pro-natalist worms could easily feel silly, but White does an impressive job grounding the fantastic elements in a deeply heartfelt emotional core. Stomach-churning gore pairs with quieter but equally disturbing moments of psychological horror as Crane fights for the bodily autonomy that others are trying to strip away from him. The result is both a brilliant, page-turning piece of trans splatterpunk body horror and an earnest, heart-rending tragedy. White should win a whole new set of fans with this. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Women rule the world in the lusty, occasionally brutal, and often humorous adult debut from bestselling YA author Levenseller (The Darkness Within Us). Gen. Olerra Corasene is a potential heir to the throne of the dystopian matriarchy of Amarra, where women use the Goddess’s Gift to bend men to their will. Amarra’s enemy is neighboring Brutus, whose sadistic King Atalius recently lost to Olerra on the battlefield. Following that encounter, Atalius took out his rage by beating his sons, pretty poet Prince Andrastus and warrior Prince Sanos, who secretly hopes to overthrow his father. Olerra also wants to rule, but to impress the Amarran nobility she’ll need to kidnap a man, tame him, marry him, and produce a daughter. Olerra decides to abduct Andrastus, but in a comedy of errors, drunk Sanos stumbles into Andrastus’s place and soon finds himself bound, gagged, and tied to Olerra’s bed. Per tradition, Olerra has three months to tame and marry him in a royal wedding, all while hoping no one discovers her secret: she alone has no goddess magic over men. Against all odds, a tentative mutual respect develops between these two wonderfully realized characters, leading to a believable and erotic romance. Levenseller’s commentary on gender roles feels a bit basic, but she brings plenty of comedy to the role-reversal. This is sure to be a hit. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Tense, twisty, and thoughtful, this futuristic heist tale from Robson (Drunk on All Your Strange New Words) sets an impressive thrill ride against the backdrop of a crumbling and corrupt dystopia. In the future, corporations create clones of executives intended to serve as “spare parts” should the need arise. To pay back the cost of their creation, these “mades” are indentured in myriad positions within their companies. When one of the world’s largest corporations, Oakseed, unexpectedly goes bust, all of its assets are scheduled for decommission, destruction, or sale. Mia Ostrander, a former developer for Oakseed, buys a handful of the company’s mades, including brand ambassador Arlo, security officer Nadi, and IT specialist Loren, and presents them with a bold plan: to steal a digital Coyne, “a type of anonymized, untraceable data storage device” worth $80 million, from a soon-to-be-decommissioned facility. If they succeed, they’ll all be able to buy their freedom. But security is tight, someone’s always watching, and that much money is enough to tempt anyone. This unlikely crew of clones will risk everything and, in the process, discover what they’re truly made of. Explorations of identity, commodification, and exploitation run throughout the narrative, which toggles between the crew’s multiple perspectives as they scheme their way toward victory. This works on every level. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

The haunting adult debut from bestselling YA author Craig (The Thirteenth Child) follows Greer Mackenzie, who, along with the rest of her neighbors, is trapped within the small town of Mistaken by a perimeter of Warding Stones, massive rock formations that cut the village off from the outside world. Anyone caught outside the stones after sunset is dragged back into town by a mysterious force that takes no heed of any obstacles in its path. The stones, a gift from the higher power known as the Benevolence, are intended as protection from the Bright-Eyeds, malicious creatures that inhabit the wilds outside town. Greer, who is considered odd for both her wanderlust and uncannily powerful sense of hearing, nevertheless adheres faithfully to rites and rituals honoring the Benevolence and the stones. One night, however, the Wandering Stones move, advancing on the town and leaving Greer’s love, Ellis Beaufort, on the other side of the boundary. Determined to bring him back, Greer must learn to evade the Warding Stones’ magic, unraveling many of Mistaken’s secrets in the process. The dark and twisting plot combined with Craig’s vivid depiction of the northern wilderness and the horrors hiding within it keep the pages turning. Fans of eerie fairy tales are sure to be pleased. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Chung (Cursed Bunny) serves up a chilling novel-in-ghost-stories set within the eerie, echoing halls of a mysterious research institute that exists to both study cursed objects and keep them contained. At the institute, doors vanish, footsteps echo with no one there, and employees disappear as easily as memories. One night shift, worker Sook sets out to catalog the supernatural histories attached to various items and people in the facility, among them a handkerchief charged with the fury of sibling rivalry, a stolen sneaker seeking revenge, and a man so entirely unremarkable that it takes a while for Sook to notice how often he appears at random and blocks the way. Sook goes from room to room at the institute, each one opening into a discrete tale of horror, that ultimately come together to form a dark mirror reflecting deeper societal traumas, like animal testing, conversion therapy, domestic abuse, and the dehumanizing grind of late-stage capitalism. With a bone-dry wit and biting allegorical edge, expertly captured in Hur’s translation, Chung turns the haunted-object trope into a vehicle for radical empathy and sharp critique. Part fable, part ghost story, and part social commentary, this is a beautiful and devastating excavation of how people make sense of the world’s violence and tragedies. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink