Roshani Chokshi comes from a small town in Georgia where she collected a Southern accent, but does not use it unless under duress. She grew up in a blue house with a perpetually napping bear-dog. At Emory University, she dabbled with journalism, attended some classes in pajamas, forgot to buy winter boots and majored in 14th century British literature. She spent a year after graduation working and traveling and writing. After that, she started law school at the University of Georgia where she's learning a new kind of storytelling.
I, Medusa (2025) Ayana Gray "Melodic and menacing, Gray's treatment of the Medusa myth is as tender as it is tragic. Few would meet Medusa's eyes, but in Gray's assured retelling, it is impossible to look away from her."
Never, Ever After (2025) (Never Ever After, book 1) Sue Lynn Tan "Tan has crafted a jewel of a fairy-tale retelling and each prism is lustrous with sinister wonder."
The Possession of Alba Diaz (2025) Isabel Cañas "Gorgeous and gory. No one writes gothic like Isabel Canas. The Possession of Alba Diaz is terrifically terrifying, richly imagined, impossibly sensual and as luminous as the quicksilver that spills across its pages."
House of Monstrous Women (2025) Daphne Fama "Fama's debut is ecstatically terrifying. Each page is a glistening homage to Filipino history and folklore and gothic atmosphere. I could not fight the lure of this story and I'm certain it will haunt me for days."
Soulgazer (2025) (Magpie and the Wolf Duology, book 1) Maggie Rapier "Rich in myth and wonder, Soulgazer is a tale rife with longing, extraordinary tenderness and delicious tension. A glorious escape for the heart and imagination."
Grave Birds (2025) Dana Elmendorf "Rich in tension and atmosphere, Elmendorf's voice crackles with sinister charm. Grave Birds is a thrillingly romantic addition to the realm of Southern gothic. I can't wait to see what she writes next."
The Whisperwood Legacy (2025) Jo Schulte "A rare debut that is equal parts chilling and effervescent, The Whisperwood Legacy lures readers into a world where the shadows don't stand still, and all the birdsong carries an omen. Schulte's sparkling humor adds a silver levity to the book's gothic atmosphere. I've never been so delighted by something nightmarish.This is sure to keep readers' terrified and transfixed and, ultimately, transported to the haunting wilderness of the Whisperwood."
The Legend of Meneka (2025) (Divine Dancers Duology, book 1) Kritika H Rao "The Legend of Meneka is a celebration of all that makes a story truly, wildly, and ecstatically epic. Rao's prose hums with starlight and her dazzling reimagining deftly blends ancient philosophy with the story of a woman emerging into her own power. As befits a retelling of one of the most celebrated celestial nymphs in Hindu myth, this book is nothing short of resplendent."
The Enchanted Lies of Celeste Artois (2024) Ryan Graudin "Every page of Ryan Graudin's latest is molten gold. Thrilling, charming, and utterly transportive. True to form, Graudin sprinkles this tale with so much heart and humor and glittering dialogue that it's impossible not to walk away enchanted."
A Feather So Black (2024) (Fair Folk , book 1) Lyra Selene "Opulent and scorching, A Feather So Black transcends the genres of romance and fantasy into a tale that is timeless, blood-spattered, and rich with longing and magic. Selene lured me to the dangers of her fairy world and I never want to leave."
The Princess Protection Program (2024) (Princess Protection Program , book 1) Alex London "A slick, sly, and clever love letter to fairytales. London's characters are achingly real and full of hope and yearning in their pursuit of an ending on their own terms. The Princess Protection Program is a celebration of changing the narrative to fit the person you are and not the person people want you to be. It's the fairytale we need."
Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment (2024) Arushi Avachat "A tender coming-of-age story that navigates fraught friendships, first loves and the thorny love of family. Avachat is a fresh and sparkling voice, and sure to be a star on the rise."
Zhara (2023) (Guardians of Dawn, book 1) S Jae-Jones "Guardians of Dawn: Zhara is the kind of fantasy that first made me a reader. Tender and bewitching, joyous and thoroughly transporting. Zhara and Han are not just protagonists you root for, but characters you feel you've known your whole life. S. Jae-Jones weaves a spell on every page."
Ink Blood Sister Scribe (2023) Emma Törzs "Chilling and charming in equal parts, Torz's debut is a love letter to stories everywhere."
That Self-Same Metal (2023) (Forge & Fracture Saga, book 1) Brittany N Williams "Every sentence of That Self-Same Metal will thunder through your bones. Rich in place and time, with a steely protagonist at its center, I felt like I'd been spirited to another land and time."
Lucha of the Night Forest (2023) (Lucha) Tehlor Kay Mejia "What's really extraordinary is Mejia's message of empowerment. . . that no matter how dark the forest, we can always choose our path."
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi (2023) (Amina Al-Sirafi, book 1) Shannon Chakraborty "Chakraborty's seafaring adventure is pure incandescence and adrenaline. Readers will leave these pages with their lungs full of ocean air, their fingertips glittered with magic and their hearts a little heavier for being both smitten and heartbroken by its finely drawn, poignant cast of characters. This is a book I will daydream of for years to come."
Twin Crowns (2022) (Twin Crowns, book 1) Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber "Riotously funny, fast-paced and dripping with romance, TWIN CROWNS manages to deliver a tale as familiar and nostalgic in the way of childhood blankets and fireflies in jars, while at the same time wholly refreshing with its levity, charm and quirky tale of sisterhood rediscovered. TWIN CROWNS is so joyous that days after reading, I'm still grinning."
Kaikeyi (2022) Vaishnavi Patel "Compulsively readable and infinitely compassionate, this is the story I've been yearning for all my life."
Flirting with Fate (2022) (Flirting with Fate, book 1) J C Cervantes "I dare anyone to read this book without a ginormous grin on their faces. Warmth, humor and enchantments bursts off the page, and the colorful characters of the Granados family crackle to life with Cervantes's signature wit, aching empathy and enviable flair for whimsy."
Daughter of the Deep (2021) Rick Riordan "If you have ever craved a story that will leave your heart racing, your lungs gasping from the numerous twists and turns, your soul heaving from the effort of now carrying an ensemble cast, you will find all that and more in these pages."
White Fox (2020) Sara Faring "White Fox fills you with luscious dread. Faring's prose is a fever dream-- her rich setting and poignant exploration of sisterhood and family ties had me racing to get to the end of the tale."
Dragon Mountain (2020) (Dragon Realm , book 1) Katie Tsang and Kevin Tsang "DRAGON MOUNTAIN has all of my favourite things! A rich mythology and a tale of friendship, snarky dragons and daring deeds...this is the kind of breathless tale that leaves you hungry for the next instalment."
Where Dreams Descend (2020) (Kingdom of Cards, book 1) Janella Angeles "Janella Angeles steals the 2020 show with her fiercely imagined debut starring larger than life characters, a dangerous world alive with magic, and a dizzying dose of grab-a-fainting-couch-and-swoon-away romance!"
Star Daughter (2020) Shveta Thakrar "My favorite tales are the ones that sneakily draw you out of one world and slip you into the next. This is one of those. I emerged from Star Daughter dusted with constellations and wonder. Thakrar's imagination is a feast for the senses."
The Midnight Lie (2020) (Midnight Lie, book 1) Marie Rutkoski "Utterly immersive and gorgeous. Marie’s stories are the loveliest knives that cut you straight to the quick."
The King of Crows (2020) (Diviners, book 4) Libba Bray "Beautiful, timely, intoxicatingly real and meticulously researched...do not sleep on this series."
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour (2019) (Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour, book 1) Ally Carter "This is the kind of read that makes your soul sit up straight. At once a heart-wrenching tale of found family and a thrilling, atmospheric mystery that keeps you guessing at every page, Ally Carter's middle grade debut is a triumph. I loved April's character down to the barb wire wrapped around her heart, and I cheered for her journey and the extraordinary bravery required to open up to other people."
Wicked Saints (2019) (Something Dark and Holy, book 1) Emily A Duncan "Prepare for a snow-frosted, blood-drenched fairy tale where the monsters steal your heart and love ends up being the nightmare."
Mirage (2018) (Mirage, book 1) Somaiya Daud "Daud is a masterful storyteller. Mirage gives readers an exquisitely wrought world with deft characters, death-defying stakes, and an aching romance. Bound to linger in your dreams."
Furyborn (2018) (Empirium Trilogy, book 1) Claire Legrand "Immersive and intricate, Furyborn is a kick-you-in-the-teeth and grab-you-by-the-heart tale of two queens."
Sky in the Deep (2018) (Sky and Sea, book 1) Adrienne Young "Brutal and beautiful, with breakneck pacing and starring a heroine that will make you want to run into battle with her, SKY IN THE DEEP is a stunning debut that will leave readers enchanted and breathless all at once."
Ace of Shades (2018) (Shadow Game, book 1) Amanda Foody "Foody's stunning debut is full of velvety language, intricate worldbuilding, and a story that treads the fine line of horror and fantasy. This is the kind of read that makes your spine shiver, and your heart beat faster."
The Unicorn Quest (2018) (Unicorn Quest , book 1) Kamilla Benko "An adventure-quest brimming with magic and heart. Benko reaches the child in all of us who secretly hopes that a door is never just a door. Mesmerizing."
The City of Brass (2017) (Daevabad Trilogy, book 1) S A Chakraborty "An opulent masterpiece. Chakraborty's debut is desire-soaked, intrigue-laced, and rife with so-delicious-you'll-sink-your-teeth-into-it worldbuilding and equally mesmerizing characters. A must-read."
The Tiger's Daughter (2017) (Ascendant Trilogy , book 1) K Arsenault Rivera "A layered and mesmerizing tale of love and legends, this fierce story will settle in your bones like a chill and leave your heart aching."
Wicked Like a Wildfire (2017) (Hibiscus Daughter, book 1) Lana Popović "Wicked Like a Wildfire was like devouring a succulent fairy fruit - it will rob your time, settle into your dreams, and leave you starving for more."
The Library of Fates (2017) Aditi Khorana "Khorana's dazzling second book features a sweeping quest, sumptuous romance and complex heroines. This is the kind of book that lingers in your dreams."
A Million Junes (2017) Emily Henry "A transcendent and moving portrayal of how grief shapes memory, and how the legacies we leave are a collection of moments and heartbeats. Henry's writing feels like a knife in the night--unexpected, cutting, and heart-jolting."
The Belles (2017) (Belles , book 1) Dhonielle Clayton "Clayton dances between the fine lines of glittering, glamorous and gruesome. The Belles is a dazzling exploration of body power and identity, and a must-read for anyone looking for a lot more bite when it comes to beauty."
Caraval (2017) (Caraval, book 1) Stephanie Garber "A decadent and enchanting tale. CARAVAL will sink its teeth into you, and you will not want to leave."
Strange the Dreamer (2016) (Strange the Dreamer, book 1) Laini Taylor "Laini Taylor set my imagination on fire so hard that it spontaneously combusted . . . This is the kind of story that paves dreams."
