Ava Reid was born in Manhattan and raised right across the Hudson River in Hoboken, but currently lives in Palo Alto, where the weather is too sunny and the people are too friendly. She has a degree in political science from Barnard College, focusing on religion and ethnonationalism. She has worked for a refugee resettlement organization, for a U.S. senator, and, most recently, for an AI robotics startup. The Wolf and the Woodsman is her first novel.
Immortal Game (2026) Allison Saft "A deft, powerful exploration of the complexity of sibling bonds, the sharp edges of our dreams, and the healing capacity of love. Romantic, moving, and utterly magical."
The River She Became (2026) Emily Varga "An enthralling, twisty fantasy set in a dangerous world on a knife's edge between rebellion and tyranny. I was riveted from the first page to the last."
Max Francis "A deeply moving tale of love, redemption, and the passionate pursuit of knowledge, wrapped in ink-stained pages and steeped in the dreamy depths of winter. A stunning debut with all the lush, gothic atmosphere that I adore."
Graceless Heart (2026) (Spellbound History Quartet, book 1) Isabel Ibañez "A breathtaking blend of intricate magic, riveting intrigue, and hypnotic romance, in a lush historical setting that flares to life on every page. I never wanted to leave the glimmering, immortally enchanting world of Graceless Heart."
An Arcane Inheritance (2025) Kamilah Cole "A tautly paced, keenly observed thriller, set against an atmospherically rendered backdrop where questions of privilege and wealth haunt the narrative just as much as the literal ghosts. This is everything I adore in a dark academia book."
The Sacred Space Between (2025) Kalie Reid "Both sweeping and intimate, The Sacred Space Between is a tender, melancholic portrait of two lost souls rediscovering their faith through love. A debut not to be missed."
Coldwire (2025) (StrangeLoom Trilogy, book 1) Chloe Gong "A high-voltage, whip-smart adventure that presents a future both eerily prescient and totally novel. Pulse-pounding and cinematic, with a twist that knocked the breath from me - I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."
Cinder House (2025) Freya Marske "Gorgeous, whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet, Cinder House both whisks you away and holds you over a flame. I was bespelled."
The Maiden and Her Monster (2025) Maddie Martinez "A dark and endlessly enchanting fairy tale, unfurled in frost and wood-smoke, the kind that is whispered by candlelight and brushes up against history itself. I adored every page."
A Land So Wide (2025) Erin A Craig "With all the wit of a classic fable and the dreaminess of a modern romance, A Land So Wide is like the woods themselves: lovely, dark, and deep. I was beguiled by every word."
Season of Fear (2025) Emily Cooper "Hauntingly poetic and monstrously romantic, Season of Fear is a beguiling dark fantasy debut that smolders like hearth-fire."
In the Veins of the Drowning (2025) (Siren Mage, book 1) Kalie Cassidy "A provocative dark fantasy with all the alluring qualities of siren's song. Sensuous and lushly romantic, In the Veins of the Drowning ensorcelled me from the very first page."
Immortal Consequences (2025) (Souls of Blackwood Academy, book 1) I V Marie "A twisty and thrilling dark academia fantasy with a unique, stylish setting and a compelling ensemble cast. Packed with drama, intrigue, and romance, Immortal Consequences will have you enthralled from the very first page."
House of the Beast (2025) Michelle Wong "As darkly whimsical as the most beloved fairy tales and soaked in gothic atmosphere. The gorgeous and evocative illustrations bring to life an unforgettably lush and hypnotically romantic story, framed in shadows and sharp edges."
Kill Creatures (2025) Rory Power "A shuddery and gripping specter of a book, half a dream and half a nightmare. Kill Creatures is an ode to the knife-sharp edges of teenage friendship."
The Starving Saints (2025) Caitlin Starling "As brilliant as it is bizarre. From the very first page you know you are in the hands of an author at the height of their abilities. . . . This is the unhinged cannibal book of my dreams - and my nightmares."
The Knight and the Moth (2025) (Stonewater Kingdom, book 1) Rachel Gillig "With the headiness of dreams and the darkness of haunted abbeys, The Knight and the Moth is a dazzlingly transportive tale of love, salvation, and freedom that cements Gillig as one of the finest fantasy writers of our age. You will never want to surface from these enchanting, depthless waters."
Hungerstone (2025) Kat Dunn "A rich and daring reimagining that brings the beating heart of Carmilla to life again. Hungerstone is a delicious tribute to the inherent horrors of womanhood and the desperate and exquisite vulgarity of desire. This is everything I dream of in a novel."
A Curse for the Homesick (2025) Laura Brooke Robson "A lyrical, melancholy, and deeply moving story about the people we love and the places we long for, even when we know we shouldn't. Aching and poignant."
What the Woods Took (2024) Courtney Gould "A visceral, unflinching, and emotionally powerful horror novel...this is Gould at her most poignant and most electric."
Divine Mortals (2024) (Divine Mortals, book 1) Amanda M Helander "With whimsical charm, sweeping romance, and a pantheon of snarky and fickle gods, Divine Mortals has all the magic of a fantasy classic-in-the-making. Mona is one of the most lovable, messily human protagonists I've ever read - you will fall madly in love with her and with this book."
Nightstrider (2024) (Nightstrider, book 1) Sophia Slade "An immersive, richly imagined world that is as detailed as it is sweeping, with a complex and compelling ensemble cast ... Nightstrider is a dynamic and addictive dark fantasy thrill ride."
The Monstrous Kind (2024) Lydia Gregovic "A gorgeously evocative gothic fantasy, conjuring mist-cloaked manors, unearthly monsters, disturbing family secrets, and a dark thread of forbidden romance. This is everything I look for in a book."
Lucy Undying (2024) (Dracula , book 1) Kiersten White "White has crafted a gothic-tinged tale as deep and dark as grave dirt and as lush as spilled blood."
The Bright Sword (2024) Lev Grossman "A novel that is as much about the Matter of Britain as it is our own florid and layered imaginings of it. Breathlessly weaves themes of faith, duty, and selfhood with a classic sword-and-sorcery adventure - this is why we read fantasy."
The Warm Hands of Ghosts (2024) Katherine Arden "Darkly beautiful and deeply humane, this is a story of love that reaches across borders and across oceans, and even penetrates the veil of death. It will stir your heart and settle into your bones."
The Bad Ones (2024) Melissa Albert "Melissa Albert writes the kind of horror that doesn't just make you check under your bed-it makes you check your own reflection in the mirror. A black-veined, spectral howl of a novel, The Bad Ones cements Albert as the contemporary queen of suburban fantasy."
This Dark Descent (2023) (This Dark Descent, book 1) Kalyn Josephson "Brimming with action, political intrigue, and a touch of romance, This Dark Descent is a fierce and darkly magical thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat."
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love (2023) (Camelot Disasters, book 1) Lex Croucher "This is the queer YA take on A Knight's Tale I've always dreamed of! A charming, witty, and completely unputdownable adventure."
The Foxglove King (2023) (Nightshade Crown, book 1) Hannah Whitten "Darkly sumptuous and beautifully dangerous, The Foxglove King wraps you up in a velvet gown and then holds a knife to your throat."
Nocturne (2023) Alyssa Wees "In Nocturne, Wees robes the classic story of Beauty and the Beast in lush prose and infinite splendor. It's a fever dream of a novel, surreal and intricate, and enchanting in every way."
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi (2023) (Amina Al-Sirafi, book 1) Shannon Chakraborty "Chakraborty's latest unfurls like a scroll of ancient parchment, conjuring realer-than-life monsters, menacing magic, and a heroine with a gnarled, beating heart. An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina's adventures are the reason to read fantasy. I'll follow this captain and her crew anywhere."
The Daughters of Izdihar (2023) (Alamaxa Duology, book 1) Hadeer Elsbai "Action-packed, magic-filled, and led by two fierce, vividly-rendered women, The Daughters of Izdihar is a compelling and empowering debut."
Kalyna the Soothsayer (2022) (Failures of Four Kingdoms, book 1) Elijah Kinch Spector "A gorgeous, layered debut, both intricate and propulsive, with a singularly brilliant heroine at its center. Kalyna is a twisty, entrancing, and totally unique entry into epic fantasy."
Wrath Goddess Sing (2022) Maya Deane "A bold, shining tapestry, weaving a bloody tale of war, birthright, and divinity with a tender story of longing, identity, and love. Epic and triumphant."
Kaikeyi (2022) Vaishnavi Patel "A lyrical and evocative retelling, full of power and grace, which brings forward a traditionally maligned woman of myth. A spellbinding debut."
Daughter of the Moon Goddess (2022) (Celestial Kingdom, book 1) Sue Lynn Tan "A sparkling debut, epic but intimate, about love and sacrifice and hope in the face of despair. At its center is a protagonist who is flawed but full of heart--I dare you not to be entranced by this magical book."
A Lesson in Vengeance (2021) Victoria Lee "A smart, layered, thought-provoking thriller about female desire and the intimacy of violence."
The Frozen Crown (2021) (Warrior Witch Duology, book 1) Greta Kelly "A gripping, intricate tale of court intrigue with no shortage of thought-provoking questions about power, morality, and identity. Askia is a strong-willed yet vulnerable and utterly human character that will linger in readers’ hearts and minds long after they turn the final page."
