Higher Magic (2025) Courtney Floyd "An outrageously original magic system, real and relatable characters, themes of belonging, self-determination, and community, A+ romance, and some of the best disability representation I've read - not to mention the charming talking skull - make this an entrancing page-turner."
Vesuvius (2025) Cass Biehn "Felix and Loren are your next obsession! Weaving myth and mystery with prose defter than a pickpocket's fingers, Biehn guides readers through lively Roman streets, two boys excavating shadowy histories to find their own fortunes, and what matters most when the world is ending. Vesuvius sings--not of distant heroes but piercingly human defiance, ambition, protectiveness, and a love eternal as any epic."
What Wakes the Bells (2025) Elle Tesch "Gripping and atmospheric, What Wakes the Bells resounds with action and angst and echoes with the complexities of grief, family, connection, and belonging. Tesch's epic storytelling of a living city seized by fear of murderous statues, ticking clocks, and waking saints delivers the demisexual love story we've been waiting for."
To Steal from Thieves (2025) (Thieves & Kings, book 1) M K Lobb "The kind of book that makes you forget the world and reminds you why you love reading. With taut pacing and twisty plotting, To Steal from Thieves sweeps us through London's back alleys and into the glittering Crystal Palace, outshined only by the desperate dreams of the compellingly drawn heist crew. They may hate each other half the time, but readers will adore Kane, tortured and teetering on the edge of villainy, and Zaria, a deeply relatable and complex neurodivergent heroine, multifaceted as the jewels everyone is after. A perfect read."
The Afterlife of Mal Caldera (2024) Nadi Reed Perez "A wholly original imagining of an afterlife full of sex, ghosts, and rock and roll, at once shatteringly personal and sweepingly profound. Reed Perez's debut tenderly conjures to life the messy, hilarious, heartbreaking Mal and a host of characters living and dead, all of them indelible. The ultimate afterparty readers won't want to miss."
The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray (2024) Christine Calella "A page-turning pirate adventure about sisters finding themselves and each other on the high seas. You'll discover a treasure trove of loveable, vibrant characters, vital prose, and gasp-inducing twists."
