Bookpage: Starling does a magnificent job steering clear of the obvious plot beats in this white-knuckle reading experience. For those who crave intense and detailed gothic horror, or those who just want more Guillermo del Toro a la Crimson Peak vibes in their life, this is a must-read.
Library Journal: Hackwith’s poignant, imaginative series sends readers on an amazing journey, with profound prose that will capture hearts and minds.
Booklist: The prolific Mohamed, one of the most unique and engaging voices in genre fiction, presents a dystopian sf thriller set in her home province of Edmonton, Alberta. A post–climate disaster has ravaged the landscape. Reid, the 19-year-old protagonist, carries a strange parasite that has startling relevance to both the ongoing global pandemic as well as the climate crisis. The horrifying aspects Mohamed expertly describes will burrow into the bones of the reader. Survival has not been easy, which is an understatement in this grim universe. Some readers may struggle at times with the scientific jargon, but that does not obscure what is a pulse-pounding, compelling narrative about an impossible chance Reid has in front of her. She can choose to go to it, but in doing so, she would abandon her mother, her friends, and the community in which she lives. Science-fiction and horror readers alike will enjoy Mohamed’s novel, which will appeal to fans of Jeff VanderMeer, Kameron Hurley, and Tochi Onyebuchi.
Photo credit: Blake Rothwell
C.L. Polk’s award-winning Kingston Cycle—Witchmark, Stormsong, and Soulstar—is coming to television. 1212 Entertainment has acquired the rights to the series, and has tapped Alyssa Clark (Teen Wolf, Dominion, Servant, The 100) to pen the screenplay.
Polk’s debut novel, Witchmark won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2019, and was a finalist for that year’s Aurora, Locus, Nebula, and Lambda awards.
Sturgeon Award finalist Vajra Chandrasekera’s debut THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS, a richly imagined postcolonial fantasy meeting at the point between THE NAME OF THE WIND and THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, set in an unsane metropolis brimming with history that is on the verge of eruption, to Carl Engle-Laird at Tor.com, in a six-figure deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in winter 2023, by Michael Curry (world English).
Booklist: Hutchinson’s engaging historical fantasy suffers from the occasional implausibility and loose end, but its strength lies in the captivating relationship between Jack and Wil. Now there’s real magic.
Photo credit: Blake Rothwell
World Fantasy Award winner and author of The Midnight Bargain C. L. Polk’s new novella EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END, a queer magical noir story set in 1940s Chicago about an exiled augur who spins her magical talents as a P.I. while she counts down her last few days to live; but when she’s offered the chance to reverse her fate in exchange for tracking a dangerous serial killer, she finds herself entangled in celestial affairs far bigger than she ever imagined, to Carl Engle-Laird at Tor.com, by Caitlin McDonald.
Congratulations to Jim Butcher! BATTLE GROUND won the 2021 Dragon Award for Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal).
Booklist: Khaw turns the haunted house trope on its head with her latest, after The All-Consuming World (2021). The story starts off with Cat, who is celebrating at a wedding party with friends. It doesn’t take long for the group to discover that what they think is going to be a night of fun and revelry will be the exact opposite. As Cat starts to recount a fairy tale, the house takes on a life of its own. One of Cat’s friends reminds her this is a giant mansion in the middle of nowhere full of dolls and creepy things and that certain danger awaits them. As fear begins to get the better of the characters, the veneers and façades they maintain start to crack. Cat’s emotional pain radiates from the pages, making the supernatural elements more tense and frayed as the tension mounts. If Guillermo del Toro directed The Ring, it might play out something like this engaging thriller. Japanese mythological creatures come to life in this dynamic, unique tale that will satisfy horror readers eager for fresh blood.
