10. In Universes

by Emet North

An absorbing exploration of a kaleidoscopic set of parallel worlds – delving into trauma, grief, and the complexities of healing from our fractures. 

North’s writing is engaging and imaginative in the ways it plumbs the depths of Raffi’s psyche and their search for belonging. As the kaleidoscope turns, each subsequent world spins off its axis. Details change, relationships flip, and roles reverse, but some version of Raffi remains a constant amidst the swirling chaos.

I really enjoyed my time immersed in the pages of In Universes. It’s a compelling and vivid read bound to pull you into its multiversal web.

FULL REVIEW

9. Sky Full of Elephants

by Cebo Campbell

A bold, high-concept premise brought into sharp focus by Cebo Campbell’s lively and vibrant prose…I really enjoyed Campbell’s writing style. It is lively and flows smoothly from page to page, making it a true pleasure to read. It effortlessly conveys the complexities of the new world and the complicated feelings of the characters that inhabit it.

FULL REVIEW

8. Playground

by Richard Powers

A love letter to the ocean and its hidden depths. Much like The Overstory, Powers employs astounding reverence for one of our most complex and abundant natural resources.

Speculative fiction can hold up a mirror to our current moment — extrapolating, distorting, and ultimately exploring the ripple effects of what our future could hold. Playground succeeds in doing just that as the plot converges and collides with the dawn of the AI age in surprising ways. On those marks alone, it’s a winner. It’s elegantly crafted and consistently engaging.

FULL REVIEW

7. King Nyx

by Kirsten Bakis

A tightly woven and haunting gothic mystery that left me supremely satisfied.

A creepy island, a reclusive benefactor, and three young girls vanished into thin air. If those ingredients weren’t enough to hook you, the evolving mystery at the heart of the book does a tremendous job of pulling you deeper and deeper into the abyss as important answers always seem tantalizingly out of reach.

It’s more eerie than it is scary, but Bakis sets the atmospherically rich and period-specific tone incredibly well, as the dialogue and imagery effectively evoke the the haunting quality that brings the plot to life.

FULL REVIEW

Our interview with author Kirsten Bakis

6. The Repeat Room

by Jesse Ball

A searing and harrowing portrait of the criminal justice system of a dystopian future. Utterly enthralling and thought-provoking.

Ball spends the first act setting the stage before delivering the knockout gut-punch in the second half and never letting you get back up.

Although this left me with more questions than answers, I was utterly enthralled the entire time. I’m excited to hear what others think about this book as the story is certainly not for the faint of heart, but raises interesting questions about the state of our current justice system, capital punishment, and how our singular perspective limits our perception of those around us.

FULL REVIEW

5. Calypso

by Oliver K. Langmead

A dazzling feat of form and function. 
The care in the structuring is evident. 
The story itself is compelling and well told. 

I loved this – don’t let the verse form scare you away, as it doesn’t take long to adjust to, and it adds to the atmosphere and tone of this mythic tale. Some may bemoan style over substance here, but I found the underlying story to be fascinating in its own right, and I was very invested in the outcome.

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4. Rakesfall

by Vajra Chandrasekera

Surreal, lyrical, beautiful, haunting – featuring a heady mélange of narrative forms and storytelling styles – Rakesfall is an evocative epic poem of a novel. 

It’s impossible to distill Vajra Chandrasekera’s sprawling opus into any short plot synopsis…Chandrasekera has cemented himself as a must-read author and a bold new voice in speculative fiction.

FULL REVIEW

3. The Other Valley

by Scott Alexander Howard

This is a quiet gem of a novel. Scott Alexander Howard takes a unique premise and executes it beautifully – never relying too heavily on his fantastical plot device to convey young Odile’s heartfelt story…a thought-provoking and wistful tale that I, for one, greatly enjoyed.

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2. Beautyland

by Marie-Helene Bertino

Bertino skillfully dissects the alien nature of growing up and the complexities of human existence with dry wit, deadpan observational comedy, and incisive insights into life’s little absurdities.

This is a rare book where the concept and execution are both pitch perfect. Even if you dropped the fact that the main character is (oh by the way) an alien, this would still be a wonderful coming of age story. The alien angle is just gravy that Bertino plays with to great (tragi)comedic effect. Her writing is heartfelt, deeply funny, and without a whiff of cynicism about it. I loved this and can’t recommend it highly enough. 

FULL REVIEW

1. Ours

by Phillip B. Williams

An absolute masterclass in storytelling. Ours is a tour de force and one of the best novels I’ve read in ages.

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I cannot say enough good things about Ours, an epic historical fantasy set in an enchanted town named Ours that serves as a safe haven for freed slaves. Told over four decades, Phillip B. Williams charts the plight of Ours and its inhabitants as they experience the challenges and triumphs of being free and safe amidst a still-hostile world. It’s epic in scope, dense and demanding, but it’s extremely rewarding. 

Williams is a poet and that becomes abundantly clear the more time you spend immersed in the book. Each sentence and paragraph is so beautifully crafted and it was a pleasure to luxuriate in his words. Please do not be scared away by the high page count as each and every page is infused with magic, wonder, and heart.

FULL REVIEW