This striking fiction debut sets a character-rich story of connection and political awakening in a dystopian future New York where Manhattan and Brooklyn are behind seawalls and the Earth has been ravaged by climate change and resource scarcity. Fragile centers the two perspectives of eventual lovers, Shavir and Jake. Shavir is a savvy barista who abides by the system during the day and fights for equal access to food, shelter, and medical aid as a member of Roots, a collective farm whose members risk charges of domestic ecoterrorism. At the same time, Jake is a homeland security agent who looks to change the status quo from within. It’s when Jake meets Shavir that his optimistic view begins to change, as he discovers that the world may need something more urgent—and dangerous—than slow change.

With engaging, pared-down prose and immersive attention to the everyday realities of city living after eco-catastrophe, Weik Von Mossner does a great job of fostering chemistry between her characters as Jake learns not to be complacent with NYC’s status quo. Shavir, by contrast, is headstrong and driven in her personal mission to enact transformational change in society. Shavir and Jake sometimes clash but eventually come to a mutual understanding as Jake’s worldview continues to unravel. All this is set against a New York made even stranger, a mostly car-less city of urban farming and restless activism, where JFK’s underwater, the subway’s protected by a floodgate system, and the Village still hosts art openings.

This city comes to grand life throughout the novel, proving, just as New York always had, a center of change, creativity, and inequality. Despite elements of science-fiction and eco- thrillers, Fragile’s focus is on slice-of-life themes, the texture of existence in a possible world to come, and Shavir and Jake’s growing romance. That connection, and the resilience and dedication it takes to rebuild, is this smart, often touching novel’s heart.

Takeaway: Life goes on after eco-catastrophe in this near-future New York novel of connections and rebuilding.

Great for fans of: Emily St. John Mandel, Alison Stine.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Fragile

In this winning legal thriller from Charns (author of the How Hockey Saved the World series), public defender "Star" Katazyna Gwiazda in Randleman County, NC, faces a world of troubles, the biggest of which is her arrest for allegedly murdering a local judge. Unfortunately, Star has good reason to dislike the judge and was in the middle of defending a difficult client in his court. She also is trying to navigate through personal problems while continuing to defend low-level miscreants. As her own case proceeds, she finds corruption among tight connections in the small town and her only hope may be her collection of offbeat friends and colleagues.

The real joy of this book is Charns' collection of eccentric characters, who lend engaging color but always remain believable. The author is, himself, a criminal defense attorney, and has a keen eye and ear for the small southern town milieu, such as when Star's friend Joy gets righteously angry when her married boyfriend tells her he's going back to his wife—the next morning. The courtroom scenes are lively and believable, and the deft cross-examination scenes keep the pages turning. In some places, the plot can be a challenge to keep up with, with motives and subplots that are sometimes hard to follow, but Charns keeps everything moving briskly to a satisfying ending.

Star is a delightful character, an engaging mix of bravado and self-doubt, prescribed with lithium for manic-depression—a sleuth with realistically depicted mental health challenges is refreshing. Star is honest with herself and the reader about her condition and neither glorifies nor dramatizes it—describing the side effects that sometimes are worse than the diagnosis. She's also upfront about her awkward love life, which lends a welcome note of pathos to the courtroom shenanigans, and readers are left hoping to meet this imperfect but lovable lawyer in a future adventure.

Takeaway: A defense attorney framed for murder must prove her innocence in this engaging thriller.

Great for fans of: Joey Hartstone’s The Local, Wanda M. Morris’s All Her Little Secrets.

Production grades
Cover: C+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Girl Who Wore A Hockey Helmet

Buckhanon (Speaking of Summer) reveals the emotional complexity behind the facade of upward mobility for young Black women in this tense novel of suburban dysphoria. Tragedy Powell and her successful podcaster husband Victor have moved to the insulated, upscale Chicago-area suburb of Grayson, trying to fit in despite how few other people of color reside there. When the body of missing nineteen-year old Raven McCoy washes up in the Grayson River, Tragedy feels haunted by her ghost, and by the echoes of her own traumatic past. Though Tragedy knows she needs to reckon with her supposedly secret drinking problem, the stress in her relationship with Victor’s ex and daughter, and her limited social life make resolve hard to find.

Buckhanon’s weaving of thriller elements into a literary novel works beautifully, especially early on, as the focus on how the investigation into Raven’s death impacts Tragedy, as one of the few Black residents, positions the story arc about Tragedy’s drinking as secondary, until it slowly takes center stage. Tragedy is a complex, relatable, and empathetic character, and though some of the cast can come across as stylized, this increases the impression of Tragedy’s self-centeredness—we know them through her perspective. The dramatic contrast between Victor’s daughter Joy, who is willing to use stereotypes of Black urban men to get what she wants, and the history that Tragedy imagines she shares with Raven, makes for resonant commentary on the interaction of class and race.

The pacing is literary-thoughtful, often giving the impression that information is being intentionally held back. Descriptions of the high-end rehab program “Clean Me” and descriptions of high-end Grayson are amusingly over the top, leavening the often dark material. Readers interested in the challenges Black women face in suburban America and in drinking narratives that are not overly redemptive will appreciate this polished, insightful novel.

Takeaway: A resonant novel about Blackness in a ritzy suburb—and a mystery.

Great for fans of: Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström’s In Every Mirror She’s Black, Jean Rhys’s Good Morning, Midnight.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Running to Fall

Gough’s entertaining debut middle-grade fantasy pits light versus dark where teens must battle to save Earth and its mirror world, Htrae. Fifteen-year-old Alex and his younger brother, Drew, are drawn to open a locked old gate up the hill from their home—one that’s useless, with no walls. When they find the trick and a magic key appears to them, they find it’s an entrance to Htrae that Alex was destined to find in order to begin the journey he was chosen for to save both worlds from Natas (known as Satan on Earth). Led by the Gatekeeper, Zar and company—Alex, Drew, their parents, and their family’s mirror-world twins, along with two other teens—must learn to use the tools they’ll need for their first mission before the main battle: the rescue of an ally in Natas’s prison.

As the teen heroes learn to use advanced scientific weapons, journey through wormholes, and deal with dark matter, Gough gives readers a story with a science lesson. However, for middle-grade readers—even some adult readers—the descriptions of how all of these things can be technical and complicated, slowing the story down. Still, the way the weapons are used, the traveling through wormholes and to different dimensions, and the idea of a mirror-world to Earth is exciting and will draw in young readers, and the science-minded will find the nuts and bolts of it all fascinating, if they can keep up.

Young characters with big responsibilities on their shoulders are well portrayed, continuing to have child-like and funny antics that occasionally get them into trouble, but also keep them grounded and empowered when it’s time to get serious. This even includes a fun advanced droid that one of the boys creates in his likeness, but definitely has a mind of his own. The concerns from the adults who care for them are also relatable, battling with wanting to protect them and understanding that they’re the only ones—per their deity—who can save both worlds. Although the journey can get heady, the ideas behind the plot and the fun characters give this story hard science-fiction appeal.

Takeaway: Teens and their droid pal must stop mirror-world darkness in this science-minded adventure.

Great for fans of: Joshua S. Levy’s Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy, Jennifer L. Holm’s The Lion of Mars.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Gate to Htrae

This suspenseful miracle-drug medical thriller from Hallman, a debut, kicks off with the kind of classic speculative hook that has grabbed readers since the dawn of the science fiction and horror genres. A scientist has discovered a wonder cure—in this case OGF83, which stimulates the optic nerve and could, in some cases, restore sight to the blind—and now it’s time to test it on humans. Unblinded introduces two patients at the first clinical trials: church-organist and cocktail pianist Kathy Wright, who doesn’t expect much and is quite happy as she is, and engineer Trey Osborne, who shouts “Yes!” before his doctor finishes explaining the possibilities … or risks. The early chapters capture the life-changing excitement of both experiencing positive early results, the disorientation of brains “catching up” to so much new input, and the discomfort of OGF83 inventor Paul Lazarus, who seems alarmed in direct proportion to the trial’s success.

Of course he has reason to worry, as Unblinded skillfully teases out. Hallman understands reader expectations and seems to relish ramping up tension through the careful introduction and accumulation of developments that suggest something is deeply wrong about OGF83, especially when, in a series of intriguingly disturbing scenes, the characters begin making risky choices in their personal lives, including some shocking violence. Readers will likely have a sense of what’s going on before the characters, but Hallman continually toys with that anticipation.

Eventually, the story builds to a murder investigation. Looming over everything is the economic reality of big pharma chasing a “blockbuster” drug. The prose tends to be workmanlike, never getting in the way of narrative momentum, but Hallman plots the story well and writes engagingly of the science and the politics of drug companies and research institutions. Crucially, he crafts characters who are convincing and engaging enough to keep the pages turning right up to the ending, which satisfies—and even edges toward a welcome hopefulness.

Takeaway: A classic medical thriller about a wonder drug and its mystery side effects.

Great for fans of: Michael Palmer’s Miracle Cure, Paul John Scott’s Malcharist.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Unblinded

“How could I be a weapon?” Kasih Hoffman asks in disbelief at one of many urgent turning points in Cooper’s epic of insurgency, A.I., and robot evolution. Kasih is a robot who feels, thinks, eats, suffers loss, and faces moral dilemmas. She’s also, to most who behold her, a 16 year-old girl, terrified and confused. The first of her kind, Kasih is considered by many powerful people to be the secret weapon to winning the first war the world has seen in the 100 years since the global Union of Humanity defeated the Old World. Kasih, though, doesn’t understand what’s expected of her, what she’s capable of, or why warring factions—the insurrectionist Democratic Front, the ruling Union—will do anything to take possession of her. What do they know that she—and readers—don’t?

The question of robo-sentience becomes pressingly personal in Cooper’s accomplished debut, as Kasih is probed, studied, and exploited by the Front, the Union, and then others. (The geopolitics of Cooper’s revolution are convincingly complex and ever-shifting.) Scenes of interrogation, both harsh and empathetic, are gripping, as Cooper teases out the mysteries of Kasih. Some see her as a person, others as a tool, but all believe they desperately need her … and considering what she might actually want is, of course, a luxury.

Kasih is the novel’s heart, and it’s most compelling point-of-view character, especially in set piece passages where she’s unsure how to respond, suspecting she’s being tested or facing betrayal. Cooper’s emphasis is on what it would feel like to be her, even as his exacting depiction of tech like nanobot-aided brain duplication, and his thrilling command of A.I. science and theory, ground the tale in the realm of hard science fiction. The global political situation is less thoroughly explained or convincing, and even seasoned SF readers may have to work to keep up in the opening chapters. But the story, like Kasih, boasts real, powerful life.

Takeaway: This gripping epic of robot sentience is urgent, emotional, and scientifically exciting.

Great for fans of: Martha Wells’s Murderbot series, Louisa Hall’s Speak.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Nova Sapiens: The Believers

Rose (Fanlantis) delivers a raunchy parody of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, rife with wisecracks and locker-room humor targeted at the “nutballs” of the subtitle. Rose’s not-for-kids Scrooge is all rough edges and, other than collecting money from the unfortunate townspeople who have borrowed from him, loves nothing more than playing crude pranks, like urinating on the Christmas carolers outside his business or shoving chicken down the pants of his volunteers. When the ghost of Marley finally shows up and warns him about what’s coming, Scrooge is so “buzzed on cough medicine” that he shakes it off—until the ghost of Christmas past breezes in and takes him for a ride.

A proud stink bomb in the season’s egg nog, Kiss My Carol has been crafted for—maybe it’s better to say “spritzed at”—readers open to giddily ribald language and comedy. Rose’s Scrooge is quick to lob insult-comic one-liners targeting gay Londoners, the overweight, and on and on, the offensiveness wide-ranging but also rote. The other characters get their new spin, too: Tiny Tim is portrayed with a profane take on Tourette’s Syndrome, the Ghost of Christmas Present is “black and looked like an eighties funk star,” and Scrooge’s nephew Fred is secretly hoping for Scrooge to die so he can inherit all the cash. Scrooge takes his time, as always, learning his lesson—but once the Ghost of Christmas Present fashions metal leg braces on him, he starts to develop some empathy.

Rose inserts some twists into the madness—Scrooge’s parents pay him a visit hoping for an eleventh-hour change—and delivers a pleasantly surprising end, but here, unlike in Dickens’s original, the lesson about redemption is less convincing: Scrooge’s behavior throughout has been presented as uproarious, an affront to the prim and the politically correct, rather than a warning about inhumanity. Despite the absurdity, there are moments of genuine wit, though readers not charmed by the Bad Santa-ification of Scrooge may not get to them.

Takeaway: A proudly crude comic reimagining of Dickens’s Christmas classic.

Great for fans of: Amanda Clover’s Gropelins, Joshua Miller and Patrick Casey’s Oh, the Places You’ll Eff Up.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about Kiss My Carol!

“Prepare to open minds /...Especially your own,” Wald writes in an introductory poem to this account of his experiences as a late-in-life Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. That interest in improvement, self- and otherwise, powers this “expose” as Wald lays out both the value of the Peace Corps’ mission and the issues he sees as hindering it. From a long, poorly organized application process to a confusing assignment to a lack of institutional support, Wald tells a story of dysfunction married to a deep idealism. Wald and his wife were stationed in Santiago de Veraguas, a smaller city, and assigned to help with English instruction, but found it difficult to make sustainable change because of institutional barriers and elements of Panamanian culture. He clearly values the experience but wishes that the vision of the Peace Corps was better realized

Wald’s story is a fascinating look into a particular Peace Corps experience: that of a later-in-life volunteer. He still has the admirable flexibility required to succeed in a cross-cultural volunteer exchange (summarized in his motto: “It’s Amazing What You Can Get Used To” or IAWYGUT) and yet brings more real-world expertise to the challenges of volunteer life. Why Didn’t You Call includes lovely photos and maps, which help embed the reader in the story, and Wald closes the book with clear, specific, actionable advice for people considering the Peace Corps, particularly those considering it later in life, as well as for the institution itself to improve its processes and outcomes.

While some of Wald’s complaints about Panamanian culture—such as a disinclination toward American-style punctuality— may strike readers as something the Peace Corps could anticipate and adjust for, they reflect the difficulty of working across different cultural expectations. Wald’s recommendations, and the memoir overall, will be worthwhile, illuminating reading for anyone interested in opening their minds to work, live, or volunteer across cultures.

Takeaway: This Peace Corps memoir will fascinate readers interested in cross-cultural living and working.

Great for fans of: Mike Tidwel’s The Ponds of Kalambyi George Packer’s The Village of Waiting.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Why Didn't You Call? A Peace Corps Panama Exposé

Poet and surfer Wolf makes his fiction debut with this ambitious ‘80s West Coast lovers-on-the-run thriller, an odyssey of blood and bullets, cartel killers and crooked cops, all centered on Heath and Rori, a pair of young Californians with bleak family lives who aren’t quite sure what they’re living for before they discover each other. Their relationship is born in warmth and empathy, qualities rare in their world, with Rori taking an interest in Heath’s sick mother. It’s also born in barroom violence, a dust-up with Central Valley bikers scored, in Heath’s vivid narration, to e.e. cummings.

That vital blend of connection, passion, brutality, and poetry powers the novel that follows, which finds the pair immediately on the run in Heath’s Crown Vic—turns out that biker whose head Heath cracked open was “connected.” Wolf invests this classic setup with tenderness and terror, a romantic’s love of doomed heroes trying to outrun their pasts, and a deep love of his milieu, as his leads, thrilled to be shaken out of their lives, relish the “new world” they share together. One glittering passage finds them taking time to ride an iconic Santa Cruz roller coaster, rising above the fog line to behold “the soft churn of white from the waves crashing over the black, shadowy shore.” Passages about surfing, sailing, cocaine, and downing shots at a beach dive bar boast that same pared-down lyricism, finding beauty in life without overstating it.

This is a thriller, though, with the threat of violence sharpening every reverie. The chatter and scheming of killers, cartel chiefs, and others hunting (and eventually setting a trap) for Heath and Rori is always sharply etched, but scenes without the leads lack the electric connection that powers the novel, settling instead into good crime writing rather than something more transcendent. The ending, though, is killer … and surprisingly heartening.

Takeaway: This epic late 80s Cali noir thriller finds lovers on the lam, seizing life in the face of death.

Great for fans of: Kem Nunn’s Tapping the Source, Barry Gifford’s Wild at Heart.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Shadow Valley

Ballard continues exploring life and love in the small coastal town of Stella Mare (after A Heart for the Homeless) with a gentle, aptly titled romance that celebrates the value of traditional practical folk art and of family traditions. Evie Madison returns home in the wake of a breakup which has made her realize she put her own art career on hold in service of her ex-boyfriend’s. Cleaning out her father’s generations-old house so he can downsize yields Evie some handmade rugs that connect her to family history, and also to Stephen Culpeper, who is collecting the stories of old maritime carvings while working at the art gallery of an old friend.

Ballard’s leads are engaging and worth rooting for, and she has planted some beautiful story seeds here, particularly around the connection between local towns and their traditional arts, giving this novel more substance than other love stories with similar settings. Readers expecting a focused romance should know that Ballard is as committed to her setting, its people, and their lives as she is to the kindling of love between the central couple. Stephen and his feelings are explored in less detail than Evie’s, as she faces much drama in her personal and professional life, including her father’s illness, some issues involving grant funding, and other dramatic elements that at times have her connection with Stephen on the backburner.

Ballard’s prose is easy to read, her dialogue feels natural, and the pacing of the story works well. Ballard teases some delightful magical realism as Evie reads her great-aunt’s hidden diary and dreams of her female ancestors giving her advice about belonging, though that promising element doesn’t get fully explored here, perhaps being left for future books. In the end, the emotional connection between the leads proves satisfying.

Takeaway: Ideal for romance readers who appreciate emotional connection and a rich coastal setting.

Great for fans of: Freya Sampson's The Last Chance Library, Addison Cole's Lovers at Seaside.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Domestic Arts

San Francisco attorney Maureen Gould is representing a client who is suing powerful movie producer Reginald Cleville for sexual harassment, while coping with complex family problems, in this absorbing legal thriller from Powell, author of the Maeve Malloy series. The case appears to be he said/she said, but Maureen soon finds the situation is deeper than suspected, involving murder. To make it worse, she finds herself opposing her own father in court, which brings up painful memories of her childhood. Maureen finds her twin goals of resolving both the case and her personal life become inextricably connected as they reach a simultaneous denouement that is both surprising and satisfying.

Powell draws on her experience as a lawyer to great effect: the courtroom scenes come alive in meticulous detail, although Powell never allows that detail to overwhelm readers or slow narrative momentum. For example, Maureen continually muses over the individual jurors, especially a pair of older women on the lookout for "sneaky lawyer tricks." We also see Maureen plan and update her strategies by simultaneously suing the offending producer and his company, balancing the risks. The nuances of nondisclosure agreements and arbitration clauses are deftly inserted into the story, lending an especially rich view of the legal process.

In addition to the legal theatrics, Powell has added another layer of mystery with Maureen's dark relationship with her father. The story unfolds neatly, and we get the first hint when we see that Maureen always calls him by his name, not "father." Their history infuses the story, building to a crescendo without ever turning preachy. But although Maureen is the compelling main focus, the rest of the cast is likewise well-drawn, especially bright and feisty paralegal Yolanda. And the courtroom case itself never disappears behind the family drama, which unfolds in horrific, heartbreaking detail. Powell has written a book that dares to be a legal thriller, family drama, and polemic. Remarkably, she succeeds at all three.

Takeaway: This inspired legal thriller digs deep into sexual harassment, courtroom drama, and more.

Great for fans of: Alafair Burke’s The Wife, Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Implied Consent

The Cooks conclude their near-future Percivious trilogy with an epic collaboration between species. Eight years after Covid-19 was contained, another pandemic mysteriously emerges—chronic insomnia that’s debilitating the world’s population, leading to fatal accidents on a massive scale. Proteus, a pharmaceutical company, is making billions with the wonder drug Noctural, but greedy company head Jon Cameron and drug developer Cooper Delaney know it doesn’t work. The sociopath Khalid Al Gamdi uses his immense wealth to kidnap Cooper and other scientists and force them to find a real cure that Khalid can use to control the world.

The Cook husband and wife writing team plows right into the plot of the third book, which follows the second book’s off-planet adventure with the XYZ, Earth’s original intelligent race evolved from whales hundreds of millions of years ago and then returned to Earth from an aborted colonization attempt on another planet, only to find humanity on the brink of extinction. The XYZ’s belief in percivious, or altruism, compels them to help save humanity. The story and ideas are complex—new readers should start with the first book, and even seasoned fans may find it challenging, at times, to keep up as the XYZ, whose enormous HELIX spaceship hides on the far side of the moon, send representative Herriden to Earth. He is able to transmit messages telepathically to human/XYZ hybrids, created to be humanity’s salvation, but Herriden’s mission is threatened when the HELIX is discovered and under attack.

A flurry of characters introduced well into the book distract from an unfolding, multifaceted plot that touches on fascinating conspiracies and Human Pinnacle Theory, the idea that humans have reached an evolutionary pinnacle, unable to further adapt to the environment. Nevertheless, all these threads eventually tie together, and patient fans of ambitious SF will enjoy a satisfying conclusion that celebrates altruism and teamwork. Readers will savor the uplifting conclusion to an ambitious saga.

Takeaway: Lovers of intricate SF will enjoy this finale that finds Earth’s two intelligence species teaming up.

Great for fans of: Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, Alechia Dow’s The Sound of Stars.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Percivious Escape

Samuels’ ambitious and exciting debut follows Leviticus Radix, a promising student at the Denmount Court of Learning—a school in the alternate timeline that this story takes place—specializing in pattern recognition, as two competing organizations attempt to recruit him. The Servators, a group following “the Maker’s Way” that believes in a prophesied coming flood, attempt to rescue Leviticus from recruitment by the Breachers, a group that seeks to cause chaos and suffering and to drive humanity away from “the Maker’s Way.” Simultaneously, we follow Nico and Kayla, people working on behalf of the Servators to hold the Breachers at bay, and Selica and Kade, slaves for the Breachers. The reader is left on the edge of their seat as they watch conflicts unfold between the Servators and the Breachers.

All of the characters are well fleshed out, fascinating to learn more about, and delightful to follow, from leads like Leviticus to adversaries like Decar Tosh, every character feels vividly realized, with unique personalities and narrative-driving backstories, their motivations driving this tale and rooting it in feeling. We see a sincere portrayal of Leviticus as a chosen one, a trope so often overused in sci-fi and fantasy but that here, buoyed by Samuels’s thoughtful characterization, feels fresh and engrossing.

That commitment to character, though, at times impedes narrative momentum, though readers who prefer to get to know a cast deeply will already be invested in the fates of Leviticus and co. even before things speed up around the story’s midpoint. From there, the action is plentiful. Whether following Leviticus as he practices his pattern recognition skills, Nico as he investigates clues relating to a message left by his father, Kayla as she attempts to find redemption after a fatal mistake, or Kade and Selica as they desperately try to find an escape from the Breachers, the stakes are consistently high, the cast compelling, and the story electrifying.

Takeaway: Character-rich and action-packed, this sci-fi adventure smartly balances prophecies, tech, and conflict.

Great for fans of: Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Leviticus: An alternate timeline scifi thriller (Dictates of the Servators Book 1)

Functional nutritionist Iafelice examines the connection between muscle and longevity in this polished debut. Characterizing muscle as “the key organ in our bodies that drives robust health and healthy aging,” he offers an in-depth look at preserving it for the long haul, digging into the science behind why it may be the best predictor of fitness and exploring its role in preventing a host of diseases—including metabolic heavy hitters like Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Iafelice rounds out the book with dietary recommendations, tackling the carbs versus protein debate, and outlines the type of exercise most beneficial to building and sustaining muscle.

Iafelice sounds the alarm on several dangerous habits, the most prominent being a sedentary lifestyle, urging followers to get up and start moving (“Exercise is mandatory, not optional” he writes) but also cautions against wasting time with exercise that probably won’t produce the desired results. High-intensity interval training is his go-to recommendation, and he advocates for exercise when fasting to achieve the best results, with the warning that fasting may not be indicated for some populations (children, the elderly, and pregnant women, among others). Iafelice acknowledges upfront that some of his advice goes against the grain: he’s adamant that high-quality animal protein is superior to plant-based protein, and he works hard to debunk the myth that meat contributes to chronic disease.

Readers looking for hands-on help will appreciate Iafelice’s inclusion of sample meal plans and exercise options in the appendix, particularly the photographs that clearly demonstrate the correct way to perform each movement. His dedication to the science driving his theories shines through throughout, as when he dives into technical jargon like sarcopenia-the loss of muscle over time with aging-but does so with precision and finesse. This is a well-researched, energetic call to action, as in Iafelice’s own words, “we don’t slow down because we’re getting old—we get old because we slow down.”

Takeaway: A call to action detailing the link between muscle health and human longevity.

Great for fans of: Michael Matthews’s Muscle for Life, Austin Current’s Science of Strength Training.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Hold On to Your Muscle, Be Free of Disease

In the inspired second entry in her Winemakers series, Siniscalchi proves adept at both historical accuracy and crafting a set of believable leads rich with quirks. In a vividly rendered late 19th century Portugal, Anne and Pedro, forced together by a chance meeting and botched murder attempt on the king, must work together to prove Pedro's innocence, despite his appearance of guilt to those in power. With the past rearing its ugly head for Pedro, and the search for naive love clouding Anne's vision, these two must stumble together—and toward each other—in the fight for their lives.

Siniscalchi captures readers’ attention from the beginning, and her union of history with intrigue is a winning combination. At first, Anne and Pedro come across as an alliance that’s not just unlikely but unthinkable, especially given that Anne's brother and Pedro hate each other for transgressions of the past, and the pair are given little more than a chance encounter before being thrust into a dangerous situation, forcing them to place trust in each other. Siniscalchi wrings fresh tension and passion from the familiar setup of characters who simultaneously loathe and long for each other, and The Taste of Light will stir in romance readers a maelstrom of emotions as plots unwind and Anne and Pedro grow closer in their journey to prove his innocence.

Besides rich historical detail, vibrant prose, and engaging relationships, Siniscalchi offers a plot that never lets up, weaving a delicate tale of a man who believes he is undeserving of love and a woman—with “Atlantic eyes and cheeks flaming like port wine”—who doesn't know better than to expect love to be everything it is not. Readers of both regency and historical romance will find that this book grabs attention and keeps it until the very last page.

Takeaway: Regency and historical romance readers will love this tale of opposites proving a man’s innocence.

Great for fans of: Cheryl Bolen, Emma Linfield, Bridget Barton

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Taste of Light

Former journalist Zahradnik (Lights Out Summer) entices with a chilling mystery in which a son newly reunited with his father ends up trying to solve his father’s murder. Working two jobs to make ends meet, police academy dropout Grigg Orlov is selling his father’s Little Odessa house, six months after the older man went missing. But when Grigg’s father comes home, saying that he is leaving for Russia, an assailant comes for the Orlovs—and the father ends up dead. Grigg’s only legacy seems to be a black tube containing a rolled-up, disc-shaped X-ray of a skull. As his search for a killer leads him to connecting his father’s experiences in Leningrad with the brutal murder, Grigg gets help from Katia Sokolov, his one-time girlfriend, whose own father grew up with Grigg’s.

Zahradnik’s knowledge of New York quickly immerses the reader in this deftly plotted thriller. Also fascinating: Grigg discovers that these bone discs were used by bootleggers in the Soviet Union to play banned records, though he has no idea of the importance of this disc or how it’s connected to the life his father left behind. As Zahradnik draws a contrast between Grigg’s father’s restrictive life in Leningrad and the freedoms he enjoyed in the U.S., Grigg realizes how little he knew about the man, and how much is lost forever.

Grigg’s quest to find the murderer and keep himself and Katia alive also is a quest for closure—and for finding his place in the world. As the mystery ramps up and Grigg discovers some flash drives and plenty of cash hidden in a shipping container, he tries to fit the pieces together. Just who has been tailing the duo, and are Russians secret service agents (SVR) involved? Can they trust the FBI agents who bring them in for questioning? The twisty suspense and the certainty that no one is as they appear keeps the pages turning.

Takeaway: A twisty, emotionally resonant thriller sends a son investigating his Russian father’s death and life.

Great for fans of: Joseph Koenig’s Little Odessa, Ben Coes’s The Russian.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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