This gripping and accomplished debut novel imagines a near future where, after the initial jolts of a revolution in gene editing, the federal government centralizes biomedical research and development, and independent geneticists like Howard Wake go underground. A “garage biologist” already on the run, Wake conducts bold experiments in a portable lab with his children, who are assistants and subjects. Both are growing up with a “CRISPR machine” inside them, a protein of Howard’s own design, engineered “to make unpredictable improvements,” such as the gleaming, hair-like camouflaging appendages of eight-year-old daughter Aurie. But it’s not just “government goons” in Wake’s wake. As the family road-trips north to Maine and the presumed safety of Howard’s brother’s home, son Py begins to manifest mysterious—possibly dangerous—new abilities, and they’re pursued by someone with a pressingly personal connection.

Jones spins this heady story in smart, engaging prose, attuned to her casts’ individual perspectives, alive to the surprising details of an increasingly automated American future. The science is clear and persuasive—Jones is a biomedical researcher—but presented with an emphasis on its application. For all its family drama and on-the-run suspense, this is a novel about where we’re headed—and how we might not be able to control what changes. It’s a thriller but anchored in the literary wing of science fiction, driven by character, given to colloquies, and often evocative in its descriptions of diners and the mushrooms that, in a well-plotted jolt, prove essential to both the development of the story and our species.

Through it all, Jones is committed to capturing what this future feels like—and to dramatizing the evolutionary imperative with both exciting scenes and grand revelations of the sort readers of serious science fiction will find thrilling. The novel’s long, and its ambitions sometimes come at the expense of narrative momentum, but it’s also rousing, moving, and rewarding.

Takeaway: This superb science fiction novel finds a family on the run—and on the cusp of an evolutionary leap.

Great for fans of: Sarah Gailey’s The Echo Wife, Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl.

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

Click here for more about CRISPR Evolution

This ambitious novel from Greene invests readers in parallel plots unfolding simultaneously on the page but a century apart for the characters—one in the present, and the other in a near-future of eco catastrophe, where society has collapsed and people will kill for water. In the present, readers meet Joe Geist, who is looking for his lost brother Jared, a search in which he’s being helped by journalist Anne Miller and an unhoused man by the name of W.H. Davies. A century from now, there is George, a seven-year-old boy who flees his home when it is invaded by raiders and sets out to find his lost sister. The stories seem strangely interconnected as The Space Between Dark and Light moves between them. The mystery becomes not just what will happen to Greene’s compellingly drawn characters, but what does George’s future have to do with today?

Right from the start, Greene has a firm grasp over the dual plotline, as each chapter shifts between Joe and George’s point of view. The suspense works, and readers find themselves guessing and theorizing about possible connections. Greene does a great job building characters, imbuing each with intriguing peculiarities and relatable emotions. She also deftly handles scenes of action that stir tension, shock, and that trickiest of narrative qualities: an immediate sense of what-next? momentum.

The ending, though, doesn’t quite live up to the beautifully assured buildup, as the final pages offer much summarizing and moralizing. Still, the novel has a gripping plot, twists that will keep readers intrigued, and a chilling glimpse of a possible future where “Sometimes, only the children get to eat. Most days everyone gets water.” Lovers of futuristic novels and climate fiction will enjoy this book, which is as thrilling as it is frighteningly relevant.

Takeaway: A time-crossed climate fiction story as thrilling as it is urgently relevant.

Great for fans of: Pitchaya Sudbanthad’s Bangkok Wakes to Rain, Kate Mascarenhas’s Psychology Of Time Travel.

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

Click here for more about The Space Between Dark and Light

This devilish novel of the pandemic era revolves around the “Lilliputian niche” that is the life of Charles Rochambeau, our narrator and presently a “certified professional shopper” for an aristocratic divorcee, Beatrice Wolcott. An avid hater of all things modern, Charles believes he was born in the wrong century, and often mutters a cold “whatever” to the indignities of this one. Claiming ancestry to the 9th-century Roman emperor Charlemagne, Charles prides himself in his lineage, fears the nation he’s in is bound for Hell, offers trenchant commentary on the COVID era (he compares Tucker Carlson’s falsetto laugh to that of “Mozart as depicted by Thomas Hulce in Amadeus”), and spins often-ribald, always pointed and outlandish tall tales of his life, all as he strives to be a professional bargain shopper—who “assimilates the primal instincts of an animal. Like sharks, bottom feeders, or buzzards”—at a time when stores are closed and plastic shopping bags have been banned.

The mode here is Rabelaisian overkill, penned in prose so sharp it cuts. As a loyal employee and friend of Beatrice, Charles often engages in the affairs of her family, though the novel’s energy is in its feverish asides, plunges into hell, “sibilant hind blast”s, Charles’s preening knowledge of literature and history, his cohort’s assessment of the politics of Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo, and his insistence that, despite being a “confirmed Royalist” and claiming responsibility for the firing of the founder of Old Navy, he sees himself as of the proletariat, as life has pushed him into hardships.

In spite of it all, he still believes “in the existent secular national religion known as The American Dream,” while he prides himself for turning “The Art of Bargain Shopping into Science.” The satire is often wicked and unpredictable, targeting beliefs and figures across the political spectrum, while digging into the dehumanizing complexities of consumer culture. Readers who love a rant will find much to laugh over.

Takeaway: Rabelasian satire of the pandemic age, written with wit and giddy overkill.

Great for fans of: Paul Beatty, Gary Shteyngart's Our Country Friends.

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

Click here for more about The Bargain Shopper

Pursell (Company Clown) merges romance and self-discovery in this appealing contemplation of the “parts and pieces” that comprise a life story. Jenn, facing an empty nest when her youngest child heads off to college, is lost in regret over her secure—but lukewarm—marriage to Mark. When she attempts to ask Mark for space, she’s hit with the sudden death of her mother, and the torrent of family secrets that emerge in the aftermath threaten not only her childhood memories, but also her identity as a grown woman. In her hunt for answers, Jenn stumbles across diaries from her youth—diaries that light a long forgotten spark she thought was extinguished years ago.

Jenn’s quest for meaning will resonate with any woman looking back on her life—or wondering what the future may hold. Her struggle to come to grips with a lack of purpose is powerful, as is the dissonance when she recalls past flings and compares them to her safe, predictable marriage. After deciding to reconnect with Tripp, her steamy summer hookup after her senior year of high school, Jenn unlocks the door to her past and sets off a series of explosive moments, between herself and Tripp as well as with Mark, who’s trying his best to rekindle what may have never truly existed. Suddenly Jenn’s faced with more passion than she ever imagined, balanced by an equal share of heartache, and in the midst, she wonders how to find “the freedom to be okay to experiment and explore the world again.”

The idea of finding yourself by losing yourself is intriguing here, and Jenn’s willingness to sacrifice comfort for intensity is equally courageous and risky. Ultimately that gamble pays off, and she’s granted a second chance at unrestrained love, but the overriding message that wholeness can be formed from imperfection is the essence that will stick with readers.

Takeaway: A reflective story of self-discovery, second chances, and daring to take a chance.

Great for fans of: Robyn Carr’s Never Too Late, Lucy Score’s The Last Second Chance.

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

Click here for more about Long Enough to Love You

Delving into love, loss, and the lengths humans will go through to hold on to the things of importance in their lives, this imaginative debut story collection explores an array of relationships, especially the familial, the romantic, and our complex ones with habits and addictions. Like contemporary life, Pierre-Louis’s entertaining stories cross themes and genres, with elements of romance and science fiction, as they develop engaging casts and plots—and their fears, desires, and dilemmas create a crucial sense of connection between readers and characters. Stories like “The Guardian,” in which Theodore Gershwin, a grieving father, creates a protection and surveillance system that allows the population to monitor the world around them, connect to of-the-moment anxieties while escalating tension and building to satisfying—often unexpected—conclusions.

"Marley's Mom" is the story of a young boy who only wants to sit on the couch and watch reruns with his mother, but she's too busy to spend quality time with him—and his wish finally comes true with a certain finality. In "Mr. Lewis & the Lucky Zebra," a young gambler who knows his math tries his luck gambling at the Lucky Zebra. After crapping out and owing the casino a large debt, he makes a deal with the owner to settle by "operating" one of the machines. Adrian quickly learns to never bet against the house. Highly entertaining and creative, these stories will pull readers in with clear, suspenseful situations that resonate.

Pierre-Louis writes crisp, clear prose that wastes few words. Dialogue is sharp, and the sense of place in a story like “Lake Shore Drive” is poignantly tangible: “The cars with the biggest rims, flashiest lights, and curviest curves slowly rolled past. The machines seduced and called out like they were in heat.” This character-driven, idea-rich collection exploring complex conceptions of love is a quick, engaging read despite its thoughtful seriousness, and a few stories that end abruptly.

Takeaway: An imaginative anthology that explores love while incorporating elements of science fiction.

Great for fans of: N.K. Jemisin’s How Long ‘Til Black Future Month, Dahlia Adler’s His Hideous Heart.

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

Click here for more about Computer Love: A Digital Anthology

Butler hits the ground running with her thriller debut, an electrifying near-future series-starter that pits intelligence operative Juliet Arroway, her Saudi princess partner in espionage, and a Syndicate of intelligence agencies against the terrorists of a post-oil world. In Juliet’s case, the latest threat in the ongoing energy war has a personal edge: her father, a Syndicate agent, was a casualty of the war against al-Alfatih, a terrorist organization targeting alternative energy sites. A wave of attacks bring fresh tragedy to Juliet—and cast suspicion on her trusted partner, Mariam, the daughter of the king of Saudi Arabia, whose family might be involved in al-Alfatih despite the Kingdom’s recent investment in renewable energies.

In Juliet, Butler has crafted a compelling, independent-minded protagonist who’s adept at tradecraft and ready for bold action, as the genre demands, but also possessed of unusual depth. She agonizes over having to keep her job and the danger she faces from the man she loves, and she’s quick to push back against the nasty xenophobia of seasoned intelligence salts, asking one, after dressing him down for his anti-Muslim invective, “Why is it that women are ball-busters and men are just doing their jobs?” Mariam, too, is a standout creation, a woman eager to see “an end to the cycle of death” but whose loyalties get questioned.

The richness that Butler brings to character also distinguishes The Syndicate Spy’s portrayal of a new global order—and the new threats that come with it. The geopolitics are convincingly complex, with antagonists who feel refreshingly human, but Butler still conjures a grabber of a thriller plot centered on a formula for “synthetic oil” that many interested parties will kill for. Pulsing throughout is the persistent question of who Juliet can trust. Action is exciting and never punishing, though occasionally wordy; the dash of romance feels natural, a welcome respite from the tension. Readers who favor smart, twisty spy thrillers with a sense of hope and humanity will love this.

Takeaway: This smart near-future espionage thriller introduces a heroine readers will love.

Great for fans of: Rosalie Knecht, Dana Haynes.

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

Click here for more about The Syndicate Spy: A Juliet Arroway Novel

Dunnewin mashes genres in her suspenseful dark fantasy with a strong dose of romance. Joss Brevyn is known as the “Angel of Death.” She comes from a long line of executioners, forced to perform the gruesome task despite their pleas for a pardon from the king. As the town outcast, Joss accepts her fate, lives a quiet life alongside her assistant Henrik, and finds peace pursuing her passion as a healer. Then, a mysterious stranger enters her life and disrupts the balance she’s fought hard to preserve. Beaten and left on the side of the road for dead, assassin Aric Kayden accepts Joss’s help and hospitality and stays with her while he recuperates. As romantic tension builds between them, Joss is tasked with an important execution while Aric is visited by a masked villain. Each has an ominous duty to fulfill, but at what cost?

The dichotomy of Joss’s jobs creates a compelling dynamic. On the one hand, she’s tasked with killing, yet at her core, she desires nothing more than a simple calm life working her land and helping people. Her softness balances the cruelty of her duties as executioner, which allows readers to connect with her vulnerability. Equally compelling is Aric, who also is employed as a killer. On the surface, he appears confident and suave, but Joss’s kindness chips away at his outward persona and finds within him the desire to become a better man. The two complement each other in an endearing fashion as a sweet romance blooms.

Readers get a heavy dose of Joss’s backstory told through dialogue which may make some conversations between her and Aric seem a bit dense; however, the story building and character development lay a solid foundation for future adventures within the series. Dark fantasy fans who enjoy romance and action will find this to be a pleasurable read.

Takeaway: A female executioner and a male assassin cross paths in a romantic dark fantasy filled with action.

Great for fans of: Laura Kat Young’sThe Butcher, Donna Fletcher’s The King’s Executioner.

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

Click here for more about All the Dark Souls

Angel A’s bold second novel, after Mary Poser, chronicles Australian research student Leonard Lumière’s head-spinning time in Buritaca, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, and a case of parrot-proclaimed divinity. Maria Santos, sixteen and claiming to be a pregnant virgin seeks refuge in Leo’s lab after escaping her father Gustavo’s violent reaction to the news. Gabriel, Maria’s “holy parrot,” attests that Maria is nothing less than the mother of a new savior. As news of the pregnancy spreads, people belonging to different religions arrive in the tiny village to seek Maria’s blessings. Robin O’Leary, a mythologist, guides Maria to ‘channel’ Gabriel’s divine messages, turning her into a spiritual leader and healer. Among Maria’s detractors is her former boyfriend Pablo’s family. When the divine parrot disappears, Maria’s life too seems to be in danger.

In smooth and polished prose, Angel A compellingly examines the myriad and sometimes opposing ways in which humans deal with the challenges of life and faith, questioning our over reliance on science and scientific methods and our doubt and distrust about more traditional streams of knowledge, especially those of non-European origin. Leo is the skeptical man of science, a “sucker for certainty” always looking for proof. In contrast is Robin, the mystic whose mind is attuned to the mysterious and unfathomable, searching for a religion that will bring all believers together. In between is Maria, sweet, innocent and trusting with wells of strength and power she never knew she possessed.

Angel A achieves the tricky feat of exploring the clash of different belief systems through an engaging plotline and the thoughtful interactions of an agreeable cast. The plot moves forward at a brisk pace, despite the heady questions, and the characters are well-etched and entirely believable. The premise might sound fantastical, but each twist of the story proves plausible and revealing, while several burning questions—such as the identity of the father of Maria’s child—simmer strongly enough to keep the pages turning.

Takeaway: Readers fascinated by questions of faith and belief will enjoy this probing novel.

Great for fans of: Diane Schoemperlen’s Our Lady of the Lost and Found, Anne Ostby’s Pieces of Happiness.

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

Click here for more about Holy Parrot

Barber (Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry Is Medicating a Nation) tells a rousing story of citizen disruption centered on the Community Health Center (CHC) in Middletown, Connecticut. Starting from a small free dental clinic, the CHC grew into a free health care institution serving thousands each year and having a positive impact on people—and other nonprofits inspired by its success—across the country. Although it faced opposition from the medical establishment, political leaders, and what Barber identifies as its home state’s “steady habits,” the CHC overcame these challenges to provide care for many people who desperately needed it. The book closes with a description of the CHC’s work in managing and staffing mass vaccination clinics for COVID-19, which Barber sees as proof of the institution’s continued ability to treat patients with a “consuming relentlessness.”

Barber centers the story on the contributions, philosophy, and organizational skills of Mark Masselli, who founded CHC at age 22 and eventually saw it flourish, but he also describes the many other people who have contributed to the success of the institution over the years, from Lillian Reba Moses, a leader in the Middletown community and long-time board member to Margaret Flinter, a nurse practitioner who joined CHC in 1980 and transformed its clinical care. Peace & Health is rich in illustrations, providing strong visual appeal to go along with the compelling story.

The story of the CHC is, in many ways, the story of the free clinic movement in America – from its founding as one of a wave of clinics to the Community Development Block Grant program and its eventual status as a Federally Qualified Health Center (and FQHC Look-Alike). Barber does an excellent job sharing the CHC’s history—and its vision of health care as a right. A reader interested in the history of free clinics, or health care in general, will find Peace & Health fascinating and inspiring.

Takeaway: The fascinating story of Connecticut’s Community Health Center, a visionary free clinic.

Great for fans of: Gregory L. Weiss’s Grassroots Medicine, Catherine Mas’s Culture in the Clinic.

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

Click here for more about Peace & Health

Situated in the Flint Hills of Kansas, a state that’s not always as flat as its rep, Melton’s everyday story follows the experiences of a Lubber grasshopper—so-named, Melton notes, because of their seemingly slow, clumsy movement—while sharing facts about insects and animals of the Kansas prairie along the way. Joe the grasshopper lives life as normal, and is joined by another creature of the hills, the Western Meadowlark, but not one that’s looking to be a friend. Told in expressive onomatopoeia with text that moves across the page, and featuring impressionistic watercolor illustrations, Melton (FLYWAYS) delivers another engaging slice of life focused on one area of the natural world.

Melton’s affinity for atmospheric and poetic words lends another layer of depth to the narrative, allowing for a rich reading aloud experience and conjuring something of the buzz of a grassy Kansas summer. Those same words, as they appear on the page, could cause confusion for younger readers still getting used to letter shapes and recognition, due to the fanciful and colorful font choices for the main text. In contrast, the font is simple and staid for the facts shared on the bottom half of the pages, making it clear these are not part of the narrative, but also helping with legibility and clarity.

The real strength of the book is in the details rendered of Joe’s world. Readers feel fully immersed, both through text and illustrations, into the hills of Kansas, especially when looking at the full page watercolor illustrations. Even when Joe isn’t easily visible, such as when a Meadowlark lands on a branch near Joe, text and illustrations work together to put the reader in Joe’s place, depicting rolling hills with faint text that indicates the presence of Joe, and others. Melton’s world is rich with sound, texture, color, and information, providing opportunities for readers to connect with nature.

Takeaway: Nature lovers will feel at home among the hills of Kansas in this look at grasshopper life.

Great for fans of:Tatiana Ukhova’s Grasshopper, Lucinda J. Miller’s The Arrowhead.

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

Click here for more about JOE LEAP

Arguing that “dysfunctional behavior … has driven many valuable companies into the ground,” Graziano offers a resource guide crafted to embolden business owners and company leaders to create environments and business cultures that are healthy, accommodating, and pleasant, to increase overall employee satisfaction in an era of mass resignations. Starting from the top with the company CEOs, leaders, and then employees, Graziano maps out a domino effect of change that will increase business morale—and, in turn, profit margins. Ignite Culture makes the case that “businesses are human systems, and that reshaping companies by creating better leaders creates a standard that can be met company-wide and cultivates a high quality of work across the board.

Graziano draws on her more than 20 years of experience to pen this detailed guide on how to navigate as a leader in this post-pandemic era. Ignite Culture features anecdotes from successful companies with well-oiled cultures and companies who had to make fixes to produce maximum results throughout the workforce. This guide pushes the company leaders to make the first move in creating change and rectifying systems that may have broken, as company culture is "shaped and determined by the behavioral norms of the leadership team.” The emphasis is on the practical, the creation of “Liberating Structures” and the practice of open communication, with each chapter ending with clear takeaways, pressing follow-up questions, and an exercise in adjusting one's mindset.

Practical advice for managers and others covers active listening, developing and following through with a vision, mastering “generative, future-based language,” and other crucial skills. This engaging, interactive self-help book will benefit leaders with its humanizing approach to changing the way companies do business, while employees will find edification in its persuasive examination of how a healthy work environment should function and how to evaluate if a company is a strong fit for their needs. Here’s a clear-eyed tool-kit for businesses eager to ace the new standards.

Takeaway: Clear-eyed advice for business leaders on creating strong company cultures.

Great for fans of: Ben Horowitz’s What You Do Is Who You Are, Christine Kane’s The Soul Sourced Entrepreneur.

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

Click here for more about Ignite Culture

Manchee’s Stan Turner legal thriller series continues, with the Texas-based law firm of Turner & Waters facing a difficult personal injury case and a complex trustee assignment that turns out to have an unfortunate connection with a Mexican cartel. The PI case proves especially twisty: the client, Amanda, may have caused a fatal car accident, but only after being forced to work an exhausting double shift. But even more troubling is the smuggling cartel that wants the money Turner now controls as trustee—forcing him to go undercover to save the lives of everyone he cares for.

Manchee, an attorney himself, has a wonderful gift for describing the minutiae of practice in a small law firm, and he makes it riveting when, for example, the lawyers carefully go over Amanda's civil and criminal cases, describing the practical and legal implications. Detailed scenes like this ground the book and make it very real, showing law is more than stirring courtroom speeches. Equally good are the specifics of Stan's undercover operations, with enough tradecraft descriptions to keep any spy thriller aficionado happy. Sometimes, with these two convoluted plotlines, readers will have to work to keep track of all the players and double-crosses, but the story does move along at a nice clip.

Although the focus is heavily on plot, Manchee does work in some personal relationships that lend welcome warmth to the dual legal proceedings. Especially strong is Stan's unusual partnership with Rosa, an unwilling ally of the cartel, purportedly being used to spy on Stan. What starts as a convenience for their mutual safety turns into something more, giving an emotional heft to the story. Manchee also does a good job with Amanda, neatly describing the plight of the working poor and lending her a lot of sympathy. Fortunately, Manchee brings the multiple plots and large cast to a satisfying conclusion.

Takeaway: Attorneys battle for a poor victim—and against a cartel—in this fast-moving legal thriller.

Great for fans of: Scott Turow, Scott Pratt.

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

Click here for more about Bitter Choices

“I’m not crazier than you,” Harrell reports once saying to her friend Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson’s response: “No, but you talk crazier.” That exchange, recounted in an introductory author’s note, kicks off the second in a series of memoirs (after Keep This Quiet!) by Harrell that examine her relationship with three fascinating men of letters: first that gonzo icon Thompson, for whom Harrell served as an editor at Random House and maintained a friendship with through his years of covering horse races and regatas, and Milton Klonsky, the beat writer who was her literary and spiritual advisor. Finally, there is the poet Jan Mensaert, her troubled husband, whose struggle with drugs, alcohol, and mental illness overshadowed his considerable artistic abilities.

With an eye for surprising detail, Harrell conjures a charged and vivid milieu, even as the story she tells is often painful. She recounts time and again striving to salvage her marriage and rescue her husband from his addictions and secure treatment for his mental illness, as she travels to Morocco, Switzerland, New York and her home state of North Carolina. Her continued friendship with Klonsky provides an ongoing wellspring of inspiration, and she persuasively evangelizes for his essay collection A Discourse on Hip and corrects misapprehensions about him from Romulus Linney’s play Klonsky and Schwartz. Through it all, Harrell, a seeker, experiments with and endorses an idiosyncratic mix of religions, new age beliefs, and science.

These spiritual and metaphysical excursions, while essential to her story and a key element of the Beat ethos, at times distract from her abundant enticing experiences and insights, and her relationships with her subjects. Still, readers fascinated by these men, her world, and numerology and transcendentalism will find themselves on a journey with grand destinations throughout the globe and within the author’s consciousness.

Takeaway: A seeker’s memoir of life with poets, spirituality, and Hunter S. Thompson.

Great for fans of: Peter Richardson’s Savage Journey, Diane di Prima’s Memoirs of a Beatnik.

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

Click here for more about Keep THIS Quiet Too!

With this inspiring anthology, Ang (A Cry in the Dark) has created an illuminating collection of quotes, essays, affirmations, and more for anyone affected by stroke, collected from stroke survivors, their partners, families, and caretakers. Hopeful yet always open at the challenges of recovery, Emerging from the Dark offers an emotional look into the lives and the aftermath of those who have faced a stroke, digging deeply into memory gaps, depression, and the fear that the people one loves “seem to forget who I used to be.” Each personal story here offers a real-life look at the experience of a stroke survivor or their support systems at different stages of recovery, demonstrating that there is no definitive way of predicting when a stroke will occur, how it will affect the mind and body in the long run, or how “to fight back and reclaim your self-worth.”

Laid out in a raw yet readable style suggesting disorder, this mixed-media offering is a moving, quick read that gives readers an insight into the aftermath of strokes, sharing hard truths—“The truth is recovery from a stroke is a long and winding road. And it's one that you'll have to travel alone, for the most part”—along with heartening encouragement, for caretakers too, to keep moving forward and stay positive even in the face of adversity.

While much of the collection centers the stories of survivors or the suggestions of experts, Ang also shares his own hard-won advice, personal thoughts, and struggles through reflective diary entries and poetic declarations, some showcased in edgy black-and-white layouts that have the feel of hand-chalked graffiti. This approach imbues frank statements like “It takes a lot of effort to smile every day” with urgency, presenting a positive message–never give up on yourself–in a format that suggests dark, unwanted thoughts. The result is a collection that shines rare light on the complex emotions of survivors, while offering caretakers and loved ones welcome insight.

Takeaway: An inspiring, often rawly emotional collection of reflections from stroke survivors.

Great for fans of: Debra Meyerson’s Identity Theft, Letisha Living’s Finding Yourself After Stroke.

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

Click here for more about Emerging From the Dark

Blending elements from cosmic horror, dark fantasy, and magic-school mysteries while putting a smart contemporary spin on Lovecraftian terrors, Cottrell’s fiction debut centers on Ellen Logan, a student possessing psychic abilities who moonlights as a fortune teller at the local occult bookstore to pay her way through Miskatonic University, a place of higher learning devoted to the occult and other supernatural phenomenon. Ellen’s life is turned upside down when her friend, Stephanie, is found dead, presumably from falling from the top of the campus’ clock tower. When it comes to light that Stephanie was researching a horrible accident in a long-forgotten mine, Ellen must work with her broodingly attractive, psychic-hating professor to unearth buried truths—all as she strives to hone her psychic powers and find a way to handle the harrowing cries of the doomed miners themselves.

The plot focuses on the supernatural, with ghosts, possession, Lovecraft’s “Dreamlands,” and long-dead miners in an intriguing mix. Still, Cottrell does wonders giving Ellen a natural, up-to-date voice, freshening up the familiar mythos. Unlike doom-and-gloom heroes of many works in the Lovecraftian vein, Ellen is quick to disbelief and ready to stand up for herself, even going so far to call her art history professor (one of several characters who seem to be related to Lovercraft’s a own) a “prick” to his face. Confident in her actions yet uncertain of her past, she ventures into the unknown with a gusto rare for those facing cosmic horror.

With a faculty advisor to Miskatonic’s psychic student organization, and her doting Uncle Joshua (who harbors mysteries of his own), Darkness Below shows that “light can be dark. Unclean.” But it also demonstrates, as Ellen and Professor Carter hunt down lost tomes, face unspeakable dangers, and investigate weird rituals, that darkness need not be overwhelming. Ellen’s an arresting guide, and readers who relish this milieu will be eager for the promised followup.

Takeaway: A college student faces Lovecraftian horrors and mysteries in this winning series starter.

Great for fans of: Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House, Ruthanna Emrys’s Winter Tide.

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

Click here for more about Darkness Below

In her debut, the first in a series, Hayes dazzles with a masterfully told tale of post-apocalypse survival and the ultimate triumph of good versus evil. The author opens with a dystopian view of the world after the so-called 2032 Oxygen War, forcing those left alive after a natural disaster apocalypse to retreat to the only place still habitable—the Rim. It is there that eighteen-year-old Zemira Creedence—Zee for short—longs for a more exciting life. Little does she know that she is about to live that wish, with the help of her dear friend Paxton, her protective animal Wolf, and mysterious healer Diwa Mumasumi.

The author’s fanciful and intricately wrought world will spark readers’ imaginations immediately, and her well-drawn characters will immediately draw their loyalty and attention. Zee’s mother Verena has spent years trying to fly under the proverbial radar, knowing (but not sharing with her daughter) that they are both in danger from a malevolent person from Verena’s past. Hayes skillfully elevates the stakes and plants engaging mysteries: When Zee, Paxton, and Verena are caught and kidnapped by a power-mad ruler, they are placed in grave danger with seemingly no way out, while an unexpected wolf shifter plays a shocking yet integral part in Zemira’s journey. Is the king as cruel as he seems? Or the queen as benevolent as she seems? Hayes keeps the surprises coming, up until the final page is turned—including a shocking reveal about Diwa’s life journey.

Hayes excels in proving that people aren’t just black and white—instead, everyone is various shades of gray. Lyrical prose leaps off the page, ending in a gentle tease that will have readers eager for more. Readers who have a love of powerful world-building and multi-layered characters will be eager for more.

Takeaway: This masterfully told post-apocalyptic tale will captivate lovers of YA fantasy.

Great for fans of: Ann Aguirre’s Razorland Trilogy, Kresley Cole’s The Arcana Chronicles.

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

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