PHANTOM ULTRA
Cade is reunited with his friends from his hunting days as they drink the bar away, slay evil forces (including “a treasonous bunch of racists”) and golems alike, and even manage to create an earthquake. The journey comes with trials and tribulations, plus a devastating body count, as Ward conjures intense, inventive action that moves quickly. Unknown to the others is Thomas’s pivotal battle with the most dangerous demon—an entity in his head that takes over his mind at the slightest hint of Phantom, the planet that changed Cade forever. The only way towards redemption is accepting and coming clean about the reality of what happened on Phantom.
Narrated in brisk, hard-edged first-person, the story immerses readers in its action and the complex psyche of its protagonist, complete with moments of horror. Ward's skillful storytelling is evident in his ability to craft distinctive backstories for each of his vast range of characters, while treating seriously issues of racism, PTSD, wealth, and power. With thoughtful world-building, Ward will inspire military SF readers to turn the pages frantically to get to the truth of what went down on Phantom. The gut-wrenching climax raises enough questions unanswered to whet appetites for a sequel.
Takeaway: Gripping SF monster-hunt with tantalizing mysteries.
Comparable Titles: Ross Buzzell’s Legacy Earth, J.N. Chaney and Scott Moon’s Galactic Shield.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Blackwax Boulevard Is Listening
Jackson's examination of misogyny, white privilege, rape culture, police violence, and homophobia is potent, even profound, rooted in a cast that's fully formed and convincingly drawn, in every sense of the word. The storylines feel urgent and relatable, pulsing with the anxieties of their moment: Marsalis weakly tries to defend his idol Vick to his skeptical friends against many charges of sexual assault, while Veronika's unresolved issues regarding her own assaults trigger a relapse, and Salimah has an explosive argument with both Veronika and her egotistical activist boyfriend, Brother Rage. It all comes to a climax when Vick himself visits the store with his new intern, a young woman who will no doubt be his next victim.
For all the thorny issues Jackson takes on, readers new first and foremost are invited, here, to enjoy the company of this winning cast, with the compelling story developments building naturally from their sharply observed desires, fears, and flaws. The fact that Jackson manages to make this funny, primarily through his highly expressive cartooning, ensures this stands tall as satire, trenchant social commentary, and a love letter to music and those who live for it.
Takeaway: Trenchant, funny, and wise slice-of-life comics set in a record store.
Comparable Titles: Ezra Claytan Daniels, Lawrence Lindell.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
What starts as an educational voyage quickly turns perilous when Dante’s blog about his experiences on the trip draws the wrong kind of attention, particularly when he starts looking into a secret organization known as Ibis—a shadowy group notorious for their ruthless dedication to collecting legendary antiquities. The mystery deepens when a series of hieroglyphs appear to Dante; he’s convinced the ancient Egyptian god Thoth has sent them as a key to uncover hidden truths—truths about himself and his mother’s death. Dante sets out to decipher the visions, in the process discovering the dangerous secrets of Ibis as well as a potential link to his estranged father.
The narrative intertwines Dante's soul-searching exploration of his own supernatural abilities with the enigmatic and threatening world of Ibis. As Dante is guided by his teacher through the twists and turns of their trip, he’s finally able to relinquish certain elements of his past and pursue self-acceptance. Person deftly weaves myth, memory, and archeology into the narrative, creating a compelling mystery-adventure, rife with metaphor, that serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of ancient wisdom and the timeless quest for self-discovery.
Takeaway: Ancient intrigue, archeology, and mysticism make this a compelling mystery-adventure.
Comparable Titles: G. Edward Marks’s Return of Bastet, Rande Goodwin’s The Witchfinder’s Serpent.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Telling the story in sturdy couplets that invite readers to anticipate the next rhyme, Baum and Markus deftly mix real childhood problems, including being disorganized, experiencing bad moods, and being afraid to ask for help, with witchy misadventures and welcome warmth and understanding. Izzy’s spells are cute and practical. Perhaps the most enchanting passages concern kids facing their fears and Witchie giving Izzy advice but always letting her figure things out for herself, in heartwarming contrast to Lavinia’s meanness. Inbar’s expressive, character-rich artwork, including the cover, is eye catching, with each member of the cast rendered in engaging detail worth poring over.
This fast-paced chapter book includes short stories, some darker than others. Lavinia kidnapping and abusing Maxine—including starving her—is spooky in a fairy-tale way, as is Bruno’s changed behavior, which the characters don’t seem to notice other than to repeatedly call him a “bad doggy!” Maxine’s continued trauma, meanwhile, may prompt some discussions. The ending is a little abrupt but still sweet and upbeat.
Takeaway: Fun witchy tales in which friendship and kindness prevail.
Comparable Titles: Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, Patricia Coombs’s Dorrie the Little Witch Series.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Fitzgerald’s first novel, the start of a projected four-book starter, is powered by voice, especially Sylvia’s rococo phrasing (as narrator, her sentences gush from one incisive, surprising phrase to the next) and her friends’ relentless good humor and camaraderie. When Sylvia endeavors to strike her first superhero pose, Celia cracks “I’m getting less super and more of a girdle-model vibe, with a bad case of acid reflux.” Readers who relish the feeling of hanging out with a funny friend group, especially one with a pup, Moondogger, who might be more than he seems, will find much of this series starter a laugh-along pleasure.
That amusing verbosity and depth of character, though, comes at the cost of narrative momentum, as the kidnapping plot doesn’t really get going until over halfway through this quite long book. Before that, the possibilities of superheroics amuse the cast but don’t feel urgent, and chapter-length flashbacks into the friends’ shared history dig into mysteries that simply don’t feel as pressing as the novel’s present. The action, when it comes, is both exciting and pained, superheroics stripped of adolescent power fantasy, for the better.
Takeaway: Funny and intimate superpowered epic of a young woman, her dog, and great friends.
Comparable Titles: Cai Emmons’s Weather Woman, Gail Carriger.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Immortalised to Death: The Dunston Burnett Trilogy
The unlikely hero of this story (and the forthcoming entries in what promises to be a trilogy) is Dunston Burnett, a retired, middle-aged, awkward bookkeeper. He also happens to be Dickens' nephew, who is summoned by the author's devoted sister in-law, Georgina, after the death of their beloved Charles. What seems to be a natural death is soon revealed to be murder and Georgina wants Dickens' name and reputation protected at all costs. Dunston is charged with identifying his uncle's killer and, almost as important, discovering the ending of Drood.
Squire conjures up an enticing lost world as Dunston, like Dickens himself, heads into high society and opium dens and back alleys. Dunston, a bit priggish at the outset, becomes a character to cheer for as he pieces together mysteries that reveal jolting truths about the very real and the very fictional men at the story’s heart. Secret lives, secret loves, and secrets that were intended to be taken to the grave are uncovered. Dunston grows in confidence at every juncture, and the stage is set for the next books.
Takeaway: Marvelous Victorian mystery centered on the death of Charles Dickens.
Comparable Titles: Heather Redmond’s A Tale of Two Murders; Lyndsay Faye.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Though de Zoysa’s faces are expressive and engaging, even when covered in sores and wounds, the illustrations tend to feel somewhat static, with only minor changes happening between pages, such as the little girl going from standing in front of the blender, to blending up her brain juice on the next page. The text is written in couplets but laid out like prose, in paragraphs, a choice that makes a first-time outloud reading aloud feel a little uncertain, especially as some of the rhymes are theoretical, like thought/start.
Still, Brain Juice is a fun and funny book that will delight anyone who loves gross and icky things. The young girl’s affinity for fruit could even prompt discussions about what young readers would want to eat with brains if they were turned into zombies, or what they’d like in their brain juice if they were a zombie. The simplicity of the narrative allows for repeat readings and the rhymes could make for a fun read aloud. A fresh take on the zombie story, Brain Juice will delight fans of the playfully grotesque … and adults trying to get their little zombies excited about fruit.
Takeaway: A humorous take on zombie lore that promotes healthy eating.
Comparable Titles: Casey Lyall’s A Spoonful of Frogs, Drew Maresco and Dallyn Maresco’s Bites, Frights, and Other Delights.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Again, Hayes deftly blends the magical and the post-apocalyptic as Zee traverses a fallen Earth 500 years in our future, a world where fairies themselves, here called “orcles,” labor to usher in new life. Zee’s quest will take her to wonderous caves, to encounters with inventive creatures—like the moss-covered Armilandro with “a whole ecosystem upon its back” —and even into face-to-face meetings with forces beyond our understanding. Meanwhile, something blooms in lovely scenes between Zee and Ravaryn, who finds her scars beautiful.
Zee’s quest both illuminates how everything has changed in the aftermath of her heroism in the first book, while also plunging deeper into her world’s most unexpected elements, as Hayes springs on her compelling challenges touched with the fae and the mythic. The rest of the cast, though, is engaged in catch-up missions, trying to track down Zee, though those stories all eventually twist. This polished, often gripping fantasy builds to a tantalizing promise of conflicts to come.
Takeaway: Smart, intimate post-apocalyptic fantasy where heroism comes at the cost of a curse.
Comparable Titles: L D Houghton’s Mindfire, Aiden Thomas’s Lost in the Never Woods.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Reminiscent of classic coming-of-age fantasy adventure fare but still freshened up for the era of apps, Magic, Mystery and the Multiverse offers genre-bending for all of its juxtapositioned settings—from medieval-like realms to highly advanced technologically driven worlds—human struggle, and a touch of dystopia and politics. Winter incorporates a world where oxygen is commercialized, and those in positions of power can cast a spell for forced obedience, creating societies where “It’s not safe to think a contrarian thought.” These facets serve as a socio-political commentary challenging a reflection of contemporary and perennial issues, drawing parallels to capitalism, the suppression of speech, and global protests against authoritarian regimes. Amid these, the core of the story remains tethered in a human struggle—Zack's cancer diagnosis.
Although fast-paced, the world-building is meticulous and exciting in the sense that as the story appears to be drawing near its conclusion, the intricate motivations of various characters come to the forefront, driving the narrative's momentum. Opus Die has yet to show himself, the Crimson Censor is still alive, Lord Orator comes with a bargain, and the rest of the ensemble believes Ana may be the key to fulfilling the prophecy. These intricate plot threads keep readers eagerly anticipating the forthcoming installment.
Takeaway: Inventive series starter that joy rides through an unpredictable multiverse.
Comparable Titles: Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Claudia Gray's A Thousand Pieces of You.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Bland Loafer
Inspired by a narrow-minded boss in real life who branded McCoy a “bland loafer”—defined as “that rare individual that ‘privilege’ has left in material, philosophical and spiritual shamble”—the novel poses incisive questions about power and culture in America, especially what it means to refuse, in McCoys words, to allow himself to be defined “as someone who others can simply extract labor from.” That’s from Mccoy’s introduction, which illuminates a novel where style submerges plot while offering powerhouse jeremiads against societal injustice and backwardness, against conventional wisdom and racial and class injustice, plus bursts of poetry, Ford’s surging inner thoughts, and debates with frustrated family members.
With subtle humor, principled outrage, polemical power, and an occasional zeal to “turn the anxiety of meaninglessness into courage,” the protagonists and his acquaintances enjoy contemplating the works of history’s greatest minds—Wittgenstein, Kant, and Niebuhr. The result is a highly intelligent, challenging, insightful exploration of history’s missteps and repercussions, and of a world seemingly set up to “crush the spirit of the Bland Loafer.” Readers of searching, discursive literary fiction will cheer as Ford stubbornly trudges after his intellectual dreams against the harsh tide of society.
Takeaway: Searing novel documenting the mind, debates, and outrage of a “bland loafer.”
Comparable Titles: Paul Beatty, Ralph Ellison.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
What ensues, over this epic-length travel tale, is a series of comic misadventures across Southeast Asia, as Parker, born a Christian, faces growing Hindu nationalism in India and a host of surprises abroad, in Malaysia and Thailand, with sharply drawn women he meets on Tinder, a CouchSurfing app, and elsewhere. He works with a woman to establish safe places for cows and street dogs; falls under the spell of social-media religious leaders who make pitches like “Pay only $4,999 US dollars, and liberate your soul”; seeks spiritual breakthroughs in the wrong kind of Bangkok spa; visits a hunter-gatherer tribe in the Malaysian highlands, where he’s mistaken for child-thieving police.
Franco’s prose and perspective are continually arresting, and the novel bursts with amusing incident and food for thought, especially on the subjects of commodified enlightenment, the exploitation of women and the global poor, and the (hilarious, troubling) flexibility of its narrator’s ideas. But the novel’s length, its anecdotal naif’s-progress structure, and general low stakes mean that it often feels long, lacking a compelling narrative drive. Still, as Parker ducks bees, endures misunderstandings, and encounters (but doesn’t quite suss out) the hypocrisies of rulers and faith leaders, Franco stirs serious, often pained laughs.
Takeaway: Truly funny novel of a South Indian man's journey toward enlightenment.
Comparable Titles: Shashi Tharoor, Anurag Mathur.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
To that end, Kissing Asphalt finds Niami relishing the best that life offers: the food in Iraq, moments of trust and connection with friends and family, the pleasure of buying her first bong with money saved from work at Taco Bell or discovering her rock-star heroes, the Go-Go’s. Niami’s prose is direct and frank, like a friend disclosing intimate truths. She writes of discovering her own sexuality while watching the 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life: “Jo Polniaczek always had me a bit captivated, pondering thoughts a twelve-year-old shouldn’t but often does: sex.”
The book’s heart is Niami’s complex, touching relationship with her mother, plus her two brothers, the oldest of whom Niami didn’t know about until her teen years. Niami shares some hair-raising domestic arguments, but also attests that her mother did her best with limited tools, having come from an abusive home herself. Niami prefers to move to the next incident, whether gutting or charming, rather than dwell on analysis. Her story, though, showcases the power of facing one’s past to take power over one’s life.
Takeaway: Frank, engaging memoir of embracing life despite abuse.
Comparable Titles: R. Layla Salek’s Chaos in Color, Ariel Leve’s An Abbreviated Life.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
The Witchfinder's Serpent
Readers will immediately fall for Goodwin’s entire cast of characters. Nate comes across as an empathetic everyman (in his case, boy) who is racing to save himself and his loved ones from an unimaginable fate with a thoroughly evil actor, Matthew Hopkins aka Malleus Hodge, with dedicated, mysterious Aunt Celia and a-hundreds-of years-old shapeshifting bird as allies. Goodwin’s birds behave convincingly throughout, and his supporting characters ably underpin a tale that blends the spooky pleasures of New England history with a contemporary sensibility that finds words like “doth” amusing. A mysterious serpent bracelet also plays a central role, with the story’s villain determined to steal it and end the lives of everyone good.
Goodwin expertly ratchets up the tension throughout, keeping readers enthralled as they power through the narrative. He makes the unfathomable seem very plausible, with world-building that will easily captivate readers—many who will not know that the witch trials in Connecticut actually preceded the better-known Salem Witch Trials in nearby Massachusetts. His characters also command respect, and the motives of several seemingly innocent players will thoroughly shock readers at the tale’s conclusion. While intended for a YA audience, this lively, well-plotted fantasy thriller will command interest from adult readers as well.
Takeaway: Spellbinding tale of New England witchery with stellar twists.
Comparable Titles: Adriana Mather’s How to Hang a Witch, Sally Green’s Half Bad.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Frank's Shadow
As in many of the best literary fiction novels, McIntyre’s work aims a microscope at its troubled protagonist, relentlessly exposing flaws and confronting prejudices head-on, without sacrificing reality for fancy. Standout scenes include Daniel’s alcohol and Ativan-induced stupor at his father’s funeral service and a young adulthood run-in with law enforcement—an experience that causes him to wonder, as he looks back on it, if it was actually his attempt to “[put] me out of my misery.” Readers will undoubtedly relate to Daniel, at his best and worst moments, due to the palpable humanity McIntyre injects into him via powerful prose and excellent voice curation.
Even at its most dramatic and played-up, Frank’s Shadow keeps its feet on the ground and delivers a first-rate, incisive, even inflammatory character study that will hook readers from beginning to end. McIntyre, a New York native, paints the New York City of 1998 with a kind of vividness born of authenticity, highlighting its charms and harms in ways that connect Daniel to the place and time, further immersing readers in this engrossing story. Daniel’s pursuit of his own deliverance is earnest and unrestrained, candidly portrayed as he searches for the deeper meaning in his father’s life. This is a triumph of dramatic literature.
Takeaway: An incisive character study set to the throbbing backbeat of ‘90s New York City.
Comparable Titles: Mary E. McDonald’s Small Town Empire, Steven Lomske’s On the Bank of the Chippewa.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Called by Another Name: A Memoir of the Gwangju Uprising
Dolinger, with co-author Matt VanVolkenburg, writes that he has set out to honor those killed in the Gwangju Uprising of May, 1980, and their stories come through here with clarity and power. Also clear is the political, cultural, and economic currents, plus the responsibility that Dolinger feels to report what he witnessed—and to give voice to others, especially in light of the disinterest of western journalists.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, Dolinger was ordered to stand down and get out of the city, but his own values simply wouldn’t allow him to do so. Instead, he observed, took photographs (included here), and helped as many citizens as he could as the violence carried on. Now, he works to ensure that the facts are known. Part fast-paced and fascinating memoir, with wrenching accounts of “terror … being rained down from the skies,” and part documentary memorial for the people of Gwangju, Called by Another Name exposes the shocking truth.
Takeaway: Gripping firsthand account of South Korea’s Gwangju Uprising and massacre.
Comparable Titles: Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-Eui, and Jeon Yong-Ho’s Gwangju Uprising, Choi Jungwoon’s The Gwangju Uprising.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The couple eventually makes a bold, painful decision, one that Noftz wrings for much feeling. After life-changing experiences together, they decide to “[freeze] their love in time” to let it remain as perfect and untainted as possible as they go their separate ways—“so it would live on, long after our goodbye, long after our youth faded.” Of course, the story doesn’t end there, and Vanessa, starting a new life on a horse farm, eventually meets Aubrey, a woman with a surprising connection to Craig. Noftz’s debut is a perfect example of a carefully crafted and continually surprising romantic plot, crossing over multiple seasons of life, drawn from real and poignant emotions that are felt on the page.
At times the matter-of-fact writing and quick pacing of the story come at the expense of the pleasures of lyricism. Still, it's easy to get caught up in these sweeping emotions as it all builds to an urgent choice: should these two rekindle their love and risk tampering its perfection, daring to find out if it can be sustained through all of life’s twists and turns?
Takeaway: Superbly plotted love story of passion, discovery, and reflection, spanning years.
Comparable Titles: Jill Santopolo’s The Light We Lost, Emily Henry’s Happy Place.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
