Sandy, an elf living at the North Pole, takes part in every elf’s favorite pastime during the off season: he whiles away his days fishing with his best friend, a polar bear named Popcorn. But Sandy’s different from the other elves in one very special way—he’s visually impaired, relying on jingle bells in the village to know what time it is and navigating Santa’s streets with the help of the town’s candy cane railing, paired with his stellar memory. Despite his love for home, Sandy craves adventure, and he gets it in spades when Santa’s crew opts to spend their summer vacation in Thailand.

The elves in this story are celebrating a holiday very different from Christmas: they’re traveling to Thailand in honor of Leon’s Day—the halfway mark to Christmas—with plans to assist endangered species at the Kaeng Krachan, Thailand’s biggest national park. Natale employs that decidedly unique elf activity to deliver a feast for the senses in this unconventional holiday picture book, the fifth in her Elf School Is Out! series, after Holly’s Rainforest Adventure. Because Sandy is visually impaired, readers get the chance to experience Thailand the way he does—by sampling its sweet durian fruit, racing through the streets in windy tuk-tuks, and catching the scent of perfumed soaps, all accompanied by his faithful dog, Titina, who guards Sandy’s collapsible cane and helps him navigate Thailand’s busy market streets.

Bailey’s bright illustrations reveal just how exciting life can be for Santa’s little helpers, as the elves and co. jaunt from their snow-topped houses to river boats with monkey guides to an extraordinary national park teeming with unusual animals—who are all more than happy to celebrate Leon’s Day with the group. Natale closes this fun holiday adventure with a list of vocabulary from the story and a Thai recipe for kids to try out with their adult readers.

Takeaway: Santa’s elves take an unconventional approach to summer vacation.

Comparable Titles: Kim Ann’s Where Do Elves Go On Vacation?, Trish Madsen’s 12 Little Elves Visit Colorado.

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

Click here for more about Sandy Senses Adventure in Thailand

College student Addison Morgan is still reeling from losing her sister in a drunk-driving accident when she catches her unfaithful and violent boyfriend, Philip, with another girl. Struggling with dizziness and heartbreaking reminders that it’s her late sister’s birthday, Addison gets behind the wheel and blacks out, running into another vehicle and injuring its driver. Wracked with guilt, she tracks down the driver to apologize and inadvertently makes a new friend, Ami Tant, a girl with whom she finds an unlikely connection: Ami’s attractive older brother Logan, a police officer and student himself, helped Addison overcome a bout of dizziness earlier that day in the school library.

Patterson (author of the Paradise series) delivers a moving, Christian-focused romance with admirable depth and a fine cast of supporting characters—particularly Ami, Logan’s twin brother Nathan, and their parents—who provide much-needed support for Addison as she works to escape her abusive boyfriend. Logan mistakenly believes Addison was drunk when the accident took place, but after getting to know her, he realizes that she was desperately trying to cope with the trauma of her sister’s death. He falls hard and fast for her, though Philip keeps cropping up in the worst ways. As Patterson ratchets up the tension, including a horrific act on Philip’s part that alters Addison for life, readers will ache alongside Addison and Logan as both deal with their complicated realities.

Readers who have experienced intimate partner violence may be triggered by Addison’s trials, but Patterson handles difficult topics with uncommon grace. Both Addison and Logan are forced to make hard decisions, individually and as a couple, as they fight to overcome their tragic past experiences and forge a new path together. Faith-based readers will especially appreciate Patterson’s subtle advocacy of the power of prayer, hope, and conviction in one’s beliefs.

Takeaway: Christian-focused romance that takes on powerful topics with grace.

Comparable Titles: Gina Holmes’s Wings of Glass, Valerie M. Bodden’s Whispers of Truth.

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

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This mystical debut spins a tale of the Ghazalli family: Badr, his parents, and his five siblings, all gifted with special magical powers. When Badr—who can hear others’ thoughts—uncovers a plot by his school’s headmistress, Mrs. BeeZahara, to strip schoolchildren of their magical powers, he enlists the help of his family to stop her. Thus ensues an epic quest and journey into the unknown, as Badr and family navigate treacherous seas, solve intricate riddles, and confront fanciful creatures, all while evading the sinister machinations of Mrs. BeeZahara.

The Ghazalli family forms an engaging base in this fantasy-rich story; each member is a force field of distinctive powers, but they manage to stay relatable at the same time, while working through the issues that so often accompany large families. When an ancestor’s ghost links them to an ancient prophecy, the family must unite to hunt down seven magical stones scattered across the Middle Sea, harnessing their unique strengths to overcome trials by sea, land, and air. The cost if they fail, as in all great hero quests, is perilously high: cosmic peril. But the Ghazallis willingly take on the challenge, working to the refrain of “whatever happens, we’ll make it through as a family.”

The Goshenite immerses readers in the vibrancy of the Middle Kingdoms—and hints at more to come after this first installment in the author's Echoes of Destiny series—while blending evocative landscapes and enchanting magic with the heritage of the Qayrans and Elysians, two bloodlines that merge in the Ghazalli family. A host of AI-generated images add little, making characters who seem singular in the prose look glossily generic, but this debut beautifully balances tradition with innovation, interlacing ancient lore and mystical beings deeply rooted in Arabian mythology—like genies, dragons, and sea creatures—into a culturally rich narrative. As Badr’s mother proclaims, “there’s a time and place for magic,” and readers will find it overflowing here.

Takeaway: Epic family quest rooted in Arabian mythology.

Comparable Titles: S.A. Chakraborty’s The City of Brass, Saladin Ahmed’s Throne of the Crescent Moon.

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

Click here for more about The Goshenite

“Re-Storying education,” Roberts writes, “is a process of dismantling old narratives to rebuild and re-story new narratives to include historically silenced voices in education.” This compelling guidebook on decolonizing Canada’s educational system draws upon her own personal experiences as an Indigenous person within Canadian classrooms, both as teacher and student–she recalls the low expectations some teachers had of her, and her feelings of not quite belonging in school, all at a time when Indigenous students were dropping out of school at “a much higher rate than all other students.” Roberts has devoted her career to helping students feel they belong, and here she presents the tools and resources designed to “re-story” or decolonize western pedagogies, while creating culturally responsive learning environments that “connect students to the society they live in.”

Roberts begins by revealing some harsh truths about the current state of Canada’s educational system—“built by one of the key designers of the Indian Residential School System”—and the genocidal laws and policies upon which it was founded. “My children are the first children in my family that have not been stolen from their parents by the government,” she notes, before explaining the numerous ways this system, along with others, attempted to eradicate Indigenous people and their way of life. Roberts urges educators to “unlearn the colonial framework of education” to better support the needs of Indigenous students.

From cultural appropriation to racial-spotlighting and hidden biases, Roberts dives into the multitude of factors that create educational disparities in marginalized communities, while providing readers with sample lesson plans, suggested readings and playlists, and thought-provoking questions at the end of every chapter to encourage the deconstruction of deeply rooted Eurocentric mindsets and the cultivation of culturally responsive classrooms. This impassioned guide serves as a call-to-action for administrators and educators to develop a strong critical lens and actively decolonize the classroom. Written in relatable, inclusive language, Roberts encourages readers to reconnect with one another, the land, waterways, and community.

Takeaway: Compelling guide to dismantling outdated pedagogies to better serve Indigenous students.

Comparable Titles: Marie Battiste’s Decolonizing Education, Jo Chrona’s Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies.

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

Click here for more about Re-Storying Education

The fourth entry (or “season”) in Turetsky’s upbeat, team-minded HR Doodles comic series finds the high-flying software company Orange You Playing Much blindsided. Even as the team is toasting their post-merger success—they’ve launched the top-selling VR software title—a sudden rash of employee departures in the tech departments causes concern among the HR team. Turetsky’s Doodles respond in the smart ways that have been established over previous collections of these four-panel strips: gathering data, surveying employees, checking in with AI bot Charlie, communicating with transparency, and generally demonstrating to readers all that a flexible, effective, goal-oriented HR team can be. Like conferences in a Federation starship, each of the many meetings here builds to agreement, clear action steps, and a sense of collective purpose.

Readers of these warm, colorful comics will likely daydream about how nice it would be if all HR departments resembled the Doodles. This volume cements the comic’s shift into a vehicle for book-length storytelling, as Turetsky foregoes punchlines in favor of charting how a good team would handle this situation. The revelation that OUPM workers are being poached by a competitor isn’t a surprise, but the team’s shoe-leather detective work, discussed in meetings and calls, is engaging and convincing. Turetsky’s diverse, cheery faces and playful sense of workplace environs and habits (don’t shout “SHUT UP!” when surprised at a meeting) keep the material light, even as the plot touches on corporate skullduggery and literal vengeance.

Some quirks of presentation again make reading the comics occasionally frustrating. It’s not always clear what order the speech bubbles are meant to be read in. While charmingly designed, characters tend to look straight ahead, at the reader rather than at each other, offering little indication of who is speaking to whom and in what order, which means some panels, especially those with seven characters and five bursts of dialogue, need to be read more than once to follow the flow.

Takeaway: Charming comics about a clever, team-minded HR department.

Comparable Titles: Steve Browne’s HR Rising!, Monica Frede and Keri Ohlrich’s The Way of the HR Warrior.

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

Click here for more about HR Data Doodles: Season 4 - No Place for Vengeance in HR

Patterson’s first book in her Paradise series surveys how love crosses cultural boundaries. In the wake of emotions surrounding her father’s death, high school senior Rachel Adams moves from Florida to a fixer-upper in Paradise, Pennsylvania, worried about making friends in a strange new place. Meanwhile, Paul Fischer, the young Amish handyman whom Rachel’s mother hires to work on their home, is already struggling with his family’s unwillingness to support his dreams of a construction business, and he fears their further displeasure if he gives in to his attraction to the new Englischer girl in town—and refuses the affections of the Amish girl doggedly pursuing him.

Readers used to the genre will be comforted, if unsurprised, by the novel’s familiarity. Patterson (author of Shattered Treasure) hits all the basic beats of Amish romance, including the acceptable but unwanted pursuer, the slow convincing of potential love, the light gossip among women, and social gatherings with delicious meals. Though positioned as adult fiction, the story reads young, both due to the age and social immaturity of the central protagonists, the straightforward prose and simple dialogue, and romantic connections that are limited to hand holding and a few kisses. Rachel and Paul’s growing attraction exudes a feel-good vibe that carries throughout, even overcoming their minor frustrations with one another, while their visits into each other’s Christian faith traditions shore up the religious message and keep it relevant to the plot.

Patterson uses key background points in both Rachel and Paul’s histories—the car accident that killed Rachel’s father, the friend of Paul’s who was thrown over by an Englisch girl—to reinforce their momentary uncertainty with each other, but Rachel’s willingness to give up college to become an Amish wife feels out of place for her character. Patterson ends with a plot twist resolving Paul’s dilemma and a final reconciliation that’s sweet, if not completely expected.

Takeaway: Enjoyable Amish-Englisch story of first love and new beginnings.

Comparable Titles: Beverly Lewis’s The Heirloom, Shelley Shepard Gray’s A Perfect Amish Romance.

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

Click here for more about Chasing Paradise (A Paradise Novel Book 1)

This updated third edition of Forbes’s exploration of the development, over history, of inalienable human rights and freedoms, offers an extensive examination of the written and unwritten rules, regulations, and ethics that shape modern society, governments, and corporations—and how, in Forbes’s words, individuals are “charged with a responsibility—indeed, a necessity … To secure liberty, freedom from oppression. To secure—human rights.” Forbes traces the evolution of these laws from ancient Mesopotamia, the writings of Plato and Aquinas, and the religious codifications of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and beyond, building to the enshrinement of rights in the Constitution of the United States and, later, the United Nations Charter and international treaties. Forbes examines the notion of “us” versus “them” in early societies, illustrating how this dichotomy compelled humans to grapple with concepts of humanity versus inhumanity, right versus wrong, in encounters with competing interests and security.

Through these lenses, he considers contemporary controversies, too, like compulsory inoculations, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and whether a state court should have the power to kick a federal candidate off a state electoral ballot. Each chapter focuses on different periods in history and how perspectives on human rights and morality have evolved. Forbes poses critical questions about widely accepted maxims such as “All’s fair in war” and “The ends justify the means” and provocatively discusses the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, questioning whether the often unreliable results of such extreme measures are worth their deep and enduring societal costs.

Self-defense is another crucial topic, as Forbes considers court cases, Israel’s use of force against Hamas, and more, urging readers to consider the broader implications. Forbes’ exploratory research draws from a diverse array of sources, from ancient texts to TikToks, making the book both informative and engaging. His conclusions eschew easy left/right orthodoxies, offering deep insights into the evolution and application of human rights.

Takeaway: Urgent, updated examination of the roots and responsibilities of humanity’s natural rights.

Comparable Titles: Pierre Manent’s Natural Law and Human Rights, Michael Boylan’s Natural Human Rights.

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

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In Reinelt's poignant novel, protagonist Charlie Houden embarks on a tumultuous journey of self-discovery and redemption, guided by the unyielding determination of his therapist, Dina Epstein. When Charlie reluctantly steps into Dina's office, unable to “recall the last time he felt truly alive,” their paths become intertwined in a seamless dance, as Reinelt (author of River of Souls) skillfully navigates Charlie's interactions with Dina and his emotional flashbacks, weaving past traumas with present-day struggles. Through vivid prose and dynamic storytelling, Reinelt captures Charlie's inner turmoil with raw authenticity. " ‘Harming’ myself… would be redundant," Charlie confesses, encapsulating the visceral ache that defines his existence, “I have enough pain for one life.”

The evolving relationship between Charlie and Dina is central to the narrative—a dynamic marked by empathy, humor, and flashes of stark revelation. Dina emerges not only as Charlie's therapist but as a pivotal catalyst in his journey towards healing, and her steadfast commitment to helping Charlie confront his past underscores the novel's message of resilience and human connection. Charlie’s wavering mood swings build tension in their actions, as Dina adjusts her schedule to accommodate his growing progress in therapy—allowing her to learn more about Charlie while subjecting herself to his emotional battery.

As much a psychological exploration as a gripping tale of survival, Charlie’s Ladder delves into the darkest recesses of the human mind, while touching readers with glimmers of hope and restoration. As Charlie navigates the labyrinth of his psyche, readers will also be compelled to confront universal themes of pain, forgiveness, and the quest for inner peace. Charlie’s religion plays a role throughout his journey as well; in one scene, he balances small comforts gleaned from time in his church choir with a feeling that he’s being “duped by yet another Catholic myth, fostered by misinterpretation and wishful thinking.” Readers will be eager for more of Charlie in Reinelt’s next installment.

Takeaway: One man’s visceral journey of trauma, self-discovery, and redemption.

Comparable Titles:Claire Lombardo’s Same As It Ever Was, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things.

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

Click here for more about Charlie's Ladder

Krenik kicks off the Ranfurly Mysteries series with a genre-blending thriller that defies expectations. In the summer of 2226, Courtney Drake receives a letter from the dreaded government, PAX, telling her that her husband, Keith, has been executed. Devastated, Courtney and her two college-age children, Nick and Laurel, must persevere. Not far away, Lord Robert Ranfurly is faced with a lesser crisis: the departure of the latest nanny to his five-year-old twins. Courtney answers the Ranfurly ad and is selected for the job, but on her first day the gardener is murdered. Soon she is thrown into a vortex of action and intrigue, all complicated by her simultaneous attraction for both Lord Ranfurly and his driver, Sean Knight.

The world that Krenik creates mixes several beloved by readers: a romanticized version of pre-Victorian England with vast manors, kissable lords, and stern household managers; a drone-patrolled post-apocalyptic dystopia with a deep and intrusive State inserting tracker chips into its citizens and allowing profitable human trafficking to flourish; and an idyllic, fantasy-touched woodland paradise, complete with adorable pets that include a flying dragon. The action mainly takes place in the manorial microcosm and the futuristic deep State ruled by the evil PAX, a group of market-minded billionaires blinded by their wealth and power, with scant regard for anything else. It’s a lot to keep track of but offers much to explore in future entries.

Though there’s much worldbuilding to cover, Krenik smoothly ramps up and maintains the suspense till the end, nicely setting up the next book, weaving in some promising romance, and touching on contemporary worries of plutocratic authoritarianism. Climactic revelations satisfyingly pay off the clues that Krenik plants with deft sleight-of-hand, and the mysterious backstory of Lord Ranfurly is neatly woven into the action without any damage to the pacing and anticipation. This is a good start to the series and the strong, sensuous Lord Ranfurly, him of the golden heart, is sure to earn some diehard fans.

Takeaway: Intriguing mystery and romance set in a fantastic alternate world.

Comparable Titles: Danielle L. Jensen’s A Fate Inked In Blood; Anne Perry.

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

Click here for more about Danger Lies Within

Vincent's heartening third in the Art of Being Ugly series (after Uglier) follows 17-year-old Nic Summers into their second semester at Oklahoma Academy for Mathematics and Science (OAMS), finding their way as an gender-nonconforming teen in an environment that demands conformity. Nic and their friend Mack, who is trans, begin their semester on a high note with their own dorm rooms on a neutral floor. As Nic focuses on their new art mentorship and difficult classes, they and their friends decide to make a TikTok account to talk about banned books, but this quickly turns into a cathartic platform to discuss anti-LGBTQ legislation and their own struggles. But Nic’s freedom of expression soon angers the school’s Board of Trustees who fires back.

As teens not yet able to vote, and with little control over their own lives, Nic’s point of view demonstrates how scary existence can be as a gender-nonconforming youth, especially when adults with agendas demand to make life decisions for them. Soon Nic and Mack are forced to give up the private rooms where they felt safe, and to share a room on the girls’ floor, and Vincent does a phenomenal job making the readers feel their despair and fear—Nic and Mack seem targeted out of hatred for who they were.

As Nic and company face mounting hurdles to being who they are,they begin to share their own stories, anger, and fears in TikTok videos. Vincent writes each with raw, relatable feeling and hard-won insight that will stir deep empathy from readers, sometimes creating a sense of helplessness. That makes it all the more powerful and rousing when Nic—who is shy and avoids conflict—and their friends begin to publicly stand up for themselves in the hopes of helping others too. Readers will be left feeling hopeful and empowered to speak up for others after experiencing firsthand the challenges facing an LGBTQ teen.

Takeaway: Empowering journey of LGBTQ teens standing up against adult judgment.

Comparable Titles: Lisa Williamson’s The Art of Being Normal, Jeff Garvin’s Symptoms of Being Human.

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

Click here for more about Ugliest

In the quaint town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where summer residents mingle with locals, Jack Finn, a respected lobsterman, struggles to find joy suffering a tragic loss. Meanwhile, Melissa Andrews, celebrated actress and singer, seeks refuge in Maine from the relentless scrutiny that comes with fame. As their paths unexpectedly cross, Farnham’s debut unfolds a tale of mystery, suspense, and romance unfolds against the arresting backdrop of Maine's lobstering community, where Melissa finds herself enchanted by the work, the sea, the “idle chatter of … lobstermen,” and of course Jack, whose Maine accent (“Yaah, see ya latah”) grows even more pronounced when he works the traps with his old buddy Michael.

Farnham skillfully delves into the intricacies of Boothbay Harbor's lobstering families and unveils the hidden facets of their close-knit society with an insider's perspective—for all the story’s lived-in detail, Farnham takes pains to invite in readers who don’t know a snatch block from a pot hauler. Through nuanced storytelling, Farnham paints a vivid picture of Jack and Melissa's unlikely connection, exploring themes of grief, redemption, and the transformative power of love. From beginning to end, Melissa and Jack's romance feels natural and not forced into the story.

Subtle tension powers the story as the crew uncovers why a solitary lobster boat departs long after others have returned to shore, but what makes Red at Night—named for a beloved but “typical” Maine lobster boat—stand out is Farnham’s deep feeling for the milieu, especially his portrayal of characters navigating life's complexities amid the rugged beauty of Maine's coast. At times readers may wish for greater insight into the characters’ hearts—as well as another round of editing polish. Still, this is an engaging read for readers drawn to romance, intrigue, and convincing portrayals of rugged ocean work.

Takeaway: Heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and second chances on Maine's maritime culture.

Comparable Titles: Barbara Kent Lawrence’s Islands of Time, K. Stephens’s The Ghost Trap.

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

Click here for more about Red At Night

Reid Allin’s high-flying debut, a story of courage and resilience, shares the author’s journey from a troubled childhood and a strained marital life to standing up for herself, challenging gender norms, and blazing a trail by taking flight lessons and becoming a commercial airline pilot in the 1970s. “Whoever made the rules for girls is stupid,” Reid Allin notes, as she chronicles the challenges facing a woman eager to fly in an era when women were expected to embrace the role of caregivers—“Girls can’t fly planes,” she recalls her father telling her, on a flight the family took when in Reid Allin’s childhood, one of many times she heard variations on “You can’t . . . girls shouldn’t . . . and women don’t.” As she reports here, early setbacks test her resolve, but Reid Allin charts her own path, in life and air.

The memoir intricately details the dual fronts upon which Reid Allin battles and perseveres: the public front replete with prejudice, obstruction, and hostility by male colleagues and the private front mired with loneliness, bullying and abuse. Reid Allin vividly paints the Canada of the 1960s and 1970s, where cigarettes were advertised as harmless, flying was considered a man’s domain, and she grew up loving the TV adventures of Sky King and his aviator niece, Penny. Her interest in flying from an early age is communicated with power through her allegory of clouds while describing everything from her father’s mood to the uncertainty of the future.

The excitement and terror of flight training prove thrilling in her telling, while the technical details and vivid flight descriptions anchor the story, heightening the tension with moments such as, "the altimeter indicates 3,000 feet between us, terra firma, and death.” Further, the intrusive questions in her head (spread across chapters in italics) force the readers to understand the hurdles pioneering women face. The book is an inspiring tale that will resonate with anyone encountering obstacles in life or needing a nudge to pursue their dreams.

Takeaway: Inspiring memoir of a woman pilot blazing her own path.

Comparable Titles: Tammie Jo Shults’s Nerves of Steel, Niloofar Rahmani’s Open Skies.

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

Click here for more about Highway to the Sky

After a booze-fueled yacht party goes horribly awry, DJ Keller’s body is never recovered. His younger brother Craig, plagued with the pressures of being the heir apparent in an ultra-wealthy family, is forever traumatized by his older brother’s absence. Despite being handsome and intelligent, Craig believes himself inadequate to fill DJ's shoes, driving him into a desperate hunt for perfectionism. When their father suddenly dies, Craig is sure he sees DJ at the funeral; despite pursuit, the stranger evades him—until the following week, when he crops back up unexpectedly as Hendrik, the son of casino owner and family friend, Luuk Van Ness.

Royce crafts a wonderfully visceral mystery that teems with grotesque and vivid characterizations. Grounded by Craig’s mature point of view, characters—many of whom appear in Royce’s earlier series, Truth, Lies and Love in Advertising—are summarized briskly and efficiently, allowing readers to breezily follow the action. And that action rolls in at breakneck speed from the start: as Craig closes in on answers to the mysteries from his past, he’s shocked to discover pieces of his former life cropping back up in a mobster driven, vengeance-seeking spree of dark secrets, hidden identities, and bloody, action-packed fights.

Royce capably wends through a family tree of mistruths, mirroring Craig’s past life—before his transformation into a loving family man—against that of his family’s current chaos. Ever mindful of his duty and full of love for his family, Craig willfully chases whatever he must to free himself and his loved ones from their terrifying mess. The lengths he’s willing to go to are soon plumbed to the max, as he finds himself face to face with a gritty wonderland filled with all manner of filth, danger, and madness. Readers who appreciate relatable characters and gritty action will be entertained.

Takeaway: Gritty, vengeance-driven thriller of family secrets and sacrifice.

Comparable Titles: CLR Dougherty’s Assassins and Liars, Samuel Lockwood’s The Hidden Heir.

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

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The first installment in Royce’s fantastical Alagana trilogy follows the young elf Eyolin, who has been rejected from high elvish society and now lives on the margins of Mainwood, a tiered tree city whole limbs are “wide enough to carry two to three wagons comfortably.” Trusting no one and avoiding reminders of the life that she lost, Eyolin nurses a fractured memory and a forbidden power inside her that, for a decade, has been dormant. Now, though, the “Gift of magik” that “lay twisted inside her” and caused her to cast out from Alaganan society will soon be “released back to the land in the cycle of life”—she’s enduring hallucinations, black fogs, and the attacks of “hellish” creatures as it awakens.

Royce raises the stakes with breezy efficiency, finding fresh life in some familiar fantasy beats. Hunted by supernatural terrors, prodded by telepaths, and plagued by flashbacks, Eyolin soon finds sanctuary in Aideil, the capital of the High Elves. There she is given the moontear, a gem that holds the key to her magik, and taken under the wing of Tequerra Arendt, an ancient elf master who will train her in the art of controlling her powers. The narrative blends the personal, especially questions of identity, with sorcerous suspense, as Eyolin, targeted by a god and a king alike, must stay undercover to evade an evil necromancer, Magnogogue, and perhaps even greater threats.

Royce’s storytelling is immediately compelling, alive with rhythm, depth, and a sense of what compels lovers of the genre. That goes for her worldbuilding, too. Magik in Alagana may have a lot of rules, but at its core this story is about finding and being true to oneself. Eyolin’s budding friendship with the human servant Dale is funny and heartbreaking, while scenes of dark suspense startle as the story heads to a surprisingly gritty climax. Royce proves as well-versed in writing horror as fantasy, and an engrossing cliffhanger ensures readers are hooked for the next chapter in Eyolin’s quest.

Takeaway: High-octane fantasy adventure of an outcast elf and some darker themes.

Comparable Titles: Jillian Boehme’s The Stolen Kingdom, Stephanie Garber’s Caravel series.

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

Click here for more about The Moon Tear

Visual artist St. Clair debuts with a compelling tale that interlaces nature’s gossamer beauty with the raw realities of human experience. The story revolves around Emily and Danny, whose lives intersect after meeting at the art gallery where Emily works, during America’s turbulent 1960s. Emily, who discovers, during a troubled childhood, that she can see the future—and the past—through visions that transport her to other dimensions, immediately falls for Danny, a young man who’s made an appearance in her visions and helps her “connect sky with earth [and] earth with sky” while she heals from her mother’s death.

St. Clair paints a vivid picture with rich prose that captures the imagination, employing the stunning imagery of fireflies throughout to mirror Emily and Danny’s complex relationship and their yearning for connection despite the multitude of challenges they face, both individually and together. When Danny draws the top number in the Vietnam draft lottery—and rejects his family’s suggestion to flee to Canada—the war takes over their lives; but, amid “tanks and exploding bombs,” Danny writes to Emily of the fireflies surrounding him, “light[ing] up entire trees like it’s Christmas.” Likewise, Emily draws “her spirit dissolving into stippled dots” when recalling sexual abuse at the hands of her father.

As the war rages on, Emily and Danny’s lives are played out to the soundtracks of Jimi Hendrix, Country Joe and the Fish, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, and St. Clair paints a vivid backdrop of historical, artistic, and cultural renderings that include real life figures like Stavros Melissinos, the cobbler who fashioned shoes for the Beatles, baby blue VW Bugs, and rainbow headbands paired with cutoff jeans. Always, the grisly consequences of war play out in the background, while Danny fights to survive and Emily fights to preserve him as her lifeline, with his haunting refrain of “dream me alive” testifying to their timeless connection.

Takeaway: Ethereal meditation on war, love, and human fragility.

Comparable Titles: Glendy Vanderah’s Where the Forest Meets the Stars, Suzanne Redfearn’s Where Butterflies Wander.

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

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Transient global amnesia (TGA), a temporary condition that makes it impossible to form new memories and often follows a traumatic experience, might sound like a malady dreamed up by thriller novelists, but Schleich (author of Salvation Station) drew on her own real-life experience of TGA to craft this mesmerizing mystery of murder and the mind. The aptly titled Missing Pieces focuses on Maddie Cummins, an attorney who prides herself on making a difference in her clients’ lives, as she tackles a high-profile public divorce case representing the third wife of an automotive tycoon whose diabolical past may just catch up to him. Tension escalates when Maddie is blindsided by an eerie amnesia episode. Adversity and stress court every lawyer, but when the police discover Maddie in her filthy pajamas with fresh cuts and bruises, roaming aimlessly, she lands in the hospital overnight for a series of tests, including a CT scan.

Creepier still: visions of a human skull that trigger nightmares that drive Maddie to hypnotherapy. As the stakes ramp up, and as Maddie struggles to determine whether or not her imagination is conjuring dark scenarios, Schleich captures the unsettling feeling of not trusting one’s own mind as well as the practical tensions of what it means to put one’s life and responsibilities on hold, especially as Maddie’s friends, a U.S. Attorney and an FBI agent, insist she take time off to recuperate. But after a shocking discovery, Maddie has no choice but to dig deeper, uncovering a trail of homicides, some decades old, with one common denominator: her client’s soon to be ex.

Schleich crafts an intriguing and twisting murder plot that moves briskly, builds to surprises, and centers on a woman who no longer can count on her sharpest asset: her mind, where words now “flicker” like “a dying neon sign.” What makes Maddie compelling is her refusal to accept this and her zeal to fight for justice.

Takeaway: Gripping mystery of a lawyer's amnesia and a rash of murders.

Comparable Titles: Dylan Young’s Trauma, Charles Harris’s Room 15.

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

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