Durwood (author of The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Geometry Girls) presents exciting fictions imagining adventurous young women at crucial moments in the history of aviation around the globe, with an emphasis on heroic characters’ efforts to protect their families and homelands. Common themes in these high-flying tales are bravery, being protective of others, and of course persistence. The breakthrough named in the title of the standout story “The First Manned Flight” comes somewhat accidentally: sisters Romy and Anke Mobelbauer endlessly bicker, including over Anke being forced to soar high into the air on a large kite while helping her brothers find trees for their woodworking business. Suddenly she views the world from a perspective usually exclusive to “clouds and griffon and geese.” But it's only when the sinister Count Vilnius imprisons Romy in his impregnable citadel that Anke dares what the narrator terms the “first flight of a manned, fixed-wing aircraft" as she races to save her sister, despite their differences.

Other entries involve spies, experimental rockets, and flight as a means of communication over distances. In Africa, Isoke, protagonist of “The Price of Flight,” takes rousing and surprising inspiration from her bond with a wounded falcon, while “Kites, Or Red Blue Blue” centers on a bridge collapse in 19th Century China: the mysterious Le Lang presses the spoiled young monarchs, Zang Tu and his sister Sizhen, to improve their bridges despite their initial stubborn refusal, nudging the siblings toward a new maturity, all as glorious silk kites send messages.

Vivid descriptions are highlights throughout the nine stories, though character and pacing are often sacrificed for thorough descriptions of aircraft construction, history, and function, plus the harvesting of natural rubber and the engineering genius it takes to make planes faster, lighter, and more acrobatic. Still, the heroines’ bravery and perseverance shines through as they seek to improve lives, save the day, and conquer the skies. Readers will be intrigued by the photos and illustrations of aircraft and the women who flew them.

Takeaway: Rousing, imaginative stories of young women heroes making aviation history.

Comparable Titles: Keith O'Brien’s Fly Girls, Ann McCallum Staats’s High Flyers.

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

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Balfour’s brisk thriller follows Carla Cruz, a single mother who left the DEA burdened with a tarnished reputation, severe PTSD, a surgically reconstructed body thanks to an on-the-job explosion, and a murdered husband. Now relocated to Los Angeles, she enjoys a quiet life, spending her time drinking with friends, holding down multiple minimum-wage jobs, and taking classes on manuscript publishing. But despite her best efforts to keep the past buried, it comes calling when she encounters brothers Diego and Ramon at a Hollywood party and quickly realizes their philanthropy is a façade—the two are actually Colombian drug lords, and she tried to put them away on her last DEA assignment.

At its core, A Memory of Fire is an exploration of the ripple effects of trauma, a tribute to facing the past as the only way forward. When Carla finds herself trapped in the cartel’s clutches again, tasked with recovering millions her husband stole from Diego and Ramon, her life, and her daughter’s, hang in the balance. In attempting to locate the stolen money, she journeys back to her past, forced to reckon with not only her DEA days and the truth of her marriage, but also a troubled childhood marked by her abusive father. That journey is painful, but it allows Carla to reclaim her agency while revealing how reconnection can serve as a powerful source of healing. Woven throughout is a mystery of many moving parts, turning what begins as a search for money into an exposé with layers of deception, shifting alliances, and double agents galore.

Balfour (author of The Harem Conspiracy series) builds the plot with keen detail and insider knowledge, drawing from his own experience working closely with federal agencies to imbue the story with unique authenticity. This is an unforgettable opening to a promising series that thriller fans will savor.

Takeaway: High-stakes mystery combines with a quest to face the past head on.

Comparable Titles: Lisa Gardner; Nic Pizzolatto’s Galveston.

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

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Haddad (author of A Hundred Sweet Promises) pens a moving story, inspired by true events, of Iran during the Second World War, illuminating a lesser-known slice of history in its occupation by British and Soviet forces, a “minor thread… [whose] implications were intricately woven into the fabric of the more significant conflict.” The tale unfolds through the eyes of Sohrab, springing from a traumatic birth and named for a fabled Iranian hero, as he guides readers through Iran’s transformation from a peaceful home to a land engulfed in despair. As he grows, Sohrab finds himself immersed in the chaos of World War II, where lines between friend and foe blur and words and actions are painstakingly measured.

Guided by religion and traditions, and respecting his father while longing for his mother’s love, Sohrab is a tribute to cultural legacy, an everyday hero who breathes virtue and sincerity, even as his world is consumed by the international powers vying for control of Iran’s natural resources. That dichotomy echoes in Haddad’s portrait of an Iran straining against its past as it reaches for the future, coming to terms with its worldly transformation while balancing ancient beliefs and customs. Sohrab’s journey encompasses not just Iran’s occupation but also the persecution of Jews, the devastation of a military invasion on his doorstep, and the beauty of found family—his brother, Arash, along with his German wife, Krista—that bathes the story in cross-cultural harmony and innocence during a time when the streets whispered suspicion at every turn.

The book’s title—pulled from an editorial cartoon depicting two beasts toying with a weaker one—serves as a chilling metaphor for the manipulation and control plaguing Sohrab’s country. As that reality unfolds, and Sohrab grasps the loss of his innocence, Haddad captures his confusion with precision, reshaping Sohrab’s simple journey into a harrowing adventure of loss, love, and bravery.

Takeaway: Thoughtful portrayal of Iran during its World War II occupation.

Comparable Titles: Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Parinoush Saniee’s The Book of Fate.

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

Click here for more about The Harmless Necessary Cat - A World War II Family Saga in Allied-Occupied Iran

Historian Wilson spotlights the remarkable Catharine (Kate) Beecher—the elder sister of famed author Harriet Beecher Stowe—and her impassioned fight for women’s education in this absorbing debut. The story unfolds first through the embrace of Kate’s whirlwind romance with Alexander Fisher, a courtship that was riddled with miscommunication but still lively, a passionate catalyst serving as a turning point in Kate’s determination to promote women’s rights. Kate emerges as a creative young woman, drawn to poetry and music, who, upon meeting Alexander—an up-and-coming Yale professor—discovers her “romantic hero at last.” The pair’s somewhat rocky road to betrothal rivets, as does their tragic ending: shortly after their engagement, Alexander dies in a tragic shipwreck.

Wilson smartly uses that catastrophe as the spark that fueled Kate’s path to "improve the lives of women through education,” drawing from unpublished letters, historical photographs, and painstaking personal research to sketch a layered story of love, grief, and healing. The result is a tender account of an individual often eclipsed by her younger sister’s fame, a fierce champion for women born out of the mistreatment she suffered by the men in her life: "Kate’s heart was broken. She was tormented by men who tried to analyze her rather than empathize with her. She was hounded by devils, and her faith failed her. She was forlorn, with nowhere to turn," Wilson writes.

The balm for her grief takes shape in Kate’s formation of schools for women, including the Hartford Female Seminary and Western Female Institute, as well as her foray into home economics, with a best-selling book, Treatise on Domestic Economy, penned in 1841. At a time when women were largely credited for their domestic roles only, Kate features here as a “powerful stick of dynamite” for women’s progress, an ardent believer that women could “change America for the better.” History fans will be captivated.

Takeaway: Riveting sketch of Catharine Beecher’s championship of women’s education.

Comparable Titles: Kathryn Kish Sklar's Catharine Beecher, Dorothy Wickenden’s The Agitators.

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

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"Aging is natural, neutral, and non-negotiable,” writes Othmer in this heartening guide to making the most of life—especially as lives grow longer. “We cannot control [aging]” she argues, “but we can control how we handle it.” Sharing the insights and knowledge gained over 80 years of living, social scientist Othmer, reflects on her own life and imparts 26 nuggets of wisdom (from A to Z) that encourage readers to live life to its fullest at any and all ages, especially in what is considered the "later years.” Presenting a way to seek joy with each new letter of the alphabet, this comprehensive guide to peace and happiness explores actively living through movement, helping others, and creative expression.

After the passing of her husband of 55 years, Othmer pushed herself into a journey of self-discovery, self-awareness, and discovering ways to incorporate joy into each day. "His end was not the end,” she writes, noting that he had let her know it was instead “a new beginning for him and me.” In that spirit, Othmer shares fun ideas to enrich life and curate a reason to smile every day and promotes living without fear and daring to acknowledge one’s age and embrace “what we have experienced, what we know, and what we have become.” Filled with poems, lists, and engaging exercises and prompts, Joyous Longevity finds Othmer ruminating on simple pleasures, from being curious and learning new things to traveling and socializing with new and old friends.

Her guidance is as inviting as it is hard-won. "Best of all, be curious about yourself,” Othmer urges. “Ask what else you might try in this lifetime.” Through connecting with the Earth or finding quiet moments of solitude, Othmer's personal anecdotes and advice is refreshing, positive, and motivating. A welcome resource for readers feeling stagnant or lost, Joyous Longevity is packed with actionable tips that can easily be incorporated into any lifestyle.

Takeaway: An uplifting guide to finding joy and living life to the fullest at any age.

Comparable Titles: Matthew Kelly's The Fourth Quarter of Your Life, Gladys McGarey's The Well-Lived Life.

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

Click here for more about Joyous Longevity.

Bright’s debut celebrates “adventures, friendships, and the simple joy of finding something new every day.” While on vacation with his family in Barbados, Miles enjoys a perfect day at the beach, making new friends, learning about Bajan culture and Caribbean wildlife, and discovering pleasures like sea baths and surfing. Miles learns the history of sugarcane and begins to pick up local language skills, like "wunna" (meaning "you all") and "ting" (meaning, well, you’ve already guessed!) As his parents drive the curved streets, Miles even spots green monkeys eating mangos, enjoying family time in a relatable way.

Miles's inquisitive nature and outgoing personality offer Bright opportunity to incorporate fun facts about life in the Caribbean. Her narration poses interactive questions in each compact chapter (“Have you ever played a new game with new friends?”) while Naafi Nur Rohma’s inviting, sun-kissed illustrations offer vistas worth poring over, alive palm trees, sea turtles, and expressive faces. The long green monkeys, lanky and limber, are a highlight. In each chapter, Miles discovers something new such as the fact that in much of the world soccer is called "football", or the thrill of swimming with turtles, "ocean helpers" who "eat jelly fish and sea grass to keep the ocean clean.”

The text design is somewhat odd, with some oversized and bolded words on each page that might encourage out-loud readers to place emphasis where it doesn’t naturally fall, and a lack of narrative stakes—Miles is eager for adventure from the start—may limit emotional investment, Still, Miles's low-key, cool-breeze day at the beach introduces young readers not just to charming aspects of Caribbean life but to the pleasures of travel, especially to cultivating a sense of discovery and to take pride in the feeling of “becoming a small but real part of the community,” even if only for a day. A map of Barbados is a welcome addition.

Takeaway: Laid-back adventure of discovering Barbados on a beach vacation.

Comparable Titles: Junot Díaz’ss Islandborn, Rohit Loomba's Kayan Goes to Aruba.

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

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Following Fanning Fireflies, Delorme continues her Limerent series with this deeply immersive fourth installment. For nearly 20 years, Amelie McCormick has built a home and a name for herself as an operative with the Academy, wielding her powers of attraction and seduction to gather intel. After an assignment goes wrong, Amelie and her podmates are taken to a remote island where they are to train with Verite, a new virtual reality video game meant to enhance their abilities and hone their gifts. But as things on the island take a disturbing turn, and Amelie is thrown into a world of lies and deception, she must confront much darker realities about the Academy.

Experimenting across different genres, Delorme blends elements of the supernatural with the dystopian, crafting a narrative that stays true to the fantastical science fiction readers crave, while also delivering the constant twists of a thrilling mystery. As Amelie slowly grasps that all is not what it seems with her beloved Academy—often with the help of her intuitive inner eye—she also comes to grips with what that means for her, a woman whose entire existence is formed off the whims of a dangerous organization harboring evil in its midst. Occasionally, the plot feels oversaturated, and the story prioritizes shock value over realism, but it’s undeniably rife with suspense and tension that will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the mystery unfolds.

As Amelie and her pod navigate the sinister nature of Verite and all its unknowns together, Delorme underscores the high stakes with a thoughtful exploration of comradery and betrayal, probing how the two often intersect. With complex characters that push the boundaries of morality, and intricate yet digestible world-building, Ghosting Academy is a promising escape into the unknown, and readers will be absorbed by Amelie’s journey.

Takeaway: Immersive blend of urban fantasy and sci-fi that teems with suspense.

Comparable Titles: Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Founders Trilogy, A.C. Arquin’s The Keri Chronicles.

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

Click here for more about Ghosting Academy

Segarra’s debut, the first in the Guardians of Life series, brings fresh energy and invention to its world of magic, ancient prophecies, political intrigue, and conflict between humans, elves, and dwarves. In the quiet town of Lepersteed, James, a young man unaware of his extraordinary heritage, lives with his stepmother, Eva, a woman deeply connected to elemental magic. John’s peaceful existence is shattered when Radion, a powerful mage, brings grim news of the king’s death and a dark prophecy: James is the prophesied "Destroyer," destined to either save or doom the world. Segarra skilfully crafts James as a reluctant hero, weighed down by a prophecy he neither fully comprehends nor desires. Accompanied by his protector Eva, the wise and powerful mage Radion, and his childhood friend Ethan, reluctant hero James must travel to Mount Rocksmear, home of the dwarves, for answers.

Destroyer offers much to please lovers of fantasy epic in the classic vein, blending personal and cosmic stakes, a spirit of on-the-run adventure, and a commitment to imagining the world’s wonders and everyday textures. From the mystical city of Rocksmear to the eerie depths of Miser Forest, Segarra creates lived-in societies shaped by centuries of conflict, grounding the fantastical with a sense of history. Magic is woven into the fabric of everyday life, with elemental forces driving both the action and the moral choices the characters face as James and company encounters dark dangers, from the soul-devouring Shadowlen to skeletal warriors, all while being hunted by the sorcerer Raymul, who seeks to claim the kingdom.

Though the storytelling is occasionally overburdened with descriptive detail, Segarra smartly contrasts grand battles with intimate, character-driven moments. The exploration of balance—between light and dark forces, between personal desire and fate—digs deeper into these concepts than many fantasies. Destroyer is a story about confronting one’s past, forging new paths, and the eternal struggle between good and evil, offering both an adventurous escape and a reflection on the weight of destiny.

Takeaway: Inviting epic fantasy in a classic vein, with a reluctant hero facing darkness.

Comparable Titles: Duncan M. Hamilton, Jeffrey L. Kohanek.

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

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In 1950’s Oklahoma, the Supreme Court judgment declaring segregation unconstitutional is in its infancy. Against the backdrop of this momentous event, young Black man Woody Coats is wrongly accused of raping a teenage Mexican girl. The only two witnesses in his favor—Harry True and Bliss Farrell—are hesitant to come to his rescue; doing so will expose their secret affair, a potential disaster given that Bliss is the wife of Harry’s best friend. Torn between personal loyalties and doing the right thing, Harry and Bliss attempt to navigate their moral quandary in a town divided by racism and injustice.

Jennings’s primary focus revolves around Harry, though the novel extends beyond that microcosm to immerse readers in the intricate history of the United States in the early 1900s. The Second World War plays an important part in driving the plot in the initial chapters, touching on themes of patriotism, duty, and the sorrows of war, before transforming into a stark representation of the racial and social hierarchies of the time. Jennings uses the story’s central rape accusation to highlight the entrenched divisions between different ethnic groups, while simultaneously tackling the devastating trauma of sex crimes and the arduous fight for justice.

The novel benefits from its convincing cast, each character gifted with a strong voice that accurately reflects the story’s setting and time period. Harry’s worries about his secrets coming to light, despite his understanding that the town’s abuse of Woody is both deadly and wrong, is understandable but upsetting, given what’s at stake. His change of heart comes too late for some characters in the novel, and readers should be prepared for scenes of racial violence, rape, and cruelty that are painful to read but anchor the text to its historical context. Still, Jennings (author of Mirador) delivers an evocative portrait of a small town’s unrest and instability during a critical point in history.

Takeaway: Secrets and racial violence threaten to destroy a 1950s Oklahoma town.

Comparable Titles: Lynda Rutledge’s Mockingbird Summer, Trisha R. Thomas’s The Secret Keeper of Main Street.

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

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Miller’s debut shares her trauma journey through the lens of Primal therapy, described here as a “unique [way] to alleviate human suffering, by helping individuals access, relive, and resolve deep-seated traumas.” She starts with her heartbreaking childhood, portraying herself as a broken girl craving her mother’s presence and love, as she’s tossed from one foster home to another, beaten, ridiculed, and abused. Miller delves into the generational aspect of her trauma as well, detailing her mother’s cruel upbringing during the Nazis’ occupation of France and the ripples it created throughout her own life—a life spent “grabb[ing] onto anything that anchored me solidly to the moment.”

Acknowledging that Primal therapy has not been fully accepted by the psychological community, Miller nonetheless credits it for resolving years of suffering, disease, and self-sabotaging behavior. Her portrait emerges from the shadows of abuse as a free-spirited girl suppressed by the adults in her life, her innocent mind struggling to comprehend her abandonment and long lasting emotional scars, though she never loses hope; Miller learns, from the troubled waters of her youth, how the turbulent sea of her adulthood is linked to past trauma, a realization that allows, finally, some healing and peace.

Primal therapy’s focus on the trauma of birth itself drives Miller’s writing, as she recounts recovered womb memories—such as her mother falling down the stairs, triggering her premature birth, and being left in a foster home as a baby only months old—that, she maintains, helped heal her need to constantly run away from reality and soothed her persistent desire for multiple romance partners amid deep fears of abandonment. The narrative shifts seamlessly between Miller’s childhood and adulthood, recounting both moments of beauty and intense flashes of horrific abuse. Readers will be emotionally taxed, but the journey is as radiant as it is wounding.

Takeaway: Primal therapy transforms a broken childhood into a triumphant adulthood.

Comparable Titles: Mark Wolynn’s It Didn't Start with You, Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score.

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

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Myers debuts with the first in his Sandcastles and Rainbows series, a fanciful story of fated love that transcends space and time. On the beautiful garden planet Zenla, The Children of Zenla, also called Mental Beings, live in harmony and love, existing outside the constraints of physical form. Two of those beings—Falin and his soulmate, Xin—share a profound connection, “a deep, resonant harmony… that conveyed more than words ever could.” When the Mental Beings devise a new game that entails deleting their memories to inhabit physical bodies, Falin's story begins anew in the human form of Scott Daniels.

Myers writes a powerful story of connection, self-discovery, and humanity that is intriguing and unique, with deep philosophical musings on belonging, the limitless boundaries of love, and “principles of personal freedom.” Throughout his human existence, Scott feels out of touch with the world around him, plagued by an inkling that he is meant for something far greater, and when he challenges the powers that be in his new reality, he’s forced to go on the run—where his belief in humanity’s interconnectivity and universal kindness is strengthened by his meaningful interactions with helpful people during his journey. Of course, Myers reconnects Scott with his prior soulmate, Xin, now in the human form of Audrey, and the two embark on a spiritual odyssey together.

Despite moments of stiff writing and distracting tense changes, Sandcastles and Rainbows ponders weighty topics, as Scott and Audrey attempt to right the wrongs of corrupt power in the cities they visit while seeking to retrieve their memories and return home. The romance is compelling, developed through intuitive interplay and detailed sex scenes, and the multilayered, genre-bending narrative interweaves themes of the spiritual and physical world that will draw in fans of imaginative world-building and supernatural subplots.

Takeaway: Fanciful story of unwavering love and self-discovery in a distant world.

Comparable Titles: Lauren James's The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, Nnedi Okorafor's Remote Control.

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

Click here for more about Sandcastles and Rainbows

Bogaty (author of Loves and Entanglements) weaves a series of loosely connected short stories of people desperately pining for moments and feelings just outside their grasp. In “But Not For Me” and “Nicky and Cat: A Romance,” older males fall hopelessly in love with college-aged women, in parallel relationships that, despite intense feelings, are eventually ended by the women involved, in heartbreaking tones of regret amid desires to experience the world before settling down, heavy sentiment that laments “people’s lives aren’t like this. Nothing is this perfect. It’s not real.”

That elusive wisp of happiness breathes throughout the collection, evoked by the “smoky darkness” of blues singer Elsa, who makes a repeat appearance and sings the background to Jamie’s heartache in the titular story, as he mourns the breakup of his relationship with attorney Abigail and reflects on his “sad procession of women.” Choices that torment the protagonists are a running theme, as with "In Saint-Remy And Auvers," where a pregnant woman teeters on the edge of indecision about whether she should keep her baby and raise it with her partner, musing, after a visit to a Van Gogh museum, that "All I see are Vincent's paths, incongruously converging, each one a wrong choice."

Bogaty touches deeply on how irrational desire can be, as his characters follow their longings despite recognizing it's a bad idea. Not all of those longings are sexual or romantic, however; "Talya, And Dolly's Comb" finds a young Mongolian girl craving acceptance and belonging in Turkey, while Victoria, in "To Grandmother's House We Go," aches for just a few more stolen moments with the one member of her family who “took genuine pleasure from her existence on the earth.” Bogaty forgoes magical healings and happy endings in favor of poignant memories, crafting stories where it hurts to feel this deeply, but it's also what makes his characters human.

Takeaway: Deeply humane collection about loss, yearning, and fleeting connections.

Comparable Titles: Emma Duffy-Comparone’s Love Like That, Ottessa Moshfegh’s Homesick for Another World.

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

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Holesworth’s intimate debut, the first in a multi-volume memoir, offers a document of a youthful reckoning, charting his school years in the chronic town of Kensington, in northeast Philly, in the 1980s and 1990s, where he found secular salvation in the music of R.E.M. The child of an addict (his father) and a born-again Christian (his mother), Holesworth attended Baptist schools that offered “a make-believe education” that stamped out ambition and creativity. In a childhood of poverty, abuse, and crime, alternative rock’s breakthrough to the mainstream offered Holesworth new models of living, especially in the form of R.E.M. singer/lyricist Michael Stipe. Holesworth first hears “Losing My Religion” on a jukebox—the very title jolted him. What follows is a classic tale of clinging to something new like a life raft and looking to artists for cues about exactly what’s promised by the book’s title (and the eponymous R.E.M. song).

It may be hard to imagine, today, that loving so humane a band could have been a source of controversy. But Holesworth touchingly recalls hiding tapes from his mother and warnings that he might be beat up for loving “gay” music. (He was chased for plenty of other reasons already.) Brightening the gloom of Holesworth’s life of rage, depression, and cutting was Stipe’s deep empathy and commitment to communicating sentiments that matter: “He told the listener that everybody, including himself, hurts, and they’re not alone,” Holesworth notes.

Holesworth’s storytelling is fast and concrete, though it lacks the polished scenecraft of the best memoirs, and he lets the material sprawl, often without a strong narrative thrust. Still, survivors of the era will appreciate accounts of Lollapalooza, making sense of Monster, feeling deeply shaken by XTC’s “Dear God,” and discovering and losing Kurt Cobain. Those public moments are as deeply personal as accounts of teen jobs, running away, relishing mix tapes, and daring to make a bold (yet likely hard to parse) statement on the last day of school. To his credit, Holesworth never talks around a problem or skips the part about love.

Takeaway: Intimate account of a young life saved by R.E.M. and the alt-rock revolution.

Comparable Titles: Jeff Gordinier’s X Saves the World, Peter Ames Carlin’s The Name of This Band is R.E.M.

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

Click here for more about Life and How to Live it

Zienty’s thrilling sequel to Children of the Revolution once again immerses readers in a dystopian world where water is scarce and the Protectorate’s grip is ironclad. Amid those dark circumstances, Angel has found a fragile sense of stability in Bayfield with her partner, Kuba, and her young daughter, Lark, living under the care of Mrs. Wright, a widow seeking the comfort of family. This hard-won stability is upended when Angel encounters two mysterious figures—Path and Word—who recognize the power of her haunting voice, her “vox.” Realizing that securing Lark’s future requires more than just survival, Angel takes on the mantle of “The Night Prophet,” broadcasting messages to hidden rebels to join the movement against the Protectorate.

Zienty uses voice and sound as recurring motifs throughout the narrative, where speaking out in a society that enforces submission becomes an act of rebellion. Path’s persuasive, theatrical tone contrasts with Word’s silence, while Teeg’s steady voice bridges old and new rebels, symbolizing a generational fight for freedom. Zienty’s prose oscillates between the lyrical and the raw, mirroring Angel’s dual life as mother and revolutionary. As Angel’s growing influence draws the eye of the ruthless CQO Zinni, who sees her broadcasts as a dangerous spark that must be extinguished, Zinni’s daughter, Promise—a conflicted ally tied to the Protectorate—becomes an unlikely maternal figure to Lark.

The Night Prophet’s language is visceral, especially in the descriptions of Genesis I, where women, called “ovas," are held in a brutal breeding program, drawing attention to both their exploitation and resilience. Zienty expertly threads themes of courage, sacrifice, and hope as Angel evolves from a survivor into a symbol of defiance, and, with her messages spreading and the seeds of rebellion taking root, The Night Prophet sets the stage for a gripping future clash with the Protectorate, promising a fierce battle for freedom and humanity.

Takeaway: Immersive dystopian thrills tempered by a touching fight for freedom.

Comparable Titles: Alexis Schaitkin’s Elsewhere, Christina Dalcher’s Vox.

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

Click here for more about The Night Prophet

The gripping, all-too-timely kickoff to Zienty’s dystopian series unfolds in a New Midwest where water is scarce, monopolized by the Galt Corporation, and a resilient young woman named Merit navigates life under the oppressive Protectorate, enduring relentless shortages, constant surveillance, and rigid conformity. Merit is expected to “get a feedcom and join the workforce,” like everyone else. But when she discovers the jolting truth of her parentage—and that her mother, long believed dead, may still be alive—Merit dares to flee, discarding her tracking device, and setting out for a rumored sanctuary from Corporate rule in Duluth. Guided by memories of her mother, Serafina, and inspired by her father figure Eben’s rebellious tales and lessons, Merit faces a harrowing path through industrial wastelands and personal loss, transforming into “Angel,” a symbol of resistance.

Zienty’s vision is distinguished by urgent survival detail, a commitment to the textures of living in a broken world, and a rousing sense of humanity. The prose is crisply incisive, literary without fussiness, and both the cast and this fallen America’s history are vividly drawn. Eben’s stories of past rebellions highlight sacrifices of earlier generations, while Tanner, the ruthless Protectorate enforcer, stands as a fresh spin on corporate cruelty, one capable of surprising readers. Touchingly complex motivations abound: Merit’s childhood friend Mars offers a conflicted view of loyalty to the Protectorate, while Suraj joins her fight. Violence, in this world, is an ever-present threat, but rather than offer graphic accounts Zienty instead emphasizes its aftermath through ruined communities, abandoned homes, and the lingering trauma in survivors' minds.

Zienty weaves powerful symbolism around water, mirroring contemporary issues of environmental degradation and corporate overreach. As Angel masters stealth and forms alliances to protect herself and others, her focus shifts to a greater mission: resisting tyranny and seeking fellow rebels who value freedom. This is a gripping story of standing up even when hope is hard-won and freedom a distant dream. Lovers of rebellion narratives will thrill to this.

Takeaway: Urgent, humane story of resistance to corporate rule in a dystopian New Midwest.

Comparable Titles: Alison Stine’s Trashlands, Eiren Caffall’s All the Water in the World.

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

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O’Connor’s sprightly fiction debut offers a fresh, often funny perspective on World War II through the lens of Jim Tanzer, a thirty-year-old dance instructor making his biggest-ever “pivot turn”: turning soldier, kind of, as part of the U.S. Army's Morale Corps. Serving with Mickey Rooney himself, who steals scenes on the page as handily as on the screen, Tanzer and the corps stage shows like Hip Hooray (formerly Yanks a Poppin) with music, comedy, a wrestling burlesque, and quips like this, from Rooney: “And what does the USO got that we don’t, except beautiful girls!” Soon the Corps is charged with putting on “jeep shows” for combat troops where the action is. Soon, though, Jim is in the action himself, trying to get a stolen German map to the top brass across war-torn Belgium,1944, and the Battle of the Bulge.

This refreshing take on military fiction masterfully balances the gravity of war with unexpected moments of fun and camaraderie, touring readers through the European front with a hero who reads Variety and plans to write a parodic play called Spamlet. The storytelling is fleet and crisp, alive with crack comic dialogue (“Nobody does cross-dress like the Army”), as Jim falls in with a ragtag support unit called Team SNAFU. Says a sergeant: “Summa these numbskulls can’t even know how to march. How they gonna fight?” O'Connor's portrayal of the Battle of the Bulge is both historically accurate and deeply personal for Jim.

The transition from performing for troops to becoming combatants themselves creates a compelling narrative arc, connected to an epochal struggle. Still, even among the novel’s many laughs, O’Connor never diminishes the urgency of the mission of the (fictional) Morale Corps, demonstrating how entertainers brought crucial moments of joy to soldiers amid the brutal reality of combat. This warm, convincing portrayal of backstage banter, improvised performances, and the bonds formed between performers adds layers of warmth and humanity.

Takeaway: Hilarious but rousing novel of a dance instructor facing the Battle of the Bulge.

Comparable Titles: Len Deighton’s Goodbye Mickey Mouse, Martin Turnbull’s Hollywood Homefront Trilogy.

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

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