SF fans will love the cool technologies Medlin displays, like weapons that generate their own ammo, the shape-shifting War Devil, and the nigh-invulnerable Black Dog, whose self-healing augmentations steal the spotlight after a slew of rousing action sequences. Medlin’s straightforward plot is accentuated by character-centered detours, like Zecona looking for meds to treat his gravity sickness, or a promising early segment involving Black Dog and a girl named Nadia, who threatens to complicate Black Dog’s life. However, loosely jointed prose and a lack of focus across the board keep The War Devil’s intriguing constituent parts from wholly forming into a truly lethal read.
The War Devil is at its best when playing fast, loose, and cool, skimming over the more complex ideas and themes—like the racism faced by Zecona’s displaced people or a late-game reveal for Black Dog concerning identity and self—while staying firmly entrenched in Medlin’s dangerous world, where every day is a gamble and freedom is more of a slippery slope than an earnest vision. Conceptually gleaming but mechanically underdeveloped, this quick-fire debut still has the basic weapons needed to wage an exhilarating war on future-minded fans, and the main trio is endearing enough to keep attention buzzing for the next in the series.
Takeaway: Conceptually vibrant SF brimming with action-packed sequences.
Comparable Titles: Drew Avera’s Damaged, Incorporated, Richard K. Morgan’s Broken Angels.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: C
Marketing copy: B-
Fans of pop-goth sword-and-sorcery thrillers with mythic themes, bloody demon battles, and jolting revelations about the secret histories of our planet and civilization will find much to enjoy in Avalon Codex. Crafted for big drama, larger-than-life adventure, and epic confrontations, the novel brims with energy. “Baleful hatred was written all over his features as the wind and lightning rebounded around his home,” Mutter writes, as the heroes face one haunting entity in its lair. The pace is brisk, the world intriguing, and the violence inventive, though characterization can feel flat, and the cosmic stakes don’t always resonate on a personal level.
Still, Mutter takes a big swing with his compelling central premise and fascinating figures like Lorn or the enigmatic, age-afflicted Children of September. As the inspired proper nouns suggest (there’s a City of Wailing Doom and a “giant fallen seraph called Mangol Mammoth”), a passion for pulpy, Warhammer-esque fantasy powers the storytelling. The novel features dark rituals, “Soulburn” powers rooted in an ancient bloodline, and horror-tinged set pieces, such as a scene involving a “living black wall of obsidian flesh.” Building to a promising cliffhanger, Mutter offers fresh takes on familiar ideas, including Amazonians and an angelic Silver Host.
Takeaway: Sword-and-sorcery epic in a pulpy, gothic vein.
Comparable Titles: Stavros Saristavros’s The Tome of Syyx, C.J. Pyrah’s Legacy.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
Adult life, however, will test them both. Will's journey from a directionless youth to unemployed father and eventual army enlistee unfolds with much feeling, as Will’s naïveté gets tested—once “in country” in Vietnam, he asks, after being shot at by the Viet Cong, “It’s gonna sound stupid, but why would they want to do that?” The war shakes and disgusts Will, tearing apart both his body and spirit, but as he takes actions that will shock readers, Grossman stirs sympathy. Grossman skillfully portrays Will’s internal struggles, painful disillusionment, hard choices, and surprising swerves as he endures wrenching loss and builds a new life far different than the one he expected.
Despite their electric start and mutual love for Rachel, their daughter, Will and Glory end up on separate paths. Late chapters center on the possibility of reconciliation. While the pacing occasionally slows during transitional periods, this heartfelt, persuasive portrayal of lives and families veering apart—but also of growth and transformation—will keep readers of heartfelt fiction about the American experience invested. Grossman’s attention to period details and drifts of mind creates an immersive experience that transports readers back to a fractious era while demonstrating how its reverberations have shaken lives across decades.
Takeaway: Heartfelt Vietnam War-era story of love, tragedy, and life’s surprising paths.
Comparable Titles: Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer, Robert Dugoni’s The World Played Chess.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Finding Flaco: Our Year with New York City's Beloved Owl
Initially, Flaco was seen walking on Fifth Avenue, seemingly unable to fly but still managing to evade attempts to recapture him. Despite the best efforts of the zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society, other rescuers using baited traps, Flaco showed remarkable savvy and independence. He ultimately found a perch in Central Park itself, defying expectations of what a zoo-born owl could achieve. The authors were among the first to track Flaco nightly, watching anxiously to see if he would adapt to his new life. Their excitement proves infectious as they recount how, against all odds, Flaco’s instincts took over: he flew across the park, hunting and exploring areas from the Lower East Side to the Upper West Side. His story captivated countless New Yorkers, uniting them in awe and admiration for this determined owl.
Flaco’s courage—choosing freedom over the safety of captivity—became a symbol of hope and resilience in the heart of the city. Stunning photography captures the thrill of spotting Flaco in the city (witness him perched on balconies, park benches, and construction equipment) while also vividly conveying the owl’s emotions, from curiosity to triumph. Emery and Lei’s narrative invites us to walk alongside them on the chase, sharing in their awe and wonder at this remarkable owl’s transformation.
Takeaway: A zoo owl’s once-in-a-lifetime adventure in New York City.
Comparable Titles: Jennifer Ackerman’s What An Owl Knows, Leigh Calvez’s The Hidden Lives of Owls.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Baweja’s exploration of Paradise Lost centers on Milton’s framing of the fall of Adam and Eve, presenting their disobedience as a cautionary example of the consequences of misusing free will. Baweja finds Milton’s treatment of divine foreknowledge and human agency to be a reaffirmation of the necessity of submission to God’s will. “The litmus test of our faith is to believe when we do not witness any results,” he notes. Similarly, Baweja’s analysis of Milton’s Satan emphasizes the destructive power of pride and ambition, positioning the archfiend as a tragic figure whose rebellion serves as a warning against hubris. In detailed commentary on Satan’s infernal council, Baweja posits that moral and intellectual decay is inherent in defiance against divine authority.
Considering Paradise Regained, Baweja highlights Christ’s triumph over Satan’s temptations as the pinnacle of moral strength and obedience, lauding Milton’s depiction of the crucifixion as the ultimate act of reconciliation between God and humanity—a testament to divine mercy and justice. Baweja presents Milton’s narrative as an affirmation of the transformative power of faith and humility. The critique also commends Milton’s use of blank verse and thematic unity as tools to convey the poems’ theological profundity. While the book offers a thorough theological reading, its focus on Christian orthodoxy may feel limiting for readers seeking a broader exploration of the literary or historical dimensions. However, Baweja’s expertise in theological analysis is evident, and he offers an enriching perspective that underscores the spiritual significance of Milton’s work.
Takeaway: Impassioned exploration of Milton’s masterpieces, emphasizing matters of faith.
Comparable Titles: David V. Urban’s Milton and the Parables of Jesus, Hugh M. Richmond’s The Christian Revolutionary: John Milton.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
Visions & Shadows
Lovers of romantic fantasy will quickly fall hard for Alchera and Raighne. As skillfully written by Heard, Alchera is by turns incredibly brave, sarcastic, and ultimately concerned chiefly with the ones she loves, including her guardian—to whom she is passionately attracted, though she doesn’t think he feels the same way. Gutsy, protective, and idealistic, Raighne is deeply in love with his charge and determined to save her from any pain, even at the cost of his own life. Once Alchera and Raighne realize that their passion is shared, Heard delivers a number of spicy love scenes designed for readers who like to leave the door to the bedroom open.
Heard has a distinct talent for world-building, and her fast-paced, surprise-filled, emotionally charged narrative is irresistible, rich in visions, fantastic detail, gushes of feeling, and the magic of waterfalls—all told in Alchera’s pleasingly direct voice and Raighne’s lightly loftier one. She bolsters her world with an engaging group of supporting characters. Readers may balk at the cliffhanger ending, but they’ll want to know what’s coming next in this author’s world.
Takeaway: Readers will eagerly devour this stellar romantic portal fantasy.
Comparable Titles: Hannah Levin’s The Treasured One, Roshani Choksho’s The Star-Touched Queen.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Planet of the Cats
Middle-grade readers will embrace Ness’s entertaining world, brought to vivid life by Sofia Komarenko’s lively illustrations, where cats are in charge and humans are subjugated. Rolo and Quiggles meet a slew of colorful characters in their escapades as they find refuge on a flying circus ship, run into magical artifacts that promise them entrance to an underground world called Zorx (where Rolo’s ancestors may be living), and dodge the dangers of bounty hunter Wicks and her gang of apes. Rolo, who expected Earth to welcome him with open arms and point him to his ancestors, quickly learns the universe is a much larger—and more dangerous—place than he ever imagined. He sums up his frustration in pitch-perfect teenage lingo: “Quiggles, Earth sucks.”
Though action-packed and loads of fun, Ness’s follow-up to Rolo the Pet Earthling offers shrewd insights as well, drawn from the inhumane treatment earthlings receive at the hands of the ruling cats. The book’s awareness of pet population practices hits home, but equally important is its message about found families and appreciating what you have, marking this series as one to watch.
Takeaway: Cats rule the universe in this lively intergalactic tale.
Comparable Titles: Nathan Hale’s Apocalypse Taco, Carlie Sorosiak’s Leonard.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Karriker writes with a fond devotion to his subject, declaring, “I have a confession. I love the Church. I love the Church in all her various forms and permutations,” while urging readers to seek God’s direction in their church lives, particularly in light of the “worldwide upheaval” occurring today. He covers the Church’s history, biblical teachings on what it is meant to be and represent, and how modern events (including the COVID-19 pandemic) have affected the way believers and non-believers view church. In those discussions, Karriker notes a pattern of people engaging in on-again, off-again relationships with God. He advises Christians to doggedly pursue being worldly examples of Jesus’s teachings, writing that "our ability to make an impact on the world and those around us is dependent on our being positively different.”
Karriker’s main purpose for the Christian Church is clearly and candidly stated throughout as "Jesus’ plan to take His message of love and salvation by grace to all people everywhere in this hurting and dying world.” For that reason, he explores the Church not only as a place for Christians to gather and worship but also as the driving force behind Christians carrying out Jesus’s mission. This is an informative resource for readers seeking a deeper understanding of a well-known pillar in Christian worship.
Takeaway: Spiritual examination of the Christian Church’s function and meaning.
Comparable Titles: Edward W. Klink III's The Local Church, Joseph H. Hellerman's When the Church Was a Family.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Under patriarchy, Schaefer notes, men “see nature as something to be conquered for profit” while women “identify with nature and respect it”—but, when it comes to leading humanity forward, their “input has never been sought.” Schaefer sees hope, though, in a “paradigm shift” toward a new masculinity at a moment when “we're gaining momentum to transform the human species” into one that “is able to use our minds to think” rather than be controlled by fear, old beliefs, and propaganda.
Drawing on his own lightbulb moment when he transcended the “thought-controlled, ego-distorted reality” that limits men, Schaefer’s prose is upbeat, searching, and tinged with humor. The book reads quickly, often positing big theories about key moments of human development before moving on. The result is more a loving vision of what could be than a roadmap, though Schaefer’s testimony about his own journey should hearten men whose acculturated thinking distances them from strong connections with women. “What joy,” he writes, “to be able to connect with half of humanity that had been closed off for me!”
Takeaway: Upbeat call for liberating the mind and society from patriarchal beliefs.
Comparable Titles: Katayoun Shirzad’s My Journey of the Heart, Lucia René’s Unplugging the Patriarchy.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
Then there’s Dayna’s snobby classmate, Crystal Diamond, who informs Dayna that chocolate diamonds can’t be Snow White because they “don’t even dazzle.” Here, this story succeeds on multiple fronts. First, Dayna learns to identify what anxiety feels like in her body along with a helpful technique to manage it that kids can use in their own lives. Dayna also tries out for the play despite her fear and learns that “doing what she loves makes her light up from the inside out” – as well as the fact that kids shouldn’t let stereotypes and prejudices stand in the way of their goals. Finally, through Sammy’s unwavering support, kids will see what it looks like to be a good friend.
Khadija Maryam’s expressive illustrations follow Dayna on each stage of her journey, showing her learning in her classroom, playing on the playground, walking down the street, and laughing with Sammy. The illustrations aren’t particularly immersive or detailed, but kids will relate to wide-eyed, good-natured Dayna, whose emotions are clearly visible on her face and easy for young readers to understand. In the end, Dayna’s success will show kids that the key to their own dreams lies in overcoming other people’s limiting beliefs and facing their fears.
Takeaway: Inspiring story of a little girl overcoming fear to achieve her dreams.
Comparable Titles: Ashley Spires’s The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do, Nicola Kinnear’s A Little Bit Brave.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Lookers into Bookers, The Tourism Marketing Blueprint
Torres’s secret formula is to blend inspiration and imagination with practical guidance, such as highlighting the expertise of your team. He offers detailed accounts of his own work in building businesses and helping transform others, plus step-by-step guidance applicable to anyone running a tourism or hospitality business. The advice is original and up-to-date, including tips on growing a social-media presence, the usefulness of paid ads, targeting geographic segments, analyzing competitors, measuring success, remaining patient when building one’s business, diversifying traffic sources, utilizing Google Analytics, and understanding customer engagement. Torres shows how to turn customers into fans who rave about their experiences through reviews, recommendations, and social-media posts. Their often contagious enthusiasm is the fuel that grows the business.
Representing something of a new vision in marketing, Torres’s business-growing philosophy goes far beyond aggressively pushing products. It’s a hands-on approach focused on offering a steady stream of useful, inspiring content that builds trust, engagement, sales, and ultimately an army of fans. For those in the travel business, this is a must-read playbook. For others looking to grow their businesses while inspiring themselves and their staff with enthusiasm, many easily transferable lessons can be found here.
Takeaway: Exemplary guide to building and marketing tour and activities businesses.
Comparable Titles: Matthew Newton’s Sell More Tours.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
A useful read for those interested in finding more satisfaction and happiness in their work, Workplace Zombies is filled with fresh stories from a wide array of workplaces, illustrating the costs and challenges of zombiedom, plus a host of inspiring quotes and original advice (like “three super-quick and easy things you can do to remove uncertainty from the workplace that require no budget”) crafted to inspire happier, more productive workplaces free of the working dead. Dolinsky walks the reader through an eight-step path for defeating the “workplace zombie virus of bureaucratic friction,” with tips from his time as an Army bomb tech, a stockbroker, and a federal emergency management expert peppered throughout.
The abundance of quotes and references to writers, philosophers, and pop culture can distract from the central argument, and the anecdotal approach makes it read less like a guide for inoculating workplaces and more like notes from the front lines. While the zombie metaphor is itself dehumanizing, Dolinsky writes with compassion, giving grace to those who might, in simpler tellings, appear as villains by acknowledging them as victims of this workplace virus. His stories are framed as learning moments rather than indictments, and readers will find wisdom to pull from them.
Takeaway: Thoughtful look at how to end zombie behavior in the workplace.
Comparable Titles: Marina Nitze and Nick Sinai’s Hack Your Bureaucracy, Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini’s Humanocracy.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Nguyen’s “career break roadmap” includes four phases (Play, Pause, Plan, Pursue) and is packed with exercises, reflective prompts, inspirational quotes, and insights that will spur nods of recognition: “When I am better, when I take care of me, I am better for the people who matter most to me.” Writing with the warmth of a coach but the hard-won understanding of a survivor, Nguyen imbues her clear-eyed guidance with a welcome sense that none of us are alone in these journeys.
Nguyen urges readers to be honest and real with themselves, to face (and rationally confront) thoughts and fears that might seem scary, to lay out and consider all of one’s options, and not to avoid diving into the impossible, as that, she argues, is the best way to discover real purpose. Pairing this advice with her own story gives her authority, and readers will find much that inspires in her frank account. Nguyen carefully analyzes the root causes of burnout, ways to break cycles of stress, and how taking care of yourself can help you “create more of a meaningful impact in the world.” Most importantly, she emphasizes the necessity for adults to relearn how to play, highlighting its essential role in human development.
Takeaway: Inspiring roadmap taking a burnout “break” for a better life.
Comparable Titles: Bill Burnett and Dave Evans’s Designing Your Life, Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
While the taboo pervades, charm unexpectedly percolates in surprising places. Lovers of weird fiction will relish these characters’ “torpor”s, “spasms of terror and sorrow,” and “whimsical” “hacking at my organs.” Highlights include the bittersweet final gathering of lovers who unite annually despite death, accidentally shedding and losing body parts needed for the next year’s get-together. Similarly memorable are the chatty diary entries of a young ghost as she begins to understand her afterlife in the house she haunts, or the surprising thoughts and hopes of a woman trapped inside a mirror.
That charm lives in the antiquated verbiage, the raw emotion and host of striking details, and the matter-of-fact way the narrators address the supernatural. While it doesn’t guarantee happy endings, there's joy in these grim stories that echo, in tone, the early greats of cosmic horror. Paisley seems to dance with them, the playfulness keeping readers on edge—it’s never safe to get comfortable. This hard-to-forget collection offers many dark rewards.
Takeaway: Darkly playful, unsettling horror stories in a classical vein.
Comparable Titles: Thomas Ligotti, Robert Aickman.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Beyond Tomorrow's Sun: A Novel of the Future
McGuire (Nightmares & Lullabies) deftly sketches the shifting power dynamics of a future Earth plagued by dying resources, where the planet is burning up and no amount of intergalactic intervention can save it. Space mining is the central industry in McGuire’s world, and Earth’s trajectory is doomed—worsened by failing relationships with its colonies, interplanetary rebellion, and a looming war pitting Earth against a rebellion pirate group and colonies desperate for independence. Amid the tumult, Charlie is given a chance at a new life when the Bimmys adopt him—and new love, in the form of the strong-willed, whip-smart Becca, who dabbles in wormhole travel while studying astrophysics.
From the start, McGuire sets a snappy pace for this intense story, teasing multiple perspectives and time skips that are complex but still relatively easy to follow. The politics are starkly persuasive, affecting both Becca’s research and Charlie’s work in the military Space Force, and McGuire’s doom-and-gloom scenario for Earth plays out convincingly, allowing Charlie and Becca to mourn the planet’s downward spiral while discovering the echoes of a potential new world by the book’s end. SF fans will relish the book’s message that, to survive this near future, one must “think beyond tomorrow’s sun.”
Takeaway: Refreshing sci-fi where complex characters race to save a dying Earth.
Comparable Titles: Marko Kloos’s Terms of Enlistment, Kyle Noland’s S.E.T. The Earth on Fire.
Production grades
Cover: C
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Through personal anecdotes from himself and his family—both the one he was born into and the one he ultimately created—Hsin offers hard-won insights about his journey to finding a “why,” a sense of purpose, and a source of happiness. Using his North Star priorities (serving family, serving society, serving God, and serving self), Hsin suggests that anyone can identify why they are driven toward a goal or career path. Discovering which form of service is most important or prominent in one’s life makes it easier, he argues, to figure out what matters most, such as the “lifestyle level … [that] aligns with your own Financial Aspirations, Values, and, most importantly, your own personal North Star priorities." Hsin demonstrates the difference between “seeking meaningful work and seeking meaning through work” as he urges readers to know themselves, identify core values, and cultivate a healthy work/life balance to find true contentment.
The Passion Gap reads warmly, like the parental and financial advice that it is, as Hsin imparts personal wisdom and provides actionable steps to gain financial independence and close the gap between passion and money—laying out a path to achieve both, in balance.
Takeaway: A father's advice for bridging the gap between one's passion and financial success.
Comparable Titles: Brian Luebben's From Passive To Passionate.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
