Avon Lake Public Library: Fantasy and Science Fiction: December 2025

Recent Releases

Thief of Night
by Holly Black

In this conclusion to the Charlatan duology that started with Book of Night, Charlie Hall has to hunt down a mass murderer at the behest of a Cabal leader while dealing with the memory loss of her monster lover, Red. For fans of: urban fantasy with suspenseful intrigue and romance such as Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey and One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig.

Katabasis
by R.F. Kuang

Alice Law has sacrificed everything to climb to the top of the field of Magick, all to work with world famous magician Jacob Grimes. But then Grimes dies, and Alice may have caused the accident that killed him. Now Alice must travel through Hell to get her advisor back, because not even death will keep her from getting a recommendation. R.F. Kuang's latest delves back into dark academia with her usual atmospheric and thought-provoking flair.

Hole in the Sky
by Daniel H. Wilson

In this first contact story set on a Cherokee reservation, a long dormant piece of alien technology awakens while a probe hurtles towards Earth. The effects of these close encounters are told from the perspectives of a father and daughter, a NASA scientist, an isolated eccentric, and a CIA investigator. Author Daniel H. Wilson calls on both his Cherokee heritage and his experience as a threat assessor for NASA to craft this thrilling and intricately plotted novel.

End of the Year Cozies

Brigands & Breadknives
by Travis Baldree

Foulmouthed bookselling rattkin Fern has moved into the city of Thune in hopes of revitalizing her spirits. But that all changes when a drunken night walk leads to her stumbling directly into the path of an adventuring team. This third book in Travis Baldtree's series that began with Legends and Lattes is "[a] truly entertaining romp with the assurance of warmth, welcome, and delicious treats at the end of the road" (Booklist).

The Enchanted Greenhouse
by Sarah Beth Durst

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and hidden away. This should have been the end of her story... but one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She's starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To Terlu's surprise, he offers her a warm refuge--until she's ready to sail home. But Terlu doesn't want to leave, and as she grows closer with the unwittingly charming gardener, Yarrow, she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing. Terlu knows she must help, even if that means breaking the law again. This time, though, she isn't alone. Assisted by Yarrow and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer to save the island--and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

The Keeper of Magical Things
by Julie Leong

Novice mage Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful to the Guild, but her lack of power hasn't made it easy for her to keep up. When she is assigned to work with chronic overachiever Aurelia, the two of them form an unlikely bond moving magical artifacts -- and may learn that magic is stronger when shared instead of hoarded. For fans of: queer romantic fantasy with charm and whimsy such as Maiga Doocy's Sorcery and Small Magics or Rebecca Thorne's Can't Spell Treason Without Tea.

Contact your librarian for more great books!