KHCPL Main: Fantasy and Science Fiction: May 2026

Recent Releases

After the Fall
by Edward Ashton

John has lived like the rest of the world has for the last 100 years: as a human pet for the invading alien force known as the grays. But when his supposedly "good" gray owner Martok puts him up as collateral for real estate, John's limits on what he will do to protect his own life are tested. From the author of Mickey7 comes a unique post-apocalyptic story with tight world-building and compelling character relationships; fans of Edward Ashton's other works and Adrian Tchaikovsky will be delighted.

Aubrey Wants to Die
by Pip Knight

For Aubrey, the appeal of vampire immortality has long faded and all she wants is to be human again or die. But a breakup with her supposed one true love and the sudden reappearance of the jerk who changed her may have Aubrey questioning everything she knows about herself. For fans of: high-drama and occasionally grim comedic supernatural stories, such as John Wiswell's Someone You Can Build a Nest In and MaryJanice Davidson's The Reluctant Reaper.

Nobody's Baby
by Olivia Waite

This 2nd entry in the Dorothy Gentleman mystery series follows the intrepid auntie detective as she tries to figure out who left an abandoned baby on her nephew's doorstep and what to do as her nephew and his partner grow increasingly attached to the child. "Waite blends a cozy locked-room mystery and inventively logical world building" (Booklist) in this well-crafted romp for fans of Becky Chambers, Malka Older, and Mur Lafferty.

Operation Bounce House
by Matt Dinniman

When gamers from Earth are enlisted to "evict" the inhabitants of the isolated colony planet New Sonora with remote war machines, Oliver Lewis must take up arms against them to defend the only home he's ever known. From the author of the critically acclaimed Dungeon Crawler Carl series comes a new standalone, with biting humor and thought-provoking commentary on genocide, artificial intelligence, and fear of the other.

Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead
by K.J. Parker

Sister Svangerd and her priest companion have one mission: make the princess disappear. However, the Ecumenical Council they must attend to do so is more of a complicated hive than they expect, and one tiny assassination is about to blow up into a theological catastrophe. K.J. Parker skillfully combines world-building and the development of his sardonic main characters in this series opener that will appeal to fans of P. Djèlí Clark's The Dead Cat Tail Assassins.

The Forest on the Edge of Time
by Jasmin Kirkbride

Two women travel across space and time -- one to ancient Athens, one to the far future -- to try and stop a climate-fueled ecological disaster. They meet together in dreams to try and piece together what can be done to save humanity. "As harmonious as it is mysterious" (Library Journal), this inventive and hopeful debut will be a hit with fans of Terrestrial History by Joe Mungo Reed.

The Fox and the Devil
by Kiersten White

A tale of revenge and obsession unfolds as a vampire hunter's daughter pursues a terrifying serial killer who has murdered her father, crossing paths with a mysterious beautiful woman who may be more than the monster she seems. In turn both horrific and romantic, this gothic historical fantasy will be a treat for lovers of the sapphic and macabre as found in Francesca May's This Vicious Hunger.

The Red Winter
by Cameron Sullivan

In the modern day, semi-immortal Sebastian reflects on his hunt for the dreaded Beast of Gévaudan in 1700s France. But conspiracies beneath the surface -- some tied to Sebastian's own demonic activities -- threaten to throw all of Europe into chaos. For fans of: queer historical fantasy with complex characters and uniquely intricate plots revolving around legends, such as Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian and S.T. Gibson's Evocation.

Contact your librarian for more great books!