Fantasy and Science Fiction
June 2026

Recent Releases
Japanese Gothic
by Kylie Lee Baker

In 2026, Lee Turner has just killed his college roommate and he doesn't remember how or why. In 1877, Sen is hiding from imperial soldiers while trying to placate the whims of her traumatized samurai father. Their two tragic stories intertwine through a strange door in the home they share across time, and as Lee and Sen connect, gruesome secrets unfold. Kylie Lee Baker's lyrical and bloody horror fantasy evokes feelings of isolation and grief, and will be a hit with fans of Alma Katsu and Cassandra Khaw.
The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride
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.
Your Behavior Will Be Monitored
by Justin Feinstein

In this story told through epistolary emails, chat messages, and more, a new employee of the "most trusted" AI corporation UniView gets more than he bargained for when impending deadlines around the launch of a new, strangely quick-to-learn advertising bot push safety protocols aside. For fans of: timely and witty satire on our technology-driven future, with a surprising injection of hope, such as Virtuality by Derek D. Cressman and Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

*If you are interested in requesting this book, please visit your local library and ask for assistance!
Hell's Heart
by Alexis Hall

Set in a future where Earth has been abandoned and humans roam the stars, a nameless author reminisces about her time harvesting energy from large space leviathans on the spacecraft Pequod, including her steamy love affair with Q and her obsession with the Mobius Beast. This queer retelling of Moby Dick is perfect for fans of cinematic and stylistically clever science fiction titles such as Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth. 

*If you are interested in requesting this book, please visit your local library and ask for assistance!
Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim
Blood of the Old Kings
by Sung-Il Kim

Named a Best Fantasy Book of the Year by NPR, Amazon, Paste, and Book Riot!From award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim & translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur, Blood of the Old Kings begins an epic journey unlike any other. There is no escaping the Empire.Even in death, you will serve. In an Empire run on necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest. Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she's willing to fight for it. Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire's chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people's sacred guardian. Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her. In the heart of the Imperial capital, Cain is known as a man who gets things done. When his best friend and mentor is found murdered, he will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible, even if it means starting a war. Step into a world of necromancy, murder, and twisted magic. A world in need of a hero.
The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride
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 Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport
The Blood Trials
by N.E. Davenport

What happens: Determined to avenge her grandfather's assassination at the hands of the Republic of Mareen's ruling Tribunal, Black warrior-in-training Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials, a brutal initiation rite with a very low survival rate.

Is it for you? Blood and gore abound in this opening installment of the Blood Gift duology, which concludes with the forthcoming The Blood Gift.

For fans of: the strong-willed fighters and blood-soaked vengeance quests of Pierce Brown's Red Rising saga or Evan Winter's The Burning series.
The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song
The Night Ends with Fire
by K. X. Song

Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny--even if that means going against everyone she loves. The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin's father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands. The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father's place. In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship--and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price. With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust--Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew--about her kingdom and about her own heart.
The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill
The Dissonance
by Shaun Hamill

In high school, the three were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions: alienation, anger, pain. Then, twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country, stuck in mundane lives, alone. But now, terrifying signs and portents (not to mention a pointed Facebook invite) have summoned them back to Clegg, Texas. There, their paths will collide with that of Owen, a closeted teenager from Alabama whose aborted cemetery seance with his crush summoned something far worse: a murderous entity whose desperate, driving purpose includes kidnapping Owen to serve as its Renfield--
Seek the Traitor's Son
by Veronica Roth

Two women on opposite sides of a war -- soldier Elegy and general Rava -- are drawn together by a prophecy. The victor of the conflict is not clear, but one thing is: their fates hinge on one man, the son of an exile, who Elegy is destined to fall in love with. Featuring intricate world-building, surprising twists, and a dash of romance with well-developed characters, Veronica Roth's latest will please fans of other popular romantasies such as Alix E. Harrow's The Everlasting and Samantha Shannon's The Bone Season.  
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Central Mississippi Regional Library System
100 Tamberline Street, Brandon, Mississippi 39042
601-825-0100

https://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us