Helen Plum Library: Fantasy and Science Fiction: January 2026

Crowntide (the Lightlark Saga Book 4)
by Alex Aster

Isla Crown has charted a new destiny and leapt into the unknown, determined to defeat her insidious ancestor Lark, no matter the cost. But Skyshade is nothing like she anticipated, and she'll have to use all of her skills just to survive, let alone end Lark for good. Meanwhile, Grim and Oro would sooner set fire to their own kingdoms than leave Isla stranded on a path toward certain death. But getting her back will involve forging an alliance--if they can find a way to forgive their long history of betrayals--

We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope by null

We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope
by Various

In this collection, editors Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older champion realistic, progressive social change using the speculative stories of writers across the world. Exploring topics ranging from disability justice and environmental activism to community care and collective worldbuilding, these imaginative pieces from writers such as NK Jemisin, Charlie Jane Anders, Alejandro Heredia, Sam J. Miller, Nisi Shawl, and Sabrina Vourvoulias center solidarity, empathy, hope, joy, and creativity.

I, Medusa
by Ayana Gray

Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents—both gods, albeit minor ones—she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home.

Red City
by Marie Lu

The Alchemy in Angel City has been controlled by two rival syndicates for years, teetering perilously between tenuous peace and all-out war. But when two childhood friends are plucked from obscurity to become rising stars on opposite sides of the conflict, all loyalties will be tested. For fans of: richly detailed urban fantasy rife with drama and tension lurking in the underbellies of society, such as L.K. Steven's Silvercloak and Olivie Blake's The Atlas Six.

Slow Gods
by Claire North

After a cruel misunderstanding, Mawukana "Maw" na-Vdnaze was forced to give his life and consciousness to pilot a ship in the far off reaches of space. When word spreads about a nearby star system about to explode, Maw's unique gifts put him in position to be exactly what the galaxy needs. Claire North's latest unconventional but richly detailed space opera "serves up a stinging rebuke of capitalism and the international order without sacrificing the worldbuilding" (Library Journal).

The Summer War
by Naomi Novik

Furious at her beloved brother for leaving home, musically gifted Celia had no way of knowing her childish curses at him would doom him to a life without love. Celia desperately searches for a way to undo her mistake, until she uncovers a centuries-old secret about the immortal beings known as the summerlings. For fans of: magical curses, suspense, and in-depth worldbuilding as found in The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara.

Star Wars: Master of Evil
by Adam Christopher

In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself.

Conform
by Ariel Sullivan

In the far future, humans are subject to the whims of the elusive Illum, a group of technologically advanced beings. Emeline spends most of her days sorting ancient art for destruction and waiting for her turn at Mate selection...until she is chosen as a Mate for an Illum named Collin, the first time an Illum has chosen a human Mate in years. For fans of: intricately plotted dystopian romances such as Dani Francis' Silver Elite.

Contact your librarian for more great books!

Still Afraid of the Dark: An Evening with R.L. Stine
Tue, Feb 24 at 7pm

Live on Zoom

Bestselling author R.L. Stine defined horror for a generation of young readers. Join Illinois Libraries Present live on Zoom with The Guinness Book of World Records’ “most prolific author of children’s horror novels,” R.L. Stine, to discuss his illustrious and still-expanding body of work.