Illustrated bookshelf that says Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Fantasy and Science Fiction
February 2026

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao
The Elsewhere Express
by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Raya is one of those lost souls. She had dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead. One day on the subway, as her thoughts wander, she’s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she meets Q, an intriguing artist who, like her, has lost his place in the world. Together they find a train full of wonders, but they also discover that it harbors secrets—and danger: A mysterious stranger has stowed away and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train.
A Kiss of Hammer and Flame: The Must-Read, Sizzling Romantasy Debut for Fans of Throne of Glass by Amy de la Force
A Kiss of Hammer and Flame
by Amy de la Force

When blacksmith Cahra forges a sword with a crest of her own design, she unknowingly awakens Hael—an immortal sealed away for centuries and coveted by warring kings. Now hunted for the blade, Cahra flees with Terryl, the charming noble who commissioned it, while Hael haunts her dreams. As tyrants vie to wield Hael as a weapon, Cahra must decide who to trust—and whether she can stop a prophecy that could shatter kingdoms.
The Starseekers: A Murder and Magic Novel by Nicole Glover
The Starseekers: A Murder and Magic Novel
by Nicole Glover

The race to space was on, and the Moon was what everyone had their eyes on. Including Cynthia Rhodes, a brilliant arcane engineer at NASA’s Ainsworth Research Labs. Talented in math and magic, she hosts a magical educational show... a job she took mostly for a chance to regularly see the dashing Theodore Danner, a professor of arcane archeology. When a cursed museum curator nearly interrupts a broadcast of their show, Cynthia finds an eager sleuthing partner in Theo.
The Everlasting
by Alix E. Harrow

Sir Una Everlasting's legend as a courageous knight has been memorialized in story, but her life itself has been forgotten. Centuries later, Owen Mallory's love of her tale suddenly takes him back in time to Una herself, where they will be entangled in a story bound to repeat over and over again unless they rewrite history. For fans of: knighthood fantasy with compelling characters and intricate storytelling, such as Lev Grossman's The Bright Sword and Charlotte Bond's The Fireborne Blade.
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Snake-Eater
by T. Kingfisher

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt's house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind. Because in Quartz Creek, there's a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena's ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface--like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena's house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn't ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can't begin to imagine--
Twelve Months by Jim Butcher
Twelve Months
by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day--but ... can he save himself? One year. 365 days. Twelve months. Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different--and it's not just the current lack of electricity. In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that's the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he's doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it's a heavy load, and he needs time. But time is one thing Harry doesn't have. 
The Strength of the Few
by James Islington

Following the events of The Will of the Many, Vis Telimus has fractured himself into three separate realities. With each reality facing its own extinction-level threat, Vis may be the only one who can stop each one from happening. Rich with detail and lore, this sequel to James Islington's highly acclaimed previous book offers "evocative prose and nuanced ruminations on the nature of power and sacrifice" (Publishers Weekly) that fans of R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War will devour.
You Weren't Meant to Be Human
by Andrew Joseph White

Though hives of festering worms have taken over Appalachia, life isn't so bad for Crane: he's been able to transition, he doesn't have to talk, and he has Levi, who treats him like a man, mostly. But when Levi gets Crane pregnant and the Hive demands he carry the baby to term, Crane realizes that his body is his only value to them and he'll have to fight to keep it to himself. Andrew Joseph White's adult debut is a gruesome and thought-provoking trans body horror nightmare for fans of Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt and Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin.  
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Happening soon at HPL
 
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.
 
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