Fantasy and Science Fiction
February 2026*

Recent Releases
Exo
by Colin Brush

On an abandoned future Earth, former Service agent Mae Jameson investigates the murder of a rogue scientist, who left behind a mute daughter and was studying the Caul, the liquid entity that has taken over the ocean. However, through reading his research, Mae risks falling into the center of a dangerous conspiracy. This twisty and thought-provoking dual narrative will draw in fans of Mur Lafferty and Carrie Vaughn.
The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao
The Elsewhere Express
by Samantha Sotto Yambao

You can't buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it's a magical train seeming to carry very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging. 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, from a boarding car that's also a meadow to a dining car where passengers can picnic on lily pads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds--
Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds
Halcyon Years
by Alastair Reynolds

A private investigator is hired to look into a mysterious, high-profile death aboard the starship Halcyon in this fresh new science fiction masterpiece from the mastersinger of space opera (The Times) and the creator of the beloved Revelation Space universe. Strap in for a gripping murder mystery. Yuri Gagarin is a private investigator, who picks up small cases from his local community, runs into trouble with the local police, and generally ekes out a living as best he can. He's aboard the Halcyon - a starship, hurtling through space, carrying thousands of passengers with thousands more sleeping the journey away. Only his usual investigative work - catching cheating spouses, and small time con artists - is about to take a turn. He's hired by a mysterious woman called Ruby Red to look into a death in one of Halcyon's most elite families . . . and then warned off the case again by a second mysterious woman called Ruby Blue. Caught between the two, he's about to be embroiled in a murder mystery in which - at any moment - he could be the latest victim. Gripping, fast-paced fun, this is a classic noir mystery with a science fiction twist, which will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat to the end. A fresh new masterpiece, from the master of science fiction.
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.
The Place Where They Buried Your Heart
by Christina Henry

Jessie Campanelli has lived for years with the guilt of daring her little brother Paul to enter the abandoned house on her street, only for him to never come back out. Now that she has a child of her own, she must finally confront the evil that broke her family apart.This horror-laden fantasy will grip fans who are looking for compelling family dramas similar to Amanda Casile's Broken Trail.
Graceless Heart
by Isabel Ibañez

Desperate to save her brother, sculptress Ravenna Maffei reveals her magic ability during a competition in a city where magic is forbidden. Ravenna is then kidnapped by a powerful immortal family and taken to Florence, where her powers put her in the middle of a struggle for power and catch the attention of the family heir. For fans of: historical romantasy with enemies-to-lovers romance and intricate magic worldbuilding, such as Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu.  
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.
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
What We Can Know
by Ian McEwan

In 2119, the world is in ruins from nuclear war and climate change. Scholar Thomas Metcalfe searches for a lost love poem from 2014, written for the poet's beloved wife. The search sends Thomas on a journey of love and artistic legacy. Ian McEwan's latest after Lessons "offers up a heady, intellectual tale that takes a searing look at how history is created -- and distorted" (Booklist). 
The Happiness Collector
by Crystal King

Historian Aida Reale thinks she has it made when a friend recommends her for her dream job in Italy. However, cracks slowly begin to appear in the facade as she and her new colleague Luciano do more research into her company, until she realizes that they are simply pawns in a game being played by the gods. Crystal King's contemporary fantasy also serves as an alternate history taking place between 2018-2021, where "urban fantasy, unexpected romance, and mythology all collide" (Booklist).
Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson
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.  
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Madison County Public Libraries
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Marshall, North Carolina 28753
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