LibraryAware October 2025

Recent Releases

A Rebel's History of Mars
by Nadia Afifi

Kezza is an aerialist in a Martian circus, determined to get revenge on the man who helped lure desperate emigrants to the red planet. Azad, living on a neighboring planet a thousand years in the future, finds a cryptic message that he hopes will lead him to his long-lost sister. Separated by time, these two stories will collide as historians seek the truth behind the colonization of Mars. Nadia Afifi's offbeat and suspenseful storytelling will enrapture fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and M.R. Carey.

Moonrising
by Claire Barner

In 2073, Dr. Alex Cole is researching mutagenic food to help mitigate starvation in a world beset by climate change; after losing ground due to radical opposition, she accepts an opportunity to supply food to a lunar hotel run by Mansoor Al Kaabi. As threats continue to push in, Alex, Mansoor and their allies must decide what's truly important to them. Equally science fiction and romance, this engaging novel will be appealing to fans of Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis.

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World
by J. R. Dawson

At the edge of Chicago sits a mysterious lighthouse, a waystation for the souls of the dead to reconcile with their lives before moving on. Nera, usually standing by watching her father ferry these souls, is drawn into a night of chaos when a living woman named Charlie has boarded the ferry, searching for someone she lost. Fans of the musical Hadestown will enjoy this "grim, authentic exploration of death for those who appreciate mythology-infused fantasy" (Library Journal).

The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand
by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene, eds.

Set during and after the events of Stephen King's highly acclaimed 1978 novel The Stand, this anthology collects new stories of human resilience after the apocalypse from authors like Poppy Z. Brite, Tananarive Due, Josh Malerman, and many more. Both a tribute to and an expansion of the original novel, fans of King's work will be delighted by the dedication on display from the contributors.

The Library at Hellebore
by Cassandra Khaw

Alessa Li has been forcibly enrolled at Hellebore Technical Institute, an elite academy for the dangerously powerful world-enders within its hallowed walls. On graduation day, Alessa is trapped in the library along with other students being forced to take part in the institute's grisly ritual: being devoured by the monstrous faculty. A harrowing and lore-rich tread into the darkest depth of dark academia fantasy, Khaw's latest is "a visceral symphony of body horror" (Booklist).

Infinite Archive
by Mur Lafferty

In this 3rd entry in the Midsolar Murders series, Mallory Viridian's relative peace (and boredom) is disrupted when she boards a data ship from Earth carrying a boatload of mystery convention-goers -- as well as the entire Internet. With all of these converging chaotic elements, Mallory must solve the murder of her agent before time runs out. For fans of: fast-paced and snappy science fiction crime novels such as Malka Older's Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series or Constance Fay's Uncharted Hearts series.

Anji Kills a King
by Evan Leikam

Castle servant Anji is on the run after murdering the king, with a mysterious band of mercenaries known as the Menagerie hot on her heels. One of the Menagerie, a surly swordswoman named Hawk, has cause to keep Anji alive and the two form an uneasy alliance to evade death. Fast-paced and rich with character and world details, this debut series opener is a must for fans of Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief and Sarah Rees Brennan's Long Live Evil.

Contact your librarian for more great books!