|
|
Fantasy and Science Fiction October 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q. SutantoMara has no memory of life before her assassin training behind the fortress-like walls of Tchu-Morrokhai, which has been her world since she was five. Practicing discipline and strategy, sacrifice and solitude, she has dedicated herself to resisting the Divine Empress's plans of eradicating the all-but-forgotten magic. She longs for a world once again filled with magic--and freedom and love. And she'll do whatever it takes to find those things.In the faraway city of Velingard, Livya is the privileged daughter of the revered scientist whose invention of an indestructible new metal was the catalyst for a great revolution. Yet Livya's bored of suitors and balls, more interested in philosophical debates. But when an invite to a secret salon leads to a kidnapping attempt, Livya is suddenly on the run--with the unlikely aid of charming con man Kaian, a once dear childhood friend inexplicably turned frosty stranger.Captain Fonde has served Velingard faithfully in the twenty years since the revolution, and all has been peaceful... until now, when he's informed that their indestructible metal is inexplicably starting to crumble. Ships, bridges, buildings, statues--their entire post-revolution world is literally about to come apart. Could it be that the metal--and therefore the revolution--was flawed all along? Or is there something darker--evil, ancient, inhuman--at play?With stunning world-building, Jesse Q. Sutanto weaves an epic tale of characters whose lives irrevocably intertwine--and unravel--as paths collide across continents, racing toward an explosive twist that will forever change all of their fates...
|
|
|
|
Pan
by Francesco Dimitri
A brutal modern Italian retelling of the story of Peter Pan, now in English for the first time.The finest modern fantasy you'll read this year. Across the sprawling metropolis of Rome, children dream of an island that doesn't exist. An old god returns. Anarchy, destruction, and extreme emotions nourish it. A new god has emerged. Order and subjugation are its intentions. They fought once before. This time it will be to the death. Magic is returning to the world and in the skies above the city, children clash with pirates while deities old and new fight for dominance of Rome. Below, the population moves on, oblivious, while the city watches and steels herself for the bloodshed to come. And the people will learn Pan is coming, and it's coming for them.
|
|
| Homebound by Portia ElanIt's 1983, and a college student is programming an adventure game to cope with the sudden loss of her uncle. This game, unbeknownst to her, will have an impact that echoes across centuries, coming into contact with a professor in the late 21st century and a sentient robot navigating a flooded Earth. Portia Elan's debut is "an ingenious narrative that explores the meaning of love and interconnectedness across time" (Kirkus Reviews) that readers of Silvia Park's Luminous or Jayson Greene's Unworld will devour. |
|
|
|
Swordheart
by T. Kingfisher
Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle's estate--and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws. And the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all--Amazon.com.
|
|
| Palaces of the Crow by Ray NaylerIn this speculative alternate history of World War II, the blitzkrieg of 1941 brings together a Polish deserter, a Roma horse trader, a nonspeaking boy of unknown history, and a Jewish village girl with a strong connection to a murder of crows. Together, they work to survive the winter wilderness while evading enemy forces, guided by the crows who are more intelligent than they seem. This "impassioned paean to togetherness" (Publishers Weekly) and resilience will please fans of Kira Jane Buxton's similarly corvid-centric Hollow Kingdom. |
|
| A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young; translated by Sophie BowmanThree years after a disastrous earthquake, the small seaside village of Haewon has been destroyed by a plague that turns the inhabitants into fish-like monsters. Mu-young has already lost her niece to this plague, and the arrival of a mainland scientist reveals dormant secrets that may decimate her will to survive. Taking inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth, this translated Korean novella will be a hit with fans of claustrophobic and thought-provoking cosmic horror. |
|
| The Dorians by Nick CutterIn the Canadian wilderness, five elderly volunteers have been offered a second chance at life with a cutting edge experiment to stall or reverse their biological clocks. The secret to this new eternal youth is an implant of a symbiote whose only imperative is to survive. However, each volunteer sees this experiment go horribly wrong in Nick Cutter's latest grotesque display. For fans of: The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling and Younger by Dani Lamia. |
|
| A Dark and Wild Wood by Sarah Nicole LemonSalomé has long been plagued by her spiritual visions and uncontrollable magic powers. When she flees the convent she was raised in to find her missing sister, her path intertwines with Lord Death. The Lord takes her to his home and promises to help her control her magic -- but any promise from Death must come with a price. Readers who enjoy gritty and dark fantasy stories about heroes reclaiming their power from abusive environments will be eager to read A Dark and Wild Wood. Try this next: Teagan Olivia King's Bitterbloom. |
|
| Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul TremblayJulia Flang may be estranged from her CFO mother, but she has an offer Julia can't refuse: assume control of a comatose man with an AI implant to transport him across the country. Split between Julie's perspective and the disoriented surreal dreamscape of the remains of "Bernie's" consciousness, Paul Tremblay's latest "is injected with a squirming worm of fear that forces readers to take a critical look at AI's encroachment" (Library Journal). |
|
| Teddy Bears Never Die by Cho Yeeun; translated by Sung RyuHwa-young is orphaned after the untimely death of her mother from a mass poison attack. Her manipulative landlord's attempt to have her killed goes awry thanks to the surprise intervention of a teddy bear. Finding they have a past connection, Hwa-young and Doha, the spirit-possessed bear, team up to find vengeance and answers. This translated Korean story is an action-packed and suspenseful romp, perfect for readers who enjoyed Robert Brockway's I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200. |
|
|
|
|
|