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Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed
by S. B. West
Morfran finds himself accidentally leading a rebellion against the kingdom’s Dark Lord, who, inconveniently, is him.
Morfran the Beheader is done being the Dark Lord of the kingdom of Ruthven. He’s tired of managing minions, and his wife, Queen Ravana, has officially exceeded his personal comfort level of evil. Morfran’s only chance at safety is to seek refuge within a tiny forest dwelling where no one recognizes him. But he quickly learns the village is the base for a brewing rebellion against his rule. And after he reluctantly saves said village from an attack, he’s voted the one to lead the charge. Against himself. Morfran helps the rebels while planning to desert them at the soonest moment. But as he fights by their side, he discovers that they’re actually quite pleasant—especially the lovely assassin who has been out for his blood for a decade.
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The Devil Knows Her Name
by C. N. Vair
“People did not expect such a thing, from a woman or a fawn; we were both meant to be prey.”
In the isolated Appalachian town of Burrsville, Tess Wynne lives in precious quiet. Having been left for dead a century earlier, Tess made a deal with the devil to stay in the only home she’s known. Tending to her wildlife sanctuary, she keeps the land and its people safe. But, every autumn, the devil returns, offering Tess more power in exchange for a foothold into the human world. And, every autumn, Tess refuses. But when Zeke Abdee, the town’s new pastor, becomes determined to stake his claim on the very land where Tess keeps her sanctuary, a desperate Tess pushes her magic to the darkest edges. All the while, the devil bides his time, waiting for her to decide if she will be prey--or predator...
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The Whitechapel Full Moon Society
by Elizabeth DeLozier
Set in Victorian London during Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror, this gripping, original novel is perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab, Dana Schwartz, and Sarah Penner.
When Caroline Foster arrives at the Whitechapel Full Moon Society in search of her missing brother, she finds a dilapidated façade belying an interior as opulent as any exclusive gentlemen’s club. In exchange for room and board, Caroline is hired as the Full Moon’s maid, where she is given three orders: don’t ask personal questions, stay out of the iron-barred room on the second floor, and remain in her bedroom from sunup to sundown on the full moon. But when it is revealed that the previous maid was murdered—an early victim of Jack the Ripper—and her brother has left behind no answers, only more questions, Caroline begins to suspect her hosts might be hiding something. As more bodies turn up with a connection to the Society, Caroline fears she may have unwittingly stumbled into a bedtime story, the kind with monsters and curses, family secrets and ancient lore.
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Immortal Rose
by Alexandra Bracken
Set in a sumptuous world ruled by magical perfume, this achingly romantic, slow-burn love story will shatter your heart and leave you breathless.
Members of the ancient House Rosebourne have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion. When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers. As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.
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The Halls of the Dead
by S. M. Hallow
A queer, gothic horror romance set in a necromancy-tinged London.
London, December 1849. Irene Shallcross Haley has dedicated her life to necromancy, a forbidden, reviled art that is passed along through sentient grimoires bound in human skin. With her undead husband St. John—a marriage of kindred spirits and platonic convenience—she has been protecting the knowledge of generations of witches that came before her. Like any magic, it has come at a cost: her reputation, her relationship with her sister, and her soul. But when Irene’s love, Agnes, is hanged for witchcraft, Irene refuses to let Agnes be one more thing that is taken from her. Death is not the end of love. But Irene may realize it can actually be the beginning.
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The Castle & the Cloister
by Laura E. Weymouth
The first in a political fantasy duology following three people—a wet nurse, a heretic queen, and a priest—as they attempt to shape the fortunes of a continent shattered by war.
Two hundred years ago, the warmongering Inver clan conquered the nation of Honoria, suppressing its pacifist goddesses, and ushering in an era of blood and battles. Now, after a brief but fraught peace, a king’s whims threaten to reignite the engines of war. At the sun goddess Raea’s cloister, the last stronghold of Honoria’s matriarchal religion, Fia and her infant daughter are in search of a safe haven. Fia aims to offer her child more than the poverty and abuse she was raised with, but the price of the cloister’s protection will tear her from what she loves most and thrust her into a game more complex than she could imagine. Amid a treacherous landscape of enemies, allies, and intrigue, three lives will intertwine. Each will have to risk the wrath of gods and kings alike to alter the course of nations.
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Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other--And the World
by Jim Windolf
This dual biography by acclaimed journalist Jim Windolf dives into the surprisingly supportive, occasionally rivalrous, always fertile relationship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Few artists have shaped pop culture as profoundly as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In Where the Music Had to Go, Jim Windolf offers a new, persuasive interpretation of how two of the twentieth century's greatest recording artists influenced one another–and reveals how their apprenticeships, accomplishments and legacies are uncannily intertwined. From Dylan's early dismissal of the Beatles as being for “teenyboppers” to his rapid acknowledgment of their talent, the book captures the pivotal moments that pushed Dylan to “go electric” and inspired the Beatles to deepen their lyrics. Packed with vivid anecdotes (the Beatles rehearsing Dylan songs; Dylan spending hours at Lennon's childhood home), the book paints a picture of a relationship full of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual evolution.
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The Messi Effect: How the Global Legend Changed the Future of American Soccer
by Paul Tenorio
Paul Tenorio, national soccer writer for The Athletic, brings readers behind the ropes and into the inner sanctum of Lionel Messi.
From his cinematic debut goal to his first trophy with Miami and across two more transformative seasons, Messi’s impact was immediate and enormous. His pink No. 10 shirt became the world’s best-selling jersey, MLS stadiums sold out in city after city, and Inter Miami’s valuation soared past $1 billion. This is a book about one man's legacy in a rapidly growing and changing game. It's a story about the business of sport and how a player can be both athlete and economic engine. It’s an inside look at how the business of MLS evolved historically and in real time after the legend’s arrival. And it's the story of how a GOAT rides off into the sunset, the choices he makes, and the aftereffects of his greatness for future generations.
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It Could Be Otherwise: Science in the Age of Uncertainty
by Stuart Firestein
A profound argument for science that embraces uncertainty and promotes possibility, creativity, and the belief that we can shape, if not determine, our future.
The search for certainty is embedded deep in the mythos of science. Science is expected to provide definitive answers based on immutable and universal laws. In It Could Be Otherwise, however, neuroscientist Stuart Firestein challenges this idea, extending the reach of science beyond merely discerning what must be to encompassing what may yet be possible. The classic view of science, Firestein argues, reduces the world to bland predictability and us to our fates. Instead, modern discoveries of deep uncertainty, even unknowability, in evolution, complexity, physics, and all sciences, show that our actions are not strictly governed—and that science is an agent of freedom.
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The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men
by Jon Ronson
A darkly comic true crime mystery set within the masculinity crisis.
When Jon Ronson received a series of disquieting texts after his son Joel had been lured to a mysterious castle in the forests of New England, it set Ronson Sr. off on an extraordinary adventure into a world of unmoored men on a desperate search for purpose, whatever the cost. Why did the wealthy scion of a gilded age tycoon entice Jon’s son to his castle on the pretext of a party, when the reality was something else entirely? Could Jon uncover what was really going on inside that strange castle? Why was a popular online lawncare influencer wrongly implicated in a bizarre plot to traumatize millions of unsuspecting children? And, more pressingly, why are two recently paroled murderers on their way to pay Jon an ominous visit?
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Liberation Summer: The Moment That Changed the Women's Movement and the Future of American Politics
by Micki McElya
The first complete, in-depth look at the road to the September 1968 dual protests of the Miss America and Miss Black America pageants in Atlantic City.
Of the many pivotal years in United States history studied and recreated by historians, journalists, and filmmakers, 1968, in particular, is widely recognized as a major turning point in the country’s social and political trajectory. In just twelve months the US experienced the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy, the Tet Offensive and the rising intensity of the Vietnam War, the deadly riots at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and the election of Richard Nixon. But these narratives usually omit another, equally important moment in America’s history: the unprecedented summer that defined and determined the future of the women’s liberation movement, culminating in the dual protest of the Miss America and Miss Black America Pageants on the boardwalks of Atlantic City. Now, for the first time, Liberation Summer corrects this written historical record, offering a detailed account of the months of planning, debates, and decisions that led to the demonstrations, as well as the broader social and political landscape that gave rise to some of the most iconic women on both sides of the ideological spectrum.
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The Lost Voices of Pompeii: Life and Death on Pompeii's Final Day
by Jess Venner
Award-winning ancient historian, archeologist, and social media sensation Dr. Jess Venner brings the citizens of Pompeii back to life through a vibrant account of their final day before Mt. Vesuvius’s eruption.
While the ruins of Pompeii still stand today, silent and perfectly preserved in ash and stone, they were once home to thousands of people whose lives were forever altered—or cut short—in the wake of Mt. Vesuvius. Through extensive research and vivid storytelling, leading expert Dr. Jess Venner goes beyond the devastation and shows a community teeming with art, customs, and culture. Pompeii’s story is often reduced to the scope of its tragedy, but Dr. Venner brings our attention back to the individuals. As the citizens’ paths weave together and apart, leading up to the final, fateful moment, they capture a civilization rich in history, traditions, and aspirations.
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