Fantasy and Science Fiction May 2026 |
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| After the Fall by Edward AshtonJohn has lived like the rest of the world has for the last 100 years: as a human pet for the invading alien force known as the grays. But when his supposedly "good" gray owner Martok puts him up as collateral for real estate, John's limits on what he will do to protect his own life are tested. From the author of "Mickey7" comes a unique post-apocalyptic story with tight world-building and compelling character relationships; fans of Edward Ashton's other works and Adrian Tchaikovsky will be delighted. |
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| Aubrey Wants to Die by Pip KnightFor Aubrey, the appeal of vampire immortality has long faded and all she wants is to be human again or die. But a breakup with her supposed one true love and the sudden reappearance of the jerk who changed her may have Aubrey questioning everything she knows about herself. For fans of: high-drama and occasionally grim comedic supernatural stories, such as John Wiswell's "Someone You Can Build a Nest In." |
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| Nobody's Baby by Olivia WaiteThis 2nd entry in the Dorothy Gentleman mystery series follows the intrepid auntie detective as she tries to figure out who left an abandoned baby on her nephew's doorstep and what to do as her nephew and his partner grow increasingly attached to the child. "Waite blends a cozy locked-room mystery and inventively logical world building" ('Booklist') in this well-crafted romp for fans of Becky Chambers, Malka Older, and Mur Lafferty. |
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| Operation Bounce House by Matt DinnimanWhen gamers from Earth are enlisted to "evict" the inhabitants of the isolated colony planet New Sonora with remote war machines, Oliver Lewis must take up arms against them to defend the only home he's ever known. From the author of the critically acclaimed "Dungeon Crawler Carl" series comes a new standalone, with biting humor and thought-provoking commentary on genocide, artificial intelligence, and fear of the other. |
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| Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K.J. ParkerSister Svangerd and her priest companion have one mission: make the princess disappear. However, the Ecumenical Council they must attend to do so is more of a complicated hive than they expect, and one tiny assassination is about to blow up into a theological catastrophe. K.J. Parker skillfully combines world-building and the development of his sardonic main characters in this series opener that will appeal to fans of P. Djèlí Clark's "The Dead Cat Tail Assassins." |
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| The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten WhiteA tale of revenge and obsession unfolds as a vampire hunter's daughter pursues a terrifying serial killer who has murdered her father, crossing paths with a mysterious beautiful woman who may be more than the monster she seems. In turn both horrific and romantic, this gothic historical fantasy will be a treat for lovers of the sapphic and macabre. |
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| The Red Winter by Cameron SullivanIn the modern day, semi-immortal Sebastian reflects on his hunt for the dreaded Beast of Gévaudan in 1700s France. But conspiracies beneath the surface -- some tied to Sebastian's own demonic activities -- threaten to throw all of Europe into chaos. For fans of: queer historical fantasy with complex characters and uniquely intricate plots revolving around legends, such as Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" and S.T. Gibson's Evocation. |
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Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
by Heather Fawcett
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the NYT bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series. Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life. As the proudly type-A manager of a much-needed cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for lost cats. But after she is forced to move the cat shelter, Agnes learns that her new landlord is using her charity as a front - for an internationally renowned and thoroughly disreputable magic shop. Owned by the disorganized - not to mention self-absorbed, irritating, but also decidedly handsome - Havelock Renard, magician and failed Dark Lord.
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The Traitor Queen
by Danielle L. Jensen
In the second novel of the heart-pounding Bridge Kingdom series, one woman fights to win back her throne, her people, and the love of the man she's betrayed--from the New York Times bestselling author of A Fate Inked in Blood . A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched as Ithicana is conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter. And it is bait she fully intends to take. Risking her life on the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king but to liberate the Bridge Kingdom from her father's clutches, using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared.
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Sanctuary
by James Cleary
“The meek shall inherit the Earth, unless the rich get there first.” That’s the reality of the post-apocalyptic world in this electrifying debut thriller. As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn — between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone’s a loser.
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