Starring: consulting detective Crow, an angel, and his (sort-of) human assistant Dr. J.H. Doyle, who solve mysteries together in an alternate Victorian London inhabited by supernatural beings.

For fans of: wingfic, Sherlockiana, and Ripperology.

About the author: Katherine Addison (the pen name of writer Sarah Monette) is the author of The Goblin Emperor.

Welcome to: Sick City (formerly Cape Town), South Africa, where quarantined residents struggle to survive in the "Down Days" following a global pandemic.

Where you'll meet...taxi driver turned corpse collector Faith September, contraband dealer Sans, and orphaned Tomorrow, who's searching for her missing brother.

You might also like: Lauren Beukes' Moxyland or Nicky Drayden's The Prey of Gods, both of which follow ensemble casts through a vividly rendered near-future South Africa.

What happens: Princess and spy Catarina von Hasenberg joins forces with bodyguard Alex Sterling on an undercover mission, which requires them to pose as a couple while attending an exclusive house party.

For fans of: Catherine Asaro's Skolian Empire series or K.B. Wagers' Indranan Wars series.

Series alert: Chaos Reigning is the 3rd book in the Consortium Rebellion series, after Polaris Rising and Aurora Blazing.

What happens: Michael Kingman, the son of a traitor, seeks the truth behind his father's disgrace...and ends up following in his footsteps.

For fans of: the vengeance-obsessed protagonist of Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series, the magic system of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novels, or the narrative structure of Jenn Lyons' The Ruin of Kings.

Series alert: The Kingdom of Liars kicks off the Legend of the Mercenary Kings series.

What it is: The conclusion of the Unraveled Kingdom series, after Torn and Fray.

Starring: Sophie Balstrade, milliner, charm caster, and reluctant revolutionary, who fights for the Reformist side in Galitha's ongoing civil war alongside both her brother and her fiancé.

Read it for: a compelling heroine, an atmospheric setting reminiscent of Revolutionary France, weaponized magic, and copious political intrigue.

What it's about: Tasked with field-training her new AI partner, Tactical Autonomous Mobility System (TAMS), FBI special agent and counter-terrorism expert Lara Keegan uncovers a global conspiracy.

Why you might like it: This SF thriller offers a plausible vision of how automation may transform societies, plus plenty of well-researched technical detail.

Think: Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel by way of Tom Clancy.

The library is open...and Claire, Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing, the place in Hell where all the unfinished stories reside, must track down an escaped Hero in search of its author.

Don't miss: former muse Brevity and demon Leto, who assist Claire in her quest as the group races to prevent a war between angels and demons.

For fans of: the adventure plot and world-building of Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series; the cosmology of Good Omens.

Introducing: January Scaller, who rebels against her wealthy and eccentric guardian by secretly exploring doorways to other realms with her companion Bad, a very good dog.

Want a taste? "There's only one way to run away from your own story, and that's to sneak into someone else's."

Does the dog die? No! It's all good!

Welcome to: Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, an unorthodox boarding school for young people who’ve returned, often unwillingly, from journeys to fantasy realms.

What happens: New student Nancy longs to return to the Underworld, but when a killer starts stalking the school, she has to put aside her dreams of death to keep her friends alive.

What sets it apart: Asexual Nancy is just one of several LGBTQIA characters in this intriguing dark fantasy, the 1st in a series.

What happens: A mysterious book leads graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins on a magical quest to another world, hidden in plain sight.

Why you might like it: A puzzle box narrative and dreamlike prose distinguish this atmospheric novel by the author of The Night Circus.

Want a taste? "Zachary Ezra Rawlins stares at the miniature versions of the same symbols he once contemplated in an alleyway behind his mother's store and wonders how, exactly, he is supposed to continue a story he didn't know he was in."

A tale of four cities: Red London is rife with magic. Grey London has none at all. White London may soon destroy itself in its attempts to steal the powers of its rivals. And Black London? Well, that city no longer exists except as a cautionary tale to magic abusers.

Starring: Kell, an inter-dimensional royal ambassador with a sideline in smuggling; and Delilah, a cutpurse with piratical ambitions.

Series alert: This trilogy opener continues with A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light.