Need something to read in this last full month of summer? io9’s monthly list of new sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books has got you covered—and then some, with dozens of new titles exploring deep-space adventures, supernatural vengeance, magical beasts, epic quests, sinister bargains, mythological re-imaginings, forbidden romances, and so much more.
August 6
Aiko’s Dive by Chase Gamwell
A teenage orphan who’s always been a misfit realizes why when she finds out she’s one of only two humans left in the galaxy. Read an excerpt on the author’s web page here. (August 6)
Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville
The tale of a mother and daughter on the run while hiding a terrible secret becomes intertwined with that of an FBI agent hunting a serial killer with a grisly trademark: draining victims’ bodies of all their blood. (August 6)
Corridor to Nightmare by Dave Duncan
This posthumous release by the late Canadian sci-fi and fantasy author follows a teacher whose plans for a quiet retirement are interrupted by a stranger who takes her through a portal to a magical and violent world. (August 6)
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
The official description says it all: “a sexy, deliciously imaginative fantasy romance where The Magicians meets Ninth House with vampires.” (August 6)
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
In an ancient city, the colorfully named “Eveen the Eviscerator” obeys the strict vows sworn by those who follow the Matron of Assassins—until an unexpected encounter brings up a past she thought she’d forgotten. (August 6)
Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis
A novella trilogy begins with this “high-octane sexy space heist” about a looter who’s rescued by a salvage crew—and then sparks with the government agent in charge. (August 6)
Gilgamesh by Emily H. Wilson
The author’s Sumerians trilogy retelling the Epic of Gilgamesh continues in its second volume, which sees Gilgamesh struggling to save his city. (August 6)
Hell Divers XII: Heroes by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
The 12th and final Hell Divers novel sees the heroes tasked with one last mission—and “beloved characters will confront their fates in a desperate bid to resurrect the world.” (August 6)
House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
“A group of young men seek vengeance after one of their mothers is murdered in a Puerto Rican slum; Stand By Me with a haunted, obsidian-dark heart.” (August 6)
Hum by Helen Phillips
“In a city addled by climate change and populated by intelligent robots called ‘hums,’ May loses her job to artificial intelligence. In a desperate bid to resolve her family’s debt and secure their future for another few months, she becomes a guinea pig in an experiment that alters her face so it cannot be recognized by surveillance.” (August 6)
A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons
“A criminal on the run after a failed heist must confront dark family secrets and demons from her past made flesh.” (August 6)
The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
The authors of the Expanse books—Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck—kick off a new series, Captive’s War, with “a spectacular new space opera that sees humanity fighting for its survival in a war as old as the universe itself.” (August 6)
The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley
“The Whisper Man meets the paranoia of The Blair Witch Project in this terrifying suspense thriller about an urban legend coming true.” (August 6)
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
“A dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm’s ‘The Goose Girl,’ rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic.” (August 6)
Storm Furies by Wen Spencer
The Tinker Series continues with another urban fantasy; this time, Tinker and her allies are battling the oni invasion of Pittsburgh on Elfhome—an event unfolding according to prophecy, but with some wiggle room around the exact details. (August 6)
Sunforge by Sascha Stronach
In the second installment in the “queer, Maori-inspired Endsong trilogy,” a city in chaos forms the backdrop as “a magic-wielding pirate crew uncovers an age-old fight between the gods that threatens their world.” (August 6)
There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven: Stories by Ruben Reyes Jr.
“An electrifying debut story collection about Central American identity that spans past, present, and future worlds to reveal what happens when your life is no longer your own.” (August 6)
The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister
This fictionalized biography of 19th-century heiress Aimée Crocker imagines that she’s visited by a mysterious Woman in White before each of the many tragedies that occured in her glamorous life. (August 6)
The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson
“In this raw and lyrical folk horror novel, a journalist sent to a small town begins to unravel a dark secret that the women of the town have been keeping for generations.” (August 6)
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer
“White Lotus meets Kevin Wilson in this whip-smart social satire about a man who finds himself trapped on an island resort after the sun explodes, and suddenly must choose whether to save himself from the chaos, or help the fellow guests make it off the island alive.” (August 6)
August 13
The Dark We Know by Wen-Yi Lee
A young woman flees her repressive small town after two close friends die—but when she returns for her abusive father’s funeral, she learns her friends’ deaths were caused by a supernatural force that’s got her in its sights next. (August 13)
The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan
This fantasy debut with horror elements takes place in “a world centered around destructive, all-consuming monsters; the magical dolls designed to fight this force; and the artisans tasked with creating demon-slaying dolls.” (August 13)
The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi
“Myths begin, and a storyteller’s tale deepens, in the essential sequel to R.R. Virdi’s breakout Silk Road-inspired epic fantasy debut, The First Binding.” (August 13)
Everything We Never Knew by Julianne Hough and Ellen Goodlett
A realtor suddenly develops the ability to predict and prevent tragedies in the future—but before she can help more people, including her own husband, she’ll need to confront a dark secret in her past. (August 13)
Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby
In this “gleefully decadent near-future whodunit,” “a group of employees and their CEO, celebrating the sale of their remarkable emotion-mapping-AI-algorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island.” (August 13)
Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
In a small Florida beach town famed for its ghost population, a coffee-shop owner with a spectral roommate sparks with a woman who’s just bought a haunted cottage. (August 13)
Hera by Jennifer Saint
“A propulsive, empowering retelling of Hera, reclaiming her as a feminist hero.” (August 13)
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
“A reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.” (August 13)
Loka by S.B. Divya
“Finding a place to belong becomes a girl’s ambitious quest in a thrilling epic about space, humanity, and self-discovery.” (August 13)
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
“A villainous, bloodthirsty heroine finds herself plunged into the dangerous world of power, politics and murder in the court of the vampire king in this dark romantic fantasy debut.” (August 13)
New Adventures in Space Opera edited by Jonathan Straham
“Fifteen dramatic, newly classic interstellar adventures from some of the most highly acclaimed and popular speculative-fiction authors,” including Ann Leckie, Becky Chambers, Alastair Reynolds, T. Kingfisher, Charlie Jane Anders, Yoon Ha Lee, Arkady Martine, and more. (August 13)
Oath of Fire by K. Arsenault Rivera
“This lush and gripping sapphic retelling of the Psyche and Eros legend combines Greek mythology with a fae court feel.” (August 13)
The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean
“Set in a magical zoo teeming with mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper is a fierce joy of a cozy fantasy novel with a soul-restoring queer romance at its heart.” (August 13)
Time’s Agent by Brenda Peynado
“A multiverse story of love, loss, time travel, and final-stage capitalism.” (August 13)
Traveling Light: Tales of the Magical Gates presented by Worldbuilding for Masochists
“In this anthology, 12 authors explore the adventures, intrigues, and discoveries, large and small, global and personal, that occur because of the interconnections of these incredible magical Gates.” Contributors include Marie Brennan, Victor Manibo, Kate Elliott, Marshall Ryan Maresca, and more. (August 13)
A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley
He’s a werewolf trying not to worry about turning 40; she’s a vampire succubus descended from an elite medieval bloodline who’s trapped in a crystal by a witch’s curse. An unlikely couple, to be sure—but a pairing so crazy it just might work? (August 13)
August 20
Asunder by Kerstin Hall
A woman is granted the ability to speak to the dead after making a deal with a terrifying eldritch monster—but her lucrative gift becomes a curse when she’s drawn into a perilous mystery alongside a dying stranger. (August 20)
Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah
“In H. B. Akumiah’s lively and charming debut, three young women discover the unbelievable: they’re witches, and their new-found magic may be the key to saving the world.” (August 20)
Blackheart Man by Nalo Hopkinson
“The magical island of Chynchin is facing conquerors from abroad and something sinister from within in this entrancing fantasy from the Grand Master Award–winning author Nalo Hopkinson.” (August 20)
A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist
A new epic fantasy series begins as a dynasty’s last scion works to expand his magic after traveling across space and time to Sorcerer’s Isle—with the goal of saving his war-torn homeworld. (August 20)
The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry
The Kagen the Damned Trilogy concludes as Kagen and the Bloody Bastards draw upon ancient magic to take on the violently fierce Witch-king. (August 20)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
“Translated from the Japanese bestseller, a charming and magical novel that reminds us it’s never too late to follow our stars.” (August 20)
Rise and Divine by Lana Harper
The Witches of Thistle Grove series continues; in this entry, “to save both her town and the woman who loves her against all odds, a witch haunted by loss must reckon with her turbulent past.” (August 20)
Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
“To save his family’s failing funeral home—and his own chance at a queer love story—a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut.” (August 20)
She Who Knows: Firespitter by Nnedi Okorafor
“Part science fiction, part fantasy, and entirely infused with West African culture and spirituality, this novella offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a teenager whose coming of age will herald a new age for her world.” Read an excerpt here. (August 20)
2040: A Silicon Valley Satire by Pedro Domingos
Set against the backdrop of a presidential election a few decades in the future—in which one of the candidates is an AI named PresiBot—this satirical tale skewers the tech world and its role in deepening America’s political divide. (August 20)
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
This Agatha Christie-inspired fantasy follows a murder mystery set aboard a ship filled with magical passengers—as well as one misfit, who realizes he has no choice but solve the crime in the name of self-preservation. (August 20)
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft
“Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London’s glittering disco scene.” (August 20)
The Wind That Sweeps the Stars by Greg Keyes
“A taut high fantasy as an assassin must destroy an empire from within, eliminating wizards, their demons, and even the emperor. For the lives—for the very souls—of her people, she must succeed within a single day, or her homeland will be destroyed.” (August 20)
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace
The Belladonna trilogy concludes as Blythe Hawthorne begins to soften her stance against the man she’s bound to—despite the fact that their life together is about as far from a fairytale as you can get. (August 20)
The Year’s Best Fantasy, Volume 3 edited by Paula Guran
“Seventeen fantastical stories weave a wonderful web of magic, revelation, and of course, adventure,” written by P. Djèlí Clark, Ken Liu, Catherynne M. Valente, Nghi Vo, and others. (August 20)
August 27
Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madson
A new fantasy series begins in this story “full of dragons, alchemical magic, and forbidden romance that unfolds as three people in a shattered empire become entangled in a looming revolution.” (August 27)
Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall
“A nobleman must work with a dashing soldier to save his sister from a mystical bargain gone awry in this swoon-worthy romance.” (August 27)
The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
“Snow White’s dark queen tells her side of the story in the first book of a queer, witchy duology that reimagines the classic fairy tale.” (August 27)
Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud
“A dark and dreamy tale of horror, corruption, and identity spun into the stickiest of webs,” from the author of North American Lake Monsters. (August 27)
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
With bonus material added to this print edition, this tale follows a Coast Guard vet (and his ex-girlfriend’s cat) trying to survive an alien invasion that sees Earth’s few survivors being forced into a game show that feels a lot like a video game set in a fantasy dungeon. (August 27)
The Enchanted Lies of Céleste Artois by Ryan Graudin
In early 20th century Paris, “a place of enchanted salons, fortune tellers who can change your stars, and doorways that can take you to the most unexpected places,” a con artist makes a deal with the devil—and might end up having to save the world as a result of her bargain. (August 27)
The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard
This magical-realism tale follows an Edinburgh cat throughout his nine adventurous lives. (August 27)
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan
This adult epic fantasy follows a dying woman who slips into the world of her favorite fantasy novels, where she’ll need to navigate an array of monstrous fictional characters—including herself, newly cast as a villain in the story. (August 27)
The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich
“Dr. Mina Murray returns to the windswept shores of Wales to help her childhood friend fight the mysterious illness that plagues her. When the lines between reality and delusion begin to blur, Mina must face off against a monstrous legacy—or be consumed herself.” (August 27)
Sunderworld, Vol 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs
The author of the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series returns to explore a new realm, this time following a Los Angeles teen who starts to realize strange elements plucked from a 1990s fantasy TV show are starting to infiltrate the real world. (August 27)
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