In anticipation of his new book Dearly Departed, I thought it would be an appropriate time to finally read Chip Pon’s debut novel You & I, Rewritten. Originally self‑published as an indie title, this book was subsequently picked up and given a limited hardcover print run by Rainbow Crate as their indie title for their Jan 2025 book box. Following newly hired publishing editor Will Cowen, this book follows his professional and personal journey with his boss Graham Austin as work and romance blend together. This book feels like a safe and wholesome hug to the queer booktok romance community that Chip is a part of, though its indie roots and debut novel nature are quite apparent compared to his more recent trade‑published titles.  I’m fully aware I’m reviewing Chip Pons’s books out of order, in addition to reading an indie self‑published book after a trade‑published one, which puts You & I, Rewritten on an uneven playing field. This book wasn’t on my radar when it was first published, but I had read and generally enjoyed Chip’s 2025 release Winging It With You, which was entertaining and had some unexpectedly great character writing, but left me wanting more given it…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Berkley. 2026 is only halfway through, but Mackenzie Reed’s adult novel debut I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell is certainly in the running for the most amusing and eye‑catching book title. Mixing bits of office workplace banter with paranormal romance, this book is an accessible and casual adventure turned rescue road trip through hell. Tonally lighthearted while including moderately detailed paranormal fantasy lore, this book is best suited for contemporary romance or chick‑lit/women’s fiction readers looking for some fantasy‑action flavor. However, for veteran SFF readers or those purely invested in romance, the limited detailing and serviceable yet pedestrian romantic beats may leave something to be desired. Demon hunters, office shenanigans, a road trip through hell, oh my! If the title isn’t attention‑grabbing on its own, this book’s premise involving coworkers venturing into the corporate underworld is equally silly and genius. The story has a hilarious and solid start that’s consistently entertaining, with great office‑room banter mixed with familiar contemporary romance beats. Early chapters slightly resemble procedural Supernatural episodes where Sam and Dean Winchester pose as federal agents or office staff and a poor featured character is bewildered…

A Scifi epic about identity, loyalty, and trust across time, space, and alien race, Some Desperate Glory is an ambitious book that covers an impressive amount of narrative material within its sub four‑hundred‑and‑fifty pages. A solid novel on its own, it’s even more impressive being Emily Tesh’s full length debut novel on top of winning a Hugo award and earning a Locus award nomination. At first glance, it appears to be a simple space‑opera story, but it quickly becomes much more, incorporating dystopian concepts, reality‑distorting twists, and excellent queer representation and feminist themes. Yet for how refreshingly modern its story is, this book’s character writing is what leaves a lasting impact. While I was hesitant about the book until the halfway point, I’m thrilled to say it absolutely lives up to its accolades and hype. Some Desperate Glory is one of those books that is difficult to review without spoilers, as its major twists are integral to the reading experience. Without mentioning its heavier content, the book risks sounding generic and far less interesting than it truly is. The story follows Kyr, the top cadet‑in‑training of her female cohort on Gaea Station, until she receives a shocking assignment that undermines…

A ghostwriting challenge with a lucrative reward, a windswept and isolated island estate, and seven authors full of writing insecurities and personal baggage. A book revolving around a potential collab to finish a famed late author’s last serial entry, the Ending Writes Itself is itself a collaborative novel by veteran fantasy author V.E. Schwab and scriptwriter Cat Clarke (yes, pun intended). Pitched as a mystery thriller, this story also doubles as a literary/contemporary fiction book filled with strong commentary and discussions about the publishing industry’s flaws and authors’ struggles. As a study on character writing, this novel gets top marks and is conceptually brilliant. But as a mystery thriller for casual readers, the ending perhaps wrote itself too much with some notable narrative flaws and questionable pacing. There are quite a lot of books out there about ghostwriting in the publishing industry and ghostwriting job vetting, but has it ever been crossed with a free‑for‑all challenge turned survival story? The Ending Writes Itself is a book that blends familiar mystery‑thriller beats and connects them to the highs and lows of publishing; more often the lows. Easily the most impressive aspect of this book is its strong commentary on the publishing…

Like a callback to classic high-fantasy books but modernized for current readership, the Mistral by Felix Mosse is a wonderfully traditional epic fantasy story. Serving as both Mosse’s debut novel and the start to his Mythic Roots trilogy, the Mistral is expertly crafted, blending a wide variety of fantasy elements held aloft by an ethereal stream of wind and light. Consisting largely of detailed world-building and moving around its large cast of characters like chess pieces on a fantasy RPG board, this book is a refreshing return to the genre’s roots, one that I not only thoroughly enjoyed and found very polished with no notable weaknesses. As covered in the book’s synopsis, Mosse’s fantasy world revolves around the mystical entity the Mistral, a less turbulent jet stream-like air current crossed with the aesthetics of the aurora borealis or northern lights. Beyond serving as a distinctive visual phenomenon, this aerial force is believed to be root and source of magic, bestowing abilities upon individuals. Not only the source of magic in the land, the Mistral also is a revered religious icon, with two major belief groups interpreting its role and presence differently. Once prominent and beautiful, the Mistral has been slowly…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Viking Books for Young Readers. A story of grief and loss mixed with contemporary romance and mythological fantasy flavor, Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters is a wholesome and sweet YA novel covering somber topics. By exploring the long, individual road to healing while honoring loved ones lost, the book feels like a warm and supportive hug that maintains an uplifting and hopeful outlook even when the pain feels unending. Well‑intentioned and earnest, it sometimes plays things too safe and doesn’t push its strongest narrative elements far enough, but it remains an accessible read with strong YA appeal. Marketed as a YA romance with crossover elements in fiction, social issues, and fantasy, the book blends a wide range of narrative components into a story focused on grief and loss. Its greatest strength is its relatability for YA readers. Purposely flawed and immature to a fault, the main character August and his internal logic match his age, highlighting teenage shortsightedness and tunnel vision. Winters captures teenage angst well, especially in the wake of August’s catastrophic loss of his boyfriend London, around whom he built his entire world.…

Paranormal dark ambiance, afterlife and lore-heavy epic fantasy framework, and resilient character-driven retribution all meet in Mark Lawrence’s Daughter of Crows, the first entry in the Academy of Kindness series. Featuring multiple timelines, POV, and narrators, Daughter of Crows is an ambitious and atmospheric read that isn’t for the faint of heart or casual readers, but is one that rewards patience and determination much like its elderly main character Rue and the many trials throughout her life. Though marketed as a dark academia adult novel, Daughter of Crows is a book that is truly dark and academy-based in only the simplest terms. There’s been a recent trend of endless academy trials and survival narratives lately across the fantasy genre that often feel repetitive and stale; this book is not one of those. Split across several timelines and narrators, the Academy of Kindness and its mix of training and trials play a major role in this story but is not the only focus. For better or for worse, this book utilizes the lost in the dark approach that drops the reader right in the middle of the story with little hand-holding to find their way. Early chapters are split between the…

In the near future, there’s a nation driven by technological advances, AI controllers, advanced cyber loopholes, and augmented dream-like sensory experiences. Generative work, entertainment, and crime intersect in an unpredictable web of connections that surrounds a young hacker Julia Z in Ken Liu’s All That We See Or Seem. Part investigative procedural drama and part technological and AI-focused commentary, All That We See Or Seem is an imaginative speculative fiction book filled with insightful discussions around future tech advances and cultural shifts that is held back by pacing issues and lackluster character work, a book whose conceptual brilliance is potentially mismatched with an underwhelming reading experience. Marketed as a scifi thriller and described by some as having cyberpunk and futuristic elements, All That We See Or Seem is a bit different from other similar sounding books in the genre. Unlike many other hacker or AI-driven books, Ken Liu’s take on the concept is considerably more grounded and realistic. Although set in the future given the technological advances featured, this story is one that could take place in the very near future as many of Liu’s scifi elements are based on hardware and software ideas that are conceptually credible. Instead of…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by DAW. A floating city, foreign invading airships, an immigrant woman who longs to be a dragon rider, and a three-headed dragon who’s tired and wants to remind humankind that he is to be feared. Following a jaded three-headed dragon whose heads comically quarrel amongst themselves, John Wiswell’s the Dragon Has Some Complaints is a book pitched as a cozy fantasy meets epic fantasy story of battles, friendship, and reflections of being a monster. With earnest intentions, this book succeeds in the friendship department with lots of positive therapeutic empathy and inclusive queer representation. Yet, its other aspects feel less successful and cohesive resulting in a somewhat disjointed and underwhelming reading experience. Based on its premise and marketing as a light-hearted fantasy story, that one goofy three-headed dragon fanart meme instantly comes to mind. And though I can’t verify if this provided any inspiration for the book’s concept, it invokes a similar tone, at least initially. Garrodigh’s three heads act the three stooges; Centerhead being the leader and snarky one, Bottomhead who is feral one (the book’s description not mine, they seemed more like the impulsive child than feral…