Format: Hardcover

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…

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…

A charity owner who has trouble lying and cares too much, a dark magician who just wants to be left alone, a shop that smells like fresh pastries in the morning, and an endless variety of adorable cats. Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett feels like it was specially crafted to hit every cozy fantasy reader’s must-have’s checklist and to appease cat lovers. Yet outside of its obvious cat motif and well-pitched warm vibes, this book has a surprisingly solid urban fantasy story based around magical artifacts that’s good enough to appeal to SFF readers who are less enthusiastic about cats or the cozy fantasy genre (on Goodreads, 4.5 stars rounded down) On paper, this book has all the cards stacked against it for my personal reading tastes. Cozy fantasy tends to be very hit or miss for me if they’re too low stakes or directionless, I am not a cat person (I’m a dog guy in addition to both my Mom and my late dog being allergic to them), and I’m not a vibe reader, instead gravitating towards books with strong narratives or character work. Perhaps the nicest thing I can say about Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat…

Strained and conflicting scifi tv show actors faking a friendship as a publicity stunt to save their acting career is an incredibly fun concept that serves as the premise for Cat Sebastian’s contemporary queer romance novel Star Shipped. Entertainment industry expectations, social media and online fandom engagement, a fake friendship road trip across the American southwest, this book has no shortage of good narrative hooks. A comfy and safe space of a romance novel, unfortunately the execution across the board hinders its great potential and results in a book that feels like it lacks a purpose or direction. One of my highly anticipated queer literature reads of 2026, this book wasn’t for me and was quite the disappointment at every turn despite it having good intentions and nice mental health representation. Star Shipped follows television actor Simon Devereaux who’s attempting to depart from the popular long-running TV-show Out There whose simplistic and limited acting opportunities have left him feeling uninspired and artistically constrained. It doesn’t help that he’s spent the last seven years co-starring against Charlie Blake, a built and handsome man who has less impressive acting and an unprofessional history on set. With the impending end of his contract…