Category: Swords and Spaceships

A Love That Transcends Time and Space

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 28, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and today we’re going very fantasy with our new releases. They’re all good books, but I’ll also admit I’ve been tearing into The Emperor and the Endless Palace like a cat at a bag of catnip because — well, that’s pretty much a book aimed directly at my heart. I hope y’all have an absolutely wonderful weekend! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday…when it’s April? April, already. Linear time, it’s a heck of a thing.

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Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.

Bookish Goods

The Untamed Quote Sweatshirt by GusuDesigns

One of our books this week gave me some serious Mo Dao Zu Shi vibes, and that lead me to this delightful sweatshirt with a quote a think we could all use in our everyday lives. $44

New Releases

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

Across thousands of years of time and many lives, two men are born and reborn, always finding themselves in each other’s orbits, for good and for ill. They have unleashed terrors and manipulated nations and, most importantly, loved each other countless times. It is that undying love that is their power, which transcends life itself…but may well consume them.

Cover of Eilegate by Elizabeth Fields Perry

Eilegate: A Novel of Faerie by Elizabeth Fields Perry

The borders between worlds are blurred in the woods around Eilegate House in Scotland, a place that has been a locus of bloodshed and upheaval and, even in the 1930s, retains echoes of dangerous, old magic. When a WWI veteran and his wife move into the home, they soon realize the house is not actually abandoned. And when the wife disappears without a trace, foul play is suspected by the police…but the truth is far more bizarre.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Today, we’re looking at short story collections that lean far into dream-logic, and from whence comes their fantastic elements.

Half-Lives by Lynn Schmeidler

Lynn Schmeidler’s first short story collection is focused on the multi-faceted lives and concerns of women, examined through the lens of dreaming and surrealism so that norms, narratives, physics, and even gender may not apply.

All the Fabulous Beasts by Priya Sharma

Priya Sharma’s debut collection atmospherically focuses on the monstrous as it relates to love, nature, sexuality, and rebirth.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

A Dark Duo of New Releases

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 25, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got a rather dark duo of new releases to start you off. Put it down to my week beginning with a winter storm that dropped five inches of snow on top of an inch of sloppy slush, so it felt like getting catapulted back into the depths of winter. The recommendations are at least less dark and more…dreaming. Which seems like the short fiction theme this week! May you have not started your week off with wet shoes like I did. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Bookish Goods

The Map of Mathematics by hunarnim

One of the books has “math” in its title so I wanted to find something related. This isn’t fictional as such, but it’s a really neat cartoon map of how mathematical disciplines fit together. (This is a digital download to print yourself.) $4

New Releases

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

The annual family destination vacation is something Anna has learned to survive over the years, and that’s easier said than done when she’s the only person in the family who doesn’t fit in. This year, the family’s renting an enormous villa in a tiny village, but things start going off the rails quickly and in a very gothic, haunted way.

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones

This is the final book of the trilogy that started with My Heart Is a Chainsaw. Jade Daniels has been in prison for the last four years after taking the fall for her family and best friend. There are a lot of things the residents of Proofrock, Idaho, don’t want to face, but the greatest of those shadows is the curse of the Lake Witch, and it’s not going to wait any longer.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Today, we’re looking at a couple questions of the weird, the dreaming, and the queer.

Cover of Infinity Mathing at the Shore & Other Disruptions

Infinity Mathing at the Shore & Other Disruptions by M. Lopes da Silva

This collection leans very into the surreal and the weird…sometimes in a very chilling way. Expect altered landscapes of consciousness and unlikely hauntings.

Two Moons: Stories by Krystal A. Smith

Two Moons gives us stories that are more gentle in their dreaming and surreal concepts, focusing on the magic of Black women living and loving each other.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

Stories From the Spaces Between Places

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 21, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I have your regular new releases and a couple of indie new releases from this month. It’s been a pretty eventful week for me, so I’m hoping for a peaceful weekend that will involve a lot of reading time. May you find the same respite! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday.

Bookish Goods

Wild Hunt Watercolor Print showing howling wolves, skulls, and a crouching humanoid with antlers hunting in a forest

Wild Hunt Watercolor Print by Ameluria

This gorgeous watercolor print jumped out of me because of Song of the Huntress (see below). The artist has a lot of other really beautiful fantasy watercolors in their store, too! $18

New Releases

Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland

In 60 CE, in a desperate attempt to save her land and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a pact with the King of the Otherworld. But time does not pass in that land like it does on Earth; when she returns, everyone she ever knew is long dead and she has been cursed to carry his blade and become Lord of the Hunt. She and the immortal warriors she leads reap the souls of wanderers for centuries…until one day, she meets a Saxon queen, bloody but unbowed, on a battlefield.

Cover of The Waves Take You Home by Maria Alejandra Barrios Velez

The Waves Take You Home by María Alejandra Barrios Vélez

To escape being a dutiful daughter and granddaughter, Violeta escaped to New York City to pursue her dreams of art. But after the sudden death of her grandmother, she finds herself accompanied by the woman’s spirit and compelled to go back to Columbia, where her family restaurant and her first love are waiting for her —and both of these are things her grandmother originally told her to run from.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Here are a couple of indie/small press releases that have come out in the last month!

Way Far Away by Evelio Rosero, translated by Victor Meadowcroft and Anne McLean

An old man named Jeremías arrives at a town filled with mist and dead mice, hoping that he can find his missing granddaughter. As he wanders the town, he discovers a landscape of dreams and nightmares that slowly reveal a haunting truth — but also promise the possibility of a reunion in this strange, gaping abyss.

One Eye Opened in That Other Place by Christi Nogle

This collection of short stories focuses on the weird and fantastical, searching for the border between dream and reality.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

10 Fresh Urban Fantasy Books and Series

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 20, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Erica Ezeifedi.

I’ve been a fantasy girlie since forever, but only just got into urban fantasy, and I have to say I’m here for it. I love how it’s modern and oftentimes city-based setting, which is a large part of the defining difference between it and other fantasy sub-genres, allows you to get right straight to the mess. I really appreciate world-building when it’s done well, and I like a fantasy map included at the beginning of a book like the next girl, but it’s also just nice to get right into the lore and not have to learn too much.

Since urban fantasy takes place in our world, there isn’t much explaining to do, setting-wise. We just get to jump into whatever, monster, witch, werewolf, etc. mess there is to get into, and that’s that. I also like how, since the setting of urban fantasy is so close to our own, it can help you see the slightest possibility of magic in the mundane.

The roundup of urban fantasy below includes some standalone books and series, and is broken up by adult and YA. They dabble in magical jade gangs, fine-ass Aztec vampires, cozy UK witches, and more.

Adult Urban Fantasy

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Street kid, Domingo, meets Atl, a beautiful and mesmerizing descendent of Aztec blood drinkers. Together, the two of them try to make it out of Mexico City alive with the threat of rival vampires, cops, and criminals closing in on them from all sides.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Witches are few and far between in the UK, which is why Mika Moon and her group of witches meet only so often — safety is the priority, and too many witches in one place tend to draw attention. Even though Mika is used to the loneliness, a big part of her rejects it, and she posts videos on a YouTube-like site where she shares magic tips, pretending to be a witch. But someone sees her for what she really is and invites her to a house out in the middle of nowhere to tutor three young witches into their magic. Somehow, she agrees and finds with the inhabitants of the house — especially a grumpy librarian — a family like none she’s ever experienced. But the transition from being a loner orphan witch to a loved one isn’t easy, and she’ll have to make some changes to adjust.

Mandanna also has A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, which, though it shares some similarities with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, isn’t listed as a follow-up.

book cover of Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

The Hollows series by Kim Harrison

In Demons of Good and Evil, the 17th in The Hollows series, witch-born demon Rachel Morgan has her work cut out for her as the protector of the paranormal citizens of Cincinnati. She feels this especially well once she’s framed for murder and the vampire leaders in DC get involved. Now Rachel and her friends are in hiding, and to make it out alive, she’ll need to make an unsavory deal.

To start at the beginning, pick up Dead Witch Walking.

book cover of Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire

This is the first in McGuire’s bestselling and award-nominated InCryptid series. It follows Verity Price, who is part of a family that protects cryptids from humans and vice versa. She’s not really into the family business, despite her cryptologist training, instead opting for a life of professional ballroom dancing. But then the Price family’s opps — the Covenant of St. George — start sending monsters her way, and now she’s got to deal with a Covenant boy, strange lizard men, and rumors of a dragon beneath the city.

The 13th in this series, Aftermarket Afterlife, just came out on March 5th.

The Green Bone Saga series by Fonda Lee

This award-nominated series has all the blood feuds, magic, and martial arts you could hope for. In it, the Green Bone clans used to protect the island Kekon and its valuable and rare magical jade. The Kaul family — a crime syndicate — is one of those families, and once the tensions get too high between them and their greatest rivals, there is open violence in the streets.

Jade City is the first book.

YA Urban Fantasy

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

Katrell is a mess. Period. It’s not her fault, though. Her mother is even more of a mess and exploits her daughter’s ability that allows her to speak to the dead. The money Katrell gets from connecting people with their departed loved ones goes towards paying for said deadbeat mother and whoever her mother’s abusive loser-of-the-month boyfriend is. All while (barely) going to high school and working a low-wage job. Bless her heart, you know how much I would be charging with that power?! I would have what they call eff-you money. Katrell is young and doesn’t know any better, though, and it shows. She’s warned one day by her best friend’s dead grandmother during a session to stop communing with the dead, but she doesn’t listen. And, it gets bad bad.

Wolves of No World series by Romina Garber

Lobizona is the first of the Wolves of No World trilogy and follows Manuela “Manu” Azul, who is living as an undocumented immigrant in Miami, Florida, to evade her father’s Argentine crime family. But then her adoptive grandmother is attacked and her mother is arrested by ICE, which finally allows her to move freely in the world. As she starts to investigate her past, she learns of a secret world full of Argentine folklore and how, for some families, every seventh daughter is born a bruja, and every seventh son a lobizón (or werewolf).

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Here, Cristina and Clement Trudeau, two 16-year-old twins, are descendants of a powerful magical family in New Orleans. They used to be close, but now they find their family in shambles: the talented Cristina has given up her magic because of a tragedy, their father is dead, their mother is cursed, and Clement is trying to fill an emotional void with random hookups. But then they realize someone is after their family, and that it has something to do with a woman who was killed 30 years ago. If they can finally come together, they can save their family, and New Orleans from having another massacre.

There’s a second book (Blood Justice) that’s due to come out on April 23rd this year, but it’s not clear if the two books will be a duology or part of a series.

The Legendborn Cycle series by Tracy Deonn

This urban fantasy series also counts as an Arthurian retelling. In it, 16-year-old Bree Matthews wants to get away from home after her mother dies in an accident, and UNC-Chapell Hill’s residential program for bright high schoolers provides the perfect opportunity to do just that. But then she sees a magical attack on her first night there, which leads to her learning of a secret society full of people called Legendbord, who are descendants of King Arthur’s knights. After her own magic is unlocked and she learns that there was magic involved with her mother’s death, she infiltrates the society to find out more. Thing is, there’s a war coming, and she’ll have to decide whose side she’s on and how to use her power.

Gumiho series by Kat Cho

So far, there are two books out in this series, which follows 18-year-old Gu Miyoung, who has a secret: she’s a nine-tailed fox demon (gumiho) who eats men’s energy to survive. With all the evil men in the world — and people’s lack of belief in folklore these days — hunting is made super easy in the big city of Seoul, Korea. But maybe she had life too easy, because she decides to save a human boy from a goblin in the forest one day, and it makes her lose her fox bead, aka, her gumiho soul. As she and the boy she saved, Jihoon, grow closer, she’ll have to make a choice between him or having her immortal soul back.

Once you’re done getting your soul snatched by these urban fantasy books and series, make sure to check out the list of Ridiculously-Good Fantasy Books Like Baldur’s Gate, and The 10 Best Hugo Award Winners.

Swords and Spaceships

Bloodcarvers, Space Hotels, and More New SFF

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 18, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! This is Alex, and I’ve got a double dose of new releases for you this week — including the sequel to Hadeer Eslbai’s The Daughters of Izdihar, which I have been waiting for very eagerly because I need to know what happens. Hopefully by the next time I talk to you, I will have swallowed the new book whole! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday.

Bookish Goods

Zero Gravity Toilet Poster by MovieManiacsDesign

This poster is inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and provides detailed instructions for a zero-G toilet. Personally, I think it would be a waste to hang it anywhere BUT over one of your toilets. $19

New Releases

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

The Grand Abeona Hotel flies from planet to planet, delivering a five-star experience across the galaxy. As a hotel, it attracts the wealthy and bored — and intrigues aplenty. Every guest has a secret; every person on staff has an inner life they do not share. Carl, who once stowed away on the hotel and now manages it, finds these secrets converging into an entanglement that might finally force him to move on.

Cover of The Last Bloodcarve by Vanessa Le

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

As a bloodcarver, Nhika could be a healer or a monster, thanks to her ability to alter the body of humans with a single touch. She’s forced by a criminal gang called the Butchers to heal the last surviving witness of a murder and drawn into the investigation. The clues lead her to a physician’s aide who isn’t what he appears to be, and beyond him, an even greater evil that will make her choose between hurting and healing.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

There were a lot of books that came out this week, so you’re getting a double dose of new releases.

Cover of The Weavers of Alamaxa by Hadeer Eslbai

The Weavers of Alamaxa by Hadeer Elsbai

The Daughters of Izdihar had just begun to make headway toward gaining the vote for women and the right to practice magic, but the fundamentalist Ziranis have savagely attacked to destroy what they view as a threat to their way of life and the entire world. Nehal and Giorgina had overcome their differences to seek power for women; now, with Nehal in a Zirani prison and Giorgina on the run, they must first survive and reunite if they hope to rally their people.

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

January was once a principal in the London’s Royal Ballet; now, after Earth has been deeply wounded by an environmental disaster, he’s a mere refugee on Mars. When he’s randomly put on the spot by Gale, a politician who wants to force Earth Refugees to naturalize using a physically disabling and, at times, deadly process, things go horribly awry for them both. The solution Gale comes up with is a five-year sham marriage that seems a simple way for them both to get what they want…but of course, nothing is so simple as that.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

Tech Noir to Read While You Cyber-Investigate a Murder

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 14, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got your new releases, and then two tech noir recommendations if you’re feeling like wearing a black trenchcoat and walking down a foggy street while you investigate a murder. I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful weekend. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Bookish Goods

Black Ice Cowboy Patch by BirdOvPrey

Since we’re in a Tech Noir kind of mood today, here’s a very cool cyberpunk patch from an artist that focuses on “occult streetwear.” $8

New Releases

The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed

Alefret is the leader of the pacifist resistance movement in Varkal — so, of course, he was bombed, maimed, and locked up by his own government, then handed over to a “scientist” to be experimented upon. Then he’s offered a chance at freedom; all he has to do is infiltrate the anti-war activists of their enemies and provoke them into an uprising, which just may end the war Alefret has been protesting as his life’s work.

These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

Dora left her commune years ago and has not looked back…until her ex, Kay, is murdered, and everyone in the commune is a possible suspect. She feels she has no choice but to investigate. Dora quickly discovers Kay’s death is only one of many recent incidents, and there’s a new drug circulating around the community that heralds a war between corporations. That’s when she gets attacked by enemies from before her transition.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Inspired by Izzy Wasserstein’s book, here are a couple of tech-noir-ish books to check out!

Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

Severin Unck’s father made his name directing Gothic romances; she breaks free of his shadow by focusing her art on documentaries. Her pursuit of a true story to tell has her traveling across the solar System, from Neptune’s cults to Mars’s lawless saloons. Her last film becomes an exploration of a diving colony Venus, and while her crew comes limping home to tell her story, she is never seen again…

Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

The Ragtime is a colony ship that was supposed to bring one thousand people in stasis to the Lagos system. Michelle Campion is one of the first crew to wake, and she quickly discovers that some of her fellow sleepers never will. She immediately calls for help, and soon investigator Rasheed Fin arrives to begin uncovering a sinister mystery that extends far beyond one ship.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

Must-Read SFF In Translation

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 11, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got new releases and recommendations this week that are all SFF translated to English! It’s so exciting to see our genre go more international every year and give us access to more cool stories — enjoy! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Bookish Goods

photo of a postcard with an illustration of a Finnish Troll

Finnish Forest Troll Postcard by Tuonenkalla

One of our translated books is by a Finnish author, so I went looking for Finnish trolls and found this gorgeous print of a painting. Check out the other prints from this Finnish author! $3

New Releases

the cover of The Inhumans and Other Stories Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay

The Inhumans and Other Stories: A Selection of Bengali Science Fiction edited and translated by Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay

This collection of Bengali science fiction contains stories that have never been translated into English before, showcasing stories from the early twentieth century that challenged the limitations of religion, caste, and class.

Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu

The world has been divided into the Pacific League of Nations and the Atlantic Division of Nations, both sides on a hair trigger…but neither is prepared for the revelation that aliens have perhaps been influencing Earth for thousands of years and are trying to contact us more directly now. Three scientists from the Pacific League of Nations rush to make a contact plan before their Atlantic counterparts can, fearful of the likely militaristic response from the other side.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

In keeping with the theme from out new releases, here are two more books in translation to check out.

Troll: A Love Story by Johanna Sinisalo, translated by Herbert Lomas

One night, a young photographer named Angel discovers a group of drunk teenagers tormenting an injured young troll in the courtyard of his apartment building. He takes in the wounded little creature, half expecting it to be gone when he wakes. Instead, he finds himself with a young troll to care for, and soon discovers that it will influence his life in ways he could have never imagined.

Slipping by Mohamed Kheir, translated by Robin Moger

A journalist named Seif teams up with a former exile now returned to Egypt in the wake of the Arab Spring. Together, they explore their country’s strangest and most magical places, including a spot where one might walk on the Nile’s waters. But as they travel, Seif begins to piece together his own life and its trauma’s…including the answer of what happened to his lover, Alya.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

THE INVISIBLE HOTEL and the Forever Desert

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I have a combination of paranormal-stuff-happens and second-in-series new releases. Kind of a funky Friday, but it’s been kind of a funky week where I’m at, between the weird March weather and the randomness of every day (non-paranormal) life. Stay safe out there, space pirates, have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Bookish Goods

Federal Bureau of Control Mug by Steamtowers

The rather paranormal new releases this week put me in mind of Control, which is a fun video game if you like “weird stuff happens and ordinary items can alter reality in disturbing ways.” Highly recommend if you’re a video game person! $15

New Releases

The Invisible Hotel by Yeji Y. Ham

The hotel is a place Yewon dreams of, a place she both wants to understand and escape. Her waking life is unfortunately entirely inescapable; she’s lost her job at a convenience store, she’s living with her mother in a small South Korean village, and her brother is stationed near the North Korean border in the endless Forgotten War. Every house in the village holds rotting fragments of ancestral bones that must be constantly bathed and cared for — and fill everywhere with the stench of death. When Yewon’s brother is held in a North Korean prison, her dreams intensify until reality and dream blur together…

The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste

The Velkwood Vicinity is an area — and an event — that has captivated occult kooks and scientists alike in the 20 years since a block of homes disappeared and left only three survivors who can enter the strange veil left in its place. One of the survivors, Talitha, has finally returned, though she claims she’s only doing it for the money. But really, what she wants are answers.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

It’s hard to balance the desire to point out brand new beginnings in books with sequels and series continuations. So let me call your attention to two new releases that are second books in series!

The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi

Five hundred years after The Lies of the Ajungo, the Forever Desert has been attacked repeatedly by the Cult of Tutu until the City of Truth is the last remaining bastion of freedom. The cult is led by a mysterious leader known as the Aleke. When the Aleke commits a massacre and steals the God’s Eyes, Junior Peacekeeper Osi is tasked with destroying the cult, discovering what the Aleke really is, and bringing the God’s Eyes home.

The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black

After The Stolen Heir, Prince Oak is paying heavily for his betrayal with imprisonment in the icy north, where he must rely on his charm and calculating mind if he wants to survive. He must decide if he will attempt to regain the trust of the girl he loves or if he will remain loyal to Elfhame and end her reign — and her.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Swords and Spaceships

10 Fresh Paranormal Romance Reads

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 6, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by R. Nassor.

Recently, a wave of fresh paranormal romance books have hit the shelves. The real question is, which new books should you pick up?

Paranormal romance is a subgenre of romance that follows the HEA/HFN (happily ever after/ happy for now) arc of human, non-human, and/or superhuman characters. The paranormal beings involved could be ghosts, werewolves, vampires, witches, or other supernatural creatures of legend that slot into a paranormal version of our world. If it’s in a high fantasy otherworld or is a monster romance, I am following the judgment of fellow Book Riot writer Jessica Pryde in her paranormal romance recommendation list and disqualifying them from this round-up.

As a longtime fan of the genre, I have plenty of backlist recommendations and a carefully curated list of fresh paranormal romance books. Every book here was published in the last five years, between 2019 and 2024. As a general personal rule, I like my paranormal romance to have believable, well-developed characters and a plot that hooks me in. If either the love interests or plot are paper-thin, my attention swiftly drifts. So, if you are looking for a witch, werewolf, vamp, or otherwise paranormal being falling in love, I’ve decided these are the ones you should read.

New, Cool, and Fresh Paranormal Romance Recommendations

Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai

On the run from her murderous brother, Elle has found a new life as a middling magical calligrapher for the fairy temp agency. When she reveals her power as a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine to her half-elf client, Luc, she gets drawn into a mission that brings her closer to the past she was trying to escape. As it turns out, the agency’s top security expert, Luc, is tasked with eliminating Elle’s brother. Even their conflicting obligations to family and work may not be enough to eliminate their budding romantic bond.

Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner

In the heart of New Orleans lies the mystical world of Overlay City and its newest ghostly resident, Aurie. Finding herself murdered on a night out, Aurie now must rely on the nonbinary, intersex Empath, Mys, to guide her through her afterlife. Mys doesn’t want another problem on their hands, but when the werewolf Detective Zyr Ravani shows up at their door asking for their help with Aurie’s murder, they can’t say no. Working together to solve the case brings Aurie, Mys, and Zyr close enough to make their instant chemistry undeniable.

Odd Blood by Azalea Crowley

When Josephine decided to run away from her quickly deteriorating life by going to a Halloween party, she never expected to find an answer to her problems in the form of a drunken man who committed to his vampire costume too hard and needed help getting home. It turns out Eadwulf was a real vampire with a job offer for Josephine. It’s not like she was in a place to turn down the role of being Eadwulf’s elderly roommate’s live-in nanny. Equipped with housing, a job, and the slow realization of her demisexual identity, Josephine finds herself nestled in the middle of a supernatural life she never expected.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Now that the historic mortal feud between Vampyres and Werewolves is over, it’s only right that a marriage of convenience between the two groups take place. Misery, a powerful Vampyre councilman’s daughter, has agreed to be a bride to fulfill her own ambitions, even though she doesn’t know much about Werewolves. Werewolf Alpha, Lowe Moreland, will do anything for his pack, including sealing a peace contract with his hand in marriage. The real question is, how far will they go to secure their futures in an arrangement they never asked for?

From the Dark We Came by J. Emery

Belar is a half-fae demisexual monster hunter with a spotless record — save the vampire Cassian, who managed to survive his attacks twice. The vampire breaks convention again when he appears in his parlor, asking Belar to see who filed the false report against him in the first place. Now, Belar and Cassian will have to cooperate if they want to get to the bottom of a deadly issue rotting the core of the monster hunter association as they try not to fall in love in the process.

Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh

While I would recommend starting at the start of the Psy-Changeling Trinity, I could not make this round-up without recommending the latest installment of Singh’s iconic series. Inseparable bear-shifter twins Yakov and Pavel Stepyrev start leading diverging lives when they find their respective mates. Low-gradient Psy, Theodora, and Yakov discover secrets that bind them closer together. The Psy Empath, Arwen, continues to draw Pavel in with his reserved strength. Both the twins and their mates will have to work together to uncover a dark plan if they want to secure a better future for themselves and everyone they care about.

Wings Once Cursed & Bound by Piper J. Drake

When Peeraphan, the mythological Kinnaree Thai bird princess of legend, steps into The Red Shoes of Hans Christian Andersen fame, a mysterious vampire is the only one who can help. As the vampire representative of a supernatural secret organization tasked with finding and containing mythological objects, Bennet is surprised that a dancer is maintaining enough control to stop moving with the shoes on. He might just be able to save the irresistible supernatural before it’s too late. Now, Peeraphan must learn to claim her place in the supernatural world while she and Bennet work to remove the shoes that threaten to claim her life.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher

The no-longer-next-in-line Prima witch on the Supernatural Council, Rose Maxwell, has to find herself. For the first time in her life, she doesn’t have a prophesied job lined up for her, and the only thing on her mind seems to be a one-night stand with Damian, a half-Demon Veterinarian. As luck would have it, a failed horse heist lands her in court-appointed community service at Damian’s animal sanctuary, of all places. You would think falling in love would be easy with that kind of forced proximity. Unfortunately, their budding romance doesn’t have a chance in hell. After all, if Damian ever falls in love, his ex’s hex guarantees that he will lose his humanity.

Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara

Julien is an actor on a last-ditch trip to figure out how his conspiracy-theorist brother really died in Maudit Falls, North Carolina. Although he was expecting a mystery, he could never have predicted finding a real paranormal conspiracy or a glamorous man with answers. Longtime werewolf, sometimes thief, and current rebel pack runaway retreat manager, Eli knows Julien is getting into dangerous things that don’t concern him. But when the threat continues to hunt the lovable actor down, Eli steps in to help. The unlikely human/werewolf pairing may just make things work as they uncover a deadly truth at the heart of an otherwise scenic slope-side vacation town.

Human Enough by E.S. Yu

An ace-spec vampire gets rescued from his lover’s lair by an autistic vampire hunter. Jordan, the recently freed vampire, is now Noah’s secret boyfriend and roommate. So, when Jordan’s friends in the vampire support group go missing, he naturally asks Noah for help. A dark truth lies at the heart of the Vampire Hunters Association, and so it’s up to Noah to dig up the conspiracy. If he wants to help Jordan and other innocent vampires whose lives are threatened by a supposedly heroic organization, Noah may just have to bring it all down.

Now, I hope these fresh paranormal romance book recommendations will guide you through some of the newest releases to hit the shelves. As 2024 develops, I expect to see a bevy of impressive paranormal romance books coming out. The subgenre is back in style enough that publishers and readers are supporting authors who specialize in that special brand of paranormal love. Bring it on. I, for one, will never get enough of immortal ennui, paranormal longing, and supernatural hijinks.

If you are looking for other paranormal romance books to pick up, try these Ghost Romances, these Werewolf Romances, these Vampire Romances, and these other Paranormal Romances.

Swords and Spaceships

Spirit Worms, Canopy Keepers, Ancient Plagues, and More

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date March 4, 2024

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Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got new releases for you and recommendations of books that are sort of novels, sort of short story collections, and entirely fascinating. My big event for the weekend was seeing Dune Part 2, and I could not be happier. I know the book well enough (and now I want to re-read it again) to pick out a lot of the changes, and I like everything about it. Absolutely gorgeous, cannot wait to see it again. I hope everyone else had an awesome weekend! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Bookish Goods

Green leather bookmark with embossed wildflower bouquet

Leather Bookmarks by LucasRuthHandmade

The Canopy Keepers got me thinking about forest-related stuff, and in my wanderings, I found these gorgeous nature-themed leather bookmarks. Sadly, no sequoia pattern, but they have a nice mountain, and hopefully, by now, you know how I feel about mountains. $11

New Releases

Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo

The Jong-ro Police Department has seen a spike in suicides lately, and all it can really do is give an institutional shrug. But Kim Han-gil is Seoul’s only spirit detective, and he can see the truth behind these occurrences — it’s a parasitic, soul-eating spirit worm in a feeding frenzy, and he will do anything to end these tragedies, up to and including teaming up with the man he holds responsible for his own, personal tragedy.

The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry

Syrah Carthan is the first female fire chief of Sequoia National Park, and she expected certain things: sexism, red tape, and unsettling reminders of personal tragedy. The park is, after all, the place where a forest fire killed her parents and her brother disappeared, decades ago. She did not expect to find a secret society bound into the forest’s roots, operating underground since the beginning of time, nor to be drawn into the conflict between its factions as the benevolent Keeper squares off against an undoer who would see humanity punished for its ravaging of the earth.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Island Rule is a new release this week, which is a book of interconnected short stories. That inspired me to pull up two other books that I love with a similar structure of short stories that interlink and inform each other to create a greater narrative.

Island Rule by Katie M. Flynn

This collection is twelve interconnected stories that blend people, place, and reality into a radiant whole. It includes a mother who turns into a literal monster and a failed reality TV show star who turns out to be a world savior.

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Melting permafrost in the Arctic unleashes an ancient plague carried by the archaeologists who have come to the Batagaika Crater. The illness sweeps the globe and forces human society to change and rethink its relationship with death, tragedy, and the future.

Cover of I'm Waiting For You by Kim Bo-Young

I’m Waiting for You and Other Stories by Kim Bo-Young, translated by Sophie Dowman and Sung Ryu

Four stories set in two different worlds, yet interconnected to make a whole. Two of the stories follow a pair of lovers on missions of interstellar exploration, trying to time their return to Earth to coincide. The other two are about the creators of humanity, the godlike beings for whom all life is merely an extension of will.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.