Kat Howard is a full time writer living in the Twin Cities. Her short fiction has been performed on NPR as part of Selected Shorts, and selected for a year's best anthology. Her work has been included in Stories, edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio, and Oz Reimagined, edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen, and in magazines such as Apex, Lightspeed, and Subterranean.
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door (2024) H G Parry "A brilliant story of magic and scholarship and ambition. Of sacrifices made to keep loved ones safe, and a secret world that is wilder and stranger and more complicated than even those living in it know. This is a marvelous, thought-provoking, captivating novel, and I loved it completely."
The Frame-Up (2024) Gwenda Bond "I love a good heist novel, and I love a good magical heist novel even more. Gwenda Bond's The Frame-Up is fun and moving and full of delicious surprises and twists. I enjoyed it immensely."
A Quantum Love Story (2024) Mike Chen "Mike Chen's A Quantum Love Story is a delight of a novel. Mariana and Carter join his pantheon of richly drawn characters in a story that offers freshness and surprises throughout a time loop. Also, there's a really good dog. I enjoyed it immensely."
The City of Stardust (2024) Georgia Summers "Georgia Summers's fascinating debut, The City of Stardust, draws readers into a compelling story full of magic, curses, keys, and stories. It asks what we would do to break a curse, to close a door, or to open one. Readers who loved The Starless Sea or The Ten Thousand Doors of January will also love this darkly magical book."
Last to Leave the Room (2023) Caitlin Starling "Caitlin Starling's Last to Leave the Room is a masterclass in narrative tension. This is a terrifyingly compelling work of scifi horror that was impossible to look away from, even when I wanted to read with my hands mostly covering my eyes."
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride (2023) Roshani Chokshi "Roshani Chokshi's The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is an elegant, intoxicating cocktail of a book. Her gorgeous prose builds a fairy tale otherworld around you, one you'll do anything to remain in."
Our Crooked Hearts (2022) Melissa Albert "Our Crooked Hearts is a glitter-edged razor of a book, sharp and keen. The magic here is real and visceral, with powerful consequences. I fell into this book like Alice falling into Wonderland, and I didn't want to leave."
Darling Girl (2022) Liz Michalski "Darling Girl is a richly written story of what it means to live in the wake of a fairy tale, and the strength and courage it takes to step out of that shadow and find your own story. Full of heartache, sacrifice, and bravery, this is a book that will linger in a reader's thoughts."
A Marvellous Light (2021) (Last Binding, book 1) Freya Marske "Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light is an absolute delight. I was caught from the very beginning by the compellingly realized characters, the gorgeous and deadly magical world, and the fascinating mystery. If you ever wished Downton Abbey was sharper-edged and full of magic, this is the book for you."
Aetherbound (2021) E K Johnston "E. K. Johnston's Aetherbound is a powerful and gorgeous story of a character who makes her own self, family, and future. I loved it completely."
All the Murmuring Bones (2021) A G Slatter "A story as gorgeously gothic as its title. This is a novel of blood and bones, of salt and silver, of an absolutely haunting richness. I was compelled from the very beginning and held rapt to the end."
The Bright and Breaking Sea (2020) (Captain Kit Brightling, book 1) Chloe Neill "The Bright and Breaking Sea is an utter delight. I deeply enjoyed my voyage with Kit Brightling and her loyal and charming crew and would happily sail with them anywhere."
Every Bone a Prayer (2020) Ashley Blooms "Ashley Blooms's debut novel, Every Bone a Prayer, is a brilliant and powerful book. Misty's story is full of magic and heartbreak, sorrow and strength. This is a vital story, beautifully written, and one I highly recommend."
Girl, Serpent, Thorn (2020) Melissa Bashardoust "This is a gorgeously written book set in a beautiful and dangerous world. I loved the vividness of the story, and the way Bashardoust makes stories matter in this book. I was captivated from the beginning, and absolutely thrilled with the end. Watching Soraya come into her own as a character was a delight."
Incendiary (2020) (Hollow Crown, book 1) Zoraida Córdova "A brilliant novel full of memory and magic, love and vengeance."
The Unwilling (2020) (Barrier Lands, book 1) Kelly Braffet "Kelly Braffet's The Unwilling is a viscerally powerful book. Full of complex and compelling characters, this is the story of the corruptions of power and the strength it takes to resist. This is an incredible, brilliant story."
Scavenge the Stars (2020) (Scavenge the Stars, book 1) Tara Sim "Tara Sim's Scavenge the Stars is a compelling tale of revenge, full of complications and reverses. I was hooked by Amaya's story from the beginning, and devoured this book in huge gulps. I loved it, and am already excited for the sequel."
Unnatural Magic (2019) (Unnatural Magic, book 1) C M Waggoner "C.M. Waggoner's Unnatural Magic is a brilliant and terrifically fun book. I could have happily spent twice as long with Onna and Tsira in their compelling world and still wanted more. There's adventure and magic and murder, oh--and did I mention how much fun you'll have reading this?"
The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019) Alix E Harrow "A gorgeously written story of love and longing, of what it means to lose your place in the world and then have the courage to find it again."
Wanderers (2019) (Wanderers , book 1) Chuck Wendig "Utterly brilliant and frighteningly plausible."
Miranda in Milan (2019) Katharine Duckett "Miranda in Milan is a marvel of a story, full of strange and powerful magic, love, and other wonders. A brilliant take on what happens after the close of The Tempest."
Snow White Learns Witchcraft (2019) Theodora Goss "Theodora Goss’s Snow White Learns Witchcraft is a gorgeous, lyric collection of fairy tale retellings. Goss has the ability—the witchcraft—to be able to see the heart of the tale, and show it, polished and reflected and new, to the reader. I loved these stories and poems, their wildness, their beauty, their truth."
Empire of Sand (2018) (Books of Ambha, book 1) Tasha Suri "I was hooked from the moment I began Tasha Suri's gorgeous debut novel, Empire of sand. Suri has created a rich world full of beautiful and powerful magic, utterly compelling characters, high stakes and immersive prose. I absolutely loved it!"
A Spark of White Fire (2018) (Celestial Trilogy , book 1) Sangu Mandanna "Sangu Mandanna's A Spark of White Fire is full of brilliant, complex characters against a compelling mythological canvas. It's full of love and gods, reversals and surprises. I loved it and can't wait for the next book."
For a Muse of Fire (2018) (Shadow Players, book 1) Heidi Heilig "FOR A MUSE OF FIRE is full of magic and danger, heartbreak and love. The book’s playfulness of form deepens the story’s truth, and the characters are complex and compelling. I loved it."
Mirage (2018) (Mirage, book 1) Somaiya Daud "Mirage is a fantastic book. It's full of my favourite things: secrets, intrigue, gorgeous mythology, and complicated characters. It will break your heart and fill you with hope"
The Mere Wife (2018) Maria Dahvana Headley "The Mere Wife [is] an intense, visceral reading experience. . . [the book is] a revisioning of Beowulf, and Maria finds the bones, the sharp edges, the bleeding heart of that story, and tells it against a modern context."
Creatures of Will & Temper (2017) (Creatures , book 1) Molly Tanzer "Molly Tanzer's Creatures of Will and Temper is a smart, gorgeously written book about passion, loyalty, and love in many forms. And if that's not enough for you, it has demons and terrific fencing scenes! I loved this book, and you will too."
