Two-time Nebula Award-winner Fran Wilde's novels and short stories have been finalists for six Nebula Awards, a World Fantasy Award, four Hugo Awards, three Locus Awards, and a Lodestar. They include her Nebula- and Compton Crook Award-winning debut novel Updraft, and her Nebula award-winning, Best of NPR 2019, debut Middle Grade novel Riverland. Her short stories appear in Asimov's Science Fiction, Tor.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Shimmer, Nature, Uncanny Magazine, and multiple years' best anthologies. Fran teaches for the Genre Fiction MFA concentration at Western Colorado University and the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also writes nonfiction for publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Tor.com. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and at franwilde.net.
Cinderwich (2024) Cherie Priest "A mystery wrapped in Appalachian lore and family secrets, with so much heart. An Absolute must read."
The Surviving Sky (2023) (Rages Trilogy, book 1) Kritika H Rao "In this brilliant, gorgeous debut, Kritika H. Rao's The Surviving Sky weaves a kaleidoscopic environmental plot with relationships that feel very real indeed. The combination is electric. I loved watching the main characters grow, evolve, and become unforgettable, each in their own right. This is a story unlike any I've read before, an epic adventure through fantastic landscapes and heartscapes."
Saturnalia (2022) Stephanie Feldman "Stephanie Feldman's Saturnalia achieves a lifetime in one night: The story is both a suspenseful thriller populated by magic and money, and a sharp look into the heart of young people coming of age in a slow apocalypse. Brilliant and fast paced, with enough beauty and hope to ease a troubled evening's passage."
Last Exit (2022) Max Gladstone "How far would you go to save the world? Max Gladstone's Last Exit answers resoundingly with an epic homage and powerful challenge to modern fantasy. What a stunning ride!"
Where I Can't Follow (2022) Ashley Blooms "Ashley Blooms novels have this in common with the tallest of trees: they are deftly rooted in the land of their origin, and yet their crowns, dappled with starlight, define a much broader world. In Where I Can't Follow, the twined themes of magical escape and what it means to be left behind build a brilliant stage on which Blooms' luminous cast of characters is transformed. A captivating novel that is at once personal and universal."
Dark Breakers (2022) C S E Cooney "Welcome to a Gilded Era like you've never before known and will never be able to forget. C. S. E. Cooney's Dark Breakers will transfix and transform you, and, should you chance upon its characters in a glittering hallway, you had best be wearing your fanciest moonlight, and be ready to dance. If Titania herself were to commission a book, it would be this one."
The Beholden (2022) Cassandra Rose Clarke "Lush and compelling, Clarke has created a world that captivates . . . A gorgeous story with a deep heart."
Dust & Grim (2021) Chuck Wendig "Siblings Molly and Dustin Grim are the most unlikely of heroes, and for that reason they are among the greatest. The fact that they must save the world from within a secret monster mortuary is only the first of many surprises that bestselling tale-spinner Chuck Wendig has created for this full-of-heart debut about trust, friendship, and the importance of having the perfect costume for every occasion. A fantastic, spooky adventure!"
The Edge of Strange Hollow (2021) Gabrielle K Byrne "Poppy Sunshine's realizations about the truths of her world, and her role in it, her magnificent companions, and the astounding Grimwood she lives beside make Gabrielle K. Byrne's The Edge of Strange Hollow a fantastic read. I'm still thinking about it, days later!"
The Midnight Bargain (2020) C L Polk "Seamlessly blends Regency class issues, subversive intrigue, and fantasy together in a heart-racing seaside romance where everything hangs in the balance. Polk's magical elements are so integral to the romantic plot that the two are inextricable, much as all of the characters, from the leads to the seamstresses, now have a firm place in my heart. I loved every intricate inch."
Jonesy Flux and the Gray Legion (2020) (Jonesy Flux, book 1) James Pray "A vivid, cinematic adventure, Jonesy Flux will take your breath away and win your heart, at least twice over."
The Sin in the Steel (2020) (Fall of the Gods , book 1) Ryan Van Loan "A multilayered attack on tired adventure tropes. Two mercenaries, wrongly accused, are forced to investigate a crime, one that transforms them and their world forever. A blisteringly paced, amazingly fun and thoughtful read!"
Finder (2019) (Finder Chronicles, book 1) Suzanne Palmer "Fergus Ferguson makes an excellent lead in this fast-paced hard-sf repo adventure set in space opera's sweeping scale and balanced on the heart of one very finely wrought character. Suzanne Palmer’s writing is delightful."
The Perfect Assassin (2019) (Chronicles of Ghadid, book 1) K A Doore "In a high-flung desert city, a reluctant assassin's choices threaten his family's way of life, those he loves, and, worst of all, the spirits of the dead. Amastan Basbowen's options are all dangerous, but he must move forward. The ensuing intrigue forms the core of a highly exciting adventure."
Snow White Learns Witchcraft (2019) Theodora Goss "With each story, Theodora Goss weaves new myths from the threads of childhood and legend. This collection does what the best songs and poems and spells do: slips gently into your consciousness, then slowly changes the way you see the world. A wonderful addition to Goss’s works."
Here and Now and Then (2019) Mike Chen "Mike Chen's Here and Now and Then takes time travel past the 'what if?' and into the 'what after?' all while dealing elegantly 'with what could possibly go wrong!?' A strong and very real father-daughter relationship is tested across the centuries, as Chen's characters navigate adventure and consequences together. A tight net of excitement and wonder."
Empire of Sand (2018) (Books of Ambha, book 1) Tasha Suri "Empire of Sand is astounding. The desert setting captured my imagination, the magic bound me up, and the epic story set my heart free."
City of Broken Magic (2018) (Chronicles of Amicae, book 1) Mirah Bolender "City of Broken Magic explores what happens after the familiar heroes have gone, and the importance of those who remain to begin again."
Implanted (2018) Lauren C Teffeau "Implanted takes readers to the bleeding edge of a hopeful future and dives headlong into the risks required to make that future real. Emery is a character I loved from the start for her skills and flaws both, and Teffeau takes this ultra-high-tech future to new heights and depths with incredible skill. Such a great adventure!"
Jade City (2017) (Green Bone Saga, book 1) Fonda Lee "With a powerful family of complex characters -- including my favorite, Kaul Shaelinsan -- Jade City beckons readers to secret family meetings and public battles between warring clans. With magical jade at stake, winning the battle for control of a city has never been more important, or more dangerous. Fonda Lee's first adult novel is a fast-hitting, tantalizing, sometimes unsettling, and always insightful book with a wealth of power at its core. A modern-day epic."
The City of Brass (2017) (Daevabad Trilogy, book 1) S A Chakraborty "S. A. Chakraborty's debut novel is an adventure that sweeps readers through the streets of Cairo and out into a spellbinding landscape of magic, warring clans, sacrifice, and betrayal. Each page reveals a new wonder. Con-woman Nahri, djinn warrior Dara, and the enchanted city that they--and we--are only just beginning to understand, are captivating. What an exciting ride!"
An Unkindness of Magicians (2017) (Unseen World, book 1) Kat Howard "This is an amazing book filled with magic, consequences, and what happens when you fight rather than turning away. This is Omelas, for magic. This is the price that must be paid. This is the story the others forgot to tell."
Strange Practice (2017) (Dr. Greta Helsing, book 1) Vivian Shaw "In Vivian Shaw's Strange Practice, a charmingly unusual doctor and her charges keep the city of London from grave danger. In the process, they peel back the covers of familiar (and according to them, somewhat 'libelous') stories to find that reality - especially with the undead - is more poignant and complex than it seems at first glance. An excellent adventure."
River of Teeth (2017) (River of Teeth, book 1) Sarah Gailey "This is a thing I now know about Sarah Gailey: she is a word-magician who can render searing touch on a flat page and suspend disbelief flawlessly. The world of River of Teeth feels vast, and navigable due to her skill. The characters within, deep and yet intimately knowable."
The Prey of Gods (2017) Nicky Drayden "The Prey of Gods delivers on every promise in beautifully unexpected ways that leave you breathless, a little dizzy, and wanting more...Exquisite, fast-paced, and excellent fun."
Slightly Ruby (2016) Patrick Swenson "A tempting glimpse at the mysterious, dark underbelly of a human and alien conspiracy. A dangerous and compelling story."
The Drowning Eyes (2016) Emily Foster "The Drowning Eyes made me want to sail the coastline on a boat of my own and see if I could call up a storm."
