Happy New Year, and comfortable new books! If “studying extra” is a purpose you keep in mind for 2025—we salute you! And now we have 42 ideas of the place to begin turning the pages, with sci-fi, horror, and fantasy tales galore.
January 7
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
The newest within the writer’s Hugo and Nebula-winning Wayward Kids collection options “large turtles, unattainable ships, and tidal rivers ridden by a Drowned Woman seeking a household.” (January 7)
The Capital of Dreams by Heather O’Neill
“A darkish dystopian fairytale about an idyllic nation ravaged by struggle—and a woman torn between security and loyalty.” (January 7)
Cold Storage by Michael C. Grumley
On this standalone near-future thriller, a military veteran goes on the run from the shadowy group that introduced him again from the lifeless. (January 7)
A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross
“On this new Laundry Recordsdata journey the destiny of the world will actually rely on the roll of cube… twenty-sided cube, that’s.” (January 7)
The Dryad Storm by Laurie Forest
“Magical forces conflict and Erthia hovers getting ready to smash within the can’t-miss finale of Laurie Forest’s epic fantasy collection, the Black Witch Chronicles.” (January 7)
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
“A younger ruler should forge a fragile alliance with the untrustworthy but magnetic God of Warfare to guard her kingdom on this gorgeous romantic fantasy crammed with harmful secrets and techniques, forbidden magic, and keenness.” (January 7)
Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear
“A strong and fierce reimagining of the earliest Roman legend: the twins, Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of historical past’s biggest empire, and the lady whose sacrifice made all of it attainable.” (January 7)
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Younger
“A lady investigates her twin brother’s mysterious dying whereas confronting the ghosts of her personal haunted previous.” (January 7)
The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard (January 7)
On this romantasy, a bladesmith accepts an invite to courtroom largely as a result of she’s eager for journey. She as a substitute finds hassle within the type of the crown prince’s alluring half-brother, and issues get even worse when her forbidden powers start to awaken, drawing the curiosity of a darkish god.
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman
On this social horror story, a man and his nephew race to flee “a demonic possession epidemic” that impacts those that devour an excessive amount of poisonous media. (January 7)
January 14
Aurora Fragment by Brian Shea and Raquel Byrnes
The Reminiscence Financial institution techno-thriller collection continues; on this entry, “tormented by the intrusive reminiscences of a lifeless killer, Detective Morgan Reed is drawn to a distant and troubled Alaskan city.” (January 14)
Babylonia by Costanza Casati
This story affords a mix of “fantasy and historic historical past to present Semiramis, the one feminine ruler of the Assyrian Empire, a voice, charting her fascinating ascent to a throne nobody promised her.” (January 14)
Daughter of Chaos by A.S. Webb
The Darkish Pantheon Trilogy begins on this story set in historic Greece, the place a fisherman’s daughter realizes she has magic powers—and may be the important thing to setting humankind free from the tyrannical gods. (January 14)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
On this new story described as “a ebook inside a ebook” from the writer of Who Fears Loss of life, “a disabled Nigerian American girl pens a wildly profitable sci-fi novel, however as her fame rises, she loses management of the narrative—a surprisingly reducing, but heartfelt drama about artwork and love, identification and connection, and, in the end, what makes us human.” (January 14)
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
“Ocean’s 8 meets Blade Runner on this trail-blazing debut science fiction novel and swashbuckling love letter to Hawai’i about being compelled to discover a new house and striving to construct a greater one.” (January 14)
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
A brand new romantasy collection begins with this story that “blends mythology and shadow magic with a tantalizing enemies-to-lovers romance that can rewrite the celebrities.” (January 14)
The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen
“The caretaker at an remoted mountain lodge finds herself preventing for her life—and sanity—on this twisty, addictive thriller.” (January 14)
The Night Is Defying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
The second entry within the writer’s Nytefall trilogy is about “the place historical past is doomed to repeat, and star-crossed lovers should face a selection between their hearts or the world.” (January 14)
Strange Pictures by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion
This Japanese best-seller affords “an eerie recent tackle mystery-horror by which a collection of seemingly harmless photos attracts you right into a disturbing net of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.” (January 14)
Vow of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes
This romantasy story, the subsequent installment within the Bride of the Shadow King collection, picks again up with Princess Faraine. She’s trapped within the Shadow Realm with King Vor, her new husband, who’s reluctant to belief her regardless of the spark between them. (January 14)
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
“A lady inherits a pawnshop the place you’ll be able to promote your regrets, after which embarks on a magical quest when a captivating younger physicist wanders into the store, on this dreamlike fantasy novel.” (January 14)
Waterblack by Alex Pheby
The Cities of the Weft trilogy concludes as Nathan Treeves steps into his function as Grasp of Waterblack, the Metropolis of the Useless, and the God-Killer who has him in her sights. (January 14)
We Lived on the Horizon by Erika Swyler
This story follows “a bio-prosthetic surgeon and her private AI as they’re drawn right into a revolution.” (January 14)
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
In 1970 Florida, an occult ebook on witchcraft brings a wierd and harmful new energy to the younger ladies biding their time in a house for unwed pregnant teenagers. (January 14)
January 21
Boudicca by P.C. Solid
“An epic, lusty, magic-filled romantasy about British warrior queen Boudicca.” (January 21)
The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao
This “fantasy impressed by one of the crucial well-known romances in Hindu mythology” follows “the story of a celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human sage, however when she finds herself falling for her mark, she might be compelled to decide on between loyalties and being true to herself.” (January 21)
Motheater by Linda H. Codega
“On this nuanced queer fantasy set amid the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, the final witch of the Ridge should select sides in a conflict between business and nature.” Learn a Q&A with the writer, an io9 alumni, here. (January 21)
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
The Empyrean collection continues as Violet departs Basgiath Warfare School and heads into battle—seeking allies and determined to guard her dragons and the individuals she loves. (January 21)
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, translated by Slin Juno
“On the outskirts of Rainbow City, there’s an outdated, deserted home. They are saying that if you happen to ship a letter detailing your misfortunes there, you may obtain a ticket. In the event you deliver this ticket to the home on the primary day of the wet season, you’ll be granted entrance into the mysterious Rainfall Market—the place you’ll be able to select to utterly change your life.” A lady who’s shocked to obtain such a ticket should determine what to do subsequent. (January 21)
Strange Stones by Edward Lee and Mary SanGiovanni
“This story follows an unbearable horror-con lurker as he spurns the fallacious girl and is cursed to a monstrous dimension filled with Lovecraftian creations.” (January 21)
The Wind on Her Tongue by Anita Kopacz
This follow-up to Shallow Waters continues the Daughter of Three Waters trilogy, as “Oya—the Yoruban deity of the climate—is delivered to life throughout 1870s America.” (January 21)
January 25
Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives
“Greco-Roman mythology and the thriller of the vanished Roanoke colony collide on this epic journey crammed with sapphic longing and feminine rage.” (January 25)
January 28
At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce
“A murderess turns into the guardian of two very uncommon women on this mesmerizing gothic novel.” (January 28)
At the Fount of Creation by Tobi Ogundirian
“The destiny of the Orisha might be determined within the concluding quantity of the Guardians of the Gods duology.” (January 28)
Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki
On this historic romantasy, “a younger Scottish girl is magically transported to the final Samurai period, the place she encounters ghosts from the previous, her personal Japanese ancestry, and a love that transcends time.” (January 28)
Old Soul by Susan Barker
“Half horror, half western, half thriller, Previous Soul is a fearlessly daring and genre-defying story about predation, morality and free will, and one man’s quest to deliver a centuries-long chain of human devastation to an finish.” (January 28)
Our Winter Monster by Dennis Mahoney
“Chilling vacation horror about an sad couple operating from their issues and straight into the maw of a terrifying beast.” (January 28)
The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell
“A mage bereft of her powers should discover out if she is destined to avoid wasting the world or destroy it.” (January 28)
The Scorpion Queen by Mira Frears
“Uprooted meets Kids of Blood and Bone on this darkish fantasy impressed by a Malian fairy story a few princess whose suitors are challenged to ugly trials.” (January 28)
Shadow of the Eternal Watcher by Josh Mendoza
A down-on-his-luck non-public eye who’s usually visited by demons discovers he has one other energy he’s by no means realized: the power to bend space-time, a present that will permit him to realize the life he’s at all times dreamed of. (January 28)
Sinkhole, and Other Inexplicable Voids: Stories by Leyna Krow
“Set within the Pacific Northwest, these tales mix excessive idea magic with the typically delicate, different instances evident, realities of local weather change.” (January 28)
The Teeth of Dawn by Marina Lostetter
The 5 Penalties fantasy collection concludes as “a insurrection struggles to tear the masks off the illusions and enchantments of a society shrouded in layers of thriller.” (January 28)
Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to count on the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the pieces it’s good to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.
Trending Merchandise
