Blood Reunion by JCM Berne

People are dying, their corpses left savaged and drained of blood. The obvious culprit: vampires. But vampires shouldn’t be able to sneak around Wistful undetected or shadowstep freely inside her body. Soon the station herself becomes oddly uncooperative, leaving Rohan and Wei Li bewildered and all her inhabitants in danger. Finding and defeating the killer will require a deep dive into the ancient history of Wistful and of the il’Drach people. Into the connections between the Ursans, the wormholes, and the races that preceded them. Into the dark past of a tormented space station that yearns only for death. Rohan will be forced to fight, and maybe even to kill. He’ll have to face those who bear grudges from his past, the Empire he once served, and his own reluctance to again become the warrior he sometimes needs to be.

The Black Bird of Chernobyl by Ann McMan

Two-time Lambda Literary Award-winning author Ann McMan takes readers inside the inner workings of the funeral home business as only she can in this remarkable and wholly unforgettable romantic comedy that proves life is for the living. Everything about Lilah Stohler is her clothes, mood, and outlook on life and death. That last part is important because Lilah’s father has just retired and left her in charge of the family funeral home. But Abel Stohler knows his daughter’s comfort level rests “downstairs,” so he hires one Sparkle Lee Sink, to help Lilah manage the living part of the business of death. Sparkle is everything that Lilah isn’t—an empathetic marketing whiz who is a true people person. Lilah isn’t happy about this new arrangement. Still, when business starts booming because of Sparkle’s bright personality, delicious baked goods, and knack for funereal commerce, Lilah thinks things might work out. But joy is fleeting in the funeral home business, and Lilah’s world is turned upside down when an unwitting Instagram post featuring one of her moods goes viral—and now, sightings of “The Black Bird of Chernobyl” have become an obsession across the Instaverse. Lilah knows that Sparkle needs to go, but before she can give her the send-off she deserves, Lilah must first find a way to deal with the inconvenient attraction she’s developed for the nemesis whose unconventional methods are single-handedly transforming the death trade—and quite possibly the Black Bird, herself.

Unbroken by Alli Temple

A pirate’s home is the sea, sailing beyond the horizon with her true love. Aboard the Crimson Siren, Captain Cinder finally has the life she’s always dreamed of. Her freedom is restored, her crew is a trustworthy bunch, and the princess who holds her heart is by her side. But trouble brewing back in Redmere threatens to pull Cinder and Princess Georgina apart before their future can truly begin. Georgina feels a responsibility to help, while Cinder is vehemently against returning to their former home. Instead, she embarks on a dangerous treasure hunt that could cost her everything. Faced with a deadly threat, Cinder pushes everyone around her away just when she needs them most. Friendships are tested. Risky alliances forged. Yet as storm clouds darken Cinder’s future, one thing becomes painfully clear: Her home is taking on water, and time to save the people she loves is running out.

Echoes of Destiny by Ericka Evren

One man holds the key to extinction. Or survival. After the fall of the Archarian race, the Dexsortes galaxy is in ruins. The Nevo have destroyed and enslaved all who resist them. Only one small glimmer of hope remains. Kaytrix is alive. Deserted, with his memory compromised, Kaytrix searches for answers to his lost past, unaware the Nevo are hunting him. Finding refuge in a battered ship with its crew of misfits, revelations of his identity arise, causing conflict. Will Kaytrix’s shaky friendships help him prevail? Or will they be the ones to tear him apart? Time is running out. Even as his memory returns, something is taking over his body. If he can’t stop it, he will fail the galaxy. He already failed once. He can’t let that happen, not again. Even if it means losing his own life.

A Handful of Souls by Stephen Rice

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Book One from The Split Sea Mud, gold and lies. That’s all you get in Branera. You’ll find no better expert on these things than Lily Kale-Tollworth. Yet she has no clue of the events already in motion around her. WEEKS AGO, a murderer with a bleeding grin was released from the Mountain Head. Lily doesn’t know this pale-skinned giant has been writing to her. She doesn’t even know he’s coming to find her. But as her father, Husker Tollworth feels like it’s his right. DAYS AGO, a tax patrol was slaughtered. Lily doesn’t know her brother’s corpse was pulled from a ditch, stolen by a man who can raise the dead. Lark Kale-Tollworth will follow this bizarre scholar to the Southlands. He will forget how many times he’s died. HOURS AGO, an informant showed Lily’s stepfather an incriminating note. Branera has taxed its villages too hard. An uprising is massing in the Northlands – and they have a noose with Josef Kale’s name on it. At this very moment, Josef is frantically packing their coach, while Lily is drinking whisky in a brothel. She’s met the arrogant idiot who will be their guide south. She doesn’t know he has a hollow soul, filled with thousands of spirits. She doesn’t know his mouth is filled with as many lies. But if there are three things Lily’s good at, it’s mud, gold and lies. ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Bringing a bright, messy twist to the gritty fantasy genre, fans of Scott Lynch and Terry Pratchett will feel right at home with A HANDFUL OF SOULS, the first of the Split Sea Novels.

Tales of Mundane Magic: Volume One by Shaina Krevat

Nothing too strange ever happens to Gertie and Bridget Mallon. The sisters don’t have magical adventures fighting off dark lords or saving the world. Gertie spends her time learning the skill of enchantment, and Bridget has the ability to see things no one else can see with her left eye, which was bewitched in an accident many years ago. Sure, they attend Flories Boarding School, where Gertie takes a potions class and Bridget plays basketball, and the occasional magical anomaly takes place, but who doesn’t deal with the occasional poltergeist or curse? Life is relatively calm for the Mallon sisters, but things might not be quite as mundane as they appear.

The Concealed by SK Horton

Sometimes destiny is written. Hers was concealed. When Cate travels from Oregon to university in England, she expects her gravest dilemma to be finding coffee instead of tea, but she’s got bigger problems—much bigger. At Staton University, nothing is quite what it seems. Even her own identity. Unbeknownst to Cate, a prophecy deems her as destined to defeat a ruthless enemy in a magical land, placing a target squarely on her back. Now, someone on campus is stalking her, and a narrow escape sends her through a mysterious portal, assisted by two irresistible boys. Yet the fantastical new world is even more treacherous with rival kingdoms and imminent war. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, but what’s a girl to do? A fresh start was all she wanted—a few new friends in the dorms with a trusty latte in hand—not war, an estranged biological father who is king, or a star-crossed love straight out of Romeo and Juliet (hopefully without the dying part). As the battle looms, Cate must solve the mystery of the prophecy and decide who in her circle is trustworthy before the place she now calls home is destroyed. Don't miss this new Young Adult Romantic Fantasy from debut author SK Horton about first love in a fantastical new world. Featuring swoon-worthy romance, court intrigue, backstabbing villains and so much more, it's perfect for fans of Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood, Lauren Roberts' Powerless, and lovers of all things romantasy!

Dark Star by C. X. Myers

After the events of the Heights Exclusion, Wally, Vess, and the Dispersers of the Sixth Precinct of Colvus find themselves mired in a city torn by civil strife, all while they grieve their own losses. The civilian deaths in the housing projects targeted by the Cult of the Dark Star have left the Colvian people angry, wounded, and lacking faith in the leadership of the Water Serpent Clergy, who have ruled the city for so many years. In the midst of that strife, Wally must find a way to summon Vess once more without the use of the spirit proxy, Jemma Corsivo discovers a kindred spirit where she least expected it, and a new threat wearing a familiar face rises in the heart of the city.

Breaker by Amy Campbell

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Unless this outlaw mage tames his magic, everyone he cares about will be crushed by the enemy. Blaise Hawthorne fears that all he’ll ever be is an outcast, stuck living with his parents for the rest of his days and unable to realize his dream of working in a bakery. Born a Breaker, his unbridled magic wreaks havoc with a touch of his hands. When an enemy Commander storms into his town in a cloud of dust hunting for spellcasters, Blaise escapes and flees the only life he’s ever known. While on the run, Blaise’s chance encounters with a pegasus and a surly gunslinger set him on the path to a new life where he’s accepted for who he is. But things go awry in his new town and Blaise is suspected, forcing the terrible choice between taking the blame or running from the only people who embraced him. When his chosen family is threatened by the Commander he thwarted, can Blaise find the grit to harness his volatile magic into a saving grace, or will his most dangerous challenge be his last? This gritty, uplifting fantasy is the first book in the Tales of the Outlaw Mages series, set in an Old West-inspired world. If you enjoy found family, LGBTQ+ representation, baked goods, and a whole lot of heart then look no further. Break away from the beaten fantasy path with Breaker today.