New Books: 21 January 2025
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Burke, Ava: Haunting and Homicide (The Quick Brown Fox/Crooked Lane 978-1639109289, $29.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 01/21/2025)
Fantasy mystery novel, first in the Ghost Tour Mystery series. Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher can see ghosts, which helps her host viral ghost tours in New Orleans. When her rival tour guide is murdered by a dagger from her shop, she’s the prime suspect, and has to use her powers to figure out who’s really responsible.
Cast, P.C.: Boudicca (HarperCollins/Morrow 978-0-06-329497-4, $30, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 01/21/2025)
Historical romantic fantasy, based on the life of the ancient British queen. As Boudicca, a tribal leader, pursues a bloody campaign against invading Romans, her Druid priestess Rhan forsees a terrible end. Determined to succeed, Boudicca entrusts Rhan to change the future, drawing on the powers of the underworld.
Codega, Linda H.: Motheater (Kensington/Erewhon 978-1-64-566179-5, $28, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 01/21/2025)
Queer Appalachian fantasy novel. Bennie Mattox investigates her best friend’s death in a coal mine, but she finds a white woman who claims to be an Appalachian witch who has slept for 150 years. A first novel.
Lee, Edward & Sangiovanni, Mary: Strange Stones (Clash Books 978-1-96-098841-6, $16.95, 140pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 01/21/2025)
Lovecraftian horror novel. A controversial weird fiction critic makes a living from dismantling Lovecraft and Lovecraft idolatry. But he angers a beautiful witch who happens to be devotee of Lovecraft’s work, and she casts a spell on him, sending him to a dimension where Lovecraft’s works are real.
Rao, Kritika H.: The Legend of Meneka (Harper Voyager US 978-0-06-334918-6, $30, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 01/21/2025)
Fantasy romance novel, the first book in the Divine Dancers duology. It’s based on an Indian myth of Menaka, a celestial apsara or nymph tasked with seducing a mortal sage. Heavenly king Indra sends Meneka to seduce an ambitious scholar, but she falls in love with him instead. Simultaneous with the Harper Voyager UK edition. Ebook also available.
Selene, Lyra: A Crown So Silver (Orbit US 978-0-31-656498-4, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audio, 01/21/2025)
Fantasy romance novel, the second in the Fair Folk trilogy. Heroine Fia and her husband Irian become drawn into a magical competition on the Silver Isle, a magical place on the borders of fae country ruled by a cunning smith-king.
Yarros, Rebecca: Onyx Storm (Entangled/Red Tower 978-1649374189, $32.99, 544pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 01/21/2025)
Adult fantasy romance novel, third in the Empyrean series set in an elite military college for dragon riders. Violet Sorrengail sets out to raise an army and win allies to aid in her kingdom’s desperate battle. Comes in a deluxe limited edition with stenciled sprayed edges.
Yeong-Gwang, You: The Rainfall Market (Ace 978-0-593-95266-5, $19, 224pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 01/21/2025)
Cozy fantasy novel. A teen plagued by misfortune gets a ticket to the fabled Rainfall Market that will allow her to pick a new life, but only has one week to spend viewing possible lives before she has to choose. Translated by Slin Jung.
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