New Book Releases: 4/1/2025

April 1, 2025March 31, 2025 locusmag 0 Comments

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New science fiction, fantasy, and horror books for the week of April 1, 2025.

Abeysekara, Shalini: This Monster of Mine (Sterling/Union Square & Co. 978-1454958093, $19.99, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 04/01/2025)

Fantasy romance novel in a world inspired by ancient Rome. Sarai survived an attempted murder four years ago. As a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, she’s paired with the charming Tetrarch who’s the prime suspect. A first novel.

Bennett, Robert Jackson: A Drop of Corruption (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593723821, $30, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Fantasy locked-room mystery novel set in the world of The Tainted Cup, featuring detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Din. Ana is called on for a “disappearance,” but finds out she’s dealing with a murder whose perpetrator can pass through even warded doors.

Bi, Selina Li: Sunlight Playing Over a Mountain (Soho Teen 978-1641296489, $19.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Young-adult contemporary novel with myth and fantasy elements. Jasmine Cheng’s mother raises her on stories in which they’re the Phoenix and the Dragon. Jasmine tries to prevent her mother’s romances, which cause chaos… which is not a good thing, since a social worker has started monitoring them. A first novel.

Blake, Olivie: Gifted & Talented (Tor 978-1250883407, $29.99, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Contemporary fantasy novel about three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted siblings warring over their recently deceased father’s inheritence. This is a pen name for Alexene Farol Follmuth.

Caldwell, Patrice: Where Shadows Meet (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250815347, $20, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Young-adult dark fantasy vampire romance novel. In the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Favre is a young woman who gave up her wings for love of the goddess Thana. Now, she lives a cursed life, waiting to resurrect her love.

Cast, P.C. & Cast, Kristin: Give Up the Night (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250865182, $20, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Young-adult contemporary fantasy novel, second in the Moonstruck duology. Wren has discovered that the Moonstruck ritual magic was fractured by Selene, but some people,, including Lee, want to prevent her from restoring it.

Flett, Jane: Freakslaw (Zando 978-1638932666, $28, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 04/01/2025)

Horror novel. In 1997, a fun queer circus called Freakslaw comes to the repressed town of Pitlaw, delighting the local teens. But the performers have a secret: they’re here for revenge against the town that wouldn’t let them be themselves.

Fuston, Margie: The Hallow Hunt (Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1665934442, $21.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Young-adult romantic dark fantasy novel, sequel to The Revenant Games. Bly has won the Revenant Games, but needs to find her sister. She must also find a mystic root for the vampire queens.

Gregory, Daryl: When We Were Real (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668060049, $29.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Literary SF novel. When JP finds out his cancer is back, he and his friend Dulin go on a road trip of America’s Impossibles, regions of physics-defying glitches in the simulacrum. They encounter strange fellow tourists, a Ghost City, a zero-gravity geyser, and more.

Hamilton, Alwyn: The Notorious Virtues (Penguin Random House/Viking 978-0451479662, $22.99, 512pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Nora’s family owns all the money and magic in the country. When her mother is found dead, a cutthroat tournament is held to settle the matter of the family heir, and an illegitimate cousin is revealed.

Hart, Emilia: The Sirens (St. Martin’s 978-1250280824, $29, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Novel mixing historical, mystery, and mythical elements. Lucy wakes up to find her hands around her ex’s throat, and flees to her sister’s house in Australia… though local men have gone missing at sea. Lucy’s narrative intertwines with her sister’s, and with two sisters from the 1800s.

Huff, Tanya: Direct Descendant (Astra House/DAW 978-0756419660, $29, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Cozy horror novel. Lake Argen is an idyllic small town whose safety and prosperity is guaranteed by a supernatural covenant with a dark force. Cassidy is a local baker-slash-servant-of-darkness, but starts to fall for the PI who’s starting to uncover Lake Argen’s nefarious dealings.

Jio, Sarah: Insignificant Others (HarperCollins/Morrow 978-0063371156, $29.27, 304pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Parallel-timeline SF romance novel. Perfectionist Lena is jilted by her boyfriend when she thought he would propose. She wakes up the next morning in Paris, next to a hot Frenchman who thinks she’s his wife. Soon, Lena is waking up in multiple “road not taken” realities.

Kaner, Hannah: Faithbreaker (Harper Voyager US 978-0008521561, $24.7, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Fantasy novel, third and final in the Fallen Gods trilogy begun in Godkiller. The fire god Hseth is ravaging Midden with war, and stopping her depends on the alliances and actions of Elo, Inara, and Kissen.

Lee, Sharon & Miller, Steve: Diviner’s Bow (Baen 978-1668072523, $28, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 04/01/2025)

SF novel, 27th in the Liaden universe. The Oracle forsees the end of Civilization, and reactions to the prophecy are mixed. Some still think they can act to avert disaster, while others seek to profit from the end.

Lyons, Meredith R.: A Dagger of Lightning (CamCat Books 978-0744311570, $29.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

SF romance novel. Imogen, 45, is kidnapped by an alien prince who’s convinced she has latent powers (and that she will fall in love with him and aid in his extraterrestrial war). But Imogen has got other ideas, and some help from the prince’s less-unbearable brother.

Marr, Melissa: Reluctant Witch (Tor/Bramble 978-1250884152, $18.99, 320pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the series A Course in Magic. Ellie is whisked away to the magical land of Crenshaw by her wife Prospero, but unbenkownst to her, Prospero has erased Ellie’s real memories in hopes that Ellie and her powers can help save Crenshaw.

Nayler, Ray: Where the Axe Is Buried (Macmillan/Farrar, Straus, Giroux/MCD 978-0374615369, $28, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Near-future spy thriller. An assassination attempt is made on the President of the Federation — who has downloaded his mind into body after body to maintain power. Scientist Lilia’s invention is implicated in the crime, and she goes on the run, as shockwaves of the event affect the world’s AI-governed nations, surveillance states, and more.

Smith, Nicholas Sansbury: Rhino: The Rise of a Warrior (Blackstone Publishing 979-8874816384, $18.99, 418pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Post-apocalyptic SF novel set in the world of the Hell Divers series. After World War Three renders the surface uninhabitable, humanity lives in airships while “hell divers” retreive supplies from below. This story follows Nick, an orphan growing up below the clouds as a bunker mechanic and then freedom fighter.

Theodoridou, Natalia: Sour Cherry (Tin House 978-1963108194, $17.95, 312pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Literary dark fairy tale reimagining of Bluebeard. After the death of her own baby, Agnes is called to be the wet nurse to a nobleman’s baby boy. But the boy grows grotesque, and as he reaches manhood, his wives start to die, one after another.

Thompson, Mary G.: One Level Down (Tachyon Publications 978-1616964306, $16.95, 196pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

SF novella. In a simultated universe on a colony planet, Ella is a five-year-old. But she’s been five for 53 years — her “Daddy,” absolute ruler of the colony, deletes those who don’t comply with his reality. But an outside technician offers Ella a chance to escape.

Zahn, Timothy: The Icarus Coda (Baen 978-1668072356, $28, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 04/01/2025)

Space opera SF novel, seventh in the Icarus Saga. Gregory and Selene are figitives sought by various factions, who seek to use Selene’s ability to understand Icari tech. As they dodge pursuers, they discover a gifted alien named Bubloo, who may hold galactic importance.

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