The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott

Spore and the Pall are the things most feared in Elen's world. She has a talent for detecting Spore and a hidden secret for dispatching it. Elen and her nephew Kem are on her courier route while Kem decides if he wants to declare as a courier when they find a haunt at a waystation.

A prince of the realm also encounters the haunt – and the haunt possesses him. One problem, the haunt is a much nicer person than the prince and the haunt is on a mission.

I liked this quite a bit. It's very much an high fantasy quest book, but we're not exactly sure what the quest is. Elliott's world building is first rate and I really really want to find out what happens in the next book. (I also really really hope that the haunt comes back!)

Recommended for older teens, some mature themes, but nothing overt or spicy.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older

So this is the third in a mystery series that I can only describe as giving queer Sherlock Holmes vibes. Humanity has spread out to Jupiter due to Earth becoming unlivable, and habitats are orbiting the planet. (We don't learn much about the science behind this. This is absolutely fine, in fact, it reminded me of classic SF – here is the thing, it's enough that you know about the thing for the story.) Pleiti is contacted by a former classmate for help as someone is trying to sabotage the former classmates' academic career.

Academic backbiting never gets old, apparently. Pleiti travels to the habitat without her investigative partner, Mossi and we are plunged into the mystery.

I quite liked this, as I said, it does give off Sherlock Holmes vibes. The mystery is well laid out and I certainly didn't guess whodunnit, which is always nice. Also, I'm 99% sure there was a blink and you missed it Firefly Easter egg, so also fun!

Recommended for Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie fans.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang

Yeva was thirteen when she killed a dragon and was sworn to the ranks of the Emperor's guildknights. Never having removed her armour in public since earning it, she is sent to the neighbouring kingdom of Quanbao to discover if they are harboring a dragon, and if so, to do her duty. But armour cracks and whose duty will Yeva stand by?

This is a lovely queer romance with dragons and a wee bit of Bluebeard – how could I not love it? This reads like a newly discovered fairy tale and I was enraptured by it.

Recommended for older teens and up.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin

Reeling from both breaking up with her fiancee and losing her job, Shell Pine moves home and starts to rebuild her life. Walking through the local mall one day, Shell sees a small sign on a florist shop – Help Needed. Even though the mall is losing tenants and is on its way to being condemned, the flower shop owner (Neve) is doing well enough to hire Shell. Neve has a secret, however, and it is deadly.

This did not go the way I thought it would. Lushly written and imagined, this is almost body horror cozy? The POV shifts were a bit confusing at first, but you get used to it quickly.

Recommended, although you might look askance at your flowers for a couple of days.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overgrowth by Mira Grant

Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire's pseudonym) combines body horror, 50's monster movies and alien invasion in this deliciously creepy novel.

Anastasia Miller has been insisting to anyone who asks that she is an alien in human disguise since she was 3, most people take it as a somewhat amusing personality quirk, but we soon find out that it's not just a quirk. When an alien signal is picked up, Anastasia realizes that her family is coming for her and the others on Earth – and they may not be very friendly.

Absolutely recommended, as are all Grant's works no matter what the name on the cover is. Grant does a lot with subtext around found family, children's feelings and needs and listening to same. There's a revelation close to the end of the book that will break your heart, it did mine.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Steady Now by Liberty Stowe

A spicy summer read! Wren Baldwin's Maserati breaks down near the small town of Vogel Springs, Texas and she is immediately attracted to the town's mechanic, Hud Bass. Over the scope of this novel, secrets are revealed (what is Wren running from? Why is Hud so resistant to a relationship?) and love blossoms for both Wren and her best friend Anderson.

Recommended for adults due to spiciness.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

All the Stars Align by Gretchen Schrieber

Gretchen Schrieber has written a sweet novel about trusting yourself, the way families can stifle you even when they only profess the best for you and is fate really fate?

All the women in Piper's family have met and married their true loves due to the Blessing, and now Piper is trying to find her own Blessing and true love. But is the boy who makes her heart flutter with her Blessing her true love?

I quite liked this concept and also really liked how hard Piper works to fit her life into the confines of what the Blessing seems like to her before realizing that it's okay to want different things than what your family does and it's okay to have boundaries around your family.

A YA novel, I would recommend this for mid-teens and up.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal has written another gripping story of alternate history space exploration. The fourth book in the “Lady Astronaut” series reads like it should be happening today. I had to keep the fact that this book was set in the '70's firmly in mind when it came to societal attitudes.

Potential problems around establishing a habitat on Mars are well thought out and don't overshadow the human side of doing just that. There's a lot of little details that Robinette Kowal includes that make you think “oh, right, they're on Mars, things are more complex”.

One of my favourite series, I would recommend this for older teens and up. Start from the beginning to get the full effect.

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Olivia Waite has written a new take on generational ships. She's got a unique solution to one of the big problems with generational ships and I loved it. A tightly plotted and written novella, you don't need to be a SFF fan to enjoy this murder mystery. Technically a locked room mystery as well, which is a neat twist. The start of a series featuring the protagonist (Dorothy Gentleman), I can't wait for the next one.

Also, I want the knitting pattern she mentions!

Recommended for older teens and up, this is a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Installment Immortality

Mary Dunlavy is back, baby! Six months after Aftermarket Afterlife, we find out more about how Mary’s unlife is changing in the aftermath of the death of the Crossroads. And how the various Price-Healy clan members are doing as well.

This is not the book to start this series with, although McGuire has a useful precis of the series for those of us who may have forgotten bits of the timeline. Start at the beginning and work up to this one, trust me, it's worth it.

I am such a fan of these books and Seanan McGuire as a whole

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

Amal El-Mohtar has written a lyrical story about the bond between sisters. It's very hard to describe this without giving every twist and turn away, and for a novella, El-Mohtar packs quite a few twists in.

It is sweet, diabolical and winds its way to a happy ending. Recommended for older teens and up, while familiarity with traditional ballad forms will add a frisson while reading, you don't have to be.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Witch Who Trades With Death by C. M. Alongi

C. M. Alongi is rapidly heading onto my “buy immediately” list, which is a good thing.

“The Witch Who Trades With Death” is a compelling read that at the heart is about standing up to tyrants – perhaps something we all need to hear right now. There are trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, something I am firmly in favour of. Issues of consent and found family also weave throughout the book.

Recommended for older teens and up (one spicy scene), this is a sensitive exploration of trauma and healing. Also a cracking good story with intricate world building!

Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne

This is the third book in Thorne's "Tomes and Tea" series and it is a good one.

We get to see Kianthe and Reyna navigating high level politics, all while in the last stages of planning a wedding. I loved this book, it's sweet and really moves the overall story of the series along.

Recommended for mid-teens and up, if you're a fan of "The Princess Bride", you'll probably like this series too! Plus, griffins and dragons!

Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow

So apparently this is book three of a series. It is eminently stand alone, but I am looking up books one and two because I liked it so much. It really took me back to the early computer days (and now I may have to go lie down before my hips crumble into dust), I was asked to test one of the programs Doctorow name checks in college, so that was a nice memory to get out of this.

Recommended for older teens and up, especially those who are at all curious about how computing started.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

I had picked out the Cinderella and Little Mermaid (the 'real' one, not the Disney version) vibes quite early on in this book. Woods mentions in an afterword that Bluebeard and a Bretagne folk tale are also woven into the bones, making a rich tapestry of fairy tales retold and reimaged.

An alternate history, with Fae quite openly in the world, Woods spills a lush tale of love and betrayal set against 18th century Brittany shipbuilding and sea faring culture.

I did find this a bit hard to get into, but once I'd gotten about a quarter of the way through, something about the story grabbed me by the throat and I couldn't put it down.

I would recommend this for older teens and up, it's masterfully done.

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

I was enchanted by this novella. It’s dreamy and uneasy all at once.

There’s a mystery, but even though I was invested on finding out the solution, it was the world building that kept me reading. A truly unique story and voice. Recommended!

The Legacy of Arniston House by T. L. Huchu

I am so so so behind on my reviews. Summer goal -- get them finished up! So expect many reviews coming.

I was a little wary of this, given that it's book 4 of a series, so I procrastinated a bit more than I should have.

Huchu has managed to make "Legacy" accessible even for those of us who haven't read the first 3 in the series, which is a feat! I was able to follow the storyline without any trouble, needed backstory flows naturally throughout and I was thoroughly invested. Some of the emotional beats may hit harder if you've read the whole series, but that may just be me.

The magic system is defined and just a little different than others I've seen, which is nice. Ropa is a sympathetic heroine, and the ending had me gasping.

I would definitely recommend this for older teens and up and will be going back and starting the series from the beginning.