Happy New Year, and happy new books! If “learning more” is a goal you have in mind for 2025—congratulations! We also have 42 suggestions for where to start turning the pages, with sci-fi, horror, and fantasy.
January 7
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
The latest in the Hugo-winning author’s and Wayward Children’s series features “huge turtles, impossible ships, and raging rivers ridden by a Drowning Girl Looking for a Family.” (January 7)
The Capital of Dreams by Heather O’Neill
“A dark dystopian tale about a beautiful world ravaged by war—and a girl torn between safety and loyalty.” (January 7)
Cold Storage by Michael C. Grumley
In this near-future thriller, an army veteran is on the run from a shadowy group that brought him back from the dead. (January 7)
An Ordinary Boy by Charles Stross
“In this new Laundry Files adventure the fate of the world will literally depend on dice… twenty-sided dice, that is.” (January 7)
Dryad Storm by Laurie Forest
“Magical forces collide and Erthia teeters on the brink of destruction in the unmissable conclusion to Laurie Forest’s epic Black Witch Chronicles series.” (January 7)
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
“A young ruler must form an alliance with the untrustworthy but magnetic God of War to protect his kingdom in this magical romantic fantasy full of dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and love.” (January 7)
Mother of Rome by Lauren JA Bear
“A powerful and brutal reimagining of the first Roman myth: the twins, Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of the greatest empire in history, and the woman whose sacrifice made it all possible.” (January 7)
A Sea of Unspeakable Things by Adrienne Young
“A woman investigates the mysterious death of her twin while dealing with the ghosts of her past. ” (January 7)
Heir of the Star by Amalie Howard (January 7)
In this romance, the blacksmith accepts the invitation to the court mainly because he longs to have fun. Instead he finds trouble in the form of the charming brother of the crown prince, and things take a turn for the worse when his forbidden powers begin to awaken, drawing the interest of the dark god.
Wake up and open your eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman
In this social horror story, a a man and his nephew run to escape the “demonic plague” that plagues those who consume the most toxic media. (January 7)
January 14
Aurora Fragment by Brian Shea and Raquel Byrnes
The Memory Bank techno-thriller series continues; in this article, “Haunted by strange memories of a dead killer, Detective Morgan Reed is drawn to a remote and troubled Alaskan town.” (January 14)
in Babylon by Costanza Casati
The legend offers a combination of “legend and ancient history to give Semiramis, the only female ruler of the Assyrian Empire, a voice, heralding her glamorous ascension to the throne no one promised her.” (January 14)
Daughter of Chaos by AS Webb
The Dark Pantheon Trilogy begins in this story set in ancient Greece, where a fisherman’s daughter discovers that she has magical powers—and may be the key to freeing humanity from the malevolent gods. (January 14)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
In this new story described as “a book within a book” from the author of The One Who Fears Death,”a disabled Nigerian-American woman writes a highly successful sci-fi novel, but as her fame grows, she loses control of the narrative—a wonderfully poignant, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human.” (January 14)
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
“Ocean 8 meets Blade Runner in this best-selling science fiction novel and steamy love letter to Hawaii about being forced to find a new home and fighting to build a better one.” (January 14)
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
A new romance series begins with the story “it combines legends and shadow magic with the captivating love of enemies and lovers that will rewrite the stars.” (January 14)
Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen
“A caretaker at an isolated mountain hotel finds himself fighting for his life—and sanity—in this thrilling, addictive game.” (January 14)
The Night is Scornful by Chloe C. Peñaranda
The second entry in the author’s Nytefall trilogy is set “where history cannot repeat itself, and lovers of the stars must face a choice between their hearts or the world.” (January 14)
Weird Pictures by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion
This is Japan’s best-selling gift”a shocking new mystery-horror picture in which a series of seemingly innocent images draw you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and a broken mind.” (January 14)
Oath of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes
This romantic tale, the next installment in the Bride of the Shadow King series, stars Princess Faraine. She is trapped in the Shadowlands with King Vor, her new husband, whom she is reluctant to trust despite the spark between them. (January 14)
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
“A woman inherits a thrift store where you can sell your regrets, and sets out on a magical quest when a charming physicist wanders into the store, in this beautiful, dreamlike novel.” (January 14)
Black water by Alex Pheby
The Cities of the Weft trilogy concludes as Nathan Treeves enters his role as the Master of Waterblack, the City of the Dead, and the God-Slayer he has in his sights. (January 14)
We lived on the horizon by Erika Swyler
This story follows “bio-prosthetic surgeon and his personal AI as they are drawn into transformation. “ (January 14)
Witchcraft of Deviant Girls by Grady Hendrix
In 1970 Florida, an occult book about witchcraft brings strange and dangerous new powers to young women who bide their time at a home for pregnant singles. (January 14)
January 21
Boudicca with PC Cast
“A romantic, fascinating, magical story about the British warrior queen Boudicca.” (January 21)
The legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao
This “a dream inspired by one of the most famous romances in Hindu mythology” follows “the story of a celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human genius, but when she finds herself crossing her mark, she will be forced to choose between loyalty and loyalty to him. himself.” (January 21)
The Motheater by Linda H. Codega
“In this magical fantasy in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, the last wizard of the Ridge must choose sides where industry and nature collide. Read a Q&A with the author, an io9 alumni, here. (January 21)
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
The Empyrean series continues as Violet leaves the Basgiath War College and heads into battle—to find her allies and to protect her dragons and loved ones. (January 21)
Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, translated by Slin Juno
“At the edge of Rainbow Town, there is an old, abandoned house. They say if you send a letter explaining your misfortune there, you can get a ticket. If you bring this ticket to the house on the first day of the rainy season, you will be granted entry into the mysterious Rain Market—where you can choose to change your life forever.” A woman who is shocked to receive such a ticket must figure out what to do next. (January 21)
Strange Stones by Edward Lee and Mary SanGiovanni
“This story follows a horror-con that goes undercover as he scorns an inappropriate woman and is cursed with a magically filled Lovecraftian creation.” (January 21)
Spirit in His Tongue by Anita Kopacz
This is a sequence Shallow Water continues the daughter of That Waters trilogy, saying “Oya—the Yoruba weather god—is brought to life during the 1870s in America.” (January 21)
January 25
Those Deadly Flowers by Shannon Ives
“Greco-Roman mythology and the mystery of the vanished colony of Roanoke collide in this epic journey filled with the deepest longing and fierceness of women.” (January 25)
January 28
At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce
“A murderer becomes the guardian of two strange girls in this gothic horror novel. ” (January 28)
In the Source of Nature by Tobi Ogundirian
“The fate of the Orisha will be decided in the concluding volume of the Guardians of the Gods duology.” (January 28)
The gateway to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki
In this historical romance, “a young Scottish woman is magically transported to the last days of the Samurai, where she meets ancient ghosts, her Japanese ancestor, and a love that transcends time.” (January 28)
Old Soul by Susan Barker
“Part scary, part western, part fun, Old Soul is a fearlessly bold and defiant tale of rape, morality and free will, and one man’s quest to end a centuries-long chain of human destruction.” (January 28)
Our Winter Monster by Dennis Mahoney
“A heartbreaking holiday horror about an unhappy couple who run away from their problems and head into the womb of a terrifying beast.” (January 28)
The Forsaken Mage by Annabel Campbell
“The powerless man must find out if he is destined to save the world or destroy it. ” (January 28)
The Scorpion Queen by Mira Frears
“It has been removed meets Children of Blood and Bone in this dark dream inspired by the legend of Malia about a princess whose suitors are challenged to gruesome tests.” (January 28)
The Shadow of the Eternal Watcher by Josh Mendoza
A lucky private eye often visited by demons discovers that he has other powers he’s never seen before: the ability to bend space-time, a gift that may allow him to achieve the life he’s always dreamed of. (January 28)
Sinkhole, and Other Unexplained Spaces: Stories by Leyna Crow
“Set in the Pacific Northwest, these stories mix high-concept magic with the sometimes subtle, sometimes stark, realities of climate change.” (January 28)
Teeth of the Dawn by Marina Lostetter
The Five Penalties fantasy series ends with “revolutionaries strive to tear the mask from the illusions and magic of a society shrouded in layers of mystery.” (January 28)
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