A collection of the reads that Bookseller Victoria can simply not stop thinking about. From YA Arthurian retellings to devastating sci-fi romance, there's a book here that will probably ruin your life, too.
LEGENDBORN
PAPERBACK | AUDIOBOOK
TENDER IS THE FLESH
The review I wrote for this was just "Jesus fucking Christ." Disturbing, gory meditation on governments putting a value on human life, and how we define humanity at all. Also, how we can convince ourselves we're not complicit. Standalone speculative fiction novel.
PIRANESI
THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR
Yes, I know I already talk about this book a lot. Consider this your sign to finally pick up this heart-wrenching, incredibly written love story that spans time and space and reason. What are you waiting for? Standalone science fantasy novel.
RIPE
THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE
So beautiful that it hurts. An exploration of the loss of innocence, but it's so much more than that--it's the moment we realized magic might not be real at all, and that we might only ever be able to find our deepest desires between the pages of a book. There's a line in this title that haunts me. Standalone literary fantasy novel.
MRS. DEATH MISSES DEATH
An unruly, poetic and often deeply unhinged meditation on what it means to die and what it means to live. You have to read this one at least twice to really get your arms around it, and it's completely worth the time. Standalone literary fantasy novel.
WHITE CAT, BLACK DOG
An exploration of fairy tales and what they reveal about ourselves on a level no one else has quite accomplished. I worship at the altar of Kelly Link. These tales are clothed in fairytale garments, but the truth is deeper, darker, and sometimes you might find it's not a fairytale at all. Standalone speculative fiction short story collection.
PAPERBACK | AUDIOBOOK
*and a non-affiliate link for the UK cover, which is absurdly superior*
HER BODY & OTHER PARTIES
A blistering take on what it means to exist in a woman's body in our society, told through skittering folklore and shimmering realism. Each of these stories will take a little piece of you, but I think it's a fair trade. Standalone speculative fiction short story collection.
THE FAERIE HOUNDS OF YORK
Did you like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but wanted it to be a lot shorter, a lot gayer and a lot sadder? I've got the solution for you with this beautifully written, folklore-infused novella set in northern England. This one settles somewhere in your chest and you'll remember it's there every time the wind blows a certain way. Standalone historical fantasy novella.
THE HOLLOW PLANE
Neurodivergent and chronic pain representation in the most gorgeous magical world you've ever seen on the page? Yes, please. These characters will become so incredibly dear to you. The queer friendship and romantic sensuality of this tale is unmatched. Get ready to see gaslamp romantasy in a whole new way. High fantasy romance, part one of The Aethereals duology.
BABEL
A towering historical fantasy epic that picks apart colonization with effortless wit, magic and wonder. For being set in our world, this book manages to completely reinvent so much, and it will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. If you think fantasy can't prod you to re-examine the real world, think again. Standalone historical fantasy novel.