Maria the Wanted by V. Castro is a bold vampire thriller set in Mexico’s shadowy underworld. After being turned into a vampire in Juárez, Maria—once a desperate immigrant—becomes a feared enforcer of justice. Forced from her home and hunted by traffickers, cartel bosses, and a seductive Devil, she embarks on a relentless quest for answers about her creation.

As she crosses Mexico, Maria learns to fight, to survive, and to embrace her power. But when she uncovers ancient vampire conspiracies and confronts her creator, she must decide: Is she a saint, a monster, or something far older?

A gripping tale of rage, desire, and defiance, Maria the Wanted pulses with raw energy, blending horror and empowerment in a story of a woman determined to claim her place in a world that has always wanted to destroy her.

Just beneath the hovercar lanes, in a Toronto very much like ours, sits an unassuming diner called Rocket Ray’s. There, Shoeshine Boy spots the girl of his dreams—if his dreams ever got that good. No stranger to men, Cigarette Girl isn’t easily impressed, but something about Shoeshine Boy tells her this one just might be worth her time.
 
Over steaming cups of coffee, they dream of a life just out of reach. Goodhearted Shoeshine Boy just wants to give his girl the moon, even if that means risking everything. Cigarette Girl, a grifter used to looking out for number one, finds her priorities shifting as her heart soars like the rockets in the sky.
 
When a well-dressed stranger enters the picture, he presents them with opportunities that put their love to the test. A tender, gritty tale of longing, risk, and the kind of love that makes you believe in miracles—even in a world that doesn’t.

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is a visceral supernatural horror novel about a woman fighting to survive—both the terrors around her and the ones inside her head.

Mavis has spent years trying to escape the psychological scars of her parents’ cult-like congregation, where nothing she did was ever *enough*. Now, her fragile grip on happiness is slipping—because even her marriage to Jerrod, the one good thing she’s allowed herself, feels like it’s crumbling under the weight of her self-doubt.

Then the attacks start.

At first, they’re subtle—whispers, glances, the slow unraveling of her sanity. But soon, the threats turn physical, grotesque, and undeniably supernatural. As the assaults escalate, Mavis realizes she’s not just fighting for her marriage—she’s fighting for her life. And in this nightmare, there are no saviors. Only survival.

A chilling exploration of trauma, gaslighting, and the horrors that lurk in the spaces between faith and fear, The Body is a relentless descent into a woman’s worst nightmares—where the real monster might be the voice in her own head.

The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor is the explosive, Africanfuturist conclusion to the She Who Knows trilogy—a story of vengeance, growth, and the courage to wield power when it matters most.

Najeeba is no longer the girl who fled. Now a fully realized sorcerer (never sorceress), she carries the weight of her training, her trauma, and a single, unshakable purpose: to kill the monster that haunts her past. With only her loyal companions—the glassmaker Dedan and the steadfast camel MorningStar—she returns to the place where her nightmares began.

But this journey isn’t about proving her strength. It’s about using it.

Okorafor weaves a tale where magic and maturity collide, where facing evil isn’t just about skill—it’s about audacity. With prose as sharp as Najeeba’s resolve, The Daughter Who Remains cements her legacy: some battles aren’t fought for glory, but because someone has to fight them.

The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui is a haunting, metaphysical sci-fi novel where faith and terror intertwine in the ruins of a forgotten ship.

Vessel Iris, a monk of the Starlit Order, tends to the dead—guiding souls into the Infinite Light with quiet ritual. But his own life is hollow, his only solace the company of his AI. When the Counsel of Nicaea—a thousand-year-lost generation ship—reappears, overgrown with sentient vines and whispering with unseen presence, Iris is sent to bless its dead.

Yet the ship isn’t empty.

Something ancient and hungry lurks in its moss-choked halls, picking off the research team one by one. A cerebral, eerie tale of isolation, cosmic horror, and the things that grow in the dark—both within us and beyond.

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto is a high-stakes cyberpunk heist thriller where the past never stays buried—and the next job might be the last.

Three years after the legendary Atlas heist, Malia—the infamous hacker Obake—is drowning in boredom. That is, until she pisses off the wrong gang on Kepler Space Station. Their offer is simple: sabotage a corrupt politician or disappear permanently.

Assembling a ragtag crew should be easy after pulling off the impossible. But this time, the target isn’t the only threat. The real danger lurks in the shadows of Malia’s own history, where old ghosts and new enemies collide. And in the neon-lit underbelly of Kepler, trust is the most expensive currency.

A razor-sharp tale of betrayal, legacy, and the cost of being the best in a world that always wants more.

Happy reading!

/rae/