An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
By Hank Green
Available 09/25/18

In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green–cocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow–spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she’s part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye.

Cafe Buzz:
“This book grabbed my attention and didn’t let go until I finished the whole thing in one day. Highly recommended. A mediation on fame and power and humanity wrapped in a thrilling, engrossing shell. Warning: you will want the next one right away.” ─  ejbooks86 ★★★★★

Vengeful
By V. E. Schwab
Available 09/25/18

A super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions—#1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab returns with the thrilling follow-up to Vicious.

Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye.Marcella Riggins needs no one. Flush from her brush with death, she’s finally gained the control she’s always sought—and will use her new-found power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She’ll do whatever it takes, collecting her own sidekicks, and leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, against each other.

Cafe Buzz:
“I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone so I’ll just say this is a must read! I’m always wary of sequels because I worry if they’ll measure up to the first book but Vengeful was just as amazing as Vicious, if not better. I stayed up all night after the book came out to read it because I was totally immersed in the story. Victoria Schwab is a literary genius.” ─  Kelsey Valentine ★★★★★

A Curious Matter of Men with Wings
By R. Rutledge Hammes
Available 09/25/18

One day, Bohicket and Ley Walpole take their little sister, Dew, out on a johnboat to pirate the waterways for beer and loose change. Dew falls overboard and appears to drown, until two men with gigantic wings swoop down and carry her body away into the sky. The news of her disappearance hits the family hard, driving the mother to fashion wings so she can fly after the men who took her daughter. The Walpole boys set off in search of their little sister and discover love and the truth behind the centuries-old tale of the Flying Men, as well as numerous other mysteries native to the South Carolina Sea Islands.

Cafe Buzz:
“This book blew my mind away. The incredible imagery, character development, and plot make this a page turner that will keep you up until the last page, and then make you want to read it all over again. I highly recommend! The author writes beautiful descriptions that help the reader see what he is seeing and feel they are one with the book….and then want to travel to the sea islands of South Carolina. Read alone, read with friends, read with your children. This book is for everyone..” ─  Forzacore ★★★★★

The Princess Must Strike
By Everly Frost & Jaymin Eve
Available 09/30/18

In a gargoyle city beneath the streets of Chicago, Storm Princess Marbella Mercy walks a dangerous path to find the only source of magic that will save Baelen Rath’s life.

Now in control of her storm power, she must infiltrate gargoyle territory, heal Baelen, and escape. It’s a simple get in, get out plan … until she crosses paths with the brutal gargoyle king.

Already in possession of savage power, the king is hell bent on adding the storm to his list. Wanting the Princess for his own, he is prepared to do anything to bend her to his will.

When the king’s ruthless actions push Marbella to the edge, she is left with only one choice – the princess must strike.

Cafe Buzz:
“This was so packed full of drama, sadness, uncertainty and flickering hope. The Princess faces so much loss! Loss of freedom, loss of dear friends, loss of her people and even loss of hope. While she’s constantly pitted against events she holds onto that light of hope and plots a better future. She finds not only allies but true friends in unexpected places. Book two was gripping, it was all consuming. ” ─  Michelle Fritz PA ★★★★★

The Angel Gift
By Michelle Madow
Available 09/30/18

Raven Danvers didn’t think her life could get any crazier since the night a demon attacked her in an alley and abducted her mom. She was wrong.

Because now that same demon has abducted her too. He’s thrown her into a secret bunker with a group of humans who have unique abilities that make them “gifted.” They don’t know what the demons want with them, and the bunker is impossible to escape.

Her only hope is Noah—the wolf shifter she’s imprinted upon. She just needs to let him know where she is. But she can’t do it alone. Her only way to get a message to him is to team up with the other humans by making use of their unique gifts.

But they have to do it fast. Because their time in the bunker is temporary. The demons are prepping them to go somewhere else… somewhere far worse than where they are now.

Cafe Buzz:
“It feels like Christmas!!!! I love this series. This book picks up right where the last one ended and that is one of my favorite things about this series and the way Michelle writes. There is no time lost. I finished this book within twelve hours completely ignoring my friends and work. This is book is fast paced and inspiring. If you adventure then this series is a must read!!! I am waiting…not very patiently…for what comes next.” ─  Angel ★★★★★

Blood Communion
By Anne Rice
Available 10/02/18

In this spellbinding novel, Lestat, rebel outlaw, addresses the tribe of vampires, directly, intimately, passionately, and tells the mesmerizing story of the formation of the Blood Communion and how he became Prince of the vampire world, the true ruler of this vast realm, and how his vision for all the Children of the Universe to thrive as one, came to be.
     The tale spills from Lestat’s heart, as he speaks first of his new existence as reigning monarch–and then of his fierce battle of wits and words with the mysterious Rhoshamandes, proud Child of the Millennia, reviled outcast for his senseless slaughter of the legendary ancient vampire Maharet, avowed enemy of Queen Akasha; Rhoshamandes, a demon spirit who refuses to live in harmony at the Court of Prince Lestat and threatens all that Lestat has dreamt of.

Cafe Buzz:
“The next chapter in the Vampire Chronicles is told once again from the voice and point of view of our beloved Vampire Lestat. While this is a full book, it felt more like I was reading a novella due to the quick pace and dialogue of book. The plot follows Lestat dealing with his new power and responsibility of being in charge of all the vampires. Not as off the wall as the past two books, follows the general direction of self discovery and realization of Lestat, that no matter what, vampires are blood thirsty creatures. ” ─  Jessica Weida ★★★★★

Fury
By Rachel Vincent
Available 10/30/18

Weaving together past and present in this heartbreaking tale of sacrifice and self-discovery, Fury is the deeply moving finale to a series that readers won’t soon forget.

Delilah is about to discover that her role in the human versus cryptid war is destined to be much larger—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

 

Cafe Buzz:
“Oh, this book was utterly fantastic! It wrapped some pretty intense storylines, and answered so many questions! Loved it! That ending was just killer!” ─  Louisa ★★★★★

In the Night Wood
By Dale Bailey
Available 10/09/18

In this contemporary fantasy, the grieving biographer of a Victorian fantasist finds himself slipping inexorably into the supernatural world that consumed his subject.

   In the primeval forest surrounding Caedmon Hollow’s ancestral home, an ancient power is stirring, a long-forgotten king who haunts the Haydens’ dreams. And every morning the fringe of darkling trees presses closer.
   Soon enough, Charles and Erin will venture into the night wood.
   Soon enough, they’ll learn that the darkness under the trees is but a shadow of the darkness that waits inside us all.

Cafe Buzz:
“From the back cover description, to the first paragraph, and through every subsequent chapter, this book held me spellbound! I devoured this book in three days, grabbing any spare time in my busy schedule to read a few more pages, a few more chapters! This multilayered modern day storyline is interweaved into a dark otherworld, tapping into the unease we all can relate to in folklore and dark tales from our childhood. The story has all the elements to draw you in – romance, tragedy, suspense, mystery, and the bittersweet reality of human nature and human failings. This is a book not to be missed! I can’t wait to seek out this author’s other works!” ─  Ron Wis ★★★★★

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel
By Alyssa Palombo
Available 10/02/18

Enlisting the help of her friend – and rumored witch – Charlotte Jansen, Katrina seeks the truth of Ichabod Crane’s disappearance, investigating the forest around Sleepy Hollow using unconventional – often magical – means. What they find forces Katrina to question everything she once knew, and to wonder if the Headless Horseman is perhaps more than just a story after all. 

Cafe Buzz:
“Retelling of sleepy hollow with a strong smart woman lead. She has you loving as she loves and hoping as she hopes. Flows easily and holds your attention, I didn’t want it to end but I had to know the ending. I will be looking for all Alyssa Palombo stories to devour.” ─  Stephanie Clarke ★★★★★

The Shape of Rain
By Michael B. Koep
Available 10/01/18

Michael B. Koepʼs final installment in The Newirth Mythology Trilogy brings a psychologist face to face with his greatest fear: madness. On the other side of the world, a professor of mythology struggles to interpret a sudden shift in the historical timeline, the mysterious discovery of the ruins of an ancient city and the anomalous nature of Locheʼs writing.

The Newirth Mythology Trilogy is a wholly original, imaginative and remarkably inventive approach to the thriller genre. Koep’s final installment, The Shape of Rain is a poetic, action packed and existential page turner that will leave you haunted and wowed.

Cafe Buzz:
“Brilliant!! Absolutely amazing!! An adventurous, wonderfully twisted, perfectly crafted thriller about love-fear-madness-murder-prophecy-art and history.” ─  Dorie ★★★★

Bright Ruin
By Vic James
Available 10/09/18

The rules are simple, the system cruel: the lower classes must give ten years in service to Britain’s powerfully gifted rulers. With one uprising crushed by the glittering elite, commoners and aristocrats alike now take sides for a final confrontation.

Risking everything to end a bright and shining tyranny, Abi, Luke, and Silyen find themselves bound by a single destiny. Their actions will change their fates—and change the world. But at a cost almost too terrible to contemplate.

Cafe Buzz:
“This series is so worth it and I wish people knew about it more!

It’s a political fantasy that takes place in an AU of Britain and it has great crossover appeal for both an adult and YA audience.” ─  Kelly ★★★★★

The Stronger Half
By Jeff Coleman
Available 10/06/18

It was after his identical twin Bill suffered the traumatic brain injury that left him crippled and unable to speak. George would see the man sitting on a bench at the mall, or at the store standing by the magazines. But he never seemed to notice George, not even when he tried to communicate.

But George doesn’t know the meaning of difficult until the man finally acknowledges him, triggering a terrifying series of supernatural events that leaves George and Bill running for their lives. And as George struggles to protect his twin from an otherworldly evil, he discovers a startling secret about Bill—one that leaves him questioning decades-old assumptions and wondering which of them truly is the stronger half.

Stone’s Shadows
By Martin McConnell
Available 10/11/18

While introvert and self-inflicted insomniac Scott Stone puts the finishing touches on a philosophy paper, he spots movement from the corner of his eye. At first glance, there’s nothing there.

Stone’s Shadow is a philosophical thriller that will keep you up at night. The question of reality itself takes center stage, as Scott comes to terms with the events unfolding around him. Either he’s lost his mind, or he’ll lose his life. The terror of a dark creature with laser red eyes haunts him. He’ll need to break out of the introvert shell and find help before he becomes another in a long line of forgotten victims.

Black Pearl Dreaming
By K Bird Lincoln
Available 10/16/18

Koi Pierce, a half-baku, visits Japan looking for answers and finds an impossible choice.

With the help of powerful new friends, Koi defeated her dragon enemy in Portland. Now, no longer able to deny her dream-eating powers or the real reason for her father’s mental decline, she flies to Tokyo with her new Kitsune love, Ken, and the trickster Kwaskwi, seeking answers. But secrets from Ken’s past and Kind politics threaten to unravel their newfound trust and someone in Tokyo is desperate to kidnap a Baku. Koi must untangle a long history of pain and deceit in order to save her father, an imprisoned dragon, and herself.

Cafe Buzz:
“Lincoln’s superb use of words kept me reading the plight of Koi as she battles her enemies, some she knows and some obscure. The all-mighty Council can control Japan and even the world, but not Koi, with her dream-eating power and her immense inner strength.” ─  Mariko Tatsumoto ★★★★★

Drop of Hope
By Jamie A. Waters
Available 10/18/18

Ariana Alivette has lived a life of perceived luxury in the elusive Omni Towers. While most of the remaining survivors around the world are struggling to survive, Ariana has been locked away to protect a dangerous secret. But, even the walls of a gilded cage can’t last forever.

When Ariana makes the decision to reveal her secret to save a life, she suddenly finds herself targeted by those determined to use her for their own ambitions. Ariana must quickly learn the rules of this new world and do whatever is necessary to master her own fate, because one wrong decision means losing her life—and her heart.

Cafe Buzz:
“Ohmigosh! This series has so many awesome characters! Once we found out what happens in Kayla’s life in Book 3, it still wasn’t enough for me. I wanted… no, I NEEDED to know what was going to happen to other characters in this series. Jamie Waters has blessed us with more. In Book 4, Drop of Hope, we learn more about Ariana Alivette and her twin brother Jason. ” ─  Scherry at the Novel Lady ★★★★★

House of Falling Embers
By Krystal Jane Ruin
Available 10/01/18

When Artemis was thirteen, her best friend Aris was swallowed by the crumbling house they found in the woods. Like a coward, she abandoned him to the horror within.

She moved away. She tried to forget. But when she finds herself back in her old neighborhood after college, the ghosts—and her guilt—are waiting. A charred figure stalks her dreams, and someone, or something, haunts her from the trees.

Going back into the woods might be the only way to save her sanity. Because nine years later, the house is still there. Still waiting. Still restless.

Cafe Buzz:
“This book truly weaves a story with an almost fairy tale like quality to it. I was taken in with the account of Artemis’s current life and how she should have been as happy as could be but something was always holding her back. Although, I would have liked her to handle her “dealings” with her feelings of her past differently. Not a huge fan of characters who deal with their grief by closing in on themselves and shutting things out, I prefer more of a proactive approach. Artemis got there eventually, so all was forgiven. To make things more interesting, there was also an inclusion of a character who was not too likable but had a very important part to play with the plot twist and that was very nicely done. High scores for keeping me on the edge of my seat with anticipation.” ─  The Genre Minx Book Reviews ★★★★★

Reluctant Psychic
By Dima Zales
Available 10/09/18

Life as a seer is not all it’s cracked up to be. Especially when you’re unemployed, and your former boss blacklists you everywhere.

Or when a legendary Russian witch calls in a favor owed, demanding the unthinkable.

When danger threatens everyone around me, there’s only one man I can turn to—and he may not be what he seems.

Taker of Spells
By SA Magnusson
Available 10/01/18

My life is simple. Collect magical items on behalf of a man who knows my secret or have it revealed to the fae. Seeing as how I’m a halfbreed, once they find me, they’ll bond and enslave me. The jobs are dangerous, often forcing me to cross the Veil, a separation between my world and that of terrifying magical creatures, but if I keep my freedom, it’s worth the risk.

The Red King
By Jenn Stark
Available 10/10/18

As the first Justice of the Arcana Council in two hundred years, Tarot-reading Sara Wilde is tasked with taking out the most dangerous magic-wielding criminals on the planet. Her first assignment? A killer known only as the Red King, who’s systematically picking off the world’s most gifted magicians in the rollicking streets and storied canals of Venice, Italy, on the eve of Carnevale.

Amidst the festival’s music, masks, and brightly colored costumes, Sara must unravel the truth about a brutal murderer from Venice’s own murky past, navigate the twisting political currents of magicians who seek to rival her own Council, and keep one costume change ahead of a conjurer whose lethal spells could end Justice–permanently. Good thing the diabolically sexy and deeply powerful Magician of the Arcana Council has Sara’s back…if only he didn’t hold so much of her heart as well.

Cafe Buzz:
“For the new series, I give this book a 10 star rating! An awesome book and a new venue for Sara. We have an very interesting story with plot twists! I saw one coming but missed another!” ─  Cheryl Liacos-Halstead ★★★★★

Heart of Ice
By Lisa Edmonds
Available 10/23/18

After closing a big case for the Vampire Court, mage private investigator Alice Worth is relieved to be back solving magical mysteries with her ghost sidekick Malcolm and spending quality time with sexy alpha werewolf Sean. Her latest case puts her on the trail of a burglary ring targeting wealthy collectors of magical objects. Meanwhile, Alice’s grandfather, crime lord Moses Murphy, fights a local boss for control of the city. Soon a new danger emerges: Moses’s new lieutenant is someone Alice knows and this is one family reunion she wants to avoid at all costs.

Cafe Buzz:
“Alice Worth is back and more amazing than ever. Between working for the vampire counsel and hunting down stolen relics a girl is never out of danger. Safety is an illusion. But, with a bound ghost, hunky werewolf boyfriend, and vampires with agendas, Alice just might figure it all out. ” ─  Elizabeth Speer ★★★★★

Lies Sleeping
By Ben Aaronovitch
Available 11/20/18

The Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch….

Cafe Buzz:
“A perfect blend of an urban fantasy with a police procedural plus a dash of London history. How could I not love the latest entry in this long running series?” ─  Joe Jones ★★★★

The Cthulhu Casebooks
By James Lovegrove
Available 11/13/18

It is the autumn of 1910, and for fifteen long years Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson have battled R’lluhloig, the Hidden Mind that was once Professor James Moriarty. Europe is creeping inexorably towards war, and a more cosmic conflict is nearing its zenith, as in a single night all the most eminent members of the Diogenes Club die horribly, seemingly by their own hands. Holmes suspects it is the handiwork of a German spy working for R’lluhloig, but his search for vengeance costs an old friend his life.

The companions retreat to Holmes’s farm on the Sussex Downs, and it is not long before a client comes calling. Three young women have disappeared from the nearby town of Newford, and the locals have no doubt who is responsible. For legend has it that strange amphibious creatures dwell in a city on the seabed, coming ashore every few centuries to take fresh captives. As Holmes and Watson seek out the terrifying interlopers, the scene is set for the final battle that will bring them face to face with the Sussex Sea-Devils, and perhaps with Cthulhu himself…

Cafe Buzz:
“An engrossing, if apocryphal, riff on Holmes and Watson with a hard dash of Lovecraft. Although it’s a bit long in the lead-up and a bit predictable in the denouement, it turns into one of the most engrossing Holmes novels I’ve read in a long, long time. Lovegrove has a keen ear for the particular voices of the necessary bits (the members of the Yard, Moriarty, etc etc) and I found that his Holmes most matched the Basil Rathbone one who’ll forever be ‘my’ Holmes. His Watson, blessedly, is a bit more along the Jude Law/Martin Freeman lines. And the book has some genuine spooks and scares. I’m looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.” ─  Drew ★★★★★

Blood Ink
By Dana Fredsti
Available 11/06/18

Having killed her last producer, stuntwoman Lee Striga’s next film shoot takes her to the voodoo-soaked bayous and haunted back alleys of New Orleans, where sinister supernatural figures stalk the streets. In a dark corner of the French Quarter, an arcane tattoo artist is using his clients in rituals that will open an inter-dimensional gateway for a demon god from beyond the stars.

A Thunder of War
By Steve McHugh
Available 11/06/18

After years of struggle, Layla Cassidy has finally mastered the dark powers that threatened to control her and turned them to good. She’s ready to fight, but the next battle will be her greatest test yet.

The final battle against Abaddon is drawing closer. Now Layla and her friends must fight for themselves—and the future of the world. To win, they will need every power and ally they can muster. But even with all their strength, will it be enough to stand against the impending doom?

Black City Dragon
By Richard A. Knaak
Available 11/27/18

A historical urban fantasy set in Prohibition-era Chicago, which combines action, mystery, and romance against a backdrop of gangland wars and the threat of supernatural horror.

With Wyld and gangsters wreaking havoc in Chicago, Nick and Claryce must confront the secrets of their pasts if they are to have any hope of finding out Galerius’s plans before it’s too late to stop them. Nick will need the help of all his friends, both human and Feirie, and the powers of the dragon within him, to keep Galerius from endangering the gate, Chicago, and all of humanity.

Nothing to Devour
By Glen Hirshberg
Available 11/06/18

Vampires can’t be trusted. 
Even if they love you.

These people are drawn together from across the United States, bound by love and hatred, by the desire for reunification and for revenge.

In their own ways, they are all monsters. 
Some deserve to live.
Some do not.

Lifeforce
By Annie Rodriguez
Available 11/06/18

Sixteen-year-old Gillian Cassidy couldn’t save her mother. That was the day immortality lost its appeal. Eight years later, and now a powerful witch in her own right, Gillian has an unwanted visitor haunting her dreams: Sean, her first love. He’s immortal, thanks mainly to her, and seems determined to be with her for eternity. Has she created a monster?

Scared and desperate to escape her nightmares, Gillian must rely on her friends for help. Should she turn to Addie, her mom’s best friend and a short-tempered vampire? Or should she consult Forrest Wolfe, a lycan who’s looking more handsome every day? Gillian is in trouble, and this time, magic can’t fix it.

Dark Arts & a Daiquiri
By Annette Marie
Available 11/16/18

It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender—but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right?

Then my favorite guild members—three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages—asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding.

So that’s what we did. And that’s why I’m here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago. Why did I agree to this again?

Cafe Buzz:
“More epic than the first.” ─  Jacob ★★★★★