SASSY, FAST-PACED PARANORMAL mystery features a wisecracking thief turned sleuth and a great supporting cast.

WONDERFULLY IMAGINATIVE FANTASY riff on a takeover bid in Hell is a YA title plenty sharp enough for grownups.

SPOOKY AND ATMOSPHERIC tale of a small town’s morbid traditions is YA sensation Melissa Marr’s first for adults.

STEAMPUNK, ALIEN LIZARDS, and a queenly Dahomeyan secret agent assassin add up to complex alt-Victorian fun.

BREATHTAKING HISTORICAL FANTASY: glorious take on the power of magic AND sharp commentary on race in the US.

CHANNELING HUNTER S. THOMPSON for a Lovecraftian retelling of Nixon’s second victory? An idea so crazy it works!

STEAMPUNK AND THE TALL TALES of the 19th century American frontier combine in a clever Twain-like picaresque.

GRIM, CHILLING BLEND of alternate history, science fiction, and fantasy takes on early 20th-century eugenics. B PLUS

EPIC, BOOKISH FANTASY blends witches, vampires, medieval history, romance in an engrossing ladycentric read.

A STEAMPUNK CYBORG CIRCUS roams a postapocalyptic world in a dreamlike, poetic, vividly imagined tale.