Red Dwarf – Titan by Rob Grant & Andrew Marshall
Release Date: Mid July

Stefen Says: I like to think of myself as and old school Dwarfer, having been a fan of the series since the 80’s, so I always jump on anything new. It’s also fair to say that a big part of my enjoyment of Red Dwarf is nostalgia, but I’m fine with that. This one is tinged a bit with sadness though, because it’s the last contribution from Rob Grant before he passed in February of this year. While he was one of it’s creators, Grant had had only sporadic involvement with the various Red Dwarf projects after leaving in 1985 to pursue other projects. As a fan I was pleased to hear that he was back but sadly, Rob Grant died unexpectedly a short time after this book was announced. It’s honestly not a great book, but there’s a comforting familiarity to it as well as some fun retcons and callbacks (call forwards?). This is one for the fans. Bye Rob, and thanks for all the smegs.

From the Publisher: Before the beginning…
The mining ship Red Dwarf is in orbit around Saturnian moon Titan, and the bulk of the crew is heading down for their shore leave plans: A strangely reluctant hen party; a relaxing cheaty golfing break; a terminally-boring cultural Odessey; a marathon drinking and fighting binge; a stomach-challenging culinary beanfeast and an invigoratingly violent tour of Shore Patrol . . .
Menial chicken soup machine repairmen Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer have slightly less noble ambitions.
Rimmer is in search of some illicit exam-cheating tech, to land a much-lusted-for promotion, and Lister plans to acquire a cat to smuggle back on board as part of a nefarious scheme to return to Earth. Mainly they just want to get as far away from each other as possible. However, their objectives are scuppered when they receive a cryptic message . . . from the future.
The two feuding crewmen are catapulted into a breakneck race to save not only this, but every other Reality.
Along the way, they’ll find themselves united again, for the first time, with some new, but somehow old friends, as they embark on a labyrinthian quest through the seediest, most dangerous underbelly of humankind’s furthest outpost, where lurk bizarre off-worldly dangers and one mysterious hidden nemesis with an obscure, yet clearly lethal agenda.
So strap yourself into your Holly Hop Drive, and set your bazookoids to “thrill” – the Dwarfers are taking on TITAN.

Bitterbloom by Teagan Olivia King
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: This a book meant to be for those who like a dark folklore / romance kind if vibe. It’s a style where atmosphere is very important, and a criticism of the book is that poor editing has left much of the world building and setting feeling repetitive, and the romance aspect poorly defined. Others have enjoyed it however, so I suspect that depends on how much that sort of thing bothers you as a reader. This is probably a style over substance read, so if you’re cool with that it should be fine.

From the Publisher: For fans of Hannah Whitten and Ava Reid comes a thrilling new fantasy by the author of Spit Back the Bones.
Once a fool. Twice a thief.
In a village plagued by mysterious deaths, Adelaide Thorn wonders if she is truly touched by the Devil. The villagers believe her to be the monster responsible for all the tragedies. Even her father, the vicar, presumes she’s guilty, tying her to a chair as punishment, afraid that if he cuts her loose, more girls will wind up dead. Her chronic illness causes her to have strange visions and blackouts, and even Addie herself begins to wonder if she is the one with blood on her hands.
Addie feels drawn to the Rowan Wood on the outskirts of her village, and when she wades out into the river to get closer, she cuts her foot on a strange bell nestled in the riverbed. Ransom Black, a lordling with secrets of his own, helps her stanch the bleeding and speaks to her without any indication of fear.
Back at home, Addie rings the bell and realizes it gives her the power to see the ghosts of those the village has lost, including the ghost of Bram Avery, who begs for her help. Bram tells her that the bell – a Reaper’s Bell – can open the door to the Rowan Wood, a hellish purgatory where the souls of the dead reside.
Accompanied by Bram and Ransom, Addie ventures into the Rowan Wood with hopes of rescuing her late mother. There, Addie quickly realizes that their beloved might not be who they once were. Addie’s journey to find her mother’s soul is complicated by her attraction to Ransom and her unexpected feelings for Bram, who might be more dead than alive but sees Addie in a way no one has before.
As the three make their way deeper into the Wood, each motivated by their own desperate desires, trust turns to betrayal and flawless facades begin to flicker. It may be that the ones Addie has so longed to reunite are those who have been lying to her her entire life.

Moss’d In Space by Rebecca Thorne
Release Date: Mid July

Stefen Says: This is the first in a new series from the author of the Tomes & Tea cosy fantasy series. It’s got the adventure, friendship, found family and light Sapphic romance that fans love her books for, but with a science fiction twist and sentient moss because why not? Charming and fun

From the Publisher: This is a fabulously cozy adventure from Rebecca Thorne featuring shenanigans in space and how it feels to find friendship and family.
The journey is more important than the destination –
which is great, because they’re definitely lost.
Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia’s assessment, it was not “a meteoric sign of stupidity”. Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now… but it’s Torian’s ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex… ah, captain… said.
Except Torian’s first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of “stealing” the ship.
It’s entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity.

The Picasso Ransom by A T Prewett
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: This wonderfully eccentric new book plays what-if with one of the strangest art thefts in Australian history and ends up one of most fun reads of the year. It’s charming and funny, life affirming and celebrates the way art brings people together, though in this case it is admittedly to commit a crime. But it’s a crime of passion rather than greed, and designed to highlight the importance of the arts to government officials who see dollars instead of people. I also recommend looking up the details of the actual event, which really is as odd as it sounds.

From the Publisher: Fact: In 1986, Picasso’s Weeping Woman was stolen from the National Gallery of Victoria. To this day, the culprits have never been identified.
Here’s what happened.
Maybe.
Phoebe is about to turn 70, and has grown sick of retirement. She enrols in an evening art course, where she befriends fellow retirees Eva and Dave. They also happen to be studying across the road from a two-million-dollar Picasso.
The trio make a promising start, only to find that the school is to be closed due to arts cuts implemented by a blundering government minister. The protests of a student activist group – under 30s only – fall on deaf ears.
Enter Phoebe, Eva and Dave, who decide to take matters into their own hands …

The Lady of the Lake by Jean Menzies
Release Date: Mid July

Stefen Says: This is a twist on Arthurian legend centred on Morgan Le Fay and Viviane, The Lady of the Lake (also called Nimue in some versions). It’s tagged as Sapphic romantasy by some, but that’s only a small part of the story. Mostly it’s about the early events of the King Arthur story which reveal that so much of mythology, if you really think about it, has heroes that are actually pretty terrible. It does tend to assume that the reader already knows a bit about the legends though, so there are things some readers may have wished were better explained.

From the Publisher: A luscious sapphic romantasy retelling from award winning writer, historian and YouTube sensation.
Lady Viviane leaves the lakes of the far North for the splendour of Camelot to capture the heart and hand of the young prince, Arthur.
But it is Arthur’s sister Morgan who captures Viviane’s eye. Fierce and headstrong, Morgan sees another path – one she and Viviane can carve for themselves in this world built for knights and kings.
But in this kingdom no one is as they seem. And when Arthur pulls the legendary sword from the stone, his closest allies will do all they can to tear Viviane and Morgan apart.

The Expanded Earth by Mikey Please
Release Date: Ealy July

Stefen Says: A mysterious event that kills 90% of the world’s population and leaves the rest reduced to doll-like proportions? How very John Wyndham. That’s the core premise of book one of this new series. With a main narrative separated by short stories that show what else is going on in the world, and beautiful illustrations by the author, this is an exploration of science, religion and environmentalism wrapped in some very clever science fiction that sits somewhere between Ray Nayler and Adrian Tchaikovsky.

From the Publisher: Humankind has been reduced to the height of a handspan.
Many do not survive the sudden transformation.
This is the story of those who do.
Frightened and awed in his new body, Giles embarks on a quest across a wildly altered landscape in search of his loved ones, hoping that for all its perils, this new world might offer a chance of redemption.
Elsewhere, deep in the ocean, the spectre of an ancient godlike force stirs, and catastrophe inches closer and closer still.
Welcome to the micropocalypse. Welcome to The Expanded Earth.
Extra content: Includes a brand new story set within the world of The Expanded Earth.

The Wonder Engine by T Kingfisher
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: This novella is the second half of the story Kingfisher began in The Clockwork Boys. It’s got a steampunk vibe, a cast of lovable scoundrels and lots of snappy dialogue. Currently we only have the hardcover which is a bit on the pricey side, but I’m sure that a paperback will be forthcoming. There’s also a fairly explicit sex scene for folks who like to know about that sort of thing beforehand.

From the Publisher: In this brilliant sequel to Clockwork Boys, old foes resurface, and Slate and Caliban are forced to deal with the echoes of their past choices. From New York Times bestselling, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher.
 Slate and her crew have arrived in Anuket City, the city of artificial marvels where Clockwork Boys are created. But the secret of their existence is as mysterious as ever. Slate has a history in Anuket City, history which just won’t leave her alone. And her increasing attraction to Caliban is driving her up the wall. Caliban is, of course, too noble to do anything about it. As Slate’s history in the city grows more entangled with their mission, the group’s chances of survival seem to be getting ever slimmer. If they’re to stand a chance of destroying the Clockwork Boys, Slate must confront her past, and find a way to stop it from killing them all.

Vicious by V E Schwab
Release Date: Late July

Stefen Says: This book originally came out in 2013, and the sequel, Vengeful in 2018. They’ve both been reissued because the final book in the series, Victorious is due in October. Plenty of time to get acquainted with this very clever take on the idea of metahumans or superheroes that has all the tropes you’d expect in a superhero story, but with a level of examination you rarely see.

From the Publisher: Victor and Eli, both brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys, meet as college roommates. Always competing, they draw out the best – and worst – of each other. They start a shared research project to prove the existence of ExtraOrdinaries, with startling results. Their theory: under the right conditions, anyone could become an EO. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor has escaped from prison to get revenge on Eli for putting him there. Aided by his cell mate and hacker Mitch, and Sydney, a young EO with more power than she knows, they stalk their prey without rest.
Meanwhile, Eli has spent the years hunting down and killing every EO he can find, convinced they are crimes against God. All except his sidekick, a woman with an indomitable will.
Driven by betrayal and loss, and wielding terrible power on both sides, Eli and Victor are on a collision course to revenge, with the deadliest of consequences.

The New Flesh – Tales of Shapeshifters and Strange Transformation Edited by Mark Morris
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: The British Library Tales of the Weird imprint has an impressive number of releases. So many that I’m a bit selective in which I order. This one has an interesting theme and a selection of stories from 1831 through to 2014 and features some greats of the horror genre including Mary Shelley, Charles Beaumont, Brian Lumly and Lucius Shepard. Something different for fans of the weird.

From the Publisher: It had taken, at most, three seconds for the elevator to pass downwards from the sixteenth to the twelfth…Mr Meldrum had ceased to be, and something hideously different took his place.
A man convinced that he has developed a phantom beak edges towards a terrible metamorphosis. Interlopers dismissing the superstitions of hare-women in the countryside pay for their scepticism with blood. The cruel jokes of a girl at the village festival of the Green Man lead her to a crueller transfiguring in the woods.
Tracing the quintessential horror concept of the strange transformation from the Victorian era through to the modern day, horror writer, expert and enthusiast Mark Morris presents a thrilling selection of metamorphic tales. Including stories of bestial shapeshifters such as the tiger-men, fox spirits and werewolves of world folklore, this collection also presents some of the weirder shifts of the horror genre, where a flatworm masquerades as a boy, a girl becomes one with a bridge, and a babe-in-arms and her beekeeper father come to reflect the creatures of the hives.

He Who Fights with Monsters: Outworlder by Shirtaloon Travis Deverell
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: Mainstream publishing is finally getting seriously onboard with the online phenomenon that is LitRPG, which for the newbies is fantasy or SF that uses game tropes or iconography, often in combination with real-world characters forced to navigate a game-setting inspired world. TThey tend to be funny and have no problem with pointing out our favourite absurd genre and game cliches. The second and third books in the series are due out in September and October respectively. Nerdy fun.

From the Publisher: A LitRPG adventure with magic, monsters and mystery
It’s not an easy career jump, going from retail assistant manager to interdimensional adventurer. Jason doesn’t have much of a choice, though, when he wakes up naked confused in a world of mystery and magic.
It wasn’t prophecy that brought him here. He wasn’t chosen. It was the wrong place, the wrong time and the very, very wrong guy. The wizard who summoned him by accident does not react well.
In short order, Jason will have to fight monsters, face cultists, escape cannibals and find some pants, preferably not in that order.
The good news? He has powers. The bad news? They’re kind of evil.
With no idea where he is or what he’s doing, he’s going to need friends, and fast, because in this world, power isn’t just about magic and monsters.
Jason will have to deal with politicians, noble houses and crime lords to survive. He’ll need to master his powers, evil or not, hopefully without becoming the worst monster of all.

The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: Fun little stand alone space opera that’s more about high adventure than high concept, but kicks along nicely. This is one for fans of Gareth Powell or Megan O’Keefe.

From the Publisher: A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure by New York Times bestselling author Mike Chen.
The starship Horizon’s crew spent ten years trapped across the expanse of space. Now they’re finally home—only it’s not the home they knew. The Cluster, once a peaceful coalition of planets, has fractured in the wake of civil war.
Captain Demora Kim wants nothing more than to protect her surviving crew. It’s what she owes them after years of instability and terror. But in times of war, no one is allowed neutrality.
After an attack on a mining station leaves thousands dead, Demi’s efforts become almost impossible. Every ship is needed on the frontline. Thrust deeper into a conflict she barely understands, Demi considers a bold choice—one that might keep her promises but tip the galaxy further into chaos.

Crawlspace by Adam Christopher
Release Date: Mid July

Stefen Says: This is a new space-horror title, but for most of the book it’s tension and claustrophobia, so if you’re after monsters and action early then this is not for you. If you like a slow build up to a big reveal though, you should have fun with this. I’d recommend this one to fans of S A Barnes and Mason Collie.

From the Publisher: Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from the Artemis Corporation, along with their military liaison, are in the final preparations for an undertaking that will alter the course of human history: a test flight that promises to open up new frontiers in the expanse of the universe.
But their journey between dimensions is one they never trained for. Strange voices in the corridors. Long lost faces not forgotten. Strange symbols carved into the hull. And gathering outside the ship, ancient forces beyond reckoning.
The crew will need all their skills to survive and uncover the twisted truth behind their mission.
Commencing countdown…

Bodies of Work by Clay Chapman
Release Date: Late July

Stefen Says: This is a very strange and very dark horror novella. Trigger warning for just about everything including sexual violence and violence against children as well as self harm. But if you’re ok with the really dark stuff, you’re in for a wonderfully twisted and unsettling tale. One for fans of Eric LaRocca and C J Leede.

From the Publisher: At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that’s it. No friends, no family. When he’s done with work, he returns home—a remote, single room apartment located above a garage—and that is where his true work begins. Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus—The Butterfly Girls—is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere—scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks. Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his ‘art’ he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one’s looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more. Winston takes their lives, their voices. But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge. Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.

Neighbourhood Watch by Lauren Williams
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: This debut novel is a mash-up of a police procedural and community-with-secrets story. What makes it particularly interesting is the setting of a contemporary Melbourne suburb and all the Australian community idiosyncrasies that come with that. While some of the themes may be familiar from international crime novels, differences in Australian police procedure and our own cultural norms mean that they play out very differently.

From the Publisher: The annual Curlew Street scarecrow competition is back, and the residents of Melbourne’s inner north have never seen an entry like it. Shirt bloody, head and arms slumped over a scarecrow crucifix: Victoria’s most conservative Supreme Court Judge, Harry ‘The Pope’ Somerton, is dead.
Priyanka Pal, a former psychologist turned homicide detective, is disturbed when her investigation uncovers corruption close to home. Forced to confront the abuses of powerful men – the very reason she left psychology – Priyanka’s faith in the justice system falters. 
Emma Bloom is sophisticated, intelligent, and seems to have it all together. But her prickly, estranged sister, Margot, knows the truth. Their attempts at reconciliation spiral into crisis with the death of Emma’s abusive husband, The Pope.
As secrets unravel and Priyanka’s investigation cuts close to home, the sisters risk losing what fragile family ties they have left, and Priyanka’s career is on the edge. None of them will ever feel the same way about themselves (or their neighbours) again. 
P.S. Mind the cat.

Year of the Mer by L D Lewis
Release Date: Late July

Stefen Says: This isn’t a folklore reimagining as much as a sequel. And it’s a dark one. What happens after a mermaid, made human, marries the prince and disrupts the political alliance his wedding was supposed to be? How to the people feel about stranger from the sea as their new queen? The answers are unsurprisingly grim, and Princess Yemi, Arielle’s granddaughter is the one who will have to deal with it. I quite like the idea of exploring the often glossed over implications of fairytale endings.

From the Publisher: The fairy tale mermaid Arielle might have gotten her happily-ever-after, but her granddaughter Yemi is having a much harder time. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated years ago, her mother is slowly dying of a poisoned wound, and she faces whispers and slights from her own people. Yemi has been raised as the shield of the kingdom and is soon to inherit the throne, but she cannot shake her fury at how Ixia has treated her family after all they’ve sacrificed. Only her patient mother and steadfast personal bodyguard (and fiancée), Nova, help Yemi rein in that fury… most of the time.
When the kingdom’s discontented rumblings reach a fever pitch, a coup erupts and Yemi’s throne is usurped, stripping her of her family and forcing her into exile. Now, only one being has the power to help her: Ursla.
Like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted by a deal with the sea-witch. With powerful and ancient magic behind her, Yemi could avenge her family, take back her throne, and protect the love of her life. But she should know more than anyone that there is always a price. As much as Yemi wants vengeance, Ursla has been waiting a very, very long time for her own—and it may take more fortune than Yemi possesses to keep her from losing everything all over again.

The Witch Below the Reaming Wood by H G Parry
Release Date: Late July

Stefen Says: H G Parry really does enjoy her blends of history and magic and based on her previous works, she’s also very good at it. In this one she takes the familiar theme of King Arthur returning to Britain at its time of need, in this case World War II, and reworks it with her own style and flair. Interestingly one of the characters you won’t see in it is King Arthur himself. Merlin, Morgan and Nimue all make appearances however, as the story moves between two timeliness. One in the time of Camelot and the other in London of 1941. A fun standalone read from someone who always does really clever stuff.

From the Publisher: Dive into an atmospheric and captivating historical fantasy where dreams come to life and Arthurian legends are reborn.
Wales, 1941. As the second world war ravages the globe and bombs fall from the sky, people all over the world begin to dream of King Arthur. The dreams spread like a fantastical plague, flooding people’s sleep night after night. Whispers arise of wonders and unexplained sights – dragons in the London Underground, and strange lights over Stonehenge. Self-proclaimed prophets claim they are miracles, heralding Arthur’s return at the time of Britain’s greatest need.?
Elaine Ambrose has never dreamed of Arthur, and she doesn’t believe in miracles. A librarian at the British Museum, she wants only to protect the museum’s collection from the Blitz, and is frustrated to be sent instead to catalogue a reclusive professor’s private library on the coast of North Wales. But all is not as it seems. Soon Ellie must confront what she’s tried to ignore: she dreams not of Arthur, but of Nimue – the Lady of the Lake. And her dreams promise not salvation, but a return to the darkness of the last days of Camelot. ?

Entwined by H M Long
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: There’s something about the style of the Victorian era that begs for the addition of magic, and thus the subgenre of Gaslight Fantasy is born. And that’s what this is. It’s fairly true to form for the genre and a fun light read. It’s a bit slow at the beginning but picks up for the end, which isn’t really the end, because this the first in a duology with book two, Engraved due in April of 2027

From the Publisher: Ottilie Rushforth hides from the mighty Sorcerer’s Guild as secretary to a has-been detective. But Ottilie is also Entwined – threads of magic run beneath her skin, and the Guild would trap her in service.
Working on a plan to escape the Guild forever with her estranged fiancé, the enigmatic poet, soldier and smuggler Lewis Illing, Ottilie must track down a mysterious artefact, claim the bounty, and leave the city forever. But her sisters – Pretoria, a quick-witted sorceress and thief recently emerged from exile, and Madge, a guild mage to the core – are making offers just as unwelcome as the Guild’s. She can have a new life at the cost of everything she has ever wanted, or prestige and safety in a gilded cage.
With her life and liberty on the line, Ottilie must track down the artefact in a city being torn apart by prejudice and violence. She must choose between the two sides of herself – the fugitive or the Entwined.

Black As Diamond by U M Agoawike
Release Date: Early July

Stefen Says: This is a quest-style fantasy with characters who are definitely not human making a perilous journey across a world where a previous human civilisation collapsed or was destroyed. There are mixed reviews for this one and its choppy style and the way it handles the multiple POV characters. This is one for folks who are happy to wrestle with something a bit different.

From the Publisher: A cursed warrior. A reckless healer. A chance to save the world – or condemn it. Like the rest of the winged eresh keyel, warrior Asaru has spent his life fighting the remnants of a long-dead enemy. When his brother’s squadron disappears from a border keep, Asaru travels into the human realm to investigate, only to become ensnared by a fatal – and unbreakable – curse that could wipe out his people.
When he inadvertently commits a terrible crime, Asaru is thrown into the path of Wren, an emotionally tortured former healer playing with dangerous magic. Bound to one another by a spell gone wrong, and on the run from freelance killers, they set out to find the Chronicler, keeper of the eresh keyel’s history who could bring them answers, redemption, and the cure to Asaru’s curse. But the truths they uncover about the past have the power to break the world into pieces, ending human civilization and settling its remnants into something entirely new.
From Nigerian Canadian author U M Agoawike, Black as Diamond is a fresh, dark, and thrilling debut that untangles questions of queer identity, history, and power, illuminating a society crushed by the lingering actions of a few.