Flyleaf's Favorite Horror 2023
Julie Crews has magic, but her bad reputation means taking the dirtiest of jobs in New York City. After an effort to improve her lot goes horribly wrong, she has to fight against finance bros and eldritch gods in this gory and tentacled start to a cosmic horror duology. --Jordan
Chilling, wistful, and a charming illustration of unwavering human connection. This story feels like an old folktale passed down and retold again and again—it seamlessly intertwines its monstrous horror, looming war violence, and the devotion between vaquero Néstor and healer Nena. --Emma
This novella is a dark, glittering jewel, encrusted in blood, awash in viscera and gore. At its heart, it’s a story of pure love and undying devotion. --Tony
A delightfully dark, fantastical story that brings together 17th century London, midwifery, scientific reasoning, and magic. Cultivating a soft queer love story among expanding strangeness of universes colliding, Rather brings forward questions of power, control, and fear of the unknown. This story will settle within the folds of your mind, returning like a half-forgotten dream again and again. --RC
You know those post-apocalyptic books with the kid and their posse of messed up adults? This is that, but a western, and with demons. Bloody, comedic, and an all-around good time. --Jamie K.
One cannot and should not look away—this book will tear you to shreds, but also turn you into kintsugi, with love and acceptance defiant as liquid gold. --Jordan
Told through a series of chat logs and other correspondences, LaRocca's Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke highlights the nasty underbelly of parasocial online relationships. This is not a tale for the faint of heart. If you love grimy, sleazy, and obsessive horror, this one is for you. --Kat
Underneath a luxury high-rise in Toronto, a dangerous mold grows, inextricable from the poisonous deals that sustain continued development. The perspectives of the developer, the public health investigators assigned to the case, a ride-share driver, and various tenants collide to create a tense and masterful work of eco-horror. --Jordan
T. Kingfisher does it again, with a stellar work of horror that is both a comfort and a terror. --Jordan
The World Wasn’t Ready for You is a haunting and melodic collection of stories tackling institutional racism, systemic violence, loneliness, and love. --Jordan