Flyleaf's Favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy 2023
The world-building of Godkiller was stellar and gripping, facing off themes of love, trust, worship, and morality. Highly, highly recommend! --Jordan
This novel takes all those familiar, seductive bits of haunted house stories that have been told time and time again, and twists them into something clever and dreamy. It's romantic, creepy, dark—this story, like Starling House itself, has a pulse. --Emma
Baldree opens his newest novel by dropping us in the middle of Viv's big battle moment. From then on, the fighting ceases to exist on the battlefield, and instead takes root in restless, healing Viv. I loved the coastal seaside town of Murk and its many colorful residents. They carry themselves with little-to-no urgency, starkly contrasting Viv and her way of life. It's exciting to glimpse where Viv's idea of owning her own coffee shop began, and I appreciate that the realization is not the conclusion, nor the focus of this book. --Jamie K.
A delightfully absurd and campy sci-fi novel involving genius spy cats, striking dolphins, and supervillains! --Jordan
The fantasy world of the Witch King is full of political intrigue, delightfully clever magic, and badass antiheroes with sharp tongues. I couldn’t put it down! --Tony
In this sci-fi noir by a new author pairing, two dramatically different agents are faced with an interdimensional weaponization of nostalgia, and a lovely slow burn romance. --Jordan
Isolde and her husband Warren practice a runic magic, best used in unraveling the magical mysteries of the everyday. A dazzling start to a new series, this world is a delight full of lovable characters, unique magics, and stellar prose. --Jordan
Sunai is a relic, left over from the corruption of a citywide autonomous intelligence, unable to die or age. Haunted by this legacy, he gets entangled in a plot to bring back one of these corrupted gods in this dazzling epic of mecha sci-fi. --Jordan
Born to kill his divine father, but having failed to do so, Fetter is directionless until he is assigned to unravel the mystery of the "bright doors" in a city defined by unintelligible bureaucracy, warring government factions, and a violent caste system. This is a sprawling and delicious work that draws on its author's Sri Lankan upbringing and culture. --Jordan
This novella is worth savoring, a sparkling re-imagining of an all-too-familiar fairy tale. --Jordan
Infused with history, magic, and Islamic lore, this book is a delight with a unique voice and a grumpy pirate you can't help but love. --Jordan
Creepy, melodic, and absolutely haunting, The Crane Husband is a resplendent novella destined to leave you aching. --Jordan