Jordan's Exciting Book Love List 2023
In this sci-fi noir x slow-burn romance from a new author pairing, two dramatically different agents face an interdimensional weaponization of nostalgia.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Eden, Kentucky is haunted by bad luck and the looming shadow of the Starling House, a mystery that thief and liar Opal is delighted to unravel. Starling House is an intoxicating work of southern gothic, with deep secrets imbued in its pages.
T. Kingfisher does it again, with a stellar work of horror that is both a comfort and a terror.
A masterpiece of poetic autofiction, the narrator is travelling across the rugged landscapes of Siberia to inter her mother's ashes. Translated from Russian, this bittersweet gem reflects on the author's identity as a lesbian, a poet, a daughter, and the daughter to a dead mother.