The shameful business that went on in my home state of Tennessee is still fresh on my mind. Last Thursday, the state’s only democratic, majority Black congressional district was eliminated. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to look through this list of books that help explain the Voting Rights Act. I have to say, things got a little more bleak, but it’s never over.
As for the new books out this week, there are some big series continuations. First up is the LitRPG sensation, Dungeon Crawler Carl, which has low-key broken through bookish world containment and been popping up in random places for me. The eighth book—A Parade of Horribles—is out this week. But if you’re feeling more fantastical and piratey, Shannon Chakraborty’s second book in the bestselling Amina al-Sirafi series (The Tapestry of Fate) is also out.
In the rest of this week’s new books, a man grapples with his queer identity in Scotland, a feminist fights back against everyday demons, and more.
John of John by Douglas Stuart
What Oprah said about the book: “Our 123rd book club pick ‘John of John’ is finally here—and @oprah already sat down with @douglas_stuart to talk all about his latest novel!
Set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, the story follows John-Calum Macleod, a struggling art school graduate who finds himself back in his small hometown to support his elderly grandmother and father, a minister in the Presbyterian church. With Cal’s identity at odds with the religion he was brought up in, he must come to terms with the life he wants for himself while navigating his relationship with his father, who has secrets of his own hiding underneath the surface.” —Jamie Canaves
New Books
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We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel
From the author of the mythological Kaikeyi comes this standalone fantasy set in a modern world. In it, we follow reproductive health care worker Nisha, who, between the abortion bans and terrible protestors, is burnt out, fed up, and tired. One day, she finds a little respite in an Indian art exhibit, until she feels compelled to touch one of the statues on display. Next thing she knows, she’s on the floor looking a hot mess. But that’s not all—she also has a new ability. One that all manner of dangerous characters want a piece of. As she navigates her new reality, she’ll have to protect herself and the community that relies on her from human and non-human threats alike. —Erica Ezeifedi
Radiant Star by Ann Leckie
This brand-new stand-alone adventure is set in the same universe as Leckie’s award-winning Imperial Radch series. The Radch want to get rid of the Temporal Location of the Radiant Star, but the people of Ooioiaa wish for it to remain. The two sides eventually come to an agreement about the site, but the decision will have an effect on all parts of the city. —Liberty Hardy
Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Mónica Ojeda, translated by Sarah Booker
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’ll follow translator Sarah Booker to any (and all) of her projects. I’m grateful that she’s led me to the work of Ecuadorian writer Mónica Ojeda years back when her English-language debut Jawbone came onto the scene and claimed a space for Ojeda as one of the most singular and fascinating writers to watch. Fernanda Melchor herself calls Ojeda, “a dazzling black sun in the astral chart of contemporary horror.” Jawbone was a chilling nightmare of girlhood and adolescence, full of body horror, pleasure, and pain, and it went on to receive wide critical acclaim, most notably as a finalist for the National Book Award. Her next novel, Nefando, was an intense psychological horror novel that revolved around a disturbing video game. Now, she’s back with another novel of girlhood. In Electric Shamans, best friends Noa and Nicole attend the Solar Noise Festival, a drug-laden, hedonistic, “technoshamanic” gathering held at the base of an active volcano. But the festival is not all it seems, and neither are the girls. —Pierce Alquist
Hunger by Choi Jin-young, translated by Soje
A woman sees her partner murdered in the street, brings his body back to their apartment, and begins to transform his body into her own. She is unwilling to let go, to obey the laws of god or man. Her partner witnesses his own funeral from beyond, his perspective contributing to a meditation about a society that devours everyone whole and how one might consume it back. —Alex Luppens-Dale
A Siege of Owls by Uchenna Awoke
This sweeping West African-set fabulistic tale follows Ekwe, who grows up in an Igbo village suffering from drought. From a young age, Ekwe is haunted by owls, which are seen as both mythological and prophetic, and a spirit that is too big to contain. Once he touches a forbidden leaf, he’s sent on a journey that stretches across Nigeria’s deserts, savannas, and areas of conflict. As he contends with the violence that seems to keep following him, even as he starts to live the life of a Fulani cowherd, his 12-year-old sister is being pushed to marry a wealthy man much older than her. —Erica Ezeifedi
Other Book Riot New Releases Resources:
- All the Books, our weekly new book releases podcast, where Liberty and a cast of co-hosts talk about the books out this week we’re most excited about.
- The New Books Newsletter, where we send you an email of the books out this week that are getting buzz.
- Finally, if you want the real inside scoop on new releases, you have to check out Book Riot’s New Release Index! That’s where I find 90% of new releases, and you can filter by genre, age category, and even LGBTQ new releases!
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