Archer debuts with a field guide to navigating one’s golden years, an inspiration source for men wishing to pursue their neglected—or undiscovered—passions. Encouraging readers to recall “those moments of exhilaration when you took a chance, tried something new, and felt truly alive,” Archer entices them to pursue their “next great adventure” while nurturing a passion for lifelong learning. To that end, they offer several categories of hobbies for men to choose from—ranging from stress relief to emotional resilience to physical well-being—and promise that “the journey to a more vibrant, fulfilling life starts now.”

This is more than just a list of interesting pastimes, though Archer dedicates plenty of page space to brainstorming possible diversions, including sailing, stargazing, musical instruments, and more; the guide also offers considerable detail, breaking down the physical requirements for each hobby, outlining the first steps to getting started, and sharing success stories in each area. Readers will find an assortment of outside-the-box ideas as well, with lesser-known favorites like chess, gardening, and learning a new language sprinkled throughout. Archer even emphasizes the importance of mentoring and volunteerism, “a way to leave a lasting legacy by passing on your knowledge and values to the next generation.”

Throughout the book there are examples of men who boldly changed the direction of their lives, bravely rejecting the notion that they had peaked and were on a downward trajectory; those samplings will inspire readers to open new doors of their own—and renew their sense of purpose along the way. Archer reminds readers that with health, friends, and a positive attitude, every stage of life can be equally fulfilling and exciting. They conclude with a call for reflection, an opportunity to review life’s “ups and downs, successes and failures, and… [the experiences] to grow and evolve.”

Takeaway: Inspiring exhortation for men to lead fulfilling lives at any age.

Comparable Titles: S.C. Francis’s The Ultimate Book of Fun Things to Do in Retirement, Will Harlow’s Thriving Beyond Fifty.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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Environmental activism clashes with corporate greed in this high-stakes debut, set against the lush yet troubled backdrop of Jamaica. The narrative centers on Toni Wise, a Peace Corps volunteer with a passion for conservation and a knack for getting entangled in local politics wherever she goes. When Toni gets caught in a conflict between Rastafari farmers and British billionaire Alec Chainey, whose mining operation is threatening the farmers' land, she tirelessly fights, alongside her supervisor Winston Sage, to unite the farmers into a cooperative to slow Chainey’s encroachment—but her efforts are stymied by the local culture, constant bushfire threats, and Chainey cutting off the water supply to profit from the drought.

The narrative swiftly gains momentum as a devastating earthquake, known as the itesquake, ravages Jamaica, unleashing widespread destruction while freeing Chainey’s secret science experiment: genetically modified reptiles, created by the sinister Dr. Leech, engineered to spread pathogens—and presenting a grave threat to a community already grappling with the damaging aftereffects of a horrific earthquake. The stakes turn personal for Toni when she’s bitten by one of Chainey’s creatures, putting her mission—and her life—at risk. As she desperately tries to find the most ethical course of action to combat Chainey’s vicious wrongdoings, Toni muses on the costs involved, reflecting on German philosopher Nietzsche ‘s reminder to “beware that, when fighting monsters, you do not become a monster.”

Toni's resilience is tested as she faces the perilous task of aiding the locals and confronting Chainey, but she ultimately emerges as a symbol of hope and courage. Throughout the book, Croft reflects on the balance between progress and protection of natural resources, as well as the moral responsibilities of scientific advancement. Though at times the pacing feels uneven, the book's rich themes and complex characters make this a compelling thriller.

Takeaway: Conservation and corporate greed collide in this intense thriller.

Comparable Titles: Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch Mysteries series, Jeff Carson’s Echoes Fade.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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Jones, adopted as an infant by wealthy parents in a small Midwestern town in 1947, spotlights a life lived under her father’s shadow in this emotive memoir. Her earliest memories are of her mother reading “The Book”—a story of orphans at “the Home” being adopted by a married couple—while Jones tries to make sense of what it means to be “chosen.” She reflects on feeling out of place all too often, in her father’s way with constant questions, and forced to entertain herself, given her socialite mother’s busy schedule.

Jones’s constant sense of not measuring up to her father—an influential doctor in their tight-knit community—colors her confidence from a young age: “being Doctor Beare’s Daughter is better than being just Janice,” she reassures her younger self. A lack of siblings and friends widens those feelings of isolation, and her childhood musings—whether about fishing trips with her father, school days, or simple family dinners—continually reflect her efforts to make sense of her place in this golden family. As she grows, Jones’s voice morphs from that of an innocent, credulous child to young adulthood, mirroring her rising awareness of the need to break away from her parents’ world to form her own.

Jones supplements the narrative with childhood pictures that anchor the memoir’s events, allowing whispers of nostalgia to invade the stark portrayal of her early days. Many of her early experiences are punctuated by her father’s temper and angry words, hurled at Jones and her mother in accusations of their ignorance—sections that are painful to read but balanced by Jones’s sweet relationship with her grandfather. As she grows into an adult, and has children of her own, Jones contemplates the pieces of her family she still carries with her, and, in a heart wrenching ending, learns, finally, that she is her own person—and that is enough.

Takeaway: Moving story of an adopted daughter’s search for her own voice.

Comparable Titles: J.R. Ackerley’s My Father and Myself, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Dr. Beare's Daughter: Growing Up Adopted, Adored, and Afraid A True Story

Slaney’s slow-burn historical romance is also a fierce expose of the role of the Catholic Church in England’s exportation and exploitation of British youth in mid-twentieth century Australia. Tiana, a French and English teenager, is the only child of a wealthy family. Raised in luxury and bolstered by the freedom of the 1970s, she makes a pact with her best friend, at 16, that they’ll be women who smoke cigars. Rather than engage in normal teenage rebellion, she throws herself into learning everything there is to know about the business at her father’s right hand, though her heart surges when she meets a young priest, Philipe Gagnon, in whose presence she feels “ sensations she had never experienced before in places she had not known existed and for which she had no words.”

Gritty, journalistic detail about past abuses and condemnation of the Church, in particular, comes wrapped with a tender romance as the novel focuses sharply on the impact of wrongful separation on families, particularly those with children who were considered “illegitimate.” Slaney’s passion for exposing injustice powers the storytelling as Philipe is elevated to the rank of Bishop, dares to focus on on fostering discipline and accountability among his fellow priests—particularly those forcing pedophilia upon the young charges under their care. While Philipe’s brief meeting with young Tiana ignites her love for him, it’s not until her father’s death—and an England-to-Australia-to-Bali tour—that the pair have the opportunity to connect.

Journalist Pete’s investigation into institutional complicity in the abuse gives the novel its spine, overshadowing that romantic element, making this a story of doggedly pursuing the truth. Slaney blends easy-flowing period dialogue with lovingly researched—and often outraged—history, though a tendency toward the expository at times diminishes narrative momentum.Still, readers will find themselves transported to a richly evoked past that abounds with striking detail, and the spirit of truth-telling and big-hearted secondary characters will leave readers of historical fiction aching for more.

Takeaway: Gentle forbidden romance woven into a historical tale of religious abuse.

Comparable Titles: Sarah Steele’s The Schoolteacher of Saint-Michel, Olivia Hawker’s The Ragged Edge of Night.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

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This compelling tech-thriller of AI, a fractured America, and the ethics of digital and medical privacy, reveals itself, as its tense and thoughtful narrative develops, as a pointed thought-experiment. The setup to this novel from Bohacz (author of Ghost of the Gods) is urgently of-its-moment. In the third year of a second American civil war (“ACW-II”) of seceding states and fitful terrorist attacks, the celebrated (but also in some quarters reviled) Adam Kiln enjoys life as the inventor of the wildly popular iDreamVR system, which with a couple “painless stims” to the frontal lobe offers “lucid dreams” with a “hyperreality beyond anything experienced in real life.” Powering iDreamVR is an AI named Erebus that never stops learning as it plugs into minds and conjures fantasies as “addictive as heroin.”

Adam designed Erebus with “unbreakable guardrails,” but soon enough John Adams Hancock, the leader of the secessionist SDR, can gloat about a hack of Erebus: “The world’s first terrorist AI and it is all ours,” he announces, and a jolting incident in Bohacz’s prologue confirms the danger. Writing in clear prose that’s invested in science, society, and the heart, Bohacz roots this civil war in contemporary American discord but takes pains not to bind the conflict to ideology. Instead, protagonist Adam, who narrates much of the novel, actually comes to agree with one of Hancock’s chief arguments, even though Adam and his partner are high-profile SDR targets. That point of concurrence: that “five percent of humanity are high-functioning greedy sociopaths” who cause most of the world’s problems.

Therein lies the thought experiment: Adam has access into the minds of humanity. Would it be ethical for him to report who is a sociopath—and to what authority? Bohacz’s storytelling tends to be more explanatory than in most tech thrillers, emphasizing how everything works and what brought humanity to this brink rather than who is punching whom, but Artificial legitimately thrills, provokes, disturbs, and surprises as the pages fly by.

Takeaway: Smart, surprising thriller of AI and advanced VR in a fractured America.

Comparable Titles: Alexander Jablokov’s Brain Thief, Christian Yeasted’s The Final Invention.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Retired oncologist and palliative care specialist Creagan (How Not to Be My Patient) explores end-of-life issues for patients and their loved ones in this practical guide. "Life is a journey. The dying process is the last segment of that journey, and death is simply the final moment," he writes, drawing from personal anecdotes—including the death of his stepfather—and professional case studies to deliver straightforward, passionate advice on handling the daunting but inevitable journey of transitioning on from this life.

Creagan utilizes clear, concise pointers here, breaking down step-by-step what loved ones and patients can expect in their last days—though he acknowledges there are many variables at play that can make the experience different for each individual. There are “fairly predictable phases of dying,” he writes, such as more exhaustion, withdrawal from others, and confusion, but he reminds readers that “death is never convenient.” Touching on patient preferences, comfort, dignity, and planning ahead, Creagan urges readers to be fully informed and prepared for the emotional journey they have in store—and offers several functional resources as well, including how to understand Do Not Resuscitate documents, last will and testaments, and the mechanics of organ donation.

"This book is about navigating those last days and saying farewell with hope, love, and compassion," Creagan writes, and that reverent stance permeates his guidance, offering those going through the dying process—as well as their family and friends—reassurance that this life stage can be approached with compassion and consideration. From funeral planning to the costs that often accompany end-of-life care to physician-assisted suicide, Creagan delves into challenging but crucial topics, and includes resources at the end for further reading (a link to free advance directives is particularly helpful). “These end-­of-­life journeys are never easy, even in the best of circumstances,” he encourages readers, but this valuable resource can help smooth the path.

Takeaway: Comprehensive and caring guide to end-of-life planning.

Comparable Titles: Steve Leder's The Beauty of What Remains, Kathryn Mannix's With the End in Mind.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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After the tragic passing of his wife Melitta from cervical cancer, Carter embarks on a 4,314 mile journey of self-discovery, driven by the goal to spread awareness and raise funding for a preventable disease that has taken so many lives. "I realised that vaccination plus screening could eliminate cervical cancer within twenty to thirty years," Carter writes. As he spends a year walking the coasts of England and Wales, he learns valuable life lessons along the way, such as listening to and empathizing with the people and the world around him, through his host families and friends who periodically meet up with him, all while advocating for preventative screenings and the HPV immunization to prevent cervical cancer.

Carter shares his story in a personable, familiar manner that will immediately draw readers in. Highlighting not only his own love story and grieving process, Carter also shares life lessons he received from the Airbnb owners he met during his year-long trek—and the insights he gleaned from friends, family, and colleagues who chose to join him on his walk. "I realized that the journey would help me learn about myself as well as honouring Melitta's life," Carter explains. Throughout his pilgrimage and campaign—titled "3500 to End It"—Carter is plagued by the question of what he ultimately wants to learn from his quest. In the end he finds one simple answer...and it is the question: "What can we do for those we love?"

A moving memoir on dealing with grief, soaking in wisdom from the people in your life, and spreading awareness about cervical cancer, From Grief to Love is an emotive narrative that shows how "lives can change in a moment.” Carter sets seemingly impossible goals in this triumphant tale, and overcomes the most tragic of circumstances, making his writing both inspiring and endearing.

Takeaway: Touching memoir of grief and the healing power of new experiences.

Comparable Titles: Jonathan Santlofer’s The Widower’s Notebook, Becky Livingston’s The Suitcase and the Jar.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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This fleet-footed thriller by Davidson (author of Snowfall in Virginia) seamlessly blends mystery, suspense, and historical elements into a rousing journey through time and space. Davidson flings readers into a tense ride, as Chris Hamilton and his family friend, Garcia, race to return stolen Aztec antiquities dating from the 16th century back to Mexico. Chris, who has a personal stake in the treasure’s return, given his father’s role in its disappearance, desperately wants the artifacts restored to their rightful owners—but when Garcia goes missing during their transport back to Mexico, Chris, and his girlfriend, Garcia’s daughter Sophia, are quickly drawn into a dangerous game.

Davidson’s narrative, set against the backdrop of Mexico and Southwest Texas, instantly engages, twisting multiple plot threads into a death-defying, no-holds-barred treasure hunt rich in historical context. Davidson's research into Aztec culture and artifacts adds depth and authenticity, from the story’s treatment of ritual sacrifice to the reign of Moctezuma II, adding an air of realism to the novel’s lore. Just as vivid is the landscape Davidson paints, with shimmering sunsets framing the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains and dust kicking across the flat plains of Texas, creating a strong sense of place that will immerse readers in the story’s snappy action.

Both Chris and Sophia are relatable and compelling protagonists, and the rivalry between up-and-coming politician Rafael Tovar and crime boss Alejandro De La Hoya interjects complexity into the plot, creating a multi-dimensional conflict that ranges far beyond a simple treasure hunt. Sophia's hidden secret adds an intriguing aside that will keep readers guessing until the end, as will Davidson’s hints of the artifacts’ mysterious powers—ancient secrets that “mortal men would die for.” The setup takes time to kick off, but once the hunt begins in earnest, readers will be swept into this breakneck tale of greed, immortality, and revenge.

Takeaway: Thrilling blend of history, suspense, and an Aztec treasure hunt.

Comparable Titles: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Pendergast series, James Rollins's Sigma Force series.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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Wiggins draws on his experience as both a physician and a minister in this expanded edition of his impassioned treatise against marijuana use. “What began as a quest to find the truth about marijuana has become a campaign against it,” he writes, as he examines issues like medical marijuana, state legalization, and increasingly positive attitudes toward cannabis. Wiggins delivers an extensive list of “the harmful effects of marijuana on the body” before making a biblical case against marijuana use as well, via a combination of Bible textual analysis and examination of marijuana use as, at its root, a “spiritual issue.”

Much of Wiggins’s argument draws from extended personal testimony and anecdotes from relatives of marijuana users, lending the text strong emotional undertones, particularly when recounting deaths from marijuana’s “adverse effects on the heart.” He digs into medical literature as well, identifying marijuana as a potential contributor to suicidality, psychotic disorders, neurocognitive decline, and more. For readers unfamiliar with the ins and outs of brain pharmacology, he touches on the mechanics behind marijuana’s influence on the body, in language that brings a complex topic down to an understandable level.

Though he encourages readers to scrutinize research for themselves, Wiggins references findings based on unpublished data from a colleague choosing to remain anonymous, which cuts against the data-driven approach. For Christian readers seeking biblical arguments against cannabis use, though, Wiggins comes through, tying the bulk of his case to the Bible’s prohibition against drunkenness—“the Bible does command sobriety,” he asserts, and “one cannot use marijuana and stay sober”—and contending that “marijuana opens the door to the dark side of the spirit world and the demonic realm.” Wiggins closes with encouragement for readers who don’t find stopping marijuana use “easy” to seek outside help, advising that “God can instantly heal anyone at any time, but He usually works through others.”

Takeaway: A physician and minister’s case against marijuana.

Comparable Titles: Alex Berenson’s Tell Your Children, Todd Miles’s Cannabis and the Christian.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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In Champey’s middle-grade fantasy, Daniel Stone, just shy of 12 years old, loves reading, trigonometry, and school, but he’s struggling with his studies—especially gym class—at the Rutherford Preparatory School of Worldly Exploration, where he disappoints teachers and classmates alike for not being more like his explorer aunt, who vanished on an expedition to the land of the Dragons. His path forward from being the kid who spends school days in a trash can comes from a surprising gift: the scarf his grandmother made him, which one day, when he’s nearly struck by lightning, begins to sparkle and even puff out like a parachute, saving his life. Daniel discovers that the scarf possesses transfiguration magic and can turn into anything he thinks of. Shortly after, he uses his magic to save a little girl in danger on a ride at a carnival, turning the scarf into a broom to fly on.

Daniel soon begins getting attention from the town as a hero, buoying his status among his peers. But when popularity gets to his head, and his scarf ends up in the wrong hands, he must find a way to get it back before the new owner uses it to destroy the school. Champey creates a high-spirited story that will draw in middle-grade users with Daniel’s adventures with his grandmother, his uncle, and his friend, Lizzie, plus some mysteries about the rest of the family and much lively incident, including confrontations with bullies, Badgerball shenanigans, secret missions to save the town and stoke Danile’s powers, plus much talk about his parents’ and aunt’s exciting expeditions to lost cities and beneath the sea.

Champey’s brisk, big-hearted storytelling finds fresh fun in some familiar elements, though momentum is diminished by some repetitive sentence structures (“Yes, Ashley Star was the quite the sensation”; “Yes, it was quite the spectacle”) and an overreliance on adverbs (suddenly, immediately) that slow the action. Still, the cliffhanger ending sets up the sequel with buoyant energy, and Daniel learns important lessons about how to treat others, while learning magic and discovering the interesting past of his family.

Takeaway: A middle-schooler’s magic scarf opens up a world of adventure.

Comparable Titles: John August’s Arlo Finch series, Jess Redman’s The Adventure Is Now.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about Daniel Stone and the Magical Scarves

Abraham (author of tales of the disembodied) arrays the cosmos in cosmic horror in these 14 spine-tingling tales. Weaving in and out of the same universe, the stories begin with life on Earth as we mostly know it, expanding on technology replacing organic matter in “Lucky Tuky,” where an innovative new pet comes with a dark side. The collection probes the advances of technology and its impact on society throughout, creating compounding changes that lead to a future readers will recognize as unfamiliar, set in spaces outside the universe we know, and featuring characters who don’t always seem wholly human.

Abraham expends minimal detail to spin these tales, creating a foggy and dreamlike atmosphere where anything is possible. Readers are granted nibbles of repeated information that allow them to parse the violent and surreal surroundings here, extrapolating the history of Abraham's written world, bookended by the repeated, unsettling mantra “long live the new flesh.” In “57 Minutes,” a group navigates the treachery and intensity of stolen endings, as one of them croons Latin maxims—“Remember that you have to die. Remember that you have to live.” “Served Cold” trails protagonist Robert, on a deathly mission, as he whispers “there’s no light at the end of the tunnel” both to himself and his victim, in a ghastly attempt to outrun his assignment.

This collection will resonate with readers who cherish buried clues and inconspicuous metaphors but may hobble those who prefer more description and exposition. As far out as the tales may reach, readers will connect with the very human experiences Abraham fashions at their core—a malicious mother-in-law, the danger of a person who feels trapped, a father who will risk everything for his daughter. Abraham offers a new perspective of a terrifying world here, where horror, foreboding, and the prickle of the unknown ignite a hair-raising frenzy.

Takeaway: Existential cosmic horror grounds deeply human experiences.

Comparable Titles: Nathan Ballingrud’s Wounds, Adam L.G. Nevill’s Some Will Not Sleep.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B-

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Merz starts his Parker the Homeless Dog series with this heartwarming debut of a young puppy, drawn from Merz’s own experience with a rescue dog, searching for her forever home. The story starts with the picture-perfect dreams of every dog—sleeping in a fluffy bed, playing fetch, and hanging out with family—but quickly detours into reality for this book’s sweet protagonist: sleeping under cars, searching through trash for breakfast, and hunting for clean water to drink, all while dreaming of “having a home and family of my very own.” From there, readers will join the often-frightening adventures of a dog without a home, from bullies to dogcatchers to an endless hunt to stave off starvation for one more day.

Younger readers will instantly fall for Merz’s soul-eyed, happy-dancing pup, who, despite the hard knocks of her life on the street, manages to keep an innocent trust in the world around her. Every time she runs into people, she tries her best to impress, in hopes of finding a friend; more often than not, that ends with her mistreatment, as when a group of school children laugh at her and throw rocks, prompting her to cry “why don’t those kids like me?” Readers will be crushed at the puppy’s despair, and empathize with her melancholy: “I’m cute, I dance, and I give smiley smiles. What’s not to like” she whimpers.

Thankfully, this teary tale has a warm, fuzzy ending, as the puppy meets a teacher named Jean, who steps in at just the right moment to save her from calamity, gifting her with a collar and a name of her own—Parker. Hefke’s bold illustrations bring Parker to vivid life, from her expressive puppy eyes to her excited jumping, and her declaration at the end—that a collar “feels so good… Like love” will thaw even the hardest hearts.

Takeaway: Sweet tale of a pup finding their forever home.

Comparable Titles: Lisa Papp’s Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog, Kelly Collier’s The Imposter.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Parker The Homeless Dog

This energetic debut—a rousing adventure of teens proving their worth as future rebels, ready to topple a dystopian society—takes place in 2075, after an ecological collapse allows the fascist Democratic Union for a Sustainable Tomorrow (D.U.S.T.) to take control. The Dust locks up dissidents, controls the media, and alters history books to favor the regime. Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia, 17-year-old Everly Dahl faces her father’s imprisonment for treason and the government withholding life-saving medicine from her ill sister, Shelby. After Shelby is also arrested, a despondent Everly agrees to be whisked away by the total stranger Micah, who is with the rebel Bloodwood Society, “the most notorious group on the planet.”

As the Naked Mole Rats (all teams are named for underground animals), Everly, along with her teammates—the bulky and clever Inuit Katak, belligerent Indian Vashti, and insecure Latina Inés—must triumph at a series of trials, including an obstacle course, marathon race, free climbing a 500-foot tree, and anagram puzzle, all under the watchful eyes of their perpetually scowling mentor Micah. Readers young and old will be captivated by Doty’s swift-moving plot and fierce motivations of diverse, quirky teenagers who are troubled by anxieties and impetuousness, countermanded by their fierce desire to achieve independence as emerging adults.

This is a light read, but it covers familiar themes of teenagers learning how to work together, united by dedication and grit against a corrupt government. Doty’s message of loyalty to family and friends, along with the novel’s strongly drawn characters who succeed despite their difficult circumstances, rings universal. The exploits are satisfyingly demanding and exciting, rewarding readers with a healthy slice of action alongside the more character-driven drama. Doty draws a nuanced and powerful portrait of the type of camaraderie that can save a world teetering on disaster, as Everly herself realizes that “come hell or high water, their fates were intertwined.”

Takeaway: Eager teenagers undergo trials to prove them worthy for a rebellion.

Comparable Titles: Shade Owens’s Chosen, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: –
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Adegbite and artist Quantum Servus craft the first chapter of an ongoing series about an ex-Air Force agent named Teriba Fashina of the fictional United African Republic (UAR), a nation facing terrorism and political and economic instability while Teriba endures personal tragedy. Thanks to political corruption, he's relieved of his command after a strike against terrorists that goes too well for the tastes of traitors in the government. But both his and the UAR’s fortunes begin to turn when Teriba, who has dreamed of flying in space and even meeting extraterrestrials, recovers a meteor suspected of being an alien spacecraft—and seems chosen, by beings from elsewhere, to become a hero.

This is a brisk, exciting introduction for a character and series that celebrates African culture and storytelling with a sharp political edge, a hearty dash of flying-saucer and alien-abduction SF, crisp, exciting art, and clear love for superheroes, which here feel grounded despite some literally high-flying action. Adegbite blends the fantastical aspects with real-world commentary on colonialism and its short and long-term effects on sovereign African nations, all while telling a somewhat traditional origin story—Teriba puts his new alien powers to thrilling use, for the public good, but they come with wrenching loss, pressing questions of responsibility, and a host of complications. The president of Westernia, a U.S.-like country, makes a veiled threat to the president of the UAR regarding the spacecraft if he doesn't hand it over. When terrorists take tourists hostage, Teriba boldly uses his new powers to free them, all while the UAR faces a coup attempt and an international conspiracy, plunging the nation into chaos.

Servus’s action is exciting, with inventive panel angels never diminishing the clarity, and the characters prove distinct and engaging with a minimum of us. It's fascinating to see how Adegbite creates a narrative that turns the tables on greed, corruption, and foreign exploitation in such an exhilarating manner, all while leaving so much to explore in the future.

Takeaway: Surprising superhero origin involving UFOs and an African republic.

Comparable Titles: Roye Okupe and Sunkanmi Akinboye’s Windmaker series, Loyiso Mkize and Clyde Beech’s Kwezi series.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about Saucerman

St. Clair’s debut novel centers around the life of psychotherapist Beth Linn and her increasingly fraught work in a small, troubled town. As Beth goes about her job, having hard conversations about people’s lives, she is jolted to discover that therapy clients seem possibly implicated in a school bomb threat—“If you believe he’s dangerous,” she is told of one, “then you’re responsible to report it.” Even as she strives to understand who did what, what they’re capable of in the future, and her own complex ethical obligations (the situation, she tells her mother, involves “confidentiality that I can’t break without some form of proof”), the tense situation continues to escalate, with threats targeting religious minorities at the high school, all as Beth faces personal problems of her own, involving a DNA test and a secret that could shock her family.

Beth’s office sits at the heart of the narrative: the reader is offered a glimpse of clients who walk in and out of therapy sessions, venting their issues and listening to Beth’s guidance, a lot of them identified by quirky nicknames like “dancer” and “queen.” St. Clair’s experience as a psychotherapist shines through, as the novel oscillates between psychological drama and detective story, as Beth gets wrapped up more deeply in the explosive situation at the school. The narrative picks up pace with each passing chapter, punctuated with twists, turns and truly surprising revelations.

The many therapy scenes, some from other perspectives, set the novel apart, and readers fascinated by the rules, tensions, and promises of such encounters will relish these. Some twists strain credulity, and a climactic confrontation feels somewhat rushed. But fleet, clear writing, an authoritative depiction of therapy, and St. Clair’s firm grasp on the tangled threads keep the pace strong and the mysteries intriguing, leaving readers with a chance to breathe only once it’s all settled.

Takeaway: Intimate psychological thriller of a therapist and the possibility of deadly clients.

Comparable Titles: Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient, A.F. Brady’s The Blind.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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This inviting picture book by Osara (author of Early Coders) whisks young readers away, to a STEM-filled adventure into space and a celebration of STEM careers and breakthroughs. Osara starts with a brief explanation of what’s included in STEM activities—science, technology, engineering, and math—before opening a new world for curious fans, an imaginary galaxy brimming with fun STEM planets, like Planet Technology, “the tie that binds all the planets together.” She lists common careers for each planet as well, ranging from cybersecurity on Planet Technology to epidemiologists for Planet Science, and each planet readers explore brims with educational facts and entertaining ways to apply STEM knowledge to everyday living.

Osara infuses this book with diversity, offering readers an array of professionals in skilled positions, many of whom are female. She references famous trailblazers in each area, including Julia Robinson, a mathematician specializing in cryptography, Gladys West, who helped develop our global positioning system (GPS), and Grace Hopper—a computer programmer credited with creating the language FLOW-MATIC, making it “easier for people to tell computers what to do.” Osara references how some of those STEM pioneers have paved the way for our current work in the field as well, such as Hopper’s work inspiring the invention of the computer language COBOL, still used in contemporary times.

Beyond the variety of STEM facts included here, readers will find a feast of fun as well. Osara addresses AI (“super smart machines that can learn and think just like us. Sounds like magic, doesn’t it?”), the processes behind foods like potato chips, and more. The illustrations are interesting, offsetting weighty material with entertaining images like a vacuuming robot, though the art styles, which at times suggest clip art, vary at times for reasons that aren’t clear. Osara closes with a glossary and interactive STEM activities kids can do at home, including making a rainbow in a jar or crafting a binary bracelet.

Takeaway: STEM learning transformed into an intergalactic adventure.

Comparable Titles: Jane Bull’s The Simple Science Activity Book, Robert Winston’s Ask a Scientist.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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