The Tinder Box by M. R. Carey

Published June 23, 2026 from Orbit

1: A nice touch how it incorporates the chapter title into the narration.

2: Some solid imagery to introduce the setting and his connection to it.

 

1: I like how it specifies the changes in the landscape that make his home country seem unfamiliar to him.

2: Quick, effective descriptions to show the narrator’s unwelcome reception.

 

It’s a little wordy and somewhat on the abstract side, but the details are specific enough to give useful character information.

 

The direct language and the flat tone give the memory a detached, distant feeling.

Verdict: I’m interested enough to read more.

Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim

Published June 2, 2026 from Tor Books

I like the chatty style and the collection of concrete details that establish the setting.

 

1: Some nice character information is coming through in the narrator’s nostalgia.

2: I like the reflections on childhood through sci-fi concepts. It’s hinting at interesting worldbuilding in a non-obtrusive way.

 

Really compelling character writing, with the way it captures the contradictions in her thought process, and also mixes in some family lore.

 

It’s introducing worldbuilding concepts very smoothly by keeping them attached to the characters’ emotional lives.

Verdict: I’m very excited to read this one.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Published June 2, 2026 from Del Rey

Interesting to go with an omniscient voice. It adds weight to the narration, but it creates a sense of distance. So far, the details don’t feel especially attached to anything, so they’re not really sticking with me.

 

1: The language is nice, but I’m not getting a very strong image from the descriptions, especially with the old-timey terminology.

2: Nice character detail.

 

1: Not a bad character introduction, but a little on the abstract side.

2: No small talk for him, skipping straight to the plot.

 

1: Sets up a nice contrast in their priorities.

2: Again, not a bad character introduction, but it feels a bit limited since the observation isn’t coming from a specific source.

Verdict: I’m interested but not quite drawn in.

Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni

Published May 19, 2026 from Atria Books

1: A compelling opening image.

2: A little awkwardness in denoting body parts. “The softness of her hand” and “a stiff palm” aren’t equivalent phrases, since one is a quality of her hand and the other is the hand itself. And I guess it’s technically correct that a mouth tells stories, but it feels weird to say it like that.

 

1: Of the two sisters, it would probably be the one who screamed next to the coffin, right?

2: Feels like a weird phrase for a child to use.

3: Nice description.

4: A slightly suspicious way to put it…

 

1: Seems a little in-the-weeds to go into the mechanics of magic in the middle of the scene.

2: Nice character detail.

 

1: Weird to refer to the premises of a place that isn’t named until later in the sentence.

2: Seems like unnecessary worldbuilding at this point in the story.

Verdict: Neat concept but a little choppy.

We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

Published May 12, 2026 from S&S/Saga Press

1: I assume the repeated word choice is intentional, but I think it would read more smoothly if the language were varied.

2: The descriptions feel distant and detached in a way that’s effective for putting us in the character’s mindset. The repeated sentence structure creates a nice rhythm.

 

1: Some interesting character details, but the language is a little abstract and hard to get a hold on.

2: These more specific details are helpful for establishing the scene.

 

1: The descriptions feel kind of vague. Specific images or anecdotes might be more effective.

2: I like the comparison and its tying together of cultural references.

Verdict: Some compelling ideas but the writing isn’t really grabbing me.

Homebound by Portia Elan

Published May 5, 2026 from Scribner

1: Fun to start out with the narrator’s take on the concept of coding. But the language is a little vague and abstract, so it’s hard to get a hold on what’s being discussed.

2: Repeated word choice.

 

1: Some decent scene-setting.

2: The descriptions are maybe a little simplistic, but they get across some useful character information.

 

1: Interesting for the narrator to address another character in second person. It’s a quick indication of their closeness.

2: This is a sweet anecdote.

3: Slipping in some character information from the side.

 

1: Kind of a strange image. Hard to picture letters that are glowing and also opaque.

2: Repeated word choice.

3: A typo? Awkward...

4: I like the anecdote, but the language feels a little on-the-nose.

Verdict: I’m interested but not quite drawn in.

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

 

Published May 5, 2026 from Orbit

A decent character introduction. It shows her dissatisfaction with her job, and some bitterness comes through in the tone. But at the same time, the language is a little bland and doesn’t make her voice feel very distinctive.

 

It starts out with a nice description, but then it drops a bunch of worldbuilding terms in a row. They’re all pretty self-explanatory, so they don’t get in the way too much, but they don’t really add texture to the setting.

 

1: Nice to get character information through body language.

2: The stiff language gets across the discomfort of the interaction. But the corporate-speak seems to be part of her inner voice, which isn’t super compelling to read.

 

Some nice description that introduces the character efficiently.

Verdict: I’m not invested, but I’m open to reading more.