The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui

Published Feb. 24, 2026 from Erewhon Books

I like the cadence of the descriptions.

 

1: Repeated word choice.

2: Stories about AI companions hit different these days, but this is a cute enough character-establishing anecdote.

 

1: Sounds like a pretty nice time.

2: Repeated word choice.

3: Interesting that he seems to have a fairly lax perspective on his religion.

 

1: This is the third straight paragraph of worldbuilding. It’s decently interesting, but some of this information could have been spread out and sprinkled within the narrative.

2: This line is a little hard to parse.

3: Glad it’s fitting in some character information among the worldbuilding.

 

A very similar description was used in the first paragraph. It's not a huge deal, but the lines could have been used to point out some other details of the room instead.

Verdict: Starts out shaky but I’m intrigued enough to continue.

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto

Published Feb. 17, 2026 from Harper Voyager

1: Repeated word choice. 

2: Repeated word choice.

3: I like this description.

1: I approve of the narrator’s judginess.

2: Weird to use “spindling” instead of “spindly,” especially since there’s two other -ing words in the phrase.

Not very thrilled by this worldbuilding. It drops a bunch of names in quick succession and doesn’t give any context for them.

1: I found this a little hard to follow.

2: I like this description of mentally hacking into biometrics data.

Verdict: Slightly rough, but has some fun concepts and narration.

The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride

Published Feb. 3, 2026 from Tor Books

Weird to start out with a description of something that isn’t happening.

 

1: Feels like it's trying a little too hard to be whimsical.

2: An awkward spot to break up the sentence.

 

This is information they both already know. It feels like an “As you know…” line to catch the reader up. Also, building a complicated circuit without testing it first seems like wild behavior.

 

1: Awkward phrasing.

2: I like this image.

 

1: Some cliche phrases that don’t convey much urgency.

2: A really obvious and stilted way to express fear.

Verdict: Cool ideas but awkwardly written.

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

Published Feb. 3, 2026 from Henry Holt and Co. 

1: A strong opening image. 

2: That’s a lot of crying.

1: This employer does not sound like a nice lady.

2: The image of the trash can being carried is a little vague. Could be more descriptive about its shape.

3: I don’t like the sentence fragment here, I feel like it’s being used more for convenience than effect.

1: Awkward phrasing.

2: Nice imagery.

1: Vague pronoun use, “it” could refer to the trash can or the ledge.

2: Could use more description of the seawall’s layout, I'm having trouble picturing it.

3: Weirdly phrased.

Verdict: Compelling premise but not for me.

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die by Greer Stothers

Available Feb. 3, 2026 from Titan Books

1: Not a very thrilling opening.

2: Not a very compelling observation.

1: Repeated word choice.

2: Sorry to say but this line is a bit of both.

1: Wouldn’t describe a crowd inside a room as endless.

2: Some awkwardly placed worldbuilding.

1: A weirdly intense reaction to the man setting his drink down.

2: These abstract descriptions don’t do much to establish character.

1: Awkward to have a fairly lengthy description in between the interrupted dialogue and the interruption.

2: Feels like a conversational non-sequitur.

Verdict: Comic fantasy is hard to do and this isn't doing it for me.

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Published Jan. 20, 2026 from Del Rey

1: Philosophy of names is a fun way to start.

2: A slightly confusing metaphor. It jumps from her name’s figurative weight to her name’s effect on her physical weight.

 

 

1: Wouldn’t expect her size to be notable in the neonatal intensive care unit.

2: I like how it spells out the chain of events for the lullaby being passed down.

3: The comparison is kind of convoluted. The lullaby is like milk that flows into the person hearing it?

4: The simile continues; the milk is also “carrying a wordless wish” that is heard by “every heart.” It’s starting to sound like Disney lyrics.

1: Some awkward pronoun usage; “its song” refers to the voice(’s song), and “keep it close” could refer to the voice or the song.

2: A nice character observation.

 

1: Another slightly awkward metaphor that mixes physical strength with strength of character.

2: Not immediately clear what “one” refers to.

Verdict: Goes for a unique style but doesn’t quite pull it off.