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.