Polygon’s spring 2024 book preview

After a long and dreary winter, spring is yet upon us, and with the longer days and warmer weather comes a veritable bounty of fresh books to keep you busy while you dig out your sun chair and number down the days until the pool opens. Below you’ll find a list of 19 fresh titles that hit shelves during the months of April and May (and 1 that came out in March that’s not to be missed).

Among them are tales inspired by Thai and Chinese folklore, evil overlords who might not be so evil after all, the return of a favourite author to 1 of her beloved worlds, and respective vampires who will make you frightened of the dark again.

Take a look and let us know what you’re most anticipating reading this spring!

March 19

Part fairy tale, part horror novel, and part thrilling police procedural, Cynthia Pelayo’s fresh novel, Forgotten Sisters, tells the communicative of Jennie and Anna, 2 young women surviving in a bungalow located along the Chicago River. The home itself is unsettling in the way that most houses in horror novels are. The girls hear strange, unexplainable noises late at night and, from time to time, even disembodied voices. More alarming, however, is the number of drownings reported in the area, and the alien who has taken a abrupt and intense interest in Anna. Pelayo has crafted a modern Gothic ghost communicative that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Image: Graydon House

April 2

Set during the bloody Napoleonic wars, The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox tells the communicative of 2 sisters, Cornelia and Lijsbeth, who were separated at birth but yet find their way back to 1 another.

Cornelia is simply a talented naturalist with a love of plants and an innate gift that helps her bring even the most wounded soldiers back from the brink. Lijsbeth has lived a life of servitude, uncovering her only connection to nature in the flower arrangements she puts together for her employers. erstwhile they’re unexpectedly reunited, the sisters must put aside their differences and work together to find out what happened to their parent and father.

Image: Orbit

April 2

Fans of Ann Leckie, beloved author of the Imperial Radch series and recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke awards, will be thrilled to know she has a collection of her short fiction — including a brand-new novelette — hitting shelves this April.

Lake of Souls includes respective tales that take place within the Imperial Radch universe as well as stories about a lobster-like dog creature, gene hacking to aid people halt crying erstwhile they cut into onions (which, let’s get real, is kind of the dream), and the mysterious Lake of Souls from which the collection gets its title.

Image: Vintage

April 9

It’s fair to say Sidney Catchpenny, the troubled antihero at the heart of Charlie Huston’s fresh novel, has a gift most thieves would sale their soul for. Sid has the ability to travel to and from 1 location to another through mirrors. It’s a unusual ability, to say the least, and the loot he steals is even stranger. alternatively than typical heist fare like costly jewels, art, or money, Sidney takes everyday objects that gradually collect magical essence (known as mojo) over time. erstwhile an old friend comes calling, Sidney shortly finds himself in the mediate of a occupation that has apocalyptic stakes and, strangely, connections to his own past.

Image: Ballantine Books

April 9

Vampires are back in a large way this year. Not just sparkly, piano-playing vampires, either. We’re talking absolutely terrifying vampires like the 1 Danny Huston plays in 30 Days of Night, and C.J. Tudor’s novel, The Gathering, is just further proof of that.

Set in the tiny Alaskan town of Deadhart (a wink and a motion to its undead inhabitants), The Gathering begins erstwhile a young boy is found dead. His throat has been ripped out and his body drained of blood, an act of force reminiscent of a spate of killings that happened 25 years ago. The residents of Deadhart are affirmative the killer is 1 of the vampyrs surviving in an old mine outside of town, but Detective Barbara Atkins isn’t so sure. As the nights grow longer, and with the aid of Deadhart’s erstwhile sheriff, Barbara begins to look into the town’s bloody history, wondering all the while whether the monsters they have excluded are monsters at all, or if a different kind of killer is afoot.

Image: Minotaur Books

April 9

Don’t let its delicate, illustrated cover fool you. Like the (sometimes) condescending turn of phrase that it takes its title from, Lindy Ryan’s novel, Bless Your Heart, packs a punch. Or, in this case, a bite.

It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas, and the Evans women are something of experts erstwhile it comes to death. Ducey Evans, her daughter Lenore, and her granddaughter Grace own a ceremony home, and it falls to them to make certain that the dead that they tend to stay that way. They run a tight ship, but erstwhile the town’s biggest gossip refuses to stay dead and buried, it becomes rapidly clear the town has a vampire problem on its hands.

Image: Angry Robot

April 9

In a planet inspired by Thai folklore and Buddhist practices, Ex is the youngest associate of a group known as the Phi Hunters Order, who track down and kill demons and spirits across the kingdom they call home. Like many young heroes, Ex is determined to prove himself, and the best way to do so is to track down and kill the demon that has eluded any of the top Phi hunters, his masters included. erstwhile Arinya, a pregnant runaway, saves his life in the heat of battle, Ex finds himself indebted to her and agrees, despite his own quest, to accompany her through a peculiarly dangerous long of ghost-infested forest.

Image: Orbit

April 25

Lovers of epistolary novels, this one’s for you! Set in a gorgeous underwater world, A Letter to the Luminous Deep tells the communicative of a celebrated student by the name of Henerey Clel, and a solitary and mysterious female known only as E. The 2 strike up a relationship, platonic at first, though it rapidly becomes much more romantic, and they send letters back and distant after E makes an astounding discovery. But erstwhile a sea quake destroys her home, the 2 vanish. A year later, it falls to E’s sister Sophy and Henerey’s brother Vyerin to find out what happened to their siblings, with only the letters that they left behind and their field notes to guide them.

Image: 404ink

April 25

As mentioned earlier, gone are the days of vampires that sparkle erstwhile they stand in the sun. Everyone’s favourite bloodsucking monsters are one more time something to be feared and, from time to time, to feel sympathy for as they conflict with their own mortality (or deficiency thereof).

In Fragile Animals, an ex-Catholic female by the name of Noelle travels to the tranquil island of Bute, located off the coast of Scotland. It’s there she meets a man who claims to be a vampire, and begins to build a relation with him based on the act of confession. But as their connection grows, Noelle finds herself haunted by her past and, in particular, her intensely spiritual upbringing. Fragile Animals is simply a quiet and introspective vampire fresh that’s perfect for fans of books like Woman, Eating and Thirst.

Image: 2 Lines Press

Woodworm by Layla Martínez (translated by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott)

May 2

If you’re in the temper to read a communicative about a haunted home that will make your skin crawl, then I cannot urge Woodworm by Layla Martínez enough. This book has everything, from witches to saints to angels that look like praying mantises to any of the most unsettling portrayals of ghosts that I’ve come across in a long time. Trust me erstwhile I say that you’ll never look at the space between the end of your bed and the level the same way again.

Set in a distant village on the outskirts of Madrid, Woodworm is, above all else, a communicative about revenge. Written in alternating parts, it tells the communicative of a young female who has been accused of a horrible crime and her grandmother, who has her own fair share of secrets. The home they live in is undeniably haunted, and as the tension between these women reaches a boiling point and the fact begins to uncover itself, the spirits of the dead grow more restless.

Image: Avid Reader Press

May 7

It feels like a beautiful safe bet to say Polygon’s list of anticipated spring titles isn’t the only 1 where you’re going to see Kaliane Bradley’s debut novel, The Ministry of Time.

Set in a not-too-distant future, The Ministry of Time tells the communicative of a civilian servant who is offered quite a few money as a associate of a government ministry attempting to establish whether time travel is possible by collecting and studying people from across history. The individual she is tasked with observing (and surviving with in order to do so) is simply a man by the name of Graham Gore, a commander on Sir John Franklin’s disastrous expedition to the Arctic. While he struggles at first with modern amenities — and the thought of surviving with an unmarried female — Graham adapts to the 21st century, and as they spend more time together, the 2 improbable companions begin to fall in love.

This is simply a lightning strike of a communicative that will appeal to fans of time travel, spy novels, romance, and bittersweet, satirical office drama alike. The consequence is part Kate and Leopold and part Tomorrow and next day and Tomorrow.

Image: Quirk Books

The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller

May 7

With a title that’s a clever riff on the beloved lesbian drama series The L Word, Lindsay King-Miller’s debut promises to be the queer zombie apocalypse fresh everyone will be talking about this spring.

What’s worse than uncovering out your ex has been hooking up with members of your immediate friend group behind your back? The dead coming back to life is definitely up there. For Wendy, a zombie outbreak is just icing on the cake that is her complicated, messy life, and the number of infected is increasing at an alarming rate. Determined to stay alive, Wendy finds herself teaming up with a wonderful cast of queer characters — including her ex — to effort and last the end of the world, no substance what it takes.

Image: Poisoned Pen Press

May 14

If you’re in the temper to read an atmospheric, sapphic execution mystery with a supernatural twist, My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen is the book for you.

Roos Beckman’s best friend is dead, but far from gone. Ruth, her unusual and skeletal companion, has kept Roos company for her full life and, as far as she’s concerned, is the only good thing that’s happened to her. Things take a turn erstwhile Agnes Koop, a wealthy young widow, invites Roos to live with her at the property she has inherited from her husband. The attraction between Agnes and Roos is undeniable, but erstwhile Roos is accused of a execution she claims was the work of a restless spirit, she has no choice but to effort and prove her own sanity in order to save herself and those she cares for most.

Image: Gillian Flynn Books

May 21

If its incredible title and violently pink cover aren’t adequate to get you to choice up Kittentits of your own volition erstwhile it hits shelves in May, then it’s my hope that seeing it on this list will be the extra incentive you need.

The year is 1992 and Molly, a quick-witted, foul-mouthed 10-year-old who can see ghosts (yes, really), is sick and tired of her surviving situation at the Semi-Cooperative surviving Community of Peace Faith(s) in Action. All of that changes the day Jeanie, a 23-year-old ex-con, moves into the building. Molly, understandably, thinks Jeanie and her dirt bike are cool as hell. erstwhile her fresh idol fakes her own death, Molly sets out on her own across the city of Chicago to find her.

Image: Erewhon Books

May 21

In his second novel, Victor Manibo transports readers to Space Habitat Altaire, a luxury hotel that orbits Earth. Think of it like a futuristic super cruise ship or the front of the train in Snowpiercer. It’s top of the line in all way possible, which makes it the perfect fit for the Rochford Institute’s 25th reunion. Far below, Earth itself is dying, and the people who are unlucky adequate to inactive call the planet home are, rightly, angry about it. So, while Rochford’s best and brightest reunite, they neglect to see the encroaching dangers on the Altaire.

Image: Gallery/Scout Press

Swiped by L.M. Chilton

May 21

Anyone who has always attempted online dating knows it can be a complicated affair and endlessly frustrating. Add a serial killer with a vendetta against you to the mix, and it’s a full another ballgame.

In Swiped by L.M. Chilton, Gwen Turner’s life is on the rocks. late single, out of a job, and dealing with her best friend’s impending marriage, she turns to dating apps to effort and find a perfect match. What she finds alternatively is disaster after disaster as each date goes horribly awry. erstwhile reports of a serial killer in the coastal city where she lives reaches Gwen, she realizes the only thing the victims seem to have in common is that they’ve been on dates with her. shortly Gwen finds herself on a race against time to clear her name and find out who the real killer is before she’s accused of a crime she didn’t commit.

Image: Orbit

May 21

It’s hard not to get excited about a book billed as “Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy,” so Django Wexler’s rollicking time-travel comedy is 1 to keep an eye on.

Davi is sick and tired of protecting the planet from the Dark Lord. She’s done it time and time again, over and over, stuck in an endless loop that always results in her defeat and, ultimately, her death, no substance how hard she tries. This time around, she’s determined to make it out alive, even if that means becoming a dark lord herself in the process.

Image: Titan Books

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

May 28

Don’t let its title fool you. Caitlin Rozakis’ novel, Dreadful, is an absolute delight, perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree.

After waking up amid the ruins of an evil wizard’s workshop without any memories — or eyebrows — Gav is mortified to learn he and the Dread Lord Whomever are 1 and the same. But what at first feels like a curse — Gav can’t figure out why he decided to lock a princess in a cell in his tower and now has a goblin valet to contend with — might be a blessing in disguise as he gets the chance at a fresh start. Will he choice up where the Dread Lord Gavrax left off or leave his evil past behind and start anew?

Image: Penguin Books

May 28

In her collection of short stories, Ninetails, Sally Wen Mao reimagines the fox spirit frequently depicted throughout Chinese folklore through 9 vibrant, feminist tales.

Often depicted as a supernatural seductress and trickster, here readers will find the fox spirits present take many forms, like sex dolls that self-actualize and find fresh purpose, shape-shifting women, and many others. They avenge those who have been wrongly hurt and haunt the islands they erstwhile called home. Mao’s own poetic roots are on full display in these vibrant fairy tales that feel at erstwhile like they have existed for hundreds of years and are freshly imagined.

Image: Tenebrous Press

May 30

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I’m a immense sucker for any work of historical fiction that puts a bunch of guys on a boat together. The weirder, the better. From the Belly, Emmett Nahil’s debut horror novel, promises to be all that and more, making it 1 of my most anticipated books of this spring.

When a whaling vessel called — somewhat ironically given their bloody work — the Merciful catches a whale that has a surviving man in its tummy lining, it falls to Isaiah pursuit to keep him alive. alien inactive are the series of violent misfortunes that befall the remainder of the crew and the profoundly unsettling — and seemingly divinatory — dreams that Isaiah begins to experience. As paranoia and greed overtake the crew, Isaiah becomes torn between the fact of what has come to transpire and their increasing attachment to the man they saved.