Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco 

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems… 

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Slavery
  • Hate crime
  • Self harm
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Body horror
  • Emesis
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a sister
  • Murder
  • Torture
  • Stalking

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco 

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practise of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Dead bodies & autopsies
  • Needles
  • Substance addiction
  • Drug abuse
  • Psychiatric hospital
  • Murder
  • Physical assault

The Book of Dragons edited by Jonathan Strahan

The Book of Dragons edited by Jonathan Strahan

with contributions from Garth Nix, Scott Lynch, R.F. Kuang, Ann Leckie, Rachel Swirsky, Daniel Abraham, Peter S. Beagle, Beth Cato, Zen Cho, C.S.E. Cooney, Aliette de Bodard, Kate Elliott, Theodora Goss, Ellen Klages, Ken Liu, Patricia A. McKillip, K.J. Parker, Kelly Robson, Michael Swanwick, Jo Walton, Elle Katharine White, Jane Yolen, Kelly Barnhill, Brooke Bolander, Sara Gailey, Neon Yang, and Rovina Cai

From China to Europe, Africa to North America, dragons have long captured our imagination in myth and legend. Whether they are rampaging beasts awaiting a brave hero to slay or benevolent sages who have much to teach humanity, dragons are intrinsically connected to stories of creation, adventure, and struggle beloved for generations.

Bringing together nearly thirty stories and poems from some of the greatest science fiction and fantasy writers working today, this extraordinary collection vividly breathes fire and life into one of our most captivating and feared magical creatures as never before and is sure to become a treasured keepsake for fans of fantasy, science fiction, and fairy tales.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Matriculation by Elle Katharine White– Blood depiction
– Grief & loss
Hikayati Sri Bujang by Zen ChoUnknown.
Yuli by Daniel Abraham– Fatmisia
– PTSD
– War themes
A Whisper of Blue by Ken LiuUnknown.
Where the River Turns to Concrete by Brooke BolanderUnknown.
Habitat by K.J. ParkerUnknown.
Pox by Ellen KlagesUnknown.
The Nine Curves by R.F. KuangUnknown.
Lucky’s Dragon by Kelly BarnhillUnknown.
The Exile by Neon YangUnknown.
Except on Saturdays by Peter S. BeagleUnknown.
La Vitesse by Kelly RobsonUnknown.
The Long Walk by Kate ElliottUnknown.
Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz by Garth NixUnknown.
Hoard by Seanan McGuire– Abuse
The Last Hunt by Aliette de BodardUnknown.
We Continue by Anne Leckie & Rachel SwirskyUnknown.
Small Bird’s Plea by Todd McCaffreyUnknown.
The Dragons by Theodora GossUnknown.
Dragon Slayer by Michael SwanwickUnknown.
We Don’t Talk About the Dragon by Sarah GaileyUnknown.
Camoflague by Patricia A. McKillipUnknown.
Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It by Scott LynchUnknown.

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch 

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

With what should have been the greatest heist of their career gone spectacularly sour, Locke and his trusted partner, Jean, have barely escaped with their lives. Or at least Jean has. But Locke is slowly succumbing to a deadly poison that no alchemist or physiker can cure. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmage offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him or finish him off once and for all. Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Rape
  • Suicide
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Female genital mutilation
  • Eye trauma
  • Torture

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Thief and con-man extraordinaire, Locke Lamora, and the ever lethal Jean Tannen have fled their home city and the wreckage of their lives. But they can’t run forever and when they stop they decide to head for the richest, and most difficult, target on the horizon. The city state of Tal Verarr. And the Sinspire. The Sinspire is the ultimate gambling house. No one has stolen so much as a single coin from it and lived. It’s the sort of challenge Locke simply can’t resist… but Locke’s perfect crime is going to have to wait.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Fatmisia
  • Suicide
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Torture

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch 

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he’s part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumour. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich – they’re the only ones worth stealing from – but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Fatmisia
  • Rape mentioned
  • Sex work
  • Suicide mentioned
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Terminal illness
  • Murder
  • Torture
  • Loss of autonomy (mind control)

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

How do you kill a god? As her father’s chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: To win back her honour, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year—or die trying.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Parental abandonment
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Emesis mentioned
  • Knife & axe violence

Angry God by LJ Shen

Angry God by L.J. Shen

Vaughn Spencer. They call him an angry god. To me, he is nothing but a heartless prince. His parents rule this town. All I own is a grudge against him for that time he almost killed me. Between breaking hearts, noses and rules, Vaughn also finds the time to bully little ole’ me. I fight back, never expecting him to chase me across the ocean after we graduate high school. But here he is, living with me in a dark, looming castle on the outskirts of London. A fellow intern. A prodigal sculptor. A bloody genius. They say this place is haunted, and it is. Carlisle Castle hides two of our most awful secrets. Vaughn thinks he can kill the ghosts of his past, but what he doesn’t know? It’s my heart he’s slaying.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Paedophilia
  • Sexual assault
  • Suicide & self-harm mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood depiction
  • Murder
  • Bullying

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik 

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.

El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Death of a parent recounted
  • Murder
  • Fire
  • Bullying

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Lovelace was once merely a ship’s artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in a new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who’s determined to help her learn and grow. Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Slavery
  • Child abuse
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood & injury depiction including body horror & amputation
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Death of a child
  • Kidnapping
  • Animal death & hunting