Synopsis

After a small coastal town is devastated by a hurricane, the survivors gravitate toward a long out-of-service payphone in hopes of talking out their grief and saying goodbye to loved ones, only for it to begin ringing on its own. As more townspeople answer the call, friends and family believed to have been lost to the storm begin searching for a way back home.

Quick Review

Stay on the Line is a deeply human novelette about the loss of a loved one, and a phone booth where it seems they can call the living back. It’s the kind of story you can’t help but finish in one sitting.

Full Review

Thanks to Shortwave Media for an audio ALC!

The way that author Clay McLeod Chapman makes you care so deeply for Jenny and her small family in such a short span of time should be applauded. It’s remarkable how in only a few pages, with few lines of dialogue, he makes us feel such grief surrounding the loss of her husband, and the overwhelming pressure that Jenny and her daughter feel in trying to carry on.

We’re left to linger in that grief for a long time before the supernatural elements of this novelette rear their head. There is something extremely tangible about the way this story is written with such relatable losses in the wake of Hurricane Aubrey. Even as a telephone booth begins to connect the survivors with the voices of those who died, everything remains focused on the human elements: love, loss, grief, and the strange relief at hearing the voice of somebody you loved and lost. 

Even as things escalate, there are no spectral figures around that phone booth. The voice of the dead is instead personified in the form of roots and ocean waves. Even in the supernatural, there is something extremely familiar about all of this.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novelette, which is about an hour long. The narration by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins, is absolutely brilliant, and plays with the theme of a phone line. At key moments, a voice might become fuzzy, as if it had a bad connection. I enjoyed the story, but their performances truly elevated it.

I highly recommend Stay on the Line. This novelette is the kind of story you burn through in one sitting.

What is Kraken’s Guide?

If you don’t already know about Delemhach (Emilie Nikota) and her work, The House Witch is a trilogy of cozy fantasy books that blend fantasy, romance, and mystery. Now, with Kraken’s Guide to the House Witch, we’re seeing these stories and the setting in a new light. 

New Cozy Fantasy Stories

Not only has Delemhach invited us into the world and described it in detail, including everything from character profiles to magic systems, but she’s also included three new original short stories all told from Kraken’s perspective. Perhaps most crucially, they’re all about the most important character in the series: Kraken.

• “Cold Crate to Castle Kitchens” answers readers’ questions about how Kraken found his witch, Fin Ashowan.
• “Pause Before Paws” showcases how Kraken rose to power in Austice.
• “Afterword” acts as a kind of epilogue, taking place after the events of The House Witch series.

Exclusive Art of Kraken, the Castle Grounds, & More!

In addition to all of these stories and details about the world, there are over 50 exclusive artworks made by artists Kate O’Hara, Jackson Tjota, Julianna Draga, Cole Field, Catrin Russell, and Karen Wittig. Because capturing the empurror’s likeness demands only the finest cat-human artists. It’s not just portraits, either. Kraken’s Guide also features art of key locations around the world and interactive maps as well.

Kraken’s Guide is perfect for fans of The House Witch. It’s your chance to explore life in Daxaria, meet its people, and explore the lands beyond, featuring all-new material from Kraken—er, Delemhach!

Available Only on Campfire

Kraken’s Guide to The House Witch is available now! Pick up a copy of this illustrated companion on Campfire’s website or reading app (iOS or Android).

Want to chat with Delemhach about the book? Delemhach is doing a Reddit AMA in r/CozyFantasy next Friday, the 23rd of May, at 7:00 pm EDT. Join us there!

Some of you may have heard the tales of The House Witch. You know. The ones with Finlay Ashowan. Well, I, his familiar and the true hero to all, have come with a few insights into the world, and tales of my own that are of the utmost importance for you to learn about! 

Things like how I rose to power as the almighty empurror. Or, with the special help of my connection to my witch, sharing with you exactly what the castle kitchens look like, or the city of Austice, and maybe just a detail or two about the people in the stories that you’d like to learn more about. 

After all, who better to tell you everything than the one who rules the universe with a firm paw?

Come, join me as we dive into a detailed look at the world and people of The House Witch, with exclusive short stories and artwork, narrated by yours truly.

Synopsis

Kye Verex is trapped.

Due to a fluke of genetics, the decisions of the galaxy’s elite, and a lack of finances, he’s stuck on his polluted and noxious home world indefinitely. And it’s slowly killing him.

Then his more fortunate sister returns one day, bringing the promise of salvation. Kelsey has always hoped to find the means to pull him out of his desperate cycle of survival, but it has taken years. Now, she has a plan, one that will cure his genetic condition and clear him for interstellar travel.

The catch?

He has to sign over his very existence – and a portion of his humanity – to Zylar Inc., the galaxy’s most prominent and notorious corporation, in exchange for the necessary treatment. Is his cure worth the cost?

Quick Review

A story of resilience and a rejection of some of the worst traits of humanity, Wraith and the Revolution is a surprisingly hopeful stand-alone novel, told with sincerity.

Full Review

Thanks to A.J. Calvin for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy of Wraith and the Revolution.

Calvin’s first foray into sci-fi is rife with brilliant ideas and fun characters, but it also contains some odd pacing. I enjoyed my time with this book—and it sticks the landing with a really satisfying epilogue—but I can’t help but shake that it could have been a tighter experience.

The story begins on Earth, which has become a desolate and irradiated waste. Kye’s sister has already escaped it, but his genetics prevent space travel. It’s a neat wrinkle, and the goal during this portion of the story is focused on getting Kye off-planet. His sister is eventually able to get him into a program with a massive corporation who can facilitate his escape. All he has to do is sign on the dotted line.

It takes a while, but this eventually brings us to a section where Kye is brought into the corporation, Zylar. We get to see him become accustomed to what lies outside of Earth and meet his new team. It’s a fun segment, but at times is a bit repetitive as Kye seems to struggle to understand all of the details of his agreement and his new life. Which, to be fair, is what I’d expect. However, we still haven’t hit the meat of the story yet. Calvin is still setting things up, and as a result this entire section becomes a kind of “training montage.”

We don’t hit the real story behind Wraith and the Revolution until over one third of the way through the book. To avoid spoilers, I’ll refrain from saying exactly what happens, but suffice it to say that the goals and stakes of this story take a dramatic turn toward the titular revolution.

I enjoyed each of these sections, but it’s clear that Calvin was rushing to reach that pivotal moment which leads into the revolution. I can understand why they didn’t want to let any of these important parts of Kye’s background go, but as a result I has some trouble getting invested in this first third of the book—even in some of the most important characters around Kye.

Things settle down at this point in the story. We’re still moving along quickly, but it’s no longer so jarring. It’s also in these latter two thirds of the book that a theme begins to emerge: having to both physically and emotionally rebuild oneself after different forms of trauma. Kye’s physical rebuilding comes after all of the damage caused to him on Earth, and his emotional rebuilding comes after he is taken prisoner later in the book. Calvin treats both kinds of trauma with the utmost sincerity, and uses the cyberpunk genre to talk about these things in an interesting way.

There are also themes of seeking out nature, and rejecting the way people are wont to urbanize or industrialize over it. This can come a little heavy-handed at times, but it too has a similar sincerity behind the message. It is also reinforced by the sci-fi genre, and a species of plant-based aliens that become increasingly present in Wraith and the Revolution, the Botanaari. They were a surprisingly delightful addition to this book—but to explain that would be to give away too much.

As we come to a close on Wraith and the Revolution, I am of two minds. On one hand, I didn’t love the final act’s antagonist. They are mentioned early in the book, but go away for so long that I completely forgot who they were. I’m not sure if they ever had a single line of dialogue? As a result, the final fight just felt a bit hollow, no matter how fun some of the action was. 

On the other hand, Calvin’s epilogue contains a long-promised moment, and wraps up the story in a really lovely ceremony. In contrast to the final fight that Kye endures, the epilogue feels incredibly important and ties together some of the book’s most common themes.

I recommend Wraith and the Revolution. There were times when I struggled with parts of it, but ultimately when I reflect upon the story at large I can’t help but think about what a fun adventure it was—not to mention all the little moments and decisions Calvin made to set this world and these characters apart. Kye’s resilience, the Botanaari’s culture, and some genuinely fun characters really elevated this book for me.

About A Stellar Spy

A futuristic, magic-fueled homage to the great classics of the spy genre: the cerebral musings of John le Carre with the excitement of The Americans.

Devoted mother and career woman.

A sleeper agent, poised to act.

Tessa lives a double life. She’s the security counselor to Finn, the leader of the planet.

He’s her ex-husband and father of her children.

She’s still in love with him.

But she has a far worse problem. Tessa is also a deep cover operative for an enemy planet, and turns out, her next mission is to betray him.

After overpowered mages target and attack the seat of government, Finn wants to remove their magic completely—a brutal action Tessa can’t support. So she does the only thing she can do: she contacts her handler.

But every action she takes increases the chance of discovery. If caught, she can’t protect the mages from retaliation or prevent future attacks against Finn and the children. And when her two roles collide, she must choose: fail her family, or forsake her ideals.

Maya Darjani is a writer and photographer from the heartland of America who writes genre-bending fiction about badass women, dual loyalty, and the false promise of patriotism.

After dazzling us with her other sci-fi titles Ancient as the Stars and The Star-Crossed Empire, Maya’s back with her new science fantasy thriller, A Stellar Spy! This is the start of a brand-new series as well, so it’s the prefect time to give Maya a place on your TBR.

A Stellar Spy releases on November 12th, 2025. Pre-Order your copy of A Stellar Spy on Amazon. You can also add it on Goodreads.

Synopsis

On the peak of the Mountain Pass, the Four-Front War takes its final breaths.

The walls are closing in.

The allies are dwindling.

The last front is on its knees.

The Rest to the Gods is a prequel novella in The Song of the Sleepers, an epic fantasy series by Australian fantasy author Joshua Walker.

Quick Review

The Rest to the Gods is a fascinating introduction to Joshua Walker’s epic fantasy series. This is a story about a period of political unrest, but also about Nischia’s journey to self acceptance—all in a stunning and original setting.

Full Review

Thanks to Joshua Walker for providing me with an advanced reader copy of The Rest to the Gods audiobook (which is available now!).

The Rest to the Gods is an epic fantasy crammed into a novella, and while I commend what the author has accomplished here, that is the root of many of my criticisms about this book. Simply put, I don’t think Walker gave himself enough time or space to accomplish everything that he attempts in this story.

That said, there is a lot to love here. The tale takes place across two timelines: the present-day tale of a daring suicide mission among unlikely companions, alternating alongside the story of how our protagonist Nischia became a sleeper—a kind of mage. Throughout, Nischia fights a battle against her foes as well as her own fears and doubts. There’s an uplifting story here, despite the betrayal, loss, and war that’s taking center stage. Nischia’s story is one of overcoming all this.

However, in my opinion, there simply wasn’t enough time in this 126 page novella to pack all of that into what is effectively two separate stories. Without spoiling too much, there are moments in the present-day parts which feel rushed—the ending in particular. As for the story about Nischia’s past training as a sleeper, there is a significant betrayal that she takes very personally, but I never got time to feel close to that character so I had a very difficult time relating to what Nischia was feeling in those moments. I feel that another thirty or forty pages or so added to each half of this story would have done them wonders.

That said, I came away impressed by Walker’s writing and the setting he’s building with this first entry to The Song of the Sleepers series. He attempts so much, and although it didn’t quite come together for me, the setting still drew me in and I was always excited to hear what was coming next in both sides of Nischia’s story.

The worldbuilding is particularly impressive. The setting feels deep and lived-in. Walker does this by discussing histories of this place and the people in a way that feels mostly organic. There’s a lot of in-world terminology like sleepers (mages) and nestlers (anthropomorphic peoples) and when paired with all the names of people and places it can become a lot. You really have to pay attention in those first couple chapters, especially if you’re listening on audio. I imagine this could be a problem for people who are less familiar with this kind of storytelling—I would not recommend The Rest to the Gods if you’re brand-new to epic fantasy.

However, for me, it was never quite overwhelming, and all these details help make the setting feel particularly unique. I suspect this is what many readers will enjoy most about the book. I can compare The Rest to the Gods’ story to other works, but comparing the setting to another one becomes difficult.

I recommend The Rest to the Gods, so long as you’re up to such a densely packed epic fantasy like this. I do wish the story had gotten a bit more time to breathe, but I ultimately enjoyed what Walker gave us, and Imogen Church’s performance in the audiobook was superb. At just 126 pages or 4:40 for the audio version, it’s also a quick read. The Rest to the Gods is the perfect way to find out if you’re up for more of Walker’s epic fantasy series The Song of the Sleepers.

Synopsis

A restaurateur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia.

The email message that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100 she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and some painful memories. Plus she’ll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity.

After some phone calls and one hurried visit, Billie and her husband and daughter are officially part of the “Juliana Initiative.” The town is everything promised, and between settling into her lavish home and starting a new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss misgivings.

Yet those misgivings grow. There’s something about Juliana, something off-kilter and menacing beneath its famous Southern hospitality. No matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, she’s starting to wonder how, and whether, they’ll ever leave.

Quick Review

Gothictown’s brand of small-town suspense / horror got its hooks in me and would not let go. It’s a carefully-crafted slow build, then a frantic race to the end.

Full Review

Thanks to Megan Beatie Communications for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Gothictown.

Gothictown is a curious book. On one hand, it’s entertaining, and I suspect it’ll hit a lot of the right notes for anyone craving some small-town horror and suspense. On the other hand, there’s a few details that I personally have some trouble getting behind.

Emily Carpenter is clearly a talented author. Every single character seemed to have their own unique voice. Gothictown has a big cast—we meet just about everyone living in the town of Julianna, plus Billie’s immediate family—so that’s a big accomplishment. It also helped me keep track of who was who in a story that, written by anyone else, could have certainly had issues with that.

The writing is always interesting as well, whether we’re with Billie at work, meeting the locals, or uncovering why the town feels so “off-kilter.” Carpenter balances the mundane parts of this story with the less mundane very well.

The majority of the book is grounded in Billie’s desire to get out of New York City and start up a new restaurant in Juliana. We’re shown glimpses of the conflict to come once they finally arrive at their new home, but it takes a long time for it to come to a head. In the mean-time the plot seems to meander. 

It all comes together in the end, but it does so hastily. I won’t go into spoilers, but I would have preferred a little more focus in the middle, and a little more time during the final act. I felt like I was getting whiplash as we went from the first two thirds, which felt like a suspense story, through all the motions of the finale: a blend of horror, action, and a strangely cozy ending (to be clear, this is not a cozy book). It’s all over in a blink.

Personally, I didn’t find Billie all that likable, either. I could sympathize with her, and see why she did things, but she was so consistently self-destructive. Several chapters revolve around her doing something stupid, then wrestling with herself over it, but rarely actually trying to resolve the issue or make amends.

All that said, I was invested in Gothictown. Yes, I was frustrated with Billie and the way the plot could meander, but I can’t deny that the book had its hooks in me. It was a fantastic change of pace from my usual fantasy and sci-fi books, and I absolutely loved how Carpenter wrote dialogue. There’s some really neat stuff with the town’s history and the residents as well, and the way those stories intertwine in the book.

I recommend Gothictown to anybody seeking a horror / suspense read. While not everything about it was a home-run for me, it’s still a fun, gripping story.

Synopsis

Among boiling volcanoes under Mira’s frozen lands, people like Ig are forced to undergo life-threatening trials that bind chemical elements to the human body. One of Mira’s most powerful elementals, Ig serves as an enforcer for Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, but is cursed with flesh binding magic that will kill him at the first sign of disobedience.

When Sorrelo is overthrown, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what has been asked of him so far. If he can’t escape the flesh binding in time, he will have to kill friend and foe alike to stop his master reclaiming the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.

Quick Review

The Adrianns have lost their seat of power, and their servant Ig is caught in the center of it all. The Flames of Mira is a wildly fun and often grim story set in one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve read.

Full Review

The Flames of Mira is a story about a political coup and succession crisis. At the same time, one of our main characters is a slave, and deals with themes of freedom and (during times when being set free seems distant) escape. We’ll break all that down in a moment, but first, I need to share how much I love the world this book is set in.

Ra Thuzan is perhaps one of my favorite fantasy settings in recent memory. It’s a frozen world where people shelter in the depths of the planet’s crust where geothermal heat and magma keep things habitable. The higher levels of society burrow deeper, where it is warmer. The upper crust is a space for the lower class and criminals.

Despite the fact that 99% of the story takes place underground there is still a great variety in scenes. Different cities feel unique from one another, there’s plenty of flora and fauna, and those rare trips to the surface feel like ascending into an icy alien world. My one issue with all of this is simply that I wish we got more of it. It takes some time for Harmon to assemble all the pieces and really communicate what Ra Thuzan is like—though I understand it is hard to balance describing such a unique world vs. telling the story you came to tell.

So, how is that story? The Flames of Mira primarily focuses on Ig, a servant to Magnate Sorrelo Adriann. Ig is cursed with a flesh binding that physically pains him—and could eventually kill him—if he disobeys an order from the person he’s bound to serve. After the Adrianns are ousted from the city, he helps them escape and work to regain their power. Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say that he plays a vital role in that. Ig is a skilled fighter, and his mastery over multiple elements, whereas elementals only have mastery over one or two, make him a force to be reckoned with. 

It’s a crude comparison, but I’ve heard it said that in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin that the Targaryens’ dragons are like nuclear weapons. Ig is the Adriann’s dragon.

As time goes on Ig clashes more against the Adrianns and we see a theme of rebellion rise up through him. I think Harmon pulls this off really well. However, there are some very dark scenes where Ig is forced to do something cruel or violent against his will. A few of these moments felt a bit excessive for my personal taste. However, they’re important scenes for his emotional journey, and anyone who regularly enjoys dark fantasy might find those parts to be their favorite.

At times we venture away from Ig’s perspective to see other members of the Adriann family, most of these scenes centered around Efadora, the youngest sibling. She doesn’t appear until Part II of the book, and spends many of her early chapters trying desperately to be more like her older sister, Sara. This changes over time as Efadora takes a more active role in helping her family return to power, and she grows to become her own person. 

I didn’t care for her chapters at first, but her growth was a really fun part of the book, and her perspective helped shine a light on places where Ig couldn’t be.I recommend The Flames of Mira. The story doesn’t feel particularly new, but it’s set in such a unique setting and told so well that I had a great time with it. The book ends with a pretty clear resolution to the coup storyline, but there’s also a door left open for the sequel, Into the Rift. I don’t think I’ll jump right into that, but it’s definitely getting added to my TBR.

Synopsis

Cybernetic addiction plagues the populace of Cyber City, a neon metropolis of grime and crime. The government promises a tech-free ‘Utopia’ for the Virgins, a small community rejecting body modification technology. But before the invitation goes public, the Virgins begin to disappear.

Xia, a lawbreaking freelancer with a haunting past, is the first to notice the strange vanishings. As she puts the pieces together, she reveals a sinister someone is kidnapping Virgins and using their bodies to escape to the promised Utopia. Teaming up with Mai, a Virgin prostitute, Xia’s mission shifts from simple protection as a means for money into an impossible helping the Virgins escape the city.

This mission puts them at odds against both the mysterious Virgin body snatchers and Cyber City’s government—two threats that could end in fates worse than death. As the unlikely duo embark on the impossible, they discover secrets more shocking than the plasma dome that traps the city within.

Quick Review

Neon Noir is a classic cyberpunk novel and a great starting point for anyone interested in the genre. It’s got all the hallmark body modifications and AI chips, but the story is really about solving a mystery, and Xia’s relationships.

Full Review

Neon Noir is a story about a rumor and a job. We hear the rumor over drinks at a bar. Then, people in the Virgin community—unmodified people in a city full of cybernetically enhanced citizens—start going missing. This is where the job begins. Xia begins selling devices that help to hide Virgins among the crowd. 

As these things tend to do, the rumors are worse than expected, and the job escalates in scale and risk.

In many ways, this book reads like a Mission Impossible or Mistborn story with a cyberpunk skin. In many ways, this makes Neon Noir one of the more accessible cyberpunk books that I’ve read. Even if you’re new to sci-fi or cyberpunk, you shouldn’t have any trouble picking up Neon Noir because at its core the book isn’t about any cutting-edge tech or AI overlord. There’s a bit of that, sure, but the author seems mostly concerned with the mission and the relationships Xia has with her allies.

Xia starts out a loner, confiding only in her bartender friend Dames at times, but even their relationship is a distant one. As things become more complicated, Xia begins to spend more time with Mai, a young woman who is emotionally Xia’s polar opposite, and a part of the Virgin community. Then, as the stakes escalate, Xia seeks help in a way that’s ultimately reminiscent of an Ocean’s Eleven team-building exercise. It takes a while to come together, and it takes some time for trust to build among all of her allies, but by the end of the story we’re treated to that final mission.

That middle part of Neon Noir was such a fun read. Voss gives the characters plenty of time to play off one another, build that trust they need, all the while slowly unraveling the mystery at the heart of the missing people. Some of my favorite scenes involve Xia talking with somebody over a drink, both of them trying to learn more about the other and piece together what’s really going on in the city.

The ending didn’t quite hold up as well, in my opinion, but only because I wanted more of it. The pacing in those final chapters felt a bit too fast for me, and I wish we got a little more time to see Xia and her crew work. Similarly, Xia’s relationship with the Dames resolves a bit abruptly here. Without getting too deeply into spoilers, I’ll just say that it also felt a bit rushed. 

There’s also a theme of Xia having trouble with any romantic feelings, which persists across the whole book. I’m not quite sure how to interpret that. Is Xia asexual, aromantic, or simply emotionally closed off? It feels like we get close to an answer a few times, especially as Xia’s relationship with Dames becomes strained, but ultimately nothing happens. Perhaps that’s something Voss is saving for later in the series.

I recommend Neon Noir. There’s a few scenes I wish were longer, and a few details I wish were more strongly realized, but mostly I had a ton of fun with this book. Voss wrote a fantastic debut, and does an amazing job of bringing readers in whether they’re fans of cyberpunk stories or brand-new to the genre. There’s some promising ideas here, from the city’s secrets to the little team that Xia has assembled. I’m excited to see how Voss carries them forward.

That said, I should take a moment to acknowledge the several formatting issues present in the paperback version of Neon Noir. While reading I frequently noticed punctuation in the wrong place, inconsistently style quotation marks, and issues that sometimes placed periods on their own line. None of this made the story worse, but it could at times be a bit distracting.

I spoke with Voss about this and it seems to be an issue mainly with the paperback version. So, if you’re bothered by small formatting errors like this, I’d recommend picking up the eBook. According to the author, that version didn’t encounter the same issues that led to these problems.

From award-winning scifi fantasy author Amber Toro comes an action-packed sequel of galactic proportions.

The tenuous alliances of the United Tribal Axis have fractured, breaking humanity into warring factions. Hinata finds himself fighting a losing war against an opponent that doesn’t play by the rules. While Freyja focuses all of her efforts on uncovering the origin of the signal that she is convinced is the key to revealing the source of the chaos ripping their society apart. Upon returning from an outer rim mission, Freyja realizes that Skyla hasn’t received a single communication they’ve sent in months and must convince Hinata to abandon his post to mount a rescue mission in search of the missing captain. But there are forces at play larger than any of them realize.

Now is the perfect time to pick up Umbra, book 1 in the series, on sale for $0.99, to celebrate the cover reveal for Parallax! If you want to read this action-packed sequel before everyone else, be sure to sign up for an advance reader copy (ARC) copy today. Sign ups are closing March 11th!

Sign up for an ARC of Parallax until March 11, 2025.

Follow author Amber Toro on Amazon or Goodreads.

Synopsis

BLADE RUNNER, TRUE DETECTIVE and DISTRICT 9 meld with the weird worlds of JEFF VANDERMEER and CHINA MIÉVILLE in Adrian M. Gibson’s fungalpunk noir debut.

TWO YEARS AFTER a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hoppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. Its Fungal citizens are in dire straits, wracked by food shortages, poverty and an influx of war refugees. Even worse, the corrupt occupiers exploit their power, pushing the native populace toward the brink of civil unrest.

As a winter storm looms over the metropolis, NKPD Homicide Detective Henrietta Hofmann begrudgingly partners up with mushroom-headed patrol officer Koji Nameko to investigate the mysterious murders and disappearances of Fungal and half-breed children. Their investigation drags them deep into the seedy underbelly of a war-torn city, one brimming with colonizers, criminal gangs, racial division and moral decay. 

In order to solve the case and unravel the truth, Hofmann must challenge her past and embrace Fungal ways. What she and Nameko uncover in the midst of this frigid  wasteland will chill them to the core, but will they make it through the storm alive?

Quick Review

Mushroom Blues has been racking up awards and praise—and for good reason. Gibson’s fungalpunk detective noir is a stunning read, elevated by Imogen Church’s performance in the audiobook.

Full Review

I hadn’t planned on writing a full review of Adrian M. Gibson’s Mushroom Blues. Anyone who frequents this blog has likely already heard about it, but having listened to the audiobook—which was released after the other reviews here—I feel I can probably add something to the conversation. Let’s begin there. 

The audiobook, narrated by Imogen Church, is phenomenal. Imogen throws everything into the performance, really showing off her vocal range and acting skills. Some of the narration comes alongside sound effects such as the crackle of a radio, or the echo of a megaphone. These moments are frequent enough to help immerse a listener, but not so frequent to be distracting. Each chapter is also introduced with a snippet of music, adding to the atmosphere of Neo Kinoko. 

Honestly, I worry that the Mushroom Blues audiobook may have spoiled other audiobooks for me—it’s just that good.

So, that’s what you can expect from the audiobook. But how’s the actual story? Mushroom Blues revolves around a brutal mystery. Fungals—the city’s native mushroom-people—are discovering their children washing up ashore, murdered. Detectives Hofmann and Nameko (the sole fungal on working with the police) are tasked with finding out who’s doing it and stopping them.

Beneath it all there is a story about colonial oppression, racism, and reckoning with one’s past. The most visible of these threads is the humans’ terrible treatment of the fungals. Unfortunately, at the start, our hero is no different. Henrietta Hofmann is not particularly likeable. As A.J. Calvin commented in her review, Hofmann is initially a part of the problem facing the fungals in this book. She is overtly racist, disgusted by them, and an all-around difficult person to be near—let alone be in her perspective throughout the whole story. 

At first, I thought this might be enough to make me put down the book, but I kept going and discovered the real journey Hofmann was on: one of growth and change. I can’t say more without spoiling major events of the story, but suffice it to say that if you’re struggling with Hofmann as I was, try to stick it out a bit longer. There’s an interesting discussion to be had about unlikable narrators, but looking back on Mushroom Blues I’m not sure the story would have paid off as well in the end without Hofmann’s initially off-putting attitudes. And it absolutely paid off.

I mentioned how the audiobook adds to the atmosphere of Neo Kinoko, but Gibson’s writing is already brilliant. He describes the city as a post-war wreck, slowly recovering both because of and in spite of the occupying humans’ efforts. As Andy Peloquin mentioned in his review, every part of the city blends modern architecture with fungi. The fungal language is inspired by Japanese, as is their culture, but it all still unique enough to be the fungals’. Their religion, traditions, and families feel steeped in generations of history. There are even similarities to cyberpunk stories, with a “fungal net” that acts like a kind of biological “cyberspace” for the fungal people. It’s a weird blend of ideas and genres, but it works.

I recommend Mushroom Blues. Gibson wrote an incredible debut, and Church absolutely nailed the audiobook version. If you enjoy crime thrillers, mysteries, and unique worlds, this one deserves a place in your library.