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Tor’s Most Notorious Villains

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and you can take that from one of the greatest villains of all time, Khan from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. With the paperback release of Starter Villain by John Scalzi officially out now, we’re diving back into the chilling world of villains—perfect for the crisp, cool vibes of fall. So, grab your copy and get ready to root for some ice-cold baddies. 😎

Here’s a rundown of some of Tor’s most notorious villains.


starter villain by john scalziCharlie from Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Okay we’re warming things up a little for this one. Charlie isn’t really ice-cold, but he’s a good villain to start with, if you’re more looking to dip toes in the waters of villainy. That’s really what Charlie’s doing, in a lot of ways. He’s new to the gig, the inheritor of an evil organization, weapons, and a cadre of spy cats from his long-lost uncle. This is a cozy story for when you need to steal a little warmth back from an ice-cold world. Cozy villainy. Out now in paperback! 


Vicious by V.E. SchwabEli & Victor from Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Roommate squabbles are often a sad fact of life. Sometimes dishes pile up and noise happens at unfortunate times and you have to work that stuff out for the communal good of your homespace. Or, you could read Vicious, which has the worst ever case of and they were roommates… Eli and Victor go from arrogant and ambitious college roommates working together to arrogant and ambitious and superpowered ex-roommates now enemy villains.*

Eli would contend that he is not a villain, and in fact saving the world by doing all that murder. And Victor is trying to stop him, but is more of an antihero, in this case, technically


Placeholder of  -42Kreon from Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth

Oh, this villain is a classic. Literally. Arch-Conspirator is Veronica Roth’s science fiction retelling of Sophocles’s famous tragedy Antigone. Diligent scholars may note that the spelling “Kreon” is a little different from the original “Creon,” but Antigone goes by Tig in this story too, because it’s the future. Other things have changed too—in Roth’s dystopian world, only those birthed through a eugenic process are considered rightly souled. Tig and her sisters, being born outside of the process, are unnatural, and Kreon doesn’t like that, or women. The rest of the story is pretty deadly, but far be it from us to spoil it, if somehow you’ve managed to avoid learning the deets of a famous story that’s been around for 2464 years. 


The Atlas Six by Olivie BlakeEverybody from The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Not only does the rigorous process of higher education often feel like a system designed by a particularly sadistic villain, but sometimes the best way to survive a mad situation is to go a little mad. Enter, the entire cast of The Atlas Six, basically. They’re grad students with a lot of magical powers and even more issues and attractions to work out amongst themselves. And while they work on their research, they also must contend with the mandatory institutional tradition of sacrificing one member of each cohort. Sometimes grad school is murder. 


Place holder  of - 55Cairdine Farrier from The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

So Cairdine Farrier. This villain wears a lot of hats, including: merchant, explorer, agent, father figure (?!), and patron. He’s part of the Masquerade—the empire that took over Baru’s home and killed her parents. Manipulative and highly savvy, it’s difficult for others to parse his full motives and hidden thoughts. A truly dangerous villain, by which we mean: The kind who knows how to ingratiate. 

shivers

 

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Literary Trick-or-Treat: 13 Book & Candy Pairings

If Halloween’s about one thing, it’s the delicious candy. But! If Halloween’s about two things, it’s the delicious candy and good books (We’re Tor. We’re nerds).

Check out these pairings of sweet treats and matching reads!


1The Fragile Threads of Power & Sour Patch Kids Watermelon

The tag for Sour Patch Kids might be Sour, Sweet, Gone—but not V. E. Schwab! They are BACK, returning to the expansive world(s) they created in the Shades of Magic Trilogy. The Fragile Threads of Power features both new characters and old, which is why we’ve paired it with Sour Patch Kids Watermelon. It’s everything you love and a little more. A little different. Familiar, yet new. Out now in paperback!


traitor of redwinter by ed mcdonald in front of an ad for zombie skittles, reading BEWARE OF ROTTEN ZOMBIE SKITTLESTraitor of Redwinter & Zombie Skittles 

For very brief spans in 2019 and 2020, Skittles ran a special limited-time Halloween campaign, delivering unto us Zombie Skittles. They’re just like regular Skittles, but a few—visually indecipherable from their more delicious brethren—were zombies, and tasted awful. Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald is way cooler than Zombie Skittles because it brings all the scary candy’s suspense without tasting abominable (probably just tastes neutrally of paper, if you tried to snack on it). Out in paperback on 10/15!


2Bookshops & Bonedust & Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup  

The much-loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup owes its storied position in candy history to its artful fusion of two flavors: Chocolate. Peanut butter. We honor Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree by pairing it with the peanut butter cup, because it too is a smooth blend of distinct flavors. Viv is a mercenary, but a warrior stuck in recovery in a tiny beach town. But adventures seldom play out as you expect. This sleepy town and its cozy bookshop are full of peanut butter, or they are peanut butter and adventure is the chocolate. This metaphor makes sense. We will not be taking any questions. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!


devil's gun by cat rambo next to a suspicious bad of 'Disco's' candy Devil’s Gun & Disco’s

Cat Rambo’s Disco Space Opera series (and playlist! Check out their playlist!) began with You Sexy Thing and continued with Devil’s Gun, named respectively after the rock time tunes “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate and “Devil’s Gun” by C.J. & Co. Fittingly, we have elected to pair this sci-fi adventure with Disco’s, a candy we’ve never heard of before and seems to be available primarily in the United Kingdom? But whatever. C’est la vie. We did it for the name. Out now in paperback! 


3The Doors of Midnight & Giant Gummy Shark 

For R.R. Virdi’s hugely epic The Doors of Midnight, we’re hauling in the world’s largest gummy shark. Like this massive gummified carnivore confection, The Doors of Midnight will sustain you for a while. One will feed your body, and one will nourish the soul.  


Starter villain by john scalzi in front of a rainbow array of sour patch kidsStarter Villain & Sour Patch Kids (Original)

Starter Villain by John Scalzi is the story of a hapless guy who inherits his uncle’s supervillain business, including among other assets, an array of espionage-ready cats. We pair it with the original Sour Patch Kids, harkening back to that aforementioned tag, Sour, Sweet, Gone. This is a book of cozy opposites—namely surprisingly cool supervillains. Out now in paperback!


exadelic by jon evans in front of a rainbow array of monster energy drinks in different flavorsExadelic & Monster Energy 

Far from a traditional Halloween trick-or-treat staple, these energy drinks nevertheless taste like candy, and pair perfectly with Jon Evans Exadelic, which is a book about occult magic and computer code. A trusty goto beverage for exhausted software engineers everywhere, this sweet, sugary drink counts as candy for the purposes of this article, and is the perfect fuel to keep you awake late into the night as you read Exadelic


sandymancer by david edison in front of some red hot candiesSandymancer & Red Hots 

David Edison’s Sandymancer is a classic fantasy adventure of mad god-kings, regular people with extraordinary powers, and lots of hot climates. The final note is what inspires us to dedicate a spot on this feature to Red Hots. Can you feel the heat? Hopefully you can’t taste the sand. Hopefully you have escaped the ire of mad gods. Out now in paperback! 


7A Sorceress Comes to Call & Witch’s Brew KitKats

T. Kingfisher’s A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm’s “The Goose Girl,” rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. If you’re going to snack on anything while reading this book, it HAS to be the Witch’s Brew KitKat bars. Fitting, isn’t it?


6Blood of the Old Kings & Orange Starbursts  

From award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim & translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur, Blood of the Old Kings begins an epic journey unlike any other. Think fires, volcanoes, sun…and other slightly orange things! Which is why we’ve paired it with Orange Starbursts — yes, just the orange ones. Step into a world of necromancy, murder, and twisted magic. A world in need of a hero. Out on 10/08!


4Starling House & Blackberry Cobbler Candy Corn

Ah, Starling House. The vibes? A cursed town, a haunted house, very vivid, very eerie. You know what’s more eerie? Blackberry Cobbler Candy Corn. Out in paperback on 10/01!


5Usurpation & Black Licorice  

After her rollicking standalone Dual Memory, Sue Burke returns to her Semiosis series and the world of Pax in Usurpation. Think human rebellions, robot uprisings, and global pandemics. Chaotic, right? We’ve paired Black Licorice with this one, purely out of vibes. Out on 10/29!


8Wind and Truth & Blow Pops

Wind and Truth….wind….blow….blow pops? We’ve paired Blow Pops with Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson. The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive will blow (get it?) you away!  Out on 12/06!

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Announcing Tor Books Programming at New York Comic-Con 2024!

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We’re thrilled to join you all at New York Comic Con 2024! Check out all the awesome panels and booth events we’ve got slated for this epic weekend!

Please note that giveaways and drops do not indicate author attendance at New York Comic Con. For attending authors, please check out panels and signing events. 


Thursday — October 17

Panel – Coffee, Croissants, and Catching Feelings: An NYCC Brunch with Your Favorite Romantasy Authors

River Pavilion
11:00am-1:30pm

We welcome you to Coffee, Croissants, and Catching Feelings: An NYCC Brunch with Your Favorite Romantasy Authors, with our very special guests Carissa Broadbent, Danielle L. Jensen, Elise Kova, and Brigid Kemmerer. Attendees will enjoy a continental breakfast while the authors dish about their novels, share their favorite tropes, and tease upcoming projects. Authors will then personally visit each table to greet attendees and take selfies. Each ticket includes pre-signed copies of Carissa Broadbent’s Six Scorched Roses, the reissued edition of Danielle L. Jensen’s The Bridge Kingdom, and the limited edition of Brigid Kemmerer’s Forging Silver into Stars with lavender sprayed edges. Attendees will also receive a specially designed, signed art print tied to The Bridge Kingdom series and be the first to learn exclusive news about Elise Kova’s new novel, Arcana Academy.

Buy Tickets to this Event:
https://www.showclix.com/event/nycc-author-brunch-2024fowc972f4a1

Authors: Carissa Broadbent, Danielle L. Jensen, Elise Kova, Brigid Kemmerer

Panel – Audible Presents: The Sounds of Storytelling! How Science Fiction and Fantasy’s Greatest Writers and Narrators Take Listeners on the Ride of Their Lives

Room 409
5:00-6:00pm

It looks good on the page, but how does it SOUND? Join some of the world’s best science fiction and fantasy authors and performers as they shed light on the unique and creative ways that words come alive through Audible performances. What makes an incredible audiobook? How does writing specifically for audio affect the creative process? How can narration and sound design transform a great story into a mind-blowing audio experience? What amazing feats can writers achieve in audio that aren’t possible in other mediums? Do authors make words deliberately difficult to pronounce to make things harder for their narrators? Emily Andras (Wynonna Earp), Mary Robinette Kowal (The Lady Astronaut series), Ray Porter (the Bobiverse series, Project Hail Mary), R.A. Salvatore (The Legends of Drizzt), John Scalzi (Starter Villain, Constituent Service), and Dennis E. Taylor (The Bobiverse series) join forces to reveal all. There’s more to imagine when you listen.

Authors: John Scalzi, Mary Robinette Kowal

Panel – Authors Reading Bad Reviews

1B02
6:30pm-7:20pm

An author pours their heart and soul into a work of fiction over the course of years only to encounter a one-word review on social media: “Meh.” Hear these authors read some of their most vexing negative reviews aloud in a fun and light-hearted session showing how important it is for creators to develop an impenetrable suit of armor.

Authors: Libba Bray, Gregory McGuire, Kyle Prue, John Scalzi, Alex Segura

In-Booth Signing: Nat Cassidy

Booth 3335
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

In-Booth Signing: Ananda Lima

Booth 3335
12:00 – 3:00 PM


Friday — October 18

Panel – Spotlight on V.E. Schwab

Room 406.1
11:00am-12:00pm

NYCC is thrilled to welcome critically acclaimed and bestselling author V.E. Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Fragile Threads of Power) to New York City for an intimate conversation about the creative process and the life of a writer.

Authors: V.E. Schwab

Panel – Across the Universes with Tor

Room 1B02
6:30pm-7:30pm

Tor Publishing Group publishes some of the greatest sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and horror books around. This panel will shine a spotlight on some of the exciting upcoming titles that Tor, Tor Teen, Tordotcom Publishing, Nightfire, and our newest imprint, Bramble, have to offer. Join the book lovers from the Tor teams as they share a sneak peek at new and upcoming books that you will definitely have to add to your TBR list. Attendees will be given free new and upcoming books as they leave.

Featuring: Tor Staff

In-Booth Signing: John Scalzi

Booth 3335
1:00 – 2:00 PM

In-Booth Signing: Carissa Broadbent

Booth 3335
4:00 – 5:00 PM


Saturday — October 19

Panel – In Conversation: Olivie Blake and TJ Klune

Room 408
12:00pm-1:00pm

Join bestselling and critically acclaimed fantasy authors as they discuss their careers, their approach to writing, and their new books.

Authors: Olivie Blake and TJ Klune

Panel – Books to Keep You Up at Night: A Horror Panel

Room 1C03
3:15pm-4:05pm

Nightfire brings together some of the most talented and twisted horror writers today. Come and hear how Sunny Moraine (Your Shadow Half Remains), Chuck Tingle (Bury Your Gays), Johnny Compton ( Devils Kill Devils), Brom (Evil in Me), and C.J. Leede (American Rapture) are going to keep you on the edge of your seat with their bone-chilling books that mix body horror, psychological terror, thrills and twists, and take the reader through the depths of the darkest shadows of society. Moderated by Delilah Dawson (It Will Only Hurt for a Moment).

Authors: Brom, Johnny Compton, CJ Leede, Sunny Moraine, Chuck Tingle, Delilah Dawson (moderator)

In-Booth Signing: Mary Robinette Kowal

Booth 3335
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

In-Booth Signing: Alex Segura

Booth 3335
2:00 – 3:00 PM


Sunday — October 20

Panel – Build a World with Fantasy Authors

Room 1B02
11:00am-12:00pm

Bestselling and critically acclaimed fantasy authors will lead the audience through a collaborative process of imagining and building a new world.

Authors: Hugh Howey, Tochi Onyebuchi, Seanan McGuire, Amal El-Mohtar, K.A. Linde, Sarah Beth Durst (Moderator)

Panel – Tor and LitHub Present Voyage Into Genre Live

Room 406.2
3:15pm-4:05pm

Rules were meant to be broken, and genres were meant to be mashed—or however the saying goes. Leave your ideas of conventional genre at the door and join Tor and LitHub’s Voyage into Genre Podcast host Drew Broussard as he sits down with genre legends TJ Klune, Chuck Tingle, R.R. Virdi, Sara Raasch and Olivie Blake as to talk fantasy, romance, horror, and everything in between.

Authors: Olivie Blake, TJ Klune, R.R. Virdi, Sara Raasch, Chuck Tingle, Drew Broussard (moderator)

In-Booth Signing: Sunny Moraine

Booth 3335
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

In-Booth Signing: TJ Klune

Booth 3335
1:00 – 2:00 PM

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Quiz Time! Which Scalzi Should You Read Next?

By Julia Bergen

From books to burritos, author John Scalzi is an expert at delivering ingenuity, excitement, and unexpected plot twists (and ingredients).

With so much Scalzi, it’s hard to know where to start. Fret not, to celebrate the paperback release of Starter Villain, we at Tor Books have put together a helpful quiz to point you toward the Scalzi you should read next!

Check it out!



Pre-order the paperback edition of Starter Villain Here:

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Which TJ Klune Book Should You Read Next?

Look, if TJ Klune is gonna write about two things, they’re gonna be startlingly human non-humans and gay love.

To celebrate the release of the new edition of The House in the Cerulean Sea and it’s incredibly anticipated sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, we’re bringing back this little quiz that will help you figure out which TJ Klune novel you should read next!



And while you’ve got books on the brain, Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune is available now. It rocks. Check it out!

Order Somewhere Beyond the Sea

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Reading Roundup: Tor Books to Read this Autumn

Looking for books that pair perfectly with cozy nights this autumn? From epic fantasy sagas to spine-tingling mysteries, this list is packed with fall reads that are as satisfying as wrapping yourself in a chunky knit sweater. Scroll down to discover some books that should definitely be on your autumn radar!


9781250357243The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

Image Placeholder of - 22Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there. Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. And he is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children. But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve. And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart. Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

9781250852496After the Forest by Kell Woods

Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, hidden away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat. But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion. And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.

GREEN CREEK SERIESThe Green Creek Series by TJ Klune

TJ Klune’s The Green Creek Series is a completed fantasy romance saga that explores love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. Following the Bennett family, a close-knit pack of werewolves, the series captures the emotional highs and lows of their supernatural world. As they face challenges that test their bonds, Klune’s masterful storytelling shines, delivering a heartfelt and captivating journey that has earned its place as a fan favorite.

A Sorceress Comes to CallA Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers. When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother’s next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother’s plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

9781250907981The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry

When the words went away, the world changed. All meaning was lost, and every border fell. Monsters slipped from dreams to haunt the waking while ghosts wandered the land in futile reveries. Only with the rise of the committees of the named—Maps, Ghosts, Dreams, and Names—could the people stand against the terrors of the nameless wilds. They built borders around their world and within their minds, shackled ghosts and hunted monsters, and went to war against the unknown. For one unnamed courier of the Names Committee, the task of delivering new words preserves her place in a world that fears her. But after a series of monstrous attacks on the named, she is forced to flee her committee and seek her long-lost sister. Accompanied by a patchwork ghost, a fretful monster, and a nameless animal who prowls the shadows, her search for the truth of her past opens the door to a revolutionary future—for the words she carries will reshape the world. Out on 9/24!

9781250799067Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund—she can’t resist. But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around. And now she’ll have to fight. Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare. Out on 10/01! 

9781250342782Legends & Lattes by  Travis Baldree

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!

9781250342751Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!

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Fall 2024 Reading Quiz!!!

Fall is here, and it’s time for some cozy reads! Just answer a few fun questions, and we’ll match you with the ideal book to lose yourself in this season. Happy reading!

(accept cookies in the popup to view the quiz!)


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Daylist, But Make it Pumpkin Spice

We weren’t planning on sharing another daylist post… but then the Tor team got so many pumpkin spice playlists that we knew we HAD to. Consider this our pumpkin-spiced gift to you. Please enjoy ☕✨


Anti-Depression Pumpkin Spice Night

 

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9781250342782 Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!

 

Place holder  of - 72Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek. Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and secondhand books. Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!


Journaling Pumpkin Spice Tuesday Morning

 

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9781250292971Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima

At a Halloween party in 1999, a writer slept with the devil. She sees him again and again throughout her life and she writes stories for him about things that are both impossible and true.

Lima lures readers into surreal pockets of the United States and Brazil where they’ll find bite-size Americans in vending machines and the ghosts of people who are not dead. Once there, she speaks to modern Brazilian-American immigrant experiences–of ambition, fear, longing, and belonging—and reveals the porousness of storytelling and of the places we call home. With humor, an exquisite imagination, and a voice praised as “singular and wise and fresh” (Cathy Park Hong), Lima joins the literary lineage of Bulgakov and Lispector and the company of writers today like Ted Chiang, Carmen Maria Machado, and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.


Rage Pumpkin Spice Wednesday Evening

 

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9781250799067Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she’s determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway. Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund—she can’t resist. But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around. And now she’ll have to fight. Out in paperback on 10/01!

9781250244079A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers. When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother’s next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother’s plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family. *The hardcover edition features a foil stamp on the casing and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.*


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9781250357243The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

somewhere beyond the seaSomewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there. Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. And he is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve. And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.


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9781250884879 Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

There is a game that the immortals play.

There is only one rule: Don’t lose.

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the mansion has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on. Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though he is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death. When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with the ghost infestation, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few mindfulness-practicing creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover that the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.

9781250877314 Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice treating lycanthrope bites, bargaining with kikimoras, and slaying bloodsucking upirs. There’s only one monster she can’t defeat: her ex, the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed by someone close to her, Kosara’s only choice is to trade her shadow—the source of her powers—for a quick escape. Unfortunately, Kosara soon develops the deadly sickness that plagues shadowless witches—and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To find it, she’s forced to team up with a suspiciously honorable detective. Even worse, all the clues point in a single direction: To get her shadow back, Kosara will have to face the Foul Days’ biggest threats without it. And she’s only got twelve days. But in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the biggest monster from her past?


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9780765387509The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

Once there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power and connected by a single city: London.

After a desperate attempt to prevent corruption and ruin in the four Londons, there are only three:
● Grey London, thriving but barely able to remember its magical heritage
● Red London, ruled lately by the Maresh family, flourishing and powerful
● White London, left to brutality and decay

Now the worlds are going to collide anew—brought to a dangerous precipice by the discoveries of three remarkable magicians. There’s Kosika, the child queen of White London, who has nourished her city on blood and dreams—and whose growing devotion to both is leading her down a dangerous path.

Then there’s Delilah Bard, born a thief in Grey London, who crossed the worlds to become a legend far from there. She’s an infamous magician, a devious heroine, and a risk-taking rogue, all rolled into one unforgettable package. Having disappeared to seek new adventure, an old favor now calls Lila back to a dangerous port, to join some old friends who need more help than they realize. Last there is Tes, a young runaway with an unusual and powerful ability, hiding out in Red London while trying to stay out of the limelight. Tes is the only one who can keep all the worlds from unraveling—if she manages to stay alive first.

 


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9781250852496After the Forest by Kell Woods

Ginger. Honey. Cinnamon. Flour.

Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, hidden away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat.

But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion. And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.

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The Curious Case Files of The House in the Cerulean Sea

The Curious Case Files of

hatcsDear Visitor,

You have been chosen for the most important of assignments. You are now privy to CLASSIFIED LEVEL FOUR case files, six belonging to the children at the Marsyas Island Orphanage, the seventh to Master Arthur Parnassus. These will be crucial in your evaluation of the orphanage, but under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you share these files with the residents or anyone without Level Four clearance. We have also included some of our most important Rules & Regulations, as a reminder for our expectations of your conduct during your stay at the orphanage. 

We look forward to your extraordinarily thorough reports. Good luck.


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Questions? Comments? Concerns? Please refer to the DICOMY Handbook, or better still, read The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune for the entire report. A beautiful new hardcover edition is available now!

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Audio Excerpts with Daniel Henning: Somewhere Beyond the Sea

9781250881205Hope is the thing with feathers. And hope is the thing with fire.

We’re so excited to give you a sneak peek into the magical world of Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the much-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s beloved The House in the Cerulean Sea! With audio excerpts charmingly narrated by Daniel Henning, you can dive back into the heartwarming journey of Arthur Parnassus and his wonderfully unique family like never before.

And did we mention the gorgeous golden yellow sprayed edges? Somewhere Beyond the Sea welcomes you back to Marsyas Island, where hope takes flight—and maybe even catches fire. Take a listen below and enjoy!

 

Chauncey Meets the Other Children

 Arthur Returns to the Island

Order Somewhere Beyond the Sea

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