Here’s a look into Spiral’s most anticipated speculative titles for April. This cohort is pretty well-rounded—we’ve got everything from horror to Afrofuturism, folklore retellings to Tolkien-tinged fantasy. Have a peek below and let me know which ones you’re the most excited about!
The Ephemera Collector by Stacy Nathaniel Johnson
A homage to Octavia E. Butler—one of Spiral’s absolute favorites—from a debut author. A groundbreaking work of Afrofuturism, this near-future mosaic features prose, poetry, memos, advertisements, and dream journal entries from a tenacious archivist dedicated to saving her library. You’ve never read anything like this, I promise.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org | LibroFM
Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner
The stunning conclusion to one of Spiral’s most beloved fantasy trilogies is nearly here! Each book in this series has been fresh yet familiar and beautifully crafted; Faithbreaker is no exception. Kaner masterfully brings this fantastic story to a beautiful and satisfying close. If you haven’t read the Fallen Gods series yet, truly idk what you’re waiting for.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org | LibroFM
Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou
Obviously we love a folklore retelling ‘round these parts, and Theodoridou’s take on Bluebeard in Sour Cherry follows in the tradition of Carmen Maria Machado and Kelly Link—exactly our taste. Twisted into a razor-sharp take on modern toxic masculinity, this debut is a warning, a whisper and a strange dream all at once.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org | LibroFM
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman
A multigenerational saga set in a distant (but all too familiar) future, Notes from a Regicide is a triumphant tale of trans love, found family and resistance. Fellman examines how we can be both healed and hurt by the ones we love the most in this heartbreaking story of trans discovery. The speculative twist makes this book even more fantastic.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org | LibroFM
A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang
Nghi Vo fans, this one’s for you. And for anyone interested in a gorgeous yet brutal sci-fi novella about family, loss, oppression and rebellion. There’s something distinctly Ghibli meets Tolkien here—in the best way possible—that creates a truly moving piece of fiction. Enchanting and otherworldly.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org
Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin
Weird as hell, dark as a black diamond. Workplace affairs and plants with a taste for human flesh are somehow the perfect companions in Griffin’s latest. I particularly love the theme of suburban gothic we see in this novel; it pairs so well with the characters and the storyline. Lush, eerie, sapphic.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org | LibroFM
Bat Eater and Other Names For Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
An unsettling adult debut from a YA author whose titles were always popular on Spiral’s shelves. A compelling look into the racism that ran rampant during COVID, Bat Eater uses Chinese folklore to explore quite a few hefty themes—grief, mental illness and memory, just to name a few. A startling and memorable piece of horror fiction.
- grab a copy: Spiral | Bookshop.org | LibroFM
Holy Wrath by Victoria Mier
Okay, don’t hate me for including my own book! A gothic sapphic fantasy, Holy Wrath explores themes of religious trauma and queer resilience amid a richly rendered world. At its core, Holy Wrath is about what happens when two women decide they no longer want equality once they’ve tasted revenge. I’m biased, but I’m pretty proud of this one!
- grab a copy: Amazon (signed physical copies to come!)