Release Week: 18 August 2026
← Release Week: 11 August 2026Release Week: 25 August 2026 →
Release Week: 18 August 2026
Posted on 2026-08-18 at 12:00 by Samuel Montgomery-Blinn
FICTION PICKS:
The Calamities by Chuck Wendig, read by Dani Martineck, Nicole Cash, MacLeod Andrews, and Xe Sands for Random House -- "The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret of their power in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama."
They Can't Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp, read by Melkorka Oskarsdottir for Transworld -- "A dark, feminist retelling of the most famous witch trial in 17th-century Iceland."
The Blue Moon Café & 24-Hour Occult Emporium: A Novel by Lexie Sharabianlou, read by Awni Abdi-Bahri for Random House -- "A magical witness protection program, a town in need of saving, and a sorceress-in-training . . . oh, and the human woman she’s not supposed to fall for. The Blue Moon Café has a little bit of everything (except, you know, decent coffee)."
The Salt King: A Novel by Natasha Pulley, read by Luke R. Francis for Bloomsbury -- "An apocalyptic novel about belief, religion, and the power of myth that blends gripping, end-of-the-world storytelling of with biting wit and epic queer romance."
The Two of Us at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher, read by the author for Orbit -- "Four unforgettable characters try not only to survive, but to preserve the very thing that makes life worth saving in the first place in this deeply moving story of resilience and hope."
The Breakup: A Novel by Kurt Andersen, read by a full cast for Random House -- "When Natalie and Asher are brought back into proximity while touring far-flung colleges with their seventeen-year-old, they find themselves on a road trip through a strange, uncertain new American landscape, transformed by both the terrorist uprising and technology, all while dealing with the flux—and resilience—within their own family. They face the questions the nation has reckoned with for a generation: what differences are irreconcilable, and when is something broken worth saving?"
The Halls of the Dead: A Novel by S. M. Hallow, read by Charlie Albers, Ella Lynch, and James Meunier for Harper Voyager -- "A queer, gothic horror romance set in a necromancy-tinged London."
BACKLIST WATCH:
Sabella by Tanith Lee (1980), read by Julia Eve for Tantor -- "This classic sci-fi tale from a master storyteller explores the life of a vampire on a Mars-like colony as she struggles to hide her true nature."
The Broken Bubble by Philip K. Dick (1988), read by David Aaron Baker for Recorded Books -- "Four people's lives intertwine and collide in this early novel from one of the SF greats."
Hero of Dreams: Dreamlands, Book 1 by Brian Lumley, read by Joshua Saxon for Crossroad Press -- "Each night David Hero finds himself transported to a marvelous world where brave men and women battle terrible creatures possessed of cruel, dark powers. Despite his fears, the Dreamworlds tempt David, drawing him farther and farther from the waking world. Here he finds noble warriors; beautiful, loving women; and challenges almost greater than he can imagine."
Necrology by Meg Ripley (2024), read by Jenn Lee for Dreamscape -- "In a fantastical aftermath of the Salem witch trials, magical women known as the Dirty have signed a contract swearing off their innate magic in exchange for freedom from violence by non-magical Freemen. Two hundred years later, in a Catskills orphanage, headmistress Whitetail has sprouted antlers—proof of a violated contract. When her wealthy benefactor visits, proposing marriage, her appearance sparks abuse. Rushing to her teacher's defense, eight-year-old Rabbit curses the Beard dead, and Whitetail's arrested on trumped-up charges."
The Dagon Collection: An Auction Catalogue of Items Recovered in the Federal Raid on Innsmouth, Mass. edited by Nate Pedersen (2024), read by Garry Messick -- "In 1928, Federal agents raided the lodge of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, a notorious cult that had taken over the town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts. What they discovered there shocked and dismayed them in equal measure. Strange, curious, and devilish items from all over the world had been gathered by cult members on voyages across all the known and unknown seas. Priceless art, books, weaponry, jewelry, nautical instruments, and coins were all found, along with objects both prosaic and uncanny, with uses that could only be guessed at."
TIE-IN WATCH:
- The Legend of Robin Hood: A BBC Radio Collection -- "An epic full-cast play about Robin Hood, plus an episode of In Our Time setting him in his historical context and four dramatic interpretations of his story."
SERIES WATCH:
Pollen: Vurt, Book 2 by Jeff Noon, read by Danielle Cohen for WF Howes -- "In a strange re-mixed future Manchester a cloud of Pollen descends – a new strain, each tiny grain a murderer. Within days the streets of the city are overgrown with vicious blooms as the fiercest hay fever epidemic of all time takes hold."
Season of the Serpent: The Nameless Republic, Book 3 by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, read by Korey Jackson for Orbit -- "The final installment of the Nameless Republic trilogy with a tale of villains, allies, and a world on the brink of destruction."
Shadow Wars: Son of Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Hinako Hishinuma, and Madaug Hishinuma, read by Brian Nishii for Blackstone -- "The second and final installment in a spectacular middle-grade fantasy adventure duology—described as “Shōgun for kids”—where demons rub shoulders with gods and one boy must learn quickly or risk losing everything."
MORE FICTION:
The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass by Leslye Penelope read by Leon Nixon and Tyla Collier for Redhook -- "For five years, Zahara Douglass has been haunted by her sister’s impossible disappearance. Now, in December 1999, with the world on the brink of chaos, Zahara sets out to find her sister no matter the cost in this twisty and compelling modern fantasy."
Hollow Twilight by Kieran Starovsky, read by James Daly for Random House Canada -- "It's all fun and games until somebody dies. Delve into the unsettling world of Hollow Twilight, a Ready Player One meets Stranger Things LitRPG where there's no XP to collect and no loot to scavenge, but one wrong move could be the difference between life and death."
The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun: A Novel by Eli Snow, read by Ellie Gossage and Jess Nahikian for Macmillan -- "A sapphic dystopian fantasy of botanical sabotage, a questionable god named Saul, and a woman falling for the person most likely to ruin her life."
Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera, read by Sorcha Groundsell for Penguin -- "A lush, spellbinding tale about a tenacious young woman who must harness her family’s dangerous magic to put a stop to the sacrifices they’ve been making for more than a century."
The Shadows That Listen by Louisa Carmody, read by Kaffe Keating and Issie Riley for Orbit -- "It's been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us. Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don't make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death. Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn't have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach. But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realise they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies."
We Meet Apart by Martha Conway, read by Elisabeth Lagelée and Corinne Davies for Spotify -- "When World War II halts ocean travel in 1940, two American sisters find themselves stranded in Ireland—but in different realities."
Alchemist of the Wilds by A. T. Valentine, read by Jonathan Sleep for Tantor -- "Lianthorn Belladonna could have been so many things. An artist, a mage, a gardener. Instead, his family sealed his future, trapping him in a life of scheming, poison, and murder."
Preaching to the Choir by Adrian Tchaikovsky, read by Emma Newman for Tantor -- "A family gathering in an English mansion devolves into horror."
Frequency by Douglas E. Richards and Joshua T. Calvert, read by Lauren Ezzo and Joel Richards for Simon Maverick -- "A high-stakes science fiction thriller about a neuropsychiatrist investigating an epidemic of mass suicides and NASA astronauts uncovering an impossible secret beneath the ice of Jupiter’s moon Europa."
Immortal Rose: A Novel by Alexandra Bracken, read by Nicola Barber and Christian Coulson for Avon -- "Members of the ancient Rosebourne family have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion. When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy. Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers."
The Witch in the Dead of Night by Charlotte Buckley, read by Kristin Atherton for Magpie -- "A decadently dark romantasy in which a hidden witch is unmasked and forced to become a living weapon for a vampiric king and his brooding brother."
Visitor: Visitor, Book 1 by Craig Falconer, read by Dan Bittner for Audible -- "After a mysterious explosion robs Scott Miller of almost everything he holds dear, one incredible discovery changes everything: A crashed spaceship. Deep in the Santa Monica Mountains, the down-on-his-luck wildlife ranger senses a path to redemption. For his sci-fi-obsessed son Matty, their discovery is a wondrous miracle. For Scott, it’s a smoking gun for the far-reaching conspiracy that destroyed his life. But the greatest surprise of all lies within the wreckage: A frightened alien, lost and alone, whose next moves may determine the very fate of humanity."
NEW EDITION WATCH:
- The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, read by Nathan Osgood for SNR Audio -- "First published in 1895, The King in Yellow is one of the most influential works of supernatural fiction ever written. In this haunting collection of interconnected stories, an enigmatic play known only as The King in Yellow leaves devastation in its wake, driving those who read it towards obsession, despair and terrifying revelations."
INDIE WATCH:
- Roads Home: The Last Safe County, Book 1 by A. R. Shaw, read by Carol Anne Shaw -- "Eight years after the collapse, Mabel Gray survives inside Ridgeline Valley, a hidden settlement in Washington’s Cascade Mountains. Its forty residents are held together by strict rules, guarded borders, and the fragile belief that survival depends on keeping the outside world out. Mabel follows the rules. Mostly. Then she finds an unconscious boy beside a mountain road, watched over by a loyal dog who refuses to leave him. Somewhere beyond the valley, the boy’s injured father awakens on a hillside with a broken wrist and only one purpose left: finding his son."
NON-FICTION WATCH:
* The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil Durán, read by the author for Simon and Schuster -- " A fearless and urgent chronicle of the tech-authoritarian movement from its early days in San Francisco politics to its current moment on the international stage, exploring the wild and dystopian ambition of the technocrats at its center, and offering a road map to resistance."
* No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism by Jared Huffman, read by the author for Kalorama -- "From Congressman Jared Huffman, a behind-the-scenes look at the shocking extent of Christian nationalism's reach in our government―and the fight to defend church-state separation."
* The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First Super-Terrorist by Joby Warrick, read by Kenneth Fuentes for Simon and Schuster -- "The spectacular rise and dramatic fall of super-assassin Carlos the Jackal—one of history's most infamous terrorist masterminds and the inspiration for numerous celebrated works of pop culture—told with new revelations from the Jackal himself, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Black Flags."
* Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail by Earl Swift, read by the author for Harper -- "From the New York Times bestselling author of Chesapeake Requiem comes an intricately plotted tale of two end-to-end adventures through the Appalachian Trail's twenty-two hundred miles, braided around a third strand, that of the trail's most notorious tragedy that has haunted Earl Swift for thirty years."