Month: January 2026

Book Review: STRANGE ANIMALS by Jarod K. Anderson

| Jessica Crawford

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson is a 320 page novel with a publish date of February 10, 2026 from Ballantine Books.

Genre:

Fantasy, Urban/Contemporary Fantasy, Magical Realism

Synopsis:

An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of wondrous supernatural creatures—and an unexpected home—in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

one who studies cryptids; an expert in or student of supernatural history.

After a series of inexplicable encounters upends his life, Green finds himself alone and terrified in the Appalachian mountains, full of questions about the transformation he’s undergoing and the impossible creatures he’s starting to see.

When he meets a hermit named Valentina, he realizes that something more than chance has brought him to her door. For she has devoted centuries to researching the hidden world of cryptids that Green is only now beginning to perceive.  

As Green begins his studies beneath her watchful eye, he comes face to face with time-stopping giant moths, cyclops squirrels, and doorways to elsewhere. Along the way come clues about his own nature and the powerful beings who led him here—and, most wondrous of all, a sense of fulfillment like nothing he’s felt before.

But Green’s new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he’s already come to love.

Featuring incredible creatures and an unforgettable cast of characters, Strange Animals is a charming, addictive fantasy about the magic all around us.

Opening Line:

Green died and then he didn’t.

My Thoughts:

It is not always in our power to decide what a thing is…But what a thing means? That power may often be claimed.

What a surprising little gem of a novel!

The main character, Green, has a very strange (near?) death experience, after which he feels called to reconnect with nature, to rediscover his true self and the things in life that actually matter. He finds himself staying at a campsite in the Catskills, an area populated with some colorful characters.

“I got blood on your coat.” “It’ll wipe off. Or add character. Whichever.”

On his first night there, Green encounters a glowing deer and a horned wolf with mutable shadowy flesh. One of these creatures is a monster, one is prey – but each may not be the one you expect. Not everyone can see these beasts, and this is how Green learns he is a born cryptonaturalist. Thankfully, one of his new neighbors can teach him just what that means. Together, they work to try to protect the mountains and their inhabitants from preternatural dangers.

The characters in this book are interesting, and the dynamic between teacher and pupil is amusing at times. The details of the plot are rather original, and I enjoyed the fanciful elements of “cryptonature”. There is a sort of found family piece of the story that I very much appreciated as well. The author’s love for nature is on clear display in this tale.

How humbling is nature? How many lives could you spend studying a single tree and still feel yourself a neophyte in the school of its character? What a gift it is to know that the ship of our curiosity will never run aground in the seas of Earth’s mysteries.

This book seems to be a standalone, but I would gladly read any sequels further detailing Green’s adventures. If you find yourself drawn to the idea of an urban fantasy (but that takes place in the wilderness!) with engaging characters and a lot of heart, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Book Review: PLASMA PULP: LOST WORLDS

| Jessica Crawford

Plasma Pulp: Lost Worlds is an anthology published by Raconteur Press in 2026 edited by Lawdog, featuring stories written by CE Hugues, Spearman Burke, Lee Allred, Dean Stone, Malory, Ted Begley, Craig A. Reed, Jr, Alan Wolfe, MD & Bam Boncher, and Ken Lizzi

Genre/Subgenre

Science Fiction, Raypunk, Plasma Pulp, Anthology

What This Is

This is the second collection of Plasma Pulp short stories put out by this publisher. So what exactly is this subgenre (also known as Raypunk)? It combines futuristic science fiction elements with an “Old School spirit of adventure” (think of the aesthetic of the Fallout franchise) told in the style of pulp fiction—which is to say, action-packed sensational stories with larger-than-life heroes and villains. Many of these stories feature the muscle-bound pilots of smuggler spacecraft wielding rayguns and plasma swords while on daring missions against mad scientists, fighting side by side with the voluptuous princesses of alien worlds (here the damsels are more likely to kick butt and take names than they are to await rescue). Our heroes sport names like Johnny, Duke, Rex, and Buck.

My Thoughts

So the thing is that any fiction that falls into the Pulp category is probably not my jam. I prefer literary depth to thrills and chills, and much more drawn to character-driven stories to plot-driven. That being said, there were definitely some stories within the collection that I found enjoyable (favorites include Spire of Doom, A Princess of the Stars, and Princess of Starways) (I wasn’t kidding about princesses being a staple of the subgenre!) The sentence level writing is not a problem, and the illustrations scattered throughout were good fun.

So while this collection may not have been exactly my cup of tea (I’m more of a coffee drinker, myself), your mileage may vary (one metaphor too many?) If this type of storytelling sounds appealing to you, give this anthology a try. Reading one or two entries at a time might provide you with the perfect bite-sized brain candy you crave in between heavier reads.

Thank you to Raconteur Press for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review!

Book Review: THE EVERLASTING by Alix E. Harrow

| Jessica Crawford
Image made using Canva’s generative AI

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow is a 320 page standalone novel published by Tor Books in 2025 and based off of her short story, The Six Deaths of the Saint

Genre:

Fantasy

The Blurb:

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters―but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory―failed soldier, struggling scholar―falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives―and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend―if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Opening Line:

It begins where it ends: beneath the yew tree.

My Thoughts:

You had to die, and I had to watch you die, and then I had to wipe the blood from my hands and make sure it had been worth it.

Bestill, my heart!

The other two novels I’ve read by this author were fine, but not standouts for this reader. Her short stories, however, are absolutely fantastic – and The Six Deaths of the Saint remains one of the most impressive things I’ve ever read. So when I learned this novel was based off of (inspired by?) that, I was equal parts excited and nervous – the latter because it was already so perfect as it was!

I will say that I still love the short story version best, because the shorter format means the incredible storytelling packs more of a punch. But this book is also amazing! In fact, I’m already fairly certain it will be one of my top ten reads of the year.

“There are only two kinds of story worth telling: the ones that send children to sleep, and the ones that send men to war.”

I struggle knowing what to say about this book without being too spoilery, so I feel it’s safest to share what the author herself has written about it: told in alternating second person POV, Alix E. Harrow describes it as the tale of a big sad lady-knight stuck in a time loop and the anxious historian trying to save her, and says it’s about the endless cycle of authoritarian abuse which fabricates the past in order to justify the present, but made more fun by the inclusion of a romantic arc and some sword fights.

“You know that history is mostly happenstance…It is not a lesson, until we learn it. It is not a story, until we tell it. And every story serves someone.”

I LOVE LOVE LOVED this smart, emotional time loop story about the power of narratives and an epic romance. That being said, it’s obviously probably not the best book for readers who get frustrated with time loop stories. But if that doesn’t bother you, and you love getting your heart ripped out before being placed back inside your chest (possibly with the addition of a little something extra???), you should definitely give this book (and The Six Deaths of the Saint!) a read.

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: SNAKE-EATER by T. Kingfisher

| Jessica Crawford

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher is a 271 page standalone novel published in 2025 by 47North.

Genre:

Horror(-adjacent), Urban Fantasy (but in a small desert town)

The Blurb:

In an isolated desert town, a young woman seeking a fresh start is confronted by ancient gods, malevolent supernatural forces, and eccentric neighbours. A witty horror-tinged fantasy, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Chuck Tingle, and Rachel Harrison.

When Selena travels to the remote desert town of Quartz Creek in search of her estranged Aunt Amelia, she is desperate and short of options. Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper.

On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a new resident. Out of money and ideas, Selena sees no harm staying in her aunt’s lovely house for a few weeks, tending to her garden and enjoying the strange, desolate beauty of the desert. The people are odd, but friendly, and eager to help Selena settle into her new home.

But Quartz Creek’s inhabitants share their town with others, old gods and spirits whose claim to the land long predates their human neighbours. Selena finds herself pursued by disturbing apparitions, visitations that come in the night and seem to want something from her.

Aunt Amelia owed a debt. Now her god has come to collect.

The Opening Line:

Selena picked her new home for no better reason than the dog laid down on the porch.

My Thoughts:

“Meep meep, motherfucker.”

Oh, how I love Kingfisher’s writing! Especially in her horror stories (although this one I would argue is only “horror-adjacent”.) Of the many books of hers that I’ve read (she is an autobuy/preorder author for me), I have awarded all but one 4 or 5 stars (usually 4 stars to her fairytale retellings and 5 to her horror novels). Snake-Eater continues that streak!

The main character in this one is Selena, a thirty-year old neurodivergent woman. When she realizes her relationship long ago reached the point where her partner was tearing her down instead of bolstering her up, she makes the decision to leave behind her life as she knows it with only $27 to her name and her loyal pooch by her side. She makes for the desert town of Quartz Creek, where her aunt lives. Unfortunately, it turns out Aunt Amelia passed away the year before. Selena finds herself at loose ends, but Amelia’s house in the historic zone is sitting empty, and the welcoming townspeople assure Selena she can stay as long as she needs to while she figures out her next move.

Over time, her lovely new neighbors begin to convince Selena that she is not as terrible at peopling as her ex always told her she was. She and her dog Copper could really get used to life in Quartz Creek, growing squash and selling corn smut, helping to craft authentic folk art for sale, sharing biweekly potluck meals at the church with her new friends.

That is, if it weren’t for the vengeful personified spirit deity of roadrunners who seems to be holding a grudge…

Kingfisher’s afterwords often make me laugh out loud just as much as her stories do. In this one she explains that when she told people she was writing a story with a roadrunner villain, they pictured the comedic cartoon bird instead of what she describes as a cross between a velociraptor and a chicken with a shiv. Seriously, these guys kill and eat rattlesnakes for breakfast!

The magical realism in this book, manifested via the mythology and folklore of the American Southwest, successfully sets a tone both whimsical and spooky as Selena works to understand the startling things going on and why she seems to be their target. As usual for a Kingfisher novel, this story features an inclusive cast of absolutely delightful characters. There is healing, growth, and a message that forging connections with people is its own act of courage.

And when Snake-Eater comes to collect, it might just be these bonds that save the day.

Disclaimer: The woman in the image looks nothing like how I pictured Selena, but this is what I wound up with while trying out Canva’s generative image feature (AI) when asking for an American Southwest desert background template.