Books Backlist Bonanza Backlist Bonanza: 5 Book Recommendations Inspired by Widow’s Bay’s Most Quotable Lines “What town *doesn’t* have a checkered past?” By Alex Brown | Published on July 9, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share Sorry, not sorry but my brain is still cooked when it comes to Widow’s Bay. The show is chockablock with quotable lines and line readings so perfect I am ready to start handing out Emmys right now. To stop me from running up to strangers and shaking them as I yell “Don’t say we didn’t ‘Warren’ you!”, I decided to do the book recommendations equivalent.  Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris “What town doesn’t have a checkered past?” (Midnight, Texas #1 — Ace, 2014) Harris is, of course, very well known for her Sookie Stackhouse books (made into the TV show True Blood), but she also has several other series set in that same universe. The Midnight, Texas trilogy is more of her particular brand of rural fantasy—think urban fantasy but set in a small town in the middle of nowhere, complete with murder mystery, magic, and romance—and it also got made into a TV show (starring the excellent François Arnaud, and yes, I did have to bring up Heated Rivalry). Manfred, a psychic, moves to Midnight, a tiny crossroads town that happens to be home to a witch, a vampire, an assassin, and other sundry mundane and magical beings. He gets pulled into investigating the murder of a local and things get wild and sexy from there. Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson “I was just about to show Arthur the witch trial. Great source of pride. We caught ‘em. We burned ‘em.” (Ace, 2020) In Bethel, life revolves around the church. The church is law, and all must abide. As the daughter of a witch, Immanuelle is an outcast from birth. Anyone found to be practicing witchcraft is burned at the stake. She tries to be a dutiful, devout young woman, but nothing she does is ever enough for the true believers or the Prophet. A frightening experience in the Darkwood outside town and the discovery of a secret in her dead mother’s journal set the young witch on a path that will lead to revelations about who she is and what she’s capable of. This book is set in a fantasy world, but one that feels like it was plucked out of Puritan New England. From the stuffy black clothing to the fundamentalist worship of a brutal god to the austere patriarchy, Bethel would be right at home as a neighbor to Richard Warren’s fledgling town. Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw “Except for the teeth.” (Tor Nightfire, 2021) Teeth as a gag pops up a couple times in Widow’s Bay. Why? Why not? Teeth are freaky. Have you seen that image of a baby’s skull with its first set of teeth already out and the permanent teeth growing in the jaw? Hella creepy. So this quote needed an equally creepy book rec. In this horror novella, a group of friends rent a Heian-era haunted house as part of their pre-wedding celebration. Multiple women were murdered in the house over the years, and our plucky group of friends are there to see some ghosts and have a good time. As they explore the mansion, they not only encounter the malevolent forces occupying the house and the fractures in their relationships start to show.  The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White “It’s perfectly safe to drive by the old hospital. You just can’t stop.”  (Peachtree Teen, 2023) Speaking of teeth… well, technically this young adult horror novel isn’t actually about teeth. Rather, it’s about an autistic trans teen in a fantasy version of 1880s London. As a medium, Silas’ life is dictated for him. The last thing he wants is to become an obedient Speaker wife, not least of which is because he knows he’s really a boy. To “fix” him, he’s sent to a hellish sanatorium and finishing school where young people are abused more than they’re helped. He discovers that more than a few patients have gone missing, and if he doesn’t want to end up the next victim, he needs to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it. The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner “He got bit by an animal and became that animal.”  (Delacorte Press, 2024) Speaking of trans teens, how about a story about one who is turning into a werewolf? Hunter is recovering from top surgery when he’s attacked by a monster. When his wounds heal too quickly and his body starts to change in unexpected ways, he and his friends realize there is something nefarious going on. To cure him, they have to find the wolf that scratched him and kill it before Hunter fully transitions into a were. Kisner uses lycanthropy to explore social pressure to conform to regressive gender norms, internalized and externalized transphobia, bullying and body dysmorphia, as well as queer romance and finding your community. Hunter’s rage finds the ideal outlet in becoming a man-eating monster.[end-mark] The post Backlist Bonanza: 5 Book Recommendations Inspired by <i>Widow’s Bay</i>’s Most Quotable Lines appeared first on Reactor.

News Locus Magazine Locus Magazine Will Publish a New SFF Anthology The collection will look to address a “steady decline in the number of Best Of anthologies being published” By Molly Templeton | Published on July 9, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share If you have ever felt that it is difficult to keep up with all the excellent short fiction being published in a wide variety of outlets, this one’s for you: Locus is launching a new anthology series, Locus Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year, and the first volume is already fully funded on Kickstarter. The anthologies will be based on the annual Locus Recommended Reading Lists. According to the Kickstarter text, “There’s been a steady decline in the number of Best Of anthologies being published over the past few years. These compilations are a longstanding tradition in SFF and are so important in guiding readers to new authors, by showcasing a top-tier selection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, novelettes, and novellas. They also do something no single magazine issue, no algorithm, and no individual critic can do: they shape the memory of a year in literature.” This anthology will be edited by Jonathan Strahan and include Thomas Ha’s Locus Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated short story “In My Country”; Somto Ihezue’s Nebula and Locus Award-winning novelette “We Begin Where Infinity Ends”; and work by Isabel J. Kim, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Sarah Pinsker, B Pladek, Esther Alter, and more. The “more” depends somewhat on whether the magazine reaches its stretch goals. The initial baseline goal has been met, but if all the stretch goals are reached, they say, the book “expands to nearly 200,000 words (~600 pages), includes all of our selected stories, AND allows us to double the amount we’re able to pay authors.” You can learn more (and see all the perks for the Kickstarter) here.[end-mark] The post <i>Locus</i> Magazine Will Publish a New SFF Anthology appeared first on Reactor.

News Godzilla Minus Zero Godzilla Faces a Terrible Human-Made Weapon in the Teaser for Godzilla Minus Zero We just make the WORST choices By Molly Templeton | Published on July 9, 2026 Screenshot: TOHO Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: TOHO In the previous trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero, the big guy was menacing the Statue of Liberty. Now, he’s getting a nuclear bomb dropped on him. In a brief new teaser, the first bit of dialogue is a man saying, “I speculate Godzilla can withstand even a thermonuclear strike.” Seems like we might be about to find out. Another voice says, “Another moral boundary mankind shouldn’t cross.” Oof. Godzilla Minus Zero is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also handled the visual effects. Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One was the highest-grossing Godzilla movie ever (it also won an Oscar for best visual effects). The sequel has been in the works for two years, but even now, very little is known about the plot. The synopsis says only, “Godzilla Minus Zero picks up in 1949, two years after the tumultuous events of Godzilla Minus One, and continues the story of the Shikishima family as they face an all-new calamity.” Said family includes Ryunosuke Kamiki as former kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima and Minami Hamabe as his wife Noriko. Unlike the first film, Godzilla Minus Zero was shot for IMAX, which presumably means the destruction will be even more dramatic this time around. The film arrives in U.S. theaters on November 6.[end-mark] The post Godzilla Faces a Terrible Human-Made Weapon in the Teaser for <i>Godzilla Minus Zero</i> appeared first on Reactor.

News Dune: Part Three Dune: Part Three Trailer Takes Us 20 Years Forward, With Paul Atreides Now a Tyrant We also see the return of Duncan Idaho, Chani, Alia, and more… By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 8, 2026 Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures Comment 0 Share New Share Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, the final installment in his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novels, Dune and Dune Messiah, is set to hit theaters later this year. Today, we got our first full trailer for the film, and in it we see that Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is now the emperor of the galaxy and destroyer of thousands of worlds. We also see that his former love Chani (Zendaya) is now seeking to bring him down, and that somehow, Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) returned (though don’t worry; Herbert’s book gives an explanation for this, and I assume the movie will as well). We also get glimpses of Robert Pattinson as the blond villain Scytale, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Anya Taylor-Joy as a (bloody!) Alia, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar. Other cast members include Rebecca Ferguson, Isaach de Bankolé, and Charlotte Rampling. Here’s the official synopsis for the film, which Warner Bros. also confirms is the conclusion to Villenueve’s oeuvre: Dune: Part Three is set nearly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium. Now a ruthless Emperor, Paul must face the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge, and betrayal lurks in every shadow. Haunted by visions of Imperial collapse and the reappearance of his long-lost love, Paul is drawn into a sweeping conspiracy, with Chani at the heart of its unfolding mystery. As rebellion brews and enemies close in, Paul must confront the true cost of power and the fate of those he loves the most. The screenplay from Dune: Part Three comes from Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan (Paper Girls). It will premiere in theaters on December 18, 2026. While we wait, check out the trailer below. [end-mark] The post <i>Dune: Part Three</i> Trailer Takes Us 20 Years Forward, With Paul Atreides Now a Tyrant appeared first on Reactor.

Excerpts Romantasy Read an Excerpt From The Lion & the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent Some blood tastes like vengeance. Some blood tastes like grief. Some blood tastes like nothing at all. By Carissa Broadbent | Published on July 8, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Lion & the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent, a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and the first book in the Bloodborn Duet, pubishing with Bramble on August 4th. Under an eternal night, the world has been ravaged by ten years of war between humans and vampires. Kyrene scrapes by as a bounty hunter, bearing a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. But in the wake of a devastating loss, Kyrene commits a crime that makes her a target for mortals and gods alike—and she is still desperate for vengeance.Her only chance at survival—and revenge—is making a deal with her enemy, the silver-tongue vampire prince, Septimus, who offers her one final job: to slay the gods themselves.Together, Kyrene and Septimus must hunt the ultimate marks, all while navigating a web of prophecies and curses. Septimus is calculating and mysterious, masking secrets bloodthirsty enough to consume them both. Yet, most dangerous of all, Kyrene finds an unexpected kinship in him.But their growing attraction is deadly in a world where the only currency is blood. And Kyrene will stop at nothing to fulfill her ultimate goal: to kill the goddess of vampires, even if it means sacrificing love for revenge. Buy the Book The Lion & the Deathless Dark Carissa Broadbent Buy Book The Lion & the Deathless Dark Carissa Broadbent Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Prologue The night that she became a divine hero, the girl was covered in blood. Some of it was hers. Most of it was not. The goddess had already left. Her world had already changed. Now, she kneeled on the ground, holding a blessed sword. It was magnificent—the Blade of Retribution, once held by the Goddess of Justice herself, and the weapon lived up to her name in every way. She was crafted of pure gold, the strength of her light so bright it almost hurt against a world that was now so ceaselessly dark. And yet, the girl could not tear her eyes away, no matter how much it ached to witness. The girl was just seventeen years old. The world was freshly dark. It had been only weeks since the sun had fallen and the vampires invaded. She did not yet know how much darker it could get. {We must leave, and quickly,} the blade told her. Her voice was soothing, sliding into the girl’s mind like a caress over skin. It was less disorienting than the girl might have expected. {The fallen ones will come soon. They will smell you.} The girl dimly recognized this as fact. There was so much blood, and blood had become so very dangerous. She had been in such terrible pain only minutes ago, but now, it had ebbed, nearly disappeared. As if the blade in her hands had washed it away like an incoming tide. Still, the girl did not rise. Her vision was blurry. She blinked, and two tears fell like dying blossoms onto the sword’s engraved blade, pooling in ancient scripture. {There is no need to cry, child,} the blade said. Her voice was so tender. It was how the girl imagined a mother might sound. “What do we do next?” the girl asked. The question was hoarse and small. She had never felt more mortal. {You shall wield me. And together, we shall enforce justice, as our goddess commands us.} The girl looked at the scene around her, the silent aftermath of grotesque violence. None of it seemed like justice. She wrapped her arms around herself, cradling her stomach. “I’m nobody,” she said. “I don’t even know how to wield a sword.” {I shall teach you.} A note of wry, warm amusement. {But it seems to me, Kyrene, that you already did wield me, and wield me well.} The girl looked at all the blood—on her, surrounding her. Perhaps this was true. “I can’t walk,” she said. “I’m—I—” Words failed her. The girl did not know how to describe the nature of her injuries. {I know,} the blade said softly. {But you can walk. You shall be healed. That is, you understand, the nature of my vow to you.} The girl watched the golden light shuddering up the blade’s beautiful form. “Vow?” she repeated. {You are now my bearer, Kyrene. And thus, I vow that I shall provide you my divine strength; that you may use me to enforce what is Just in this world. Death shall not touch you while you are my wielder, until the day I offer it to you by my blade.} The girl was silent. Then she began to laugh. The sound was unpracticed and pained, spurting up from inside her like blood from a freshly torn wound. Another tear plunked into the sword’s carvings. {What is so funny?} the sword asked. The girl gestured to the macabre scene that surrounded them. “This is justice?” And the blade was utterly serious as she replied, {Yes, child. It is.} The girl did not believe her, but she did not argue. {Now come,} the blade said. {This night will be behind us soon, and there will never be a need to return to it. Wipe your tears.} But the girl could not stop them. They just came and came, rolling down her cheeks with every blink. “I’m not sad,” she said, suddenly self-conscious. “I’m angry.” The blade glowed gently. The girl felt it in her heart. Light, in freshly eternal darkness. Warmth, in an endless cold night. {I know,} the blade said. {Leave the tears. Bring the anger. Only one is useful to you now.} The girl nodded. She rubbed her tears with a dirty sleeve, leaving more smears of red on her cheeks. She did not know if the blood belonged to her or not, but in this moment, she realized it didn’t matter. The blood would always spill, and perhaps it was irrelevant to whom it belonged. She staggered to her feet. The blade had been right; she was stronger, now. The pain drained away. The weapon had to have weighed nearly as much as she did, but she hardly struggled to pick it up. She heeded the blade’s words. She began walking and did not look back, not even once, as she left that night behind her. Her tears remained there in the bloody dirt, but she would carry the rage with her for the rest of her life. She was no longer a faceless child. She was a divine warrior. It would be more than ten years before she would at last allow herself to think deeply about this night. She would think of it and tell herself: I should have died that night. And she would be right. But of course, fate is never so simple. Excerpted from The Lion & the Deathless Dark, copyright © 2026 by Carissa Broadbent. The post Read an Excerpt From <i>The Lion & the Deathless Dark</i> by Carissa Broadbent appeared first on Reactor.