SPEC.FIC

all about diverse, debut, and indie sci-fi & fantasy books written by women and nonbinary authors

Category: ARC Reviews

  • ARC Review: Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar

    ARC Review: Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar

    Pub date: March 24, 2026

    An exquisite collection of short stories written in Amal’s poetic prose that might leave you shedding a few tears or staring at the wall after reading, contemplating life, love, and the many joys and horrors of our world.

    If everyone loved women the way this author so dearly loves women, the world would be a more beautiful and safe place for all. The way my heart ached for the women in these stories, for all the evils the world of men has put upon them, for the way they were healed by fellow women, sisters, mothers, friends…the way they were accepted for who they were, not for who others (men) wanted them to shaped like…

    My auto-buy author list has one more addition!

    A standout story in this collection was the title track, Seasons of Glass and Iron. This was a story of women discovering new possibilities through their relationship with each other after being conditioned by men/systems into harmful beliefs. It was beautiful, and I cried.

    Another poignant tale is John Hollowback and the Witch. This perfectly encapsulates the horrible habit men have of seeing something beautiful, wanting to cage it and shape it to their liking, thinking they are doing a wonderful service, demanding to be the hero, the main character in everyone’s story, and completely blind to the reality where they smother someone’s soul so much it shrinks to barely a whisper and it isn’t until this crushed and bruised soul breaks free that the full scope of such a harm is realized…and everyone hates the men for it but they don’t even know because they cannot see themselves in a poor light, it must be everyone else’s fault.

    While these two might be the ones I point out in this review, it by no means diminishes the rest. Each piece in this work is as precious as any other. You’ll find stories, perspectives, and representations of queer, Palestinian, and immigrant characters. There are also West Asian supernatural entities such as the Peri and Djinn. In every piece, there is magic.

    This book is for everyone; everyone should read this book! Highly recommend!! Preorder below:

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Thank you to Tor for the eARC copy via NetGalley for review consideration. All my opinions are my own.

    About the Author

    Find more information about the author and their other works at their website linked here.

    About the Publisher

    tordotcom is part of the Tor Publishing Group – find more about the company here.

  • ARC Review: The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad

    ARC Review: The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad

    Absurd. Poetic. Provocative. Cannot recommend this ENOUGH!!

    The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad is a collection of short stories that are as absurd as they are poetic and unexpected. Just when you think you know where the stories are going, BAM!…total-and-complete-upside-down-throw-the-tables-across-the-room switch up of events.

    It’s a delight to be surprised by movements in the plotlines after reading a lot of predictable fiction. It feels like traveling through wormholes…we are in one place and then suddenly we have been whisked away to a different place. All with elegance and a flourish after which trails a smirk you can feel shining at you through the page.

    Bullet summary:

    • short story collection (of 9 tales)
    • absurd twist of historical figures
    • poetic, hilarious, and provocative writing style

    The most memorable stories for me were Let’s Play Dead, The Wolves, and Choose Your Own Apocalypse (one which I can see why this is placed last and I would recommend reading last). While each story centered around “calamitous” moments and figures of history, they still felt very unique in the structure of how the author offers a point or statement or commentary. Each one felt like a new adventure or disturbing nightmare or hilarious happenings until they aren’t so hilarious anymore. It’s a bizarre set of tradgedies really. Funny, but not funny h.a.h.a…

    I highly highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking for something clever, for something different, for something to get swept up in for awhile, and for those of you that simply want to be in awe of the human imagination.

    Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. for the review ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my own.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information on the author’s website linked here!

  • Wayward Souls by Susan J. Morris

    Wayward Souls by Susan J. Morris

    Harker and Moriarty are back again in the sequel to Strange Beasts, solving murders, battling creatures, and trying to fight their personal demons at the same time. All whilst being hovered over by an annoying one-dimensional Dutchman.

    Following something as great as the first book in this series was going to be tough and the author almost pulls it off. The character development dives more into each protagonist’s personal minefield while at the same time creating a new battlefield in the middle of their relationship. All while they are on the clock to solve the spooky things happening to people around them and to themselves as well.

    • LGBTQIAP+ representation
    • Irish culture & mythology
    • Critique of controlling/belief systems (ehem patriarchy)
    • Feminist?
    • Secrets, ghosts, dark creatures of old legend

    I REALLY enjoyed the elements of this book that involved atmosphere, setting, creatures, action, danger, etc. It draws on Ireland’s history, myths, and magic and seemed to mash all the creatures and gods together. Morris weaves a delightful spooky adventure.

    What I didn’t enjoy were the relationship dynamics that border on toxic and controlling and extending very little autonomy over decision making. There was so much back and forth it became frustrating. This may be considered character development but it went on too long and became waffling instead. The arcs weren’t satisfying and I finished the book annoyed in a way about this.

    Other than that, it’s a great book and I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a spooky murder mystery involving creatures of myth and legend.

    Thank you to Inky Phoenix Press & Bindery Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here!

  • ARC Review: Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari

    ARC Review: Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari

    Burn the Sea is a rich historical fantasy that calls attention to the true story of Rani Abbakka Chowta, a Queen who led her people and allies in a successful resistance against the Portuguese colonizers in the 16th century.

    Mona Tewari’s writing brings history to life in a beautifully woven story of politics, love, loss, and a fight for freedom. I can’t fault the style, the pacing, the world-building. It’s lovely and well crafted. While there were some directions that the plot took that I found frustrating, it might be consistent with the historical inspiration and I think without would have made the plot and character development quite flat.

    Instead of a magic system, we have an imagined belief system involving Spirits and this was one of my favorite parts of the book. The interactions our protagonist has with the Spirits is incredibly charming and adds another wonderful layer of depth to the story.

    Burn the Sea flips the euro-centric historical script that often “others” those it seeks to conquer. This is told from the side of the people defending their shores against invasion and how they see the would-be colonizers.

    This is the first in a duology and Book #2 has been announced so stay tuned for more!

    I would highly recommend to fantasy and historical fiction lovers who adore a female protagonist leading a political fight for freedom against would be oppressors.

    Thank you to Boundless Press at Bindery Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

  • ARC Review: Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

    ARC Review: Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

    This is a MUST read for 2026. A brilliant biting critique on christian faiths that manipulate believers with falsehoods, especially in order to control women and do away with others who don’t fall within their circle of acceptable ways.

    Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois is an amazing Haitian, LGBTQIAP+, and feminist story of pirates, mermaids, and gods. It sets itself apart with lush world building, mythology and lore, and characters representing those who have found their stories historically pushed out of traditional publishing. This is a beautiful book and I would highly recommend it!

    • LGBTQIAP+ representation
    • Haitian culture & mythology
    • Critique of harmful belief systems
    • Feminist / Matriarchal
    • Betrayal, romance, swordfights
    • A pirates life for me please 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Even though I read the eARC, I will absolutely be getting a physical copy to re-read!! (I don’t often re-read books)

    Thank you to Left Unread & Bindery Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

  • ARC Review: Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

    ARC Review: Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

    SPECTACULAR…give me 14 of them right now!!

    This dark and haunting masterpiece just absolutely barrelled itself into my book-loving heart and obliterated whatever poor soul had previously held the title of ‘the best book I’ve read in recent memory’. The way I became an obsessive unrecognizable creature absorbing this story, these characters into my veins as directly and swiftly as possible, while at the same time mourning the fact that I would never again be able to read this book for the first time.

    Heba Al-Wasity sweeps us away with her beautiful, well-edited manuscript, her characters that burrow and nestle themselves in the dark corners of your heart, and a masterclass in creating atmosphere, depth, tension, anticipation, and feeling.

    Being pitched as a gothic fantasy, this means pain, and no doubt there is suffering here. You will feel it, you will feel everything, and it climbs and it builds like a wave about to devastate the shores of a sleeping village, unaware of the beast about to change its entire world in one crash. I was that sleeping village. And I’m awake now.

    Dear potential reader, I could summarize the plot and tell you about all of the poignant themes brilliantly laid bare for your consumption in Weavingshaw, but I promise that no matter what, once this book comes out, there will be severe FOMO for those who don’t immediately shell out what little value money has in the exchange of such a treasure.

    * Gothic

    * Political

    * Demons

    * Ghosts

    * Mysteries

    * A slow burn you will devour

    Leena Al-Sayer can see the dead; this is her most severely kept secret. But when she needs to exchange it for the life of her brother in a deal that will threaten to upend her already fragile situation, she bargains with the Saint of Silence. Not a Saint but a haunting mystery, one that slowly unravels into madness, demons, ghosts, and dark corners of the world that might have been better left unturned.

    The first book in a TRILOGY.

    Recommendation: I’d recommend this book to anyone, everyone!

    Additional compelling themes/commentary:

    * Legacy – and what men will do/have done to maintain it. How self-important they make themselves and how monstrous…how they feel fit to make decisions of fate like gods for those they see as less than or in control of simply for greed.

    * Exploitation – of the poor, the migrant, the refugee. How they are used and bled for the continued vitality of the rich and ruling class. How prison systems become businesses, profits before people…How ‘othering’ people makes it so easy to treat them as less than, to rationalize harming them.

    * Secrets – even the smallest of these can change the course of a life.

    * Family – and how sometimes the ones we love the most will move and shake our lives so violently we might find resentment haunting our relationships

    * Fear & Control – and that maybe, just maybe we might be stronger than we think when it comes to fighting our ghosts.

    Thank you to Del Rey for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

  • ARC Review: To Ride A Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose

    ARC Review: To Ride A Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose

    Everything is turned up a notch in the second installment of the story of Anequs and Kasaqua! Politics, romance, new allies and dangerous enemies…once again Moniquill Blackgoose pens a piece of work that should be required reading for all.

    To Ride A Rising Storm is The Second Book of Nampeshiweisit following To Shape A Dragon’s Breath. We pick up right where the first one ended and continue to follow the journey of Anequs, a young indigenous woman chosen by Kasaqua, the first dragon her island home of Masquapaug has seen in a long time. This is the story of them attending the colonizer’s dragon academy and facing the Anglish ways and customs, including standing up to those who would do away with her people altogether.

    Review:

    I requested the ARC of The Second Book of Nampeshiweisit because I absolutely loved the first book. And if you loved the first book, you will enjoy the second. It’s very much the same style and format as the first. The writing is consistent, pragmatic, and practical – just like Anequs. The pacing is measured and even until you reach the very last pages where it then explodes into chaos. Similar to the first book, my only critique is that there is a lot of info dumping at times.

    One of my favorite parts of this book is the way the author weaves in stories alongside the main plot. Characters will sit down and listen to a story being told (which will last for a chapter) and it’s like finding myself around a campfire with friends and family while someone recounts a folk tale.

    Again, as in the first book, much of the story is comparing the differences between Anequs’s culture and that of the Anglish (European-centric-esque). Book #2 explores more of the differences pertaining to romantic relationships especially and themes around courting, marriage, and family inheritances.

    Recommendation:

    Readers who want to take their time with a story, who want to read from the perspective of an indigenous woman navigating a world that is completely different than her own, and who love dragons! As I said for the first book, I would recommend this to be required reading.

    The release date is January 27, 2026 so mark your calendars!

    Thank you to Del Rey for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

  • ARC Review: Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots

    ARC Review: Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots

    Henches, superheroes, sidekicks, and villains are back for round 2 in this long awaited sequel to HENCH #1 by Natalie Zina Walschots.

    Plot Summary:

    Anna and the crew at Leviathan are recovering from the events of Book 1 including the defeat of Supercollider there are some FEELINGS being dealt with. Working through this, they are taking on the Draft. Not a superhero but a super-corporation. And Anna meets her nemesis.

    Review:

    Being a newcomer to Hench #1 this year, I didn’t realize how long awaited this sequel was…and that the author mentioned having to start completely over about 4 times. Dates were pushed back and it sounds like the author had a hell of a time getting this one done. So, firstly thank you to Natalie for completing this project.

    The first book came out in 2020 and a lot can happen in the years since then that the author would have been writing. She mentions herself that she isn’t the same person and Villain is definitely a very different book than Hench. We still have the same relative punchy fun writing style that layers in character development, clever plotting, and social commentary. But as things develop, different themes are explored more heavily and relationships between the characters get a bit messier.

    I enjoyed the sequel overall and much of what I loved about book #1 was the same for Villain. That being said, I would check trigger warnings because the heat was definitely turned up a notch in this one. Both for content but also relationship development. I’m not a fan of poor communication and misunderstandings or assumptions (or really any kind of toxic nature) between characters when it comes to intimate relationships but this is a personal preference. There is a lot explored here around power dynamics and agency between people with strong feelings about each other. While it definitely is interesting to reflect on psychologically speaking, it wasn’t comfortable to read (not that books have to make us feel comfortable).

    Once again though, I appreciated the diversity of Walschots characters like the first book and there is a lot of representation here. One of my favorite parts of this book is the plotting, the fallout, the scheming, the rebellion/rage against the machine disguised as cartoonic villainy. There is a lot of commentary and themes around social justice, corporations, evil masquerading as heroism.

    I love the ending – Walschots is a pro at creating tension and sparking curiosity and the last page was no exception…so, will there be a book 3? I’m not sure this story is over yet but we’ll see.

    Author bio (from their website):

    “Natalie cultivates fandoms, builds new communities, develops character voices, leads interactive fiction workshops, designs alternate reality games, constructs branching narratives, and most mornings opens Tumblr before opening her eyes. Her client list includes scrappy indie game studios, critically acclaimed television shows, mixed martial artists, print magazines, talk shows, NGOs, and a few more that defy categorization.

    tl;dr: free lance, writer, memesmith, bailed academic, nerd, gamer, metal head, SJW, world builder, supervillain.”

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

  • ARC Review: Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez

    ARC Review: Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez

    Plot Synopsis from StoryGraph:

    In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent—a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden.

    Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.

    There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family’s enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.

    Meanwhile, Ravenna’s forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.

    As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.

    Review:

    Our main protagonist in Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez is Ravenna, a innkeeper and secret sculptor living in Italy around the time of the Renaissance. She does something reckless to save a family member and ends up in a dangerous situation. In a world where magic is outlawed and seen as something vile, she wrestles with her own gifts and feelings of worth and self-acceptance.

    As this is billed as a “a gorgeous, historical, and romantic fantasy”, there is a tall, dark-haired, handsome man in the picture with a beautiful face. We know his face is beautiful because it is mentioned over and over and over again. And even though he isn’t nice at all initially, our heroine (despite being angry and wanting to stand up to him) cannot resist, especially when he says, “Good girl.”

    This is not a romantic fantasy – this is a fantasy romance. And I had hopes that I would really enjoy this book based on the premise but that sentiment turned around within the first few chapters. Instead of being more fantasy focused as the synopsis suggested, I found it romance trope focused with the rest of the elements left to fade into the background. When I saw the phrase “Good girl” thrown in, if it wasn’t an ARC, it would have been an immediate DNF. This is so icky and creepy to me and it’s romanticized and fetishized but is degrading to women given everything loaded behind it. This is one of those romances where the heroine is supposed to be independent and strong but falls apart in seconds of a ‘beautiful’ man coming into sight or stepping close to her. No, thank you.

    The style feels very similar to Y.A. rather than Adult so this surprised me given it’s marketed under Adult. Writing is a bit jumpy especially in dialogue (also just feels generally wierd to me in the way that Ravenna and CS talk to each other). Descriptions were also very figurative but in way that didn’t make sense or a bit over the top. Overall, it felt a bit cliche and trope-y (if that’s a word) to be honest. It’s also incredibly repetetive.

    The premise held a lot of promise but delivered something else entirely. Absolutely 100% not for me. I’m also not a fan of authors who don’t include readers in their acknowledgments.

    Who would enjoy this book: readers who enjoy tropes and fantasy romance or romantasy with human v immortals vibes based in Italy.

    Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

  • ARC Review: Starseekers by Nicole Glover

    ARC Review: Starseekers by Nicole Glover

    Starseekers by Nicole Glover is a fun adventure full of magic, cleverness, murder, mystery, friends, family, and of course, villains.

    The book’s synopsis leads with:

    “Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures in this brand-new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic…if not murder.”

    Release date: January 2, 2026

    Summary: It’s the 1960s and there’s a space race on for the moon. Cynthia Rhodes is a brilliant engineer at NASA and talented celestial magic user who happens upon the beginning of a mystery when a cursed stranger shows up at the local TV station her cousin runs while she is filming an educational magic show with her friend Theo, a professor of arcane archeology. Soon after, there’s an accident and potential sabotage at NASA involving a coworker that could be connected.

    Theo and Cynthia jump into solving the mystery but it’s not just them. Joining the journey are Cynthia’s younger sisters, her friends, cousins, and other family members. Suspects pop up left and right as they continue to hunt down clues and chase danger like it’s second nature. Because it is.

    The story follows the same family tree as the author’s other works including The Conductors and The Improvisers – also magic & mystery stories. Sleuthing is in the family!

    Thoughts: Overall, this book is quite fun but it also includes themes of racism and the civil rights movement. It’s lighthearted banter, blooming romance, lots of action and magic intertwined with reminders of racial violence and discrimination of the time period the story is written in.

    I really enjoyed this and found myself thinking within the first 25% how much fun this book is going to be. It’s unique in itself although the comparables reference Hidden Figures and Indiana Jones. I’d add in a bit of Enola Holmes in there as well.

    Glover created quite a web of relationships both within the Rhodes family and outside that felt like it we didn’t have just two main characters but a whole crew working together by the end to solve the case. This gave the story a lot of depth in terms of relationships.

    Starseekers is a fast-moving plot which has plenty of time for action and interaction between characters, but it doesn’t dive too deep into character development. This book is definitely for those that enjoy great characters without dramatic development arcs but also a plot that moves. There are a number of different components to the mystery to keep readers guessing until the reveal.

    One of my favorite components of this story is there aren’t many limits places on the characters. They are able to do pretty much anything they want. The magic used is only limited to how fast they can react and cast spells. I enjoyed this as it gave a sense of autonomy and power to the characters.

    I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys any combination of fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery. As someone who reads these genres exclusively at the moment, it was a perfect mix of elements.

    Buy from Bookshop.org here.

    Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

    Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.