Gods, do I miss Jadzia Dax. White delivers a high stakes, Star-Trek-worthy plot with solid characterization, and the deep dive into Trill culture is a great avenue for the philosophical debate on free will and individuality.

Curtis' sophomore novel is a slice-of-life dive into the hospitality industry, but it's also set on a spaceship and occasionally interrupted by a high-stakes conspiracy hiding somewhere on board. With constantly shifting points of view and an underlying thread of mystery, the stories of the misfits, drifters, and rebels that make up the hotel staff are woven together into a story of found-family and belonging, built up by the rich world and intrigue of the hotel itself. Though the book starts cozy, the mood and pace of the book shift subtly as the plot builds, and Curtis' writing style flows perfectly to match. Your time at the Grand Abeona will be nothing short of an adventure...leave a tip when you check out!

You will laugh. You will definitely cry. You will set the book down and still carry each word in your heart. Klune, as always, strips humanity bare and builds it back up piece by beautiful wooden piece.

A hypnotic onion of a puzzle...peel back one layer and find more questions, fewer answers. All the more triumphant in it's building frustration, eventual catharsis. Area X is all of us and none of us, nowhere and everywhere, peering at us with a thousand impossible eyes.

When Haru and Yama stumble upon an ancient magic, their dreams of adventuring beyond their valley might just come true. Latham's stunning artwork anchors a story about friendship, confidence, forging your own path forward. While the story in this first volume was occasionally convoluted, Latham hints at a larger world unraveling, a very Bone and Ghibli-esque tale building in these beautiful watercolor panels.

Ghost Station is an exquisite combination of science-mystery and all-encompassing dread. Literal chills. If "Waters of Mars" or "The Impossible Planet" are your favorite Doctor Who episodes, this one is for you.

Part I is a haunting exploration of emotion and motion across a multiverse, how love changes and warps, how hope and regret pull in similarly opposite directions. How things can be different but different doesn't always mean better/superior/happier. Part II is a speculative masterclass in dissection, in pulling the self apart and finding a new way to be whole. Part III made every atom of my being ache. There is an understanding in these pages that I can only express as feeling inside my bones. I would like to climb inside of North's words and cocoon myself in their prismatic poetry.

"But isn't it also true that if you dig deep enough into human matter you find stardust? And at the end of the day, what does that have to do with anything?”

"Match Point" is a fun middle grade story exploring family relationships, new friendships, and finding yourself through the lens of Rosie Vo's rec league Raquetball career. I enjoyed Gallegos' dive into sports mentality and--as a fellow athlete who was also once coached by my father--how she developed the player/coach to daughter/father shift, how it bleeds across the relationship. Rosie's character arc was well done and authentic, and I loved the art style and inclusivity amongst the characters (lots of ASL!).

There are three rules to being an undead assassin in Tal Abisi: a contract must be just, you can only kill those who have been contracted, and a contract must be fulfilled (or all of hell might literally show up on your doorstep)--and Eveen the Eviscerator is well on her way to breaking another one of these unbreakable vows. Fast paced and funny, "The Dead Cat Tail Assassins" trips you into a world of magic, murder, and mansplaining, with a loud-mouthed main character not afraid of the forces amassing against her (or her goddess' fiery tits).

While the sudden-stop of an ending was ultimately unsatisfying compared to the depth and heart of the rest of the story, I enjoyed Clark's writing and flair for description. Kept waiting for this one to magically grow more pages so I could spend more time in Eveen's world.

As stunning, as heart-pounding, as gut-wrenching as it's predecessor. Kaner has magic in her veins. Bring on the finale.