Anna quickly finds herself grappling with various symptoms which mimic moth behavior, including attraction to light, sugar cravings, and uncontrolled floating. Author Heather Kamin is not writing an adventure novel here, however, but rather an intriguing exploration of chronic illness. The Moth Girl appears to be a book about unlikely superpower transformation as the main character, teen athlete Anna, is affected early on by the strange disease lepidopsy which causes its victims to ‘‘float’’ (fly) through the air. A second book in the duology, A Fire Endless, is due in September. How Ross brings all of them together makes for a great big immersive novel that is notable for its many compelling relationships (romantic and otherwise) and wonderful world-building. Getting to the bottom of the mystery means uncovering a host of long-held island secrets which soon draw in multiple other characters all with their own intriguing stories. He soon rekindles a relationship with a childhood rival, this time transformed to romance, as they try to use his music to communicate with the island spirits in the hopes of gaining insight into the lost girls. Jack Tamerlaine is summoned back to the island of Cadence, where he served as bard, to find who or what is responsible for the disappearance of several local girls. Rebecca Ross’s fantasy A River Enchanted begins with a somewhat familiar premise: the protagonist must return to his small-town home after years pursuing success in the big city. In no particular order, here are my favorite reads of the year, each of which I heartily recommend. Of the 40 or so books I read for the magazine in 2022, several impressed me either for their twisty surprises, unique stories, or the sheer beauty of their writing.

I average three books a month reviewed for Locus, occasionally managing to squeeze in a fourth.

This Is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey