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Genre Defying Science Fiction: Written in Starlight and Prophet

13 Oct
Cover of Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks. Features a man in uniform holding a woman dressed as a Victorian maid. On the side of the man is a futuristic city and on the side of the woman is an old fashioned town and an open book near her foot.
Cover of Prophet by Sin Blanche and Helen MacDonald. Features two men standing beside a car at night.

Sometimes novels fit easily into categories, but these two Science Fiction novels cross boundaries. Written in Starlight merges space opera with romance, fantasy, and historic fiction. Prophet on the other hand is a technothriller with horror and romance.

Written in Starlight
by Sloane Brooks
Written in Starlight is the new novel by Sloane Brooks. A maid, Della, living in a city similar to Victorian London finds a book about a daring space captain, Ansel, but she soon learns that he also has found a book about her. They soon discover though finding the books was only the start of each other’s stories and they are still being written. Could they be meant for each other even though they are worlds apart? Della and Ansel are engaging main characters and the other supporting cast are also a fun bunch and form a strong found family. This story will appeal to those who enjoy romantic speculative fiction and readers who are fans of metafiction, which is cleverly handled. The ending left room open for future stories and I’d personally love to revisit the world Brooks created. If you love Written in Starlight, you can also check out her previous novel, another portal fantasy, The Underachiever’s Guide to Love and Saving the World. She also has a paranormal rom-com, Every Wish Way, under the name Shannon Bright.

Prophet
by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché
Prophet is an intriguing novel written by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché together online during the global Pandemic. We read it for the Hoboken Public Library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Group for our May discussion in 2026. The group felt even though the book had two authors that it still felt cohesive. While some members loved the book, others were less enthralled, but all had a lot of interesting thoughts on the book which brought some mystery and romance into the mix. The story focuses on two estranged partners who come from vastly different backgrounds, but must come together again when a mysterious substance is discovered that can make people’s fondest nostalgic objects into reality. I found the start and the ending particularly strong and the group agreed that it would make a terrific movie adaptation. If you are looking for a timely novel that merges a variety of genres than check out Prophet and let us know what you think! Helen Macdonald is also the author of the best-selling memoir, H is for Hawk.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Group meets once a month on Mondays. See the library’s calendar for details on upcoming discussions. We also have Mystery, Horror, and more great discussions!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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New Fantasy Fiction: The Lost Spectacular, Spellstruck, The Haunted Librarian and Vengefully Matched

1 Oct
The cover for The Lost Spectacular by Zoe Duhaime. Include a drawing of a cat over the words You're Invited to... The Lost Spectacular. A large umbrella forms the top of a circus tent. There also drawings of a young woman and man as well as two houses, paper airplanes, books, a fountain pen, and old fashioned lanterns along the covers edges.
Cover for Spellstruck: A Novel by Martha Waters, author of Then There was One. Features a brown haired man wearing a suit standing next to a blond woman with a curly bob in a beaded flapper dress holding a smoking martini. They are standing in front of a bar surrounded by blue curtains; beaded chains hang in front of them.
Cover of The Haunted Librarian by National Bestselling Author of The Late-Night Witches, Aurallee Wallace. Includes drawing of a chair surrounded by stacks of books. A table next to the chair has a Tiffany style lamp with a teapot and a teacup which has steam rising from it in the shape of a ghost. Text above the title says, "It's time for a new chapter."

The Lost Spectacular
by Zoe Duhaime
The Lost Spectacular by Zoe Duhaime is a charming whimsical fantasy set in a City Not-Unlike-Montreal and a City That-Could-Have-Been-New York. Having a fondness for both cities, I enjoyed how she captured their essences even with a few tweaks here and there. Two childhood friends are now rivals, one, Munro Forrest a curator seeking to preserve, the other, Noon Bonaventure, a former bookstore proprietress steals forgotten bits from stories and art for her own use and that of the Spectacular, a marvelous metafiction dream carnival. The story is sure to delight fans of Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus and the works of Jeanette Winterson. The Lost Spectacular is a deeply moving bittersweet nostalgic journey through classic works that explores the process of loss, letting go, and reconciliation. You’ll long to visit The Spectacular yourself; Duhaime’s novel is one you won’t soon forget!

Spellstruck
by Martha Waters
Spellstruck is a fun historic fantasy set in 1920’s Britain where alcohol is legal, but potions and spellcasting are not. The novel is populated with charming characters including the whimsical flapper, Vesper Holloway. Vesper is the proprietor of a private club that mixes cocktails with spell ingredients activated by her family’s word of power. When odd incidents start happening at magic speakeasies in London, Vesper gets involved with an old family friend who is now part of FLEA, the agency enforcing the ban on magic. Magic is fading in the spellcasting families so spells tend more about making someone more glamourous or food taste better rather than having dramatic effects so this story will appeal to those looking for fantasy that is light on violence and gore. This is a delightful novel that will appeal to fans of cozy mysteries, fantasy and romances with quirky and compelling characters. Fans of this story can also check out the romances Christmas is All Around You and Regency Vows series also by Waters.

The Haunted Librarian
Auralee Wallace
The Haunted Librarian is Auralee Wallace’s new cozy fantasy romance about an introverted bookworm, Amelia, who is cursed with the ability to see ghosts. When she is hired to be the night librarian at a charming library branch with a handsome head librarian, she thinks it is her dream job despite the warnings of the ghosts she sees along the way. I found this to be a fast paced and fun read. It was enjoyable to see how prickly Amelia learned to open herself to others and not hide behind lies to find friendship and a sense of belonging. Working in a library, myself, I found some of those story details did not always ring true, but the emotional heart of the story shone through and I’d highly recommend this one. If you enjoy this story you can also checkout more magical reading from Wallace including In the Company of Witches and The Late-Night Witches.

Vengefully Matched
by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
Vengefully Matched is the new novel by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff and is about the sister of one of the love interests, Azrael, in her previous romance Hopelessly Teavoted. Pricilla Hart fled her wedding on her way to the alter when she realized she and her ex weren’t compatible, embarrassing herself in front of the witch community. But standing in her way from restoring her reputation is Agatha Vanderbilt Voisin the pink loving witch council president and frequent victim of Pricilla’s pranks. I did wish there had been a bit more character development beyond often characters sharing didactic view points and I felt the plot felt a bit jumbled, but there is a lot going on in the novel to keep one interested including mysterious attacks on Agatha. This will appeal to those who enjoy spicy enemies to lovers romance stories and fast-paced cotemporary fantasies that bring in modern language and social issues. Fans of Ann Acguire’s Fix-It Witches series may also enjoy this series.

Cover of Vengefully Matched: A Novel by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, author of Hopelessly Teavoted. Includes a drawing of a tall black haired woman in a black dress facing a shorter blonde woman in a pink dress suit. Behind them is a table with a computer monitor, flowers in beakers, and a mug. Shelves on the wall contain books, candles, and a skull. A large window shows leafless tree branches, a full moon, and a shimmering trail of purple sparkles.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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