The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Wizards & Witches

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

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The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
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With a heartbreaking but beautiful love story, and a unique magic system, you’ll want to jump right through the pages to Reverie and into the world of Starmakers. The perfect blend of fantasy, will-they-won’t-they romance, and comedy, this book will make you laugh and cry. If you love grumpy/sunshine (literally) mixed with magic… this is for you!

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin, (List Price: $19.99, Sourcebooks Fire, 9781728256184, February 2026)

Reviewed by Mallory Clark, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance

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A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance
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Witchcraft, ghosts, cults, and romance! I was stressed out at every turn, worried about this teen friend group’s safety and sanity.

A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance, (List Price: $19.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9780593856338, August 2025)

Reviewed by Eden Haymon, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin

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Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
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This book is stirring, evocative, gorgeous, and compulsively readable! I was drawn in by the strong, clear voice of the heroine from the first page. This book weaves together themes of magic, power, nature, duty, safety, love, wildness, and passion. A beautiful story extremely well told. I can’t wait for the next installment, because I am left with the conviction that Tana’s story has only just begun.

Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin, (List Price: 18.99, Sourcebooks Fire, 9781728256153, August 2023)

Reviewed by Ruth Goldstein, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith

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A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith
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A Ruinous Fate is an explosion of a beginning of what is sure to be an amazing fantasy series. Calla, cursed with magic she’s terrified of, is now forced to take her friends with her as they try to undo her fate. This has everything a fantasy reader could ever want, authentic-feeling queer characters, found family, love triangles gone awry, charming jerks, and of course, forced proximity abounds! What else could someone need? If you love a good found family story with your fantasy, this is one you won’t want to miss!

A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith, (List Price: $18.99, Disney-Hyperion, 9781368081597, January 2023)

Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia

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The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

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The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
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This dark, twisty fantasy makes the monsters that roam the forest seem to jump straight off the page! I loved the journeys the characters took and this should immediately be given to anyone looking for a fantasy that is filled with tension, intrigue, a little romance, and just overall creepiness. I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for the second book!

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard, (List Price: $18.99, Tor Teen, 9781250194046, November 2022)

Reviewed by Hallie Smith, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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