Mar 06 2026

Tantalizing Tales — March 2026 — Part One

Happy March, dear reader! Today we’ve got a terrific slate of upcoming books for you, as well as two novels I missed out on in 2025 that you should still definitely keep on your radar.

First up, we have Jessi Cole Jackson’s Ruinous Creatures, a standalone romantasy perfect for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the genre without getting sucked into a multi-book series that probably hasn’t even been completed yet (me, that’s me!)

Adela is a priestess whose sacred duty is to preserve the skulls of the magical creatures who perish in her valley sanctuary. Their bones are still laced with magic, and skulls can be matched with the privileged few who are able to wield the powers of the creatures whose skulls they wear.

Despite her long experience, Adela is surprised one day to discover a pair of phoenix skulls. Magical is one thing: phoenixes, otoh, are legendary. Her mentor warns her against it but Adela awakens the skulls anyway, unwittingly sending a shockwave of power through the valley that unleashes chaos.

Kian is a novitiate preparing for the upcoming matching ceremony. He has a secret tho: he blames his parents’ death on this tradition, and is looking for a way to end it and the magic of the skulls for good.

Fate has other plans, as an impulsive kiss between Adela and Kian seals them to each other and to each of the phoenix skulls. As they deal with the consequences of their connection, they discover that they’ll have to use the power that they now wield to either save The Valley or destroy it entirely.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/03/06/tantalizing-tales-march-2026-part-one/

Mar 05 2026

The Great Escape by Deborah Marcero

This picture book is extreeeeemely relatable to all older siblings. Idk what it is about younger sibs always wanting to get up in our business, but this book very accurately portrays that situation, then delightfully shows readers one way to resolve it.

Evie is your average kid. She believes very much in magic, and wishes she had some sort of spell to help control her rambunctious younger siblings, Wolfie, Bunny and Teddy (who are all charmingly and conveniently dressed in onesies reminiscent of their names throughout this book.) They’re always bugging her to play loud and chaotic games with them when she just wants to read a book or have some quiet time alone.

One wintry day, she devises a plan to sneak out past her whirlwind of siblings and enjoy some solitary time out in nature. But with the hypervigilance of little kids, they easily track her down. Out of sheer desperation, she casts a spell that helps her plunge right into a snowdrift and emerge into a fantastical world of beauty.

Wolfie, Bunny and Teddy, however, are relentless. Can Evie figure out a way to evade them so she can fully enjoy her new surroundings and finally get a little peace and quiet?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/03/05/the-great-escape-by-deborah-marcero/

Mar 04 2026

Night Of The Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

It feels weird to pretend that this horror novella is about the supernatural more than it is ultimately about the unraveling of an adolescent mind. I actually forgot in the lead up to writing this review that the title has mannequins in the plural as, if you go into this book without reading anything about it — which might actually be the best way to do it, so you can stop reading right here if you want absolutely zero spoilers, even tho pretty much everything I’m going to discuss is laid out in the first few pages of the novella — you might think this is about department store figures coming to life and terrorizing a bunch of people.

And there is a mannequin here, discovered by the narrator Sawyer and his friends as they’re growing up in small town Texas, in a creek that’s more mud than water behind JR’s house. They rescue the figure’s parts and use them for any number of games and pranks over the years.

But things are changing. The kids are getting older and taking on real responsibilities. Accidents happen and Shanna has to get a real job (well, as real as anyone still in high school can get) at the local movie theater. That’s when things get weird.

As a revenge prank against Shanna’s bosses, Sawyer, Danielle, Tim and JR decide to dress up the mannequin — which they’ve christened Manny — and prop him up in one of the theater seats during a movie. They’ll then call in management to handle a “disruptive” patron, hoping to jump scare whichever of the upper-level employees comes out and discovers Manny. But Sawyer, who’s watching while the assistant manager uses a discreet flashlight to methodically check everyone’s tickets, is surprised to get absolutely no reaction when the guy asks for and examines Manny’s ticket. Worse, at the end of the movie, the figure in Manny’s seat gets up and walks out of the theater.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/03/04/night-of-the-mannequins-by-stephen-graham-jones/

Mar 03 2026

Lola Gillette And The Summer Of Second Chances by Kimberly Behre Kenna (EXCERPT)

Hello, dear readers! I don’t usually do excerpts of Middle Grade books here, so I have a delightful treat for you today with this magic-tinged adventure novel.

The third book in Kimberly Behre Kenna’s Brave Girls series is titled Lola Gillette And The Summer Of Second Chances. Our title heroine is so desperate to complete a Perfect Pairs Collection that she resorts to stealing… and gets caught. Out of frustration, her parents decide to send her to live with her “quirky” Uncle Milo in his ramshackle mansion on the banks of the Connecticut River for a month.

Once there, she becomes even more obsessed with her collection, convinced that if she can acquire a Lucky Baker’s Dozen of pairs, she’ll generate enough magic to avoid going to a boarding school for bad girls like herself. But misadventures with a Zen Garden, a glitchy projector that spits out holographic messages from her dead aunt, a beached houseboat and a displaced wolf soon have her reconsidering her relationship with magic and luck.

As this MG novel was partially inspired by Connecticut actor and inventor William Gillette (who’s perhaps best known for his iconic role as Sherlock Holmes in the early 1900s,) part of the proceeds from the book’s sales will be donated to Gillette Castle State Park.

Read on to get acquainted with Lola, her parents and her uncle!

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/03/03/lola-gillette-and-the-summer-of-second-chances-by-kimberly-behre-kenna-excerpt/

Mar 02 2026

Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber

I’m going to say something controversial but not unexpected given my reputation as a queer-friendly Muslim and rabid Arsenal fan: everyone in this book has terrible taste in football teams. I was somewhat mollified by the fact that the actual football-playing scenes are really rad, tho the conceit that losing a competition would reflect poorly on the star player is a convenient nonsense that, fortunately, is not brought to any illogical conclusions here.

And that’s the genius of this excellent Young Adult novel about a Pakistani Canadian teenager struggling with his sexuality and faith: none of the conclusions feel glib or unrealistic or even overly dramatic. Everything in this book feels very real. And I’m saying that not only because this book was inspired by the author’s own life, but because I’ve lived through many similar experiences myself. I might not necessarily agree with everything our titular protagonist decides on (possibly because I come from a much less constipated school of jurisprudence than he does. Like, the prohibition on music and birthday parties made me lol, even tho I recognize that plenty of hardliners are against both,) but I do agree with him that Allah is the only one who can judge a person, and that it’s better to live and let live than to police those acts that don’t actually curtail others’ lives, liberties and pursuits of happiness.

Anyway, this novel tells the tale of Ramin Abbas, the eldest son of immigrant parents who’ve enrolled him in the conservative Muslim but academically rigorous Hikma High School. He’s dead set on getting into pre-med at NYU so that he can a) become a pediatrician, and b) check out shows on Broadway. His parents frown on music, and it’s probably best not to talk about the way his dad freaked out when Ramin tried on one of his mother’s hijabs and lipstick when he was much younger. Their family only eats halal and are all regulars at their (also) conservative mosque.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/03/02/ramin-abbas-has-major-questions-by-ahmad-saber/

Feb 27 2026

Tantalizing Tales — February 2026 — Part Four

February is drawing to a close, the weather is getting nicer, and hopefully I will soon stop feeling ill so much of the time! In other cheery news, I have a slew of great books for you this week, beginning with Amara Lakhous’ critically acclaimed The Fertility Of Evil, translated from the original Arabic by Alexander E Elinson.

July 5th is Algerian Independence Day, a national holiday for a country still coming to terms with the insidious legacy of colonialism. Colonel Soltani of the anti-terrorist unit, however, will have to give up his day off in 2018 after his superior officer manages to track him down to his mistress’ home in the city of Oran.

A former National Liberation Front fighter and Algerian power broker has been found dead under remarkably gory circumstances. Soltani is put in charge of the case, with the clear message to close it quickly and cleanly. Despite this directive, the colonel and his team delve deep into the victim’s past, going all the way back to the 1950s in their pursuit of leads. Their investigations eventually bring them to a revolutionary cell founded long ago, whose three remaining members are all still very much viable suspects in this recent killing. Can Soltani sort through six decades of secrets and lies to uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice?

Inspired by the author’s return to Oran after years spent living in Italy as a political refugee, this gripping novel balances psychological thriller with historical fiction. It presents a compelling portrait of post-colonial Algeria, its shadowy history and the long tail of corruption as religion and politics intertwine.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/02/27/tantalizing-tales-february-2026-part-four/

Feb 26 2026

Escape Room: Game Zero by Christopher Edge

Lol, idk why I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I first picked it up. I do think that this is one of those books that very much benefits from readers going in already knowing the rest of the lore, if you’re an adult. Younger readers who are more ready to accept things at face value may not mind as much (as I’ve certainly discovered when going back to read old favorites after the span of decades.)

Escape Room: Game Zero begins with Eden, a young girl who’s solved a series of online riddles and is now going in search of what’s been touted as the ultimate Escape Room. Eden loves puzzles and riddles, so is excited about getting a key to an online game known only as The Escape. Fortunately, the place she has to go to claim it in person is only a short walk away from her own home.

But the key she intends to pick up turns out to be something very different from the physical pass she expected. Instead, she’s drawn into a disorienting fantasy realm where she quickly discovers she can get badly hurt, both if she isn’t careful and if she doesn’t complete the quest to escape in time.

Both helping and hindering her is Ted, a deeply annoying kid who’s accessed The Escape via an expensive VR headset and is convinced that Eden is a mere NPC. As they explore this strange new world together, they encounter all manner of peril, even as they slowly discover that the game is much more dangerous than either of them had ever anticipated.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/02/26/escape-room-game-zero-by-christopher-edge/

Feb 25 2026

Pop Manga Paint And Ink Coloring Book by Camilla d’Errico

I cover quite a few coloring books here at The Frumious Consortium, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a mass market volume specifically designed for watercolor and ink. I hope it’s not the last tho because this is genuinely a superlative product for anyone looking to paint some adorable manga-inspired scenes.

There are 24 such illustrations in this volume, of cozy fantasy characters that wouldn’t look at all out of place inside a Studio Ghibli or Toei Animation production. All of the line drawings come, however, from the world of acclaimed Italian Canadian pop-surrealist Camilla d’Errico. Some of the illustrations here are original to the book, while others are established favorites from her repertoire. The general theme is one of whimsy, tho if you look hard enough, you can see that these aren’t necessarily the uniformly inoffensive pieces one would expect from a commercial artist. Ms d’Errico’s artistic edges are not sanded off in this wild and wonderful collection.

As with other coloring books featuring fine art, the pages in this are perforated, making it easy not only to pull out individual pieces to work on, but also to frame, should you be so inclined. Each drawing is on one side of a page, with the other intentionally left blank or featuring non-art text.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/02/25/pop-manga-paint-and-ink-coloring-book-by-camilla-derrico/

Feb 24 2026

Side Hustle by Wendy Gee (EXCERPT)

Hello, dear readers! We have a treat for you today with the latest thrilling novel by Wendy Gee, the second in her Caroline Crossfire mystery series!

Plucky TV reporter Sidney Quinn is back and ready to bring the hard news to viewers of Charleston, South Carolina’s Action 7 channel. Now she’s on the scene in a tony neighborhood where a hostage situation is unfolding. With her highly placed resources, she’s hoping to get inside the house and score an interview with the hostage-taker, in exchange for gathering intel for the police on the case.

She’s shocked, however, to discover that there’s a dead woman inside the home. The homeowner was an insurance executive and, more personally, a friend of Sidney’s. Confoundingly, the hostage taker, a former firefighter who blames the deceased for terminating his workman’s comp benefits, swears he didn’t kill her and that he’s being framed.

Determined to uncover the truth, Sidney follows the clues, plunging into a world of identity theft and cyber-embezzlement. Complicating matters is her own ongoing PTSD from her time embedded with Marines in Iraq. The only thing that helps her outrun her memories are increasingly risk-taking behaviors. How far will she go, however, to both chase down the truth and escape her own demons?

Check out a scene-setting excerpt depicting a routine moment in Sidney’s professional life before everything goes sideways:

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/02/24/side-hustle-by-wendy-gee-excerpt/

Feb 23 2026

The Spider Strikes by Michael P Spradlin

It continues to frighten and infuriate me that books like these aren’t merely a snapshot of a period in time but a very necessary and urgent warning of the road we must not presently travel.

As with the prior books in The Web of The Spider series, set during Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany, we have a different narrator, one of a group of young friends. Joshua Greenburg hasn’t always been aware of antisemitism, growing up in the small town of Heroldsberg. But with Hitler Youth coming to town and the German economy crumbling, it’s nigh on impossible to avoid the way that the Nazis are increasingly blaming Jews like himself for all the troubles befalling the country.

Germany has become so oppressive and awful for people who don’t sympathize with the ruling regime that Joshua’s friend Rolf and his father are planning on moving to America soon. They have family there, and hopefully distance will allow them to get over the heartbreak of losing Rolf’s older brother Romer to Hitler Youth.

Rolf and Joshua have only just helped their other friend Ansel rescue his journalist father from the Nazis. Ansel’s dad’s only crime was in reporting the truth, which has come under increasing attack from the government. It’s been a pretty awful several months for the three friends, who just want to play football, read adventure stories and brush up on their Scouting skills.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/02/23/the-spider-strikes-by-michael-p-spradlin/