James Nicoll Reviews

Demonology for Overachievers by Lily Anderson (September 2026)

Dark academia takes a fresh twist in this YA novel, where a determined high school senior strikes a bargain with a demon to win a coveted scholarship — only to discover her rival has made the same deal. Merritt Maldonado has done everything right. But for every club she’s founded, tree she’s planted, and sport she’s played, her academic nemesis Linus Lexington has been right there. By her side. Copying her every move. 

And now they’re neck and neck for a coveted full ride scholarship. Desperate to gain an edge, Merritt finds herself making a deal with a demon. But when other applicants start dying in gruesome ways, Merritt realizes the demon is killing off her competition. And to make matters worse, she finds the demon’s mark on Linus. 

Now Merritt and Linus’ souls are tied to the same deadly demon. With bodies piling up, they have to work together to break the pact, stop the killings, and maybe admit that the bond they share isn’t just supernatural… 

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The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen (April 2026)

A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure by New York Times bestselling author Mike Chen.

The starship Horizon​’s crew spent ten years trapped across the expanse of space. Now they’re finally home — only it’s not the home they knew. The Cluster, once a peaceful coalition of planets, has fractured in the wake of civil war.

Captain Demora Kim wants nothing more than to protect her surviving crew. It’s what she owes them after years of instability and terror. But in times of war, no one is allowed neutrality.

After an attack on a mining station leaves thousands dead, Demi’s efforts become almost impossible. Every ship is needed on the frontline. Thrust deeper into a conflict she barely understands, Demi considers a bold choice — one that might keep her promises but tip the galaxy further into chaos. 

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James Nicoll Reviews offers escape from our spiraling descent into dark age dystopia with explorations of luminously upbeat works such as A Canticle for Leibowitz, Memory of Water, and On the Beach. You can help fund this worthy cause in several ways. 

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