Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s CERTAIN DARK THINGS ( ★★★★☆, 1 September, Jo Fletcher Books) is set in an alternate timeline where the world discovered the existence of vampires in 1967. Here, every culture’s version of vampire mythology is real – they’re just different species. When a feud between two warring clans breaks out in Mexico City, criminals and cops join forces. We said: “Overlyfamiliar lore seems fresh again, and vampires become frightening again… The star-crossed romance is both sweet and horrifying.” An investigator and judge who can talk to the dead is the protagonist of Richard Swan’s THE JUSTICE OF KINGS (★★★★☆, 25 August, Orbit). It centres on the murder of a provincial noblewoman – a case which reveals a conspiracy stretching to the very top of imperial society. We said: “Swan’s fictional universe arrives fully formed – internally consistent and utterly believable… A contender for fantasy debut of the year.” Finally, Xiran Jay Zhao’s YA book IRON WIDOW (★★★★★, 8 September, Rock The Boat) may be loosely based on the rise of Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor, but is a sci-fi tale. In its world, gigantic transforming robots use female energy, draining women until they die. Its 18-year-old heroine is out for revenge on the pilot who killed her sister. We said: “Not so much a book as a warning to the patriarchy: use women at your peril. Especially women in skyscrapersized robots.”