Dewes, J. S. The Last Watch. Tor. Apr. 2021. 480p. ISBN 9781250236340. pap. $18.99. SF

Kim Bo-Young. I’m Waiting for You: And Other Stories. Harper Voyager. Apr. 2021. 336p. ISBN 9780062951465. $26.99. SF/STORIES

Szpara, K.M. First, Become Ashes. Tor. Apr. 2021. 304p. ISBN 9781250216182. $27.99. FANTASY

van Praag, Menna. The Night of Demons and Saints. Harper Voyager. Apr. 2021. 432p. ISBN 9780062932495. $27.99. FANTASY

Walter, Heather. Malice. Del Rey: Ballantine. Apr. 2021. 496p. ISBN 9781984818652. $27. Downloadable. FANTASY

Scriptwriter for numerous films that have emerged from various festivals with awards, first-timer Dewes offers a world at the edge of the universe in The Last Watch, with only the scurvy Sentinels able to save the day (125,000-copy first printing). Two-time winner of South Korea’s annual best sf novel competition, Kim offers two pairs of linked stories in I’m Waiting for You that go to the very heart of existence (75,000-copy first printing). In First, Become Ashes, from Hugo and Nebula finalist Szpara, Lark grew up caged and scourged to build up his magic to fight monsters—and remains committed to his mission when later told by combined government forces investigating child abuse that the magic and the monsters are not real (75,000-copy first printing). Launching a new series, van Praag’s The Night of Demons and Saints features two sisters torn apart after failing to defeat their demon father, with Goldie plotting a human sacrifice to redeem all she's lost and Liyana arguing that there’s a better way (50,000-copy first printing). In librarian Walter’s Malice, a debut that intriguingly retells the Sleeping Beauty story, Alyce, the Dark Grace, has cursed the kingdom of Briar’s line of princesses to die young—but Princess Aurora changes everything by falling in love with Alyce.