This original anthology of noir fiction set across the Big Easy includes new stories by Ace Atkins, Laura Lippman, Maureen Tan, and more.
New Orleans has always the home of the lovable rogue, the poison magnolia, the bent politico, and the heartless con artist. And in post-Katrina times, it’s the same old story—only with a new breed of carpetbagger thrown in. In other words, it’s fertile ground for noir fiction. This sparkling collection of tales, set both before and after the storm, explores the city’s gutted neighborhoods, its outwardly gleaming “sliver by the river,” its still-raunchy French Quarter, and other hoods so far from the Quarter they might as well be on another continent. It also looks back into the city’s darkly colorful, nineteenth century past.
New Orleans Noir includes brand-new stories by Ace Atkins, Laura Lippman, Patty Friedmann, Barbara Hambly, Tim McLoughlin, Olympia Vernon, David Fulmer, Jervey Tervalon, James Nolan, Kalamu ya Salaam, Maureen Tan, Thomas Adcock, Jeri Cain Rossi, Christine Wiltz, Greg Herren, Julie Smith, Eric Overmyer, and Ted O’Brien.
A portion of the profits from New Orleans Noir will be donated to Katrina KARES, a hurricane relief program sponsored by the New Orleans Institute that awards grants to writers affected by the hurricane.
Serpent’s Tail novelist Unsworth teases, tickles, and horrifies with her stellar curation of London Noir.
Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.
Brand-new stories by: Desmond Barry, Ken Bruen, Stewart Home, Barry Adamson, Michael Ward, Sylvie Simmons, Daniel Bennett, Cathi Unsworth, Max Décharné, Martyn Waites, Joolz Denby, John Williams, Jerry Sykes, Mark Pilkington, Joe McNally, Patrick McCabe, and Ken Hollings.
From the introduction by Cathi Unsworth:
“That London has survived so long comes down to its foundation in the root of all evil. The river, as the Romans knew, meant the riches of the world could be shipped directly to its ravenous mouth. London has controlled the world for many of the years of its existence. London is the Grand Wizard. It’s no coincidence that Ken Hollings writes a future projection for the city from the gleaming towers of Canary Wharf, the monument to capitalism laid down on the ashes of the working class East End by the Wicked Witch of Westminster, Margaret Thatcher . . . So this is not really a collection of crime stories. This is a compass for the reader to chart their own path through the dark streets of London, to take whatever part chimes most closely with their soul and use it as a talisman.“
What if one of the most pivotal conflicts in history had ended differently? This gripping work of alternate history dares to imagine a world where the Confederacy emerged victorious. This victory reshapes not just the fate of the United States, but also the course of global events.
Through vivid storytelling and thought-provoking scenarios, What If the South Had Won the American Civil War explores the ripple effects of a Confederate triumph:
How would slavery have evolved—or endured—in a victorious South?
Would the United States have fractured permanently into rival nations?
How might this alternate America have influenced world wars, diplomacy, and the rise of global powers?
This book blends historical detail with bold imagination. It offers readers a chance to step into a parallel timeline. In this timeline, the familiar story of America takes a dramatic turn. Perfect for fans of counterfactual history, political thrillers, and anyone fascinated by the delicate hinges on which history turns.
If you’ve ever wondered what could have been, this book delivers a compelling answer.
Discover a world that almost was—and imagine the consequences.
Marko Roostalu 4.0 out of 5 stars. A Thoughtful “What If” That Sparks Real Historical Thinking. Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2026. Format: Kindle Verified Purchase. As a history teacher, I’m always cautious with alternate-history books—done poorly, they oversimplify complex events or drift into speculation without grounding. This one does a better job than most. What If the South Had Won the American Civil War treats the question seriously and uses it as a lens to explore the causes, consequences, and contingencies of history. What I appreciated most is how the book doesn’t just stop at a Confederate victory and call it a day. It follows the ripple effects forward: politics, economics, global power shifts, and—crucially—the unresolved moral and social questions around slavery. Even when the scenarios are imaginative, they’re rooted in real historical tensions and documented debates from the era. This isn’t a substitute for studying what actually happened, and it shouldn’t be read without context. But as a supplement, it’s excellent for older students or curious readers who want to understand why outcomes matter in history. It encourages critical thinking, comparison, and discussion—exactly the kinds of skills we want students to develop. Used thoughtfully, this book can spark meaningful conversations about historical turning points, unintended consequences, and how fragile the paths of history really are.
The Regressor King AJ Sherwood Publication date: February 10th 2026 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance
Death, Paradise, and the gods themselves–all rejected for the sake of love.
When King James Kronenscheld dies at the hands of the Demon King, he thinks his suffering is finally over and he can join his Edwin in Paradise. And, hey, at least he’d taken the Demon King with him, right?
But then the gods try to send James to Paradise WITHOUT his Edwin, and that is simply unfathomable. So he does the unthinkable–he turns it down and negotiates for one more chance to fix his mistakes.
Armed with memories and regrets, James regresses to before he was crowned. He is determined to woo the man he lost, even if it means facing down all his previous failures. For Edwin alone will James face Wraths and plagues, court politics, and demon kings. He will avoid the horrors of the crown and attain Paradise for them both.
Failing this time means losing Edwin forever. And that is not an option.
Tags:
Romantasy, High fantasy, M/M romance, inspired heavily by webtoons, calling all passengers: hop on board, this ship is about to sail!, remember to take water and bathroom breaks, don’t start this book at 8pm, time regression, fated love, reluctant ruler, PTSD, hurt/comfort, both characters are near 30, Paradise without Edwin isn’t paradise to James, competence is sexy, so says James, power couple, Edwin finds Prince James very strange, and rightfully so, Victor has climbed to the very top of the shitty life decisions tree and was hitting every branch on the way down, Helena is a BAMF princess, Royce is a pharmacologist but make it medieval, James doesn’t want the throne, no seriously, stop asking him to take it, the gods play favorites, heavy is the crown, James wishes he’d paid better attention to details the first go around, that’s currently biting him, demon portals are a pain, horse lovers unite, Titan is best horse ever, Edwin realizes his Task in this life, Edwin has no problem unaliving James’s ex, buying books is a love language
Tropes: MM Romance, Regression, High Fantasy, Fated Love, Demon King, Reluctant Ruler, Hurt/Comfort
AJ Sherwood believes in happily ever afters, magic, dragons, good men, and dark chocolate. She often dreams at night of delectable men doing sexy things with each other. In between writing multiple books (often at the same time) she pets her cats, plays with her dogs, and attempts insane things like aerial yoga.
She currently resides in Michigan with aforementioned dogs and cats. Being in snow country gives her the excuse to stay inside and watch bl dramas, which suit her perfectly.
Please remember that this story is set in a dystopian future where the illegal immigration problem was solved by reducing people to slavery. Is it dark? Yes, Is it against our current laws? Yes. Could it happen? One last time, I feel compelled to answer “Yes.” – Reluctant Retiree
“It’s just a formality.”: An Intense MM Dystopian Saga
This isn’t supposed to happen to guys like me. I’m not a criminal or an illegal alien. I’m a middle-class boy from a good family.
But my dad’s business hit a rough patch, and he needed a loan to save it. And he only had one asset left that the bank would accept as collateral.
Me.
Dad said that it wouldn’t be so bad. That it would only be for a few years, and I’d be a free man again as soon as he paid off the loan. He made it sound like I’d be waiting tables or mowing lawns. Hard work that would “build character,” he told me.
But Dad hadn’t thought about how things would change once I was in the collar.Or what other uses the bank might find for a blond eighteen-year-old slave.
Note: This is the start of an intense dystopian MM saga. While the series ends in an HEA, the first few books are a descent into the shadows. Expect high angst, psychological intensity, and a hero pushed to his limits.
Let me recap what we have learned about our main characters: 1. Dominic (the father) is a restaurant owner who has no idea how to change with the times. When the town was booming, he built a successful restaurant business. However, when things in the town went downhill, he either had no idea how to keep his business afloat, or was unwilling to make the necessary changes. 2. Doug (the older brother) apparently has been a bully all his life. Unfortunately as he has endeared himself to his father, he can do no wrong in his father’s eyes. Doug is the one who convinced his father to talk Wes into becoming a slave so Dominic can use Wes as collateral for a loan. Dominic apparently hasn’t researched anything about owning a slave but you can be sure that Doug has. 3. Wes (main character) is within mere weeks of turning 18 and becoming a citizen. Unfortunately the only way his father can get a loan to save the family restaurant is for Wes to be enslaved and used as collateral for the loan. Wes loves his little sister and doesn’t want to see her homeless. So he naively believes his father’s promises.
Amazon Customer 5.0 out of 5 stars A great dystopian novel Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2025 Verified Purchase The Collateral is a great dystopian novel masquerading as an mm dark romance/erotica. Set in an ordinary California town in a future not so far away (and startlingly realistic) where slavery is back as a way of solving the problem of rounding up undocumented workers en masse, it chronicles the slow and steady degradation of Wes, an ordinary middle-class blond, blue-eyed teenager who agrees to allow himself be enslaved for four years to solve his father’s money problems, as a way of getting his father to love him. He is so naïve, so innocent. In the first volume, the outline of his likely future is laid out in some telling short episodes: as a slave, he is simply regarded as a sexual object. The power of the enslaver to abuse slaves sexually, to make them the object of sexual violence and humiliation, is at the heart of slavery (shades of Toni Morrison and any other number of Black theorists) in Hunter’s analysis: this is where the genre of gay erotica and dystopian novel overlap. Most of his father’s promises to him are quickly broken within the first few hours of his enslavement: this first installment only covers a few hours, with some backstory. It only gets worse. This series really got me by the throat, in part because it uses the violence that is now being made visible in our politics and takes it one step further. Is this our future?
