2021 Releases With Colorful Covers

I know you’re technically not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but how about we just … appreciate some lovely covers with no assumed quality attached? How’s that for loopholes?

I mean, it’s just a fact that people enjoy covers. If they didn’t, what would be the point of putting all that effort into them? Our tiny little reptile brains go, “Ooooh, pretty! Must have!” and then, WHAM, we suddenly find ourselves threatened by a dangerously large TBR, in a house full of books, and with a spouse that’s debating whether it might be easier to just “accidentally” push a stack over, bury us, and be done with it.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is books with colorful covers, but I wanted to specifically focus on 2021 releases.

Why? Partially because we all love the new shiny, right? Even though we have hundreds of old shinies that we haven’t read yet. But that’s irrelevant. Don’t judge me. It also might be because I have about 1,001 2021 releases on my TBR and about a -29.5% hope of getting around to reading most of them this year. So I like to torture myself, obviously. Well, either that, or I feel like if I throw them at enough people, y’all can read them and tell me how they are and I’ll just live vicariously through you until I have free time again.

In Deeper Waters

April 20, 2021

A young prince must rely on a mysterious stranger to save him when he is kidnapped during his coming-of-age tour in this swoony adventure that is The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Pirates of the Caribbean.

Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family’s kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel.

Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.

That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming—and secretive—as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope…

Reasons to Read:

• Adorable M/M romance between two cinnamon rolls.
• Sibling and family bonds and lots of sibling banter.
• A heartwarming fairy tale filled with magic.
• Characters trying to find their place in the world.
• Charming magic performed by charming characters.

Curse of the Phoenix

June 8, 2021

The creatures of legend are real—and it’s up to twins Zac and Lu to save them in this fun-filled middle grade adventure perfect for fans of Fablehaven and The Hotel Between.

Twins Zac and Lu grew up on their mother’s stories of the Wildewoods, an imaginary land where mythical beasts roam free. These creatures fill the pages of Zac’s sketchbooks and inspire Lu’s love of animals, and on most days, they’re the only thing the twins have in common.

When their mother dies, a heartbroken Lu and Zac are shipped off to England to spend the summer with relatives they’ve never met. But it doesn’t take the twins long to uncover the incredible secret tucked away in the forest behind their ancestral home: their mother’s wonderful tales about unicorns and dragons and centaurs weren’t make-believe after all. Their family serves as keepers of the Wildewoods, the last place on earth where these mythical creatures can live safe from human harm.

But there are also many dangers in these lands—as well as a terrible curse. When Zac and Lu fall victim to it, their only hope is finding the very last living phoenix left in the world. But will breaking the curse mean the end of the Wildewoods?

Reasons to Read:

• Dragons AND phoenixes. What more do you need?
• Not just sibling bonds but twin bonds!
• Middle grade book tackling grief and loss.
• Magical forests with a super cool name—Wildewoods.
• Lots of fun magical creatures!

The Wolf’s Curse

September 21, 2021

“The path ahead isn’t easy. It will be filled with darkness and despair, and you will almost certainly regret your decision, just as I regret mine.”
~Narrator, The Wolf’s Curse

Twelve-year-old Gauge’s life has been cursed since the day he witnessed an invisible Great White Wolf steal his grandpapá’s soul, preventing it from reaching the Sea-in-the-Sky and sailing into eternity. When the superstitious residents of Bouge-by-the-Sea accuse the boy of crying wolf, he joins forces with another orphan to prove his innocence. They navigate their shared grief in a journey that ultimately reveals life-changing truths about the wolf––and death. Narrated in a voice reminiscent of The Book Thief and Lemony Snicket, this fast-paced adventure is perfect for fans of historical fantasy such as The Book of Boy.

Reasons to Read:

• Super mysterious, wise narrator that seems ridiculously quotable.
• Fantasy twist on the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”.
• Whimsical-sounding world filled with wolves.
• Middle grade book tackling grief and loss.
• Narrator comped to The Book Thief and Lemony Snicket.

Flash Fire

July 13, 2021

Flash Fire is the explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries by USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune!

Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, but with new heroes arriving in Nova City it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic.

Reasons to Read:

• M/M romance between two adorable cinnamon rolls.
• Superheroes! With superpowers!
• #OwnVoices story with a super relatable protagonist with ADHD.
• Lots of nods to fanfiction and fanfic writers!
• Written by T.J. Klune. That should really be all you need to know!

Bad Witch Burning

August 24, 2021

For fans of Us and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comes a witchy story full of black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future.

Katrell doesn’t mind talking to the dead; she just wishes it made more money. Clients pay her to talk to their deceased loved ones, but it isn’t enough to support her unemployed mother and Mom’s deadbeat boyfriend-of-the-week. Things get worse, when a ghost warns her to stop the summonings or she’ll “burn everything down.” Katrell is willing to call them on their bluff, though. She has no choice. What do ghosts know about eating peanut butter for dinner?

However, when her next summoning accidentally raises someone from the dead, Katrell realizes that a live body is worth a lot more than a dead apparition. And, warning or not, she has no intention of letting this lucrative new business go.

But magic doesn’t come for free, and soon dark forces are closing in on Katrell. The further she goes, the more she risks the lives of not only herself, but those she loves. Katrell faces a choice: resign herself to poverty, or confront the darkness before it’s too late.

Reasons to Read:

• Chatting with the dead is always a fun plot point.
• Necromancy? Well, necromancy-adjacent summoning of the dead, at least.
• Black girl witchy magic.
• A discussion about poverty and classism and the way it impacts people’s decisions.

Jade Fire Gold

October 12, 2021

Girls of Paper and Fire meets The Tiger at Midnight in June CL Tan’s stunning debut, inspired by Chinese mythology, with rich magic and an epic slow-burn romance.

In an empire on the brink of war . . .

Ahn is no one, with no past and no family.

Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child.

When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities.

But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.

Ferocious action, shadowy intrigue, and a captivating romance collide in June CL Tan’s debut, a stunning homage to the Xianxia novel with a tender, beating heart, perfect for fans of The Bone Witch and We Hunt the Flame.

Reasons to Read:

• Based on Xianxia novels! Based on Chinese mythology!
• Slow-burn romance is the best romance.
• Comped to The Tiger at Midnight, which is so much yes!
• Sounds absolutely action-packed!

A Wilder Magic

May 4, 2021

From the author of The Wolf of Cape Fen comes a beautiful and lyrical standalone story about one family with magic in their bones, who are tied to the mountain valley in which they live in more ways than one. And what happens when the land they love is destined to be flooded, whether or not they’re still on it.

For generations, Sybaline’s family has lived in a magical valley in the Appalachian mountains, helping the magic grow the land. But now the government has ordered them to relocate; their valley is needed to create a dam for electricity. In one week, their home will be flooded.

Sybaline can’t imagine life without her home and without the magic. Stopping the dam proves to be impossible; the government is too big and too strong. She takes the only choice left: she stays. Using her magic, she builds a wall, and as water floods the valley, it covers her house, leaving her living beneath the lake itself.

But there is a consequence to using magic in such a way, one that will transform both herself and the friends who end up trapped beneath the water with her. If she can’t find a way to escape the prison she’s created, both she and those she loves will end up staying in the watery grave of the valley forever.

Reasons to Read:

• From the author of The Wolf of Cape Fen, so I imagine this will be just as beautiful and lyrical!
• Set in the Appalachian mountains, where I live!
• Flooding is a serious concern in this area, so it makes me wonder how this book handles it.
• Magic with consequences. Even well-intended magic.

Long Lost

May 11, 2021

Eleven-year-old Fiona has just read a book that doesn’t exist.

When Fiona’s family moves to be closer to her older sister’s figure skating club—and far from Fiona’s close-knit group of friends—nobody seems to notice Fiona’s unhappiness. Alone and out of place, Fiona ventures to the town’s library, a rambling mansion donated to the town by the long-dead heiress. And there she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance.

Soon Fiona begins to notice strange similarities that blur the lines between the novel and her new town. And when she looks for the book again, it’s gone. Almost like it never existed. With stubbornness and a little help from a few odd Lost Lake locals, Fiona uncovers the book’s strange history. It’s not a novel, but the true story of an unsolved century-old crime filled with clues to the mystery. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places—maybe even the sister she thinks doesn’t care about her anymore.

Reasons to Read:

• Books about books.
• Reading a book that doesn’t exist sounds fun. Well … for me. Maybe not so much the character.
• Solving unsolved crimes is interesting. Especially if they involve dark local secrets!
• Also … restless spirits! Best kind of spirits!
• Books blur the line between reality and fiction anyway, so why not make that literal?

The Witch King

June 1, 2021

To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behind. This debut YA fantasy will leave you spellbound.

Wyatt would give anything to forget where he came from—but a kingdom demands its king.

In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world.

Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide once and for all what’s more important—his people or his freedom.

Reasons to Read:

• Not only trans rep, but a trans witch, which is twice the fun!
• Political arranged marriages between witches and Fae.
• I mean … Fae in general? Fae are always fun (if not sometimes overdone).
• Sounds like a semi-dangerous magic world. I’m down for that!
• Queer romance with big stakes.

The River Has Teeth

July 20, 2021

Natasha’s sister is missing.

Her car was found abandoned on the edge of a local nature preserve known as the Bend, but as the case goes cold, Natasha’s loss turns to burning anger.

She’ll do anything to find answers.

Della’s family has channeled magic from the Bend for generations, providing spells for the desperate. But when Natasha appears on her doorstep, Della knows it will take more than simple potions to help her.

But Della has her own secrets to hide.

Because Della thinks she knows the beast who’s responsible for the disappearance — her own mother, who was turned into a terrible monster by magic gone wrong.

Natasha is angry. Della has little to lose.

They are each other’s only hope.

Reasons to Read:

• Thriller that sounds like a twister emotional roller coaster ride.
• Witches, magic, and monsters!
• Queer romance.
• I mean … just look at that cover. Tell me that’s not going to be a doozy of a story!

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