Upcoming Releases I’m Dying to Read

I’ve been mostly off the bookish scene for the past year and a half, which, not unsurprisingly, has meant that I’ve not only fallen behind on reading all the books, as I had planned, but I’m also concerningly out of touch with what new releases are coming up.

On the plus side, my NetGalley ratio thanks me. Not that it’s good. Perish the thought. No, it just hasn’t gotten worse since I haven’t had time to inevitably browse the catalog and have an uncontrollable urge to read all the upcoming books. So there’s that. Unfortunately, it also means that I have no idea what new and amazing books are coming up! I feel like it’s time to rectify that.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish wishlist. However, since I’ve been out of the game for so long and have so many unread books currently filling my shelf, I decided to spin it to be upcoming books that I wish to read!

As I’ve said, I have absolutely no idea about most of the books that are coming out, barring a few continuations of series I’ve already started. So this will be a fun experience! I’m taking this as permission to go down the rabbit hole that is publisher’s catalogs. *rubs hands together* Let’s get started, shall we?

Heat Wave by T. J. Klune

Release Date: July 19, 2022

Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz are back in action bringing justice, protection, and disaster energy to the people of Nova City.

An unexpected hero returns to Nova City and crash lands into Nick’s home, upturning his life, his family, and his understanding of what it means to be a hero in the explosive finale of the thrilling and hilarious Extraordinaries trilogy by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune.

Book three of this wonderful, action-packed, witty, queer series that I absolutely cannot get enough of and will be super sad to see end. I have connected with Nick Bell in ways I never thought possible. I recognize this may not be a good thing, considering that Nick is a bundle of ADHD, unhealthy obsessions, and hormones, but I feel like that’s also an adequate way of describing me, so I really don’t have a leg to stand on here. The second book left off on a cliffhanger, so heck yeah, I can’t wait to dive into this book!

First Lines:

The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy

Release Date: September 27, 2022

NOTE ON NETGALLEY:

Scroll way down for details about this book BUT before you go there, my tip is that knowing as little as possible about what you’re about to experience is the optimal way to begin this journey. Trust me. Just read the book to completion.

Soooo . . . there’s technically a full synopsis that you can read on Goodreads if you’re so inclined (click the title of the book and it’ll take you there). However, my first inclination of this book was actually on NetGalley, which had the above disclaimer. For a moment, I thought I might just put the synopsis in this post, but you know what? This little disclaimer was actually more interesting to me than whatever the synopsis might be (I assume, since I haven’t read it), because I don’t see many books that actually recommend going in completely blind. I realize that I have a penchant for not following directions, but I’m gonna do it here and choose to go in completely blind. Hey, not knowing what to expect is half the fun, right? In some ways, it makes me even more excited to read it! Sign me up for a completely unexpected roller coaster ride of a plot, please!

First Lines:

Charlie Hernández & the Golden Dooms by Ryan Calejo

Release Date: July 26, 2022

Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this third book in the Charlie Hernández series follows Charlie as he fights against an army of the dead.

I opted not to put the full synopsis here since this is book three and it presumably contains spoilers for the first two books. Thoughtful of me, no? If I’m honest, I haven’t read the first two books in this series yet, though I’ve purchased them. Around the time I bought them, the third book was announced, so I decided I’d just wait and read the whole series together! Goodness knows I’m always up for adventure fantasy series that revolve around folklore and mythology, and I absolutely love Hispanic folklore. This series seems like it’s going to be a fun one! (Also, I feel like I should take a minute to stress how freaking awesome the covers for this series are, too. Definitely check them out.)

First Lines (Of Book 1 in the series!):

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

Release Date: November 8, 2022

The shadows have risen, and the line is law.

All Bree wanted was to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. So she infiltrated the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights—only to discover her own ancestral power. Now, Bree has become someone new:

A Medium. A Bloodcrafter. A Scion.

But the ancient war between demons and the Order is rising to a deadly peak. And Nick, the Legendborn boy Bree fell in love with, has been kidnapped.

Bree wants to fight, but the Regents who rule the Order won’t let her. To them, she is an unknown girl with unheard-of power, and as the living anchor for the spell that preserves the Legendborn cycle, she must be protected.

When the Regents reveal they will do whatever it takes to hide the war, Bree and her friends must go on the run to rescue Nick themselves. But enemies are everywhere, Bree’s powers are unpredictable and dangerous, and she can’t escape her growing attraction to Selwyn, the mage sworn to protect Nick until death.

If Bree has any hope of saving herself and the people she loves, she must learn to control her powers from the ancestors who wielded them first—without losing herself in the process.

The sequel to the stunning novel Legendborn, which is basically the legend of King Arthur but in modern times and with the inclusion of Black people. Huzzah! Obviously, I’m simplifying that to a ridiculous degree. Point being: the first book is amazing and everyone should read it. Which makes it easy to understand why I want to read the sequel! But also . . . that cover is something fierce that should be appreciated.

First Lines:

The Rabbit’s Gift by Jessica Vitalis

Release Date: October 25, 2022

When the delicate balance is broken between the people of a small country and the mythical rabbits of old, a rabbit and a young girl must learn to trust each other. A standalone companion to The Wolf’s Curse, The Rabbit’s Gift is a vivid and inventive novel inspired by French folklore set in a country in which babies are grown in cabbage-like plants called Chou . . . and delivered by rabbits.

Fleurine, a twelve-year-old aspiring botanist and daughter of the Grand Lumière, secretly tries to grow the elusive purple carrots that humans trade for Chou. She longs for a sibling, but Maman doesn’t want another child. What’s more, she believes science will upset the natural order and insists that Fleurine follow in her political footsteps.

Meanwhile, the human demand for babies has dropped, and the rabbits are starving. A runt named Quincy decides to take matters into his own paws and sets out for the city, determined to prove that you don’t have to be big to be a hero.

When he inadvertently leads Fleurine back to the top-secret Warren, he sets off a string of events that pits them against each other and jeopardizes the future of the entire country––for rabbits and humans alike.

This book might look a little familiar if you’ve seen Jessica Vitalis’ previous book, The Wolf’s Curse. The style is similar, which is what initially grabbed my attention the minute I saw the cover! Her debut book was stunning and heartfelt, so of course I look forward to reading more of her work. The Rabbit’s Gift is a standalone companion novel, from what I understand, and doesn’t really have anything to do with her debut. I can’t wait to learn more about these rabbit people. I mean, I’m more of a wolf person myself, which is why I immediately wanted her debut, but rabbits are good too. At least they’re unique in terms of animals that people worship!

Shad Haddid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije

Release Date: October 4, 2022

You are invited to the Alexandria Academy . . .

Twelve-year-old Shad Hadid has never quite fit in. The other kids at school don’t understand him, so he spends most of his time alone, cooking for his teta and daydreaming of opening his own Arabic bakery full of tasty treats. But when Shad is attacked by a shadowy monster, he learns his late baba was an alchemist with the ability to mix charms, elixirs, and mists—and he’s one too!

Then Shad receives an invitation to the mysterious Alexandria Academy, a fabled school for alchemists, where he hopes he’ll find safety and learn more about the ancient science. But when he arrives, no one at the school seems to know what alchemy is! As Shad digs deeper into the mystery, he discovers a sinister evil lurking in the shadows, and only he holds the key to stopping—or fulfilling—their plans.

With danger at every turn and the fate of the alchemy world on the line, can Shad save his friends and defeat this sinister foe?

Have I mentioned before how much I love adventure fantasies that are focused around mythology? Don’t see too many that are focused on Arabic mythology, so I was instantly intrigued! Plus, the idea of a protagonist being not only a baker but a male baker? Even better! I think this is one that I’ll not only enjoy but that Minion will also like! I’m also a fan of alchemists. What can I say? I’m predictable. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This one sounds soooo good, and I’m looking forward to getting to try it for myself!

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Release Date: October 13, 2022

Enter a place of hope and imagination in this Wundrous series…

Morrigan Crow is ready for a new adventure. In Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow, we will travel to places in Nevermoor that we’ve never seen, we’ll meet people from Morrigan’s past who will be very important in untangling the mystery of who she is…as she sides with someone very dangerous to learn more of the Wundrous Arts.

Can you say more Nevermoooooor?! I can’t get enough of this series, and I’ve been very much looking forward to continuing this adventure! Nevermoor is a wonderfully whimsical world filled with magic . . . but also with a slightly dark, mysterious underlayer. Things look simple on the surface, but that’s never really the case, is it? Morrigan Crow is trying to understand what the higher ups in Nevermoor have been hiding, and I am all in favor of this. I’m absolutely dying to know what will happen next!

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

Release Date: September 20, 2022

It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker.

But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.

As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.

Is it bad for me to say that I really don’t even care what this book is about? I’ve read enough of Justina Ireland’s work that I’d be willing to give any of it a try regardless. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this book does sound incredibly interesting. Historical fiction combined with mages sounds exactly like something I need in my life. Also, Mechomancy is really fun to say. Has no bearing at all on the book. It’s just a fact. Try it. See, doesn’t that feel good? You’re welcome.

Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston

Release Date: August 30, 2022

After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.

But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!

But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.

The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?

I absolutely loved the first Amari book, which I would bill as Harry Potter meets Men in Black. I’ve been excited to get back to this world from the minute I set down the first book. Not quite there yet, but it’s almost time! The first book was a wild ride riddled with adventure and magic, and I expect nothing less from the sequel.

Little Eve by Catriona Ward

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀

⠀

Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.

⠀

Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

This one is maybe technically cheating, because it’s a re-release of a book that was first published in 2018. However, I didn’t read it in 2018, and I didn’t know about it until this re-release, so I’m counting it here. Point is, I read my first Catriona Ward book earlier this year and utterly fell in love! Oh my gosh, it was so dark and atmospheric and twisty and surprised me in all the right places. Obviously this convinced me that I need to read every book Ward writes now, which . . . oh, look, this is one of them! How convenient.

First Lines: