Here are ten of the books I am most anticipating that are releasing this year!
1. The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
Expected publication 5th March 2024
Elhame #5, The Stolen Heir Duology #2
An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.
Prince
Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound
to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and
calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude ready
to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, should Oak
attempt to regain the trust of the girl he's always loved, or remain
loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign - even if it
means ending Wren, too...
With war looming and treachery lurking
in every corner, neither Oak's guile nor his wit will be enough to keep
everyone he loves alive. He will have some terrible choices to make.
- Goodreads.
I still need to read The Stolen Heir, but I am hoping to read it soon so that as soon as The Prisoner's Throne comes out I can get straight into it and find out what happens next in this series. I really loved The Folk of the Air trilogy so I have been really looking forward to finding out what happens next with the characters, it certainly seems like Holly Black has lots of dramatic reveals and plots twists in store!
2. A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandana
Expected publication 12th September 2024
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful
witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the
(very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a
semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now
she (slightly reluctantly and a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an
inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guest’s shenanigans,
tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical
future she lost.
When she learns about an old spell book that
could hold the secret to restoring her power, she finds herself turning
to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous and icy historian who might be the only
person who can help her unlock the book’s mysteries. The fact that he
also happens to be her one-night stand from years ago is totally
irrelevant.
Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and trying not
to fall in love is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that
she doesn’t have to do it alone... and that the weird, wonderful family
she’s made might be the best magic of all.
- Goodreads.
I absolutely adored Sangu Mandana's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and this sounds like it will be another wonderful cosy fantasy romance with some charming humour and loveable characters, so I am very excited for this one!
3. A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
Published 4th Jauary 2024
Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself
long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and
memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her.
Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better
life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe
for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.
But
Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles
attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the
working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive,
and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But
when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into
something more - until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their
chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover
the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep,
but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a
love she never thought possible.
- Goodreads.
I enjoyed reading both Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft, so I think I should enjoy this next book from her too! This one sounds like it will be another well written romance with some intriguing drama, and I am curious to see how the plot plays out.
4. A Dawn with the Wolf Knight by Elise Kova
Expected publication 1st August 2024
Married to Magic #5
To enter the woods as a human is death... But I am no mere human. They call me, "witch."
As
one of the last surviving witches, her sole duty was to keep the
protective barriers on the forests where the lykin roam - creatures who
can shed flesh for fur. But when she has a magical encounter with the
rare, primordial spirit of the moon, she’s taken to the magical land of
Midscape and claimed by the Wolf King as his bride.
But the king’s blisteringly handsome knight who’s now her sole protector has other ideas...
- Goodreads.
I really liked the first three books in the Married to Magic series, my favourite being the first, A Deal with the Elf King, so I hope I will enjoy this next one, and the fourth one that was released last year that I still need to read, A Duet with the Siren Duke, as much as I did the first one. I think the world of this series is really interesting and I always think the concept of each book is really fun.
5. The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
Expected publication 25th January 2024
Curses are made to be broken.
For
centuries, generations of Everlys have seen their brightest and best
disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a
purpose no one understands. Their tormentor is a woman named Penelope,
who never ages, never grows sick - and never forgives a debt.
Ten
years ago, Violet Everly's mother left, determined to break their
curse, and never returned. Now Violet must find her mother, or she will
be taken in her place.
To do so, she must descend into a
seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and
monsters bent on revenge. She must also contend with Penelope's quiet
assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted - and yet to whom
she finds herself undeniably drawn.
Tied to a very literal
deadline, Violet will travel the edges of the world to find Marianne and
the key to the city of stardust, where the Everly story began...
- Goodreads.
This sounds like it will be a wonderful magical adventure, with some fascinating characters, that I think I could really enjoy, and since it is a debut I am curious to see what the author's writing style is like.
6. The Darkness within Us by Tricia Levenseller
Expected publication 25th July 2024
The Shadows Between Us #2
Chrysantha Stathos has won.
By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess - all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.
Or so she thought.
Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.
Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious power... No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.
- Goodreads.
When I originally read the first book, The Shadows Between Us, Alessandra's sister did not sound very likeable, so when this book was announced I was not sure how to feel about it and if I would enjoy a book from her perspective, but I enjoyed the first book a lot and I am curious enough to see what happens in this one and if I could like it, and just generally curious to see what Tricia Levenseller had in mind for what happens next in this world and it would be fun to see if any of the characters from the first book are included at all, even if it is just a mention.
7. Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan
Expected publication 1st February 2024
The Celestial Kingdom #2.5
Return to the Immortal Realm, a world of gods, magic, and legendary creatures - and embark upon new adventures of valor, danger, and love.
Tales from the Celestial Kingdom collects nine spellbinding stories - two previously published, seven original, including the epilogue to the duology - set in the enchanting world of Sue Lynn Tan’s stunning debut. Filled with magic and mythology, friendship and love, these stories intertwine through the past, present, and future of the two novels, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, including Chang’e, Shuxiao, Liwei, and Wenzhi.
With beautiful illustrations from Kelly Chong throughout, these wondrous tales make the perfect complement to Sue Lynn Tan’s breathtaking series.
- Goodreads.
The Celestial Kingdom duology was beautifully written and I really enjoyed the reading experience, so I am excited to read more stories from this world, which I think was wonderfully crafted. The first two books felt like an old myth so I think short stories from this world will be the perfect format for more stories from this series.
8. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Expected publication 11th July 2024
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.
She
and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the
last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks,
protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing
and when the library goes up in flames, she and Caz steal whatever books
they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. She’s hoping
to lay low and figure out a way to survive before the revolution comes
looking for her. To her dismay, in addition to a nosy - and very
handsome - neighbor, she finds the town in disarray.
The empire
with its magic spellbooks has slowly been draining power from the
island, something that Kiela is indirectly responsible for, and now
she’s determined to find a way to make things right. Opening up a spell
shop comes with its own risks - the consequence of sharing magic with
commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among
the quirky townspeople, she realizes that in order to make a life for
herself, she must break down the walls she has kept so high.
- Goodreads.
I read and enjoyed Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst some time ago and ever since then I have been wanting to pick up another book by her, and this new book seems like the perfect opportunity to! As mentioned earlier I really loved The Very Society for Irregular Witches, and this sounds like aother cosy fantasy romance with a similar feeling to that book, so I will be looking forward to giving it a try!
9. Lore Olmpus: Volume 6 by Rachel Smythe
Expected publication 7th May 2024
Lore Olympus #6
Chaos reigns in Olympus as Zeus publicly declares Persephone a traitor and issues a warrant for her arrest. But Hades defies his brother’s decree, sheltering Persephone in the Underworld - and as the pair spend more time together, they are able to speak openly about their pasts. The goddess of spring admits the truth behind the bloody secret that led to Zeus’s ire, and the king of the Underworld shares the trauma he suffered at the hands of his power-hungry father, Kronos.
But as Hades and Persephone’s relationship grows stronger, others begin to fall apart. The bond between Hades and Zeus is stretched to its limit, threatening to fracture the peace between their realms. Persephone and Artemis’s friendship hangs by a thread as the goddess of the hunt slowly uncovers the vile truth about her twin, Apollo. A line is being drawn in the heavens, putting everyone’s loyalties into question as all the gods are forced to choose sides.
And as the cracks in the foundation of the pantheon spread, something darker and more earth-shattering might soon be released...
- Goodreads.
I always have such a good time reading each volume of Lore Olympus, it always brings me such joy. Hades and Persephone and their slowly developing relationship is of course the highlight, but the other characters are so well done too, the art style is alway lovely to look at, the humour is delightful, and the plot always keeps me turning pages and wanting to find out more, so I am sure I will be picking up the next volume as soon as I have it.
10. Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
Expected publication 29th February 2024
Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters. After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood - the Leszy - who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.
Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska soon discovers the sinister roots of their bargain. And if she wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.
Those who enter the wood do not always return...
- Goodreads.
This book just sounds like it was made for me. It has been compared to so many of my favourite things, Howl's Moving Castle, Beauty and the Beast, authors like Margaret Rogerson, Brigid Kemmerer and V.E. Schwab, it would just be ridiculous if I did not read this.
So those are ten of the books I am most excited about that are releasing this year! In the comments below, let me know if you are also looking forward to any of these, and if there are any not on this list that you are eagerly anticipating!
