Hello Wanderers! I had the privilege of reading some amazing books so far this year. From Children of Blood and Bone to A Reaper at the Gates and Vicious, I reconnected with old favorites and discovered new ones. But I have to say, some of my most highly anticipated releases are coming to the world this fall. Fitting since it is also my favorite time of year. Coincidence? I think not.
Without further ado, here are my…
Top Ten Fall Fantasy/Paranormal New Releases
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Victor Vale and Eli Ever. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Great partnerships, now soured on the vine.
But Marcella Riggins needs no one. Flush from her brush with death, she’s finally gained the control she’s always sought―and will use her new-found power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She’ll do whatever it takes, collecting her own sidekicks, and leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, against each other once more.
With Marcella’s rise, new enmities create opportunity–and the stage of Merit City will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.
I.CANNOT.WAIT. for this book. Vicious was my first book by Queen Schwab but will absolutely not be my last. Gimme all the Schwab. Her writing is suburb and she masterfully crafted an intricate story about the complexity of what it means to be a hero and a villain. And I am so here for it.
Series: Villains / Genre: Adult Paranormal/Superhero
Release Date: September 25, 2018
The Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.
She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.
She was wrong.
In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.
Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice–save the woman he loves, or everyone else?–while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she’s capable of.
As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel’s near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?
Everything Laini writes manages to find it’s way on my favorites list. Her stories are beautifully captivating and heart breaking. Strange the Dreamer was one of my favorite books of 2017 and I am so anxious to find out what happens next. Muse will be the first book that touches my hands come October.
Series: Strange the Dreamer / Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus’s deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor–the young employee at Sotheby’s whom Marcus has fallen for–is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he’d escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both–forever.
A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities not just for change but for revolution, Time’s Convert channels the supernatural world-building and slow-burning romance that made the All Souls Trilogy instant bestsellers to illuminate a new and vital moment in history, and a love affair that will bridge centuries.
The All Souls Trilogy is another series that I fell in love with last year. It was such an amazing combination of magic, time travel and romance that it kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. So when I heard there was going to be a spin off series, I immediately pre-ordered without even reading the synopsis. Which sounds amazing, by the way.
Series: All Souls Universe (first book in a spin off series) / Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…
With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.
And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.
As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.
I am still recovering from Empire of Storms. Seriously. Thankfully Tower of Dawn gave me a little hope (and some love back for Chaol) but I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS ENDS. Queen Maas has the uncanny ability of writing unforgettable characters and I anxious to see what she has store for my TOG loves. Am I the only one that needs Aelin to have a happy ending? Some lasting joy?
Series: Throne of Glass / Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.
Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.
Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.
There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.
With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.
You had me at shape shifters and samurai. I have been absolutely fascinated by ancient cultures since I was a kid, and definitely need more fantasy novels based on Japanese lore. I cannot wait to pick this one up.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi
The Huntresses of Artemis must obey two rules: never disobey the goddess, and never fall in love. After being rescued from a harrowing life as an Oracle of Delphi, Kahina is glad to be a part of the Hunt; living among a group of female warriors gives her a chance to reclaim her strength. But when a routine mission goes awry, Kahina breaks the first rule in order to save the legendary huntress Atalanta.
I actually do have an ARC of this one so I MUST find the time to read it soon. Greek Mythology and female warriors. Sold.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date:November 27, 2018
The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke
Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies―girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life.
When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies’ one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.
Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling―and who gets to be the storyteller. Perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, V.E. Schwab, and Heidi Heilig.
Paid mercy killers and Norse mythology influences. Sign me up! Bonus – it is a standalone.
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Wildcard by Marie Lu
Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.
Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.
Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?
Sigh. My ‘to be read’ is massive. And on that list is Warcross. I am determined to read both these books before the end of the year. They sound epic.
Series: Warcross / Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 18, 2019
Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
What if damnation is the price of true love?
Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.
I absolutely love the shadowhunter world. I don’t even remember how I found the Moral Instruments but I was absolutely ensnared from the very beginning. After binging those, I turned to The Infernal Devices which I may have loved even more. I am a bit behind on this series but am super excited to catch up this December!
Series: The Dark Artifices / Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: December 4, 2018
Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they each other’s worst nightmare.
In Renegades, Nova and Adrian (aka Insomnia and Sketch) fought the battle of their lives against the Anarchist known as the Detonator. It was a short-lived victory.
The Anarchists still have a secret weapon, one that Nova believes will protect her. The Renegades also have a strategy for overpowering the Anarchists, but both Nova and Adrian understand that it could mean the end of Gatlon City – and the world – as they know it.
Confession. I haven’t read Renegades yet but I have that beautiful book waiting for me so I can dive right into Archenemies come November. I had so much fun reading The Lunar Chronicles that I know I will love this series. Plus, superheros. Nuff said.
Series: Renegades / Genre: YA Superhero Fantasy
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Muse of Nightmares is just a gorgeous title! I’m also looking forward to Vengeful 🙂
Isn’t it?! Have you read Strange the Dreamer? It is really good. I definitely recommend it. And I cannot wait for Vengeful. We are reading it as our book club read in October if you would like to join. We will post information on Instagram with a schedule when it is closer.