waiting on wednesday

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: New/Upcoming Fantasy Releases

- Meg

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine (though it seems as though it’s been a while since she updated that particular blog, so if you know of the current host, if there is one, please let me know) that highlights upcoming releases that we’re impatiently waiting for. This week I’m featuring upcoming/newly released Adult Fantasy titles I’m excited to read!  As usual, pub dates change without warning, so keep that in mind!

The Book of Gothel, by Mary McMyne – I don’t know what it is a bout fairytale retellings and specifically Rapunzel retellings, but as soon as this came on my radar, I added it to my ‘keep an eye on this’ list because I’m supremely interested in the story being told from the mother’s point of view. The last Rapunzel retelling I recall having the mother’s point of view in it is Donna Jo Napoli’s Zel, and it added a level to the story that I hadn’t considered before then. (July 26, 2022)

The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri – This is the follow up to The Jasmine Throne (which I haven’t read yet), but that doesn’t stop me from adding it to my TBR because I definitely am in the mood for some chonky fantasy, and Orbit has been releasing a lot of amazing looking books lately! (August 16, 2022)

The Cage of Dark Hours, by Marina Lostetter – I read the first book last summer and really enjoyed it, and I usually don’t start series until at least one of the other books are announced/released, but this was an exception! I loved the world-building, loved the intrigue, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next. (February 14, 2023)

The Bone Orchard, by Sara A. Mueller – This looks creepy and fantastic, with necromancy and witches and madams. I’ve been in the mood for deliberately weird/creepy fantasy, and this feels like it’ll be just what I want. (March 22, 2022)

The City of Dusk, by Tara Sim – Another book with bone and shadow magic, with four houses and gods for each, necromancy and intrigue. I’ve been meaning to read Sim’s work, and this seems like a great start! It’s been getting some decent reviews from what I’ve seen, and again, I’m ready for some hefty fantasy reads this spring/summer.  (March 22, 2022)

Are any of these on your TBR? What upcoming fantasy titles are you excited to read?

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: New/Upcoming YA Fantasy Releases

- Meg

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine (though it seems as though it’s been a while since she updated that particular blog, so if you know of the current host, if there is one, please let me know) that highlights upcoming releases that we’re impatiently waiting for. This week I’m featuring upcoming/newly released YA Fantasy titles I’m excited to read!  As usual, pub dates change without warning, so keep that in mind!

Bright Ruined Things, by Samantha Cohoe – Apparently a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest set on an island with Mae, a young woman living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family. The Prosper family controls the magic on the island and the spirits inhabiting it. It sounds dark and magical and like my usual foray into YA fantasy. Plus, that cover is giving me Art Deco vibes, and I’m here for it. (February 15, 2022)

A Thousand Steps Into Night, by Traci Chee – A Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry. The full description of this book sounds like Inuyasha?? This cover is gorgeous, as well. (March 1, 2022)

A Forgery of Roses, by Jessica S. Olson – This is a murder mystery gothic fantasy that sounds like it has The Picture of Dorian Gray vibes?? The main character is an artist whose paintings can alter real life, including possibly raising the dead?? Everything about this sounds amazing. (March 29, 2022)

A Far Wilder Magic, by Allison Saft – Give me any kind of fantasy involving alchemy and alchemists. I meant to read Saft’s first novel last year, but I never got around to it, but I think if I enjoy this, I’ll have to pick that one up too. This one seems like a more quiet slowburn kind of fantasy romance, and I think I’ll enjoy it. (March 8, 2022)

A Magic Steeped in Poison, by Judy I. Lin – This is about the magical art of tea-making, and Ning has inadvertently brewed the poison tea that killed her mother. Ning travels to the imperial city to compete in a tea-making competition to win a favor from the princess that might save her sister’s life. This gives me a little bit of The Bone Witch vibes for some reason, but tea-making competitions??? I need it. (March 29, 2022)

Are any of these on your TBR? What romances are you excited to read?

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: New/Upcoming Fiction Releases

- Meg

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine (though it seems as though it’s been a while since she updated that particular blog, so if you know of the current host, if there is one, please let me know) that highlights upcoming releases that we’re impatiently waiting for. This week I’m featuring upcoming/newly released fiction titles I’m excited to read!  As usual, pub dates change without warning, so keep that in mind!

Kaikeyi, by Vaishnavi Patel – Based on Hindu mythology, Kaikeyi appears to be in the same vein as Miller’s Circe, in which Kaikeyi is the story of a vilified woman in Hindu mythology, the mother of Bharat and the stepmother of Ram. In Ramayana, Kaikeyi holds strong ties to her maternal side of the family, exiles her stepson to lift up her own son. Kaikeyi sets out to explore her side of the story, and I have been loving the mythology reimaginings, especially focusing on the female characters who have been historically villainized. (April 26, 2022)

Bronze Drum, by Phong Nguyen – This is about two warrior sisters in ancient Vietnam who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule over a united people. The copy says it’s for readers of Circe and The Night Tiger, but stories about women who overcome immense odds and choose to lead tend to be some of my favorites. (August 9, 2022)

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, by Megan Bannen – This looks like a fantasy romance with grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers tropes, pen pals, and zombies??? One of the early reviews draws comparisons to Howl’s Moving Castle and anime, so with everything I’ve heard about this so far, I am definitely interested in reading this. (August 23, 2022)

A Lullaby for Witches, by Hester Fox – Fox has written a few gothic novels that I’ve enjoyed, and this one has the added twist of a present-day narrative as well. Augusta takes a job at a house and finds herself enthralled with a painting, leading her to want to discover more about the subject of that painting’s life. Secrets unfold, because how could they not, and I’m hoping for that spooky atmospheric vibe I’ve come to enjoy from Fox’s previous works. (February 1, 2022)

Lapvona, by Ottessa Moshfegh – This one’s a newer one on my radar, and I still have not read anything else by Moshfegh yet (though I’m sure that will change soon), but Lapvona looks like a pandemic novel, set in medieval times, with all the weirdness that comes with a medieval setting. (June 21, 2022)

Are any of these on your TBR? What romances are you excited to read?

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: Upcoming/New Romance Releases

- Meg

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine (though it seems as though it’s been a while since she updated that particular blog, so if you know of the current host, if there is one, please let me know) that highlights upcoming releases that we’re impatiently waiting for. This week I’m featuring upcoming/newly released romance titles I’m excited to read!  As usual, pub dates change without warning, so keep that in mind!

Weather Girl, by Rachel Lynn Solomon – I loved Solomon’s The Ex-Talk. It was the perfect blend of workplace romance, and I liked seeing the hero/heroine navigate their professional relationship with their personal relationship.  I especially liked that it was a different workplace setting than what feels like the usual office setting, and I liked the insight into radio broadcasting. I’m hoping for a similar vibe with Weather Girl! I like that this one has a plus-sized hero (which I don’t know if I’ve ever seen but then again my contemporary romance “experience” is limited considering I tend to lean more toward historicals), and I’m hoping for some insights into weather reporting! (January 11, 2022)

To Marry and to Meddle, by Martha Waters – I really enjoyed Waters’s To Have and to Hoax, and this one is the third in her Regency Vows series, so I definitely need to catch up. I’m glad they updated the covers after the first was released because these newer illustrated covers are adorable. This one is about a seasoned debutante and a theater owner and a marriage of convenience with a promised murderous kitten, so I’m very hopeful I’ll enjoy this one. (April 5, 2022)

Meant to Be Mine, by Hannah Orenstein – I was introduced to Orenstein’s work with her debut Playing With Matches, and she’s become one of my favorite contemporary romance writers. I’ve loved every single one of her books, and I’ve loved following her writing process on Instagram for each of her books as well. Something about seeing her process, watching the book grow from ideas to a finish product, really cements the love I have for her work. Meant to Be Mine is about soulmates, so I can’t wait to see what she does with that concept! (June 7, 2022)

Go Hex Yourself, by Jessica Clare – modern day witches and warlocks? Grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers tropes? A meddling black cat? All things point to yes. The cover of this is also extremely adorable. (April 19, 2022)

Gentleman Seeks Bride, by Megan Frampton – I hadn’t realized this was part of a series I just started reading, but that just means I get to read more from this series before I get into this one. I’ve never read Frampton’s historicals before, and the first of the Hazards of Dukes series is already proving to be exactly what I needed to read at this time. The hero’s name, Thomas Sharpe, brings Tom Hiddleston vibes from Crimson Peak, so, yes please. Also, I love this cover!! (November 30, 2021)

Are any of these on your TBR? What romances are you excited to read?

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: Upcoming Fantasy Releases

- Meg

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine (though it seems as though it’s been a while since she updated that particular blog, so if you know of the current host, if there is one, please let me know) that highlights upcoming releases that we’re impatiently waiting for. This week I’m featuring upcoming/newly released fantasy titles I’m excited to read!  As usual, pub dates change without warning, so keep that in mind! You can also click on the cover photos for more detail/bigger file size.

  • Daughter of the Moon Goddess, by Sue Lynn Tan – Inspired by ancient Chinese mythology about the moon goddess Chang’e and her quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. The cover of this is gorgeous, I have an ARC waiting to be read, and this kind of lush fantasy is something I am in the mood for. (January 11, 2022)
  • Gallant, by V.E. Schwab – I’m always excited for a new Schwab release, and this looks amazing. (March 1, 2022)
  • Misrule, by Heather Walker – The first installment of this sapphic retelling of Aurora/Maleficent was one of my favorite reads of 2021, and I am dying DYING to get my hands on the finale. (May 10, 2022)
  • Nettle & Bone, by T. Kingfisher – This has a fairy tale vibe I’m here for and that I was already sold on, but the phrase “a chicken possessed by a demon” in the description has made me want this so much more. (April 26, 2022)
  • Spear, by Nicola Griffith – I still need to read Griffith’s Hild, but this is a queer retelling of Arthur mythology that I’m so excited to read. (April 19, 2022)