Upcoming anticipated releases

We have already passed the halfway point of the year, but there is no need to panic! There are some incredible fantasy books coming out in the next six months that have me practically bursting with anticipation! If you are anything like me, your TBR pile is constantly growing, but you better make room for a couple more! So without further ado - here are the top books for each month that I'm counting down my days for.

July

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen (July 2, 2024).

This is the second book in the series of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and according to Goodreads, this is a heartwarming fantasy with a best friends-to-lovers rom-com twist—When Harry Met Sally, but with dragons!—set in the delightful demigod and donut-filled world of Tanria.

I loved the first book, and spoiler alert, I loved this one as well. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and got to read it early.

The blurb:

The town of Eternity was shocked when widowed Twyla Banneker and her neighbor, Frank Ellis, joined the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, they are still patrolling the dangerous lands of Tanria, once a prison for the Old Gods.

Twyla seems like a typical small-town mom, known for her cheesy potatoes and bake sale cookies, but she enjoys her law enforcement career despite her grown children's worries. Recently, their job has become safer and less exciting. So, when they find a fellow marshal's body covered in liquid glitter and Frank ends up caring for a baby dragon, they are eager for action. As they uncover a deep, sinister plot, Twyla and Frank's friendship faces challenges, and Twyla starts to realize her true soul mate might be the person next door.

August

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace (August 20th, 2024).

This is the third book in the Belladonna series, and I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. Belladonna and Foxglove were two of my favorite reads last year, so I have high hopes for this one.

Blurb:

Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

September

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft (September 17th, 2024).

Allison Saft has been on my radar for a long time, and I have a few of her other books waiting patiently on my shelf. I'm so in love with this cover (and the UK cover, they are both stunning), and it sounds so perfectly atmospheric and magical.

Blurb:

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.

October

Spectacular by Stephanie Garber (October 22, 2024).

I absolutely loved Caraval and Legendary (I still need to finish the trilogy), and I was so excited when they announced this holiday novella (I may or may not have pre-ordered 156 copies of it).

Blurb:

Snowflakes are falling.

Invitations are arriving.

And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire.

It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend...

Well, sadly Legend is not fond of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve... surely there’s some holiday magic swirling around.

Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.

November

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson (November 12, 2024).

Another author I’ve heard of but haven’t read yet. I kept seeing this cover everywhere and couldn't resist pre-ordering the version with the pretty edges. I don't know much about the book, but the blurb sounds great!

Blurb:

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae leader, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

December

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (December 24, 2024).

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was another one of my favorite reads of last year, and I'm so excited to read another book written by Sangu Mandanna. December can't come early enough!

Blurb:

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.