March Hype Post!
March is an evil month for new releases! Trying to compile this list, I had to decide very early on that I could not include any titles that I would be reviewing anyway, as my list was way too long as it was. I also purposefully don’t include any titles that are extremely hyped already to give some space to books you might not have heard of before.
It’s also my birthday month, so if any publishers of these books want to be extra nice to their resident blogger and send a copy of any of these my way… I wouldn’t say no!
Remember how February’s hype post prominently featured Sarah Gailey? Well, March is going to do the same. Because they are releasing another book, When We Were Magic. This time, it’s a YA about teens and accidental magic, and it sounds both amazing and hilarious. It is also queer and focuses on female friendship which gets many bonus points from me. This is out on the 3rd, and I’ve been desperate to get my hands on it since I first heard of its release last year. Pre-order it here.
Another prolific author, Wicked As You Wish is Rin Chupeco’s third novel in a year. They write wonderfully twisty fantasies inspired by their Filipino heritage with a touch of signature darkness. I have really enjoyed all of their books I have read so far, and last fall, I was even lucky enough to take part in the blog tour for The Never Tilting World (see my review here). This one is set in America, dealing with issues of immigration, and apparently features firebirds, magic and a Snow Queen. It’s out on the 3rd as well, and you can pre-order here.
In 2018 I got to go to my very first proper author event while I was in Boston for a conference. One of the authors I met that day was the lovely, witchy, April Genevieve Tucholke, who signed my newly released copy of The Boneless Mercies. I loved that story about a band of warrior girls shamelessly questing for glory! And now its semi-sequel/companion novel, Seven Endless Forests, based on Arthurian legend, is being released on the 31st. As anyone who knows me is aware, I’m a sucker for anything medieval-based, especially now that I get to claim it as research. So, super keen for this one! Pre-order it here.
One of my first reviews on here was for the first book in Melinda Salisbury’s last duology, State of Sorrow. I loved that book so much, especially due to its political nature and portrayal of an election process in a YA fantasy. After finishing one of my favourite duologies of all time, Melinda is back with a supernatural mystery set in Scotland. I can’t wait to dive into it, even though I don’t really know much about it. This is out on the fifth, and if you are around London, Waterstones is throwing her a launch on the 14th, with tickets available here! Add Hold Back the Tide on Goodreads here and pre-order it here.
So, there’s been a lot of YA on this list so far, but Docile by K. M. Szpara is anything but. A dystopian speculative fiction novel thinking about issues of capitalism, free will and servitude, this one has received stellar reviews. I have been super excited for it since I first heard of it and am anxiously awaiting its release on the 3rd. Also, it’s edited by Carl Engle-Laird, the man who also brought us the grandiose Gideon the Ninth last year. So if that’s not reason to read it, I don’t know what is. Pre-order it here.
It is no secret that I’m a sucker for short story collections. And an anthology full of stories about black girls and enbys and their magic? Sign me right up! Featuring an amazing line-up of authors of colour, including names such as Elizabeth Acevedo, L.L. McKinney, Dhonielle Clayton and many more, and edited by Patrice Caldwell, this collection out on the 10th comes out just after the end of Black History Month shows that black experiences should be celebrated all the time. I will definitely be buying A Phoenix First Must Burn as soon as I find a copy! Pre-order it here.