I hope you're all excited for a brand new year, and this year there's a tonne of really awesome sounding books being released! So many that I'm splitting it up in to three different posts/categories!
I've been quiet on the blog over Christmas, but I could think of no better way to start the year than with the debut books I'm most excited for in 2017! There's quite a lot, and some of them don't have all that much information on them, let alone covers SO we're going cover-less for this post otherwise it's not fair to the books that haven't got one yet!
Anyway, some of these sound really exciting and different, and I hope you'll be intrigued by them too! I'll also be tagging all the authors on Twitter when I share this post, so go and give them a follow to get all the news about the books and their publication!
1. Garden of Blood and Dust by K.K Pérez
Legit all you need to know about this is that it's a YA fantasy inspired by Elizabeth Bathory! She was the worlds first female serial killer but what's got me really excited about this release is that it's pitched as a cross between Maleficent and American Horror Story, how freaking awesome does that sound? This is one of the releases that's lacking in information, but GoodReads informs me that it's out 2017, it just doesn't have an exact date yet!
Sidenote: Pérez has a second book coming out this year called The Tesla Legacy which sounds just as awesome!
~~~~
2. Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
I've had this book on my radar for quite a while and I'm really excited for it's release! It's not being published over here (yet) but Book Depository and Amazon have it so that's no excuse for not checking this out!
BRR is the first in a new YA Fantasy trilogy about Anna Arden, who's barred from the Luminate society by a defect of blood. That defect being that unlike her powerful Luminate family she is Barren and can't perform even simple spells. After accidentally breaking her sisters debutante spell she's rather harshly exiled to her family's native Hungary. It's there that she discovers that not everything is as it seems, not the people and not the Luminate society. Discontent with the society is rife, and as rebellion spreads Anna's ability is the catalyst that everyones seeking. Will she choose to deny her ability or will she embrace it and change the world?
~~~~
3. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
I'm not gonna lie, I love me some pirates, so the title alone drew me in!
Alosa is a 17 year old pirate captain on a mission to retrieve a hidden, ancient map, which just so happens to be the key to a legendary treasure! She allows herself to be captured by the enemy so she can search their ship, but there's one thing standing between her and the map....Riden. The annoyingly clever and attractive first mate. Luckily Alosa has some tricks up her sleeve! With romance, action, adventure and a dash of magic, it sounds like a book that's right up my street!
~~~~
4. Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields
Another book I've had my eye on for a month or so now! It sounds so freaking awesome and it has such a pretty cover!
Marina is a teen assassin and poison maiden, and she can kill with a single kiss. She's always been ordered to kill enemies of the kingdom, something that's never bothered her before now because they've all been strangers. But then she's ordered to kill Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. Marinda begins to question who she's really working for and once she pulls that thread, there's no going back.
~~~~
5. Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
This one recently came to my attention and it immediately made my list because it sounds like it's going to be a hell of a lot of fun!
Tilla's father, Lord Kent, loved her as a child but once he had a trueborn child she was pushed to the side and forgotten. So Tilla is well aware that being a bastard sucks. She now spends her days with her half brother Jax exploring the tunnels beneath the castle and then getting drunk with the castle servants at night. Secretly she longs to sit at her father's side but instead she's stuck with the other bastards, including an awkward scholar who's been in love with her since they where children. But at a feast honouring a visiting princess, Lyriana, the princess shocks everyone by sitting at the bastard table. Next thing Tilla knows she's leading the princess on a late-night escapade that unfortunately ends with them witnessing a crime they where never supposed to see. Rebellion is brewing and a coup leaves Lyriana's uncle dead and she's next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by mercenaries. It's not long before their parents but a price on their heads to cover up their treachery from the King and his Royal Mages. Banding together, they realize they have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear the kingdom apart. All they have to do is get to the King in time to warn him...and survive the journey!
~~~~
6. Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Here we have another book with little information on it, but what there is....it sounds awesome! It's slated for a september release but we still don't have a cover, and while I can't find it on any sites, I'm sure it'll be up for pre-order soon!
So what makes this sound so good? Well....our main character is a gender fluid pickpocket who casually auditions to become a replacement member of the Left Hand. The Left Hand being the Queen's quartet of Assassins! Our MC must survive the competition while keeping their true motives hidden! It sounds just that little bit ToG-ish with the competition to become an assassin, but it has such an intriguing twist!
~~~~
7. Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta
I stumbled across this on GoodReads as a recommended read, and I'm so damn intrigued by it! It's the start of a brand new fantasy duology and I just love fantasy so much, and this one sounds a little bit different from everything else!
Faris and her sister Cadence grew up in the slums, struggling to survive. When Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and sold into slavery, Faris agrees to a scheme to buy her back and binds herself to the power hungry Princess Bryn at the same time. Power hungry, you say? Yep she's totally after her fathers throne and can't seem to just wait her turn.
Faris must now smuggle stolen magic in to neighbouring kingdom Avinea to incite it's prince to an allianc- magic that addicts in this war torn country can sense in her blood and steal with a touch. Faris and Bryn turn to North, a travelling magician who offers them protection from the dangers of Avinea. But he can't save Faris from Bryn's cruelty. You see Bryn is using Cadence as leverage to get Faris to do anything...to kill anyone she asks. But Faris is just as fierce as Bryn and she's got a scheme or two of her own up her sleeve.
~~~~
8. The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty
The Traitor's Kiss features a couple of things that caught my attention...a girl who will not be married (fair enough), a soldier desperate to prove himself (again...fair enough) and a kingdom on the brink of war. Love me a kingdom on the brink of war!
Our MC is Sage, and she has quite the sharp tongue and unruly temper. Not exactly what you'd call a lady but she's not all that bothered. Sage is deemed as unfit for marriage, and apprenticed to the matchmaker. As such she's tasked with wrangling other young ladies who are to be married off political alliances. I mean..I don't know about you guys but I'd rather be like Sage! ANYWAY, Sage spies on the girls and the soldiers escorting them. It's when said military escort senses a political uprising that sage is recruited by one of the soldiers to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The thing about spying is, that the more you learn about the 'enemy' the more you don't know who's right and who's wrong, and the more you don't know how to trust.
~~~~
9. Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Now, I was initially unsure if this was a 2017 or 2018 but it's down on Amazon as a 2017 release from Hodder so it's going on the list because it sounds awesome! I mean...there's not much info on it but it still sounds awesome!
Mirage is a YA fantasy/sci-fi based on our lovely authors Moroccan background. It features a poor girl from an isolated moon who must become the body double to the cruel imperial princess and soon learns that life in the royal palace more dangerous and complicated than she imagined.
Now I like to pretend that the Star Wars prequels don't exist because I really can't stand them but in order to make that assessment I had to watch them. I remember that a certain princess had a body double and my brain immediately went to that...but this is going to be way more awesome!
~~~~
10. Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popović
I'm not going to lie, the stunning cover drew me in when I came across this, but it was the synopsis that had me getting excited for this and immediately adding it to my list of 2017 releases and debuts! Why? Well...
All the women in Iris and Malina's family are born with a gleam, a way of manipulating beauty through magic. Iris sees flowers as fractals and makes glassworks from her kaleidoscopic visions. Her twin Malina interprets mood as music, and their mother bakes scenery in to decadent treats at her confectionary. Their mother is a little on the cold and distant side and she forbids the girls to share their gleams with anyone, and from falling in love, because if they're discovered it will shatter the quiet lives they've built. But not surprisingly the girls are tired of the rules and rebel in secret whenever they can. But when a mysterious white haired woman attacks their mother, leaving her hovering between life and death, the sisters unearth an ancient curse (I do love an ancient curse!), that haunts their line. The bargain masquerades as a blessing and binds the twins hearts and fates to a force larger than life.
~~~~
11. Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Another GoodReads find that immediately caught my attention because I do love a good travelling circus with a smidge of debauchery!
This book is a fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a travelling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires. Drawn in by that tagline? Me too!
Sorina has spent most of her life within the borders of the festival, but even amongst her unusual companions she stands out as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. Her rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. As such, her creations are her family and they all make up the cast of the Freak Show.
But no matter how lifelike they may seem, they're still just illusions and thus, not real. Or...that's what Sorina always believed. Right up until one of them is murdered. (Who the hell would murder a poor, innocent illusion?!)
Sorina, desperate to protect her family, must track down the culprit and determine how to kill a person who doesn't actually exist. Her search takes her right to the self proclaimed gossip worked, Luca. Their investigation will take them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and in to the most sinister corners of the Festival.
~~~~
12. Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
I'm sure I don't need to tell you why this caught my eye, because I'm 99% sure you're attention has already been piqued by the title of the book and your brain has conjured up a certain image.
Yep. This is the origin story of the sea witch from Hans Christian Anderson's, The Little Mermaid. It's being told in the vein of Wicked, so we'll be getting the villainess's point of view!
I used to be obsessed with The Little Mermaid at one point in my childhood, and so I'm really excited for this read!
~~~~
13. The League of American Traitors by Matthew Landis
This is one of those books that I stumbled across and was intrigued, so I read the synopsis and didn't even get halfway through before I was like 'yep...totally reading this!'.
The first thing you need to know?
It's pitched as a cross between National Treasure and Hamilton. Now I haven't seen Hamilton but I have seen National Treasure and the history nerd/wannabe Indiana Jones in me LOVED those movies!
17 year old Jasper is approached at his deadbeat father's funeral by a man claiming to be an associate of his parents, and he's immediately thrust in to a world of secrets that are tied to American history...and Jasper's right in the heart of it.
You see, firstly it turns out he's the sole surviving descendant of Benedict Arnold himself. You know...just the most notorious traitor in US history. Secondly he learns his father's death wasn't the accident that it appeared. Poor old Jasper is right at the centre of a centuries long war in which the descendants of the heroes and traitors of the American Revolution duel it out to the death, all for honour.
Jasper's only hope to escape his fate is to take up his father's research to clear Arnold's name. He's whisked off to a boarding school full of other descendants of notorious American traitors as he begins to take part in this race for the truth, and if Jasper doesn't win, he's going to pay for his forefather's sins with his life.
~~~~
14. Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland & Michael Miller
What drew me to this book? The pitch that proclaims this is a cross between Firefly and Dune! I've said it before and I'll say it again, I mostly read fantasy and I rarely go for Sci-Fi. Why? Because I'm really, really picky! This however...makes the list!
Our MC Nev has joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage, as their brand new cargo loader. His captain Qole just so happens to be the youngest person to ever command their own ship, and she takes no crap from anyone. Least of all her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men and Nev finds her hard to resist.
Nev himself, happens to be a prince hiding out on the ship. He thinks Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilisation as everyone knows it. But her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, so Nev determines to get her to his home planet by any means necessary. But before they know it a rival royal family is after Qole and they aren't as reasonable as Nev. They're way more interested in stealing her abilities rather than keeping her alive.
~~~~
15. Even The Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
Not much is known about this intriguing book, but I'm definitely excited for it. It sounds like it's going to be a gripping read, and it's full of magic and monsters!
ETDS is set in a fictional Himalayan kindgom, now how many times have you read a book set in a Himalayan kindgom? I don't know about you guys but I never have! That setting made this an instant add for me!
Aside from that it's about a female mountaineer, who's enlisted by a legendary explorer to help him climb the kingdoms deadliest mountain. Which sounds like a grand adventure until it becomes apparent that the explorers mission may threaten her entire world.
~~~~
16. Toward a Secret Sky by Heather MacLean
I'm not going to lie, a large part of me adding this was the whole "otherworldly mercenary she's not supposed to fall in love with" and "charming aristocrat entranced by her" plus the mentions of labyrinths and booby trapped underground crypts. I love me some romance and creepy crypts! It sounds like a winning combination to me!
Maren has been orphaned and sent to her grandparents in Scotland but she hasn't gone alone...she finds herself in possession of an encrypted journal from her mother that paints a target on her back. Turns out her parents where employed by a secret organisation that's intent on recruiting her.
As Maren works to decipher the clues left by her mother a murderous madness sweeps through the locals. Maren has to decide if she'll stay behind to save everyone or continue her parents fight.
Maren has the help of Gavin, said mercenary, and Graham, said aristocrat, and with them she has to race against the clock and around the country. Cue a tour of palatial estates, twisted labyrinths, famous cathedrals and their booby trapped, subterranean crypts, all in order to find a cure while staying ahead of her enemies.
~~~~
17. Game of Secrets by Kim Foster
We don't know much about Game of Secrets but what we do know is exciting! I'm sure you guys will be able to work out from the first sentence why I immediately clicked "Add to TBR" once I'd read it!
"A YA historical fantasy/spy thriller set in an alternate Victorian world".
I really do love alternate Victorian worlds, or you know...alternate historical worlds in general! But that's not all!
In this alternate Victorian world, anyone with a special ability is considered Tainted, yep capital T and all! These poor people are hunted down and killed, because you know...if it's different be scared of it. A girl awaiting execution is rescued by a mysterious gentleman (HELL YES) and whisked away to a clandestine countryside spy institute founded by Christopher Marlowe (EVEN MORE HELL YES!). It's there that she's put in to training for Her Majesty's secret service. *unintelligible shrieking*
~~~~
18. Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson
Hmmmm Mansfield....Mansfield...that sounds familiar....
Yes. Yes it does my friends, this is a re-imagined and modernized version of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park! I haven't actually read Mansfield Park yet, but this book is making me want to, after I've read this version of course!
Finley is our leading lady, and she has perfected two things in her life: how to direct a world class production, and how to fly way under the radar. The only person who ever seems to notice her is her BFF Oliver, who happens to be the Bertram's son. If only she could take Oliver's encouragement to heart and step out of the shadows, she'd finally chase her dream of joining the Mansfield Theatre.
When teen movie stars Emma and Harlan Crawford move next door to the Bertram's, they immediately hone in on Oliver and his cunning sister Juliette, shaking up Finley and Oliver's otherwise stable friendship in the progress.
As Emma and Oliver grow closer (*cheers*), Harlan finds his attention shifting to Emma (*Boooooo*). Our quiet, enigmatic and completely unimpressed Emma. Out of boredom, Harlan decides to make Emma fall in love with him, (*Booing intensifies*) because that's clearly the go to when your bored. Someone needs to tell Harlan to pick up a book seriously ;)
Unluckily for Harlan the harder he tries the harder he falls for her and Finley is not interested. She doesn't want to see Oliver with anyone else, and to claim Oliver's heart she'll have to overcome her fears, gather her courage and step in to the spotlight.
~~~~
19. The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
Harlequin Teen never lets me down for awesome YA books and they've got another gem releasing this year! And it all kicks off with a nice prophecy...don't you just love a prophecy!?
'A Great Winged One will soon arise and cast his fearsome shadow upon the land. And just as Night slays Day, and Day slays Night, so also shall another Black Witch rise to meet him, her powers vast beyond imagining.'
That my friends, is the greatest prophecy of the Gardnerian mages and Carnissa is the last prophesied Black Witch. She drove back enemy forces and saved her people during the Realm War but now there's a new danger on the horizon and it's her granddaughter Elloren is believed to be Carnissa's heir. But while Elloren may be the image of her grandmother, she is devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else.
When she's granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren is eager to join her brothers at Verpax University, and embrace a destiny of her own. Understandably she's excited to be free from the shadow of her grandmothers legacy. But she soon realises that the university that admits all manner of people, including the fire-weilding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemy of her people, is an even more treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.
~~~~
20. The Castaways by Jessika Fleck
The Castaways grabbed my attention with the words "Mean Girls meets Lord of the Flies" and that's pretty much all we know about it other than that it's a YA contemporary fantasy!
I've included it in the list because obviously that sounds awesome, but also...just imagine the possibilities for the story! I'm not usually one for books with castaways and surviving on an island and all of that but I'm part of the generation that was obsessed with Mean Girls at one point in our teen lives and I'm quite capable of quoting the crap out of it, so colour me intrigued.
~~~~
21. Daughter of Passion and Stone by Rebecca Ross
I'll admit when this popped up on my GoodReads the word passion had me a little wary, I usually associate that word with romance novels with half naked blokes on the cover but as I read the synopsis I became more and more intrigued!
It's Brienna's seventeenth summer solstice and she only wants two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. She's not asking for much folks!
On her side is the fact that she's grown up at the renowned Magnalia House. While some are born with intrinsic talent for one of the five passions of life, Brienna knows she is lacking. After four years failing to master art, music, dramatics, and wit...she settles for knowledge. Knowledge is the last of the passions and is instructed by the rather rigid Master Cartier, who happens to be kinda, sorta a little bit handsome. Unfortunately for Brienna summers first night awakens her worst fear...the solstice doesn't go according to plan.
Luckily a disgraced lord offers her patronage, and Brienna accepts knowing he needs her ancestral memories to aid his secret plans for retribution. (YAAAS vengeance!). But Brienna soon learns she's assisting three exiled lords in a dangerous attempt to dethrone the King and restore the rightful Queen to her throne.
But plans become tangled when Brienna discovers an unexpected connection to the House she is sent to destroy and she'll need to decide where her loyalties lie. Passion...or blood?
~~~~
Thank you for including THE BLACK WITCH on this awesome list! I've read a bunch of these ARCs and this is really great company to be in! :) <3
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Your book sounds brilliant, I love things that are a little bit different! I'm so jealous you've already read some of these!
Delete