#New releases

[torpublishinggroup]

This advertisement is for The Lies We Conjure, the new contemporary supernatural thriller from Sarah Henning.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Thirteen witches. Two ordinary sisters. One locked-room murder. This whodunit is giving Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic. 

An eccentric old woman approaches sisters Ruby and Wren with an offer too good to pass up: attend a fancy dinner party posing as her granddaughters for two grand each. Sounds like a great arrangement—what could possibly go wrong? Literally EVERYTHING! 

Shortly after arriving at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, the hostess is dead and a killer lies among the dinner guests. Did we mention the guests are all powerful witches? Ruby and Wren must solve the murder if they hope to make it out of the manor alive.

[torteen]

This advertisement is for Infinity Alchemist, a dark academia fantasy about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power from the bestselling and award-winning author of Felix Ever After, Kacen Callender.

The art featured in this image is by Chris Sack. 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Defy All Limits.

For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime. Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic—so when Ash is rejected by Lancaster College of Alchemic Science, he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead, forced to learn alchemy in secret. When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne, Ash is sure he's about to be arrested—but instead of calling the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power. As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists—Ash’s estranged father included. Ash’s journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia, forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.

[bigbigtruck]

Hey, so today KING IN LIMBO volume 1 came out, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Full disclosure: I’m the letterer on this manga. Kodansha paid me for that, but not to plug this book, or to gush about it with the editor. This is probably my favorite title I’ve ever worked on. The SF premise is very cool and the sense of place is spot on, but what makes KING IN LIMBO stand out is the multifaceted, layered main character. If you’re into grounded, character-heavy SF and want more comics for mature readers please check it out.

I just got the script and assets for the third and final volume and am so excited to see how it wraps up.

[ninja-muse]

This book! This book!

I'm a fan of:

sporking fantasy tropes

female antiheroes

pop culture references

competency porn

hot messes

hot messes who somehow are also hyper-competent???

fourth wall breakage

unapologetically queer people

animal-people

time shenanigans

great fight scenes

footnotes

laughing

And this book delivered! I knew I had to read this as soon as I heard about it. (Woman caught in a time loop decides not to be the Chosen One, but the Dark Lord? Hello, yes please.)

It's been a while, like maybe a year ago with Perilous Times, since I've had so much fun with a comic fantasy. I have a serious case of the gimmes for the sequel now.

[sunburnacoustic]

Muse are back! Kind of. The whole band has guested on a track by electronic producer Zedd, Matt, Chris and Dom are separately credited with vocals, bass and drums. It sounds quite a lot like something Muse themselves would do: the synth arpeggios, Matt’s very recognizable vocal runs reminiscent of something on The Resistance, and then those strings at the end! Muse apparently not involved in the string arrangement, but Matt is credited as lyrical composer; at this hour I forget if that means he composed the vocal melodies or if he wrote the lyrics. It does open with the words ‘Ave Maria’, so you make a guess.

I do have to say I love the opening jukebox arpeggios. That could’ve been on Absolution. Or could’ve been Soldier’s Poem. So maybe it could’ve been on Absolution ;)

Still, I think it’s a decent song Muse fans will enjoy as our band takes their long-due holiday!

It’s called 1685.

[aeolianblues]

“The idea of the title ['Starburster'] is about embracing the necessary delusion in terms of how to function [in everyday life]. I imagine it as a world within a snow globe, that you can slip into like a warm bath, but within that world is all the madness and the hysteria. It's about embracing that.”

“This album is about my fascination with falling in love at the end of the world: the album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes.”

“We’ve always had this sense of idealism and romance. Each album gets further away from observing that through the lens of Ireland, as directly as ‘Dogrel‘. The second album is about that detachment, and the third is about Irishness dislocated in the diaspora. Now we look to where and what else there is to be romantic about.”

Fontaines D.C. - Romance (2024)

[officialshojobeat]

New Shojo Beat Releases for April 2024

These volumes will be in bookstores this month.

Kimi ni Todoke: Soulmate vol. 1 by Karuho Shiina **New Series**

Neighborhood Story vol. 2 by Ai Yazawa (creator of Nana)

Rainbow Days vol. 9 by Minami Mizuno

Tamon’s B-Side vol. 3 by Yuki Shiwasu

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits vol. 9 by Waco Ioka Midori Yuma, and Laruha

Skip Beat! vol. 49 by Yoshiki Nakamura

[richincolor]

December Releases

As we prepare for our hiatus, we are gathering the releases for December all in one place for readers. Next week, we'll start posting our favorites from 2024 and then we will have a bit of a break and see you again in 2025. Here are the books we're watching for in December.

December 3

Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños by Alex Segura Disney Press

Return to Casita where we find seventeen-year-old Bruno from Disney’s hit animated film Encanto, where readers will finally learn what happened to make people never want to talk about him.

Fans will love this dark and mysterious young adult novel by Alex Segura, a NYT bestselling author who also wrote Poe Dameron: Free Fall and Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow.

Seventeen-year-old Bruno has never really fit in with his family—why can’t he be as outgoing as his sister Pepa, or as friendly as his sister Julieta? Does he like being the awkward loaner who never seems to find where he can fit in? But it’s hard to be popular when you have the power to tell the future and people don’t always like what you are telling them. So Bruno devises an act, and begins to model the behavior he feels the town wants to see in a hero.

But is being dishonest to himself and others the right path to walk down in order to make friends, or is Bruno just kidding himself as he hides from his own destiny that threatens to destroy all he holds dear?

My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen HarperCollins

The way Clae’s mom tells it, her dad took off when Clae was a baby, end of story. Ever since, it’s just been the two of them, living in the coastal city of Gloucester, where Clae is one of the only few Black girls. But when Clae discovers clues about a mysterious person she calls her fairy god somebody, she’s determined to know more.

Her chance comes when she’s accepted into a summer journalism program in New York City, where her parents lived before she was born. With a couple of leads and a steel resolve, Clae leaves home for the first time to find out about her history.

New York is as full of magic as it is mystery, not to mention romance. From Brooklyn to Broadway, Clae and her new friends, Nze and Joelle, explore neighborhood haunts and hustles, discovering a family trail that someone’s tried hard to bury. So who is the fairy god somebody? And can Clae use her sleuthing skills to find out the truth?

Set against one unforgettable NYC summer, this is the story of lies that run deep and patterns that are meant to be broken. Clae, Nze, and Joelle will stick with you and remind you that every girl deserves to write her own story.

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall Entangled Publishing, LLC (Red Tower Books)

Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede Candlewick Press

Infused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.

Sixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream—a gift from the Mapou—tells Lucille to go to her village’s section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family’s at risk.

Forced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society’s elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer’s son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again—this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille’s new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become Their Eyes Were Watching God, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about—and any chance of seeing her best friend again—as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.

December 17

Spell of the Sinister (A Fairy Godmother #2) by Danielle Paige Bloomsbury

Two magical sisters. One more chance at revenge. . . .

Ever since Cinderella disappeared with Prince Mather the queendoms have been in disarray. Now with her magical power completely unchecked, Galatea intends to exact revenge on humans for using the Entente. Her plan? Send Bari off to find a new prince and take over one queendom at a time. But Bari’s mission is complicated when South joins her and sparks begin to fly . . .

Meanwhile, Farrow is on her own journey to reunite with Cinderella and Prince Mather in the first Queendom. Amid brewing conflict, Farrow grapples with her feelings for Mather, her friendship with Cinderella, and her loyalty to the Entente’s original purpose–to influence with helpful magic, never take total control.

Once as close as sisters, Bari and Farrow now find themselves on opposing sides. Will malice win out, or will the next generation of Entente chart a new path to “happily ever after” for their magical coven of fairy godmothers?

December 24

Heavenly Tyrant (Iron Widow #2) by Xiran Jay Zhao Tundra Books

After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself at the seat of power in Huaxia. But she has also learned that her world is not as it seems, and revelations about an enemy more daunting than Zetian imagined forces her to share power with a dangerous man she cannot simply depose. Despite having vastly different ideas about how they must deconstruct the corrupt and misogynist system that plagues their country, Zetian must join this man in a dance of truth and lies and perform their roles to perfection in order to take down their common enemy, who seeks to control them as puppets while dangling one of Zetian’s loved ones as a hostage.

With political unrest and perilous forces aiming to undermine Zetian at every turn, can she enact positive changes as a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance?

December 31

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao Viking Books for Young Readers

For Gemma’s whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There’s just one major to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather’s home in Taiwan. And the only way she can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, Gemma finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it’s about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Filled with ingenious puzzles, a vibrant Taipei setting, and a delicious romance, Ex Marks the Spot is an exciting adventure by award-winning writer Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Loveboat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (October 1st, 2024)

___

Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

___

New Releases:

The Champions by Kara Thomas

The Dark Becomes Her by Judy I. Lin

Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick

Killer House Party by Lily Anderson

No Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada (illustrator)

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicholl

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz

Ros Demir is Not the One by Leyla Brittan

The Kiss of the Nightingale by Adi Denner

Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey

Three Things About Emmy Crawford by Allison L. Bitz

Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood

There is No Map for This by Tom Birdseye

This Dark Paradise by Erin Luken

The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Remember Me Tomorrow by Farah Heron

New Sequels:

The Magic You Make (The Spells We Cast #2) by Jason June

Prince of Glass & Midnight (Princes #3) by Linsey Miller

The Brightness Between Us (The Darkness Outside Us #2) by Eliot Schrefer

Nothing Like the Movies (Better than the Movies #2) by Lynn Painter

___

Happy reading!

[bibliophilecats]

So many beautiful new books in August 💜💚

[theinquisitxor]

Why You Should Read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily, a Cambridge professor of dryadology travels to a remote Scandinavian town to study a previously unstudied type of faerie, in order to complete the Encycopaedia she is working on

When her colleague and academic rival, Wendall Brambleby also shows up, getting in her way and infuriating her, Emily and Wendall must work together to uncover the secrets of the faeries.

This book is like if Howls Moving Castle and Spinning Silver had a child?

Emily and Wendall give major Howl and Sophie vibes. Wendall is a dramatic, over the top sliterer-outer (and may not be all that he seems). Emily is a bit of a curmudgeon, not a people person, and dedicated to her work.

This book is a journal format, and we are reading Emily's journal recounting the experience

Footnotes!

This is a winter read through and through

Cozy-fantasy that is set during the Edwardian era, although parts can get a little bit dark (that's just how faeries are though)

the Faerie in this book reminded me a lot of the the staryk from Spinning Silver, so if you like that type of faerie, this book is for you

This book is a love letter to fairy tales, faeries, and folklore

A lovable dog companion, lesbian side characters

Changelings, brownies, Winter Kings and Faerie Princes, enchantments

This book is just clever and neat, and really opens up a lot of potential for other books

All in all, I loved it, and I think you should read it too!

[torpublishinggroup]

This advertisement is for The Sky on Fire, a daring new fantasy heist adventure from the acclaimed author of the Chorus of Dragons series, Jenn Lyons.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT 

If you ever wished for a book that's a mash-up of Fourth Wing and Six of Crows, behold The Sky on Fire.

Steal from a dragon who already wants you dead? It's not much of a choice, but in order for Anahrod to maintain her survival, it's a risk she has to take. In a world where humans are ruled by merciless dragons, Anahrod joins a sexy dragonrider and a gang of misfits plotting to steal a dragon's hoard. They'll have to rely on each other to pull off this impossible heist or this deadly mission will be their last.

[torteen]

This advertisement is for Infinity Alchemist, a dark academia fantasy about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power from the bestselling and award-winning author of Felix Ever After, Kacen Callender.

The art featured in this image is by Chris Sack. 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

“Magic was once thought to only be gifted to the unique or special, the chosen ones. Now it was commonly known that every single person in the world had the capability to become an alchemist.”

For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime. Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic—so when Ash is rejected by Lancaster College of Alchemic Science, he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead, forced to learn alchemy in secret. When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne, Ash is sure he's about to be arrested—but instead of calling the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power. As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists—Ash’s estranged father included. Ash’s journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia, forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.

[batbitestoys]

Beau's Sheath Stroker 🌕🐺

Our first large stroker design! This model can be used as a stroker for folks with any anatomy as well as a packer or wearable. The Sheath Stroker can also be used as a bumper, to add balls to a model without them, and can be used solo or with a partner! Future versions of the model will be a swappable pack and play combo with multiple shaft offerings, so keep an eye out for that 🥰

Some notes about the sheathes in tonight's drop:

This model is still in development. On the underside small air bubbles get trapped and the surface has numerous mold defects and overall poor finish quality. All sheathes will be discounted until this issue is fixed as we continue to develop it.

All Sheath Strokers in their debut drop will be discounted at half price!

[ninja-muse]

The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan is the most original fantasy novel I've read in a good while. It doesn't follow a familiar plot structure. It's peopled by characters rarely seen but true to life. It tackles its issues, themes, and conundrums without turning them into morals or even necessarily reaching conclusions. The magic has been done before, but also not this way. The world, while familiar in some aspects, also feels fresh and different.

Did I like it? I'm not sure. But I definitely think it's worth picking up.

Because this book is so different, it's hard to encapsulate. The premise of a young woman determined to prove herself and gain the job and status she deserves sounds like it should launch a novel of revenge, of conquest, or of an underdog—but this doesn't. A story about magical dolls designed to fight ravening monsters sounds like it should be about great battles and increasing odds—but this isn't. This also isn't a story about a stranger upending a small town, or mentorship, or political conflicts, or even a mystery. Instead, there are elements of all those things, but this novel is too character-driven to fall neatly into boxes. Shean of Pearl is simply going to do what she thinks best and we're along for the journey.

The complexity of the plot is mirrored in its characters. Shean is capable of kindness and delicacy and righteous anger, but she's also tactless and self-absorbed and unwilling to listen to reason. There are brave characters too afraid to interact with society, kind mentors who fail in their mentorship, sour but welcoming villagers, wandering scholars who hold themselves apart until they don't, rule-abiding citizens who can't value originality, thoughtful people who come to snap judgements, and a host of other people who are flawed and complicated as anyone of us might be in their place. There's nobody I can point to and say, "Here, she relied entirely on a trope."* Buchanan's character work is arguably where this book shines most.

As for the themes and issues, I've grown used to fantasy and science fiction with clear morals, clear good guys, and clear political points. Again, this isn't that sort of book. You have to get well into it before you see what Buchanan's talking about on that level and she's more interested about raising questions and pointing out problems than she is in solving anything. We and her characters are left with things to think about, and with introspection. And no, I won't say more than that. Spoilers!

This isn't to say that this book is without flaw. Mostly, on that front, I found Shean's emotional journey a little sudden and jerky at points, with greater or quicker character growth than her personality led me to expect, and there's one particular moment near the beginning that felt exaggerated for the sake of demonstration rather than being true to character. The rest of my problems, and what's holding me back from saying, "This book was amazing!", I think stem from how different this book is. Is my grumble at that minor character's reaction due to weak writing or because they're so perfectly poised within their world that of course they don't act like a "normal" character? Is this plot line wrapping up too neatly or are we being set up for a sequel? That sort of thing. I should point out this is a debut novel and these are issues I've run into with debut novels before—but at the same time, this is much, much more polished and subtle than a lot of debuts are.

As for the magic and the world, I've run on too long to cover them much, but the doll magic is lovely, the monsters are fascinating, the idea that every nation has its own entirely separate culture and magic is familiar while the details are not, and in general, it's all very strong. Buchanan has a lot to play with and I'd happily read more in this world whether or not there's a direct sequel.

To sum up: this is a very strong, very interesting, very unique debut fantasy. It's a novel to mull over and one I'll be sorting through my feelings for. If you're interested in smaller fantasy stories, fantasies that take their time, or are tired of current fantasy trends and plot types, you should absolutely give this one a look. Buchanan's going to be an author to watch, I think.

* apart from third-tier non-speaking characters, like waiters or shopkeepers