New Book Releases for July 2024

I hope you're enjoying your summer! Here's a few books that I'm looking forward to this July! Are any of these on your list?

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen 

Release Date: July 2, 2024

Genre: Fantasy/Fantasy Romance

The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla’s rewarding career patrolling the strange land of Tanria remains a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank's job a lot safer ... and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals near an enormous footprint—and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon—they are grateful to be back in action.
 
Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as danger closes in and Twyla and Frank's investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might be the person who has lived next door all along...

Dream Walker by Brittany Gossin 

Release Date: July 2, 2024

Genre: Fantasy

In the aftermath of a harrowing nightmare, seventeen-year-old Ella Windsor must face a chilling reality as the wounds from her dreams appear on her body. To add to her terror, she witnesses the intrusion of a nightmarish creature come to life, lurking on her high school campus.

Faced with no choice but to escape the nightmares and search for why she's the only one who can see them, Ella ventures into the mysterious Astral Realm. Alongside Ethan Wessex, a stunningly gorgeous Lieutenant of the Queen's Astral Guard with his own air of mystery, Ella discovers a realm on the brink of war.

Azvameth, the King of Nightmares, harboring secrets of his own, seeks dominion not just over the Astral Realm but every waking world. With the assistance of other dream walkers, including the devastatingly handsome Cole, a Fae Prince, and Rhea, a feisty Elven female, each armed with latent magic, Ella may prove to be the missing piece in destroying Azvameth and saving her precious Mortal and Astral Realms.

In this epic romantasy, Ella grapples with love and betrayal, torn between the mysterious Ethan and the potential true love of Cole, all while embarking on a journey of self-discovery and found family. The nightmares have awakened, but so has she.

The Blackbird Oracle by Deborah Harkness 

Release date: July 16, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Romantasy

Deborah Harkness first introduced the world to Diana Bishop, an Oxford scholar and witch, and vampire geneticist Matthew de Clermont in A Discovery of Witches. Drawn to each other despite long-standing taboos, these two otherworldly beings found themselves at the center of a battle for a lost, enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Since then, they have fallen in love, traveled to Elizabethan England, dissolved the Covenant between the three species, and awoken the dark powers within Diana’s family line.

Now, Diana and Matthew receive a formal demand from the Congregation: They must test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Rebecca. Concerned with their safety and desperate to avoid the same fate that led her parents to spellbind her, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family’s future and answers a message from a great-aunt she never knew existed, Gwyneth Proctor, whose invitation simply reads: It’s time you came home, Diana.

On the hallowed ground of Ravenswood, the Proctor family home, and under the tutelage of Gwyneth, a talented witch grounded in higher magic, a new era begins for Diana: a confrontation with her family’s dark past and a reckoning for her own desire for even greater power—if she can let go, finally, of her fear of wielding it.

In this stunning new novel, grand in scope, Deborah Harkness deepens the beloved world of All Souls with powerful new magic and long-hidden secrets, and the path Diana finds at Ravenswood leads to the most consequential moments yet in this cherished series.

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan 

Release date: July 30, 2024

Genre: Epic Fantasy/ YA Fantasy Romance

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews 

Release date: July 30, 2024

Genre: Fantasy

It’s not easy serving Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death…especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie.

Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in. Now elite mercenaries are camped out on his property, combat mages are dousing the house with fire, and strange priests are unleashing arcane magic. They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it's a fight to the death, but for him, it's just another day in the neighborhood.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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New Book Releases for June 2024

Upcoming Sci-Fi/Fantasy Releases for June  2024

Ya'll Summer is right around the corner and here are a few new books that have caught my eye. I hope to snag these as I'm cozying up by the poolside, or relaxing in my hammock. Which one are you looking forward to the most?

Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee

Release Date: June 4, 2024

Genre: Y/A Sci-Fi

In a society where conformity is valued above all else, a teen girl training to become an Imperial pilot is forced to return to her rebel roots to save her world in this adrenaline-fueled sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and Skyward!

Hwa Young was just ten years old when imperial forces destroyed her rebel moon home. Now, six years later, she is a citizen of the very empire that made her an orphan.

Desperate to shake her rebel past, Hwa Young dreams of one day becoming a lancer pilot, an elite group of warriors who fly into battle using the empire’s most advanced tech—giant martial robots. Lancers are powerful, and Hwa Young would do anything to be the strong one for once in her life.

When an attack on their boarding school leaves Hwa Young and her classmates stranded on an imperial space fleet, her dreams quickly become a reality. As it turns out, the fleet is in dire need of pilot candidates, and Hwa Young—along with her brainy best friend Geum, rival Bae, and class clown Seong Su—are quick to volunteer.

But training is nothing like what they expected, and secrets—like the fate of the fleet’s previous lancer squad and hidden truths about the rebellion itself—are stacking up. And when Hwa Young uncovers a conspiracy that puts their entire world at risk, she’s forced to make a choice between her rebel past and an empire she’s no longer sure she can trust.

A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette 

Release Date: June 12, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Gaslamp Fantasy

They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract.

The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option.

Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game.

Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen 

Release Date: June 18, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy

Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune. 

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own. 

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba  

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Genre: Fantasy/LGBTQ Fantasy

In this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization.

Perfect for fans of lush fantasy full of morally ambiguous characters, including The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne.

María Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister María, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila's Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and Cat's younger sister Inez.

Lunurin is determined to keep her head down—until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila's most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with her for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu's rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon’s magic and Catalina’s jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu’s fury at bay.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

 A Clean Fantasy Young Adult Series

A new author and a new series for me, I was initially pulled in by the beautiful cover, and I'm always here for anything fantasy related.

Synopsis:

Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price...

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha―one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Thoughts:

I recently finished up Bone Witch, and I have mixed feelings on this book, but I think I'm the problem, and not the book.

First of all, this book is a YA Fantasy Novel, but this is a *young* young adult possibly borders middle grade to me, and I didn't feel like there was any coming of age. Yet? Maybe that comes later in the series.

The book had two timelines but really only in the beginning. We meet an older Tea, an exiled Tea, and the what and why never was resolved. After meeting older Tea, we go back to when she is 15 and she first realizes she is a dark asha. Most of this book is about her finding out who she is, accidentally raising her brother from the dead (as you do), and going to school to be a dark asha, also known as a bone witch.

I'm not one to get caught up in school drama stuff, which is why YA books aren't always my thing. There's a bit of that in here, a bit of mean girl stuff, a bit of girl crush stuff, jealousy, etc. The book seemed to wander until suddenly it was a who dunnit, and then it was over. There are two more books in the series, and I do plan on at least reading the next one.

The Bone Witch was originally released February 1, 2018 and is available at Amazon or Bookshop.

Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my own reading enjoyment.  There are links to Amazon, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

 

Can we talk banned books for a minute?  

Reading banned books for me is my very quiet way of "sticking it to the man." Its a way of joining the table of discussion about banned books. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower has been banned from many public school curriculum since it was published in 1999. Most recently you can read about it being banned from this Florida school district for "extreme sexual content descriptions, bestiality and a language alert, using a “shock effect to engage teenage minds” 

I'm not going to lie, I completely forgot about the very brief mention of any bestiality in the book it was so inconsequential.  I digress! 

To see it's entire banning history check out this link here from Marshall University.

Synopsis:

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Thoughts:

I feel this book should absolutely be required reading for every young person or any adult who may have forgotten what it's like to be a young person.  Parents who are on the fence should co-read this so you can discuss any hot topics or subjects with your child as they read it. 

This story will benefit any reader because it will:

• Expose the reader to gay positive themes.
• Humanize our narrator as he navigates growing up in the 90's. 
• Expose the reader to difficult situations, such as bullying, rape, abortion, drug use, sexual abuse, suicide, physical abuse and the emotional roller coaster these themes can bring to people experiencing them.
• Discuss themes teenagers usually have to deal with, like first kisses, self-esteem, finding friends, and dealing with crushes.
• Remind us that when we are going through difficult things we aren't alone.
• Our past doesn't define us, and it's completely possible to thrive after a difficult period.

Charlie's letters in this story sometimes are absolutely heart breaking.  His letters are raw and dive into a very deep and private part of growing up in the 90's. We follow Charlie as he navigates that first year in high school, and all of the difficulties that comes with being a teenager. Charlie is encouraged by his teacher to "participate in life" and not just be a bystander or a "wallflower."

The post script is by far one of the most powerful parts of the book. Don't skip it. We learn after all he went through, Charlie is ok. He reflects back on his youth as a difficult time, but we also learn how his story has helped other young people feel less alone in their battles. 

Some of my favorite quotes from this book are when Charlie's English teacher tells him "We accept the love we think we deserve," and "Be a filter, not a sponge."

When we ban books like this we only stunt the growth of the young people this would benefit. We lose an opportunity to be kinder, more open, and loving as a community. This book isn't here to glorify these behaviors or circumstances...but to open our minds to the individuals who may be living lives we don't understand. We shouldn't shy away from the difficult conversations this book might encourage.

This is a coming of age story that should not be skipped. I think every young person (or even older people) should read this book to gain a deeper knowledge of themselves, and to grow as empathetic humans. We need more of those.

Perks of Being a Wallflower was published February 1, 1999 is available at most public libraries (if it hasn't been banned) and it's also available on  Amazon and Bookshop.

If you'd like to support this blog, please be sure to check out my Etsy Shop and my Read Banned Books Shirt, sticker, and coffee mug.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from my library. There are links to Amazon, Bookshop and Etsy, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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White as Witching by Katherine Buel

I picked up White as Witching by Katherine Buel on Netgalley, I still browse now and then looking for books that might grab my attention. I didn't realize when I grabbed it that it was a fairytale retelling, and it definitely snagged all the main points of Snow White's Story.

Synopsis:

The Selection is a lie. The five girls chosen each year do not vanish into a life of royal luxury, as most believe. Snow knows this because she knows her aunt Lyric—the Witch-Queen of Cresilea—murderess and usurper.

When the Selection comes to the remote village where Snow has hidden since her father’s murder, she puts herself forward, trusting in her scarred face to hide her identity, and enters the castle she fled seven years ago—a place now haunted by unnatural whispers and eerie shadows.

But more is at stake than Snow’s revenge, or even the fates of five girls, and she must learn all she can about Lyric’s magic—and her own—before it’s too late.

Rich and darkly enchanting, White as Witching takes you into a perilous world of fairy tale where you must break the first rule:

Do not go into the woods at night.

Do not follow the faerie lights.

Do not dance and do not sing—set no foot in the faerie ring.

Thoughts:

As in most fairytale retellings this book contained the structure of Snow White. We had Snow, the hunter, the evil queen and the dwarves. We also had the bonus of Rose Red who is left out of many Snow White retellings. There were some original twists to this retelling, like fairies, and fae..and fae kings.

The world building was gradual, the characters dynamic and I enjoyed watching them grow as they faced the queen. Be ready for the love conquers all feel...it is a fairytale after all. Generally I have to be in the mood for that kind of thing, which kept my goodreads rating from a five to a four.

This book is geared towards a YA audience, with sex being only implied. Triggers being parental death, death, gore and cannibalism.

White as Witching was published October 22, 2022, and is available on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book free for review.  This however does not affect my opinions, as I do not leave a review for each book I receive. There are links to Amazon, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Blog Tour: Secrets of Isoria by Cristina Macari

 

Ya'll, I'm excited to participate in my very first creative blog tour! This tour is for Secrets of Isoria by Cristina Macari, and is hosted by MTMC Tours. Set in an elite academy for sorcerers filled with magic, romance, betrayals and some serious twists and turns. Secrets of Isoria is the first installment in the YA Contemporary Fantasy series published on December 13th 2021.

About the book:

Title: Secrets of Isoria

Author: Cristina Macari
Series: Secrets of Isoria #1
Publication Date: December 13th, 2021
Genres: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Format: eBook, Paperback, Hardcover
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Book Depository |
Barnes &Noble | Indiebound | Blackwell's

Add on Goodreads!

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Orion Candor has always felt like an outsider. Concealing her weird, unexplained abilities hasn't been easy, and a near-death experience turns her world upside down. She learns she has elemental powers and must train at an elite academy in Isoria, a hidden country for sorcerers. But dark forces begin to test Orion in ways she couldn’t have imagined.

Fear and treachery haunt Isoria's streets as the country’s most malicious sorcerer, Cyril Obsidian, craves domination. But Orion discovers her late grandmother hid clues leading to a relic that can turn the tide of evil. Determined to solve the mysteries of her past, Orion finds herself on the run from Cyril and entangled in a spy ring with questionable motives—the same spy ring her grandmother once belonged to.

In a world that thrives on deception, Orion must choose her allies carefully. One wrong move and she could lose Isoria’s last chance at freedom—along with her life.

Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book you guys. If you enjoy fantasy, magic school type books definitely check this out. The world building was gradual, as the MC was basically as much in the dark as you are when we start this story. We learn as she does what Isoria is and her place in it. It's a little bit of who dunnit, a little bit of who's actually the bad guy, and the good guy that will just kind of keep you guessing. 

This definitely feels like a YA book, as Orion is just sixteen. She is coping with so much for being such a young main character. Her closest allies are Rae, Julian and Alec...along with Banden who took her in while her mother had to be away.  She deals with lots of trust issues as EVERYONE seems to know things she doesn't, and even her mother kept her in the dark about her having powers.

We have a spy ring, a heist, political intrigue, a mystery all wrapped up in one book. 

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For my part of this creative blog tour, I pushed my graphics skills a bit and worked on a book mark for you guys! It has one of my favorite quotes in this story. I had so much fun making it while learning a new thing. Click on the image to download the free PDF, be sure to print it out on cardstock paper! Let me know what you think! 

INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!

Head over to my Instagram account to enter the tour giveaway where three lucky readers will win a physical copy of Secrets of Isoria!

Ends on December 24th, 2022. Winner will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.

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Tour Schedule:

December 12

@paperfury - Bookstagram; Book Blog

@dreaminginpages - Bookstagram

December 13

@bookspired - Bookstagram; BookTok

@monikasbookblog - Bookstagram

December 14

@thereaderandthechef - Bookstagram; Book Blog

@itbeganwiththestars - Bookstagram; BookTok

December 15

@gwendalyn_books_ - Bookstagram; Book Blog

@bookishqueenreads - Bookstagram

December 16

@amordeluna0 - Bookstagram; BookTok

@over.on.my.bookshelf - Bookstagram

December 17

@afaerytalee - Bookstagram; BookTok

@myrelationshipwith - Bookstagram

December 18

@dovireads - Bookstagram; BookTok

@purely_bookish - Bookstagram

December 19

@pavlinamich - Bookstagram; Book Blog

@mels_booksandhooks - Bookstagram

December 20

@rozanne_visagie - Bookstagram; BookTok

@dbookishprincess - Bookstagram

December 21

@heathen_booker - Bookstagram; Book Blog

@mulberryreads - Bookstagram

About Cristina Macari:

Cristina Macari is the author of the young adult contemporary fantasy series, Secrets of Isoria. She grew up in New Jersey and is the proud child of Italian immigrants. She holds a B.S. in History and double minored in Creative Writing and INternational Business at the Ramapo College of New Jersey. She has always loved the idea of magic hiding in our modern world and gets lost in creating in-depth worlds filled with secrets and danger. She hopes that she can help readers escape the everyday with her writing while entertaining and finding themselves and those they care about in her books. Just like her character, she hopes readers will discover they too have a place in this world. When she’s not writing or reading, she can be found horseback riding, spending time in nature, gaming, weightlifting, doing yoga, or playing piano.

Website | Instagram | Twitter

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