January is light on new releases, but February is going to be jam-packed so budget accordingly. In the meantime, look for my Favorite Novels and Favorite Comics posts coming later this month.
I hope you read something great!
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Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, by Heather Fawcett - January 16
When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby.
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers.
She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart.
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Why I Want to Read It - I was absolutely charmed by Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and have been eagerly anticipating the sequel ever since. I do love a grumpy heroine who begrudgingly falls for a cad and the sort of book that manages to be vaguely cottagecore but still have a plot.
Buy a copy: Amazon
Faebound, by Saara El-Arifi - January 23
Two elven sisters become imprisoned in the intoxicating world of the fae, where danger and love lie in wait. Faebound is the first book in an enchanting new trilogy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Final Strife.
Yeeran was born on the battlefield, has lived on the battlefield, and one day, she knows, she’ll die on the battlefield.
As a warrior in the elven army, Yeeran has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future.
When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, both sisters are forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders.
There they encounter the impossible: the fae court. The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world, torn among their loyalties to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts.
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Why I Want to Read It - I started reading this book a smidge early (thank you, Penguin Random House Audio) and so far it's a really interesting world with compelling internal conflict. In a time full of straight white fae romances, it's also refreshing to explore a more inclusive, queernormative world of immortals and drum-based battle magic.
Buy a copy: Amazon
Books I've Read Early:
Disclosure: I received copies of these books from the publisher for review.
The Longest Autumn, by Amy Avery - Romance fans: this is not a romance. There is no HEA. There are two rather miserable (angsty, pining, struggle) ships and both are unhealthy. It is, however, queernormative and polyamory is widely accepted.
Unbound, by Christy Healy - This is a medieval (1007-1016) Irish historical fantasy with lots of monsters and lore, plus a pretty epic romance. It's also a genderbent Beauty and the Beast reimagining, with the princess as the Beast. I especially enjoyed the parts of the novel in which Jamie (estranged husband) is wooing his wife-to-be with stories, kind of like Scheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights. Slower paced, took me a while to get through.
Also out this month:
All titles in red are links to Amazon. Check out the full list here.
January 2 - That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, by Kimberly Lemming (very pretty Orbit trade paperback)
January 2 - A Fragile Enchantment, by Allison Saft
January 9 - The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins
January 9 - Sanctuary of the Shadow, by Aurora Ascher
January 9 - Sons of Darkness, by Gourav Mohanty
January 9 - Red String Theory, by Lauren Kung Jessen
January 9 - Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, by Emma R. Alban
January 9 - Hedging Your Bets, by Jayne Denker
January 9 - Lunar New Year Love Story, by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham (graphic novel)
January 12 - Tadek and the Princess (Mahisti Dynasty), by Alexandra Rowland
January 16 - Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, by Heather Fawcett
January 16 - Say You'll Be Mine, by Naina Kumar
January 16 - Finding Mr. Purrfect, by Codi Gary
January 16 - The Longest Autumn, by Amy Avery
January 16 - Midnight Ruin (Dark Olympus #6), by Katee Robert
January 16 - The Lily of Ludgate Hill, by Mimi Matthews
January 23 - Wild Life, by Opal Wei
January 23 - The Bookbinder's Guide to Love, by Katherine Garbera
January 23 - The (Fake) Dating Game, by Timothy Janovsky
January 23 - The Getaway List, by Emma Lord
January 23 - Her Adventures in Temptation (School for Scoundrels #3), by Megan Frampton
January 23 - Faebound, by Saara El-Arifi
January 23 - Never Blow a Kiss, by Lindsay Lovise
January 30 - Canadian Boyfriend, by Jenny Holiday
January 30 - House of Flame and Shadow, by Sarah J. Maas
January 30 - Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections, by Emily Nagoski
Reminder: all of these books are collected in a list over at Amazon for your convenience.
What January books are you looking forward to reading?
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