Anticipated Releases | Jan – March 2021

In honor of 2020 being almost over (just 5 more weeks!), I’m going to highlight some of the early 2021 releases I’m most excited for. I could easily have made this list two or three times as long, but for your benefit I did my best to restrain myself. Let me know in the comments what your most anticipated release of the beginning of 2021 is!

All book covers link to the book on Goodreads!

The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson | Jan 19th, 2021

“The first book in a new environmental epic fantasy series set in a world where ships kept afloat by magical hearthfires sail an endless grass sea.”

Not only does this book sport a beautiful cover, but it also features pirates, a prairie grass sea, and LGBTQ+ rep. Kindred follows her grandmother, The Marchess, into the sea and discovers a wider world that’s more than she could have imagined. This one gives me kind of surreal adventure vibes and just sounds like a great time.

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor | Jan 19th, 2021

“She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own.”

This devastatingly beautiful sci-fi novella features Sankofa, whose touch is deadly. She walks the land with her fox companion searching for answers about her past.

Though I have yet to read them, I’ve heard good things about Okorafor’s Binti and Akata Witch series. I’ve been really liking novellas lately and also have a thing for books about characters with deadly touch (ex: The Obsidian Tower & Girl, Serpent, Thorn), so this one’s at the top of my radar.

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle | Jan 26th, 2021

Rue is half-human, half-god. After her mother is shot dead, her absent father whisks her away from her younger sister to Ghizon, where magic wielders thrive on human suffering. Soon she realizes she has to embrace her ancestor’s powers to save her neighborhood from the gods themselves.

This cover is absolutely stunning! Oh, and the book also sounds amazing and could potentially fulfill my desire for a dark but original YA fantasy series.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson | Jan 31st, 2021

I think this is the only indie pub book on this list, probably because they’re a little harder to find a long time in advance. This is a “lyrical and dreamy reimagining of Dracula’s bride.” A gothic vampire romance sounds great to begin with, but add in the list of descriptions below from the author’s twitter and I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on this novella.

“sapphic yearning at the opera / whirlwind tours of Europe / bi rep for days / tangled polyamorous relationships / kisses in cathedrals / gothic abandoned chateaus / vengeance”

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell | Feb 2nd, 2021

I’ve seen some hype for this one from other reviewers I follow and know that it has a politically arranged marriage between “a scandal-prone prince” and “a dutiful scholar” who have to do their best to prevent interplanetary war. Also, it features a variety of queer characters and apparently was originally published on A03. All of which is more than enough to grab my interest. I’ve learned this year that I really enjoy political intrigue in my SFF and am going to need more of it in my reading list come next year.

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard | Feb 9th, 2021

“The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world.”

I read and enjoyed another novella by Aliette de Bodard earlier this year, and this one seems even more up my alley. Princess Thanh returns to imperial court after being sent away as a hostage during her childhood. She is reacquainted with Eldris, her first love, and haunted by magical echoes of a fire that devastated the royal palace.

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth | Feb 23rd, 2021

This one is compared to The Cruel Witch and The City of Bones, two very popular YA fantasy featuring fae that I have not read. But I love the idea of fae and of hidden/parallel worlds, which in this case is a magical underworld called the Immortal Realm. Four queer teens form a tenuous alliance (found family anyone?) to solve a series of gruesome murders that threaten to expose the existence of faeries. Yes, the cover absolutely influenced me to add this to my TBR. Sue me.

Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley | March 9th, 2021

I saw this cover and immediately thought, “please don’t tell me they’re sisters.” They are not, in fact, sisters.

Tamsin may be the most powerful witch of her generation, but she has been exiled by the coven and cursed with the inability to love. All her life, Wren has been hiding that she is a source—made of magic but unable to use it herself. When a magical plague ravages the queendom, the two strike a dangerous bargain to save it.

The Unbroken by C.L Clark | March 23rd, 2021

Ahh, the cover is so cool! I don’t know how to write a better description for this than chai did, so I’m just gonna quote theirs. Go follow them on Goodreads for all the best updates and on Twitter for all the best romantic tropes.

“a sapphic North-Africa inspired fantasy about “rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire” featuring a cranky princess and a cranky soldier“

Also, the author has confirmed that this is a queernorm world with lesbian, gay, bi, and trans rep. I have hope that I can get an ARC for it since Orbit has been kind to me in the past.

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas | March 23rd, 2021

Aiden Thomas’ debut, Cemetery Boys, was a great read and now he’s doing a Peter Pan retelling! (Peter Pan is one of a very few fairy tales that I care about, thanks to the 2003 movie that I was a tiny bit obsessed with when I was younger.)

Five years ago, Wendy and her brothers went missing in the woods. Now, children are starting to disappear again, and Wendy is drawn into the haunting mystery with the help of Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories.

If I don’t wrap it up here, this post will never be done, so that’s it for now. I hope you found some books that sound interesting to you. Please let me know in the comments what 2021 releases you’re most excited for!

My Favorite Nonfiction | Recommendations

I’ll admit I haven’t read as much nonfiction as I would have liked to, and most of what I have read was for school. I’m aiming to rectify this through my goal of reading at least one nonfiction a month. Even still, I do have several favorite nonfiction titles that I would like to encourage others to read, so here are my recommendations!

You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost) by Felicia Day

Felicia Day is what I would call a geek icon. She created and produced The Guild, made appearances in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, and has been active in several video gaming and fandom communities. You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost) is her memoir recalling how she came to be a successful writer and actress and the importance and impact of fandom. True to her personality, this book is quirky and humorous. It helped me to realize during a tough time in my life that, as cliché as it may be, I needed to focus more on what made me happy and there’s no shame in obsessing over fictional characters and worlds.

Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Children of the Land is another memoir, this time relaying Castillo’s experiences as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico in the US. His writing is raw and lyrical as he bares all that he and his family have been though at the hands of the United States and the border between their two worlds. This memoir is far from simply a retelling of events; it reveals the crises of identity, belonging, and constant fear that result from the need to spend your childhood hiding, from existing in the in-between. This book is heartbreaking because there’s no true relief, no resolution. The trauma of immigration is ongoing for thousands of families, which is what makes this a vital read.

Show Me All Your Scars edited by Lee Gutkind

Show Me All Your Scars is a collection of 20 stories written by those living with mental illnesses or those close to them. Bipolar disorder, OCD, trichillomania, self-harm, PTSD, and more diagnoses are addressed in these incredibly impactful stories in which the authors have bravely disclosed their innermost thoughts. We all hold stigma against others whether or not we’re aware of it, and in this regard, I can guarantee that some facet of the experiences collected within this book will be eye-opening to you and extend your capacity for compassion a little further.

The Righteous Mind by Johnathan Haidt

The Righteous Mind was required reading for my intro to psychology class and arguably the most helpful thing I retained from it. Given the title, cover, and tagline, I was expecting to be bored or annoyed by religious or anti-religious rhetoric. Instead, Haidt does a great job of presenting research findings in an engaging manner with meaningful examples and, for the most part, admirably avoids taking sides. He explains how both the right and the left benefit from different aspects of group think and flaws in human reasoning. By outlining his research, he shows how most of our rationalization actually occurs post-decision making and thus, we’re actually lead primarily by our emotional responses. This book was vital in providing me an understanding of some of the fundamentals of human cognition and why the overwhelming majority of WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) participants in psychology research is such a problem.

The Fourth Age by Byron Reese

In The Fourth Age, Reese makes the argument that there have been three major technological revolutions in history: fire and language, agriculture and cities, and the wheel and writing. Artificial intelligence and robotics will be the fourth. What this revolution will mean for the human race depends on your answers to a number of questions, such as whether a generically intelligent AI is possible, what separates humans from machines, and whether humans would be happy or miserable without the need to work. Reese presents multiple answers to these questions and the likely ramifications of each so that you can decide for yourself which philosophy you ascribe to and thus what future you believe we should be prepared for. This is an easily parsed, non-technical read that I found thought provoking as well as cautiously optimistic. I appreciated that, similar to Haidt, Reese is able to present different viewpoints relatively objectively. While he may not be proposing any brand new ideas, this book is perfect for anyone looking for a practical introduction to the relation of humanity, consciousness, and intelligence to AI.

What is your favorite nonfiction read?

The Unchosen One | Wyrd & Wonder

Credits: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono | Decorative phoenix by Tanantachai Sirival

Today’s Wryd and Wonder prompt is “With great power comes great responsibility.” Now, I’m as much a Spiderman fan as anyone else and have a fair bit of appreciation for the chosen one trope when executed well. However, another trope I really enjoy and would like to see more of is what I’ve dubbed the unchosen one trope: when the protagonist is seemingly the only one lacking a power. I have a couple of examples of this, but would love to read more books with this trope, so please leave recommendations in the comments if you know of any!

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy by William Boniface

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“In Superopolis everyone has a superpower! Well…almost everyone. Meet Ordinary Boy.”

This is a middle grade trilogy that I read a good while ago. It’s fun and wacky — reminds me a bit of Megamind. Our protagonist lives in Superopolis, where everyone has a superpower (some much more useful than others). Well, except him. Ordinary Boy and his friends solve mysteries and take on Professor Brain-Drain among others. I think this is the first time I ever encountered the unchosen one trope, and I loved it.

Unordinary by uru-chan

art by uru-chan

This one’s a webcomic about Wellston Private High School. Once again, this is a world in which everyone has a power. The high-tiers with the strongest power get to rule the school – and the world – while the low-tiers just have to do their best to stay out of the way. And then there’s John, a “cripple” who has no power at all. He’s not nearly as submissive as others think he should be, and therefore is constantly ending up in trouble and in the infirmary. However, he somehow becomes best friends with one of the strongest students in the school, Seraphina. Together, they navigate high school and the wider world, uncovering some well-hidden secrets along the way.

This webcomic is gorgeously illustrated and available for free on Webtoon. It’s currently on episode 181. I appreciate that this story avoids some of the high school tropes that I personally dislike. For example, there’s no romance, and the issues they’re dealing with aren’t low-stakes drama. I highly recommend you check it out!

Are there any books you’ve read that feature the unchosen one trope? Is it a trope you appreciate, or one you could do without?

Star Wars Rec List | Wyrd & Wonder

Credits: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono | Decorative phoenix by Tanantachai Sirival

Click on any cover to visit the book’s Goodreads page.

May the 4th be with you, and happy Star Wars day! The Wyrd & Wonder prompt for today is “Rebellions are built on hope.” I’ll take any excuse to enthuse about my favorite Star Wars books, so let’s get started.

I was introduced to Star Wars novels by a book I found at my local library, Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn, which takes place after Return of the Jedi. Soon I had finished the other two books in the Thrawn Trilogy and was eager for more. I read every Star Wars novel I could get my hands on, which turned out to be a lot.

The Thrawn Trilogy is still one of my favorites though, and one I’d recommend to just about anyone. These novels succeed through their significant expansion of the Star Wars universe and their masterful plot which is unlike anything we see in the movies. (Not that any movie can really be expected to stand up to the plot of three 400 page books.) Luke, Leia, and Han are still present and important, of course, but not quite the center of everything. Two of my favorite characters, Thrawn and Mara Jade, are introduced in this series. This is a great starting point for anyone looking to get into the Star Wars Extended Universe (now known as Legends, ugh),

As I already mentioned, I went on to read many more Star Wars books, several of which were also by Zahn. I’d recommend pretty much any of his books, but one that particularly sticks in my mind is Outbound Flight, a standalone novel. In it, we get to learn a little more of Thrawn’s background and also experience an exploration story. For as large of the Star Wars universe is, there’s rarely much exploration for exploration’s sake (that’s more of a Star Trek thing). The Outbound Flight is a massive exploration (and colonization) mission which is mentioned as a legend in some of Zahn’s other works. In this novel, we get to find out what really happened to it.

I’m at risk of this post turning into an all out fanfest for Timothy Zahn. Though this should be somewhat expected due to his overwhelming impact on the success of the Expanded Universe, there are several other authors that deserve a good deal of recognition too.

The only Star Wars series that made me cry is Republic Commando by Karen Traviss. There’s a FPS game of the same name which I also recommend, by the way, though I’m sure it doesn’t hold up to the standards of modern video games. Republic Commando consists of five books featuring the Omega Squad of four clone soldiers (Niner, Fi, Atin, and Darman), each of which is the sole survivor from his previous squad, as well as the Jedi Etain Tur-Mukan. If you ever despised the dehumanization of the clones in Star Wars or if you love The Clone Wars, this is the series for you. It’s military science fiction but also incredibly character driven (to a tear-jerking extent, at least for me).

If you’ve always been intrigued by the Sith or have a preference for darker stories, then my Star Wars recommendation for you is the Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn. This series takes place long before the prequels and describes how the Sith came to be, more or less. Darth Bane, as you might guess, is the protagonist and the one who rescues the Order of the Sith from complete eradication by imposing his Rule of Two: there should only ever be one Sith Master and one Apprentice. The series depicts just as much of the strife between the Sith as it does between the Sith and the Jedi and features an ending that was, to me, oddly satisfying.

The only Star Wars novel I’ve read recently is Thrawn by, you guessed it, Timothy Zahn. Zahn’s newest addition to the Star Wars universe is a trilogy published over the past three years. I’ve only read the first book but am looking forward to the others. This series gives us even more insight into Thrawn’s life and how he became a member of the Empire, so it will probably be most enjoyable for those who are already familiar with Thrawn. Its pace is a bit slower than that of your typical Star Wars novel with much more focus on the main characters (Thrawn, his apprentice Eli Vanto, and the ambitious Arihnda Pryce) and on the Empire’s politics, than on the action. If you plan to read this series, I’d highly recommend the audiobooks narrated by Marc Thompson. Also, if anyone is a fan of Zahn and Thrawn like I am, you’ll be happy to know that another Thrawn trilogy is in the works with the first book, Ascendency, slated to be published in October of this year.

Have you read any Star Wars books? If so, how do your top picks compare to mine? If not, would you be interested in doing so? As always, thanks for stopping by!