Ten New Additions To My Book Wishlist

If there is one type of post I seem to like writing and reading at the moment, it is lists. Lists of anticipated releases, new acquisitions, backlist books and so forth. I’ll add to this with a post dedicated to books I’ve recently added to my wishlist, which I curate via Amazon.

I actually blame all those other posts because if it wasn’t for those, I wouldn’t be sharing this list at all! No, I’m kidding. I think I’ve been under a rock in terms of new and upcoming releases and it is in reading those that I’m coming across books I’ve not known about and then want for myself. I’ve had to purchase or pre-order a couple almost instantly (at the time of writing: Future Girl by Asphyxia, and Malice by Heather Walker) but the others have gone straight to my wishlist, waiting for the day I allow myself to order them.

As I have ten books to share with you (published and waiting for publication), I’ll quit the rambly nonsense and dive right in.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

As an escaped slave, Hetty Rhodes helped dozens of people find their own freedom north using her wits and her magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her husband, Benjy, still fight for their people by solving the murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch.

When they discover one of their friends brutally murdered in an alley, Hetty and Benjy mourn his loss by setting off to find answers. But the mystery of his death soon brings up more questions, more secrets, more hurt. To solve his death, they will have to not only face the ugly truths about the world but the ones about each other.

As Historical Fiction goes, this is exactly the type I devour. I’ve also heard pretty good things about it so I’m hoping it doesn’t disappoint.

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller

Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.

Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.

Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.

I think I’ve heard of Tricia Levenseller as an author before but I’ve never come across any of her books, however this one sounds particularly interesting to me. A character with social anxiety, powerful swords, magic… it has everything going for it. I won’t deny I’m not a particular fan of this cover but that doesn’t stop the book from sounding amazing.

Publication Date – 4th May.

The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson

Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII.

Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, as conspiracy whispers through the dark corridors of the Tower.

Through Joan’s eyes, The Lady of the Ravens inhabits the squalid streets of Tudor London, the imposing walls of its most fearsome fortress and the glamorous court of a kingdom in crisis.

I’ve always loved Tudor History and reading books based around the Tudors so this is one I certainly want to read next!

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

A strange darkness is growing in the Ward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mythical immortal and a lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage – with the power to save the world from destruction.

Because a man who would burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army unlike any seen before, bent on uprooting the foundations of the world. With poison in his heart and a stolen sword in his hand, he’ll break the realm itself to claim it. And only Corayne can stop him.

Alongside an unlikely group of reluctant allies, Corayne finds herself on a desperate journey to complete an impossible task, with untold magic singing in her blood and the fate of the world on her shoulders.

As much as I liked Red Queen, I gave up on the rest of the series after failing to get through Glass Sword. I thought I might give up on any future books too but this one sounds interesting and I always love books about characters who don’t recognise their own magical lineage and ability.

Publication Date – 4th May

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop, where she grew up on legends about immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. She knows his powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and that bargains with him rarely end well.

But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding. The prince only asks for three kisses. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy . . .

We all know I’m not usually one for romance so this doesn’t seem the type of book I’d read but I can’t help feeling there’s a big fairytale aspect to this book and I’m all about the fairytales. I also didn’t read the Caraval series so it will be interesting to see how I feel about her writing and storytelling.

Publication Date – 30th September

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

There’s no such thing as magic in the broken city of Lkossa, especially for sixteen-year-old Koffi, who holds a power within her that could only be described as magic–a power that if discovered could cost her life. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, Koffi knows the fearsome creatures in her care and paying off her family’s debts to secure their eventual freedom can be her only focus. But the night those she loves are gravely threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi finally unleashes the power she doesn’t fully understand, upending her life completely.

As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six–an elite warrior–and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, Ekon encounters not only the Shetani–a vicious monster that has plagued the city for nearly a century and stalks his nightmares, but Koffi who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon’s life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.

Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani could also be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon form a tentative alliance and together enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild, frightening magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.

I admit I’m not usually one for fantasy that involves animals or jungles but again it has undiscovered magic and characters coming together for a greater cause and I’m always here for that.

Publication Date – 28th September

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

PARIS, 1939
Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris – with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers – is a dream come true. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. But then the Nazis invade Paris, and everything changes.
In Occupied Paris, choices as black and white as the words on a page become a murky shade of grey – choices that will put many on the wrong side of history, and the consequences of which will echo for decades to come.

MONTANA, 1983
Lily is a lonely teenager desperate to escape small-town Montana. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. But as Lily uncovers more about Odile’s mysterious past, she discovers a dark secret, closely guarded and long hidden.

Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable novel of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places.

This reminds me of a book I talked about in my Blogmas 2021 Anticipated Releases post called The Last Bookshop In London and although it has a completely different book, it is has similar vibes that feel comforting to me. It’s also in the dual-timeline style which I really like, especially when one of those periods is wartime.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture; a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

I have a feeling I’ve talked about this book before although I can’t remember how or when, but this is one book I’ve been wanting to read for ages. I first came across it a few years ago, I think on Merphy Napier’s YT channel, and I started listening to the audiobook but got very lost and confused with the story and how everything connects. However, based on the characters and the classic Victorian tales it’s inspired by, I should LOVE it so I want to give it another try. Also from what I’ve found out, I don’t think it is a book that translates particularly well on audio due to the format so I really want a physical copy.

A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

Four lives, one woman, a star-crossed love . . .

In 1895, sixteen-year-old Juliet begins a passionate, doomed romance with a married artist.

In 1932, aspiring actress Nora escapes New York for the bright lights of Hollywood and a new chance at love.

In 1970, Californian musician Sandra’s secret love affair threatens to tear her band apart.

And in 2012, Helen is starting to remember the tragic details of lives that never belonged to her.

Bound to her lover in 1895, and trapped by his side ever since, Helen has lived through multiple lifetimes, under different names, never escaping her tragic endings. Only this time, she might finally have the power to break the cycle . . .

I’ve heard and seen mixed reviews about this book, but we know me, I can’t resist a book that has ‘witch’ in the title. It’s also described as perfect for fans of A Secret History of Witches, The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, and Deborah Harkness, and as I love two out of the three, it’s definitely worth me giving it a try.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Stories don’t have to be true to be real…

In her forest-veiled pagan village, Évike is the only woman without power, making her an outcast clearly abandoned by the gods. When soldiers arrive from the Holy Order of Woodsmen to claim a pagan girl for the king’s blood sacrifice, Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered.

But when monsters attack the Woodsmen and their captive en route, slaughtering everyone but Évike and the cold, one-eyed captain, they have no choice but to rely on each other. Except he’s no ordinary Woodsman – he’s the disgraced prince, Gáspár Bárány, whose father needs pagan magic to consolidate his power. Gáspár fears that his cruelly zealous brother plans to seize the throne and instigate a violent reign that would damn the pagans and the Yehuli alike. As the son of a reviled foreign queen, Gáspár understands what it’s like to be an outcast, and he and Évike make a tenuous pact to stop his brother.

As their mission takes them from the bitter northern tundra to the smog-choked capital, their mutual loathing slowly turns to affection, bound by a shared history of alienation and oppression. However, trust can easily turn to betrayal, and as Évike reconnects with her estranged father and discovers her own hidden magic, she and Gáspár need to decide whose side they’re on, and what they’re willing to give up for a nation that never cared for them at all.

I seem to be drawn to stories of mythology and folklore nowadays in fantasy and this one sounds no different. I like that it’s also based on Hungarian history which is something I’ve not really seen or read about before.

Publication Date – 8th June

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As the post is long enough, let’s leave it there.

What books have you added to your wishlists?

As always, thanks for reading and have a brazzle dazzle day!
xx