There’s only about a month until the end of the year?! What?!

As 2017 winds down and new releases become fewer, I’ve started looking ahead to the books I’m most excited about for 2018. My picks only cover the first half of the year, because not everything has been announced yet, and they include sequels and also books from authors I’m not yet familiar with. I’ve included links to all of their Goodreads pages in case you want to check them out. This list is not at all exhaustive–it’s just a few titles that I’m particularly psyched about. Let me know in the comments what new releases you’re looking forward to in 2018!

 

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (release date January 9th) – the third installment in the Wayward Children series comes out really soon; this series is a great look at (and commentary on) portal fantasy from an author I really like. And this cover is amazing. I’ll be pre-ordering this one for sure.

The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor (release date January 16th) – this is the third (and final, I think) novella in Okorafor’s Binti series, which is YA science fiction dealing with culture clashes and a young woman eager to learn and explore while still holding onto family and tradition.

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (release date January 16th, also) – I’m always on board for Handmaid’s Tale-esque dystopias, and I’m hearing good things from early reviews of this book. From the Goodreads synopsis: “In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.”

Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill (release date February 20th) – I have a good feeling about this short story collection. Fantastical short stories written by women are very much in my wheelhouse, and Goodread is calling this “a stunning collection of stories, teeming with uncanny characters whose lives unfold in worlds at once strikingly human and eerily original.” Sounds right up my alley. Also, the cover is quite pretty. Black and gold is my favorite book cover color combination.

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi (release date March 6th) – it’s sort of weird to include this book on here since I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. Mafi’s Shatter Me series holds a really special place in my heart; I read the books during graduate school when I was studying for a series of really intense exams, and they were such a stress reliever for me. I’ve since reread them several times and they haven’t lost their magic. So I’m nervous to see what’s going to happen in this second trilogy set in the same world–I honestly just can’t stand to see anything bad happen to these characters. But at the same time, I can’t not read them. Right? I don’t know. I wish she was writing a different series instead, or even focusing on side characters as the main characters in this new trilogy, but I don’t make the rules. Again, that cover. Love.

Obsidio by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (release date March 13th) – again with the black & gold cover! Yesss. So this is the third book in the Illuminae Files series, which is YA science fiction told in unconventional formats, and I love them. Both of the previous books were so fast-paced, addicting, and fun, and I’m very interested to see how things wrap up. Pre-ordering the crap out of this one.

Imposter Syndrome by Mishell Baker (release date March 18th) – another third book in a series! Why are there so many of these this year? Anyways, this is book 3 in the Arcadia Project series, which is UF and deals strongly with mental health issues. Our main character, Millie, has Borderline Personality Disorder, and has gotten dragged into the world of the Fae and the humans who help to police the boundaries between our world and theirs. I think in this book they go from L.A., where the first two are set, to London, which could be interesting. I love this series; it’s got dark humor and substance while still being very fast reads.

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton (release date March 27th) – this is a fantasy retelling of King Lear from Tor, one of my favorite publishers. I don’t know tons about it, so here’s the summary from Goodreads: “The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes. The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted. Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.” Female-driven high fantasy based on Shakespeare? Sounds cool.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (release date May 1st) – so this book is sort of random, because it’s a short novel that is intended to bridge the gap between the original ACOTAR trilogy and the new side characters-centric trilogy that is now going to exist. This is my favorite guilty pleasure romance/fantasy series, so I’m down for any new books. I believe this one is told from both Feyre and Rhysand’s POVs.

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews (release date May 8th) – this is a bittersweet one, because it’s the tenth and final book in my favorite UF series. I really, really hope that none of my faves die. I love Ilona Andrews, and even though I’m really sad that the Kate Daniels series is ending, they are very prolific writers, so I can be confident that they’ll be releasing many more awesome books in the future.

Rage by Cora Carmack (release date June 5th) – I found a new fun YA romantic fantasy series in 2017, and that is the Stormheart series by Cora Carmack. This series involves people with the magic to control storms, which is cool, and I’m thinking the second book will also be more love-triangle-y as well as more action-packed, which I’m always down for. Is this the most amazing series in the universe? No, but it’s fun for sure.

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (release date June 14th) – I am just beyond excited for the third installment of Chambers’ Wayfarers series. (another third book in a series? wtf) If you like character-focused science fiction, you need to get on board with these books. I have no doubt that this one will be excellent.