Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out upcoming Top Ten themes on Jana’s blog!
This week’s prompt is all about the books we mean to read this Spring. My tbr and currently reading shelves are both packed to the gills, but if we don’t count advanced reader copies or everything on my Unmissable SFF of 2024 list…then here are 10 books I’m trying to get to, including one book that isn’t out yet but that I’m looking forward to getting my hands on!
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads
Thrice-cursed bard and warrior-elf Tamsin wakes up in Elfland after what might or might not have been his death, healed and hale for the first time in millennia. Somewhat confused but not entirely unhappy with this turn of events, he sets off in the hopes of finding a way home ...
A standalone tale of friendship, family, and fair Elfland.
I’ve loved everything in Goddard’s Nine WorIds verse (though I do think the Greenwing & Dart series takes a few books to really get going), and this is the first non-Nine Worlds book she’s published in – over a decade??? I think??? So I’m VERY interested in seeing what kind of story gripped her so much that it took her away from the Nine Worlds!
Genres: Sci Fi
Goodreads
Destry is a top network analyst with the Environmental Rescue Team, an ancient organization devoted to preventing ecosystem collapse. On the planet Sask-E, her mission is to terraform an Earthlike world, with the help of her taciturn moose, Whistle. But then she discovers a city that isn't supposed to exist, hidden inside a massive volcano. Torn between loyalty to the ERT and the truth of the planet's history, Destry makes a decision that echoes down the generations.
Centuries later, Destry's protege, Misha, is building a planetwide transit system when his worldview is turned upside-down by Sulfur, a brilliant engineer from the volcano city. Together, they uncover a dark secret about the real estate company that's buying up huge swaths of the planet―a secret that could destroy the lives of everyone who isn't Homo sapiens. Working with a team of robots, naked mole rats, and a very angry cyborg cow, they quietly sow seeds of subversion. But when they're threatened with violent diaspora, Misha and Sulfur's very unusual child faces a stark choice: deploy a planet-altering weapon, or watch their people lose everything they've built on Sask-E.
The Terraformers was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, but I never got around to it! But now that it’s been nominated for the Nebula Awards, I’ve been reminded it exists and that I really have to get to it!
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads
Jack Yap once had his mouth sewn shut for talking too much. His brother Pudding has to wear stone shoes or he'll just wander off. Will little obstacles like these keep the boys out of trouble? Not for the twinkling of an eye. There is magic in the hills, shapechangers and monsters, and Jack Yap has a hankering to meet them all and maybe kill a few. What he and Pudding find in the hills, however, changes both their lives, taking them out of the country and into the cruel and wonderful world, where witches and princesses await. Sometimes they are even the same person.
"Stunningly delicious! Cruel, beautiful and irresistible are C.S.E. Cooney's characters and prose. Just when you thought fantasy had devolved into endless repetition, 'Jack o' the Hills' blows us all over the next hill and into the kingdom beyond. C.S.E. Cooney is a rare and exciting new talent. Whatever she offers us next, I'll waiting in line to read." – Ellen Kushner, author of Thomas the Rhymer
Like all of Cooney’s works, Jack O’ the Hills had a spot on my tbr – but when Cooney mentioned in a blog post that she was reworking some of the lore from Jack for Saint Death’s Herald, aka the sequel to the absolute perfection that is Saint Death’s Daughter, I pounced!
Aaand…did not immediately start reading it. Because my brain is weird with things I’m excited about. ANYWAY. Very much time to dive in!
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Goodreads
Beneath winter’s chill lies the deepest of magics—and the struggle for a crown.
Reunited with his sister Marion and his lover Gamelyn in Sherwood Forest, Robyn Hood and his band of outlaws seek to raise the Ceugant—the magical trine of the Old Religion—against the tyranny of Church and Crown.
Yet their forest kingdom roils with conflict. Most of the outlaws hold an uneasy truce with Gamelyn, recently known as Guy of Gisbourne, defrocked Templar and Robyn’s fiercest enemy. And while Marion’s welcome is unquestioned, old shackles and new fears hamper her true promise.
When a lone traveller is waylaid on the road, a common occurrence quickly proves uncommon. Knight and Maiden, Archer and Men, all are conscripted to aid a Queen’s—and ultimately a King’s—ransom. England lies divided… and there are those who would seek the power of Robyn Hode and his Shire Wode for their own ends.
------With a truly original take on the Robin Hood legends, this historical fantasy series sets Robin the outlaw archer as a queer, chaotic-neutral druid; Marion as pagan queen who is sister but not wife, and their consort a Christian--and thusly conflicted--nobleman.
I never thought anyone could make me care about a Robin Hood story – shows what I know! I adored the first two books in this series – albeit book one a bit more than book two – and I really need to get to the third!
Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Representation: Brown MC
Goodreads
Only one thing is certain: when Hallows' Night comes, the Wild Hunt will ride - and it feeds on mortal blood.
Cat and her cousin Bee are caught in a maze of intrigue, treachery, and magic. Everyone seems to want something from them: the Cold Mages are trying to take them prisoner, and the warlord who wants to conquer all of Europa seems sure they have a special destiny to aid him whether they want to or not. Worse, hidden powers deep in the spirit world are rising, and they are the most dangerous of all. Cat must seek allies and figure out who she can trust in order to save the ones she loves. For if she doesn't, everything will be lost.
Note: Bonus chapter 31.5 is located on the author's website. You can find it here: http://www.kateelliott.com/default.as...
Another sequel that I really need to get to! I loved the first book of this trilogy so much – it might be my favourite of Elliott’s novels so far, actually – that I kind of can’t believe I haven’t managed to pick up book two yet.
(I have it! It’s waiting for me on my ereader! I just need to sit down and READ IT!)
Genres: Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, M/M/F
ISBN: '
Goodreads
1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger's intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John's wife Mary anxiously awaits news of his mission.
Against the rugged backdrop of this faraway spot beyond Shetland, Carys Davies's intimate drama unfolds with tension and tenderness: a touching and crystalline study of ordinary people buffeted by history and a powerful exploration of the distances and connections between us. Perfectly structured and surprising at every turn, Clear is a marvel of storytelling, an exquisite short novel by a master of the form.
This one’s a rec from my book-bestie, and so it goes on the list, despite not being spec-fic. But I have been assured there is beautiful prose and a LOT of Feels to make up for that!
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Brown MC, M/M
Goodreads
A sweeping, psychedelic romance of two men caught in a looping world of artificial realities, edited memories, secretive cabals and conspiracies to push humanity to the next step in its evolution.
For fans of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Ubik, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Evangelion.
Fox is a memory editor – one of the best – gifted with the skill to create real life in the digital world. When he wakes up in Field of Reeds Center for Memory Reconstruction with no idea how he got there, the therapists tell him he was a victim in a terrorist bombing by Khadija Banks, the pioneer of memory editing technology turned revolutionary. A bombing which shredded the memory archives of all its victims, including his husband Gabe.
Thrust into reconstructions of his memories exploded from the fragments that survived the blast, Fox tries to rebuild his life, his marriage and himself. But he quickly realises his world is changing, unreliable, and echoing around itself over and over.
As he unearths endless cycles of meeting Gabe, falling in love and breaking up, Fox digs deep into his past, his time in the refugee nation of Aaru, and the exact nature of his relationship with Khadija. Because, in a world tearing itself apart to forget all its sadness, saving the man he loves might be the key to saving us all.
Tavares’ debut was most excellent, and the themes being explored in Welcome to Forever sound even more my cup of tea! (Not that I drink tea, but…you know what I mean!)
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Epic Fantasy
Representation: Central American-coded cast and setting, bisexual MC, MLM MCs, Deaf MC
Goodreads
The Empire of Songs reigns supreme.
Across all the lands of Ixachipan, its hypnotic, magical music sounds. Those who battled against the Empire have been enslaved and dispersed, taken far from their friends and their homes.
In the Singing City, Xessa must fight for the entertainment of her captors. Lilla and thousands of warriors are trained to serve as weapons for their enemies. And Tayan is trapped at the heart of the Empire’s power and magic, where the ruthless Enet’s ambition is ever growing.
Each of them harbours a secret hope, waiting for a chance to strike at the Empire from within.But first they must overcome their own desires. Power can seduce as well as crush. And, in exchange for their loyalty, the Empire promises much.
The final book in this trilogy comes out at the end of the month, so it’s more than time for me to finish book two! (I did start it, but damn, this is dark. And I am a wimp, as we have previously established! Still, I’m determined to try again.)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, queernorm world
Goodreads
I must have been drunker than I realized because all I remember is how well he tied his cravat and how perfectly his coat fit him…
London, 1815: where magic can be purchased at convenience, and the fashionable and wealthy descend for the start of the social Season. But 25-year-old Gavin Hartford finds the city intimidating when he arrives, alone, to his family’s townhouse. The only company he seeks is in his beloved books and weekly letters to his sister, Gerry.
Then dashing man-about-town Charles Kentworthy gallantly rescues Gavin from a foolish drunken mishap and turns his life upside-down. With Mr. Kentworthy, Gavin finds himself discussing poetry and magic, confessing his fears about marriage, expanding his social circle to shocking proportions — and far outside his comfort zone.
When family responsibility comes knocking, Gavin’s future looms over him, filled with uncertainty. As he grapples with growing feelings for his new friend, Gavin will need to be honest with Mr. Kentworthy — but he’ll need the courage to be honest with himself first.
This epistolary Regency romance is the first in a historical fantasy series, Meddle & Mend.
A sweet romantic fantasy (or fantastical romance?) set in a queernorm version of Regency England, I’ve heard so much love for this series and very much want to try it out for myself. Plus, I’ve fallen hard for epistolary formats lately, and Letters is, predictably, told through letters between the characters!
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, F/F
Published on: 23rd April 2024
Goodreads
"Omigosh! I've just found an author to put on my list of I've got to read everything they ever wrote! The Warden is a gem of the first order. Aelis is my hero."―Glen Cook, author of The Black Company, on The Warden series
"These books are addictive and I can’t wait to see what Aelis and the gang get up to next.”―C.L. Clark, author of The Unbroken
Aelis de Lenti, Lone Pine's newly assigned Warden, is in deep trouble. She has just opened the crypts of Mahlgren, releasing an army of the undead into the unprotected backwoods of Ystain.
To protect her village, she must unearth a source of immense Necromantic power at the heart of Mahlgren. The journey will wind through waves of undead, untamed wilderness, and curses far older than anything Aelis has ever encountered. But as strong as Aelis is, this is one quest she cannot face alone.
Along with the brilliant mercenary she's fallen for, her half-orc friend, and a dwarven merchant, Aelis must race the clock to unravel mysteries, slay dread creatures, and stop what she has set in motion before the flames of a bloody war are re-ignited.
Not out yet, but definitely on my Spring tbr! The first book in this series, The Warden, surprised me by being very easy to read and a lot of fun, without being too simplistic (easy to read and interestingly complicated is a hard combination to pull off, I suspect). And with a very entertaining cliffhanger (I cackled!) I can’t wait to dive into the sequel when it’s released next month!
(Also, I love the new covers. Just saying.)
What are you planning on reading this Spring?
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