Must-Have Monday is a feature highlighting which of the coming week’s new releases I’m excited for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I’m interested in out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other genres sneak in occasionally too.
NINE books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: M/M
Published on: 12th March 2024
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, Fractured Infinity, was one of my favourite reads of 2022, so obviously I’m excited to check out his sophomore novel! Especially with memories and mind-fuckery involved, which are generally fun!
Genres: Sci Fi
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
From the Hugo Award–winning author of Folding Beijing comes a gripping science fiction thriller in which three unlikely allies attempt a desperate mission of first contact with a mysterious alien race before more militaristic minds can take matters into their own hands.
In a future where the world is roughly divided into two factions, the Pacific League of Nations and the Atlantic Division of Nations, tensions are high as each side waits for the other to make a move. But neither side is prepared for a powerful third party that has apparently been an influential presence on Earth for thousands of years—and just might be making a reappearance very soon.
With the realization that a highly intelligent alien race has been trying to send them messages, three rising scientists within the Pacific League of Nations form an uneasy alliance. Fueled by a curiosity to have their questions answered and a fear that other factions within their rival Atlantic Division of Nations would opt for a more aggressive and potentially disastrous military response, the three race to secure first contact with this extraterrestrial life they aren’t quite convinced is a threat.
Bolstered by recent evidence of alien visitations in the distant past, the three scientific minds must solve puzzles rooted within human antiquity, face off with their personal demons, and discover truths of the universe.
I’ve heard good things about this one, and I love the premise – scientists working together for the best interests of humanity, before governments can fuck stuff up. Definitely in the mood for that right now.
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Sapphic trans MC
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
In a queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue, a trans woman faces her fear of losing her community as her past chases after her. This bold, thought-provoking debut science-fiction novella from a Lambda Award finalist is an exciting and unpredictable look at the fluid nature of our former and present selves.
In mid-21st-century Kansas City, Dora hasn’t been back to her old commune in years. But when Dora’s ex-girlfriend Kay is killed, and everyone at the commune is a potential suspect, Dora knows she’s the only person who can solve the murder.
As Dora is dragged back into her old community and begins her investigations, she discovers that Kay’s death is only one of several terrible incidents. A strange new drug is circulating. People are disappearing. And Dora is being attacked by assailants from her pre-transition past.
Meanwhile, It seems like a war between two nefarious corporations is looming, and Dora’s old neighborhood is their battleground. Now she must uncover a twisted conspiracy, all while navigating a deeply meaningful new relationship.
Another one I’ve heard good things about! Possibly a little too dark/grim for me right this second, but definitely going on my tbr!
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Brown MC, bisexual disabled MC, secondary F/F
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
Return to the world of Godkiller in this thrilling sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut, where Kissen and her companions must navigate lands of gods and demons to unravel a dark truth at the heart of their world.
Professional godkiller Kissen and her companions—young noble Inara and knight Elogast—return in a winding adventure in a world overflowing with magic, beauty, and danger.
This was out in the UK last month, I think, but now it’s the US release! I loved Godkiller and am Very Interested in seeing where this story takes us!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
The Pacific Northwest border town of the Dominion is soaked in magic. Full moons are a bloody spectacle, local restaurants have unicorn on the menu, and a dragon once burned down City Hall. The excitement makes the Dominion a beacon to tourists… but many of them never make it home.
Travel writer Innis Stuart and his photographer, Karsten Roth, are visiting the Dominion to explore its dangers and offer a warning to overconfident tourists. Unfortunately, they may be among that number.
Their local guide is an old friend to Innis, but he's not acting like himself. Why does he seem to be working with the biggest crime boss in town? And why did both Innis and Karsten feel such a strong compulsion to enter the Dominion in the first place?
It turns out that what they don’t know about the Dominion can hurt them, but it’s not as dangerous as what they don’t know about themselves.Come along for a tour of the city known as “the most magical place on Earth”... and don’t forget to buy travel insurance.
I love the idea of travel writers trying to write a guide to a city where dragons and unicorns are a normal part of everyday life. And where did the magic come from? Why has it appeared where it has? I hope we find that out!
Genres: Fantasy, Sci Fi
Representation: Black MC/s
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
In this bold hybrid collection of poetry, flash fiction, and Afrofuturism sci-fi, the award-winning interdisciplinary writer and author of Side Notes from the Archivist explores what happens when god is a Black woman in a town. What happens when there are multiple universes in the middle of nowhere?
And what if in each universe there reigned other Black woman gods? One million versions of god, and one million saints to watch over us? And what if this Black woman god were placed here on earth?
These are just a few of the questions Anastacia-Reneé asks in this daring and mind-bending hybrid collection. Hers is a universe of striking variety—monsters, nontraditional saints, witches, zombies, the couple in the apartment next door, the wise elders from down the block, and gods watching over us all—as well as community and connectedness.
With a prose storyline and characters that connect through family, time, and place, Anastacia-Reneé paints world(s) rich with wonder and the paranormal as she peers into the lives of everyday people and spectacular creatures inhabiting not just our neighborhoods, but other dimensions. Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere is about interstellar ancestry, community and spirituality. It is about the things we invoke, conjure, and rely on to maintain joy as we keep it moving through difficult eras. Anastacia-Reneé’s power imbues her spellbinding storytelling with lovingly rendered characters brought to life in lyrical poetry. She builds worlds within worlds and dares us to fully see and love ourselves in all our complexity.
I think this is partly written in poetry, partly in prose, but that premise is just irresistable. I so want to see what Anastacia-Reneé does with it!
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
In this gorgeous stand-alone fantasy romance perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Allison Saft, a rebellious witch undertakes a last-ditch quest to restore magic to medieval Wales—as two princes vie for her heart.
Ffion is the last hedgewitch in Foxhall. To work her magic, she takes only what nature can spare, unlike the witches of the powerful Foxhall coven, who sacrifice whole forests to fuel their spells. But across the warring kingdoms of Wales, all magic is fading. Even the dragons have vanished.
Prince Taliesin would love nothing more than to watch magic die. But when his father charges Tal and his brother, Dafydd, with destroying King Offa’s dyke—the massive earthen wall raised by their Mercian enemies to the east, which may be the cause of magic’s disappearance—he begrudgingly seeks aid from a witch.
Because whichever prince succeeds in destroying the dyke will win the throne, and Tal is willing to do whatever it takes to become king. Even if the Foxhall coven refuses to help him. Even if he’s forced to team up with a spitfire hedgewitch who hates him almost as much as he hates her magic. And even if Dafydd proves to be a worthier rival than he anticipated…for the crown, and for Ffion’s heart.
The early reviews for this one are fairly mixed, but a) I’m half-Welsh and do not see Welsh history or myth in the spotlight that often and b) there’s a unicorn on the cover, so that’s me sold. (Also I have been promised tiny dragons!)
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 12th March 2024
Goodreads
From the author of the bestselling Secret Zoo series, Wayfinders is a delightful tale of a father and daughter who set out on a quest to save a group of fairy tale creatures. Between school and family drama, Chloe Summers has more than enough on her plate. But when a giant literally crashes into her house—not to mention the mermaid in the bathtub and the unicorn in the barn—Chloe and her dad find themselves on a wild adventure to save a group of fairy tale creatures and help return them to their home. To do so, they must find a way to reopen a secret portal to a magical world while preventing others from taking the magic for themselves. Chloe and her dad must be brave, work together, and face their biggest fears, or they risk losing their magical new friends forever. Wayfinders introduces a brand-new world of enchantment and adventure, perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon , Crenshaw , and When You Trap a Tiger .
This sounds EXTREMELY LOVELY, and, again, unicorn on the cover!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 15th March 2024
Goodreads
Once, we Drus were as the Dryads: eternally in our roots, one forever with the forest. But we were not content. We longed for form, to set us apart from the trees. So the Dryads gave us the bodies of men, and trapped our spirits in mortal flesh…
Holly Hillwalker has never dealt well with the curse of the Drus. He hates his humanity, and never more than now, when the magic of the forest is failing and it’s up to him to save his people. Tristan Grueder, part-owner of the local sawmill is coming back to town, and a cloud of blood and death follows in his wake. Holly will do everything he can to stop him.
Tristan has no idea of the hatred the forest holds for him and his family. They’re just trees. And his sister’s business is in trouble. He’s going to help her get their company on solid financial ground again and then he’s leaving. Tennga, Georgia has never felt like home to him, and there’s nothing that could ever convince him to put down roots there. Until he meets Holly Hillwalker.
It's a bad time for a lonely man to find his soulmate. It’s a terrible time for a would-be King of Trees to fall for a human. And if there’s one thing the enchanted forest won’t tolerate, it’s a human and Drus in love. The forest issues an ultimatum.
He who is to be king must bring the man here to the sacred spring to die…
I’m always interested when anyone invents a new kind of magical creature/being – I already want to know all about the Drus! Are they like Dryads but male, or something completely new? And what’s this about a would-be King of Trees? What does being King involve, and how many potential Kings are there? What determines who becomes King? Plus: tree-spirit and SAWMILL OWNER?! The drama, I can already taste it!
Will you be reading any of these? Let me know!
Your ‘Must Have Monday’ posts are the first thing I read on every Tuesday morning. I’ve enjoyed so many of your recommendations (from Goodreads) over time, and in these post I always find at least some titles that I’ve never heard about! Thank you for posting every week.
Oh, thank you so much!!! It’s so wonderful to hear that people enjoy these! I have so much fun putting them together, I’m glad they’re good to read too :D
You are MOST welcome <3