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.
THIRTEEN books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Non-binary MC
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
The Hugo Award-Winning Series returns with its newest standalone entry: a gothic mystery involving a crumbling estate, a mysterious bride, and an extremely murderous teapot.
The Cleric Chih accompanies a beautiful young bride to her wedding to an aging lord at a crumbling estate situated at the crossroads of dead empires. But they’re forgetting things they ought to remember, and the lord’s mad young son wanders the grounds at night like a hanged ghost.
The Singing Hills Cycle has been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Locus Award, the Ignyte Award, and has won the Hugo Award and the Crawford Award.
"A remarkable accomplishment of storytelling."―NPR on The Empress of Salt and Fortune
"Nghi Vo is one of the most original writers we have today."―Taylor Jenkins Reid on Siren Queen
New Nghi Vo novella! And a return to my favourite story-collecting monk! All the Singing Hills novellas work as standalones, so you can start with this instalment if you like. This one’s supposed to be quite Gothic…which it does sound like, from the blurb!
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Biracial trans MC, hispanic MC, polyamory
Protagonist Age: late 20s/early 30s; 40s
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
Paperback reissue of the exciting debut - an edgy, queer cyberpunk detective mystery.
This punk ain’t feelin’ lucky.
It’s 2032 and we live in the worst cyberpunk future. Kiera is gigging her ass off to keep the lights on, but her polycule’s social score is so dismal they’re about to lose their crib. That’s why she’s out here chasing cheaters with Angel Herrera, a luddite P.I. who thinks this is The Big Sleep . Then the latest job cuts too deep—hired to locate Herrera’s ex-best friend (who’s also Kiera’s pro bono attorney), they find him murdered instead. Their only a stick of Nag Champa incense dropped at the scene.
Next thing Kiera knows, her new crush turns up missing—sans a hand (the real one, not the cybernetic), and there’s the familiar stink of sandalwood across the apartment. Two crimes, two sticks of incense, Kiera framed for both. She told Herrera to lose her number, but now the old man might be her only way out of this bullshit...
A fast-talker with a heart of gold, Bang Bang Bodhisattva is both an odd-couple buddy comedy that never knows when to shut up and an exploration of finding yourself and your people in an ever-mutable world.
I do not generally feature paperback reissues of books, but damn it, Bang Bang Bodhisattva is GODS DAMN AMAZING and NO ONE seems to know about it!!! It’s absolutely PACKED with Feels, manages to be hilarious despite the hellscape near-future setting, there’s an absolutely bizarre murder-mystery, the sci fi aspects are awesome, and the heart of it all is made up of queer joy. Can’t recommend it strongly enough!
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
Octavia Butler meets Neil Gaiman in a tale about running from your past and hiding from your future.
The Water Wars have scrambled the world. Flood refugees are on the run. Disruptors and the Nostalgia Militia roam the roads wreaking havoc. Invisible Darknet lords troll the internet solidifying their power, while Cinnamon her three Circus-Bots, and two dogs, work with a community of Farmers, Motor Fairies and Wheel-Wizards to provide housing, healthcare and education for flood refugees.
Slipping into periodic despair, Cinnamon’s been hiding out. She’s ready to ditch the Next World Festival she runs―a sci-fi carnival jam featuring music, dance, masked revelers, drum circles and storytellers in a grassy amphitheatre on the farm she inherited. Her elders haunt her, insisting she do the Festival no matter what.
As she confronts threats to the life she’s attempting to live from the Darknet Lords and the Nostalgia Militia, Cinnamon must determine how best to honor her elders and her history, while building a future for herself and her charges.
It’s not going to be easy.
Hairston’s Master of Poisons was one of the first books I reviewed for this blog, and convinced me that Hairston was an author to watch. That’s been borne out over the years, and now we have her newest release! Not gonna lie, it sounds like a heavier book than I’m willing to read right now, but it’s definitely going on the tbr!
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, New Adult
Representation: Bisexual MC, assorted queer cast
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
“Sexy, scathing, delightful, and intimately devastating.”—Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt and Cuckoo
Packed with action, humor, sex, and big gay feelings, The Z Word is the queer Zombieland you didn’t know you needed.
Chaotic bisexual Wendy is trying to find her place in the queer community of San Lazaro, Arizona, after a bad breakup—which is particularly difficult because her ex is hooking up with some of her friends. And when the people around them start turning into violent, terrifying mindless husks, well, that makes things harder. Especially since the infection seems to be spreading.
Now, Wendy and her friends and frenemies—drag queen Logan, silver fox Beau, sword lesbian Aurelia and her wife Sam, mysterious pizza delivery stoner Sunshine, and, oh yeah, Wendy’s ex-girlfriend Leah—have to team up to stay alive, save Pride, and track the zombie outbreak to its shocking source. Hopefully without killing each other first.
The Z Word is a propulsive, funny, emotional horror debut about a found family coming together to fight corporate greed, political corruption, gay drama, and zombies.
Apocalypses are terrifying, but if you have to go through one, doing so with a gang of messy queers at least promises to be a lot of fun! Or do I mean drama? I might mean drama. I probably mean drama. But drama is fun when you’re not in it, so I’ll be having fun, even if the characters might not be!
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Protagonist Age: 20
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
The long-awaited follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Shades of Grey—in an exclusive edition for North American readers, complete with a never-before-published short story
“Fforde's books are more than an ingenious idea. They are written with buoyant zest and are tautly plotted . . . and are embellished with the rich details of a Dickens or Pratchett.” —The Independent
Welcome to Chromatacia, where the societal hierarchy is strictly regulated by one's limited color perception. Civilization has been rebuilt after an unspoken “Something that Happened” five hundred years ago. Society is now color vision-segregated, professions, marriages, and leisure activities all dictated by an individual’s visual ability, and everything run by the shadowy National Color in far-off Emerald City.
Out on the fringes of Red Sector West, twenty-year-old Eddie Russett is being bullied into an arranged marriage with the powerful DeMauve family, purples who hope to redden up their progeny’s color-viewing potential with Eddie’s gene stock. Their obnoxious daughter Violet is confident the marriage won’t hamper her style for too long because Eddie is about to go on trial for a murder he didn’t commit, and he’s pretty sure to be sent on a one-way trip to the Green Room for execution by soporific color exposure. Meanwhile, Eddie is engaged in an illegal relationship with his co-defendant, a Green, the charismatic, unpredictable, and occasionally deadly Jane Grey. Time is running out for Eddie and Jane to figure out how to save themselves. Negotiating the narrow boundaries of the Rules within their society, they search for a loophole—some truth of their world that has been hidden from its hyper-policed citizens.
New York Times bestselling author Jasper Fforde returns to his fan-favorite Shades of Grey series with this wildly anticipated, laugh-out-loud funny and darkly satiric adventure about two star-crossed lovers on a quest to survive—even if it means upending their entire society in the process.
This was out in the UK earlier this year, but it’s time for the US release! Which includes a bonus short story, so I’m going to have to find a way to get my hands on this edition too…!
If you haven’t read the first book, Shades of Grey, well – you definitely have to read that first, or this will make NO sense, but this is such a bonkers, fun-but-surprisingly-deep series that you’re honestly missing out if you skip it. There’s nothing else like it – I’ve never experienced such incredible whiplash between hilarity and horror as I have with this bizarre dystopia where your place in society is determined by how much of which colour you can see!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
ENSNARED BY A SOUL
In the shadows of the forest, two shape-shifting kitsune prowl: Kuro, content with the solitude of the mountains, and his only ally Jaden, a demon with dark dreams for their future.
When a figure from Kuro’s past snaps a photograph of the demon fox, the kitsune are forced to leave their home behind and follow him to Asheville in a bid to prevent its publication.
But trouble has a way of accumulating around Kuro. When police secretary Caroline Lahey sees the kitsune from the top of her barn, she doesn’t hesitate to shoot. Captured, Kuro knows that killing her is his only chance at freedom…but it would also turn him into something he’s not, something that repels and disgusts him.
Someone like Jaden.
As Jaden tries to pull Kuro further into his world of violence, Kuro realizes he can no longer stomach the thought of bloodshed, but neither can he bring himself to reveal everything to Caroline. Forced to rely on her soul for his survival, his life becomes a precarious balancing act of hiding her existence from Jaden…and hiding Jaden’s violence from Caroline.
Soon, Kuro finds himself trapped by his own lies, and when his balancing act fails, Jaden knows that Kuro will do anything to protect the woman he’s fallen in love with.
Even, at last, kill.
A Black and Solemn Silence is a slowburn, paranormal, enemies-to-lovers romance and the first book in the adult urban fantasy Color by Numbers series. It includes adult themes and ends on a cliff-hanger. The Color by Numbers series is perfect for grown-up readers of the Gumiho duology and The Red Winter trilogy; content advisories are available on the copyright page.
I haven’t been able to find out much about this one, but ‘join me on the Dark Side’ is something I LOVE to see, so here’s hoping this rocks!
Genres: Adult, Speculative Fiction
Protagonist Age: 20
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
A tourist town folk tale of stifled ambition, love, loss, and the bird women who live beneath the lake. Every summer the peaches ripen in Port Peter, and the tourists arrive to gorge themselves on fruit and sun. They don’t see the bird women, who cavort on the cliffs and live in a meadow beneath the lake. But when summer ends and the visitors go back home, every pregnant Port Peter girl knows what she needs to deliver her child to the Birds in a laundry basket on those same lakeside cliffs.
But the Birds don’t want Georgia Jackson.
Twenty years on, the peaches are ripening again, the tourists have returned, and Georgia is looking for trouble with any ill-tempered man she can find. When that man turns out to be Arlo Bloom—her mother’s ex and the new priest in town—she finds herself drawn into a complicated matrix of friendship, grief, faith, sex, and love with Arlo, his wife, Felicity, and their son, Isaiah. Vivid, uncanny, and as likely cursed as touched by grace, Bird Suit is a brutal, generous story as sticky and lush as a Port Peter peach.
I can’t explain it, but I’ve been kind of obsessed with this book since I heard about it. I have no idea why! This sounds interesting, but I don’t know what it is about the premise that’s gotten under my skin. Guess I’ll just have to read it and see if it justifies the obsession!
Genres: Adult
Representation: Central Asian cast and setting
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
Before the Silk Road had a name, nomads roamed the Asian steppes and women fought side by side as equals with men. Like all women of the Sauromatae, Akmaral is bound for battle from birth, training as a girl in horsemanship, archery, spear, and blade. Her prowess ignites the jealousy of Erzhan, a gifted warrior who hates her as much as he desires her. When Scythian renegades attack, the two must unite to defeat them. Among their captives is Timor, the rebels' enigmatic leader who refuses to be broken, even as he is enslaved. He fascinates Akmaral. But as attraction grows to passion, she is blinded to the dangerous alliance forming between the men who bristle against the clan' s matriarchal rule. Faced with brutal betrayal, Akmaral must find the strength to defend her people and fulfill her destiny.
Drawn from legends of Amazon women warriors from ancient Greece and recent archaeological discoveries in Central Asia, AKMARAL is a sweeping tale about a powerful woman who must make peace with making war.
“Fraught with conflict both internal and external. Thoroughly imagined and vividly described… Fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes will relish how Lindbergh weaves fact and fiction to craft a gripping saga, a love story, and a convincing portrait of a time and people lost to history.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles
“Meticulously researched, deeply imagined Akmaral brings the joy and hardship of a nomad woman warrior to vibrant, often aching life.”—Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of Daughter of Black Lake and The Painted Girls
“Akmaral delves deep into female power and confronts complex issues about womanhood, motherhood, and the sacrifices women make to protect those they love: issues as powerful today as they were in ancient times. If you love Madeline Miller’s Circe, you must read Akmaral. Lindbergh delivers a breath-taking story filled with vivid characters, haunted landscapes, powerful battle scenes, and a love story you will not soon forget.”—Laurie Lico Albanese, award-winning author of Hester
I think this is more Historical Fiction than Historical Fantasy? But anything vaguely tied to the Amazons is something I want to read, and this has been getting a lot of praise. Definitely excited to check it out!
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
Every good hero needs a villain! Explore the hidden world of magnetic and mysterious villains, often cast aside and misunderstood in tales of mythology and folklore. Through the pages of Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, discover a diverse community of fascinating characters, ranging from seductive and cunning to powerful and awe-inspiring.
Experience the dark allure of Circe and Medusa through to David Bowie's Jareth in Labyrinth and delve into their complex and multifaceted personalities and motivations. Take a deep dive into the intersection of queerness and villainy, re-examine some of our favourite characters, and discover why so many 'bad' characters are queer-coded.
From ancient mythology to contemporary pop culture, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend celebrates the fascinating stories of these often-overlooked characters. Join Dan Jones on a journey of discovery, as he explores the hidden depths of queer villainy and sheds light on the queer identities of these compelling figures. It's a powerful celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary complexity.
I mean, this just seems like FUN. Especially for my nerdy little heart! There is apparently also a Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend which was released a few weeks ago, but I missed that one (how?!), so if you want both sides of the good/evil coin, you can nab the pair. But I have to admit to being more interested in the villains, myself!
Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Queer and BlPOC cast
Protagonist Age: 16ish
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
Magnificent Beasts. Buried Gods. Unforgiving Magic. Epic Battles.
Perfect for fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Naruto, this propulsive high fantasy debut features intricate world-building, and a scientific hard magic system inspired loosely by the law of karma.
The world is governed by Toranic Law, an ancient magical force that segregates people into upper and lower realms based on their morality. It’s said that if the sinful lowers commit themselves to kindness, their souls will lighten, allowing them into the blissful upper realms.
But Aina, one of the few lowers to ever ascend, just wants to go back. Desperate to reunite with her mother, who remains stuck in their horror-infested homeland, Aina joins the Balancers—a group that defies Toranic Law by bringing aid to those condemned to a life of suffering in the lower realms.
Alongside Aina are two new recruits: Aranel, a spoiled noble spying for the upper authorities; and Meizan, a ruthless fighter trying to save his clan from extinction.
Before long, Aina, Aranel, and Meizan find themselves in the midst of a brewing war. On one side, a violent lower king is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the upper authorities will do anything to stay on top.
The trio must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law... but the universe itself.
"An exhilarating series opener." - Kirkus (Starred Review)
I have heard NOTHING but adoration for this book from every corner, and I am very intrigued indeed! Everyone has been raving about the worldbuilding, which is apparently really intricate and unique, with Indian and Japanese influences – HEART EYES!!! And the characters sound just as incredible. Also: WHAT IS THE PEACOCK-MONSTER ON THE COVER??? I can’t wait to find out!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, YA
Representation: Black MC
Protagonist Age: 17
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical . Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut with the emotional power of Legendborn and the redefined ancestral magic of Lovecraft Country.
Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.
At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.
In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.
Blood at the Root made it onto my Unmissable SFF of 2024 list when I first heard about it, and nothing I’ve heard since has made me rethink that decision. We’re getting a magic school specifically for Black students! Mysteries involving parents and inter-coven politics! Williams has created a magical society with history, if there are secrets going back to Haiti, and you know I swoon for that kind of worldbuilding. This book has been called ‘genre-breaking’, and Williams has talked a lot about how he didn’t want to write a book that was all about racism, but one anchored in family and cultural history. To say I’m excited is an UNDERSTATEMENT!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Hispanic MC, polyamory
Published on: 7th May 2024
Goodreads
Hadestown meets “Orpheus and Eurydice” when two Miami teens travel to the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s soul.
Andres Santos of São Paulo was all swinging fists and firecracker fury, a foot soldier in the war between his parents, until he drowned in the Tietê River… and made a bargain with Death for a new life. A year later, his parents have relocated the family to Miami, but their promises of a fresh start quickly dissolve in the summer heat.
Instead of fists, Andres now uses music to escape his parents’ battles. While wandering Miami Beach, he meets two girls: photographer Renee, a blaze of fire, and dancer Liora, a ray of sunshine. The three become a polyamorous triad, happy, despite how no one understands their relationship. But when a car accident leaves Liora in a coma, Andres and Renee are shattered.
Then Renee proposes a radical solution: She and Andres must go into the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s spirit and reunite it with her body—before it’s too late. Their search takes them to the City of the dead, where painters bleed color, songs grow flowers, and regretful souls will do anything to forget their lives on earth. But finding Liora’s spirit is only the first step in returning to the living world. Because when Andres drowned, he left a part of himself in the underworld—a part he’s in no hurry to meet again. But it is eager to be reunited with him...
In verse as vibrant as the Miami skyline, critically acclaimed author R.M. Romero has crafted a masterpiece of magical realism and an openhearted ode to the nature of healing.
I don’t usually read novels-in-verse, but come on – can you imagine a version of me that could resist that blurb??? No, no you cannot. This is another Unmissable, as far as I’m concerned, and I can’t wait to finally get to pounce on it!
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 9th May 2024
Goodreads
The Princess Bride meets Six of Crows in this uproarious fantasy debut set in 18th century Scandinavia full of assassins, magic potions, romance and rivalry.
Valour and Petrichor are esteemed members of the Order of Axsten, an assassin’s guild tasked with keeping order in the rough city of Vinterstock. Plucked from the streets as children and raised to compete for their guild’s approval, Valour uses her brawn to survive, while Petrichor strives to be a gentleman assassin. When they’re given their biggest job yet—to kill Brandquist, the mysterious leader of the city's illegal magic trade—it’s a recipe for disaster. If they can quell their rivalry long enough, the reward will be enough to settle their debts with the Order and start new lives.
If this job wasn’t dangerous enough, Valour is saddled with protecting the aristocrat, Ingrid Rytterdahl. Valour finds her dangerously attractive, but Petrichor can’t wait to be rid of them both. He begrudgingly accepts Ingrid’s knowledge and connections as they navigate the city’s criminal underbelly in pursuit of Brandquist.
As secrets bubble to the surface, the duo must outwit the thugs on their tail, keep Ingrid alive, and—hardest of all—work together without murdering each other.
This sounds ridiculous and ridiculously fun, and I’m here for it. Scandinavian setting! Assassins who suck at teamwork! An illegal underground magic trade! Plus, tell me that’s not a stupidly pretty cover???
Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!
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