Most anticipated book releases of 2021
This year there are so many amazing books coming out, from debuts to sequels to simply newer releases from authors I love. Because there are so many, I decided to make a list of the ones I am the most excited about, that way it's more manageable and I have some hope of getting to all of them, because I still haven't gotten to most of the 2020 releases I was really excited about. These are organised by release date but that could always change, and I've linked the Goodreads page on each title, in case you want more details about any of them.
1) Concrete Rose, Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give #0)
Release date: January 12th
This is the very long-awaited prequel to The Hate U Give that's actually already out *yay*. Angie Thomas's debut was one of my favourite books of last year and honestly, one of the best books I've ever read, so I'm so happy to have my hands on the prequel. In this, we follow Starr's father back when he was a young man and a dealer for the King Lords. One of my favourite things about The Hate U Give was the family dynamics and I cannot wait to see how Maverick became the man he is. Also, if you want more thoughts about THUG, I do have a full review of this up on my blog. THUG is a marvellous book and now you can read it and jump straight into the prequel without having to wait for it like I did.
2) The Mask Falling, Samantha Shannon (The Bone Season #4)
Release date: January 26th
This is the newest sequel to a fairly recent favourite of mine. At the end of December, I marathoned all the books currently out in The Bone Season series and I'm dying to read the next instalment (which comes out TODAY). This is a dystopian/fantasy series set in Scion, where clairvoyants are hunted down and deemed unnatural, and we follow Paige, a rare kind of clairvoyant working in the criminal underworld of London. It's incredibly epic and action-packed, the characters have become some of my all-time favourites, and I have no idea where the story is going. I haven't been able to think about anything else since I finished the novella set between books three and four, and all I want to do is drop everything to read this one.
3) The Gilded Ones, Namina Forna (Deathless #1)
Release date: February 9th
First of all, can we appreciate this bloomin' GORGEOUS cover?? Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about what this book is about. In The Gilded Ones, we follow Deka, a sixteen-year-old preparing for the blood ceremony that will determine whether or not she'll become a member of her village if her blood runs red. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, deeming her impure. Before she can face the horrible consequences that this will bring, a mysterious woman comes to her with an offer to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. This sounds like an amazing story, with a possible training setting (one of my favourite things) and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
4) Bridge of Souls, Victoria Schwab (Cassidy Blake #3)
Release date: March 2nd
No matter the year, if there is a Victoria Schwab book coming out, it'll make itself into my "most anticipated releases" list. This is the third and possibly the final instalment in the Cassidy Blake series, a very fun middle-grade fantasy. In this series, we follow Cassidy Blake, a young girl who's now able to see ghosts after a near-death experience. She's been able to handle this pretty well until her parents start hosting a TV show about the most hunted places in the world, and Cassidy's abilities get tried and tested. I had a really fun time reading City of Ghosts and Tunnel of Bones on Halloween last year, so I can't wait for this third one.
Release date: March 23rd
If you've seen any of my content since October you'll know that Aiden's debut, Cemetery Boys, was my favourite book of 2020 and I still haven't gotten over it. But honestly, this next book sounds so incredible, I'd want to pick it up regardless of having read Cemetery Boys or not. Lost in the Never Woods is a dark reimagining of Peter Pan (yes please), where Wendy's brothers have been lost five years ago and now more of the town's children start disappearing. That's when she finds Peter, who claims that if they don't do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. This is definitely top three on my list and March can't come soon enough.
6) Witches Steeped in Gold, Ciannon Smart (Witches Steeped in Gold #1)
Release date: April 20th
This is the one that's been on my list for AGES and I don't believe I still have three months before I'm able to get it. Witches Steeped in Gold is a Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut surrounding Iraya and Jazmyne, two witches who are sworn enemies but are forced to ally in order to take down a mutual threat. It sounds like a very high-stakes setting, with loads of possible betrayals and a lot of action. The early buzz for this has been filled with nothing but great things and I'm eagerly waiting to read it.
Release date: May 25th
This might seem a bit of an odd choice amid all the fantasy, but honestly, anything that's pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets The Princess Diaries needs to instantly be on this list. This is about Izumi, a Japanese-American girl who discovers she’s actually a princess of Japan. She's then taken to meet the father she never knew and learn how to become a princess. I'm sure this will not only be a lot of fun and full of drama, but it'll also explore being mixed race and not quite fitting in. I can't wait.
8) Blood Like Magic, Liselle Sambury (Blood Like Magic #1)
Release Date: June 15th
This is the first novel in a new fantasy series about Voya, a young witch waiting for her Calling, the trial she must pass in order to come into her powers. But after failing it, she's given a second chance to succeed and save her family's magic, if she sacrifices her first love. The only problem is that she has never been in love, so she must not only find the perfect guy buy she must do it before the deadline, or else every witch from her family will lose their magic. This debut sounds like a lot of fun and the premise intrigues me so much, I'm desperate to know what'll happen.
Release date: June 22nd
This author trio has previously joined to create the Jane books, three novels surrounding different Jane's in history. And although I haven't read any of those books, I was instantly interested in their newest series, all about the famous Mary's of the world. This first one follows Mary Queen of Scots, giving her story a fantastical twist, and I honestly can't wait. I love that period of history (mostly because I adore the TV show Reign) and I really want more Mary content in my life. And who knows, if I like this one I might finally read the Jane series after all.
10) Empire of the Vampire, Jay Kristoff (Empire of the Vampire #1)
Release date: September 7th
I've read and loved The Illuminae Files and last year I finally read Nevernight, so Jay Kristoff became an author I know I really enjoy. This is the first in his new fantasy series, set in a world where the sun has failed and vampires are free to roam outside and rule the world. This is told in a The Name of the Wind style, where the main character Gabriel is telling his life story to a chronicler. Knowing Jay I know this will be a bloody and gruesome supernatural tale and I'm more than ready for gory vampires to make a comeback. This is also making me want to rewatch The Vampire Diaries but that's beside the point.
There are many more books that could've made the list, but I know it's quite tough for me to get to new releases, so I decided to make this a short list. I'm sure as the year goes on more books will catch my eye, more books will be announced, and I'll just keep adding them to my endless wishlist. Let me know which book you're most excited about so I can grow my list and let me know if any of these you're highly anticipating as well.
Love,
N.
Xx
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