Bookish News: More November/December 2018 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Releases to Get Excited About

 
 

We’re getting closer and closer to the end of 2018, but we’ve still got one more month, and that means it’s time for the last sci-fi/fantasy book releases post of the year! I don’t know if December is a big month for releases, what with everyone being busy around the holidays, but there are still a few more books coming out that I’m excited for!


Alizarin Crimson by Erica Millard // Nov 14

Alizarin Crimson by Erica MillardBlurb:

Van Gogh’s madness has found her.

While attending a prestigious summer art school in New York City, seventeen-year-old Aya’s red paint attacks her skin, tattoos her, and enables her to manipulate the color red. The red takes over Aya’s passionate emotions, making her volatile. Color stole Van Gogh’s sanity, now it’s come for hers if she can’t gain control.

Aya is thrown into the dangerous world of Aolians, people like her who can manipulate the world and people around them. Dune, a glass-wielding Aolian, threatens to kill Aya if she doesn’t lead her to the Aveum, an ancient and dangerous artifact that Dune thinks Van Gogh hid. The Aveum could save Aya’s sanity, or, if Dune finds it, could destroy humans and Aolians alike. On top of all that, she’s crushing hard on a thoroughly human boy who can’t know her secret.

Aya must choose between retaining her sanity, or saving the world from Dune.

My Thoughts:

I am honestly so excited by the idea of a character having the power to manipulate my favorite color! But even if weren’t red, the idea of being able to manipulate a specific color is really intriguing to me.

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Site

Winterdream by Chantal Gadoury // Nov 27

Winterdream by Chantal GadouryBlurb:

This Christmas Eve… no creature was stirring…

Except, maybe, a mouse.

At long last, can true love break the Nutcracker’s curse?

For Clara Stahlbaum, this Christmas means the end of her youth. A daughter of the aristocracy, Clara is expected to give up her dreams of adventures and the extraordinary for more normal days as the wife of a cruel Viscount.

But when magical Uncle Drosselmeyer returns with his wondrous, dancing contraptions, and one…special gift for Clara, she is beckoned to the land of Winter Dream, where she is thrust into the greatest adventure of her wildest dreams. But will she be able to break the Nutcracker’s curse?

Uncle Drosselmeyer’s apprentice, Anton, is handsome as he is mysterious. But what is it about him Clara finds so alluring?

Winter Dream is a phenomenal retelling of The Nutcracker from the eyes of Clara Stahlbaum with all the magic of the Holiday season. If you loved S. Jae-Jones’ Wintersong, you’ll fall in love with this stunning tale of love, war, redemption, and Christmas magic.

My Thoughts:

I love retellings, and December is the perfect time for a Nutcracker retelling!

Goodreads | Amazon | Publisher

Scourge of the Seas of Time (and Space) by Various Authors // Dec 1

Scourge of the Seas of Time (and Space) by Various AuthorsBlurb:

Outlaws. Lovers. Heroes. Villains.

With their peg legs, their parrots and the skull and crossbones flying from the mastheads of their ships, classic pirates are some of the world’s best-known and easily recognizable outlaws. Or are they? These fifteen stories spin new tales of pirates crossing dimensional barriers for revenge, fighting terrible foes in outer space and building new lives after the Trojan War. Travel to the South China Sea, then on to New York City after a climate apocalypse, then roam the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy and voyage to distant and fantastical worlds. Go with them as they seek treasure, redemption, love, revenge and more. Raise the Jolly Roger and sharpen your cutlass (or recharge your raygun) and climb aboard for some unforgettable journeys.

From fantastical adventures to YA science fiction, from historical tales to piracy in intergalactic space, Scourge of the Seas gives readers a broad range of new pirate legends. Featuring stories by Ginn Hale, A.J. Fitzwater, Geonn Cannon, Joyce Chng, Elliott Dunstan, Ashley Deng, Su Haddrell, Ed Grabianowski, Mharie West, Matisse Mozer, Soumya Sundar Mukherjee, Megan Arkenberg, Peter Golubock, Michael Merriam and Caroline Sciriha.

My Thoughts:

I’m hesitant to read any more anthologies since they just don’t work well for me, but this one is very tempting! I’ve really been wanting to read some SFF about pirates!

Goodreads | Amazon | Publisher

The Devil’s Pact by V.S. McGrath // Dec 18

The Devil's Pact by V.S. McGrathBlurb:

Hold on to your hats — the Devil’s Revolver series is back with an evil twin, deep magic, zombies, menacing grand balls, a train heist, hand-to-hand high-stakes battles, and two sisters who have grown in their power to face and fight the end of the Weird West.

If Hettie Alabama could do what she was told and stand down . . . she might not anyway. Especially when the letters her sister sends from her place of hiding don’t seem quite right, and Hettie’s posse is tying her hands tighter by the day. She’s itching to take the safety off her cursed mage gun, the Devil’s Revolver, and walk through the fire to end the reign of evil that’s choking the magic out of the West—not to mention save her sister once and for all.

The only problem? Hettie’s name is in the headlines and on every wanted poster in the nation—but she’s not the one robbing banks and killing innocents, even if the pictures look just like her. She’s up to her chin in high-necked gowns and beauty glamors, charged with fulfilling her word to the influential Favreau family of New Orleans, even as it becomes increasingly clear that they want only to consolidate the world’s waning magic in the hands of the rich and powerful. The politics get more personal as the most loyal of Hettie’s gang uncover the threat of an immoderate technology that steals magic from the unwitting innocent and transfers it to the nefarious elite.

Hettie has no choice but to go rogue, and when she drops a black hat over her brow, the Devil’s Revolver’s trigger glows hot. The Devil’s Pact stampedes from San Francisco’s Chinatown tongs through the glittering high society of Chicago to the hidden swamps of the Deep South in its search for truth, genuine justice, and an end to a world that refuses to recognize the power and change wrought by girls.

My Thoughts:

I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this Weird West series, so I’m looking forward to continuing!

Goodreads | Amazon | Publisher

Shriek by Jennifer M. Barry // Dec 19

Shriek by Jennifer M. BarryBlurb:

Sara Donovan is a banshee. Well, that’s what her father says. Her mom just thinks she needs a good psychiatrist. When she wakes the morning after her eighteenth birthday screaming her head off outside some stranger’s house, she’s inclined to believe her dad’s side of the story. She can’t control her shrieks – not when they happen or who dies – but things could always be worse. She could have a crazed madman determined to kill her, thanks to her newfound talents. Or, she could find out her long-time crush is the next to die.

Ridley O’Neill isn’t exactly unaware of Sara. As a long-time patron of her father’s diner, he’s watched her grow up. Now that she’s eighteen, she’s not the gap-toothed kid who used to serve him sweet tea. His current thoughts would send her mother the mayor into an apoplectic rage, since his family might as well have built the wrong side of town. Also, there’s a chance Sara is crazy. She’s convinced she’s a banshee and he’s on her hit list. Still, he can’t stay away from her, protecting her from a dangerous legacy, even knowing that her life saved means his is forfeit.

What can unbind the ancient banshee’s curse? With time running out, Sara and Ridley must choose between chasing answers and chasing love.

My Thoughts:

You guys! It’s about a banshee! You know I can’t resist uncommon supernatural creatures.

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Site

Binding Blood by Daniel de Lorne // Dec 20

Binding Blood by Daniel de LorneBlurb:

The groundbreaking romantic horror trilogy, Bonds of Blood, comes to a thrilling conclusion with a story of loss, grief, and redemption.

Monsters don’t get to be heroes…

Betrayed by his brother and imprisoned in his sister’s dungeon, Olivier d’Arjou isn’t about to let a few chains get in his way. A vampire for six hundred years and a plague on his family for longer, he has no reason to hold back from wiping out the last of his family members and anyone who gets in his way. But first, he’ll need to break free.

When Oberon North, witch and survivor of one of Olivier’s most heinous crimes, comes seeking vengeance, it should be child’s play to bend the witch to his will. But Oberon comes with more power and resilience than Olivier expects and forces him to confront truths he’d rather avoid.

But Olivier’s inner conflict must take a backseat when he learns of his sister Aurelia’s plan to save the world from the demon Xadrak. A battle generations in the making, to succeed requires the ultimate sacrifice from both Olivier and his brother Thierry – and the last chance Olivier has to reclaim his humanity and a future he never thought possible.

My Thoughts:

I read the first two books in this trilogy years ago, and am in the process of rereading them now. It’s a great, fairly dark and intense M/M series, and I’m excited to finally get an ending!

Goodreads | Amazon | Publisher

 
 
 
 

Talk to me!

What November/December 2018 book releases are you looking forward to?

 
 
[shared_counts]
 
 
 

Your Thoughts

 

30 thoughts on “Bookish News: More November/December 2018 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Releases to Get Excited About

I'd love if you'd share your thoughts, too!

 

Leave a Reply to Kristen Burns Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 
  1. Greg

    Ooh I’m glad you’re keeping these coming! I need new stuff to geek out over. That pirate anthology I just might need to get.

    Wait! A banshee book? I’ve been wanting one of those for forever. Yesss!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Camilla @Reader in the Attic

    Oh, Winter Dream sounds really nice. Really young adult-ish (aka I’ve already read similar blurb) but I’m all up to this kind of things.
    I probably won’t manage to read it for Christmas period, but I’m going to look a tthe author page. Sometimes this minor publishers and less know authors have really nice books to show around.

    1. Kristen Burns

      I feel like most Nutcracker retellings sound similar in the blurb lol. But it still sounds good! Tbh I don’t know if I’ll get to it in time for Christmas either, but maybe in time to post my review next year 😉

  3. the mad dragon hatter

    Those first two sound very interesting! A Nutcracker retelling is perfect for winter. And I really like the idea of being able to manipulate color like that. I’ll be adding these to my list. 🙂

  4. verushka

    So so so curious about ALIZARIN CRIMSON and the use of the colour red like that. It’s creative, unusual and never actually seen that before as a plot. In general though, wonderful list Kristen — you find the most unusual titles!

  5. Daniela Ark

    ohh loving these new releases! You know I’m not SUPER into retellings BUT I do love the Nutcracker story because of my daughter dancing in it 🙂 so I’m very interested in Winterdream! Love the cover and title! Hope it is good!

  6. Lindsi

    Winterdream is on my TBR! I don’t think I’ve ever read a Nutcracker retelling, and this one sounds amazing! Like you said, perfect for a December read! I just added Scourge of the Seas to my list. I love stories about pirates! I think that’s my weakness when it comes to books. A book can have really bad reviews, but I’ll still read it if there’s pirates.

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?

    1. Kristen Burns

      I’ve read one, but I’m always down for another! It does sound really good! Lol yay! Now you can read it and tell me if it’s a good anthology or not so that I can decide if I want to try it 😛

  7. Lola

    I don’t have as many December releases that I am excited about actually. I hardly have any review copies for this month too, which is kinda nice for a chance. i do have a review copy for January already, but mostly hope to focus on reading non review books this month.

    Alizarin Crimson sounds promising. I remember seeing another series once where people sort of could control color, the Lightbringer series I think it’s called.

    That pirate anthology seems fun. I’ve been reading a Fantasy pirate series that’s a lot of fun and realized I actually don’t read about pirates that often.

    Banshees are rare to see books about indeed. I read Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series which is about banshees and it was great to read about them.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yeah, I think maybe there are fewer releases in Dec. I normally like to relax with non-review books in Dec, I have multiple Dec and Jan ARCs, so I’m still feeling the pressure a bit lol.

      The idea of controlling color is so cool! I’ll have to check out that other series too.

      Ah, I just read your latest review for that series lol. I really want to read about pirates because I never have!

      There are not many banshee books out there, but I really want to read one!

  8. ShootingStarsMag

    Binding Blood sounds really fascinating. I’ll have to go look up the first book in the series. I hadn’t heard of ALIZARIN CRIMSON BY ERICA MILLARD either, but ooh such a cool premise!!

    -Lauren

  9. Sam @ Spines in a Line

    The banshee one definitely stood out for me too, though I thought at first it was called Shrek lol! The pirates one also sounds really interesting, I’ve never come across fantastical tellings quite like those

  10. Olivia Roach

    Ooh, a lot of these sound so intriguing and look pretty cool! But I have to say that Alazirin Crimson is the one that caught my eye the most. Mostly because I loved the cover for starters. Then it mentioned Van Gogh’s madness and because Van Gogh interests me a lot that caught my eye second. And then she can manipulate a colour? SO COOL. So, I am completely sold on that one and will be counting on hopefully seeing you review it in the future?

    1. Kristen Burns

      Gosh, I know, that cover is gorgeous. I don’t know anything about van Gogh, but I just love the idea of manipulating a color! To be honest, I don’t know if I will end up reading it because you know how that goes, but I might get the chance!