Can't-Wait Wednesday: Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill, Witch King by Martha Wells, & Psyche and Eros by Lyna McNamara

  

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill
Publication: May 9th, 2023
Doubleday
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"It's 1853 London. Ex-medical student Victor Frankenstein has been missing for years now. Frankenstein's great niece Mary Saville and her husband, Henry, are trying to follow in his scientific footsteps and become renowned paleontologists. They have the brains and the ambition; the only thing they lack is the reputation. Mary is a woman with a sharp mind but a fierce tongue and Henry is an unemployed gambling addict: none of this earning appeal with their peers.

But after finding clues to her great uncle's disappearance, Mary's luck may just change. She constructs a plan that will force the scientific community to take her and her husband seriously; no one will be able to ignore them after they learn to create life. Once they have successfully constructed their Creature, Henry's ambition soars, but Mary finds herself asking deeper, more important questions than she's ever confronted before. As Henry's desire for fame grows, Mary must decide how far she is willing to go to protect the Creature she has grown to love."

Who doesn't love an attempt at a new Frankenstein "sequel"? I'm looking forward to seeing how the author tackles this particular premise and I can't wait to read it. 

Witch King by Martha Wells
Publication: May 30th, 2023
Tordotcom
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers."

I didn't really care for Martha Wells' Murderbot series (or rather, I read the first book and DNF'd it near the end), but I hear people rave about her so often that I want to give her work another chance with Witch King.

Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara
Publication: May 25th, 2023
William Morrow & Company
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"What happens when a god of love falls in love?

A prophecy claims that Psyche, princess of Mycenae, will conquer a monster feared by the gods. Beloved by her family but at odds with her society's expectations for women, Psyche trains to become a hero, mastering blade and bow.

When Psyche angers Aphrodite, the love goddess enlists Eros, god of desire, to help deliver a cruel curse. Eros is the last born of the eldest gods, dry-witted and jaded, unsure of his place in the cosmos. The last thing he wants is to become involved in the chaos of the mortal world, but when he pricks himself with the arrow intended for Psyche, Eros is doomed to yearn for a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet.

A joyous and subversive tale of gods, monsters, and the human heart and soul, Psyche and Eros dazzles the senses while exploring notions of trust, sacrifice, and what it truly means to be a hero. With unforgettably vivid characters, spellbinding prose, and delicious tension, Luna McNamara has crafted a shimmering and propulsive debut novel about a love so strong it defies the will of Olympus."

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about this book, and I think it sounds like it could be a lot of fun so I'm looking forward to it!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan, Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati, & All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

  

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan
Publication: May 2nd, 2023
Orbit
Paperback. 608 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Set in a world of dark myth and dangerous prophecy, The Sword Defiant launches an epic tale of daring warriors, living weapons, and bloodthirsty vengeance.

The sword cares not who it cuts.

Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his nine companions saved the world, seizing the Dark Lord's cursed weapons, along with his dread city of Necrad. That was the easy part.

Now, when Aelfric - keeper of the cursed sword Spellbreaker - learns of a new and terrifying threat, he seeks the nine heroes once again. But they are wandering adventurers no longer. Yesterday's eager heroes are today's weary leaders - and some have turned to the darkness, becoming monsters themselves.

If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends."

I was a big fan of Hanrahan's previous trilogy, The Black Iron Legacy, so I'm excited to see a new release from him!

Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati
Publication: May 2nd, 2023
Sourcebooks Landmark
Hardcover. 448 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best...

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.

But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.

Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.

If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

A blazing novel set in the world of Ancient Greece for fans of Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes, this is a thrilling tale of power and prophecies, of hatred, love, and of an unforgettable Queen who fiercely dealt out death to those who wronged her."

I've always found Clytemnestra to be a particularly fascinating figure and I'm very curious to see Casati's take on her in this story.

All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley
Publication: May 16th, 2023
Katherine Tegen Books
Hardcover. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The Sleeping House was very much awake . . .

Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace—an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.

Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s peculiar girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behavior and ethereal grace.

But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that follows her like a shadow. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her."

Although this doesn't sound like the most original premise... it's one that I always enjoy!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson, Atalanta by Jennifer Saint, & The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr

 

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson
Publication: May 16th, 2023
Orbit
Paperback. 528 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The war is over, but peace can be hell.

Demons continue to burn farmlands, violent mercenaries roam the wilds, and a plague is spreading. The country of Eidyn is on its knees.

In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first mage to be named King's Envoy. And his latest task is to restore an exiled foreign queen to her throne.

The band of allies he assembles each have their own unique skills. But they are strangers to one another, and at every step across the ravaged land, a new threat emerges, lies are revealed, and distrust could destroy everything they are working for. Somehow, Aranok must bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom—before war returns to the realms again."

I'm currently reading an ARC of The Lost War and I'm really enjoying it! I've been looking for a new big fantasy to get into, so I'm hoping this fills that void. 

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
Publication: May 9th, 2023
Flatiron Books
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.

Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?

Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs."

Too many Greek myth retellings have been coming out lately, but... I'm still going to read them! I'm really excited to see this story about Atalanta and I feel like it's in good hands with Jennifer Saint. 

The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr
Publication: May 2nd, 2023
Graydon House
Hardcover. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"An exhilarating, awe-inspiring debut from a master storyteller writing for children for the first time, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Katherine Rundell and Eva Ibbotson.

Rachel and Robert live a grey, dreary life under the rule of cruel Charles Malstain. But when their librarian father enlists their help to steal a forbidden book, they are plunged into adventure. With their father captured, it is up to Rachel and Robert to uncover the secrets of the Book of Stolen Dreams and track down its mysteriously missing final page in order to save him.

What they are not expecting is to discover a family of ghosts, a door to the dead and that the Book grants the power of immortality. But they will do anything to stop it falling into Malstain's hands - for if it does, he could rule for ever.

Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure and discover a truly unforgettable journey of wonder, courage and magic..."

This sounds so fun! I haven't read any middle grade books in a while and I've missed their magic and joy, so I'm hoping to get a chance to check this one out. :) I'm a huge sucker for premises like this!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro, The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter, & Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

 

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
Publication: April 18th, 2023
Del Rey
Hardcover. 272 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona as she unravels the dark secrets of her family history in this ravishing and provocative horror novel.

Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.

Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.

When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.

Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.

But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever."

This is another one that I feel like I've been waiting for for ages now, and I'm so excited it's finally publishing soon! I love the incorporation of Mexican folklore and I can't wait to see what's in store. 

The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
Publication: April 18th, 2023
Gallery/Saga Press
Hardcover. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In the quaint religious town of Seagate, abstaining from food brings one closer to God.

But Beatrice Bolano is hungry. She craves the forbidden: butter, flambé, marzipan. As Seagate takes increasingly extreme measures to regulate every calorie its citizens consume, Beatrice must make a choice: give up her secret passion for cooking or leave the only community she has known.

Elsewhere, Reiko Rimando has left her modest roots for a college tech scholarship in the big city. A flawless student, she is set up for success...until her school pulls her funding, leaving her to face either a mountain of debt or a humiliating return home. But Reiko is done being at the mercy of the system. She forges a third path—outside of the law.

With the guidance of a mysterious cookbook written by a kitchen maid centuries ago, Beatrice and Reiko each grasp for a life of freedom—something more easily imagined than achieved in a world dominated by catastrophic corporate greed.

A startling fable of the entwined perils of capitalism, body politics, and the stigmas women face for appetites of every kind, Chana Porter’s profound new novel explores the reclamation of pleasure as a revolutionary act."

We love a dystopia with an intriguing concept at its core! I feel like this one might be a little intense with the food/calorie focus so I'll be careful going into it, but I have a feeling it'll probably hit some interesting themes. I have an ARC of this that I'm hoping to get to soon.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Publication: April 4th, 2023
Wednesday Books
Hardcover. 368 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love."

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the premise of Divine Rivals, but I've really enjoyed others books I've read from Rebecca Ross, so I'm eager to check it out.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Ascension by Nicholas Binge, Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina, & Greek Lessons by Han Kang

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Ascension by Nicholas Binge
Publication: April 25th, 2023
Riverhead Books
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"An enormous snow-covered mountain has appeared in the Pacific Ocean. No one knows when exactly it showed up, precisely how big it might be, or how to explain its existence. When Harold Tunmore, a scientist of mysterious phenomena, is contacted by a shadowy organization to help investigate, he has no idea what he is getting into as he and his team set out for the mountain.

The higher Harold’s team ascends, the less things make sense. Time moves differently, turning minutes into hours, and hours into days. Amid the whipping cold of higher elevation, the climbers’ limbs numb and memories of their lives before the mountain begin to fade. Paranoia quickly turns to violence among the crew, and slithering, ancient creatures pursue them in the snow. Still, as the dangers increase, the mystery of the mountain compels them to its peak, where they are certain they will find their answers. Have they stumbled upon the greatest scientific discovery known to man or the seeds of their own demise?

Framed by the discovery of Harold Tunmore’s unsent letters to his family and the chilling and provocative story they tell, Ascension considers the limitations of science and faith and examines both the beautiful and the unsettling sides of human nature."

I love this type of premise and am so eager to see what Nicholas Binge will do with it! This has a lot of potential to be something really unique and interesting, so I'm feeling excited for it. (Also, I've chosen to feature the UK cover simply because I really like it, but this is also a US release!)

Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina
Publication: April 18th, 2023
Berkley Books
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Anna Horn is always looking over her shoulder. For the bullies who torment her, for the entitled visitors at the reservation's casino...and for the nameless, disembodied entity that stalks her every step--an ancient tribal myth come-to-life, one that's intent on devouring her whole.

With strange and sinister happenings occurring around the casino, Anna starts to suspect that not all the horrors on the reservation are old. As girls begin to go missing and the tribe scrambles to find answers, Anna struggles with her place on the rez, desperately searching for the key she's sure lies in the legends of her tribe's past.

When Anna's own little sister also disappears, she'll do anything to bring Grace home. But the demons plaguing the reservation--both ancient and new--are strong, and sometimes, it's the stories that never get told that are the most important.

Part gripping thriller and part mythological horror, author Nick Medina spins an incisive and timely novel of life as an outcast, the cost of forgetting tradition, and the courage it takes to become who you were always meant to be."

"Part gripping thriller and part mythological horror" has got me extremely hooked on the sound of this book.  I can't wait to have a chance to check it out. 

Greek Lessons by Han Kang
Publication: April 18th, 2023
Hogarth Press
Hardcover. 192 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"'Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night...'

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.

Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence.

Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish—the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to one another. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity—their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression.

Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection—a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive."

I really enjoyed Kang's The Vegetarian and have been meaning to read more of her work, so this seems like the perfect opportunity. I also stories that examine language and communication, and this seems like it will be doing that and more–hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Piñata by Leopoldo Gout, Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati, & In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

  

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout
Publication: March 14th, 2023
Tor Nightfire
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A Head Full of Ghosts meets Hereditary in Piñata, a terrifying possession tale by author and artist Leopoldo Gout.

Carmen Sanchez is back in her home country of Mexico, overseeing the renovation of an ancient cathedral into a boutique hotel. Her teen daughters, Izel and Luna, are with her for the summer, and left to fill their afternoons unsupervised in a foreign city.

The locals treat the Sanchez women like outsiders, while Carmen's contractors openly defy and sabotage her work. After a disastrous accident at the construction site nearly injures Luna, Carmen's had enough. They're leaving.

Back in New York, Luna begins acting strange, and only Izel notices the chilling changes happening to her younger sister. But it might be too late for the Sanchez family to escape what's been awakened...

Piñata is a bone-chilling story about how the sinister repercussions of our past can return to haunt us."

This is one of the coolest/weirdest covers I've seen in a while and it absolutely matches how weird and incredible this premise is. I really can't wait to see what Piñata is all about!

Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati
Publication: March 2nd, 2023
Sourcebooks Landmark
Hardcover. 448 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"For fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.

As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best...

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.

But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.

Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.

If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself."

Am I getting a little tired of all the Greek mythology retellings lately? Honestly, it's a little overkill, so yes. Am I still going to get excited about them and read them all? Also yes. There have been so many about Clytemnestra lately it seems, but... I don't mind?

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
Publication: March 28th, 2023
Tor Books
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?"

I'm very excited about this latest release from TJ Klune! His previous books I've read have been very heartwarming and easy to read, and sometimes that sounds like exactly what I need. I really love how odd this one sounds and think it'll be a lot of fun. 

What do you think of these upcoming releases?