Must-Have Monday #199
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.
TEN books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
US cover; UK coverThe Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC with social anxiety, brown trans secondary character, brown sapphic love interest
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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Against a fantasy backdrop teeming with all your favourite mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper combines the cozy fantasy stakes of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree with the heartwarming contemporary romance of Alice Oseman and Casey McQuiston.
As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila's childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There's just one glaring caveat: her zoo's breeding program hasn't functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighbouring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.
But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons... Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. Inspiring zoo patrons? That's another story. Mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo's most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.
Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the grace of a basilisk and the face of a goddess who's convinced that Aila's beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit.
With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila's success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job... She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species now rests on her shoulders.
There's just one thing she has to remember: she is also not alone.
One of my favourite books of the year! The Phoenix Keeper is such a DELIGHT, the kind of book that puts a ridiculous grin on your face, makes you hug the book to your chest and SQUEE. Absolutely flawless, I loved every second of it, should be a must-read for everybody! ESPECIALLY if you’re any kind of animal-lover!
The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC, nonbinary MC, F/NB
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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Young, headstrong Psyche has captured the eyes of every suitor in town and far beyond with her tempestuous beauty, which has made her irresistible as a woman yet undesirable as a wife. Secretly, she longs for a life away from the expectations and demands of men. When her father realizes that the future of his family and town will be forever cursed unless he appeases an enraged Aphrodite, he follows the orders of the Oracle, tying Psyche to a rock to be ravaged by a monstrous husband. And yet a monster never arrives.
When Eros, nonbinary deity of desire, sees Psyche, she cannot fulfill her promise to her mother Aphrodite to destroy the mortal young woman. Instead, Eros devises a plan to sweep Psyche away to an idyllic palace, hidden from the prying eyes of Aphrodite, Zeus, and the outside world. There, against the dire dictates of Olympus, Eros and Psyche fall in love. Each night, Eros visits Psyche under the cover of impenetrable darkness, where they both experience untold passion and love. But each morning, Eros flies away before light comes to break the spell of the palace that keeps them safe.
Before long, Psyche’s nights spent in pleasure turn to days filled with doubts, as she grapples with the cost of secrecy and the complexities of freedom and desire. Restless and spurred by her sisters to reveal Eros’s true nature, she breaks her trust and forces a reckoning that tests them both—and transforms the very heavens.
Told in bold and sparkling prose, The Palace of Eros transports us to a magical world imbued by divine forces as well as everyday realities, where palaces glitter with magic even as ordinary people fight for freedom in a society that fears the unknown.
Welp. Um. This is an excellent example of the kind of feminist mythology retellings that Circe made popular; if you love books like that, you’ll adore Palace of Eros – Robertis’ prose is even more beautiful than Miller’s! I did not love it, but I feel that’s more down to me than the book, and I did enjoy reading it.
Time's Agent by Brenda Peynado Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Sapphic Dominican MC, F/F
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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“What would you do, given another universe, a do-over?”
Forty years ago, archeologist Raquel and her biologist wife Marlena once dreamed of the mysteries they would unlock in their respective fields using pocket universes— geographically small, hidden offshoots of reality, each with its own fast or slow time dilation relative to Earth time—and the future they would open up for their daughter.
But that was then.
Forty years later, Raquel is in disgrace, Marlena lives in a pocket universe Raquel wears around her neck and no longer speaks to her, what’s left of their daughter’s consciousness resides in a robotic dog, and time is a commodity controlled by corporations squeezing out every last penny they can.
So when a new pocket universe appears, one that might hold the key to her failed calling, Raquel seizes one last chance to redeem herself to her wife, live up to her own failed ideals, and confront what it means to save something—or someone—from time.
This one, on the other hand, I had to DNF, not because it’s bad, but because it is very tragic, and that hit me much harder than I was expecting. If you’re okay with that, then it’s a very unique story that follows through really well on what it sets out to do and be.
The Fortunate Fall by Cameron Reed, Raphael Carter Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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A debut novel of remarkable beauty and invention, The Fortunate Fall is back in print for the first time in almost three decades as a Tor Essential, with a new introduction by Jo Walton
Tor Essentials presents new editions of science fiction and fantasy titles of proven merit and lasting value, each volume introduced by an appropriate literary figure.
On its first publication in 1996, The Fortunate Fall was hailed as an SF novel of a wired future on par with the debuts of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. Now it returns to print, in advance of forthcoming new work by the same author. It is one of the great underground classics of the last several decades in SF.
Maya Andreyeva is a "camera," a reporter with virtual-reality-broadcasting equipment implanted in her brain. What she sees, millions see; what she feels, millions share.
And what Maya is seeing is the cover-up of a massacre. As she probes into the covert political power plays of a radically strange near-future Russia, she comes upon secrets that have been hidden from the world...and memories that AI-controlled thought police have forced her to hide from herself. Because in a world where no thought or desire is safe, the price of survival is betrayal - of your lover, your ideals, and yourself.
This new Tor Essentials edition of The Fortunate Fall includes a new introduction by Jo Walton, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards.
I’ve heard so many good things about this book! This, too, is apparently a grim one, so bear that in mind, but I’m still so excited to read it!
The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Representation: Biracial MC
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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NEW YORK TIMES essayist and Foreword Indies 2019 award winner Rebecca Anne Nguyen’s stunning debut.
In The 23rd Hero, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary memory travels back in time to sixteenth-century France to stop climate change before it starts and return to the man she loves.
In a world ravaged by climate change, a mysterious time travel agency known as the Program sends carefully selected Heroes back in time on missions to reverse the course of history, preventing environmental damage before it happens.
Sloane Burrows secretly longs to be a Hero and restore the natural world of her childhood, when gulls still soared above Coal Harbor and fish still swam in the sea. It’s a world she can envision with absolute clarity because of her superpower memory, which makes her exactly what the Program is looking for in a Hero. But her white father raised mixed-race Sloane to believe her “freak memory” is a shameful flaw that should be hidden from the world.
Sloane stuffs her dream of being a Hero and conceals her memory to the point of making herself sick. Her only respite from the constant nausea and shame is the recurring dream she’s been having for nearly a decade. In the dream, a breathtakingly beautiful man makes her feel accepted and loved in a way she never has in waking life—not despite her memory, but because of it.
But when the man in the dream shows up in real life, Sloane’s world is turned upside down. Not only is Bastian a flesh-and-blood person, but he’s from the Program, and he wants her to do the one thing that will shatter her chances of ever winning her dad’s love: become a Hero, travel back in time to sixteenth-century France, and use her superpower memory to save the world.
Fans of the survival themes in Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds will love Sloane’s journey to overcome impossible odds in the near future and distant past, while the passion and humor that bind Sloane to Bastian across the centuries will excite fans of Outlander and The Princess Bride.
I don’t know what to make of this premise, except that it’s kind of fascinating. I usually don’t care about time travel, but using it to save the world from climate collapse? I’m intrigued. Will they be assassinating politicians and CEOs, or what??? Not sure how else a few individuals could make a difference, but I want to find out!
Netherford Hall (Love in Netherford #1) by Natania Barron Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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Pride and Prejudice and Witches
After a mysterious fire at their home in Regency London displaces Gentlewitch Edith Rookwood and her now much-reduced family to their ancestral seat of Netherford Hall in Kent, she faces a new threat in the form of her tenant—the chaotic and lovely Poppy Brightwell.
The repairs on the old pile are prohibitive, Edith’s standing is uncertain, and her inheritance has been challenged by a forgotten American branch of the family. It is clear she needs to marry, soon and wisely—but the lively girl from Harrow House gradually comes to occupy all of her thoughts.
As tenants, rivals, suitors and enemies start to circle Netherford, and dark secrets about both women’s pasts come to light, Edith and Poppy must confront what it means to fight for love and family, and to be their authentic selves.
I initially thought this was a novella for some reason, but it isn’t, and I’m very happy about that! This sounds like a lovely read, and hopefully will make a fun addition to the streak of wonderful romances I’ve been reading lately!
The Girl in the Bog by Keith Donohue Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland’s oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw.
Everybody is after the girl in the bog.
One morning in a field in Connemara, a farmer unearths the body of a young woman, two thousand years old, preserved under layers of peat. Later that evening she awakens in unfamiliar modern Ireland, ripping a hole through space and time and setting awhirl old animosities and long-held grudges.
Shadowy figures follow her from the pagan past, and each emerges with a claim on the girl from the bog. With help from a trio of wannabe teenage witches, she goes on the run. Joining in the chase is an American archaeologist, who wants to keep the discovery for herself, and two befuddled farmers trapped in the plot. Hosts of fairies out for the night work their magic and mischief, and in the blue hour before sunrise, the saga unfolds in a battle for the ages.
Part fantasy, part mystery, part thriller, part send-up, this comic and poignant love song to Irish literature and the gift of gab does not merely bend genres, it braids them into Celtic knots.
I love everything about this, and it only helps that I’ve enjoyed some of Donohue’s previous books! When I first came across this one, I thought it was horror or horror-y for some reason, but I have been assured that is not the case, and in fact Girl in the Bog is quite comedic. Bring it on!
Dissonance of Bird Song by Alexandra Beaumont Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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In the storm-riven wilds of ancient Cornwall the sea's whisper will charm us all.
Dissonance of Bird Song is the folkloric-fantasy tale of Eseld, a song-weaver fleeing her home to cure the sacred birds of her people and save her sister. Locked between the lies of land-dwellers and the snare of an ancient sea queen, Eseld must fight to find her own path. Amidst a storm of betrayal and heartbreak, what will Eseld sacrifice to save the ones she loves?
Readers who enjoyed Lucy Hounsom’s Sistersong, Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and Natasha Bowen’s Skin of the Sea will love Dissonance of Bird Song.
I’m not overly familiar with Cornish folklore, but I’m definitely interested in it! Dissonance of Bird Song popped up on my radar just a little while ago, and I’ve seen almost no one talking about it, but I’m hopeful that the comps for this one aren’t steering me wrong!
The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: West African-inspired cast and setting
Published on: 13th August 2024
Goodreads
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The smallest spark can bind two hearts . . . or start a revolution.
In the magic-soaked capital city of Oluwan, country bumpkin Small Sade needs a job—preferably as a maid, with employers who don’t mind her unique appearance and unlucky foot. But before she can be hired, she accidentally binds herself to a powerful god known only as the Crocodile, who is rumored to devour pretty girls. Small Sade entrances the Crocodile with her secret: she is a Curse Eater, gifted with the ability to alter people’s fates by cleaning their houses.
The handsome god warns that their fates are bound, but Small Sade evades him, launching herself into a new career as the Curse Eater of a swanky inn. She is determined to impress the wealthy inhabitants and earn her place in Oluwan City . . . assuming her secret-filled past—and the revolutionary ambitions of the Crocodile God—don’t catch up with her.
But maybe there is more to Small Sade. And maybe everyone in Oluwan City deserves more, too, from the maids all the way to the Anointed Ones.
Fans of the Raybearer series, Howl's Moving Castle, and Beauty and the Beast will enjoy The Maid and the Crocodile–no prior knowledge of the Raybearer series necessary.
The Maid and the Crocodile shares a setting with Ifueko’s earlier Raybearer duology, but comes later in the timeline – so you ought to read the duology first! (Apparently Maid contains spoilers for the duology.) I will be diving in the moment I get my mits on a copy: Ifueko blew me away with Raybearer, and I’ve been so excited to see what she releases next!
The Scales of Seduction by Rien Gray Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MC, sapphic love interest
Published on: 15th August 2024
Goodreads
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Seeking to change her body, Petra Kruos, a mercenary and the last living Basilisk, strikes a deal with the goddess Cybele in exchange for recovering Perseus’ divine armaments from his grave.
The hero’s corpse rests within the lair of the legendary Medusa, who lives in exile surrounded by a vicious and deadly gauntlet. Surviving to reach the gorgon is perilous enough, but the potent lure of a fellow serpent threatens to undo everything Petra holds dear.
The Scales of Seduction is a F/F erotic romance novella between a butch trans woman and a feral cis femme, focused on lesbian desire and reclaiming the flesh from those who would destroy it.
I’ve enjoyed some of Rien Gray’s other work, and I’m hopeful I will this one too! I mean, a basilisk/Medusa story?! Yes please!
(I should note that this might not be available on the usual retailers, as Gray’s stuff is sometimes – not always! – for sale only on itch.io.)
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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