Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2019! With a new year comes fresh hope and excitement. If I am being honest though my excitement started last year when I started to look at the books that are being published in the first quarter of 2019. It is going to be a very busy month for publishers. There are a huge number of books being released that I am looking forward to. My TBR is going to be bulging once again! There are so many books that I want to talk about this month that I will be breaking down my top picks into two posts. Here are my first five picks for January 2019:

The Wicked King

Title: The Wicked King

Author: Holly Black

Published: 8th January 2019

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Genre: YA Fantasy

Without a doubt this is one of the hottest YA Fantasy releases of the year. The Cruel Prince was a huge success last year and a lot of book bloggers have been desperate to get their hands on an advanced reader copy (ARC) of the sequel to find out what happens next. Luckily for the rest of us there is now only a week to wait! I really enjoyed book one and the sneak preview of book two. If you haven’t picked up the novella of The Lost Sisters yet (effectively book 1.5) it is a great way to jump back into the story ready for The Wicked King. If you haven’t read The Cruel Prince yet I definitely recommend it if you like stories of the fae, dark fairy tales, quirky female protagonists, LGBTQIA+ representation and love-hate relationships. Here is the synopsis for book two (please skip if you haven’t read book one due to spoilers):

“You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.”

The Girl King

Title: The Girl King

Author: Mimi Yu

Published: January 8th 2019

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Genre: YA Fantasy

This is the book that I am currently reading as I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC. It sounded too good not to request! I think the premise is very interesting and like the idea that the two sisters are very different. The question of whether their loyalty to each other will outweigh their own ambition is very exciting. I love the Three Dark Crowns series and really hope that the sisters relationship in this book turns out to be equally as interesting. Here is the synopsis that had me hooked:

“Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty’s first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead—a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally—and an army—if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…

Alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens—a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other.”

White Stag

Title: White Stag

Author: Kara Barbieri

Published: January 8th 2019

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: YA Fantasy

My fellow book bloggers helped me initially discover this book as the ARC was much sought after and seemingly very difficult to get hold of. I was happy to wait until publication, although I am glad that it is so close now! The front cover is gorgeous. White Stag was hugely successful on Wattpad, with over a million reads, so was expanded and revised for print. I love stories about individuals who are torn between two worlds and the synopsis sounded very promising:

“As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.

Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about.

Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.”

Slayer

Title: Slayer

Author: Kiersten White

Published: January 8th 2019

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA Fantasy

I am a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and was ecstatic when I discovered this book! Anything in the Buffy universe is a must for me. The reviews are decent with just under a 4 star average on Goodreads with over 200 ratings but I am trying not to get too over hyped. The synopsis sounds amazing though and I imagine that most Buffy fans won’t be able to resist picking this one up:

“Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.”

Stain

Title: Stain

Author: A. G. Howard

Published: January 15th 2019

Publisher: Abrams/Amulet Books

Genre: YA Fantasy

A gothic high-fantasy story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea. The front cover definitely feels fairytale-esque. I am very excited about the release of Stain! I love Gothic influenced novels and high-fantasy so those are two huge ticks. I have a feeling that we will be seeing more Gothic influences creeping into YA Fantasy soon. When I read the title I had no idea what this book would be about but then I read the synopsis and realised it had to go on my TBR:

“Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins…

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest … disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra’s rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight, for she is his true equal. As Lyra rediscovers her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not.”

The Best Book Month!

That is it for part one of my top picks for this month. I am sorry if your month just became a whole lot busier! Keep your eyes peeled for part two and let me know what releases you are excited for this month!