Reader Rayna

Hello, hello! I haven’t done one of these in a hot minute, but I’m here to talk about some of the books I’m anticipating from January through June of this year that I’ve heard about, whether on YouTube or TikTok. Let’s just right into it!

January

January 6th – Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz – I haven’t read a Melissa de la Cruz book since HIGH SCHOOL. That’s over 15 years, mind you lol. So of course I couldn’t pass up on this! It was actually my Book of the Month pick for January, so I’m excited to get to it at some point this year!
January 27th – To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose – Though I haven’t read the first book in this series (To Shape a Dragon’s Breath), I’m still excited to see that the sequel is coming out at the end of the month! It gives me more incentive to read it sooner this year rather than putting it off more, you know?

February

February 24th – The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan – This debut historical fantasy novel tells the story of the first werewolf, and it sounds both haunting and heartbreaking. I also really like this cover art, so that’s a plus lol
February 24th – Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi – I need to read The Final Strife trilogy by El-Arifi, but this one is giving female rage, and I am here for it. Plus, Cleopatra is one of, if not the most, famous Egyptian queen of ancient times in our modern times. So yeah, color me intrigued.

March

March 24th – Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence – I’ve never read a Mark Lawrence book before, but this synopsis sounds badass, I’m not gonna lie. And that cover? Hello?? Sign me up.
March 31st – This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews – I used to read the Kate Daniels series by this author duo back in the day, and though I never finished the series, I’m excited to pick up this new series by them! It sounds fun, adventurous, and with just the right amount of romance and tension I crave in my books.

April

April 21st – Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens – This debut novel sounds like a lot of fun! Family skeletons in the closet, a werewolf ex, navigating the magical world around you… I mean, what’s not to love?

May

May 5th – The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee – I have yet to read the Greenbone Saga by Lee, but this standalone also sounds super cool. Of course she’s offered one last mission she can’t refuse. Sign me up, I want to read it!
May 19th – The Tapestry of Fate by S.A. Chakraborty – The sequel to The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is finally going to be coming out, which means I can finally read the first book lol! But seriously, after reading the Daevabad trilogy by Chakraborty last year, she became a favorite and auto-buy author for me, so I’m very excited to get to both books this year!

June

June 2nd – The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden – I haven’t read her Winternight trilogy yet (though I own it), but this sounds whimsical for sure. I want to know who the stranger is, who the unicorn is, what the significance is, who the enemy is, etc.

What books are you most looking forward to in the first half of the year? Any of these on my list stand out to you at all? Let me know in the comments!