Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Genevieve Gornichec’s The Weaver and the Witch Queen, which is out July 25th.

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she’s determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.

But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.

Gunnhild’s feast clothing was already spread out on her bunk: a linen dress soft from years of use; a woolen apron-dress, faded and threadbare but woven in a fine diamond pattern; and a pair of tarnished oval brooches with a simple string of beads. All had been handed down to Gunnhild from her older sisters.

“Mother asked to foster you again at the midsummer feast, last time we were all together,” Signy said as she sat down on the bunk with the clothing on it, the beads clinking together at the movement. “Your mother refused.”

“She said you were too old now.” Oddny sat down on the opposite bunk. “As if she hasn’t been asking forever.”

Gunnhild grimaced, but this came as no surprise; she knew there was no escape for her. She’d tried to run away once or twice, slipping out during the commotion of a feast after stealing some finery from her parents’ chests to pay her way to . . . Where? If not to Ketil’s farm-the first place they would look for her-where could she possibly go? Each time, she’d ended up returning in the dead of night, putting her parents’ things back where she’d found them, unpacking her bag, and slipping into bed.

She had thought that nothing would frighten her more than Solveig, but it turned out that the unknown was more terrifying still.

“Of course she refused,” Gunnhild said hollowly. She loves to deny me anything I could possibly want. “And on top of everything else, I’m not allowed to have my fate told tonight.”

Signy had been running her hand enviously over the diamond twill of the apron dress on the bed, but her head snapped up at this. “What do you mean, you’re not allowed to have your fate told?”

“My mother decided it.” And, as usual, she hadn’t offered an explanation besides because I said so. Her father, however, had been a bit more willing to talk after a few drinks and a prolonged exposure to Gunnhild’s whining. “But Papa said it’s because I had my fate told when the last seeress came through.”

“But you were three when the last one was here,” Oddny said with a frown. “That’s not fair. You can’t possibly remember what she said.”

“Of course I don’t.” Gunnhild crossed her arms. “And no one will tell me!”

“For once, I agree with Oddny Coal-brow,” Signy said, and her sister hmphed at the nickname, earned because Oddny’s thin eyebrows were a much darker brown than her fine, mousy hair. “What if you just came with us when our mother calls us forward? Solveig can’t make you sit back down without embarrassing you both. People would want an explanation.”

“She’ll make my life even more miserable this winter if I disobey her,” Gunnhild said glumly, and neither of her friends disagreed.

Gunnhild braided her hair into a thick plait, donned her dresses, and pinned her beads and brooches in place. When she was done, Signy gave a sigh of admiration and Oddny gave a nod of approval. Neither of the sisters owned a set of brooches. The two wore faded woolen gowns-red for Signy and dull yellow for Oddny-and Gunnhild knew Oddny’s was a hand-me-down, for the younger girl had it tightly cinched at the waist with a thin overlong leather belt.

Nevertheless, their dresses were free of stains and didn’t show any obvious signs of mending or patching, so Gunnhild knew that these were likely the best garments her friends had; even their mother’s weren’t much better. And yet, though the family had so little to their name, Yrsa was still adamant about bringing their neighbor’s mistreated daughter into their home.

Gunnhild swallowed the lump in her throat and sat down beside Oddny. “Let’s stay out of the way until the ritual starts.”

“Otherwise Mother might put us to work,” Signy said, disgusted, as she flopped onto her back on the bed. “I want to go one single day without picking up a spindle. Is that too much to ask?”

“Just because you pick up a spindle doesn’t mean that you get anything accomplished with it,” Oddny said under her breath, and Signy stuck out her tongue.

To keep themselves busy, they decided to rebraid Oddny’s and Signy’s hair, which had become windswept during the crossing. By the time Gunnhild had fixed Oddny’s twin plaits and Oddny had done the same to Signy’s, they could hear more and more voices coming from the main hall.

“I suppose we should go before our mothers come looking for us,” Gunnhild said at last, standing. The ritual would begin at dusk, and by now the sunlight outside was spent; the start of winter was almost upon them, and the days were getting shorter. Soon the sun would barely rise at all, and she’d be trapped inside this hall, weaving and sewing by firelight, completely under her mother’s thumb.

But not yet. Tonight, she had her friends by her side, and the future awaited.

The hall was full and the braziers had been lit, and the seeress herself was the last to arrive, borne north by King Harald’s tax collector and his retinue.

Along with the neighboring farmers, Gunnhild’s father’s friends among the Sámi had been invited to attend. They clustered together at the back of the hall, although Gunnhild saw that a few of the women had wandered over to chat with Yrsa in Norse. Ketil and Ozur had stopped to talk with the Sámi in their language, and Gunnhild heard Ketil’s roaring laugh from across the room as the largest of the men clapped him on the back with a grin.

Gunnhild would have to go sit with her parents once the feast began, but for now she sat with Signy and Oddny, content to watch their fathers conversing in a tongue the girls didn’t understand.

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Signy said.

“I wonder what the Sámi will think of the seeress,” Oddny replied. “Did you know Papa said their men are more likely to be seers instead of the other way around? I’ll bet their rituals are much different, too-“

Signy batted her sister’s arm. “Shh. It’s starting!”

A hush came over the hall as the seeress finally appeared. The old woman was frail and peculiar, from her lambskin cap and gloves to the multitude of mysterious pouches at her belt. But what drew Gunnhild’s eye most of all was her iron staff, twisted at the top, its brass fittings gleaming in the firelight.

Excerpted from The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec Copyright © 2023 by Genevieve Gornichec. Excerpted by permission of Ace.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Weaver and the Witch Queen’ by Genevieve Gornichec appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
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Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue in Everina Maxwell’s exciting debut.

The Black Coast by Mike Brooks
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Epic world-building at its finest, in an upcoming author’s fantasy debut. The Black Coast is the start of an unmissable series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and crowd-pleasing battle scenes.

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel
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Showing that truth is stranger than fiction, Sylvain Neuvel weaves a sci-fi thriller reminiscent of Blake Crouch and Andy Weir, blending a fast moving, darkly satirical look at 1940s rocketry with an exploration of the amorality of progress and the nature of violence in A History of What Comes Next.

Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden
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Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters has all the wonder and romance of a classic sci-fi novel, with the timelessness of a beloved fairy tale.

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
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When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold
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New York Times bestseller David Arnold’s most ambitious novel to date; Station Eleven meets The 5th Wave in a genre-smashing story of survival, hope, and love amid a ravaged earth.

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
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Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with a powerful romantic fantasy that reads like The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world.

Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke
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Ren Kolins is a silver wielder—a dangerous thing to be in the kingdom of Erdis, where magic has been outlawed for a century. But when a wealthy rebel leader discovers her secret, he offers her a fortune to join his revolution. The caveat: she won’t see a single coin until they overthrow the King.

And Then She Vanished by Nick Jones
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Still haunted by the disappearance of his little sister Amy over twenty years ago, Joseph Bridgeman’s life has fallen apart. When a friend talks him into seeing hypnotherapist Alexia Finch to help with his insomnia, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel. His first trip only takes him back a few minutes, but his new-found ability gives him something he hasn’t felt for the longest time: hope.

Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen
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The story of a decadent kingdom descended into darkness, alliances forged under fire, and a battle over a prophecy that will change the course of history.

On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu
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The haunting story of a family of dreamers and tale-tellers looking for home in an unwelcoming world. This exquisite and unusual magic realist debut, told in intensely lyrical prose by an award winning author, traces one girl’s migration from war to peace, loss to loss, home to home.

Amid the Crowd of Stars by Stephen Leigh
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This innovative sci-fi novel explores the potential impact of alien infection on humankind as they traverse the stars and find themselves stranded on new and strange planets.

What February fantasy and sc-fi releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post February 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

2021 is absolutely jam-packed with fantasy and science fiction books that readers around the world are going to devour! Between the months of January and June, readers can expect magic, warring kingdoms, witches, magic, post-apocalyptic worlds, and so, so much more!

Read on to discover some of the January to June fantasy and sci-fi books we’re excited for and be sure to let us know in the comments what books you’re looking forward to!

Want more 2021 releases? Check out our lists for Most Anticipated 2021 Books, 2021 Queer Book Releases, 2021 Romance Book Releases, 2021 YA Book Releases, and 2021 Queer SFF Book Releases.

JANUARY

The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick
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Darkly magical and intricately imagined, The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a rich and dazzling fantasy adventure in which a con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord must unite to save their city.

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
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A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting debut fantasy, the first novel in a thrilling duology packed with heroism, treachery, magic, and war.

Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long
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Epic fantasy featuring warrior priestesses and fickle gods at war, for readers of Brian Staveley’s Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne.

The Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell
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There are Dark Forces at work in our world (and in Manchester in particular) and so thank God The Stranger Times is on hand to report them. 

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews
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From award-winning author, Ilona Andrews, an all-new novel set in the New York Times #1 bestselling Kate Daniels World and featuring Julie Lennart-Olsen, Kate and Curran’s ward.

The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson
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The first book in a new environmental epic fantasy series set in a world where ships kept afloat by magical hearthfires sail an endless grass sea.

Brother Red by Adrian Selby
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From one of the most exciting new voices in dark epic fantasy comes an intensely brutal and brilliantly cinematic novel: the story of a soldier torn between loyalty to her family and her quest to preserve a kingdom’s future.

Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler
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From Jeff Wheeler, the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain novels, comes an epic new series of warring kingdoms, deadly family rivalries, and fearless loyalty.

FEBRUARY

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue in Everina Maxwell’s exciting debut.

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology.

The Black Coast by Mike Brooks
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Epic world-building at its finest, in an upcoming author’s fantasy debut. The Black Coast is the start of an unmissable series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and crowd-pleasing battle scenes.

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with a powerful romantic fantasy that reads like The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world. 

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman
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This high-concept novel from the National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Arc of a Scythe series tackles the most urgent themes of our time, making this a must-buy for readers who are starting to ask big questions about their own role in the universe.

Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters has all the wonder and romance of a classic sci-fi novel, with the timelessness of a beloved fairy tale. 

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Showing that truth is stranger than fiction, Sylvain Neuvel weaves a sci-fi thriller reminiscent of Blake Crouch and Andy Weir, blending a fast moving, darkly satirical look at 1940s rocketry with an exploration of the amorality of progress and the nature of violence in A History of What Comes Next.

This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria
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An #ownvoices debut YA fantasy, This Golden Flame is an epic adventure full of magic, rebellion, and finding where you truly belong.

MARCH

Dead Space by Kali Wallace
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An investigator must solve a brutal murder on a claustrophobic asteroid mine in this tense science fiction thriller from the author of Salvation Day. 

The Councillor by E.J. Beaton
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This Machiavellian fantasy follows a scholar’s quest to choose the next ruler of her kingdom amidst lies, conspiracy, and assassination

Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley
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Skyward Inn is Jamaica Inn by way of Ursula Le Guin, bringing the influences, too, of Angela Carter, Michel Faber and Jeff Vandermeer to create a fantastic story of love, belonging, and togetherness. Asking questions of ideas of the individual and the collective, of ownership and historical possession, and of the experience of being human, it is at once timeless and thoroughly of its time.

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova
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This is the first book in a young adult, epic fantasy that’s a tale of competition, coming of age, distant lands, elemental magic, and romance. It’s perfect for fans of the Legend of Korra, Truthwitch, and A Sorcery of Thorns.

Machinehood by S.B. Divya
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From the Hugo Award nominee S.B. Divya, Zero Dark Thirty meets The Social Network in this science fiction thriller about artificial intelligence, sentience, and labor rights in a near future dominated by the gig economy.

Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley
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In this charming debut fantasy perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Girls of Paper and Fire, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.

Burning Girls and Other Stories by Veronica Schanoes
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In Burning Girls and Other Stories, Veronica Schanoes crosses borders and genres with stories of fierce women at the margins of society burning their way toward the center. This debut collection introduces readers to a fantasist in the vein of Karen Russell and Kelly Link, with a voice all her own.

We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart
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A Canticle for Leibowitz meets The Hunt for Red October in We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep, a lyrical and page-turning coming-of-age exploration of duty, belief, and the post-apocalypse from breakout newcomer Andrew Kelly Stewart.

APRIL

The ​Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book three in her Blood and Ash series.

The Helm of Midnight by Marina J. Lostetter
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A legendary serial killer stalks the streets of a fantastical city in The Helm of Midnight, the stunning first novel in a new trilogy from acclaimed author Marina Lostetter.

The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner
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An evocative combination of fantasy, history, and Jewish folklore, The Light of the Midnight Stars is fairytale-inspired novel from the author of The Sisters of the Winter Wood.

The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
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The Expanse meets Game of Thrones in J. S. Dewes’ fast-paced, sf adventure The Last Watch, where a handful of soldiers stand between humanity and annihilation.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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From award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes an incisive, action-packed tale that explores big questions about technology, grief, love, and humanity.

The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird
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Set in a world where a virus stalks our male population, The End of Men is an electrifying and unforgettable debut from a remarkable new talent that asks: what would our world truly look like without men?

Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6) by Martha Wells
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The New York Times bestselling security droid with a heart (though it wouldn’t admit it!) is back in Fugitive Telemetry, a new standalone adventure!

Unity by Elly Bangs
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Evoking the grittiness of Mad Max and the idealism of Sense8, this absorbing sci-fi debut is a dynamic vision of the fluidity of identity. With Unity, breakout author Elly Bangs has created a prescient, moving, and unforgettable adventure that expands upon human consciousness and its possibilities.

MAY

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
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Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne forges a new epic, outside the traditional narratives of heroism and glory that leave no room for women.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
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A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy.

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller
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In Blade of Secrets, the first book in Tricia Levenseller’s exciting new YA fantasy duology, a teenage blacksmith with social anxiety is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she’s ever made. 

How to Mars by David Ebenbach
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What happens when your dream mission to Mars is a reality television nightmare? This debut science-fiction romp with heart follows the tradition of Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles, with a dash of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a hint of The Real World.

Spells Trouble by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
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Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
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Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland is a genre-bending work of Gothic fiction. Here, monsters aren’t just individuals, but entire nations. It is a searing, seminal book that marks the arrival of a bold, unignorable voice in American fiction

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
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Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief begins a ‘dazzling’ (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other. 

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
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For fans of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and David Mitchell, a genre bending, time twisting alternative history that asks whether it’s worth changing the past to save the future, even if it costs you everyone you’ve ever loved. 

JUNE

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall
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A phantasmagorical indictment of hereditary power, Star Eatertakes readers deep into a perilous and uncanny world where even the most powerful women are forced to choose what sacrifices they will make, so that they might have any choice at all.

The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu
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New York Times bestseller and Hugo, British Fantasy, Romantic Times, and Eisner award-winning author of the graphic novel, Monstress, Marjorie Liu leads you deep into the heart of the tangled woods. In her long-awaited debut story collection, dark, lush, and spellbinding short fiction you will find unexpected detours, dangerous magic, and even more dangerous women.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
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Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
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Cassandra Khaw’s debut novel is a page-turning exploration of humans and machines that is perfect for readers of Ann Leckie, Ursula Le Guin, and Kameron Hurley.

The Ninth Metal by Benjamin Percy
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From award-winning author Benjamin Percy comes an explosive, breakout speculative thriller in which a powerful new metal arrives on Earth in the wake of a meteor shower, triggering a massive new “gold rush” in the Midwest and turning life as we know it on its head. The first of a cycle of novels set in a shared universe.

The Coward by Stephen Aryan
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Who will take up the mantle and slay the evil in the Frozen North, saving all from death and destruction? Not Kell Kressia, he’s done his part…

Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell
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Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first volume in the new swashbuckling fantasy series by the bestselling author of The Greatcoats.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
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Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other–in Zoe Hana Mikuta’s high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.

What 2021 fantasy and sci-fi books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 48 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Look Out For In 2021 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.