Natasha Pulley Archives | The Nerd Daily

Q&A: Natasha Pulley, Author of ‘The Salt King’

Elise Dumpleton — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

We chat with author Natasha Pulley about The Salt King, which is an apocalyptic novel about belief, religion, and the power of myth that blends the gripping, end-of-the-world storytelling of The Passage with the biting wit and epic queer romance that makes Natasha Pulley’s books “delightful” (The Washington Post).

Hi, Natasha! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! I’m a British writer based in Bristol in the UK. I teach Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and Cambridge University, but sometimes I escape and have very ill-advised adventures where I get seasick or slightly annoy Chinese police officers.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve written for as long as I can remember being able to write. I think I started writing Star Trek stories when I was about six!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: It’s an awesome picture book called Yendor by Rodney Matthews. The art is brilliantly weird and the ideas in it, not to mention the general forest-grunge aesthetic, still influence me today. It’s just about a little boy who goes off and has an adventure unbeknownst to his parents, back by tea time, but honestly, I still find it captivating.
The one that made you want to become an author: I actually didn’t know ‘author’ was a job for ages; I didn’t think it was possible to make a living doing it until I was in my twenties. When I did, it was really through talking to friends who also like to write, so it was a slow process. I think in Small Natasha’s brain, books just sort of appeared, like photons. I was always interested in stories, but never in the writers — I used to be annoyed if the author picture was featured too prominently on the back cover: it breaks the fourth wall! So of course, I didn’t have any time for hearing anyone’s ‘journey to publication’ story. Author and story were very firmly separate in my mind. Stories were interesting: authors were absolutely not.
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Fool’s Errand, by Robin Hobb. I read it as a teenager and it was the first time I realized that a story — especially a fantasy story – didn’t always have to be ‘Girl meets guy and they fall automatically in love because somehow all men are compatible with all women, and everything is awesome’, a structure which I’d always felt terribly alienated by. It’s a fantasy book, but a lot like Game of Thrones, it’s not so much about magic as it is about very messy, intense, complicated character relationships, set against the backdrop of a world like ours but eerily not, too.

**Your latest novel, The Salt King, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

Love and faith clash apocalyptically.

What can readers expect?

The story follows a young Jesuit priest called Avelyn. He’s sent to an isolated monastery in England by the Vatican to investigate what seems to be a miracle: a man in a wheelchair there was cured, but then turned to salt. The monastery is inside a salt mine, where the locals believe a god called the Salt King sleeps…and might now be waking up. Before very long, Avelyn is torn between his faith and the monastery’s lovely but mysterious doctor, Jericho, who seems to know a lot more than he’s saying.

**Where did the inspiration for The Salt King come from?**

I think it’s misleading to talk about ‘inspiration’ as if it’s one thing. If you bumble through life running after interesting things and collecting as many odd experiences as you can, you can usually shape them into something novel-ish eventually. The Salt King is made of thousands of different things. I know it did evolve out of a completely different story about a small church in Yorkshire I started writing during the pandemic, but I can’t trace how or why.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really enjoyed writing Avelyn’s thoughts about his old, pagan beliefs, versus Catholic dogma; faith is something I think I could probably spend my whole life writing about. It’s so beautiful and so punishing!

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

The huge challenge for me was that I’m completely god-blind. I don’t have any faith of any kind, and I’ve never experienced anything that I could honestly attribute to anything supernatural or divine. I had to interview quite a few people before I could get my fingernails over what they were describing. The big difficulty is that when someone does experience faith, they often struggle to explain what it’s like, just like native English speakers are usually awful at explaining or even noticing English grammar (why is ‘the blue big ball’ wrong? Why can you have ‘hot pink’ and ‘red hot’ but not ‘hot red’?). The most common reaction of people with some kind of faith was disbelief in my disbelief: it was hard to communicate that I honestly can’t feel what they perceive to be God and likewise, it took me a long time to understand that they are genuinely feeling something I’m not. It usually takes a good twenty minutes to convince someone I’m not pretending or stupid. But you overcome that with more talking. It’s so much fun, and so satisfying, to have a proper conversation with someone who thinks in such a fundamentally different way to you, where you both come away going, ‘OH, so that’s what that means!’

What’s next for you?

I’m not quite sure yet — I have some fun ideas brewing, but I don’t want to hex it!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I just finished a brilliant novel called Father Alberto and the Flying Girl by Timothy X Atack – it’s set in a medieval convent dedicated to the housing of lunatics, including an evil horse called Zanzibar, and I loved it. I’m really looking forward to From The Library of Jurgen Leitner by Premee Mohamed and Jonathan Sims; I love the Magnus Archives and the novel is set in that world, so I can’t wait.

Will you be picking up The Salt King? Tell us in the comments below!

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Six Emotional Romance Books That Should Come With Their Own Box of Tissues

The Nerd Daily — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Guest post written by Love Letters For Other People author Shaylin Gandhi
Shaylin Gandhi first fell in love with love stories when she started stealing grown-up books off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of ten. By twelve, she’d perfected the art of reading under the covers by flashlight, and in high school, she attempted her first novel. She now writes from the mountains of Golden, Colorado, where she lives with her husband and identical twin daughters. When not finagling words onto paper, Shaylin can be found hiking, scheming up ways to earn another passport stamp, or ingesting enough coffee to power a small city.

About Love Letters For Other People (released 9 December): An emotionally gripping page-turner about heartbreak, old secrets, and second chances—with an unexpected Cyrano twist. For fans of Lucy Score and Mia Sheridan.

We all have those reading experiences that knock the wind out of us—the books that blindside us with so many gut-wrenching emotions that we end up staining the pages with our tears. Yet somehow, those same stories always stitch us back together again. They leave us raw and aching and grateful for the experience.

As both a reader and an author, these deeply emotional romances are my favorite. To me, that’s the point of the genre: we read romance to feel. To be moved. To walk away changed, even if it costs us a few tears along the way.

If you, too, are craving a cathartic tearjerker this season—one that still delivers the kind of happily-ever-after that makes romance so satisfying—here’s a list of books that had me reaching for the Kleenex:

Love Letters for Other People by Shaylin Gandhi

Okay—admittedly, I wrote this one myself. But I did cry while doing it, and lots of my readers have had late-night sob sessions themselves. In Love Letters for Other People, a disgraced mathematician moves back to her rural hometown and falls for a man who gives her beautiful love letters. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s paying her high-school ex-boyfriend (who’s still hopeless for her) to write them. Love Letters for Other People earned a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and was named an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Romance.

Until I Die by Deidra Duncan

This one destroyed me, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s a dark, hauntingly beautiful dystopian romance set amid the ashes of a fallen United States, in which the New American Order has seized power by silencing dissent and enslaving the vulnerable. To stop the spread of their evil, Sophia Reeves has given everything to the Defiance, but now, her general has a new command: become a contact for an enemy officer-turned-spy. For a woman, association with a Blood Colonel is a death sentence. But Lucas Scott may not be the monster Sophia believes…

When We Had Forever by Shaylin Gandhi

OK, full disclosure: I wrote this book, too. Did I cry? You betcha. And the messages in my inbox suggest a lot of other people did, too. When We Had Forever is an angsty, emotional romance about a young widow who discovers her husband was keeping secrets throughout the marriage. In the process of unraveling them, she sparks a forbidden romance with his identical twin brother. But he may be keeping secrets of his own…

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow

You wouldn’t think a book about a magical veterinary school would tear a hole through your chest, but this book is ready to prove your assumptions wrong. In Strange Familiars, two scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their loathing to save the world.

I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with both of these characters HARD. And that ending? I’m still trying to recover. First in a duology.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

I read this book years ago and still think about it on a weekly basis. Not only because it gripped me, but because I still can’t figure out why this book works so well. You have to read it to see what I mean—it’s part historical, part time-travel-romance, part fever-dream fantasy that’s so brilliantly constructed the words sing from the page. I wept. I fell in love with the characters and never fell back out. And when it was over, I stared at the wall for approximately 5 business days. The Kingdoms is a time-twisting alternative history in which Joe Tournier, absent any memories, goes in search of his identity. His only clue to his own past? A century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse. Joe’s search drives him from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire’s Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history…and himself.

Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor

Not to be cliché, but this book quite literally had me in a chokehold. I couldn’t breathe during the entire ending sequence. Tears were streaming down my face, I was glued to the page, and I don’t think I took another full breath until it was over. This is an achingly beautiful timeslip romance in which a twist of fate connects a young woman in modern-day England with a British soldier fighting in the First World War in 1916.

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Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Devour In 2025

Elise Dumpleton — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000

The Nerd Daily may obtain commissions for qualifying purchases from the links included in this article, but it’s so important to remember to shop local and indie!

Are you ready to be whisked away with a new fantasy or sci-fi read this year? We’ve rounded up 72 upcoming reads that will be hitting shelves between January and June this year, including new releases from Seanan McGuire, Nnedi Okorafor, Edward Ashton, Samantha Shannon, Natasha Pulley, M.R. Carey, Nghi Vo, Tochi Onyebuchi, V.E. Schwab, Tessa Gratton, and many more, along with some exciting debut releases!

Read on to discover new books hitting shelves in the first half of the year and be sure to check out our other 2025 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, Young Adult, and Fiction lists.

JANUARY 2025 SFF BOOK RELEASES

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

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A young ruler must forge a delicate alliance with the untrustworthy yet magnetic God of War to protect her kingdom in this stunning romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, from Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess

North Is the Night by Emily Rath

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Two bold young women defy the gods and mortals, living and dead, in this darkly mythical, Finnish folklore-inspired fantasy duology for readers of T. Kingfisher’s Nettle & Bone, Danielle L. Jensen, Thea Guanzon, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.

Lightfall by Ed Crocker

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A novel of vampires, werewolves and sorcerers, Lightfall is the stunning debut epic fantasy by Ed Crocker, for fans of Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire and Richard Swan’s The Justice of Kings

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

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A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

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Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

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In an alternate London in 1923, one girl accidentally breaks the tenuous truce between dragons and humans in this sweeping debut and epic retelling of Bletchley Park steeped in language, class, and forbidden romance. Perfect for teen fans of Fourth Wing and Babel.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

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Giant turtles, impossible ships, and tidal rivers ridden by a Drowned girl in search of a family in the latest in the bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire.

The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell

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In this glittering debut fantasy, a mage bereft of her powers must find out if she is destined to save the world or destroy it. Perfect for fans of Andrea Stewart, James Islington, and Samantha Shannon.

The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill

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A poignant and enchanting novel about a magical bookstore that transports a trans man through time and brings him face-to-face with his teenage self, offering him the chance of a lifetime to examine his life and identity to find a new beginning.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

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In this exhilarating tale by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative—a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything you’ve read before.

Daughter of Chaos by A.S. Webb

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Godkiller and The Priory of The Orange Tree meet Netflix’s Kaos in this epic fantasy series set in ancient Greece.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

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In the tradition of Station Eleven, a literary thriller set partly on the roof of New York’s Museum of Natural History in a flooded future.

FEBRUARY 2025 SFF BOOK RELEASES

Grave Empire by Richard Swan

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From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed – and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton

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Part first contact story, part dark comedy, and part bizarre love triangle, The Fourth Consort asks an important question: how far would you go to survive? And more importantly, how many drinks would you need to go there?

A Dragon of Black Glass by James Rollins

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The third and penultimate book in the New York Times bestselling Moonfall series from thriller-master James Rollins, A Dragon of Black Glass is a tale of relentless adventure and the struggle for survival in a harsh world that hangs by a thread.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

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Upon a Starlit Tide is a dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of “The Little Mermaid” and “Cinderella” into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.

The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon

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The highly anticipated fifth novel in the New York Times bestselling Bone Season series-an epic and spellbinding fantasy from the author of The Priory of the Orange Tree.

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

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A spine-tingling standalone novel by bestselling author TJ Klune―a supernatural road-trip thriller featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run from cultists and the government.

Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill

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From an outstanding new voice in cozy fantasy comes Greenteeth, “a joyful, warm-hearted” (H. G. Parry) tale of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster with a voice unlike any other, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

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The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi

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They’re no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now two elven sisters are each bound by shackles of the heart—the sequel to the national bestseller Faebound, hailed as “a devastatingly romantic and breathtaking fantasy” (Tasha Suri).

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

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The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic in this sapphic monster romance novella wrapped in gothic fantasy trappings

Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf by C. L. Clark

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Set in the blockbuster and award-winning universe of League of Legends: Arcane and written by award-winning author C. L. Clark, discover a thrilling epic fantasy novel where Ambessa Medarda truly learns what it means to be a Chosen of the Wolf.

The Witch of Whispervale by R. A. Salvatore

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From the legendary author and creator of Drizzt Do’Urden comes the next installment in the New York Times bestselling DemonWars fantasy series, about the traitorous invasion by the Xoconai of the eastern realms of Corona. However, the heroes of the last war against their demon god may be forgotten, but they are not powerless.

MARCH 2025 SFF BOOK RELEASES

Murder By Memory by Olivia Waite

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Told through Dorothy’s delightfully shrewd POV, this novella is an ode to the cozy mystery taken to the stars with a fresh new sci-fi take. Perfect for fans of the plot-twisty narratives of Dorothy Sayers and Ann Leckie, this well-paced story will leave readers captivated and hungry for the series’s next installment.

Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos

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A delightful queer romantic fantasy full of friends-to-lovers chemistry, found family, rival family drama, and cozy garden magic from two acclaimed YA authors making their debut in the adult space.

The Hymn to Dionysus Natasha Pulley

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A timely reimagining of the story of Dionysus-Greek god of ecstasy, revelry, and ruin-and a captivating queer love story for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn

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Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn’s next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch―she’s a hunter.

The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau

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The Witcher meets Squid Game in this Malaysian Chinese-inspired epic fantasy novel where a debt-ridden slumdog joins an illegal monster-fighting arena for some fast coin, but quickly learns the most dangerous beasts are outside the ring

The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

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In this riveting science fiction novel from acclaimed author Philip Fracassi, a scientist has unlocked the mysteries of time travel. This is not the story you think you know. And the rules are only the beginning.

A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames

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In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea, a whimsical and unforgettable cozy fantasy about adventure, common sense, and the power of love, as a cheeky butcher’s daughter, a befuddlingly handsome sorcerer, and his clever talking cat unlock magical secrets in the dark heart of their kingdom…

Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne

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The Princess Bride meets Bookshops and Bonedust in the third book of the Tomes & Tea series, where our favorite lesbian pirates must navigate the ultimate maelstrom–their own wedding!

The Anatomy of Magic by J.C. Cervantes

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A young woman learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family in this next novel by New York Times bestselling author J.C. Cervantes.

Malinalli by Veronica Chapa

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An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico’s history and mythology, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow and Zoraida Córdova’s The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.

Idolfire by Grace Curtis

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A character-driven science-fantasy road trip book with sword fights and a slowburn romance, Idolfire delves into the vastness of history and the terrifying power of organized faith.

Once Was Willem by M. R. Carey

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Presenting an enthrallingly dark medieval fantasy – a fable of twisted folklore, macabre magic and the strangest of found families – from M. R. Carey, author of the million-copy bestseller, The Girl With All the Gifts.

APRIL 2025 SFF BOOK RELEASES

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

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Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to ask: do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?

Don’t Sleep With The Dead by Nghi Vo

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From award-winning author Nghi Vo comes Don’t Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

Notes From A Regicide by Isaac Fellman

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Notes from a Regicide is a heartbreaking story of trans self-discovery with a rich relatability and a science-fictional twist from award-winning author Isaac Fellman.

City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley

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A vibrant and emotional science fantasy about cousins trapped in mirrored worlds – the resplendent and verdant summer city and the ice-carved wastes of the winter city. For fans of Every Heart a Doorway and This is How You Lose the Time War.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

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The eccentric detective Ana Dolabra matches wits with a seemingly omniscient adversary in this brilliant fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

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From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau

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The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez

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Irish mythology collides with Gilded Age New York in this sweeping debut enemies-to-lovers historical romantasy, perfect for fans of Outlander and A Fate Inked in Blood.

Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities, and the crushing weight of all their unrealized adolescent potential.

Polybius by Collin Armstrong

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Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead in this chilling novel based on the terrifying urban legend about a video game created by the government for psychological warfare.

Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

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A cybernetic novel of political intrigue, Where the Axe is Buried combines the story of a near-impossible revolutionary operation with a blistering indictment of the many forms of authoritarianism that suffocate human freedom.

A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang

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From a rising-star author, winner of the both the Bram Stoker® and Nebula Awards, a richly inventive, brutal and beautiful science-fantasy novella. A story of family, loss, oppression and rebellion that will stay with you long after the final page. For readers of Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune, Neon Yang’s The Black Tides of Heaven and Kritika H. Rao’s The Surviving Sky.

MAY 2025 SFF BOOK RELEASES

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

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In the first book of a sizzling dystopian romance series, psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis

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Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them – ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

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Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series meets Plain Bad Heroines in this sapphic dark academia fantasy by instant national and international bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve

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Four strangers time travel to the past and find themselves stuck on the day all their lives were changed in this stunning speculative mystery from award-winning film and television producer Dete Meserve, perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Wrong Place Wrong Time and The Paradox Hotel.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang

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With an armored, oath-bound hero reminiscent of The Mandalorian and the Asian-inspired epic fantasy of She Who Became the Sun, Neon Yang’s Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen.

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji

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A whip-smart thriller in the vein of Blake Crouch, Andy Weir, and Neal Stephenson, Esperance plumbs the depths of a seemingly impossible crime rooted in racism, intergenerational trauma, and an inhuman concept of justice

A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis

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In this sumptuous, atmospheric historical fantasy set in post-World War One Appalachia, three outcasts with misunderstood magical gifts search for their place in the world while battling the dark forces that circle their community.

Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam

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An unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat―perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman.

Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay

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From the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago comes a sweeping new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France.

Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi

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From the visionary author of Riot Baby and Goliath, Harmattan Season is a gripping fantasy noir in the tradition of Chandler, Hammond, and Christie that will have you by the throat―both dryly funny and unforgettably evocative.

A Letter From the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall

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Dive into the charming conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology, a heart-warming magical academia fantasy filled with underwater cities, romance of manners and found family, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Behooved by M. Stevenson

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A charming slow-burn romantasy featuring a duty-bound noblewoman with a chronic illness, a prince who would rather be in a library than on a throne, and a magical ride through a world of cozy enchantment

JUNE 2025 SFF BOOK RELEASES

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by Victoria E. Schwab

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From V. E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger.

A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry

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Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell meets A Tale of Two Cities in H. G. Parry’s A Far Better Thing, a heart-rending fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution.

House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron

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A touch of The Bear and the Nightingale, a bit of Juniper & Thorn, and a sense of wonder and adventure makes up this lyrical debut fantasy of a young woman in search of a home, and a home in search of people to make it feel lived in.

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott

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The Witch Roads is an epic fantasy duology, with brutal palace intrigue, a ravenous fungal ghost-plague, an overland journey with a small group of sometimes bickering characters, mysterious magic, ancient echoes of a long-ago war now intruding on the present, and a central love story, set in a new universe.

The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver by Rafael Torrubia

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Scottish debut Rafael Torrubia fuses the folklore of JRR Tolkien with the fire of NK Jemisin in this sprawling epic fantasy duology set in a Napoleonic world on the brink of collapse after an ancient evil strips its people of their names…

The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death by Helen Marshall

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A young woman is seduced by the glamour of the circus and drawn into a dangerous world of violence, cruelty and revenge. For readers of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Helen Oyeyemi’s Mr Fox.

Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race

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From a major new voice in epic fantasy, Six Wild Crowns is a breathtaking epic fantasy of dragons, courtly intrigue, sapphic yearning, and the wives of Henry VIII as you’ve never seen them before.

UnWorld by Jayson Greene

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From the author of Once More We Saw Stars, an electrifying debut novel about AI that calls to mind Never Let Me Go and The Candy House’s tantalizing vision of the future.

The Unmapping by Denise S. Robbins

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With themes of climate change, political unrest, and social justice, The Unmapping is a timely and captivating debut.

Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell

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This second novel from Nebula Award-winning John Wiswell brings a humanizing, redemptive touch to the Hercules story in this mythological fantasy for fans of Jennifer Saint and Elodie Harper.

The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton

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A talented heretic must decide between the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love—either way, her choice will upend the world, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Gratton.

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman

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A princess with a mostly useless magical talent takes on horrible monsters, a dozen identical masked heroes, and a talking lion in a quest to save a kingdom—and herself—in this affectionate satire of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen.

What fantasy and sci-fi book releases are you looking forward to this year? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Devour In 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2025

Elise Dumpleton — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:00:07 +0000

The Nerd Daily may obtain commissions for qualifying purchases from the links included in this article, but it’s so important to remember to shop local and indie!

2025?! How!? Nevertheless, the upside of a new year is all of the new books that will be hitting shelves! We’ve rounded up some highly anticipated books from a range of genres releasing between the months of January and June 2025.

You can expect new releases from the likes of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emily Henry, Samantha Shannon, Richard Swan, Kate Alice Marshall, Tessa Bailey, Suzanne Collins, Chuck Wendig, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Christopher Golden, Becky Albertalli, Rebecca Yarros, VE Schwab, Maggie Stiefvater, Fredrik Backman, and so many more, plus many making their dazzling debuts!

You’ll find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2025 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next month! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them… We apologise in advance to your TBR pile and wallet!

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’ll be picking up any!

JANUARY 2025 BOOK RELEASES

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

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With his funny, big-hearted adult rom com debut, bestselling, award-winning YA author Julian Winters shows sometimes fake dating your ex can turn into a second chance.

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee

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A young warrior dreams of proving his worth in the elite Guardian Tournament, fighting not only for himself but the fate of everything he loves.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

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She has his dead wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella

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An Into the Woods-inspired fairy tale retelling where Cinderella never went to the ball and must lie to get her prince.

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

Unromance by Erin Connor

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A recently dumped TV heartthrob enlists a jaded romance novelist to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet again . . .

The Rival by Emma Lord

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Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

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A group of young women in a home for unwed mothers in 1970s Florida who find a book to witchcraft—a guide which may just be the key to regaining their power or the source of their worst nightmares.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

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Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this new rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

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A twisty domestic thriller about an author who travels to a remote Scottish island to write his next book…only to run into a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

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In this captivating atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow, a woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death while confronting the ghosts of her own haunted past.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

FEBRUARY 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

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Set against the violent wilderness of the moors and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution, Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula: a captivating story of appetite and desire.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

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A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

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A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret―and that she’s been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

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An addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

Grave Empire by Richard Swan

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

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A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget about takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

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The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique returns with another glittering dark fantasy about a deadly mystery that spans worlds and a teenage girl who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

Wooing The Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

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In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

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With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality.

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

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From New York Times-bestselling author Libba Bray comes an evocative and groundbreaking young adult historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.

MARCH 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

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The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series. Sunrise on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

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From the acclaimed author of Chef’s Kiss, a groundbreaking trans Regency romance that’s both delightfully witty and refreshingly iconoclastic.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

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From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave―the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

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The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

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From the national bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

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From the author of White Horse comes a terrifying and resonant novel about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth about her sister’s death.

The Hymn to Dionysus Natasha Pulley

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

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Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran

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The author of the New York Times bestselling horror phenomenon She Is a Haunting is back with a novel about the monsters that swim beneath us . . . and live within us.

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

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Hilarious and twisted, propulsive and furious, All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a mix of Catastrophe and Fleabag with a dash of Nancy Drew.

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker

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One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

APRIL 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

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Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

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Bestselling Rebel of the Sands author Alwyn Hamilton is back with a glittering fantasy thriller about a glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan

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A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and Hereditary.

City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley

Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

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From the National Book Award finalist and author of Pet comes a novel set in a magical West African world, about a teen girl who must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers.

The Staircase In The Woods by Chuck Wendig

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A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle

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From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Don’t Sleep With The Dead by Nghi Vo

Senseless by Ronald Malfi

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A page-turning, supernaturally-tinged LA puzzle-box thriller – Zodiac with teeth, from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated and bestselling author of Come with Me. Perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Lauren Beukes.

Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Mercy Street, a tense, propulsive family drama set in Shanghai, where a fractured American family faces its complicated past

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

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Knives Out meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy stand-alone romantasy set in the same world as USA Today bestselling author Kaylie Smith’s BookTok sensation Phantasma! The print edition includes custom silver foiling on the cover.

MAY 2025 BOOK RELEASES

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

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Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ―along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

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In the first book of a searing new dystopian trilogy, a young woman must conceal her psychic powers—and her attraction to her handsome, infuriating commanding officer—as she works undercover to take down a brutal government from within.

My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

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In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.

Overgrowth by Mira Grant

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler

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In this opposites attract romance for fans of Begin Again and Better Than the Movies, a fresh start doesn’t have to mean changing yourself.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

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The next gripping, atmospheric horror novel from NYT bestselling author Christopher Golden, set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, TX.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

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A twisty thrill-ride of unforgettable drama and suspense that “encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescents playing adult games” (Ali Hazelwood) from USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto, The Thrashers will keep you up at night desperate to read just one more page.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

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From NYT bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy sensation, a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one infuriating knight whose future is beyond her sight. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Leigh Bardugo.

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

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A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman

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In Regency England, the eccentric Colebrook sisters are amateur detectives who use their wits and invisibility as “old maids” to fight injustice in this delightful and fiercely feminist novel of mystery and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

JUNE 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program and the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by Victoria E. Schwab

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From V. E. Schwab, the No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying, unforgettable novel to sink your teeth into.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

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#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli

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The beautiful and heartwarming new romance from Becky Albertalli, best-selling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh

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#1 NYT-bestselling YA author Renee Ahdieh’s adult debut novel, about a young lawyer who gets pulled in to manage a crisis with her firm’s biggest client, a family whose Korean beauty brand is worth a billion dollars, pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

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A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle

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Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.

He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn

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Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive in this sparkling romantic murder mystery: it’s murder cute in the first degree when a detective finds himself falling for the lead suspect in a career-making case.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

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A blistering literary suspense novel about a ghostwriter who is hired to write the last book for her estranged father and finds herself investigating the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975.

The Beautiful Maddening by Shea Ernshaw

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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw comes a haunting romantic contemporary fantasy about a teen navigating her family’s love curse that blooms with their enchanted tulips every year.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

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Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

What books are you looking forward to picking up in the first half of the year? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read An Excerpt From ‘The Mars House’ by Natasha Pulley

Elise Dumpleton — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:00:31 +0000

From the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a queer sci-fi novel about an Earth refugee and a Mars politician who fake marry to save their reputations—and their planet.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Natasha Pulley’s The Mars House, which is out now.

In the wake of environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London’s Royal Ballet, has become a refugee on Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. In Tharsis, January’s life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger—a person whose body is not adjusted to Mars’s lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January’s job choices, housing, and even transportation options are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to be surgically naturalized, a process that can be anything from disabling to deadly.

When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January’s life is thrown into chaos, but Gale’s political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five-year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January’s financial future without naturalization and ensure Gale’s political future. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. And worse, soon, January finds himself entangled in political and personal events well beyond his imagining. Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay—and January may be the only person standing in the way.

When the start bell went, the floor supervisor came out onto the steel balcony above everyone. The supervisor was from here, and even so far above all the Earthstrongers, looked tapered and delicate. The safety barrier on the balcony was bullet-proof glass. Not because anyone had ever shot at it, but because on somebody’s birthday last year, drunken stupidness had happened and a bunch of people had worked out that without cages, they could jump the fifteen feet up to the balcony and whack the glass, which had led to an alarming version of stick-the-tail-on-the-donkey and then the obvious consequence. January had still been finding glass in his boiler suit for a week afterwards.

“All right, up to the yellow line everyone! Good. Cages off.”

Everyone hit the release button of their resistance cages, which was over the heart. Around the room, fifty steel skeletons opened out with a long sigh. January stepped away from his, feeling like he was floating. It wasn’t really a feeling he enjoyed; more than anything, it was like taking a retainer off your teeth. In one way it was a relief, but in another, you could feel things settling more than they should, planning to creep back to where you didn’t want them. Whenever his was off, a clock ran in the back of his head. He started to feel panicky after seven or eight hours.

It wasn’t because he was scared of accidentally naturalising. That took weeks and weeks. What dragged at him was how much stronger he had used to be. The cage simulated the kind of resistance Earth’s gravity made, yes, but a fortnight before being in a refugee camp, he’d been training for eight hours a day. He’d been able to lift more than his own weight above his head. Carry more. An alarming amount of ballet was weight training. Now, even with the cage, it had been a year since he’d done any real exercise. He’d lost weight, and fast: you had to eat a hell of a lot to keep up the kind of muscle he’d had before, and he just couldn’t afford it here, even if he had somehow found time and energy and space to go through even a quarter of those old drills. Most of his shirts were a size too big for him now. It shouldn’t have bothered him, it shouldn’t, because it wasn’t harmful—he’d used to be an athlete and now he was a normal person, that was fine, but he just felt less. He could feel it where he wouldn’t have expected to; his knees felt weaker, his wrists, some muscle or tendon he couldn’t name right under the socket of one hip. And the longer he spent out of the cage, the more he could feel what strength he did have left eroding away in this patient, insidious gravity.

As everyone shuffled into a queue to walk out to the main floor, there was a flurry among them, because everyone was throwing baseballs or apples from hand to hand. It was easy to tell who was new here, because they were the ones whose balls shot off and skittered away— then they had to make the Run of Shame to get them back, to applause. January threw his straight from hand to hand at first, letting his muscles get used to the eerie shock of how easy it was out of the cage, and then, once they were more used it, looped the ball up to eye level. Very, very gently, was how you had to do it; with so little force you felt like the ball wouldn’t even lift out of your hand. Val steered her chair along the line, watching people, making sure they were doing the exercises properly, as sharp as any dance teacher.

She had done them too, until recently. He didn’t know her precise reasons for naturalising, but she’d gone into one of the centres six months ago. The wheelchair was because of nerve damage. They’d had to give her a mechanical heart too. She said she didn’t mind; she said she was thrilled with the free car from the government, which was dead flashy.

He must still have been distracted from this morning, because he dropped his ball. Val caught it, gave him a suggestive look, and pretended to eat it.

“You all right?” she asked, when he forgot to laugh.

“What?”

“Listen, I found a box of chocolate bars in the old storage shed, do you want one? Out of date but the packaging’s fine.” She held out a bar.

“Oh, thanks,” January said. He hadn’t seen chocolate for weeks. Food was expensive here, given the water situation. He thought about it after the first bite. “Sort of undertaste of industrial methane?”

“Christ, throw it away!”

“No, no, it’s good.”

“You’ve got a problem,” Val told him.

January pointed at her with the bar. “You’ve got a massive secret stash of Stolichnaya in the biofuel locker.”

“I have,” Val said, sage. Then, “How do you know?”

January smiled, because it would have been hard to know Val even for five minutes without suspecting a secret vodka stash. Whether she had recently been close to any or not, she was always coated in a patina of steel dust and splotches of inexplicable white gloss paint, and she had once drilled through the ceiling in order to spy, via a periscope she’d prepared earlier, on the Natural people’s locker room. January didn’t think she was being weird, with the periscope. She had gone away looking purposeful. January suspected some kind of blackmail aimed at the supervisor, to whom Val was married and with whom she seemed to be permanently at war. It was a subject of factory-wide speculation as to whether the war was a joke or not.

“Before you all disappear off,” the supervisor called, “remember Senator Gale is visiting today. Nobody do anything obscene in front of the camera, it’s going out on national news. They might want to talk to some of you, so don’t swear and don’t go on a rant about politics, and I’ll buy you all doughnuts. All right?”

January had forgotten it was today.

He rolled down the sleeves of his boiler suit for something to do with his hands. This was actually his favourite boiler suit. It was small enough, which was unusual—the companies didn’t make them specifically for Earthstrongers and seemingly at random they’d do five little ones per batch and you had to fight for them—and he had remembered, finally, to bring a belt to cinch it close enough. There was hardly any paint on it. As factory fashion went, it was sharp. It was silly, but he felt more like himself on days when he wasn’t wearing one with holes in.

Val dusted him with the duster again.

“I bet,” she said, “that there’s some underwear in Lost Property.”

January smiled but had to look down, because he didn’t think he could hide what he thought about Senator Gale, but he didn’t want anyone to ask him about it. “Whatever you want to do with the underwear, I’m not involved and I didn’t hear about it.”

“Well. They’ll be gone soon enough.” Somehow, Val managed to be quite aware of the news, and politics, and just never apply any of it to herself. It made her basically well disposed to everybody, even if they were wearing a PUT EARTHSTRONGERS IN CAMPS T-shirt with a picture of someone throwing away a key on the back. January wished he could be like that. He was hoping that if he could just watch her enough and copy her properly, he might be able to train his soul up to be that strong. Then it wouldn’t matter if his bones weren’t.

“But we have to do the safety briefing for all the press morons and aides they’re bringing with them.”

“What’s this we?” he asked with dread.

She clapped his arm. “They’ll be taking pictures. Nobody wants my face anywhere except inside a bag. You’re all good-looking and you’ve got a fun accent and you used to be famous. They’ll listen to you, even if it’s just because they’re ogling you. Great power to be had from ogling.”

“No, no, no, safety briefings are your—”

“Good lad,” she said cheerfully.

“Mx Legasov,” a passing Natural person in a suit said, indignant. “For God’s sake, you can’t call people lad.”

“We’re family,” Val said. January felt himself go red. They weren’t family; they were acquaintances. January was certain that Val didn’t distinguish him from the forty other people in her direct care.

“Just be careful who catches you using language like that,” the suit-person said, looking harassed and, even in irritation, managing to give off an aura of chartered accountancy. “Nobody wants a lawsuit.”

Val turned to January with an elaborate bow. “Mx Stirling?”

“Mx Legasov,” said January in his poshest voice.*

The suit-person scowled at them both and crabbed off.

Above them, in the brilliant floodlights, dust from the storm above ground was spinning between the tangles of pipes and the cooling towers. Right up the length of the vast yard, rendered as tiny as bright moths at this distance, there were safety inspectors in orange jackets way up in the heights, probably trying to assess if the dust was doing damage to the machinery.

January wondered about a day off tomorrow, determinedly, so that he wouldn’t think about how much he would have loved to see someone shove Aubrey bloody Gale off a cooling tower.

Val propelled him towards the control room, where he could already see glimpses of smartly dressed people waiting.

*He’d heard “Mx” pronounced lots of ways since arriving in Tharsis—people whose first language was Russian tended to say “mikh,” like Mikhail; Mandarin speakers said “mishi,” because the characters for it were 蜜师—roughly, “secret-person,” in the same formula as things like 老师 (laoshi, teacher) and 律师 (lushi, lawyer) which January thought was excellent because it made everyone sound like a spy; and in English it sounded like “Mc,” as if everyone were Scottish. To January’s great joy, there was someone called Mx Wang in HR who liked tartan, and in his head they were very solidly McWang, mastermind of a plot to heroically invade England.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Mars House’ by Natasha Pulley appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Devour These Anticipated 2024 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases

Elise Dumpleton — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:00:00 +0000

The Nerd Daily may obtain commissions for qualifying purchases from the links included in this article, but it’s so important to remember to shop local and indie!

If you’re ready to escape 2024 for a little while, then look no further than these upcoming January to June 2024 fantasy and science fiction book releases! With releases from the likes of Sarah J. Maas, Mike Chen, ST. Gibson, Micaiah Johnson, Hannah Kaner, Taran Matharu, P. Djèlí Clark, Hannah Whitten, Veronica Roth, and many more, along with some very exciting debut novels!

Read on to discover some wonderful new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2024 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, our Swoonworthy Romance, and Anticipated YA lists!

JANUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty

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An epic reimagining of the Mahabharata and a blend of House of the Dragon meets Succession.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

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In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

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Told through the eyes of a murdered scientist whose consciousness has been implanted in a resurrected wooly mammoth and this story speaks to the folly of forcing nature down an unnatural path.

Mislaid In Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

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Portals and danger, and a girl who can find both in the next book in the Hugo and Nebula Award–Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire.

Unbound by Christy Healy

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For fans of Hannah Whitten and Rebecca Ross, Unbound is a gender-bent reimagining of the classic tale of a monstrous beast and the beauty determined to tame it, set against the lush backdrop of Irish mythology and folklore.

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

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Slip into a lush world of magic, stardust, and monsters in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy from debut author Georgia Summers.

The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

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A love letter to Black readers of science-fantasy, The Principle of Moments is a symphonic, centuries-spanning adventure – unmissable for fans of the spacefaring found family of Becky Chambers, the alternate London of V. E. Schwab, and the virtuosic climate-craft of N. K. Jemisin.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

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Two elven sisters become imprisoned in the intoxicating world of the fae, where danger and love lie in wait. Faebound is the first book in an enchanting new trilogy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Final Strife.

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

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It’s an average Thursday for Carter Cho… until the particle accelerator explodes and sends him back in time. Carter continuously relives the week never making it to Friday. Lonely and in need of help, he manages to pull Mariana into the time loop, and together they must find a way to finally reach the end of the week.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

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The Atlas Complex marks the much-anticipated, heart-shattering conclusion in Olivie Blake’s trilogy that began with the New York Times bestselling phenomenon, The Atlas Six.

Exordia by Seth Dickinson

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Michael Crichton meets Marvel’s Venom in award-winning author Seth Dickinson’s science fiction debut

FEBRUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Redsight by Meredith Mooring

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An imaginative new space opera for fans of Gideon the Ninth filled with sapphic romance, space pirates, a blind witch and powerful priestesses.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

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A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

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Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters. This gloriously imaginative debut fantasy, inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, is a novel of magic, rebellion and change.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

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A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett.

The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond

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A magically gifted con artist must gather her estranged mother’s old crew for a once-in-a-lifetime heist, from the New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

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A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.

Medea by Eilish Quin

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Discover the full story of the sorceress Medea, one of the most reviled and maligned women of Greek antiquity, in this propulsive and evocative debut in the tradition of Circe, Elektra, and Stone Blind.

Exit Black by Joe Pitkin

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Die Hard meets The Martian–with a dash of Knives Out–in this action-packed sci-fi thriller.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

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Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

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Epic in scope and full of singular, unforgettable characters, The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depths of maternal love, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

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The third novel in Richard Swan’s acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy triumphantly concludes the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

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For fans of David Mitchell, Ruth Ozeki, and Kazuo Ishiguro, an elegant and exhilarating literary speculative novel about an isolated town neighbored by its own past and future, and a young girl who spots two elderly visitors from across the border: the grieving parents of the boy she loves.

MARCH 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison

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Luck is its own kind of magic, in this first book in an electrifying new contemporary fantasy series from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows novels.

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

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The gods are at war in the highly-anticipated final installment of the Hades and Persephone story, from bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair

Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

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Faced with a coming apocalypse, a woman must reckon with her past to solve a series of sudden and inexplicable deaths in a searing sci-fi thriller from the Compton Crook Award–winning author of The Space Between Worlds.

Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

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Return to the world of Godkiller in this thrilling sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut, where Kissen and her companions must navigate lands of gods and demons to unravel a dark truth at the heart of their world.

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene

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Set in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this seductive romantic fantasy tells the story of a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

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A compulsively readable queer sci-fi novel about a marriage of convenience between a Mars politician and an Earth refugee.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

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An unpredictable roller coaster of a debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-bending romantasy that challenges everything we think we know about true love.

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

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The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s Appalachia,

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

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This cozy debut science fiction novel tells a story of misfits, rebels, found family—and a mystery that spans the stars.

Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang

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From the Hugo Award–winning author of Folding Beijing comes a gripping science fiction thriller in which three unlikely allies attempt a desperate mission of first contact with a mysterious alien race before more militaristic minds can take matters into their own hands.

Baby X by Kira Peikoff

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When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidder–or the craziest stalker–in this propulsive thriller. With a vivid imagining of the future, Gattaca meets Black Mirror in Kira Peikoff’s Baby X.

Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas

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L. M. Sagas’s debut, Cascade Failure, is a high-octane, sci-fi adventure blending J. S. Dewes’s Divide series with Firefly. It features a fierce, messy, chaotic space family, vibrant worlds, and an exploration of the many ways to be―and not to be―human.

APRIL 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu

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Discover a rich world of magic, warriors, and dragons, in which a fearless orphan and an ambitious handmaiden flee from the empire that would imprison them, with a dream to return to their homelands and a determination that’s unbreakable…

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

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Once a young woman uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and his mysterious new wife, she’ll have to fight to keep herself—and the woman she loves—safe in this stunning queer reimagining of the classic folktale “The Selkie Wife.”

A View from the Stars by Cixin Liu

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A View From The Stars features a range of short works from the past three decades of New York Times bestselling author Cixin Liu’s prolific career, putting his nonfiction essays and short stories side-by-side for the first time.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

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Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Wicked Problems by Max Gladstone

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Gods and lawyers battle for the soul of the world in the action-packed second volume of Max Gladstone’s Craft Wars, an epic fantasy like no other.

Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell

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Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first book in a new swashbuckling fantasy series by the bestselling author of The Greatcoats.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

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Discover this creepy, charming monster-slaying fantasy romance, which is Beauty and the Beast meets The Shape of Water by the Nebula-award winning author of Open House on Haunted Hill.

The Monstrous Misses Mai by Van Hoang

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A determined young woman in 1950s Los Angeles walks a darker city than she ever imagined in a spellbinding novel about the power to make dreams come true―whatever the sacrifice.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier

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From the subversive voice behind The Phlebotomist comes a story that combines the uncanny atmosphere of Don’t Worry Darling with the narrative twists of The Last House on Needless Street.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

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A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

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Celebrated author Sofia Samatar presents a mystical, revolutionary space adventure for the exhausted dreamer in this brilliant science fiction novella tackling the carceral state and violence embedded in the ivory tower while embodying the legacy of Ursula K. Le Guin.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten

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In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush romantic epic fantasy series, the glittering and dangerous world of the Sainted King’s royal court is upended when Prince Bastian seizes control and a mysterious dark force begins to take over.

MAY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

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The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

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Maddileh’s tale contains a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, scheming squires, and sapphic love, with deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing right up to its dramatic conclusion. Ultimately, The Fireborne Blade is about the roles we refuse to accept, and of the place we make for ourselves in the world.

Road to Ruin by Hana Lee

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An electrifying, gritty fantasy from debut author Hana Lee that takes a royal messenger on a high-speed chase across a climate-ravaged wasteland, featuring motorcycles, monsters, and magic.

The Deer and the Dragon by Piper C.J.

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Fantasy author Marlow has been haunted by what she believes is a figure of her imagination: a mysterious and alluring man she calls Caliban. But when Caliban disappears, her quest to find him throws her into the very world of gods, demons, and monsters her books have been based on for years.

Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi

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A vibrant, action-packed and empowering South Asian fantasy epic. An underdog story like no other – Kavithri will remind you of fantasy heroes like Arya Stark, Fang Runin or Gideon the Ninth.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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Evocation kicks off the Summoner’s Circle series, and follows David, a psychic medium and hotshot lawyer, who must team up with his sorcerer ex-boyfriend and the ex’s witch wife to break a family curse. Forced proximity, magic lessons, and polyamory ensure, all against the moody backdrop of Boston.

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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Step into a city where monsters feast on human emotions, knights split their souls to make their weapons, and witches always take more than they give.

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

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A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

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Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

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The brutally engineered class divisions of Snowpiercer meets Rivers Solomon’s The Deep in this high-octane post-climate disaster novella written by Nommo Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo

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A twisty new near-future genre-bending thriller: Knives Out in space with a Parasite twist. A decades-old murder looms over the glamorous clientele of a high-end space hotel . . . while an unforeseen threat percolates in the service corridors. The guests are about to experience the hospitality they deserve.

A House Like an Accordion by Audrey Burges

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A woman searches for her missing father in order to reconcile the many strange and fantastical secrets of her past before she loses herself completely in this deeply profound and magical novel by Audrey Burges.

JUNE 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse

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The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

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The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy rooted in Slavic folklore, from an assured new voice in genre fiction.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

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In her breathtaking debut—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—Emily Hamilton weaves a suspenseful, charming, and irresistibly joyous tale of fierce friendship, improbable love, and wonder as vast as the universe itself.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba

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In this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people’s struggle against colonization.

Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow

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Hearts will race and anti-grav boots will fly in this sapphic sci-fi rom-com, perfect for fans of Winter’s Orbit and The Red Scholar’s Wake, Lady Eve’s Last Con.

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

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From the acclaimed author of The Deep Sky comes a thrilling anti-colonial space heist to save an alien civilization.

Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie M. Lin

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Genres collide in this dark and atmospheric reimagining of 1930s Shanghai for fans of Nghi Vo and S. A. Chakraborty.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time.

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

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From the author of A Taste of Gold and Iron – Our Flag Means Death meets Six of Crows as a merry band of misfits attempts to get away with treason on the high seas.

Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera

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Rakesfall is a groundbreaking, standalone science fiction epic about two souls bound together from here until the ends of time, from the author of The Saint of Bright Doors

The Knife and the Serpent by Tim Pratt

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From Hugo Award winning author Tim Pratt comes a new, high-concept space opera, exploring technology, family and the price we pay to follow our destiny, perfect for fans of Peter F. Hamilton and Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez

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By turns irreverently funny and deeply moving, this debut contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

What SFF books are you looking forward to releasing in 2024? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Devour These Anticipated 2024 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read An Excerpt From ‘The Half Life of Valery K’ by Natasha Pulley

Elise Dumpleton — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 18:00:57 +0000

Based on real events in a surreal Soviet city, and told with Natasha Pulley’s inimitable style, The Rust Country is a sweeping new adventure for readers of Stuart Turton and Sarah Gailey.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from the second chapter of The Half Life of Valery K, which is out July 26th 2022!

In 1963, in a Siberian gulag, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots to avoid frostbite, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life so he won’t go insane. But on one ordinary day, all that changes: Valery’s university mentor steps in and sweeps Valery from the frozen prison camp to a mysterious unnamed town that houses a set of nuclear reactors and is surrounded by a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within.

In City 40, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he’s expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises: why is there so much radiation in this area? What, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence?

Sverdlovsk was an ugly industrial city. Outside the airport, it was so warm that there was a misty rain glinting on the steps and the lamp posts and the bonnets of the taxis. There was no need for a coat, even. He was staring at the film of water moving under someone’s windscreen wipers when the KGB lady hailed a taxi and put him in it.

Immediately Valery was enfolded in the glorious smell of hot leather and vodka, and what must have been a dab of furniture polish inside the heater. He moved along the back seat to leave room, but she didn’t get in; she was going to Moscow. Valery twisted round, taken completely by surprise. Wherever he was going, it wasn’t standard practice for the KGB to just leave a prisoner alone with a random cab driver.

Again, he wanted to ask what was going on; but if she slammed his fingers in the door, his bones would turn to powder.

She shut the door and thumped on the roof. The driver set off.

Maybe the driver wasn’t just a cab driver. But none of the doors were locked. Valery could just hop out at the traffic lights. There was a set at red outside the airport. He could get out, and walk off. Perhaps the driver would be able to shoot him, but perhaps not. He touched the door handle, his fingertips aching with potential. get out and go where, with no money and no other clothes? It was warmer here than Siberia, but that still wasn’t warm. Sleeping outside would be dangerous. But maybe that would be better than wherever he was going now. He couldn’t think properly. It was a shock. He’d wondered this morning – Jesus Christ, only this morning – how much of his mind had dissolved lately, but he hadn’t known it was this bad. He felt paralysed.

The lights changed. The driver sped away. He was one of those people who plainly felt that the accelerator should be untouched or floored. Then they were going at forty kilo metres an hour, and jumping out would have broken every bone in Valery’s body.

Valery scraped up some courage. There was no sign of a gun. It was possible the man wasn’t KgB. ‘Where are we going?’ he tried.

‘Can’t tell you yet,’ said the driver, not in an unfriendly way. ‘Settle in, it’ll be an hour or so.’

Valery nodded slowly. There were no more traffic lights. The steel giants that were the Sverdlovsk factories glided by, and soon the car passed the city limits. After that, it was only miles of arrow-straight road, punctuated every so often by more factory towns whose white tower blocks and grid streets looked like they’d all come from identical prefabricated kits. The thrum of the taxi engine was lulling, and he fell half-asleep, his head resting against the window. There was a vodka bottle on the front passenger seat, already three-quarters empty. It made a talkative sloshing sound whenever they went over a bump in the road.

He woke up because the taxi had accelerated. It pressed him back into the seat, and then slung him forward as the driver changed gear. Confused, he looked behind them, then jumped when the driver snapped his fingers at him. The man didn’t speak, but he pointed to a sign coming up fast now.

ATTENTION: DO NOT STOP FOR THE FOLLOWING 30KM. PROCEED AT THE FASTEST POSSIBLE SPEED FOR YOUR VEHICLE.

They shot past it at eighty kilometres an hour.

‘Because of the poison in the ground,’ the driver said.

Valery didn’t know what to say to that.

Coming up on their left now were the skeletons of burnt-out houses. The roofs were just blackened sticks, and all that was left of the structures were the stone chimneys. Chimney after chimney, set at angles to each other. The houses would have been wide-spaced, with big gardens – for crops maybe, and animals. grass and weeds grasped at the ruins. in another few years, they would cover them, and nobody passing by would know what the oddly shaped hillocks had been.

‘It was a bomb,’ the driver told him. ‘You know, an atom bomb, from the Americans. Destroyed everything. All one night. Boom.’

Valery looked up. ‘This damage is too widespread for a bomb.’

‘Why are the houses burnt, then?’

‘I don’t know,’ he said unhappily. On the right, a blasted church soared by, scraps of gold still winking on its broken domes. Beyond it was an old brick factory, the rafters poking through the roof like ribs.

‘I’m telling you. Bomb.’ The driver made a bomb noise and opened his hand to sketch a mushroom cloud. ‘Yup. We’re coming into proper rust country now.’

Valery wondered what that meant.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Half Life of Valery K’ by Natasha Pulley appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Review: The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

Anuska G — Thu, 27 May 2021 09:00:49 +0000

Despite having The Watchmaker of Filigree Street on my TBR list for years now, The Kingdoms is somehow the first Natasha Pulley book I’ve ever read. I pre-ordered a physical copy of the book immediately after finishing my ARC, as well as added all her other books to my immediate TBR pile, which tells you a lot about how I feel about The Kingdoms. This is one of those books that make me wish I could read it for the first time all over again, just so I could feel the overwhelming rush of emotions that comes from not knowing what happens in the end.

“Dearest Joe, come home, if you remember. M.” says the postcard Joe Tournier receives in 1898; it has apparently been held at the sorting office for 93 years, so that it could be delivered to him on the date specified. The postcard has a picture of a lighthouse called Eilean Mor in the Outer Hebrides, but Joe doesn’t recognise it. He doesn’t even remember who he is supposed to be, since he lost his memory a while ago. Joe is told that he is a British slave in London, one of the many in the French empire. But he also gets flashes of a life he has supposedly never lived, in an England that’s not ruled by the French and where he can freely speak English.

On an impulse, Joe decides to visit the lighthouse anyway, in search of the truth of his existence. Little does he know that his journey would take him back through time itself to a stranger called Kite who seems to know him better than himself, and would hand him the power to change the very future of his world.

I’m usually not a big fan of books that centre around a romance, but there’s just something about LGBTQ+ romances set in historical periods that always appeals to me, and that was probably the main reason I picked up The Kingdoms. This book is a bit of a hodgepodge of a few different genres as there’s time travel and it’s obviously historical fiction, but there’s also elements of fantasy so seamlessly weaved throughout the story that they almost blend in with the very essence of reality. Pulley’s prose feels ethereal even as it sizzles with dry humour. Pieces of the story take place at multiple places and times, and Pulley paints every single one of those settings with utmost veracity and vividness. Every single aspect of this book was indeed sheer perfection to me, but the romance at the core of the story—that blossomed even amidst all the uncertainty and carnage and hopelessness of war—really was the most beautiful thing about this book.

Joe is the main character in The Kingdoms, but talking about him could give away a bunch of spoilers, so I’ll just say this—I loved him with all my heart and then some. As for the English navy officer Kite, he’s faced abuse all his life, so much so that he’s begun to turn into a bit of a machine, someone who seems incapable of natural human emotions. With a romance that involves a person who doesn’t know who he is, and another who’s barely holding up against emotional and psychological trauma while leading his ship into what seems like a losing battle, it’s understandable that this relationship isn’t one that’d give you unadulterated happiness. And yet, even as these two broken people keep fighting against time to find each other again and again only to lose each other every time, and even as you can’t shake the feeling that they were doomed from the start, you still keep hoping against hope for something good to happen. The Kingdoms is not an easy book, but in the end, Joe and Kite make it worth it.

With The Kingdoms, Pulley has given me a book that I’d forever be recommending to everyone I see, just so I could have someone to scream about this exquisitely beautiful story with. If you like nail biting agony, time travel, alternative history, and super slow burn gay romances with pining and one of the involved parties being oblivious of the other’s feelings, The Kingdoms is the book for you. You could check out Pulley’s other books too, I’ve been told they are all equally heart-wrenching, and I can’t wait to find out for myself.

The Kingdoms is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 25th 2021.

**Will you be picking up The Kingdoms? Tell us in the comments below!**

Synopsis | Goodreads

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.

Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England. The only clue Joe has about his identity is a century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse that arrives in London the same month he does. Written in illegal English—instead of French—the postcard is signed only with the letter “M,” but Joe is certain whoever wrote it knows him far better than he currently knows himself, and he’s determined to find the writer. The search for M, though, will drive Joe from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire’s Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history, and himself.

From bestselling author Natasha Pulley, The Kingdoms is an epic, wildly original novel that bends genre as easily as it twists time.

The post Review: The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

May 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases

Elise Dumpleton — Sun, 09 May 2021 01:43:13 +0000

Escape the month of May by diving into an exciting new fantasy or sci-fi release! With new releases from authors such as Zen Cho, John Gwynne, P. Djèlí Clark, and mother-daughter duo P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, there’s certainly something for every reader to look forward to and enjoy!

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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.

How to Mars by David Ebenbach
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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.

The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A deliciously gothic story of wishes and curses – a new dark fairy tale set against a Victorian backdrop full of lace and smoke.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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 Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

One young woman faces down an all-powerful corporation in this all-too-near future science fiction debut that reads like a refreshing take on Ready Player One, with a heavy dose of Black Mirror.

Spells Trouble by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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.

We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From award-winning author Sarah Pinsker comes a novel about one family and the technology that divides them.

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

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

48 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Look Out For In 2021

Elise Dumpleton — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 22:00:43 +0000

The Nerd Daily may obtain commissions for qualifying purchases from the links included in this article, but it’s so important to remember to shop local and indie!

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

How to Mars by David Ebenbach
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Spells Trouble by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

JUNE

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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.