Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from The Violently Departed by Sarah J. Daley, which releases on April 28th 2026.

A missing nun found murdered, a school built on secrets, a haunted town. A new case for Hero Viridian: half-demon, disgraced ex-nun-turned-investigator.

With the stink of demonic involvement surrounding the murder, who better to deal with it than a woman with something to prove, eyes of literal flame and a direct connection to hell?

However, when those who sought her help turn against her, a vulnerable Hero must rely on an unlikely partner, Oleander Keen – a Demonhunter who has already tried to kill her.

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The post Read The First Chapter From ‘The Violently Departed’ by Sarah J. Daley appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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

Hello! I’m a former chef and an award-nominated author from the Chicagoland area. I live with my husband, my son and our very fat cat. I spend most of my time either writing, reading, cooking, or traveling.

I’ve been writing since I was about twelve and my dream was always to be a novelist. Things didn’t quite work out so smoothly. My first published novel was picked up during an open door submission with Angry Robot in 2020 – a thoroughly lovely year if I recall correctly. It launched in 2022 (publishing, amiright?) when I was 49 years old. So, I was definitely a late bloomer! It took a lifetime to reach my dream goal, but I did it. I got my agent (the extremely talented god of hype, John Baker) after I was published and he immediately secured another deal for me with AR. Wings is my sophomore novel, and I’m very proud of it.

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

I was always a voracious reader, but I suppose it took until middle school before I thought about writing. Mostly, I enjoyed books with horses and really, really wanted a horse, so I inserted myself in those types of stories at first. When I stumbled across Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising, though, I immediately became enamored with fantasy stories. I used to write ‘books’ starring my friends which were passed around school. They were a strange mix between fantasy and science fiction (oh, did I mention I was also a huge Star Wars fan?)

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day. My mother taught me to read with this book!
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Black Stallion
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Hmmm, tough one! Probably Robin Hobb’s Ship of Magic (the whole damn series, honestly, and everything connected to it.) If I write anything even half as brilliant, I’ll die happy.

Your latest novel, Wings of Steel & Fury, is out August 12^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Machine guns, monsters and mayhem.

What can readers expect?

An action-packed story with riveting characters set against the backdrop of a world at war, a world of carbines and steel and burnt ghouls. A crippled god on a quest for vengeance. A brother and sister bound by loyalty and love who find a cause worth dying for – a fallen angel who is both infuriating and intoxicating. This is a violent book, a book about past traumas and overcoming addiction, fighting oppression and upending a world order, but also, there is deep love, true sacrifice and redemption on a cosmic scale. It might break your heart, but it will put it back together again, too.

Where did the inspiration for Wings of Steel & Fury come from?

From a song by Linkin Park of all things. Castle of Glass off their album, Living Things. I actually wanted to call this book Castle of Glass, but, well, you can imagine why I changed my mind given the popularity of SJM (Throne of Glass)! The opening lyrics just painted images in my head. A man, weary from a fight, at a river bend washing poison off his skin – which inspired Diver’s character, a soldier fresh from the battlefield, fleeing a gas attack. Flying on silver wings, through the ‘black’, warmed in a nova’s glow then dropped into the dream ‘below’ became my fallen Angelus, Eleazar, and his journey from blessed Splendour to the horros of the Below – Avernus, the human world. I’m paraphrasing the lyrics haha. But that song was my inspiration, and I built a whole world and characters from it.

All Quiet on the Western Front was another source of inspiration. The descriptions of the front, No Man’s Land, and the brutality and futility of trench warfare and what it does to the young men thrown against artillery, fighting for a cause they barely understand, stuck with me.

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

I always loved writing from Eleazar’s perspective. He’s such an arrogant ass at the beginning of the story, so it was quite fun trying to make him sympathetic and someone to root for despite all of his flaws. Putting him through some pretty horrific events certainly kept things interesting!

Tully is also a personal favorite of mine. Their story is tragic, but they are an entertaining, mysterious character with deep, dark secrets!

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

I struggled with my first edit pass. It took me years to finish the first draft, and I had to turn around and complete the second in far less time. I’m a pantster, not a plotter, and I discover twists and turns as I write the book, but sometimes those twists change everything! Sometimes, I would be stuck for days. Going for long walks, dreaming and listening to inspiring music got me through the worst of it. The solutions always come to me when I give my brain time to stew. Also, impending deadlines help me overcome writing blocks. I refuse to miss a deadline! It’s always much easier for me to work under pressure than be given an amorphous timeline.

What’s next for you?

Right now, I’m working on edits for my next book out Spring 2026 (Angry Robot). It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but I’m calling it a true crime fantasy. It’s a True Detective-inspired murder mystery about a half-demon, ex-nun veteran Inspector Death Speaker who is teamed up with a newbie Demonhunter as she searches for a demonic killer in a wealthy seaside enclave rife with secrets. My editor told me you never know what to expect when starting one of my books, and I take that as the highest of compliments!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve been reading through a lot of Tana French mysteries/thrillers for inspiration on my own murder book. In the Woods was one of my favorite reads this year. In addition, I’ve read a lot of my author friends’ books and I’m telling you there are some good things in the works! I have a T. Kingfisher novella waiting on my shelf and I’m finally getting around to reading Murderbot by Martha Wells. I’ve always loved her fantasy books, and I’m so glad to see her receiving the attention and accolades she deserves.

Will you be picking up Wings of Steel & Fury? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Sarah J. Daley, Author of ‘Wings of Steel & Fury’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Sarah’s debut novel Obsidian is available to purchase from Angry Robot, Amazon, Books a Million, Powells, IndieBound, B&N, and Bookshop.org.

Back in the day, before cable TV, before streaming services, I had to watch what my parents liked to watch, and my dad had an affinity towards classic Westerns and The Godfather movies. He loved The Godfather so much you’d think we were an old Italian family rather than the Irish-catholic brood we were. ‘Alla Familia’ was his toast at every big, family meal. For, even with all its violence and crime and blood vendettas, The Godfather was about family. To my younger self, it all looked so cool, I couldn’t help but love it. There existed this whole underworld I found fascinating, and compelling.

We also watched The Magnificent Seven more times than I can recall, along with my dad’s favorite John Wayne flicks. I was steeped in the aesthetic of the old west, the tumbleweeds and isolated mining towns, guns and horses and shoot-outs. I absorbed these images and enjoyed them almost as much as I enjoyed books about magic and swords and dragons. (This is a bit of an aside, but my enthusiasm for The Magnificent Seven led me to watch The Seven Samurai, a far superior film than the Hollywood version. Which in turn led me to consuming as many Toshiro Mifune movies as I could. Imagine my surprise when I learned the Japanese movies inspired the spaghetti Westerns I thought were so awesome. Those movies taught me blades could be just as deadly as guns, and even better in a duel!)

When I started writing fantasy, I couldn’t help but be influenced by these two disparate genres that I had loved as a child. I wanted magic and fantastical settings, but I also wanted that gun-slinging, loner protagonist battling gangs of mafioso. I wanted gunfights in the street, shady criminals with a code of honor, and cunning mob bosses. How could I make it work?!

My first few attempts were met with skepticism. The earliest drafts of my heroine and her world, short stories mainly, got me confused rejections: Why would you mix such disparate genres like Westerns and Fantasy? It doesn’t make sense! Stung by this, I dropped the old west setting and my character’s drawls, but I kept the leather belts riding low on their hips, heavy with their quickdraw weapons – blades in this case, long, sleek blades made from gemstones. (Not samurai swords, unfortunately; there’s only one sword in my book and it’s carried by Raiden Mad, who’s totally not inspired by Toshiro Mifune, wink.) My wizards remain the swaggering, hard-eyed gunslingers I’ve always loved, only sans guns. Then I dove back into my world and focused on my version of a mafioso-controlled land.

I entered my first, full-length novel set in my imagined underworld, Malavita, in the now-defunct Amazon book contest, and it made it to the level where you received a real review from Publisher’s Weekly. It…did not go well. My book, my heart, garnered actual disdain from this anonymous reviewer: What the hell does the mafia have to do with wizards? Why would you try putting La Cosa Nostra in your fantasy story? (Oof, that last one really hurt.) It killed me for a time. I think I might have been legally dead after reading that review. Rejected and dejected, I tossed my manuscript in a drawer and decided I was on the wrong path.

But, funny thing, the story, the setting, the characters wouldn’t let me go. This was one person’s opinion, after all (even if they were a ‘big-time reviewer’), and I had a story to tell. So, I took a minute to reset, and I wrote a whole new book set in the same world with all the same inspirations as early drafts. I wrote the first draft of this new project during NaNoWriMo in a furious outpouring of words. Nothing inspires like an eff-you attitude, in my humble opinion. From that rough, rough draft, Obsidian was born.

Though the story and setting evolved, the original inspirations for the work remain. In Obsidian, Shade Nox, my heroine, is the quintessential lone gunman taking on the evil mayor of an isolated town, its people firmly under his thumb. In my novel, however, those isolated towns are the Veils – magical shields which protect their inhabitants from broken and twisted magic. The deserts of the western frontier I so adored in movies like Silverado and The Quick and the Dead became the Wastes, and the evil mayor became an all-powerful church which uses gangs of bloodwizards to enforce their corrupt, oppressive rule. These blade-slinging bloodwizard thugs operate like the mob, extorting and threatening, an ersatz police force following their own rules and codes. (Yeah, I kept La Cosa Nostra in my fantasy story. Deal with it, dude who told me it made no sense!)

In the end, I told the story I wanted to tell despite some negative feedback. It doesn’t matter from where your inspiration comes, only that you are inspired. You can make a lot of elements work, even if they seem out-of-place or strange. If it’s the story you must tell, don’t listen to the naysayers, write what moves you, what thrills you. I’m proud to say, this time around, my Publishers Weekly review went a lot better. They liked it, they really liked it. Hopefully, you might like it, too.

The post Stick to Your Guns (or Blades) appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

After the last two years, readers are thoroughly enjoying jumping into a fantasy or sci-fi novel to escape the world, so 2022 holds many exciting books to look forward to! From new releases from the likes of Seanan McGuire, Tara Sim, John Scalzi, Jennifer Saint, Jonathan Maberry, and more, to those releasing their debut novel, there’s really something for everyone within this round up!

Read on to discover fantasy and sci-fi books releasing between the months of January and June and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any of them!

JANUARY

Engines of Empire by R. S. Ford
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This epic fantasy tells the tales of clashing Guilds, magic-fueled machines, intrigue and revolution—and the one family that stands between an empire’s salvation or destruction.

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
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For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven––Follow a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague

Seven Mercies by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May
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The second book in a feminist space opera duology that follows the team of seven rebels who will free the galaxy from the ruthless Tholosian Empire–or die trying.

The Amber Crown by Jacey Bedford
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In this new epic fantasy, three societal outcasts must work together to fulfill the orders of a dead king’s ghost or risk their nation falling to a tyrant

Where The Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire
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Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.

Servant Mage by Kate Elliott
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In Kate Elliott’s Servant Mage, a lowly fire mage finds herself entangled in an empire-spanning conspiracy on her way to discovering her true power.

Obsidian by Sarah J. Daley
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Defying those who think her an abomination, Shade wears her tattoos openly and carries obsidian blades at her hips. For years, she has protected the outcast clans who wander the blighted Wastes, but the land is growing more unstable and her blades are no longer enough.

The Starless Crown by James Rollins
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An alliance embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world in this captivating, deeply visionary adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling thriller-master James Rollins.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
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A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e , in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path—where choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.

Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore
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In modern day Los Angeles, a shadowy faction led by the Governor of California develops the arcane art of combat linguistics, planting the seeds of a future totalitarian empire in Scotto Moore’s Battle of the Linguist Mages.

Light Years From Home by Mike Chen
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The perfect combination of action, imagination and heart, Light Years from Home is a touching drama about a challenge as difficult as saving the galaxy: making peace with your family…and yourself.

The Unfamiliar Garden by Benjamin Percy
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FEBRUARY

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
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House of Earth and Blood meets The Witch’s Heart in Rebecca Ross’s brilliant first adult fantasy, set on the magical isle of Cadence where two childhood enemies must team up to discover why girls are going missing from their clan.

Last Exit by Max Gladstone
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Fresh from winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Max Gladstone weaves elements of American myth—the muscle car, the open road, the white-hatted cowboy—into Last Exit, a deeply emotional tale where his characters must find their own truths if they are to survive.

Clean Air by Sarah Blake
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Suspenseful and startling, but also written with a wry, observant humor, Clean Air is the second novel from poet Sarah Blake, author of the award-winning literary debut Naamah. It will appeal to readers of The Need, The Leftovers, and Fever Dream as it probes motherhood, grief, control, and choice.

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman
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A whirlwind romance between an eccentric archivist and a grieving widow explores what it means to be at home in your own body in this clever, humorous, and heartfelt novel.

Scorpica: The Five Queendoms by G.R. Macallister
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A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart
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At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to—literally—come face-to-face with our ghosts, The Paradox Hotel is another unforgettable speculative thrill ride from acclaimed author Rob Hart.

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
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From a major new debut author in epic fantasy comes the first book in a trilogy where action, intrigue, and magic collide. The Justice of Kings introduces an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon: Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice, who is a detective, judge, and executioner all in one. But these are dangerous times to be a Justice…. 

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
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Titanic meets The Shining in S.A. Barnes’ Dead Silence, a SF horror novel in which a woman and her crew board a decades-lost luxury cruiser and find the wreckage of a nightmare that hasn’t yet ended.

Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston
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Andrea Hairston’s alternate history adventure, Redwood and Wildfire, is the winner of the Otherwise Award and the Carl Brandon Kindred Award.

Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space
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Reclaim the Stars is a collection of bestselling and acclaimed YA authors that take the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world. Authors include Daniel José Older, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Mark Oshiro, Romina Garber, David Bowles, Lilliam Rivera, Claribel Ortega, Isabel Ibañez, Sara Faring, Maya Motayne, Nina Moreno, Vita Ayala, J.C. Cervantes, Circe Moskowitz, Linda Nieves Pérez, and Zoraida Córdova. 

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik
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The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
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The Martian meets Dark Matter in Edward Ashton’s high concept science fiction thriller, in which Mickey7, an “expendable,” refuses to let his replacement clone Mickey8 take his place.

MARCH

The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller
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Sara A. Mueller’s The Bone Orchard is a fascinating whodunit set in a lush, gothic world of secrets and magic–where a dying emperor charges his favorite concubine with solving his own murder, and preventing the culprit, which undoubtedly is one of his three terrible sons, from taking control of an empire.

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim
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Set in a gorgeous world of bone and shadow magic, of vengeful gods and defiant chosen ones, The City of Dusk is the first in a dark epic fantasy trilogy that follows the four heirs of four noble houses—each gifted with a divine power—as they form a tenuous alliance to keep their kingdom from descending into a realm-shattering war.

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: A Collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in Translation
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From an award-winning team of authors, editors, and translators comes a groundbreaking short story collection that explores the expanse of Chinese science fiction and fantasy.

Comeuppance Served Cold by Marion Deeds
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A respected magus and city leader intent on criminalizing Seattle’s most vulnerable magickers hires a young woman as a lady’s companion to curb his rebellious daughter’s outrageous behavior.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
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Judy I. Lin’s sweeping debut A Magic Steeped in Poison, first in a duology, is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
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From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history. 

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
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The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi’s first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy.

Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Hossain
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In this standalone follow-up to the fan favorite The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday Saad Z. Hossain continues to mix futurism with fable, and shows how strange our lives might become.

Until the Last of Me by Sylvain Neuvel
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A darkly satirical thriller, as seen through the eyes of the women who sacrifice all to make progress possible and the men who are determined to stop them.

Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli
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Haunting and romantic, Kristen Ciccarelli’s Edgewood is an exciting novel from a bold, unforgettable voice in fantasy.

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
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In the aftermath of World War I, a naive woman is swept into a glittering world filled with dark magic, romance, and murder in this lush and decadent debut.

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book four in her Blood and Ash series.

APRIL

God of Neverland by Gama Ray Martinez
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In this magical re-imagining of J. M. Barrie’s classic tale, Michael Darling—the youngest of the Darling siblings and former Lost Boy, now all grown up—must return to the life he left behind to save Neverland from the brink of collapse and keep humanity safe from magical and mythological threats, as well as answer the ultimate question: Where is Peter Pan?

In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power
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Twins imbued with incredible magic and near-immortality will do anything to keep their family safe—even if it tears the siblings apart—in the first book of a mythic epic fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls.

The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport
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Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.

Aspects by John M. Ford
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In the years before his unexpected death, John M. Ford wrote a novel of fantasy and magic unlike any other. Politics and abdicated kings, swords and sorcerous machine guns, divination and ancient empires―finally, Aspects is here.

Spear by Nicola Griffith
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The legendary author of Hild returns with an unforgettable hero and a queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era. Nicola Griffith’s Spear is a spellbinding vision of the Camelot we’ve longed for, a Camelot that belongs to us all.

Flint and Mirror by John Crowley
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From award-winning author John Crowley comes a novel that masterfully blends history and magic in Flint and Mirror.

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse
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Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun—finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.

The Discord of Gods by Jenn Lyons
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The Discord of Gods marks the epic conclusion to Jenn Lyons’s Chorus of Dragons series, closing out the saga that began with The Ruin of Kings, for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss.

The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe
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In The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer, singer-songwriter, actor, fashion icon, activist, and worldwide superstar Janelle Monáe brings to the written page the Afrofuturistic world of one of her critically acclaimed albums, exploring how different threads of liberation—queerness, race, gender plurality, and love—become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such a totalitarian landscape…and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
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With her signature mix of the grim and the delightful, award-winning author T. Kingfisher takes the old bones of fantasy and fairytale and makes them into something entirely new in this enchanting adventure.

Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney
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Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Saint Death’s Daughter is the first novel in a new trilogy about love, coming-of-age and strangeness.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
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A stunning debut from a powerful new voice, Kaikeyi reimagines the life of the infamous queen from the Indian epic the Ramayana, weaving a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak—of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come.

MAY

Elektra by Jennifer Saint
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A spellbinding reimagining of the story of Elektra, one of Greek mythology’s most infamous heroines, from Jennifer Saint, the author of the beloved international bestseller, Ariadne.

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
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Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this new epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.

Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry
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The Witcher meets Game of Thrones in New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry’s brilliant new fantasy series, Kagen the Damned.

Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire
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From New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire, Seasonal Fears is the extraordinary companion novel to Middlegame.

Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings
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Under Fortunate Stars is a modern, progressive homage to classic space opera stories, with flawed heroes and time travel.

All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay
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Returning triumphantly to the brilliantly evoked near-Renaissance world of A Brightness Long Ago and Children of Earth and Sky, international bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay deploys his signature ‘quarter turn to the fantastic’ to tell a story of vengeance, power, and love.  

The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero
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With spellbinding verse prose, R.M. Romero channels the spirit of myth into a brilliantly original tale, inspired by her experiences restoring Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe.

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
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Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher & Kerrie Hughes
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An all-star urban fantasy collection featuring short stories from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, and more . . .

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
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Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

Second Spear by Kerstin Hall
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Kerstin Hall’s Second Spear is the thrilling follow-up to the Nommo Award finalist, The Border Keeper.

A Game of Retribution by Scarlett St. Clair
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Become enchanted by the fantasy world of gods and mortals in bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair’s reimagined New Greece. Readers are “hopelessly addicted” to the story of Hades and Persephone told from Hades’s point of view.

JUNE

Rise of the Snake Goddess by Jenny Elder Moke
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Samantha Knox is back for another adventure in this 1920s female-driven mystery-adventure series!

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
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From highly acclaimed bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.

For the Throne by Hannah F. Whitten
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Red’s sister Neve is trapped in a mysterious land of twisted roots, lost gods, and mountains made of bone, and the only clues to her rescue are a magic mirror and a dark prince who wants to bring the whole thing crumbling down. 

In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan
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From Brian McClellan, author of The Powder Mage, comes In the Shadow of Lightning, a brand-new epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource—and it’s running out.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings
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In a fantastical version of New Orleans where music is magic, a battle for the city’s soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song in this vibrant and imaginative debut. 

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow
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A Mirror Mended is the next installment in USA Today bestselling author Alix E. Harrow’s Fractured Fables series.

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro
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A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
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The Goblin Emperor meets “Magnificent Century” in Alexandra Rowland’s A Taste of Gold and Iron, where a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire.

Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane
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Drawing on ancient texts and modern archeology to reveal the trans woman’s story hidden underneath the well-known myths of The Iliad, Maya Deane’s Wrath Goddess Sing weaves a compelling, pitilessly beautiful vision of Achilles’ vanished world, perfect for fans of Song of Achilles and the Inheritance trilogy.

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs
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Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The City Inside by Samit Basu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The City Inside, a near-future epic by the internationally celebrated Samit Basu, pulls no punches as it comes for your anxieties about society, government, the environment, and our world at large—yet never loses sight of the hopeful potential of the future.

Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A god wages war—using all of humanity as its pawns—in the unforgettable conclusion to the Founders trilogy.

What 2022 fantasy and sci-fi book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Devour In 2022 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.