While there have been many debut novels released this year, we round up some of the most buzzed about 2019 debuts!

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
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A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford Rebels, in which a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter takes on a powerful duke in a love story that threatens to upend the British social order.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
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In the early 1900s, a young woman searches for her place in the world after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal
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Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
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A shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive…

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
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Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Americanah in this disarmingly honest, boldly political, and truly inclusive novel that will speak to anyone who has gone looking for love and found something very different in its place.

The Perfect Son by Lauren North
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A disturbing and shocking debut novel of psychological suspense about a recently widowed mother, her young son, and the lengths she’ll go to in order to keep him safe.

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
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Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people.

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tender and terrifying literary horror novel–the author’s debut–that tells the story of a family (creators of a haunted house attraction called the Wandering Dark) and the hereditary monsters–both metaphorical and all-too-real–that haunt them.

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Seraphina meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance… and dragons.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skilfully animated as necromantic skeletons. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
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Four Queens. A divided nation. A ruthless pickpocket. A noble messenger. And the murders that unite them. An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…

There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
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Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows meets Kristin Cashore’s Graceling, with a dash of Winter is Coming, in this showstopping debut YA fantasy!

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen
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A uniquely emotional genre-bending debut, Here and Now and Then captures the perfect balance of heart, playfulness, and imagination, offering an intimate glimpse into the crevices of a father’s heart, and its capacity to stretch across both space and time to protect the people that mean the most.

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
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As one by one her beautiful sisters mysteriously die on their isolated island estate, Annaleigh must unravel the curse that haunts her family. Be careful who you dance with. . . .

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

One pet crow fights to save humanity from an apocalypse in this uniquely hilarious debut from a genre-bending literary author.

Do you have any new favourite authors from 2019? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Best Debut Novels of 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tender and terrifying literary horror novel–the author’s debut–that tells the story of a family (creators of a haunted house attraction called the Wandering Dark) and the hereditary monsters–both metaphorical and all-too-real–that haunt them.

Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A mother’s worst nightmare, a chance at redemption, and a deadly secret that haunts a family across the generations. Past, present, and future converge in this mesmerizing psychological thriller from critically acclaimed author Kira Peikoff.

Tinfoil Butterfly by Rachel Eve Moulton
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Shining meets About a Boy in this electrifying debut about a troubled young woman and a lonely boy facing their demons in the frozen Black Hills.

Missing Person by Sarah Lotz
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From acclaimed horror writer Sarah Lotz, hailed by Stephen King as “vastly entertaining,” a new novel about a group of amateur detectives infiltrated by the sadistic killer whose case they’re investigating.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In his boldly imagined first novel, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the National Book Award–winning author of Between the World and Me, brings home the most intimate evil of enslavement: the cleaving and separation of families.

The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew conjures a dark and unpredictable tale of family secrets that explores the lengths people will go to hurt one another.

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
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In Berlin in 1941 during humanity’s darkest hour, three unforgettable young women must act with courage and love to survive, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Marriage of Opposites, Alice Hoffman.

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox
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Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts, so he moves to Pale Harbor. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband. As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe.

The Fragments by Toni Jordan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the award-winning, best-selling author of Addition and Nine Days, a superbly crafted and captivating literary mystery about a lost book and a secret love.

Third Party by Brandi Reeds
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Is it murder? Is someone playing mind games? Or is it both? The chilling answers are in this twisting novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Trespassing.

After The Flood by Kassandra Montag
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A compulsively readable novel of dark despair and soaring hope, After the Flood is a magnificent, action packed, and sometimes frightening odyssey laced with wonder—an affecting and wholly original saga both redemptive and astonishing.

Small Silent Things by Robin Page
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A lyrical, haunting debut that explores the power of parenthood, identity, lust, and the legacy of trauma, as the lives of two neighbors are upended by ghosts from their past lives.

Will you be picking up any of these new releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post September 2019 Book Releases: Fiction appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Shaun Hamill’s debut novel doesn’t read like it was written by a first-time novelist. Don’t trust me? How about the master of horror himself? Stephen King praised this uniquely beautiful tale, stating “If John Irving ever wrote a horror novel, it would be something like this.” What higher recommendation could you want?

A Cosmology of Monsters is a weird and wonderful blend of horror and literary fiction. Noah Turner, the youngest of three children, tells his family’s story, spanning decades of highs and lows in a world plagued by monsters of both the real and fantastical variety.

Hamill graciously took time out of his busy schedule to talk with The Nerd Daily about his love-hate relationship with Lovecraft (a huge influence in this novel), his interest in what lies behind the scenes of a haunted house, and what job scared him off after only a few weeks.

A Cosmology of Monsters is not what I would call a traditional horror story. It crosses genres, incorporating aspects of horror, fantasy, and literary fiction. As such, it is a difficult tale to summarize for others without spoiling some of the surprises you have up your sleeve! How would you give a synopsis of your debut novel in two sentences or less?

A Cosmology of Monsters is a literary horror novel about a family running a haunted house attraction, and the monsters—both metaphorical and real—that haunt them.

How did you decide upon the title A Cosmology of Monsters?

Back in 2014, a friend of mine on Facebook shared a chart of supernatural collective nouns created by David Malki, which used phrases like “A clamor of clones” or “A pension of aliens.” I loved the playfulness and poetry of the chart, and it bounced around in the back of my mind for months. When I started writing a novel later that year, I went back to the chart to try and come up with my own collective noun for Monsters. Since I was also reading a lot of Lovecraft at the time, “Cosmology” came to me almost at once, and I knew I had my title. It’s been with the book since the beginning and has never changed.

Let’s talk about the monster as a metaphor in literature. (You knew this was coming!) This is a fairly standard trope in the horror genre, yet A Cosmology of Monsters really feels like you have done something different here. When you were developing the novel, how did you want to remain faithful to and/or avoid the standard conventions of the “monster” in literature?

Much of the ethos of the novel can be traced back to one of the epigrams at the start. It talks about Lon Chaney, one of the great monster character actors of the silent film era, and how Chaney’s performances reflect our deepest fears about ourselves—the secret shames we think make us unlovable, or unworthy of affection. The implication is that we all carry these burdens, and I was interested in exploring the ideas of secret shame and toxic miscommunication, and how that can warp a life if not confronted.

I was also fascinated by the definition of monstrousness. It’s a moving target, usually defined in opposition to whatever the norm of the day happens to be. Anything too far outside that norm is vilified, be it homosexuality, fatness, ugliness, bodily deformity, mental illness, skin pigmentation, left-handedness, etc. I was interested in exploring this idea in an honest, complex way.

H.P. Lovecraft is overtly referenced throughout A Cosmology of Monsters. Could you talk a bit about how the writing of Lovecraft works in concert with and/or against your storyline here?

I have a love-hate relationship with the work of H.P. Lovecraft. I’ve always liked the idea of his cosmic horror, and the incredible art that he’s inspired, but his prose is dense and dry, his narratives are formulaic, and his art is inextricably linked to racism and xenophobia. And yet, for all that, A Cosmology of Monsters owes a deep debt to the man and his work. The structure of the novel—a first person narrator relating his journey into the cosmic unknown—is very much in the Lovecraftian tradition, and much of the book’s more fantastical imagery (which I don’t want to spoil here) is inspired by the beasts and ancient ruins in his fiction. Lovecraft’s cosmic nihilism is the emotional backdrop of Cosmology.

But the book doesn’t stop at loving homage—it is also an interrogation. My problems with Lovecraft’s prose became my characters’ problems with Lovecraft’s prose. And where Lovecraft’s investigation of the monstrous usually stops at the moment of first contact, that’s where Cosmology begins its real work, interrogating the idea of monstrousness and “the other,” and not settling for easy answers.

The classic haunted house, a thrilling attraction that pops up in nearly every town across the U.S. around Halloween, is a central “character” in A Cosmology of Monsters. What spurred you to have this be such an integral part of the Turner family’s story?

I used to go to a lot of haunted houses when I was in my 20s, and I was always curious about what it was like in those places after they closed up for the night and the employees took off the costumes and the makeup. Who were these people? What was it like to have the drama of your life play out against such an unusual backdrop? The concept was a fun one to explore, but it also turned out to be a useful setting for my characters. The Turners are all haunted, and their family business is an impressive, ever-expanding manifestation of their trauma. Noah Turner grows up in and around this temple of pain, and it provides the pathways he uses to explore the big questions of life.

The characters in A Cosmology of Monsters are quite complex and fascinating. If you had to be one character in your novel, who would you choose to be and why?

Thank you for saying that! It is a tough question to answer, though. This book puts its characters through the wringer, and I’m not sure that I’d willingly step into any of their shoes. Noah and I are the same age, grew up in the same area, and share a lot of the same fears and worries, so he’d be the obvious choice. I’d prefer to be Eunice, though. She’s gifted, kind, and a deeply sympathetic character. Of all the people in the book, I think she’s the one I admire and care for most.

Your author bio indicates that you “grew up on a steady diet of horror fiction and monster movies.” At what point did you decide you wanted to be a writer? What “horror fiction and monster movies” in particular inspired you to begin writing?

In fourth grade I wrote a storybook for “Young Authors Day” at my school and the other kids in my class liked it. Something clicked in my head and never really un-clicked. As far as early inspirations, I was hooked on Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammel’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books and Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark anthology series. The Universal monsters—particularly the Frankenstein movies starring Boris Karloff—made a big impression on me, as did both of the Ghostbusters movies (and cartoon series).

Stephen King’s IT was my watershed moment as a reader/writer, because it was the first adult book I ever wanted to disappear into. It was wholly immersive, truly frightening, but also wondrous and deeply in love with its characters. I’ve been chasing that particular high as a reader and writer ever since.

The Iowa Writers’ Workshop is incredibly well-known for turning out successful novelists from all over the world who write quite diversely. As a graduate from this prestigious program, could you share a few of the most powerful lessons you learned there and have actually put into practice?

I learned a lot in Iowa, but I think most of what helped me as a writer can be traced back to one very simple (yet maddeningly difficult to implement) piece of advice:

Always, always, always be honest. Whether you’re writing a story about a couple getting a divorce or asteroid miners fighting space aliens, your job as a writer is to immerse yourself in each moment with the characters, listen to them, and then report back what you hear and see as clearly and directly as possible. Don’t try to force your creations to behave a certain way because that’s how you think the story should go. Don’t just mimic what you’ve seen and heard in other books, or worse, in movies and on TV. Dig deep. What is your protagonist thinking about during her first kiss? What is your astronaut’s true emotional state on seeing an alien for the first time? If you’re being honest—uncomfortably honest—the answers will usually surprise and delight you (and your reader). Be honest, tell the truth as your characters see it, and let the drama unfold from there.

How long did it take you to write A Cosmology of Monsters? Do you have a routine/schedule that you follow when you are writing?

I started Cosmology in November of 2014 and finished my first draft in August of 2016. My agent and I worked on revising and polishing the book until the fall of 2017, when we sold the it to Pantheon, and I spent chunks of 2018 working on further revisions with my editors. All told, it was a four-year process from beginning to end (although with gaps for recharging batteries/waiting on notes from editors, etc.).

When I’m composing a first draft, I like to write 1000 words a day, first thing in the morning. I prefer to do it longhand, because I can type faster than I can think, and I like to slow down and immerse myself in my story. This usually takes about 2 hours. Afterwards, if I have the time, I like to go on a walk and listen to music and daydream—about my current project, future projects, etc. Graduate school was wonderful for this. I lived in a suburban neighbourhood in Iowa City that was very pedestrian friendly, and within walking distance of several parks and walking trails. Now that I live in rural Alabama and work a grown-up job again, I have to write in the evenings and do my walking on a treadmill (or risk getting hit by a car walking down the curvy roads of my neighbourhood in the woods). But the important thing is to make time for both the daydreaming and the actual work of writing.

After the first draft is finished, I type it up. I like to type 2000 words a day, reading and revising at the same time. I can type more, but 2000 seems to be the outer limit before my attention starts to wander and my fingers start to make mistakes. By the time I’m finished, I have a relatively polished second draft. If I’m happy with the draft, I’ll send it on to my readers (my agent, my wife, etc.). If not, I’ll print it out and start rewriting by hand, and do the whole process over again, and again, until I have it right (at which point it goes on to its intended readers). Then, once I get their feedback, I start the process over again.

This draft-tag game goes on, the revisions getting smaller and smaller (moving from big structural stuff to individual scenes, to even sentences and words) until my editors tell me the book is done, and I can go outside and play for a while.

Writing it out like this, it sounds very time-consuming! But that’s another big lesson from the workshop, this one specifically from Paul Harding (and badly paraphrased here): you don’t get into reading and writing novels because you’re obsessed with efficiency. The creation and consumption of novels create a sort of timelessness. They take as long as they take.

Let’s Get Nerdy: Behind the Writer with 9 Quick Questions

First book that made you fall in love with reading: Superfudge by Judy Blume
3 books you would take on a desert island: The World According to Garp by John Irving, Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti, and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Movie that you know by heart: Ghostbusters
Song that makes you want to get up and dance: “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” by Jackie Robinson.
Place that everyone should see in their lifetime: The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama (I went for my birthday last year and it’s a truly awe-inspiring place).
Introvert or extrovert: Hardcore introvert
Coffee, tea, or neither: Coffee, black, no sugar or cream.
First job: Taco Bell dishwasher (I lasted maybe three weeks)
Person you admire most and why: My wife, Beca, who struggled through a host of health issues during the writing of Cosmology and still managed to be the breadwinner while I was in school. She’s the toughest person I know.

Will you be picking up A Cosmology of Monsters? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Shaun Hamill, Author of ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

In his debut novel, A Cosmology of Monsters, author Shaun Hamill serves up a uniquely weird and wonderful reading experience.

Blending horror, fantasy, and literary fiction, Hamill draws the reader into the world of the Turner family with ease. The title of the novel itself gives a nod to the framework and structure of the story. Perhaps the most germane definition of the term “cosmology” is “the scientific study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe.” Hamill quite evidently follows this path, as his story is a journey through the origin and evolution of the Turner family that ultimately comes to a close by tying up loose ends in order to clarify the family’s fate. Divided into seven parts, each part of this book is thoughtfully structured, often skipping ahead in time some years from the previous part in order to move the family’s journey forward. Each part also ends with a separate narrative section, denoted by a change in font. These sections begin quite mysteriously, however through the course of the novel build upon themselves to reveal their function and meaning to the reader.

Such a description of the structure may sound vague, as it is difficult to provide additional detail without spoiling some of the many unique aspects of this novel. A Cosmology of Monsters twists and turns in unexpected ways, providing bits of information throughout which the reader is responsible for collecting, assessing, and synthesizing. The reader is certain to be surprised countless times by the revelations and connections Hamill makes throughout the book. The second half of the novel in particular really picks up speed, gripping the reader and inducing a frenzied turning of pages in order to get to the crux of who these monsters are and what they want with the Turners.

The writing is simply haunting, the story full of heart. Hamill strikes upon meaningful themes throughout the book including the complexities of sacrifice, the strengths and flaws inherent in familial bonds, how fear is created in our lives, and what various shapes a monster may take. I highly recommend this novel for fans of Paul Tremblay and Stephen King. Much in the vein of these two celebrated horror writers, Hamill has built a rich world full of complex characters and he successfully delivers in showing how the horrors of real life can be just as terrifying as any monster.

A Cosmology of Monsters is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of September 17th 2019. My sincere thanks to Pantheon Books for the gifted copy of this book to review.

Shaun Hamill is a lifelong fan of horror fiction. He received a BA from the University of Texas at Arlington and a MFA from the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His debut novel, A Cosmology of Monsters, has received praise from the likes of literary powerhouses Stephen King and Carmen Maria Machado. His writing has also been published in Carve and Spilt Infinitive.

Will you be picking up A Cosmology of Monsters? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

“If John Irving ever wrote a horror novel, it would be something like this. I loved it.” –Stephen King

Noah Turner see monsters.

His father saw them–and built a shrine to them with The Wandering Dark, an immersive horror experience that the whole family operates.

His practical mother has caught glimpses of terrors but refuses to believe–too focused on keeping the family from falling apart.

And his eldest sister, the dramatic and vulnerable Sydney, won’t admit to seeing anything but the beckoning glow of the spotlight . . . until it swallows her up.

Noah Turner sees monsters. But, unlike his family, Noah chooses to let them in…

The post Review: A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover the authors who will be releasing their debut novels and tell us in the comments below what you’re looking forward to!

JULY

Wilder Girls by Rory Power
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A feminist Lord of the Flies about three best friends living in quarantine at their island boarding school, and the lengths they go to uncover the truth of their confinement when one disappears. This fresh, new debut is a mind-bending novel unlike anything you’ve read before.

The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson
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In this unputdownable domestic suspense debut, a lonely suburban housewife finds her life entangled with the family that moves in across the street at the same time that she becomes convinced someone is watching her–perfect for fans of The Couple Next Door and The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman
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A murder at an elite New England college tears apart a group of friends – and one of them is playing a dangerous game – in this electrifying debut in the tradition of In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Couple Next Door.

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess
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A page-turning, coming-of-age story, written with a lyrical sense of place and a profound appreciation for the sustaining power of books, The Last Book Party shows what happens when youth and experience collide and what it takes to find your own voice.

The Expectations by Alexander Tilney
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In the tradition of Prep and Old School, a sharp and evocative portrait of insiders–and outsiders–at an elite boarding school who must face a reality very different from the one they imagined.

AUGUST

Beasts of the Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell
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Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand.

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk
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Both a gripping historical epic and fascinating deconstruction of the Robin Hood legend, Nathan Makaryk’s Nottingham mixes history and myth into a complex study of power–one that twists and turns far beyond the traditional tale of Sherwood Forest’s iconic thief.

A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause
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The high-stakes fashion scene of a reimagined nineteenth century Europe takes center stage in this YA debut perfect for fans of The Belles and The Luxe.

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

One pet crow fights to save humanity from an apocalypse in this uniquely hilarious debut from a genre-bending literary author.

Campusland by Scott Johnston
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A tumultuous and often hilarious first novel about one year of insanity at the Ivy-like Devon University, a blissful bubble of elite students and the adults at their mercy.

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz
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Debut YA author Natasha Díaz pulls from her personal experience to inform this powerful coming-of-age novel about the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.

SEPTEMBER

Frankly in Love by David Yoon
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In this moving novel, debut author David Yoon takes on the question of who am I? with a result that is humorous, heartfelt, and ultimately unforgettable.

Cold Storage by David Koepp
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For readers of Andy Weir and Noah Hawley comes an astonishing debut by the screenwriter of Jurassic Park: a wild and terrifying adventure about three strangers who must work together to contain a highly contagious, deadly organism

Tinfoil Butterfly by Rachel Eve Moulton
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The Shining meets About a Boy in this electrifying debut about a troubled young woman and a lonely boy facing their demons in the frozen Black Hills.

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
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Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tender and terrifying literary horror novel–the author’s debut–that tells the story of a family (creators of a haunted house attraction called the Wandering Dark) and the hereditary monsters–both metaphorical and all-too-real–that haunt them.

OCTOBER

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy
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An enthralling debut perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone set in a North African-inspired fantasy world where two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown.

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Seraphina meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance… and dragons.

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon
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The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave. 

How Fires End by Marco Rafala
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A dark secret born out of World War II lies at the heart of a Sicilian American family in this emotional and sweeping saga of guilt, revenge, and, ultimately, redemption.

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.

Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor
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The Lunar Chronicles meets Rook in this queer #OwnVoices science-fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sharon Cameron.

NOVEMBER

Her Crown of Fire by Renee April
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In the dull, everyday world, seventeen-year-old Rose Evermore struggles to plan beyond her final year of high school. But when fire suddenly obeys her every command and her dreams predict the future, she becomes hungry for more of this strange power.

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price
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Shannon Price’s A Thousand Fires is a breakout contemporary debut―think The Outsiders meets The Iliad―that’s perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Veronica Roth.

On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl
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A lonely newlywed and her wayward brother-in-law follow divergent and dangerous paths through the postwar American West.

Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell
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A girl searches for a killer on an island where deadly sirens lurk just beneath the waves in this gripping, atmospheric debut novel.

When The Stars Lead To You by Ronni Davis
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Nicola Yoon meets Jenny Han in a heated first-love romance about two teens who are torn apart one summer by prejudice and mental illness, and find each other once again.

My Sister Is Missing by Julia Barrett
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Stephanie Henderson gazes at her newborn daughter and wonders if husband Adam will notice the lack of resemblance. But when her lover demands a paternity test, Stephanie tells Adam a string of lies—lies that lead the two men to a dramatic confrontation.

DECEMBER

Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen
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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Jane Austen in this witty, winking historical romance with a dash of mystery!

Would Like To Meet by Rachel Winters
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A cynical assistant at a screenwriting agency must reenact the meet-cute scenes from classic romantic comedy movies in order to help her #1 client get his scriptwriting mojo back–but can a real-life meet-cute be in store for someone who doesn’t believe in happily ever after?

All That’s Bright and Gone by Eliza Nellums
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Fans of Jodi Picoult and Fredrik Backman will fall for this tenderhearted debut mystery following a young girl on a quest to save her family.

The Network by L.C. Shaw
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A pulse-pounding, page-turning thriller involving corruption, secrets, and lies at the very deepest levels of government and media.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson
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Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages—and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.

Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie
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A laugh-out-loud debut novel for anyone who’s tried to live the perfect life—and learned the hard way there’s no such thing.

Will you be reading any of these debuts? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 36 Authors Making Their Debut Between July & December 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.