5 Anticipated Releases/Books I’m Dying to Read in 2020

Hi! Now that it’s the middle of the year, I thought that I’d show a couple of books that I’m super excited for! So many great ones have come out already, but there are also so many good ones that are going to come out soon! Even though it’s been a horrible year for world-events, I think that these good books are going to signify a positive change in events (don’t quote me on this in another 5 months haha)!

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1. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco| October 27th

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

I’ll admit, I haven’t read Stalking Jack the Ripper yet, but it won’t stop me from wanting to read this beauty! The cover is just so pretty, especially with the gold embellishments and the snake. I usually don’t read witchy books, but after loving Serpent and Dove, I’m totally open to it! The synopsis seems amazing and I feel like I’m really going to love the suspense of solving all these murders! I also always love magic and magic systems, and I’m looking forward to what this one is like. And just from the synopsis, I can already tell that Wrath is going to be an AMAZING character!

2. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black | November 24th

Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . #1 New York Times bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without this novella! I read The Cruel Prince right from the moment it came out, and the series has been absolutely amazing. I really loved the hate-to-love relationship between Cardan and Jude, and I’m excited to see what his perspective will be like. I feel like he’s an interesting character to explore, with his obvious darker, morally grey side. It’s also illustrated, which is going to be absolutely amazing! I feel like it’s going to be quite similar to Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (which I have a copy of and LOVE) so I’m excited to see what Holly Black comes up with!

3. Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar | August 11th

The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be “normal.” But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star’s help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.

Sheetal’s quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens–and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

This one is actually a contemporary fantasy based on Hindu Mythology, which excites me! I feel like we rarely get books based on this culture, and I am absolutely here for the diversity. I always love illustrated people on covers too, and this one is just as pretty as every single book on this list (I can’t choose a favorite)! I really like that the central plot is based on “stars” and I feel like it could make for a magical novel. I’ll admit, I was a little confused when the synopsis said the main character was the “daughter of a star,” but I am confident that I’ll understand and love it when it finally gets released! I also love competitions in books, so this one is sure to be amazing.

4. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn | September 15th

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

Okay, so this one is another diverse read, which makes me even more excited to read it! I don’t read too much magic-realism, but this one seems quite interesting! I love the idea of the “Legendborn students,” and I feel like the school aspect could add another layer to the story. I also think that the “buried memory” could be quite interesting, and I think that the entire mystery surrounding her trying to find the truth about her mother could be a great plot-point. I’m not sure if this is a “whodunnit” or if it’s something else, but I did really enjoy One of Us is Next (a “whodunnit”), and I’m really hoping that there are elements of one in this book!

5. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas | September 1st

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. 

I’m really excited to read this one not only for its plot, but also for its queer/LGBT inclusion and Latinx culture! I truly don’t read enough of those books, and I’d like to once again diversify my reads a bit! The entire of summoning ghosts seems like an interesting plot, and I love how it alludes to the title of “Cemetery Boys.” I can tell that there’s going to be a romance, and I am super excited for it. I always need romance in my books, and romance + fantasy seriously makes for a good book.

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And, that’s it for my top five anticipated releases! I have a lot more, but I wanted to keep this one short and to the point! I might do a follow-up post later, so do let me know if this is something you’re interested in. I hope you have the chance to add some of these beautiful books to your shelves, and I’ll definitely be running off to the bookstore the second they get released!

What anticipated releases are you looking forward to? Any of mine? Something else? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy reading!

-Allison