Looking Ahead… February 2021 Releases

This is a post that I do at the end of every month where I share the books I am looking forward to in the next month. I am always looking for books to add to my TBR so I hope to hear about what books you are looking forward to in the coming month in the comments.

Looking Ahead … February Releases

Check out the titles that I am excited for that come out this month. Make sure to comment below if you have read any of these or want to read any of these titles so we can discuss them!

eARCs

This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2021

Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.

In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons.

Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.

Honestly I don’t even remember requesting this book, but it sounds like it could be really cool. It sounds like it has a unique magic system and seems to be a bit of a science fiction/fantasy blend. Sometimes I absolutely love books that crossover into both genres, but other times it doesn’t work so well. I will be going into this one pretty blind, but I hope that I wind up enjoying it!

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Beneath the Keep by Erica Johansen

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2021

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

The Tearling has reverted to feudalism, a far cry from the utopia it was founded to be. As the gap between rich and poor widens and famine threatens the land, sparking unrest, rumors of a prophecy begin to spread: a great hope, a True Queen who will rise up and save the kingdom.

But rumors will not help Lazarus, a man raised to kill in the brutal clandestine underworld of the Creche, nor Aislinn, a farm girl who must reckon with her own role in the growing rebellion. In the Keep, the crown princess, Elyssa, finds herself torn between duty to the throne and the lure of the Blue Horizon, a group of fierce idealists who promise radical change . . . but Elyssa must choose quickly, before a nefarious witch and her shadowy master use dark magic to decide for her. It is only a matter of time before all three will be called into the service of something bigger than they have ever imagined: a fight for a better world.

When I first requested this I really wanted to read Queen of the Tearling and was really excited for the idea of a spin off series and figured it would be a great time to read the original series before the spin off. Now that I’ve read the Queen of the Tearling series I’m pretty excited for this prequel! I really enjoyed the series and I am really happy that this is a prequel rather than a spin off set after the original trilogy ended since I was disappointed by the ending of the series. I can’t wait to learn more about certain characters that I loved throughout the original trilogy!

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What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2021

Rose Szabo’s thrilling debut is a dark and thrilling novel about a teen girl who returns home to her strange, wild family after years of estrangement, perfect for fans of Wilder Girls.

Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.

Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.

Exquisitely terrifying, beautiful, and strange, this fierce gothic fantasy will sink its teeth into you and never let go.

The cover of this book and the comparison to Wilder Girls are big reasons why I want to read this book. I love a paranormal book and this book seems to cross into horror a bit which I’m super excited about. I’ve heard that this book is a bit bizarre and has gothic vibes. I don’t really know what to expect out of this one, but I’m excited to give this one a shot!

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The Project by Courtney Summers

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2021

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo’s sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there’s more to the group than meets the eye. She’s spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it.

When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what’s real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn’t know if she can afford not to.

I requested this book because I absolutely loved Sadie by Courtney Summers. This book sounds really different than Sadie, but I really loved Courtney Summers’ writing and am excited to read something else she has written. This book is a bit out of my normal wheelhouse, but it looks pretty dark and intriguing.

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Curse of the Divine by Kim Smejkal

Publication Date: February 9th, 2021

Return to the world of inklings, tattoo magic, and evil deities as Celia uncovers the secrets of the ink in order to stop Diavala once and for all. This eagerly anticipated sequel to Ink in the Blood is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Wicked Saints.

Celia Sand faced Diavala and won, using ink magic to destroy the corrupt religion of Profeta that tormented her for a decade. But winning came with a cost. Now Celia is plagued with guilt over her role in the death of her best friend. When she discovers that Diavala is still very much alive and threatening Griffin, the now-infamous plague doctor, Celia is desperate not to lose another person she loves to the deity’s wrath.

The key to destroying Diavala may lie with Halycon Ronnea, the only other person to have faced Diavala and survived. But Halcyon is dangerous and has secrets of his own, ones that involve the ink that Celia has come to hate. Forced to choose between the ink and Diavala, Celia will do whatever it takes to save Griffin—even if it means making a deal with the devil himself.

Curse of the Divine is the sequel to Ink in Blood, a novel that I didn’t expect to love nearly as much as I did. This book seems to be under the radar, but the first book was truly amazing and I can’t wait to read the sequel!

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The Future Is Yours by Dan Frey

Publication Date: February 9th, 2021

Two best friends create a computer that can see one year into the future. But what they can’t predict is how it will tear their friendship–and society–apart.

Ben Boyce and Teddy Chaudry are outsiders struggling to find their place in Silicon Valley. But when Ben reads Teddy’s graduate dissertation about an obscure application for quantum computing, he has a vision of a revolutionary new technology: a computer that can see forward through time by communicating with its future self.

The two friends quit their jobs and team up to form a business, building a company that will deliver their groundbreaking device to consumers around the world. Rival tech giants try to steal their innovation, while government agencies attempt to bury it–but Ben and Teddy are helped by their own cutting-edge technology, staying a step ahead of the competition and responding to challenges before they arise.

As the tension mounts, Ben and Teddy’s friendship begins to fracture under the weight of ambition, jealousy, and greed. Most frightening of all, they discover the dark side of the machine they’ve created–the ways in which viewing the future sets them on a path toward unavoidable disaster of epic, apocalyptic proportions. Unless they can disrupt the technological system they’ve created, there won’t be any future at all.

Told through emails, texts, transcripts, and blog posts, this bleeding-edge tech thriller chronicles the social costs of innovation and asks how far you’d be willing to go to protect the ones you love–even from themselves.

I picked up a copy of this one for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that I really want to try and read more science fiction as last year I feel like I read almost no non fantasy books. The second reason is that this book’s concept sounds super interesting. I read Recursion a while back and while I initially rated it 3 stars I am really glad that I read it because it sparked so many conversations about time travel, I have a feeling that reading a book about being able to predict the future might spark many conversations as well.

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The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: February 9th, 2021

You may have heard of me…

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool… King Oberon’s right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before.

With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten.

Just like Beneath the Keep, this book is a spin off series of a series that has been on my TBR for many years now. I feel like I’ve been talking about The Iron King series a lot lately and I really think I’ve got to move it up my TBR. I loved Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules and I’ve wanted to read her series about the fae for a few years now. I was inspired to read the Queen of the Tearling series when I picked up the spin off and hopefully this spin off will motivate me to read The Iron King.

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The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

Publication Date: February 16th, 2021

“When they said all happy families are alike, I don’t think this is what they meant…”

Evelyn Caldwell’s husband Nathan has been having an affair — with Evelyn Caldwell. Or, to be exact, with a genetically cloned replica.

After a morning that begins with a confrontation and ends with Nathan’s body bleeding out on the kitchen floor, the two Caldwell wives will have to think fast—before sharing everything includes sharing a jail cell.

The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride of lies, betrayal, and identity, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Killing Eve.

I am super interested in fiction that explores genetic engineering. I mentioned earlier in this post that I’m planning on reading more science fiction this year and I just couldn’t resist this one. I mean the entire concept of this book is wild. I love reading books that explore injustices against women and I’m excited for this book!

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We Are the Fire by Sam Taylor

Publication Date: February 16th, 2021

As electrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sam Taylor’s explosive fantasy debut We Are the Fire is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and the legend of Spartacus.

In the cold, treacherous land of Vesimaa, children are stolen from their families by a cruel emperor, forced to undergo a horrific transformative procedure, and serve in the army as magical fire-wielding soldiers. Pran and Oksana―both taken from their homeland at a young age―only have each other to hold onto in this heartless place.

Pran dreams of one day rebelling against their oppressors and destroying the empire; Oksana only dreams of returning home and creating a peaceful life for them both.

When they discover the emperor has a new, more terrible mission than ever for their kind, Pran and Oksana vow to escape his tyranny once and for all. But their methods and ideals differ drastically, driving a wedge between them. Worse still, they both soon find that the only way to defeat the monsters that subjugated them may be to become monsters themselves.

I requested this book because the blurb just sounded so interesting. But I’m a little nervous because it’s a debut that seems to be flying under the radar. There aren’t enough Goodreads reviews yet for me to be able to judge if this one will be for me, but I figured I might as well give it a shot. I don’t really know what to expect from this book at all, but I hope that it winds up being a hidden gem.

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The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis

Publication Date: February 23rd, 2021

Welcome to Amontillado, Ohio, where your last name is worth more than money, and secrets can be kept… for a price.

Tress Montor knows that her family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. She might still be a Montor, but the entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo,” – a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things.

Felicity Turnado has it all – looks, money, and a secret that she’s kept hidden. She knows that one misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is… only that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic attack.

But she’ll have to.

Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity – brick by brick – as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. With a drunken party above them, and a loose panther on the prowl, Tress will have her answers – or settle for revenge.

In the first book of this duology, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis draws inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe and masterfully delivers a dark, propulsive mystery in alternating points of view that unravels a friendship . . . forevermore.

I’ve wanted to read more books by Mindy McGinnis ever since I read Be Not Far From Me because that book was absolutely incredible and I read it in a single sitting. I found Mindy McGinnis’ writing addictive and am very excited to have an ARC of her upcoming book. This YA thriller is inspired by Poe’s The Cask of Amantillado and while I haven’t read the work that inspired this one I do love Poe’s gothic vibes.

Want to Read

Daughter of the Salt King by A.S. Thornton

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2021

As a daughter of the Salt King, Emel ought to be among the most powerful women in the desert. Instead, she and her sisters have less freedom than even her father’s slaves … for the Salt King uses his own daughters to seduce visiting noblemen into becoming powerful allies by marriage.

Escape from her father’s court seems impossible, and Emel dreams of a life where she can choose her fate. When members of a secret rebellion attack, Emel stumbles upon an alluring escape route: her father’s best-kept secret—a wish-granting jinni, Saalim.

But in the land of the Salt King, wishes are never what they seem. Saalim’s magic is volatile. Emel could lose everything with a wish for her freedom as the rebellion intensifies around her. She soon finds herself playing a dangerous game that pits dreams against responsibility and love against the promise of freedom. As she finds herself drawn to the jinni for more than his magic, captivated by both him and the world he shows her outside her desert village, she has to decide if freedom is worth the loss of her family, her home and Saalim, the only man she’s ever loved.

I was on the fence on whether to request an ARC of this book. On the one hand it looks like it has a lot of potential and sounds absolutely fascinating culturally. But on the other hand it’s a debut novel that is really long. I have no idea what to really expect of this book and while part of me really wants an ARC I think that maybe I will wait for this one to be published and for more reviews to come out before deciding if this one is for me.

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The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Publication Date: February 9th, 2021

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.

Angrboda’s story begins where most witches’ tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.

Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life—and possibly all of existence—is in danger.

With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family…or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age.

I’ve really wanted to get into books that explore Norse mythology. The only one that I’ve read so far is The Girl the Sea Gave Back and I absolutely loved it. But I wasn’t 100 percent sure that I would love this one, so I didn’t request an ARC. Now that more early reviews are in I’m kind of regretting not getting an ARC for myself because everyone seems to be raving about this one.

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The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Publication Date: February 9th, 2021

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

The Gilded Ones is another book that I was on the fence about requesting an ARC and I’m regretting not taking a chance on this one. The early reviews for this book make it sound absolutely incredible and the plot sounds amazing. I will probably wind up reading this after it’s published because it sounds that good!

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The Black Coast by Mike Brooks

Publication Date: February 16th, 2021

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.


When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.

Nearly every title that Orbit releases grabs my attention. This hefty fantasy sounds like it could be really amazing, but the lack of hype has me a little weary. I will probably wait for this one to be released and to see more reviews instead of requesting an ARC and committing myself to a fantasy book that’s nearly 700 pages.

Have Read

Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke

Publication Date: February 16th, 2021

Ren Kolins is a silver wielder—a dangerous thing to be in the kingdom of Erdis, where magic has been outlawed for a century. Ren is just trying to survive, sticking to a life of petty thievery, card games, and pit fighting to get by. But when a wealthy rebel leader discovers her secret, he offers her a fortune to join his revolution. The caveat: she won’t see a single coin until they overthrow the King.

Behind the castle walls, a brutal group of warriors known as the King’s Children is engaged in a competition: the first to find the rebel leader will be made King’s Fang, the right hand of the King of Erdis. And Adley Farre is hunting down the rebels one by one, torturing her way to Ren and the rebel leader, and the coveted King’s Fang title.

But time is running out for all of them, including the youngest Prince of Erdis, who finds himself pulled into the rebellion. Political tensions have reached a boiling point, and Ren and the rebels must take the throne before war breaks out.

I read this book last year and posted the review, but then this book was delayed for a year because of COVID-19. There were morally grey characters and a pretty interesting world. I loved the use of multiple points of view in this book.

You can check out my review here!

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Let’s Chat!

Have you read any books coming out in December? Are there any that you would recommend? Are you looking forward to any of the titles that I listed? Have you read any of them yet? What did you think? Make sure to comment below so we can chat about December 2020 releases!