Most Anticipated Books of 2021 – First Quarter

Let’s start the new year out right and take a look at some exciting SFF books I can’t wait to read! Many of these I’ve already talked about in Future Fiction posts, but here are the fifteen books I’m most excited to read in January, February and March. I’m linking up with The Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl! And at the end of this post, I’ll do a recap to see how well I did with last quarter’s books. Let’s get started!

January 2021

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce. I’ve already read this and I loved it! I was so curious to see what Camilla Bruce would do for a follow up after the amazing You Let Me In, and I was not disappointed. This is a fictionalized account of a real life female serial killer who lived in the 1800s, and I could barely stop turning the pages. My review is already up, so click the link if you missed it! Release date: January 19th.

The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose #1) by M.A. Carrick. I’m so curious about this collaboration between authors Maria Brennan and Alyc Helms. I’m am a little worried by the length—it’s almost 700 pages long, which is usually a big red flag for me. But I’m going to give it a shot. Release date: January 19th.

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor. Tor.com has some good books coming up this year, and this is one of my most anticipated. Remote Control‘s beautiful cover grabbed me, and I think the story sounds really good. Release date: January 19th.

Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long. I’ve been hearing lots of buzz for this book, and I’m so happy to have a review copy. Will be reading soon! Release date: January 19th.

The Forever Sea (The Forever Sea #1) by Joshua Phillip Johnson. I think this environmental fantasy sounds so good, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s already getting rave reviews on Goodreads. Release date: January 19th.

(OK publishers, what’s up with conspiring against me? These are all coming out on the same day! lol)

February 2021

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey. Gailey has yet to disappoint me—I’ve read a lot of their books, and I’ve been anticipating this one for almost a year! The publisher is comparing it to Big Little Lies and Westworld. Release date: February 16th.

The Future is Yours by Dan Frey. This seems like it’s going to be a fast-paced sci-fi thriller, and I’m here for that! Release date: February 9th.

The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3) by Charlaine Harris. I’m tempering my excitement a bit because I was disappointed by the last book in the series, A Longer Fall. But I have faith that Harris will get back on track for this third book. Release date: February 23rd.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell. I’m excited to have an ARC for this book, and I keep seeing glowing reviews for it everywhere. Can’t wait! Release date: February 2nd.

Amid the Crowd of Stars by Stephen Leigh. This sounds like a different take on interstellar space travel, and I’m looking forward to it. Release date: February 9th.

March 2021

The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey wraps up Carey’s amazing Rampart Trilogy, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of this! Release date: March 25th.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers. I absolutely fell in love with Sayers’ A Witch in Time last year, so her latest is very high on my “must read” list:-) Release date: March 23rd.

Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill. The minute I saw this cover I knew I would read it. I’m curious to see if this ties into the author’s Sea of Rust at all. Release date: March 15th.

Birds of Paradise by Oliver K. Langmead. This is a magical tale about the Biblical Garden of Eden, and I think it sounds so unique. I will always read Langmead’s books, I just love his writing. Release date: March 16th.

We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart. This novella sounds so different from anything I’ve read before, and for that reason I can’t wait to read it. Release date: March 9th.


Now for a peek at how I did last quarter (4th Quarter of 2020). And…not so hot. I actually completed October’s most anticipated books, but I failed miserably in November. But hey, that’s the way it goes. Blame it on 2020? Ha ha. Red X’s are books I read:


Are you looking forward to any of my First Quarter Most Anticipated Books?

Posted January 5, 2021 by Tammy in Most Anticipated Books of the Quarter, Top Ten Tuesday / 60 Comments

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60 responses to “Most Anticipated Books of 2021 – First Quarter

  1. The cover for Birds of Paradise vaguely reminds me of Borne, by Jeff VanderMeer, one I’ve not yet read but I think I remember you enjoying it.

  2. Mask of Mirrors I struggled with (I’ll have that reviewed on Friday), but Hall of Smoke I finished over the weekend and actually reviewed today. 🙂

    The Echo Wife & We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep are both on my TBR list.

    • Tammy

      Oh shoot, I was hoping Mask of Mirrors was going to be good. I’m worried because it’s so long. I will wait for your review:-)

  3. I didn’t manage to read Magic Lessons yet either and I was so anticipating that one. The more I hear about The Echo Wife the more interested in it I am. Let’s face it, we’ll probably never be able to read the amount of books we want to read!

  4. I’m pretty much excited for all of these as well! The Ladies of the Secret Circus seems to have slipped past my notice so far and it sounds amazing, so I’m off to add that to my 2021 release list as well, haha. I think it looks like you did a pretty good job with your fourth quarter books! Here’s to an exciting new start of 2021 releases. 🙂

  5. These lists are killing me. How can I get to my backlist books if you keep tempting me with the new books?

    I know what you mean about The Longer Fall. It wasn’t as good as the first book. Hopefully The Russian Cage will be better.

    I had only heard about The Ladies of the Secret Circus in the past week or so and that is a must read for me. It sounds so good. The cover doesn’t hurt either. I still need to read A Witch in Time.

    • Tammy

      LOL, I know what you mean! And I highly recommend A Witch In Time, it was unexpectedly wonderful!

  6. Love your January recs as I’m hoping to read most of those as well 🙂 Funnily enough last November was not a great reading month for me either (like at all not just review books). I’m hoping to read more indie published books this year, but I’m most excited to be reading all the new stuff coming out.

    • Tammy

      Isn’t it pretty? Definitely read A Witch in Time, it was not at all what I was expecting, even better:-)

    • Tammy

      It is off to a great start! I’ve heard some mixed things about The Mask of Mirrors, so we shall see:-)

  7. So happy to see you loved the new Camilla Bruce. I cannot wait to get hold of a copy of that one. It’s not yet available to the U.K.
    Lynn

  8. Oh, In The Garden of Spite looks right up my dark alley! Will have to check that one out along with a couple of others you have listed!

  9. How can there still be so many books I haven’t even heard of but sound so good? Remind me to never try and track how many anticipated releases I’ve read, else I’ll just make myself all mopey

  10. The next Harris is out??? Oh no, i still need to read A Longer Fall. I better get on that.
    So many books to look forward to, it’s a bit overwhelming haha. Hope you enjoy some of these, Tammy!

  11. Mask of Mirrors is almost here! You still did awesome on your Q4 2020 list…and from what I’ve been reading, you may have dodged a bullet not getting to Ready Player Two.

    • Tammy

      Ha ha I have heard that from several people, but I’m still curious and may try to fit it in at some point:-)

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