Welcome to Future Fiction, my reimagining of the Waiting on Wednesday meme! There are so many amazing new books coming out, that I can no longer pick just one. My goal with Future Fiction is to share at least three new books each week, a combination of recent cover reveals and books that I’ve recently added to my TBR pile. I’m still going to be linking up with Wishful Endings/Can’t Wait Wednesday, and I also want to give a shout out to Jill at Breaking the Spine for starting the original Waiting on Wednesday meme. I hope you’ll find some new books to add to your TBR piles, and as always, I look forward to hearing what YOU’RE looking forward to:-D
Today I have three new 2024 fantasy releases to share, all with gorgeous covers, take a look:
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale
January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?
November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.
As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. Releases in February 2023 from Del Rey. I can’t believe I’ve never read a Katherine Arden book before, but this sounds irresistible. The combination of historical and paranormal is calling to me, and I’m in love with the cover!
From one of fantasy’s most exciting new voices Eliza Chan comes a modern, myth-inflected story of revolution and magic set against the glittering, semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, perfect for fans of Jade City and The Bone Shard Daughter . Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears.
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira’s softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan. Releases in February 2024 from Orbit. There seems to be a lot going on in this story, but I’m intrigued. And how can you say no to this beautiful cover?
A palace the size of a city, ruled by giant Ladies of unknowable, eldritch origin. A land left to slow decay, drowning in the debris of generations. All this and more awaits you within The West Passage, a delightfully mysterious and intriguingly weird medieval fantasy unlike anything you’ve read before.
When the Guardian of the West Passage died in her bed, the women of Grey Tower fed her to the crows and went back to their chores. No successor was named as Guardian, no one took up the fallen blade; the West Passage went unguarded.
Now, snow blankets Grey in the height of summer. Rats erupt from beneath the earth, fleeing that which comes. Crops fail. Hunger looms. And none stand ready to face the Beast, stirring beneath the poisoned soil.
The fate of all who live in the palace hangs on narrow shoulders. The too-young Mother of Grey House sets out to fix the seasons. The unnamed apprentice of the deceased Grey Guardian goes to warn Black Tower. Both their paths cross the West Passage, the ancient byway of the Beast. On their journeys they will meet schoolteachers and beekeepers, miracles and monsters, and very, very big Ladies. None can say if they’ll reach their destinations, but one thing is for the world is about to change.
The West Passage by Jared Pechacek. Releases in July 2024 from Tordotcom. OK this does sound weird, but I’m always up for a challenge! I love the idea of “giant Lady rulers of unknowable, eldritch origin.” I need to know more:-)
What fantastic covers. I hadn’t heard of any of these and have added them all to the ports for plunder list. How do ye always seem to be ahead of the game in knowing what is coming out?
x The Captain
LOL I mostly stalk authors and publishers on Instagram so I can catch the cover reveals:-)
That makes sense! I guess I will just continue stalking ye! Arrr!
x The Captain
Oooo three very good picks! 2024 is stacking up to be a fantastic reading year
I know! 2024 is going to be another great reading year:-)
Those are all pretty but I love The Warm Hands of Ghosts the best. I’ve read a few things by that author before and enjoyed them so I am hoping to get to this one.
It really does sound good, and I’m loving the cover too.
These all sound great, but all I had to do was see Katherine Arden’s name to know I needed to read The Warm Hands of Ghosts! I loved her Bear & Nightingale trilogy, can’t wait to get my hands on this one!
It does sound pretty amazing, and a ghost story too!
Ooo… what fabulous-looking books – thank you for sharing! The one that has particularly snagged my attention is Fathomfolk. I love the blurb – you’re right, there’s a lot going on and the blurb is faar too chatty. But I’m guessing we have the pov of the three main protagonists.
Hopefully it’s just the blurb that’s a little confusing and not the book, lol.
The cover of Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan is absolutely amazing. I can’t stop looking at, so beautiful!
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I know! It’s so pretty, and the story sounds really good too.
I’ve enjoyed other books from Katherine Arden.
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She’s pretty popular!
I have only read Katherine Arden’s middle grade books but I enjoyed them, this one by her sounds like it could get confusing at least by the blurb…lol. Hope you enjoy them!
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I’ve heard really good things about her MG books, so I’m looking forward to this.
Omg 2 of these are on my post for tomorrow in the “cover” section! So great minds, clearly. I also really want to read The Warm Hands of Ghosts! So yep, looking forward to this bunch for sure! Great picks!
It doesn’t surprise me that we’re all over the same books/cover reveals:-)
I haven’t read arden either but dang
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Right?
I’m so excited for that new Katherine Arden book. Her Winternight Trilogy is one of my all time favorite fantasy series and I’ve been dying to read more from her.
I’m kicking myself for not reading the Winternight Trilogy yet, so hopefully this will be my first Arden book:-)
Whoa, The West Passage sounds intense. *immediately adds to tbr*
It does, right? And that cover is pretty cool too.
All of these covers are lovely. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is definitely going onto my TBR list as I loved The Bear and the Nightingale and the rest of that series.
Everyone loves her books, I need to see what all the fuss is about!
The first two are already on my list, but I added The West Passage even though it does sound weird! It’s probably not my thing but I’m going to watch for it, because I love that cover.
I know what you mean, The West Passage sounds a little out there, but wow that cover!
Great covers! The Fathomfolk sounds fascinating.
It does, right? Maybe a little too much going on, but I’m very curious.
I love Katherine Arden, so I was really happy to see she had a new adult book coming out! And even if Eliza Chan’s book didn’t sound good, that’s definitely a cover buy if I ever saw one, haha. I love the sound of The West Passage also!
It’s hard to resist the cover of Fathomfolk:-)
I need Arden – be still my beating heart.
Lynn 😀
I know, I think we all need her new book.