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 two new sci-fi books and one cozy fantasy, take a look:
Explore the Wild Black—where any signal could be a trap, any planet a mystery, and any companion a lifeline—in this trio of high-concept space adventures.
Deep Strike crews are accustomed to hostile terrain. But in Beasts of the Wild Black, Capt. Min Law and the crew of the Thunberg get more than they bargained for when they follow a garbled distress call to a seemingly quiet world. Meanwhile, in Pride of the Wild Black, Min’s mentor Maj. Gen. Alice Benner’s concern for her missing protégé draws her into a potentially wide-scale conspiracy. And in Lost in the Wild Black a wounded superintelligent cat named Bruce is trapped on a lethal planet desperate to send out a signal, no matter who—or what—hears it.
From the bestselling author of the Tide Child series, the tales that comprise this sweeping space opera collection are set at the outermost edges of the universe. Here, sapient animals, hostile ecosystems, and competing factions will test the very limits of loyalty, ingenuity, and courage.
Beasts of the Wild Black by R.J. Barker. Releases in January 2027 from Podium Publishing. I love when authors branch out from their regular publisher, and I love R.J. Barker and Podium, so for me this is a match made in heaven!
A royal secretary’s unremarkable life takes an unexpectedly magical turn when she is hired by an infamous Dark Wizard with more to him than meets the eye in this delightful cozy romantic fantasy by the author of Stay for a Spell.
Mummies, spiders, and poorly filed paperwork: Prepare to meet your worst nightmare.
Sensible, practical Honeyrose Brambling is the scourge of untidy desks and unsorted letters. Her life is careful, constrained, and predictable . . . and, after ten years as a royal secretary, unbearably boring.
So, when she accepts a job at the Dark Castle, she’s not sure what to expect: certainly nothing more exciting than filing paperwork, indexing archives, and staying out of the way of the many nightmarish creatures and unnerving oddities that call the castle home, like affectionate end tables, not-zombie unicorns, and at least one very large spider.
Her new employer is the Dark Wizard Raddux, the most powerful sorcerer in the Shining Realm—and a notorious recluse. But the more time Honeyrose spends with Raddux, a man as compelling as he is eccentric, the more she discovers that everything she thought she knew—about magic in general and the Dark Wizard in particular—is wrong.
Life at the Dark Castle is impractical, entirely unpredictable . . . and not at all boring. But there are more nightmarish things out there than even giant spiders. And when the worst happens, it falls to one very sensible ex–royal secretary to save the day. Because if she doesn’t, the Shining Realm could lose all its magic. Forever.
The Dark Wizard Falls in Love by Amy Coombe. Releases in April 2027 from Ace. I did not read Coombe’s last book yet, Stay For a Spell, but I don’t think the two are connected, so I’d love to jump into her new book. Such a cute cover, right?
Award-winning author Jared Pechaček takes us to a vast salt desert where wars are fought over water, a flaming angel brings judgment, and the only hope for mercy is a feral girl who knows nothing of her destiny.
Once, there were seas. Then the god of fire came. He defeated water, and under his rule the world has burned. The survivors live in the wasteland called the Salt, a vast desert where water is priceless and lives are cheap.The Mother of Waters promised she’d return to save humanity, reborn into the world she lost generation after generation. She promised to die for us, and bring a flood to quench the world’s thirst. Unfortunately, at the moment of greatest need, the Church lost track of her. The promised child was lost, raised by robotic scavengers, ignorant of her destiny. That feral messiah is now in the hands of a ragtag crew of fugitives with no plan to save anything but themselves.
Tomas is a pyric, blessed with the divine gift of fire and burdened with a stolen airship. At the helm are Three and Four, twin cyborg navigators who escaped the wreckage of their last vessel and now long for freedom from the August Union that created them. On their tail is Violet, chief paladin of the church of water, intent on bringing the messiah to her destiny. And in their cargo hold is the girl who can call lightning and bring rainstorms. Her life could save the rest of humanity.
What is that girl’s life worth in this dried-up world?
Where Fire Reigns by Jared Pechaček. Releases in February 2027 from Tor Books. OK this definitely sounds a bit on the weird side, but the cover is so intriguing, I’m definitely keeping it on my “watch” list.
What do you think of this week’s Future Fiction picks? Let me know in the comments!
Ooh I’ll have to add all three of these to my TBR. I keep telling myself to read more sci fi so two of these are perfect in that regard. I’m really curious about the last one especially, even if it does sound a little complex. And I love the animal astronauts on the first ones cover.
I love the cover of Beasts of the Wild Black, hopefully the story will be just as good:-)
I love the sound of The Dark Wizard Falls in Love, except for that large spider. But I think I could deal with it haha 😛
LOL I agree, the large spider is making me hesitate!
The first title is intriguing. I am actually reading a new scifi with lots of messages coming from out of space.
Stories of First Contact: Humanity’s Encounters with Alien Intelligence, by Siniša Komlen
A really good collection of scifi short stories around the same theme
Interesting. I will watch for your review!
Ooo Where Fire Reigns has piqued my interest mainly because it sounds unique! And I’m all for that cozy fantasy…I read one in the same vein earlier this year and loved it.
I think Where Fire Reigns could go either way, but I’m hoping it’s good!
These sound good especially the first one.
I think it sounds good too. It’s so different from the author’s author books.
The Dark Wizard book looks like a lot of fun! Of the three, that might the one I’d be most inclined to check out, although Where Fire Reigns sounds great too!
I heard lots of good things about Amy Coombe’s last book, so I’d love to try it:-)
Ooh, a new Amy Coombe. I really liked Stay for a Spell!
I remember your review for Stay for a Spell. I think that’s why I was drawn to this one:-)
I might have to check out Where Fire Reigns! Thanks for introducing me to it!
It sounds really good!
I’m so excited for Where Fire Reigns! I didn’t love Pechacek’s debut novel, but it made a ton of ambitious choices, and I’m always looking for authors who aren’t scared to break a few traditions
I haven’t read his first novel, but I’m very tempted by this one!
I want to read The Dark Wizard Falls in Love!! It sounds really good and I love the cover <3
Me too, the cover is so cute, and hopefully the story will match it:-)
I love the sound of The Dark Wizard Falls in Love – and I also adore the cover. Right now I feel like I’m living the fire thingy – another day in the 80s with no rain, so I’ll give that one a miss!
Totally understand about the fire. That’s the last thing you (and lots of other people) need right now!
I’m definitely adding Beasts of the Wild Black because I am all for animals in my tales. Of course, you are well aware I am sure. The cozy fantasy looks right up my alley as well. Great choices!
I thought you might be interested in Beasts of the Wild Black!
It certainly won’t surprise you to know that I vote for the Dark Wizard falls in Love!
The Dark Wizard Falls in Love looks super cute! I haven’t read the prior book either, but it’s on my (eventual) TBR.
A new RJ Barker and a space opera – that seems like a total change of tack. Will keep an eye out for that.
Lynn 😀