Dear me, May has been quite an eventful month. As much as we had prepared for getting our first ever foster dog, it still was quite the wild ride. Who knew dogs could poo so much!? Or that they would insist on stealing your underwear out of the laundry basket if leave them to roam unsupervised if only for a moment.

It certainly hasn’t all been doom and gloom though. Taking her to the beach for the very first time was an absolute highlight. The zoomies she got when she first felt sand between her toes - I’ll cherish that memory forever.

All in all this adjustment to a new life has been tiring though, which means it has been time for some self-care. Now for me, that means a couple of things. Nice tea (Whittard is profiting nicely from the fact that we got a dog), nice shower products (yes, The Body Shop too) and, of course: Books! So let’s have a look at the new titles I managed to gather around me this month.

The Dreamers

By Karen Thompson Walker - Published by Scribner - First published on the 15th of January 2019

Synopsis: In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are cancelled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned.

Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?

My thoughts: This one came to me by way of one of my Subscription boxes (did you read my latest post about them, here?) While the premise might not necessarily be 100% new, the fact that it only seems to be affecting women makes it ever so slightly different. It also seems like there is a full set of characters who all bring something to the table. I am not immediately sold on this book, but I think it could potentially surprise me.

Bacchanal

By Veronica Henry - Published by 47North - First published on the 1st of June 2021

Synopsis: Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the colour line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge.

Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers.

Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dustbowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.

My thoughts: I pre-ordered this one when I first came across it earlier this month. While the reviews can be considered mixed at best at this point, I am really drawn to the premise. Give me a spinetingling backdrop of Great-depression era Louisianna, some old-world magic and a carnival that should not exists. Combine it with a black woman who desperately tries to escape her fate and you have yourself a fan. I sincerely hope the negative reviews are unjustified because I so need this one to be good.

The Unspoken Name

By A.K. Larwood - Published by Tor Books - First published on the 11th of February 2020

Synopsis: What if you knew how and when you will die?

Csorwe does—she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honoured title: sacrifice.

But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard's loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.

But Csorwe will soon learn—gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.

My thoughts: So this one also snuck into my house by way of a subscription box, and am I glad it did. I admittedly had never heard of this title until I unwrapped it. While the synopsis might not tell us too much (I don’t mind - I hate spoilers on the dustjacket) when combined with the stunning artwork it evokes a sense of adventure, misfortune, magic and struggle… So excuse me as I make this one of the next ones on my to-read list.

Witches Steeped in Gold

By Ciannon Smart - Published by HarperTeen - First published on the 20th of April 2021

Synopsis: Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.

Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance.

Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power.

Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain - except the lengths they will go to win this game.

My thoughts: If you have been reading along for a little while now (thank you) this title will be familiar to you. I came across it when researching books that were to be released in April of this year. For me, this is one of those books that will help me expand my knowledge beyond western mythology. Beyond the knights of King Arthur, beyond fairies and fiends and kelpies. To experience the stories that have shaped cultures so different from my own.

Son of the Storm

By Suyi Davies Okungbowa - Published by Orbit - First published on the 11th of May 2021

Synopsis: In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—only he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy.

But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.

My thoughts: Ahh yes, another one I pre-ordered. Why? You wonder. Well, I’ll let the reviews do the talking:

‘From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, Son of the Storm is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forgotten magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.’

Recommendations don’t come more glowing than that really.

What are your thoughts? Have you ready any, or all of these books yet? Is there one that has been overhyped, or is there a true hidden gem amongst them? Please let me know in the comment section below and, until then - just one more page!