It looks like May 2021 is going to be a good month for lovers of all things Bookish. There are lots of new books expected to be released - so many in fact I found it increasingly difficult to pick just 5. Under normal circumstances I might suggest it’s a plot by the publishing houses. Get as many books out, just before the summer, so people will be tempted to stuff them in their suitcases before they jet off to a sun-soaked destination. (With a suitcase that is now definitely overweight and NO I am not paying for that surcharge, I will wear that book if I have to) Of course, it’s not exactly likely that that will be happening this summer, not for a lot of us at least. So I suppose we will have to settle our wanderlust by following fictional characters on their adventurous quests.

So I guess there is no harm in adding a couple of honourable mentions, who didn’t quite make the cut but seem very interesting all the same. Because in times like these, one can never have too much adventure!

Honourable mentions:

• Ariadne by Jennifer Saint - Release date: 4th of May 2021 - Publisher: Flatiron Books

  If you were a fan of Circe and A thousand Ships, this should be right up your alley!

• Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa - Release Date: 11th of May 2021 - Publisher: Orbit books

  Another dark fantasy painted against the backdrop of African inspired mythology, yes please!

• Threadneedle by Cari Thomas - Release Date: 27th of May 2021 -Publisher: Harper Voyager.

  Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city, filled with magic. Enough said, right?

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bjohalian

Release date: 4th of May 2021
Publisher: Doubleday Books

Synopsis:

Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old. Her skin is porcelain, her eyes delft blue, and in England, she might have had many suitors. But here in the New World, amid this community of saints, Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man as cruel as he is powerful. When Thomas, prone to drunken rage, drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand, she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life. But in a world where every neighbour is watching for signs of the devil, a woman like Mary--a woman who harbours secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony--soon finds herself the object of suspicion and rumour. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden, when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies, and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage but also the gallows.’

My thoughts:

Confession time, a couple of years back I got sucked into the rabbit hole that is ‘witch trials’. UK, US, France, Germany, The Netherlands. If there was a book, article, documentary or podcast about it you can bet your ass that I knew about it. Now before you call a psychologist, don’t worry, I’ve got it all under control - I can stop whenever I want! I just don’t want to stop when a historical thriller about this very subject comes along. I am ready to hold my breath, clench my buttcheeks and teeter or the edge of my seat!

In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland

Release date: 18th of May 2021
Publisher: Imprint

Synopsis:

‘ A pansexual blood mage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.

In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception.

Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul.

Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart—if she doesn’t betray them first.

My thoughts:

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for well written stand-alone fantasy novels. Add a stunning cover, some dark themes, more LGBTQI+ representation than you could imagine in your wildest dreams, a mystery, a cover-up and a slightly too closely interwoven family tree and you’ve got a winner. I’m hooked, and that’s even before reading a single page!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Release date: 4th of May 2021
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Synopsis:

‘ Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.’

My thoughts:

Sometimes it’s really simple. I like Andy Weir’s writing style and I like his books. I tore through The Martian and I finished Artemis in the blink of an eye. So I have no reason to suspect Project Hail Mary would be any different. Weir has the uncanny ability to include scientific facts and figures in a way that feels real. In a way that makes me feel more intelligent for reading it - even if I still have absolutely no clue about what is going on. That and the man is a master of building suspense.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomons

Release date: 4th of May 2021
Publisher: MCD

Synopsis:

‘ Vern - seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised - flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world.

But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes.

To understand her metamorphosis and to protect her small family, Vern has to face the past, and more troublingly, the future - outside the woods. Finding the truth will mean uncovering the secrets of the compound she fled but also the violent history in America that produced it.’

My thoughts:

Solomons is known for their genre-bending, at times genre-breaking books. Easily weaving together historical fiction, science-fiction and dark, gothic themes. Always giving a voice to those that have been marginalized, those on the fringes of civilization, those who face intolerance, violence and inequality. Using poetic prose to take the reader by the hand, as they expose the underbelly of society. It would be hard to pass up Sorrowland, given this titanic legacy.

The lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis

Release date: 18th of May 2021
Publisher: Titan Books

Synopsis:

‘ n the quiet streets of Prague all manner of otherworldly creatures lurk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters - a secret elite of monster hunters whose light staves off the darkness each night. Domek Myska leads a life teeming with fraught encounters with the worst kind of evil: pijavice, bloodthirsty and soulless vampiric creatures. Despite this, Domek finds solace in his moments spent in the company of his friend, the clever and beautiful Lady Ora Fischerová-- a widow with secrets of her own.

When Domek finds himself stalked by the spirit of the White Lady - a ghost who haunts the baroque halls of Prague castle - he stumbles across the sentient essence of a will-o'-the-wisp, a mischievous spirit known to lead lost travellers to their death, but who, once captured, are bound to serve the desires of their owners.

After discovering a conspiracy amongst the pijavice that could see them unleash terror on the daylight world, Domek finds himself in a race against those who aim to twist alchemical science for their own dangerous gain.’

My thoughts:

So continuing with my dark themes - honestly from this list of recommendations alone, you might start drawing some conclusions. I am fine. I promise.

Here we have an alternative history, dark fantasy, filled to the brim with mysterious creatures from Slavic legends. Were you looking for vampires in perhaps one of the most gorgeous cities in Europe? Well look no further, this book will satisfy all your cravings.

What do you think? Are there even more books you are excited about for May 2021 - let’s be honest, of course there are! Have you managed to snag an ARC of any of the books I mentioned and are you dying to share your thoughts? Let me know in the comment section below, and until then - just one more page!