My Wyrd And Wonder 2020 TBR

I don’t share TBR posts often but I have been so excited to pick my reads for Wyrd And Wonder 2020 (my first time taking part in it) that I thought I would share the excitement. 🙂 If you don’t already know, Wyrd And Wonder is a annual celebration of fantasy, hosted by Imyril, Lis and Jorie. This is their third year doing it together and I had a fantastic chat with them on The Creator’s Roulette earlier this month.

My May TBR is divided into three sections. I’ll speak briefly to what drew me to each of these books and my first impressions. You can click on the book title and it will open a new tab with the Goodreads link. Enjoy the snippets of synopsis that I have added here.

---

Recommended by my friends

When you ask fantasy writers for recommendations, you bet there will be some great ones.

Jerusha

Strange the Dreamer series by Laini Taylor

Don’t they have the most gorgeous covers?

Welcome to Weep. A city cut off from the rest of the world. A city that Lazlo Strange has been dreaming about since he was five. Liani describes this book in her bio as the story of “a young librarian, a mythic lost city, and the half-human children of murdered gods.”

I mentioned this book briefly during the International Women’s Day post. Here is what Jerusha has to say about why she loved this series so much:

I loooove her descriptions. The prose is poetic and artful and vivid. It’s written in such a way that the entire book could take place in a library with very little happening, and I’d be content. But the beginning promises so much more than that. It promises mystery and loss. Her characters feel real, and you feel for ALL of them. She shows you every side, so it’s hard to point and say “That one is totally the corrupt villain!” Instead, she shows you a facet of how they became that way, and your heart breaks for them. Or at least mine did. It’s an exploration of post-war society. So you’re seeing how the previous war devastated both sides. Even if the conflict was just, and the people were right to do what they did, there’s still victims on both sides. A lot of psychological scars for both.

Are you convinced to pick up this series? 🙂

S.Kaeth

The Chaos Circus by Renee Dugan

The Chaos Circus: a citywide fair where mortals trade years for prizes in vicious attractions from which the Deathless draw their power.

This is what SK says about this book: It’s just so good. The prose captured me right away, so completely that I was a third of the way in before I realized it was written in a POV I don’t normally like. The story is crafted beautifully, and I love the worldbuilding elements and the circus theme! It’s a fantastic YA that may very well change people’s minds who hate YA.

I am not a YA fan but I am getting around by finding amazing books! 🙂

---

A Buddy Read

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

I think I would be hard pressed to find books that my friend Ariel loved and I did not. After buddy reading with her for over half a year, we agree closely on books. She finished The City of Brass recently and while I am waiting to start with my other book blogger friend Alex at the Spells and Spaceships blog, Ariel’s review has me eager.

This has become one of my favorite books ever. The character depth and development, the story, the worldbuilding– PHENOMENAL. – Ariel’s Goodreads review

Also, did I mention that I love Egypt? This book is based in 18th century Cairo and I will be reading about Nahri, “a con woman of unsurpassed talent”. I am super excited for this book and reading it along with Alex. I wonder if we will gravitate towards different aspects of this book. This is the first book of The Daevabad Trilogy.

Fun Fact: Did you know The City of Brass is a retelling of Aladdin?

---

All the Fantasy ARCs

As excited as I get about Advanced Reader Copies, sometimes I need a reason to fast track to reading them. I’m surprised how many of these are out in May! I guess they knew about Wyrd And Wonder? 😉 Here are four upcoming fantasy books that I will reading that you should know about:

The Jealousy of Jalice by Jesse Nolan Bailey

Expected Publication: May 19th 2020 (ebook), 
September 20th 2020 (print)

That cover! 😍

Can you guess that this book will have a strong female protagonist?

The Realms have split apart, the Stones of Elation have been hidden, and warnings of dokojin drift among the tribes.

The Jealousy of Jalice follows Jalice, the wife of The Sachem, chief of the Unified Tribes, who has been a savior of the tribes. However, there is an evil plaguing the tribes and Jalice’s past might have some thing to offer in this time of peril.

---

Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden

Expected Publication: May 12th 2020

Stealing Thunder is an epic fantasy inspired by the Mughal Empire. I grew learning a lot about it since it was based in India where I am from. A lot that history from that time has centered around men and wars with other nations. Razia Khan, the protagonist of this book was actually the Delhi sultanate during 1231-1232 when her father was away. She was the first and last female Muslim ruler of South Asia.

Stealing Thunder has Razia as the protagonist but in this world, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam. I am looking forward to learning more about history and this alternate version of history.

---

The Gatewatch by Joshua Gillingham

Expected Publication: May 17th 2020

The Gatewatch is an epic troll-hunting adventure inspired by the Norse Myths and the Icelandic Sagas. This month I am reading The Glass Woman with my friend Stephen and that book is also set in Iceland and I am curious to see what Joshua’s book will teach me. I also haven’t read a lot focused on trolls!

“Many ways there are to kill
A troll if you but have the skill
And yet a thousand ways to die
For those who have a mind to try.”

-Proverbs of the Greyraven

---

The Four Profound Weaves by R B Lemberg

Expected Publication: September 4th 2020

Another one of the books that Ariel has read and liked! What attracted me to this one on NetGalley was (apart from the cover) the Birdverse, a complex, culturally diverse world, with a range of LGBTQIA characters and different family configurations. I enjoy learning about different cultures and worlds and I am confident this book will give me lots to think about.

The Surun’ do not speak of the master weaver, Benesret, who creates the cloth of bone for assassins in the Great Burri Desert. But Uiziya now seeks her aunt Benesret in order to learn the final weave, although the price for knowledge may be far too dear to pay.

---

Overall, I hope to learn about new magic systems, read some amazing retellings, meet new protagonists and hopefully wait on the edge of my seat to pick the next book in many of these series.

I should be able to post thoughts on each of these books in May itself though you will see some other genres in reviews as usual.

What is on your Wyrd And Wonder 2020 TBR? Share in the comments below and if you have a blog post already, add the link! I’ll be sure to comment and share on my socials. 🙂

Find out more information about and sign up for Wyrd And Wonder – Celebrate fantasy in your unique way, even if it is with one book.

Cover Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash
IMAGE CREDITS for Wyrd And Wonder images: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono | Decorative phoenix by Tanantachai Sirival – both from 123RF.com