Waiting on Wednesday: Darksoul by Anna Stephens & Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

Darksoul by Anna Stephens
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2018 (UK)/September 4th, 2018 (US)

Harper Voyager
400 pages

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads: 

"The thrilling sequel to GODBLIND, the biggest fantasy debut of 2017. 

The Wolves lie dead beside Rilpor’s soldiers, slaughtered at the hands of the Mireces and their fanatical army. 

The veil that once kept the Red Gods at bay has been left in tatters as the Dark Lady’s plans for the world come to fruition. Where the gods walk, blood is spilled on the earth. 

All that stands between the Mireces army and complete control of the Kingdom of Rilpor are the walls of its capital, Rilporin, and those besieged inside. 

But hope might yet bloom in the unlikeliest of places: in the heart of a former slave, in the mind of a soldier with the eyes of a fox, and in the hands of a general destined to be king."

I really enjoyed and was impressed with Godblind, the first book, last year and am now looking forward to seeing what happens next! I also really love the cover styles for this trilogy so far.

and...

Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Publication Date: August 28th, 2018

Flatiron Books
320 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository

From Goodreads: 

"In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon. 

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place. 

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death."

I've had my eye on this one for a while and am excited to (hopefully) have the chance to pick it up soon! I am so intrigued by the setting and think this sounds like it will be a really entertaining read.

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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Book Recommendations: If You Like Your Fantasy on the Darker Side

I enjoy most book genres, but fantasy tends to be one of my favorites, and although I enjoy many different types of fantasy, I have to say that I'm usually drawn to darker books and settings. Because of this, I decided that I might as well make a post with some of the ones I've really enjoyed that I am always recommending to people. About half of these were actually released in 2017 because it was such a fantastic year for debuts in fantasy, but the rest vary in release date. Many of the books on this list are also referred to as 'grimdark' novels, which, for those that do not know, does not have a firm definition, but generally refers to fantasy books that have dark, nihilistic, gritty settings with morally ambiguous characters. Of course, don't let the definition confine your opinions, because it isn't a fully defined term, but just that be a guideline. Now, on to the books!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

I love Nevernight so much it's ridiculous. This is a story of Mia Corvere, who competes to become a true assassin so that she can take revenge on those who killed her father. It's super bloody, brutal, and all-around amazing. The second book, Godsgrave, is also already out and the final book should be out this year.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark -- Review

This book was so dark in such a beautiful way. Anna Smith Spark uses a really unique writing style that is, at times, almost reminiscent of a steam-of-consciousness style. From my review for it: This is true grimdark, meaning it is dark, full of gory details and violence, and spilling with characters whose morals lie in the grey area of life. The Court of Broken Knives is a devastating duet of beauty and cruelty that weave together to create a breathtaking book that is impossible to step away from. The sequel is coming this year!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Jade City by Fonda Lee -- Review 

Jade City really stood out from other fantasy books that I read this past year because it was more of an urban/contemporary Asian setting, but still a very different world from what we have now. It's a gritty world with mafia-inspired groups that don't shy away from violence. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Blackwing by Ed McDonald 

I have a really hard time describing this book, which is partially why I do not yet have a review up for it. This is essentially set in a post-apocalyptic world that includes a huge wasteland known as the Misery, which is basically a terrifying, unpredictable, and incredibly deadly expanse of land that many do not survive crossing. The story focuses on a sort of bounty hunter who regularly crosses the Misery, and that's about all of the story I'll dive into. This book maybe be on the shorter side*, but it is brutal, dark, and not overly optimistic. It's great!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*Okay, so I just checked and it's actually 380 pages, but for some reason it looks really short and read really fast, so I thought it was shorter than it is. Oh well.

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski - Review

I've never played The Witcher games, but I have read a few of the books that inspired them and I love them! This particular book in The Witcher series is a series of short stories that each focuses on one instance of Geralt taking down some crazy creature, spirit, etc. It's dark, bloody, and fantastic. I can't recommend these books enough--the entire series has about seven books so far.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Scythe by Neal Shusterman - Review

So this one isn't your typical grimdark-style fantasy that I've been recommending, but I still think it's very dark. It takes place in a world in which death is pretty much eradicated and everyone can live forever. To combat the risk of overpopulation, every year a certain amount of people are chosen at random to be 'gleaned' (aka: killed). This book dives deeply into many topics surrounding death and the many grey areas of life. Thunderhead, the sequel, just released this week. (This is also more dystopian, but thought that it fit on this list.)

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository



Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Assassin nuns.
In this book, young girls are trained to become assassins and are taught how to fight, poison, lie, and do all-around not socially acceptable things--this book has it all! Oh, and magic. The second book, Grey Sister, is coming out this year.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence 

Mark Lawrence is pretty much just great for grimdark. The protagonist in this book/trilogy walks a very thin line between a mere 'grey' character and being completely heartless.  It is absolutely not recommended for the faint of heart, but if you tend to think 'the darker the better,' then step right up.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Godblind by Anna Stephens 

This is another one that doesn't have a review yet because I've had a hard time putting my thoughts into words. Essentially, a group of peopleknown as the Mireces worship the rather bloodthirsty Red Gods and decide to invade the land of Rilpor. It is much, much more complex than that, but just be aware that this book is dark, bloodt, full of deceit, and hard to put down. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

I will confess that I have only ever read the first fifty or so page of this because I had to put it down for school and then sort of forgot about it.... but I plan to finally finish it up this year! Abercrombie's First Law books are dark and tend to be the top recommendation when people are asking for grimdark/dark fantasy. Let's just say that it's recommended for a reason.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Pretty Edition

(Note: I thought I included The Lies of Locke Lamora in this list, but after proofreading it I can see that I didn't. Oops. Please consider The Lies of Locke Lamora in your future book reading endeavor because it is fantastic. You can purchase it at Book Depository or Amazon [or any other bookstore probably].)

Have you read any of these? What books would you add to this list?

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Planning to purchase a book or two? Consider purchasing on Book Depository through my affiliate link! Book Depository has worldwide free shipping and millions of titles to choose from.

I am also an Amazon affiliate, so if you'd prefer to shop through Amazon, just click the banner on the upper right hand side of my blog! (above the 'Follow by email' box, you may need to turn off adblock to see it!)