Hello, everyone! I am running around like mad, and my head is full of selkies. I may have brainstormed another sequel to Song of the Selkies in the last couple days, because obviously I need another book on my to-write list. (It's going to be great as soon as I get around to writing it, y'all.) I think I need about ten more of me so I can write all the books, work, keep up with blogging . . . oh, and read all the books coming out this fall, 'cause we have some really good ones. And I do mean really good. 

(Normally, this is where I'd tell you that there's a pared-down list over on Light and Shadows, but there are so many good books coming out this season that I couldn't actually pare the list down basically at all — I just kind of squished most of the Stolen Songs into one item. This is, I will note, an absolutely delightful problem to have, and now I'm inflicting it on the rest of you. You're very welcome.)

Oh, one last thing — if you haven't already, make sure you go vote in the Silmaril Awards! We have some excellent finalist lineups this year (and, I'm told, some very close races), and I'm super excited to see who wins!

Fall 2023 Reads

1. Second Chance Superhero by H.L. Burke (September 9). You may have caught my review of this book when it released just last week. I won't repeat myself too much, but to sum up: this is a superhero romance (emphasis on the romance) featuring estranged high school sweethearts, snark, and a lot of varied and fun to read family dynamics. It's also an excellent fall read, so go pick it up and thank me later.

2. When on Land by Kendra E. Ardnek (September 18). Here we have the first of many Little Mermaid retellings (and Kendra E. Ardnek releases) on this list! I'll be reviewing this in just a couple days, so I'm not going to say a lot, but it's an interesting take on the fairy tale.

3. Song of the Selkies by Sarah Pennington (September 19). Have you preordered my selkie role-swap take on The Little Mermaid yet? I've been working like mad this last month (especially the past week) polishing it up and getting it ready for y'all to enjoy. The more I work on it, the more obsessed I am with this book and these characters. Normally, by the time a book release rolls around, I'm very much ready to be done and move on to the next thing, but with Song of the Selkies . . . I just cannot stop thinking about it. (That may be why I already have four more books planned in the series, actually.) And given the reactions of my beta readers, I don't think I'm the only one . . .

4. My Fair Mermaid by Sarah Beran (September 21). I quite enjoy My Fair Lady (even if I have Opinions about the ending), and I'm super excited to see what happens when it's combined with The Little Mermaid. The concept certainly sounds like it has a lot of potential! I have an ARC of this, and I'll be reviewing it next week, so check back to see if it holds up to my hopes.

5. Black and Deep Desires by Claire Trella Hill (September 26). I don't normally go in for vampire stories — or vampires in general, outside of JinYeong and Grand Duke Vasily — but this came highly recommended by the authors of those exceptions, so of course I had to sign up for an ARC. And, y'all, I have already read that ARC, and I loved it so much. It has all the eerieness and mystery you'd expect from a Gothic novel, and the characters are magnificent. Especially Salem, who buries himself in books so he can't become more of a monster than he feels he is and who quotes Shakespeare at people when they bother him (or he wants to bother them). I'm still not a vampire fan, but y'all, I will definitely be rereading this book.

6. Steal the Morrow by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt (September 26). This Oliver Twist retelling is set in the same world as the Turrim Archive, the first book of which I've previously raved about on this blog. I'm super excited to return to the world and see what else Jenelle has in store for us there. I've also never seen someone retell Oliver Twist before, and I'm very curious how that's going to come together. As a note, this is one in a whole multi-author series of classics retold, which you should definitely check out! Steal the Morrow is just the one I'm most excited about.

7. Dark & Stormy by Suzannah Rowntree (September 29). On one hand, the release of this book means the series is almost over, and that is a tragedy. On the other hand, I am so excited for one more adventure with this crew. Especially an adventure in which we get to meet Grand Duke Vasily's family (who are both vampires and bonkers, though apparently those two are not connected?) and hopefully see the fulfillment of all that's been growing between various members of the crew. And, of course, attempting to steal a fortune out from under the noses of a clan of bloodthirsty vampires sounds like it'll be a magnificent heist.

Note/Correction: I have been informed by Suzannah herself that this is, in fact, only the halfway point in the series. I am OVERJOYED. Everything else I said still stands, except that I suspect we will not exactly be seeing the fulfillment of any crew members' arcs. Not that I'm complaining. I will absolutely not complain about having three more books than expected of Molly and Vasily figuring themselves and each other out.

7. Unexpected Encounters of a Draconic Kind and Other Stories by Beka Gremikova (October 1). To be perfectly honest, I've seen so much about this book that I thought it had already released. But apparently it doesn't come out for another few weeks. It sounds super fun, though, with lots of clever stories in it. (Just reading the summaries, I can take a guess at some of the twists, and I look forward to finding out if I'm right or not.) And can we just appreciate that cover? It's gorgeous and I love it, and I wish I were that good at cover design.

8. Wormwood Abbey by Christine Baehr (October 6). Like Black and Deep Desires, this book comes highly recommended by W.R. Gingell and Suzanne Rowntree, and so I have very high hopes here. It's giving me vibes of Miss Percy's Pocket Guide, but Gothic instead of Austen-inspired. (Side note: I am apparently having a very Gothic summer and fall, what with this, Black and Deep Desires, Dream by the Shadows, and, of course, Dracula. It's grand.) I love a good dragon story, plus we have family secrets and, to quote the blurb, "the perils of friendship." I really think I'm going to enjoy this one!

9. Locks of Gold and Eternity by Abigail Falanga (October 18). Back to the Stolen Songs releases! This is the sequel to A Time of Mourning and Dancing, one of the Tattered Slippers releases from back in 2020. It has pirates in it, along with a human princess who's been turned into a mermaid (which is an interesting flip on The Little Mermaid). I was a bit meh on the first book in the series (didn't love it, didn't hate it), but I'm reasonably interested to see where it goes.

10. A Little Persuaded by Kendra E. Ardnek (October 19). This blend of Persuasion with The Little Mermaid is the final entry in both the Stolen Songs releases and the Austen Fairy Tale series. Having recently learned something more about the story of Persausion, I have some guesses about how it's going to go, and I am very much looking forward to finding out if I'm right or not. And I'm sure it'll be lovely to return to the world of this series for one last adventure.

11. The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher (November 7). Y'ALL. IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING. WE'RE GETTING AN AERONAUT'S WINDLASS SEQUEL. I am so hyped. I know plenty of people have been waiting even longer than I have — it's been nearly ten years since The Aeronaut's Windlass released — but that does not make me any less excited. I cannot wait to rejoin Captain Grimm, Gwen, Bridget, Benedict, Rowl, and the rest for this new adventure. Also, yes, I do think this means it's time I reread book one, just as soon as I finish working through my ARCs . . .

12. To Destroy an Illusion by Kendra E. Ardnek (December 12). As with Steal the Morrow, this is one instance in a whole multi-author series that includes multiple books I'm interested in. But I am most interested in this one, partially because I beta read it and partially because it's retelling a really obscure fairy tale. Having beta read it, I can say with confidence that it's a very cool book and that I really like how Kendra wove the pieces of the story together. As for the rest of my opinion, you'll have to wait for my official review.

What book releases are you excited for this fall? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!