Winter 2017-18 Reads!

Hello, everyone! First off, if anyone's wondering why the blog looks a bit off at the moment, wonder no more! After more than five years of the same, frankly not-that-great, look, Dreams and Dragons is getting a much-needed revamp. Because of my current situation, this may take a bit of time, but when it's done, the blog will be better than ever, with a nicer design, actual about pages, archives for stories, poetry, and reviews, a proper contact page, and more!

Second off, finals are over, which means which means I'm headed home to family, writing, good food, and, of course, books! In addition to all the already-released books that I need to catch up on (Oathbringer! Exiles! The Dire King!), we're beginning a new season of releases- which, naturally, means it's time for a list to highlight my most anticipated releases!

Winter 2017-18 Reads!

1. Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely (January 2).

So, it's a Western . . . but in what sounds like a semi-dystopian future. With that combination, I feel like this book is either going to be awesomeness close to the level of the Invisible Library series or the same kind of disappointment as Shadow Run was. Even if it falls somewhere in the middle, though, it should be a nice change of pace from my usual diet of fantasy, and I am always up for a sharpshooting protagonist.

2. The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman (January 8).  

So, I thought this was going to be the last book, but apparently it's actually the second-to-last book, so huzzah! Obviously, I'm super excited for more of the Invisible Library books- have I mentioned lately how much I love this series? Because I love this series- and apparently this one is set in fantasy!1920s Chicago? So that should be super cool, and a very interesting change from the general steampunkery of the last three books. Plus the focus is shifting from the Fae to the dragons, and while I'm a bit disappointed that I probably won't get to see much of my favorite minor antagonist-ally Silver, dragons are pretty awesome too.

3. Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaugen (January 30).

I'm not 100% certain what to think about this one. On one hand, it's an Arabian-esque political fantasy featuring an earth-manipulating protagonist- definitely out of the ordinary! On the other hand, beta reviews say it's on the darker and heavier side, and from what I've read of Gaugen's other works, I'm not surprised. So, yeah, I want to read it, but I'm not expecting it to be a favorite.

4. Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare (February 20).

So I'm slightly annoyed by the fact that certain elements of this story (namely, girl who can write worlds into existence) sounds similar to one of my own novels . . . but that very minor annoyance is basically overridden by the fact that "girl who can write worlds into existence" sounds fabulous and honestly, there's not enough books about that premise. Plus apparently it's steampunk! And set in Italy! And involves political conspiracy! And reviews say it'll tear your heart out, so . . . yeah. There's that. Anyway. I'M EXCITED.

5. White Sand volume 2 by Brandon Sanderson (February 20).
Soooo . . . yeah. The main reason this one is on the list is that it's a Brandon Sanderson Cosmere novel. If it was by anyone else and in any other series, I would've given up after the first book, but I don't want to miss anything important. I have the manuscript version that he sent out to newsletter subscribers, which I still need to read . . . I'll try to fit that in before this releases, and maybe having that background will help.

6. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (February 27). 
I haven't read anything by Hartman since I devoured Seraphina and was subsequently warned off the sequel by friends. That said, Seraphina was really good, and I hope that this will be too. The premise sounds pretty interesting- a bit cliche, yes, but it has potential. And while the book has pretty mixed beta reviews so far, so my liking it could go either way.

What books are you excited for this season? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)