Review: Pay the Piper: A Novella of Utter Speculation by Sarah Connell

Pay the Piper: A Novella of Utter Speculation by Sarah Connell
Publisher: Speculation Publications
Publication Date: April 1st, 2025

Paperback. 112 pages.

About Pay the Piper (from the publisher):

"In the dark days of plague and poverty, when the church rules with an iron fist, and knowledge is punished with fire, an orphaned girl stumbles upon a legacy of magic. Lucie has only ever known her small farm and the overprotective care of her brother, Tilo, until she learns of the Gathering. Run from the village of Hamelin by the tyrannical White Bishop, these exiles have been forced to live apart from their families. Lucie discovers that she and Tilo are part of this group, expelled from the village as the children of an accused witch.

The village of Hamelin is in trouble. Ragged children roam the streets, the poor and downtrodden struggle to fill their bellies, and the homes of the wealthy are infested with rats. A mysterious figure appears with an offer that is too good to be true; reunite the families torn asunder by accusations of witchcraft, provide a home for Lucie and her people, and the rats will be gone.

But this is a contract signed with blood, and for Lucie, the Mayor of Hamelin, and the White Bishop, the price may be too high."

I'm always up for a fairy tale retelling, especially when they are working with a slightly less popular story (at least currently in the mainstream fiction world) and bring it to life in new ways. I'm not quite as familiar with the Pied Piper tales as I am with other classic tales and I've actually been wanting to explore more versions of it, so I was thrilled when I was offered a chance to read Sarah Connell's Pay the Piper.  I loved the way this short tale wove history, myth, and enchantments into a cohesive and entertaining tale.

The story follows Lucie, an orphaned girl who has been living with her brother, Tilo at their small farm. One day she discovers that her brother has been meeting with The Gathering, a group of people who have been exiled due to their following of the old ways and accusations of witchcraft. The town of Hamelin is also dealing with an extensive rat problem, and a curious figure arrives and offers a solution to the town's problem... if the town agrees to cease the exiling of those accused of witchcraft. 

I really enjoyed Connell's writing in Pay the Piper and found it to be readily engaging and easy to read. It was descriptive, immersive, and very much captured the superstitious atmosphere that at times permeated the setting. It's clear from the author's note that Connell put extensive research into craftnig the historical elements of the story, and I appreciated how much this really brought the story to life. The world felt completely rooted in its era and easily captured the mix of fear and folkloric elements of the story that matched the atmosphere.

Lucie is an excellent protagonist and I loved seeing her adapt to her new circumstances. Because she has inherited her mother's abilities and skills with her flute, we get to see her learn more about herself and her mother as she embraces and explores this new discovery. I really enjoyed learning about The Gathering and witches along with Lucie and found her attitude towards everything happening around her both relatable and admirable.

Pay the Piper is brief novella, but it felt like it was just the right length to feel complete--although I think there is also plenty of room for expansion if the occasion ever arose. I could easily see this tale and Lucie's story unfold into something longer and more complex. As it is, though, I think this shorter format worked excellently and the author balanced the setting, plot, character development, and related progressions in a thoughtful and successful manner.

If you enjoy fairy tales, historical fiction, a little bit of fantasy, or stories about the struggle to exist, then Pay the Piper is one you will want to add to your TBR. 

*I received a copy of Pay the Piper in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Esperance by Adam Oyebanji & The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling

 

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji
Publication: May 20th, 2025
DAW
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"The history-bending speculative fiction from Adam Oyebanji, award-winning author of BRAKING DAY.

An impossible Detective Ethan Krol has been called to the scene of a baffling a man and his son, who appear to have been drowned in sea-water. But the nearest ocean is a thousand miles away.

An improbable Hollie Rogers doesn't want to ask too many questions of her new friend, Abi Eniola. Abi claims to be an ordinary woman from Nigeria, but her high-tech gadgets and extraordinary physical abilities suggest she's not telling the whole truth.

An incredible As Ethan's investigation begins to point towards Abi, Hollie's fears mount. For Abi is very much not who she seems. And it won't be long before Ethan and Hollie find themselves playing a part in a story that spans cultures, continents... and centuries.

An extraordinary speculative thriller about the scars left by the Atlantic slave-trade, by a master of the genre."

I am unbelievably intrigued by this one and cannot wait to have a chance to check it out. "A speculative thriller about the scars left by the Atlantic slave-trade"? Uh yeah, I'm in!

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Publication: May 20th, 2025
Harper Voyager
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror.

Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration.

Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar’s walls.

As the castle descends into bacchanalian madness—forgetting the massed army beyond its walls in favor of hedonistic ecstasy—these three women are the only ones to still see their situation for what it is. But they are not immune from the temptations of the castle’s new masters… or each other; and their shifting alliances and entangled pasts bring violence to the surface. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself."

How insanely good does this sound? I'm always a bit of a sucker for books like these that play with a sort of breaking down of norms. Caitlin Starling is a little hit or miss for me these days, but because The Luminous Deep remains a book I absolutely loved, I am always eager to check out everything she writes!

Review: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden
Publisher: Cardboard Wall Empire
Publication Date: October 30th, 2024

Ebook. 187 pages.

About Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs:

"Dangerous creatures, neglected kids and dejected employees face the weird, odd and perilous. Enter a world where possessed pageant girls get their revenge, a pigeon leads to an underground cult, and a video game mod threatens to unleash hell itself. Enjoy fourteen stories of spite, mischief, and malevolence!"

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs is a raw, visceral collection of horror stories that offers a little something for a wide range of horror fans--especially those who enjoy the grotesque and slightly absurd. I am always up for a collection of chilling stories, so when Rebecca Gransden reached out to me about checking out her horror story collection, I was eager to take a look. The stories in this collection lean heavily into gore and body horror at times, so definitely keep that in mind before diving in if you're sensitive to graphic content. That being said, this was a highly compelling collection of stories that I think knows how to use all the different elements of horror in ways that make them shine through best, and I had a great time exploring the scenarios created by Rebecca Gransden.

One of the things that kept me most hooked on this collection was the sheer variety of stories in this collection. Each story feels distinct from one another, yet Gransden's writing style and atmospheric tone manages to tie them all together and effectively created a cohesive yet unpredictable reading experience. The imagination in these stories was incredibly high. The stories often start with seemingly innocuous premises (well, some of them, at least) before veering into some form of chaos and they often embrace a somewhat absurdist tone while still remaining sane enough for us readers to follow along. From my previous experiences reading more absurdist horror, I have found that they can often leave me as a reader feeling a bit lost and uncertain, but I found that these stories avoided by maintaining enough reality that I felt like I could consistently find my footing and instead immerse myself in these worlds.

The collection begins with "Turducken," a story that I think sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the collection. In this story, we follow a turducken (which, if you've not heard of a turducken before, is a  dish that contains turkey, duck, and chicken) as it breaks free from its intended destination (someone's oven) and embarks on a its own journey. I think this story really set the tone for what kind of ride the reader was in for, and after finishing the collection, I still think that's the case. It's the perfect introduction to the collection's 'anything goes' style. A few other standout stories for me included:

"Seeping Willow": This is a story  about a boy who eventually decides to reclaim control of his life after enduring abuse from his mother. This one was quite dark, but I appreciated its message and execution.

"Fuck It Cat and the Mod Hex From Hell": This one very much reminded of some horror films/stories I've read before, but it managed to take the idea and make it fresh and unique, and I really liked the occasional chaotic energy that seemed to run through it. I was constantly looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

"Happy Bunny": This was honestly just a wild ride that explored some really intriguing themes, and I easily understand why it became the titular story.

As with any collection, some stories worked better for me than others. The ones that didn't quite land tended to be ones where I felt slightly lost in the narrative or where the writing felt a bit jilted or convoluted. However, nothing ever fully pulled me out of the experience, and I found the collection engaging overall. And lastly, one small note for animal lovers: while there’s nothing too extreme, there were some moments involving animals that I was a little nervous about, so just something to keep in mind as well.

Overall, Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs is a thrilling and unpredictable horror collection that kept me entertained throughout. I'd love to see what Rebecca Gransden could with a longer form story, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of her work.

*I received a copy of Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Review: A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: April 1st, 2025

Hardcover. 480 pages.

About A Drop of Corruption (from the publisher):

"In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat."

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again with A Drop of Corruption. I loved The Tainted Cup when I read it last year and have been positively dying to read the sequel.

I'll admit, I think I loved The Tainted Cup just the slightest bit more than this one, but I suspect that has more to do with it being my first introduction to this world and the characters that grabbed me so much.

In A Drop of Corruption, we have another mystery on our hands, and Din and his peculiar advisor, Ana, are on the case. I love watching these two work through an investigation, but I have to say that I love learning about this captivating world and the leviathans that inhabit it. This time, the duo are on the scene of a possible disappearance and/or murder. The suspect appears to be someone who is capable of making someone vanish without any evidence left behind whatsoever, even in fully that are on very high floors with only windows and long drops below.

I still really love Din's narrative voice. It's a bit dry at times, highly intelligent, and is full of sharp wit. His interactions with Ana add so much to both of their personalities and development, especially as we see them interact and discuss not just the case, but occasionally some more private, personal matters as well--though these conversations are of course much rarer. I also appreciated getting to know more about Din’s background in this book, though there’s still a bit of mystery left surrounding him. It's also been interesting to see his growing disillusionment with his job and how that adds some extra layers of complexity to his motivations and even ability to do his job. He wants to do something more, something different, and struggles at times to see whether what he's doing is helpful or worthwhile. I found this to be a particularly relatable concern, and I think it also really adds to a better overview of where Din is coming from.

We also learn more about Ana, though once again, we aren’t given everything just yet--but what we do learn in this book certainly makes me eager for much more. I keep waiting for Ana's intelligence to become annoying as we work our way through the story, for some reason Bennet manages to write her in a way that doesn't feel obnoxious. He leaves her feeling stumped or uncertain in plenty of moments, which made her still feel like a real person despite her seemingly enhanced abilities and odd traits.

My biggest issue with A Drop of Corruption is the pacing. It was quite slow at times, and I actually found myself struggling to get through parts--not because it was bad, but because it felt like we were stuck in repetitive motions. It lacked the page-turning elements that would have kept me reading more quickly. It felt like there was a lot of Din gathering information, reporting it to Ana (who is inevitably doing something weird, perplexing, and/or revolting), then Ana having some cryptic idea, Din then carrying out the idea the following day, and repeat. And while all of this is generally interesting, this cycle got a little old at times. I imagine that might be much of what it's like to be an investigator of sorts at times, but as a reader I expected slightly more riveting content sometimes.

I’d say the first half to two-thirds of this book had the slower pace I've described above, but once we got into the meaty developments--especially those involving the leviathans and broader world-building--things really pick up for me and I was once again captivated and remembered why I've been loving this series so much.

This world is so vivid and I tended to feel the same sense of unease or dread that Din does when he happens upon something horrifying or deeply unsettling. There's a thick atmosphere of things being not quite right in this setting, and it leaves me feeling--probably much like Din--eager to get out.

What keeps drawing me to this series is the underlying sense of something vast and much deeper and grander that's happening behind the scenes. I am dying to learn more about this world, the leviathans, and everything in between. There’s so much left to explore and so many mysteries and things that are left unsaid or secretive, and I can't wait to see how this story continues to unfold. If you enjoyed The Tainted Cup, I think you'll have a fantastic time diving back into this world! If you haven't yet started this series, what are you waiting for!?

*I received a copy of A Drop of Corruption in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Anticipated April 2025 Releases

  

April is right around the corner, and of course that means a brand new month of exciting new books coming out. April is shaping up to be a particularly jam-packed month and I'm really looking forward to a lot of these. I've already read a couple that have been incredible (make sure you add The Raven Scholar to your TBR!) and have high hopes for the rest. 

What April  releases are you most looking forward? Let me know below, and be sure to let me know if I missed any of your most anticipated releases on this list as well.
Happy reading!

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett || April 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig || April 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy || April 22nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Pretender by Jo Harkin || April 22nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker || April 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin || April 22nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton || April 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Big Chief by Jon Hickey || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Heartwood by Amity Gaige || April 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh || April 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Cat Who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Mary Annette Pember || April 22nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Golden Road by William Dalrymple || April 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra by Toby Wilkinson || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders by Sarah Aziza || April 22nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory by Jagadish Shukla || April 22nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luo || April 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Lie that Binds Them by Matthew Ward || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Cut by C.J. Dotson || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Enigma by RuNyx || April 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage || April 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Audition by Katie Kilamura || April 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton || April 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated April releases?

Review: Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

 

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: March 25th, 2025

Paperback. 368 pages.

About Blood on Her Tongue (from the publisher):

"'Gothic horror for the ages…Combining shiver-inducing horror with sharp-fanged social commentary, this more that merits comparison to Dracula and other genre titans.'― Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

'Immersive and disturbing, Blood on Her Tongue etches itself into your mind and leaves behind a permanent mark.' — Marcus Kliewer author of We Used to Live Here

"I'm in your blood, and you are in mine…"

The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry.

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever."

Wow. What in the gothic, bloody insanity was this (I mean this in a positive way!)? Blood on Her Tongue is a unique, suspenseful, and shocking gothic horror that kept me hooked from start to finish. This was delightfully weird and gory and shocking in all the best ways.

Johanna van Veen does not hold back with her writing. If you have a sensitive stomach to violence and rather gory things being described in some detail, take caution when diving into this one. This book is visceral, raw, and will absolutely go places--and describe them in detail--that you might not expect or might even have been afraid to explore.

I really enjoyed Blood on Her Tongue. It seemed like it just kept taking turns that I sometimes anticipated yet never fully predicted so I was always on the edge of my seat. This story felt familiar yet also so incredibly unique--it really makes you think it's going to be one thing, but then it's not quite that.

Blood on Her Tongue  begins in 1887 with Lucy traveling to see her twin sister, Sarah, who has been ill and is steadily getting worse.  Sarah has become obsessed with the corpse of a woman found in a nearby bog, and as a result of her fixation, she is at risk of being declared insane and sent to an asylum. Lucy is adamant about preventing this from happening since she knows what happens to women sent to asylums, and especially given what happened to their aunt who institutionalized when they were younger.

When Lucy arrives at her sister's side, things are far stranger than she anticipated. weirdest of all is that her sister refuses to eat or drink, and in fact can barely keep any food down, yet she still complains of being utterly ravenous..

i still don't know how I feel about Lucy. she's steadfastly loyal to her sister, pretty much to the greatest extent possible that you can be loyal, which I think is proven in this story. I can't help but admire this type of devotion to a loved one, but I also think the book clearly highlights some of the faults that this blind, faultless loyalty can have in a way that is both compelling and unsettling. I'll be honest that I didn't always necessarily agree with Lucy's actions, and I actually found myself extremely frustrated with her at multiple points throughout.  She started out likable, but something about her soured for me--and I loved every second of it.

We also meet Sarah's husband, Michael, and their longtime friend--now their family doctor- -and neither of these men are perfect, either. In fact, I'd say just about everyone in this book feels mildly duplicitous in one way or another, which kept me even more engaged in the story than i expected.

This is the type of book that gives you a sense that you're understanding what's happening, yet leaves the tiniest breadcrumbs that hint at something being off. Lucy’s thoughts and observations about something that happens will often feel relatively normal and understandable until there’s one seemingly throwaway line that makes you pause. Those moments always made me wonder, is the author just an odd one and this is their writing style, or is this character not as normal as I thought? And for that answer, I'll leave you to read this book and find out for yourself what it is.

There's just something about this book that is so utterly captivating and impossible to put down. This is a perfect example of a story with characters that are morally grey (maybe some that lean to the darker grey category, I'd say), confusing, and not always likable, but you can't stop reading about them and wondering what will happen next.

Blood on Her Tongue is absolutely dripping with atmosphere. It feels dark and ominous, like something is lurking on every page.  Something I realized after finishing this book is that the majority of it--almost all of it, in fact--takes place in one main setting, and within just a few specific rooms, yet it never felt stagnant and was executed excellently. This book is rich, layered, and provides so much to think about and unpack. the story is rich, layered, provides so much to think and unpack. I think it's easy for books like this to end up feeling repetitive or slow, but I have to applaud van Veen on avoiding that pitfall. the pacing felt steady and deliberate, and I never found myself feelings like things were dragging along unnecessarily. Wherever you think this book is going, you're probably going to be on the right track in some ways... but you're also probably not at all expecting some of the choices van Veen makes for the turns in this book.

My only real complaint is that a few characters felt like they got a little cartoon-y near the end, but honestly, it fit the story so well that I wasn't even that bothered by it. But that's really the only negative point I have about this book. My frustration with some characters like Lucy I think were very much a part of the reading experience, so it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. 

Overall, if you're looking for a bloody little horror that will keep you guessing, then you should definitely be adding Blood on Her Tongue to your TBR!

*I received a copy of Blood on Her Tongue in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Billion Butterflies by Jagadish Shukla, & Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
Publication: April 1st, 2025
Del Rey
Hardcover. 480 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn. Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat."

I've already read this one (and my review will actually be up soon) but I'm still so excited for it to be released! 

A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory by Dr. Jagadish Shukla
Publication: April 22nd, 2025
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover. 288 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth. Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best. Then one of them is murdered. It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in. If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen. We are the Raven, and we are magnificent."

This sounds so interesting! I've never given all that much thought to the history of weather prediction and all that comes along with that, so this sounds like it could be a really informative read. 

Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luo
Publication: April 29th, 2025
Doubleday
Hardcover. 560 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"'What history should be--richly detailed, authoritative, and compelling.'—David Grann, author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon

Strangers in the Land tells the story of a people who, beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century, migrated by the tens of thousands to a distant land they called Gum Shan­––Gold Mountain. Americans initially welcomed these Chinese arrivals, but, as their numbers grew, horrific episodes of racial terror erupted on the Pacific coast. A prolonged economic downturn that idled legions of white workingmen helped create the conditions for what came next: a series of progressively more onerous federal laws aimed at excluding Chinese laborers from the country, marking the first time the United States barred a people based on their race. In a captivating debut, Michael Luo follows the Chinese from these early years to modern times, as they persisted in the face of bigotry and persecution, revealing anew the complications of our multiracial democracy.

Luo writes of early victims of anti-Asian violence, like Gene Tong, a Los Angeles herbalist who was dragged from his apartment and hanged by a mob during one of the worst mass lynchings in the country’s history; of demagogues like Denis Kearney, a sandlot orator who became the face of the anti-Chinese movement in the late-1870s; of the pioneering activist Wong Chin Foo and other leaders of the Chinese community, who pressed their new homeland to live up to its stated ideals. At the book’s heart is a shameful chapter of American history: the brutal driving out of Chinese residents from towns across the American West. The Chinese became the country’s first undocumented immigrants: hounded, counted, suspected, surveilled.

In 1889, while upholding Chinese exclusion, Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Field characterized them as “strangers in the land.” Only in 1965 did America’s gates swing open to people like Luo’s parents, immigrants from Taiwan. Today there are more than twenty-two million people of Asian descent in the United States and yet the “stranger” label, Luo writes, remains. Drawing on archives from across the country and written with a New Yorker writer’s style and sweep, Strangers in the Land is revelatory and unforgettable, an essential American story."

This is another one that I think will be incredibly enlightening and will have so much to learn from. Hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out!