Yes, May is the other time of the year we are blessed with a ton of great, new book releases! I know this is 2 in a week but I promise I have OTHER types of posts planned, haha!
These are listed by release date and honorable mentions (books I either have no interest in or haven’t read their predecessors yet) will be posted at the bottom! Each title is also linked to their Goodreads page if you’d like to add them!
One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence
Release Date: May 1st
A 15 year old named Nick discovers he has a terminal illness and when a new girl, Mia, joins his and his friends’s Dungeons & Dragons group curious things begin happening. A strange man is following Nick and he can do things that should’t be possible, he warns Nick that Mia is in danger and needs Nick’s help.
Yeah……I’m here for all of the D&D references. That is all.
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Release Date: May 7th
A group of misfits rescue a girl from inter dimensional space and she’s been in cryo sleep for two centuries. She could be the catalyst in a war that’s been brewing for millennia and they all just might be the last hope the galaxy has.
Do we even need a synopsis? It’s a new Kaufman and Kristoff book! Take my money!
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
Release Date: May 7th
Through the use of alchemical arts Reed creates Roger and Dodger who are not quite human and very gifted. He has a plan to raise the twins to the highest, godlike, power and then claim their authority.
The synopsis gets the point across but I believe it’s vague on purpose. Also it’s written by Seanan McGuire so of course it will be amazing!
Her Royal Highness (Royals #2) by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: May 7th
After finding out her girlfriend was cheating on her Millie wants to get out of town and is accepted into an exclusive school in Scotland. There she finds out her roommate is Flora, an actual princess. Soon they enter a best friend/sort of girlfriend relationship but Millie knows it can never work out….or can it?
This is a companion novel to “Royals” (even though the title is now changed to “Prince Charming”) and if you’ve read that book you’ll recognize Flora in the synopsis and probably a few others while reading. Even though I haven’t read this one yet I think it’s probably safe to read these in any order. If you want to read my full review of the first book you can do that here.
Nocturna by Maya Motayne
Release Date: May 7th
A rogue with shape shifting magic is caught by a mobster she owes money to, she’s then offered the choice to either steal a legendary treasure or lose her magic forever. In her quest to steal the treasure she encounters the Prince, who accidentally unleashes a powerful magic that will devour the world if it is not contained.
It’s also a Dominican inspired fantasy!
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date: May 7th
There’s actually quite a bit going on in this synopsis so I’ll leave the mini Goodreads one here: “High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, the first novel in a new YA fantasy series.”
I’m currently reading this one and really enjoying it, I’m thinking the world building is going to be fantastic and I’m always up for anything sailing/pirate-y!
Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Release Date: May 14th
The little mini synopsis on Goodreads sums this one up perfectly: “A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…”
Another one I’m currently reading and it’s just soooo much fun and sooooo cute!
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Release Date: May 14th
An Arabian inspired YA fantasy about a girl who disguises herself as a man in order to feed her people and a prince who assassinates those who defy his father, the king. They both go in search of an artifact and the prince must try and kill her but a greater evil unfolds that may force them to work together.
I’m excited for the world building but to be honest the plot sounds like every other YA fantasy we already have. Hopefully I’m wrong!
The Candle & the Flame by Nafiza Azad
Release Date: May 14th
Fatima lives in the city of Noor, once devastated by the complete slaughter of the city’s population by a group of djinn. All save her and two other humans. Now under new protection by an orderly tribe of djinn called the Ifrit, Fatima suddenly gains magical powers after one dies. Fatima is suddenly drawn into the politics and affairs of the city and potentially a magical battlefield.
I’m all here for the Middle Eastern inspired world, magic, and creatures of myth! Also that gorgeous cover…
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Release Date: May 14th
Olive’s sister is getting married and her “sworn enemy” is the best man, however, when everyone gets food poisoning except these two the all expenses paid honeymoon in Hawaii is up for grabs. So the two suck it up for the sake of a free vacation but Olive tells a white lie to a future boss and ends up “playing newlyweds” with Ethan.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Christina Lauren’s books and this one sounds kind of fun!
Going Off-Script by Jen Wilde
Release Date: May 21st
Bex gets a job as an intern on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls, but soon discovers that being an intern here is mostly getting the coffee. She is determined to prove her worth as a writer and writes a script that she shows to the head writer, who promptly passes it off as his own. Bex is furious but even more so when they re-write her proudly lesbian character as straight! Bex and her crush are about to fight back.
I’ve only read “Queens of Geek” (read my full review here) but that book was so amazingly cute, diverse, and well written that I now must read anything written by Jen Wilde. Including this one!
Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist
Release Date: May 21st
Lexi has the ability to sense how and when someone will die with a touch and when she foresees the violent death of a young woman she is too late to save her. However, she isn’t too late to help her ghost take revenge on the murderer.
I really enjoyed Berquist’s debut novel “Devils Unto Dust” (read my full review here) and am curious to see how this new novel will play out. I’m also currently reading this!
These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
Release Date: May 28th
Hannah is a witch, an elemental with the ability to control the elements. However, she keeps her magic to herself and in the meantime avoids her ex-girlfriend (Veronica, also a witch), hangs with her best friend, and works at a local shop selling crystals and candles. Then a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end of school bonfire and Hannah must team up with Veronica to hunt the blood witch down.
I. AM. HERE. FOR. THE. GAY . WITCHES! This seriously sounds amazing though, I’m loving all the witch themed books lately!
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
Release Date: May 28th
The Kingdom is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests can fly on virtual dragons, castles loom, and extinct species roam around. Ana is one of the seven “princesses” in the park and when she meets an employee, Owen, she feels something not included in her programming….love. But then Ana is accused of murdering Owen and ignites the trial of a century.
This sounds a lot like Westworld or the graphic novel Alex + Ada (which I loved by the way) so it sounds pretty unique and interesting.
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
Release Date: May 28th
This is a feminist Cinderella retelling told from the stepsister’s POV and that’s basically it but I’m living for that scrap of information alone!
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
Release Date: May 7th
With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Release Date: May 7th
Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber
Release Date: May 7th
There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
Release Date: May 14th
Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4) by Rachel Caine
Release Date: May 14th
Kingsbane (Empirium #2) by Claire Legrand
Release Date: May 21st
Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen
Release Date: May 28th
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
Release Date: May 28th
Are you also looking forward to any of these books?
Have you read any of them yet (ARCs etc)?
What are some May releases I didn’t include that you’re looking forward to?
Let me know in the comments!
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Middlegame was such an amazing book for me, I did not expect to love it as much as I did 😍👏🏻😍
it’s a long book but it’s SO worth it 💕
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It’s Seanan McGuire so I expect nothing less, haha, so glad to hear you enjoyed it so much! It definitely sounds like a really unique concept! 🙂
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So many great books on here, Heather! I can’t wait to read Finale, we hunt the flame, aurora rising, and candle and the flame! It’s crazy to think of how many exciting books are releasing this month. My wallet is going to weep. 😂
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Same! My bank account never forgives these months where we get sooo many great releases! 🙂
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I’m currently reading the Great Library series, and I love it, but I need to share this with someone because I’m going crazy! So on Goodreads it shows Smoke and Iron comes out May 14… but according to my library system is came out last year, and I saw it at the library when I went to pick up the 2 and 3 book in the series. Then Goodreads says book 5 Sword and Pen comes out in 2020… but my library has them on order for this year… it’s really weird! I’m going to have to see and get to the bottom of it!
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Oh my gosh that is weird! I’d be super confused too because for some reason I feel like the Goodreads dates are LAW, haha! Hopefully your library gets it straightened out because who knows what’s right now! 🙂
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Haha right?! I heard another blogger say the last book of the series is coming out this year… which to me would be Sword and Pen… and I just checked her website… yeah I’m completely nose-diving into this… but yes Sword and Pen comes out September 2019… so Goodreads is wrong this time. Plus if I look, there are reviews for Smoke and Iron dating back 10 months… weird that the dates got changed around.
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