June is going to be completely dedicated to me reading many of the ARCs that I’ve accumulated the past few months! Hopefully I will be able to get to a few more, but these eight are the priority reads that I am focusing on in June!

➽ Godblind by Anna Stephens:

“The Mireces worship the bloodthirsty Red Gods. Exiled from Rilpor a thousand years ago, and left to suffer a harsh life in the cold mountains, a new Mireces king now plots an invasion of Rilpor’s thriving cities and fertile earth.

Dom Templeson is a Watcher, a civilian warrior guarding Rilpor’s border. He is also the most powerful seer in generations, plagued with visions and prophecies. His people are devoted followers of the god of light and life, but Dom harbors deep secrets, which threaten to be exposed when Rillirin, an escaped Mireces slave, stumbles broken and bleeding into his village.

Meanwhile, more and more of Rilpor’s most powerful figures are turning to the dark rituals and bloody sacrifices of the Red Gods, including the prince, who plots to wrest the throne from his dying father in the heart of the kingdom. Can Rillirin, with her inside knowledge of the Red Gods and her shocking ties to the Mireces King, help Rilpor win the coming war?”

I have nothing but extremely high hopes for this debut that releases on June 20th, 2017. This will probably be one of the first books I read in June, because of its release, and because I am so freakin’ excited for this brutal grimdark fantasy.

➽ Valley of Embers (The Landkist Saga, #1) by Steven Kelliher:

“For hundreds of years, the flame-wielding Embers have been the last line of defense against the nightmare creatures from the World Apart, but the attacks are getting worse. Kole Reyna guards Last Lake from the terrors of the night, but he fears for his people’s future.

When Kole is wounded by a demon unlike any they have seen before, the Emberfolk believe it is a sign of an ancient enemy returned, a powerful Sage known as the Eastern Dark.

Kole has never trusted in prophecy, but with his people hanging on the precipice, he reluctantly agrees to lead the Valley’s greatest warriors in a last desperate bid for survival. Together, they will risk everything in search of a former ally long-thought dead, and whether Kole trusts him or not, he may be the only one capable of saving them.”

This author was so very kind and sweet when he contacted me to review this book, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist. Then, I read the synopsis above, and I knew I had to push his book to the top of my TBR list. Not only was I completely sold from the teaser, he also sent me the second installment, The Emerald Blade, that releases in June, so I can read this back to back if I love this story as much as I’m anticipating that I will.

➽ The New Voices of Fantasy edited by Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman:

“The New Voices of Fantasy spotlights nineteen breakout writers who are reinventing fantasy right now. Usman T. Malik, Sofia Samatar, Eugene Fischer, E. Lily Yu, Ben Loory, Maria Dahvana Headley, Ursula Vernon, Max Gladstone, and other emerging talents have been hand-picked by fantasy legend Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) and genre expert Jacob Weisman (Treasury of the Fantastic). International, crosscultural, and fearless, many of these rising stars have just or are about to publish their first novels and collections. They bring you childhood stories gone wrong, magical creatures in heat, a building that’s alive and full of waiters, love, ducks, and a new take on a bloodsucking fiend.”

Supporting new and upcoming fantasy writers? Sign me up, immediately. This is a bind up of nineteen short stories written by up and coming authors in fantasy and it honestly feels like this ARC was made for someone like me. I try to read a few anthologies each year, but I haven’t ever been as excited about one as I am about this one! I started this at the tail end of May and I am completely loving it! I hope to discover some new favorites!

➽ Veiled Intentions (The Dragon’s Blade, #2) by Michael R. Miller:

“Rectar has always had his sights set on conquering the human lands. His demonic invasion of the west is gaining momentum – an unrelenting horde unhindered by food or sleep. Now, only the undermanned Splintering Isles lie between the demons and the human kingdom of Brevia. If the islands fall, the rest of Tenalp will soon follow.

The Three Races must work together if they are to survive, but they have another problem – Castallan. The traitorous wizard has raised a deadly rebellion and declared himself King of Humans. He believes himself safe in the bowels of his impenetrable Bastion fortress, but Darnuir, now King of Dragons, intends to break those walls at all costs.

To face these threats, all dragons, humans and fairies must truly unite; yet old prejudices may undermine Darnuir’s efforts once again. And as the true intentions of all are revealed, so too is a secret that may change the entire world.”

Last month, I completely fell in love with the first book in this series, The Reborn King. I absolutely cannot wait to dive back into this world, with all of its amazing creatures, races, magic systems, and with its completely enthralling storyline.

➽ The Book of Etta (The Road to Nowhere, #2) by Meg Elison:

“Etta comes from Nowhere, a village of survivors of the great plague that wiped away the world that was. In the world that is, women are scarce and childbearing is dangerous…yet desperately necessary for humankind’s future. Mothers and midwives are sacred, but Etta has a different calling. As a scavenger. Loyal to the village but living on her own terms, Etta roams the desolate territory beyond: salvaging useful relics of the ruined past and braving the threat of brutal slave traders, who are seeking women and girls to sell and subjugate.

When slavers seize those she loves, Etta vows to release and avenge them. But her mission will lead her to the stronghold of the Lion—a tyrant who dominates the innocent with terror and violence. There, with no allies and few weapons besides her wits and will, she will risk both body and spirit not only to save lives but also to liberate a new world’s destiny.”

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife was probably my favorite book that I read in 2016. I can’t believe I haven’t picked this second installment up yet, but I think it’s because of the heavy, important, and very timely topics that parallel seamlessly within our present world. These books don’t read like other apocalyptic fiction novels, they read like warnings that we are choosing to ignore until they become realties.

➽ The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle:

“Four neighbors encounter sinister enchantments and a magical path to love in a small, modern-day Puget Sound town, where a fae realm hides in the woods and waters…

Most people have no idea goblins live in the woods around the small town of Bellwater, Washington. But some are about to find out. Skye, a young barista and artist, falls victim to a goblin curse in the forest one winter night, rendering her depressed and silenced, unable to speak of what happened. Her older sister, Livy, is at wit’s end trying to understand what’s wrong with her. Local mechanic Kit would know, but he doesn’t talk of such things: he’s the human liaison for the goblin tribe, a job he keeps secret and never wanted, thrust on him by an ancient family contract.

Then Kit starts dating Livy, and Skye draws Kit’s cousin Grady into the spell through an enchanted kiss in the woods. Skye and Grady are doomed to become goblins and disappear from humankind forever, unless Livy, the only one untainted by enchantment, can unravel the spell by walking a dangerous magical path of her own.”

I tried to make this list all about upcoming or already released ARCS, but I couldn’t resist letting this one slip through regardless of its October release. It just looks like it has so much potential and I am pretty desperate to get my hands on anything Goblin related.

➽ The Dragons of Nova (Loom Saga, #2) by Elise Kova:

“Cvareh returns home to his sky world of Nova with the genius crafter Arianna as his temperamental guest. The mercurial inventor possesses all the Xin family needs to turn the tides of a centuries-old power struggle, but the secrets she harbors must be earned with trust — hard to come by for Ari, especially when it comes to Dragons. On Nova, Ari finds herself closer to exacting vengeance against the traitor who killed everything — and everyone – she once loved. But before Ari can complete her campaign of revenge, the Crimson Court exposes her shadowed past and reveals something even more dangerous sparking between her and Cvareh.

While Nova is embroiled in blood sport and political games, the rebels on Loom prepare for an all-out assault on their Dragon oppressors. Florence unexpectedly finds herself at the forefront of change, as her unique blend of skills — and quick-shooting accuracy — makes her a force to be reckoned with. For the future of her world, she vows vengeance against the Dragons.

Before the rebellion can rise, though, the Guilds must fall.”

The Alchemists of Loom was such an amazing steampunk adventure ride, that I absolutely loved and devoured in 2016. Also, the main character is bisexual, and you all know that I am totally here for that in my fantasy! Also, dragons! Lots of dragons!

➽ Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad, #1) by Scott Reintgen:

“Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden–a planet that Babel has kept hidden–where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.”

I’m not the only one getting major The 100 vibes from this, right? But, like, a PoC main character in a YA Sci-Fi? Please, sign me up and take my money. Also, many of you know that I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, but I’ve spent a lot of time in Detroit and I absolutely love reading stories involving cities in Michigan.

If you’d like to buddy read any of these with me, please feel free to leave me a message on here or on Goodreads! I hope all my friends and followers had an amazing reading month in May, and I wish you all the good books in the world for June!

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