It’s March! Already!! How?! But I’m not that upset because that means there are NEW books coming into our life. In fact, there’s a release coming out this month that all of us have been so impatiently waiting for – and March is usually an awesome month for releases anyway!

Seriously, though, I’m really excited for this month as there are several books I’ve been waiting for, and for such a long time! I hope you’re just as excited as me!

---

FANTASY

House of Earth and Blood | Sarah J Maas

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
There is very little more exciting in this world than a new Sarah J Maas book. I’m so excited to read this because it’s her first official ‘adult’ fiction book and we all know what that means! We have demons, death and investigations in this story. This is also a whopping 800+ pager.

The Raven and the Dove | Kaitlyn Davis

RELEASE DATE: 9 March
I have been waiting for this release for such a  long time. This had some wicked Instagram presence in the lead up to its release date which has got me really excited about it! We have courtship trials, a son of a dead king and a war beneath a foggy sea.

Bone Crier’s Moon | Kathryn Purdie

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
I really love the cover for this one. But the plot also sounds absolutely fantastic. It’s about “bone criers” who make sure the dead don’t roam and prey on the living. Their power to do this, to have control, however, comes from sacrifice. There is going to be so much drama in this, I love it already.

The City We Became | N K Jemisin

RELEASE DATE: 24 March

This is another huge release for March given that Jemisin has an absolutely massive fanbase. Personally, I’ve only read one of her works so far but her plot premises always sound so good. There’s an evil threatening the soul of New York City in this book, and its five protectors must come together to save it before it’s too late.

The Midnight Lie | Marie Rutkoski

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
Another big name with a new release this month: Marie Rutkoski. This is set in a strict, tribal land. Societies pleasures are reserved for the wealthy, whilst the poor are forbade to even wear colours. This is actually set in the same world as the Winner’s Trilogy and the main character is tempted to put her faith into the hands of someone who cannot be trusted to gain magic for herself.

Wicked as You Wish | Rin Chupeco

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
I’m sure they reserve March for authors who are popular because Chupeco wrote The Bone Witch which is a very popular paranormal fantasy. Honestly, read the blurb for this yourself, it sounds amazing. We have a snow queen, The Royal States of America and a magical kingdom.

Havenfall | Sara Holland

RELEASE DATE:  3 March
Isn’t this cover just gorgeous? This is all about a ‘safe haven’ hidden in between four realms. But I mean, it is also set in Colorado and I really don’t know why that was necessary but ho-hum. We follow one girl who loves to come here to escape reality, until one day the discovery of a dead body at the inn changes everything. I won’t say I’m 100% confident that this is going to be amazing, but I’m intrigued.

Witches of Ash & Ruin | E Latimer

RELEASE DATE:  3 March
Modern witchcraft blended with Celtic mythology, anybody? *all raise their hands* I thought so. Not only that, but we have LGBT+ themes and allusions to this being perfect for VE Schwab fans – this has a lot to live up to! The book is set in Ireland with the main, bisexual character finally becoming a witch – except another coven has arrived in town complicating things. Naturally, exciting things such as murder follow.

The Sisters Grimm | Menna van Praag

RELEASE DATE: 31 March
I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only one drooling over this cover. We have four girls connected by blood and by magic – but at the age of 13, they were separated and this is the story of them trying to reunite with each other and discover their supernatural gifts.

When We Were Magic | Sarah Gailey

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
This is the most contemporary-looking cover for a fantasy book I’ve seen in a while. It looks like it’s going to be a really entertaining read with six main characters whose magical abilities go awry. Oh, and there’s murder in this one, too.

The Winter Duke | Claire Eliza Bartlett

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
This is a true, magical fantasy where the duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse. This means all of a sudden the MC has inherited the whole kingdom and all of its responsibilities and she has to learn how to survive it all. This is a mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and Anastasia (which is the most awesome combination, am I right?)

Cries From the Lost Island |  Kathleen O’Neal Gear

RELEASE DATE: 10 March
I was sold at the mention of Egyptian mythology for this one. It is set in the ancient Roman Empire but then (sadly) flicks back to present day and Colorado (what is it with Colorado being a setting this month?) But one of his friends claims to be a reincarnation of Cleopatra and also claims she is being stalked by an ancient Egyptian demon. No-one believes her . . . and then she’s murdered. Ooooooh. We do end up in Egypt in this one but I don’t think it’s ancient Egypt which I’m sad about.

Hearts of Oak | Eddie Robson

RELEASE DATE: 17 March
This sounds completely bizarre. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to make sense but from what I gather the story is set in a world where the buildings grow and people behaving strangely is the norm. Oh, and the king’s closest advisor is a cat. I don’t even know, someone please read this and report back to me.

Seven Endless Forests | April Genevieve Tucholke

RELEASE DATE: 31 March
I was shocked when I saw that this was being released. I read Tucholke’s first book in this companion series and honestly, wasn’t impressed with it. But one of the things I thought it had really needed was more context – and lo and behold! A companion novel! Whether I’ll bother to seek answers to my questions in this, I don’t know. But I was certainly thrilled to see that she has decided to expand on her world.

---

SCI-FI

The Companions | Katie M Flynn

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
I have quite literally not read further than the tag line for this one because that has me intrigued enough. I love the sound of this one. This is set in a world where the dead can be uploaded to machines and kept in service by the living.

Sanctuary Highway | Ellen Hopkins

RELEASE DATE: 17 March
This is actually poetry and I’m not 100% sure I’ll ever read it myself but I’m certainly curious to see what other people make of it. It’s focussed on America where the US Government is now the ‘Confederation’ and has redefined what it means to be American. I think it will be a thought-provoking book but as I said, I will be unlikely to actually read this myself if anything but for the simple fact that I’m craving some diversity in our settings for books lately – such an overload of America!

The Last Human | Zack Jordan

RELEASE DATE: 24 March
This is described as a ‘rip-roaring debut space opera’ which I think is a fantastic description of a book. The main character in this book is the last surviving human and she’s on the run from a ‘godlike’ intelligence. She lives amongst many other alien species but things take a turn and she finds herself uncovering truths about the demise of human beings she hadn’t even considered.

---

HISTORICAL FICTION

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow | Natasha Pulley

RELEASE DATE: 5 March 
The long-awaited sequel to  The Watchmaker of Filigree Street! This series is a beautiful English historical fiction (LGBT+ themes) that centres around time, watchmakers and clockwork. The first book was really awesome and I’ve just started reading a galley of this one!

 The Kingdom of Back | Marie Lu

RELEASE DATE: 3 March
I managed to miss the fact that this is a Marie Lu book until writing this just now. So ANOTHER huge release for March! This follows the story of two siblings in 18th century Europe. The girl has a gift for music but as a woman is forbidden to perform. Her younger brother, however, seems to outshine her and his fame grows. But then there’s a magical being who appears and offers to make her dreams come true. Of course, at a cost.

The Deep | Alma Katsu

RELEASE DATE: 10 March
This is also a horror and it’s a reimagining of the Titanic story. I don’t read a lot of true horror but I’m curious about this one. We follow a series of characters aboard the Titanic, one of whom survives. Years later, during WWI, she’s on the Titanic’s sister ship (Britannic) as a nurse and sees one of the people she is quite sure died on the Titanic. You can’t tell me that isn’t intriguing!

---

CONTEMPORARY

Harley in the Sky | Akemi Dawn Bowman

RELEASE DATE: 10 March
The reason I’ve included this one on my list is because it’s about a trapeze artist and I always find myself curious about novels centred around the circus!

In Five Years | Rebecca Serle

RELEASE DATE: 10 March
I find the cover for this one immensely satisfying with such a calming colour scheme. Ahem. But the plot is also intriguing – who doesn’t love imagining/stressing about where they’ll be in five years? This has been recommended for readers of Me Before You which has me sold.

If I Never Met You | Mhairi McFarlane

RELEASE DATE: 24 March
I very nearly skipped by this one (purely because I don’t read a heavy amount of contemporary) but I realised just in time that this is actually a new book my Mhairi McFarlane – someone whom many people love (‘You Had Me At Hello’). This is about a woman whose relationship of ten years suddenly ends . . . but they work together and have to see each other every day.

---

And that’s a wrap!

Are you planning on reading any of these?

---

~~ Kirstie ~~

Follow @ozbooksnail