On My Radar is a list of upcoming publications that look interesting and appeal to me. It’s a way for me to track what is coming out, to figure out what I am most excited about, and to make sure I don’t miss anything!
The sequel to one of my favourites, A Long, Long Sleep, was originally released as an e-book in December 2014, but will now be getting released as a paperback! I cannot stress enough how much I loved A Long, Long Sleep.
No Life But This by Anna Sheehan, Expected publication: September 15
Rose slept for a hundred years and when she awoke the world as she knew it had vanished, utterly.
She has gone from being a cherished only child to being the sole heir to a vast, interstellar empire. From being alone to being surrounded by friends; from being protected against everything – whether she wanted to be or not – to having others depend upon her.
In the superb stand-alone novel A LONG, LONG SLEEP we saw her survive assassination attempts and heartbreak alike. Now, in the stand-alone sequel, Rose must take control of her future for the sake of her friends – and find a way to protect them without unwittingly caging them in love …”
A new October Day book will be coming out in September. I would like to make my way through this series. Ever since I read Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey books, I have been really interested in fairy stories.
A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire, Expected Publication Date: September 15
“Things are looking up. For the first time in what feels like years, October “Toby” Daye has been able to pause long enough to take a breath and look at her life — and she likes what she sees. She has friends. She has allies. She has a squire to train and a King of Cats to love, and maybe, just maybe, she can let her guard down for a change.
Or not. When Queen Windermere’s seneschal is elf-shot and thrown into an enchanted sleep by agents from the neighboring Kingdom of Silences, Toby finds herself in a role she never expected to play: that of a diplomat. She must travel to Portland, Oregon, to convince King Rhys of Silences not to go to war against the Mists. But nothing is that simple, and what October finds in Silences is worse than she would ever have imagined.
How far will Toby go when lives are on the line, and when allies both old and new are threatened by a force she had never expected to face again? How much is October willing to give up, and how much is she willing to change? In Faerie, what’s past is never really gone. It’s just waiting for an opportunity to pounce.”
This next book sounds like a really fascinating story about dreams, and looks like it could be a unique love story.
Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson, Expected Publication Date: September 22
“Odea Donahue has been able to travel through people’s dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person’s dream more than once. Dea has never broken the rules.
Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, comes to town. For the first time in her life, Dea feels normal. But both Dea and Connor have secrets, and as she is increasingly drawn to Connor’s dreams—and nightmares—the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate, putting everyone she loves in danger.”
So I have to admit, I have a teensy obsession with Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and some other Disney characters since I started watching the TV show, Once Upon A Time. That is why this book stood out to me. I need to get my hands on it!
Never Never by Brianna Shrum, Expected Publication Date: September 22
“James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up. When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.
But grow up he does. And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate. This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.
Except one.”
I have mentioned before that I love finding local Ontario authors. Erin Bow is an author I MUST read, because she is highly rated by bloggers I trust, and actually from my hometown, so I am very excited for her new book which is out at the end of this month.
The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow, Expected Publication Date: September 22
“In the future, the UN has brought back an ancient way to keep the peace. The children of world leaders are held hostage—if a war begins, they pay with their lives.
Greta is the Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, a superpower formed of modern-day Canada. She is also a Child of Peace, a hostage held by the de facto ruler of the world, the great Artificial Intelligence, Talis. The hostages are Talis’s strategy to keep the peace: if her country enters a war, Greta dies.
The system has worked for centuries. Parents don’t want to see their children murdered.
Greta will be free if she can make it to her eighteenth birthday. Until then she is prepared to die with dignity, if necessary. But everything changes when Elian arrives at the Precepture. He’s a hostage from a new American alliance, and he defies the machines that control every part of their lives—and is severely punished for it. Greta is furious that Elian has disrupted their quiet, structured world. But slowly, his rebellion opens her eyes to the brutality of the rules they live under, and to the subtle resistance of her companions. And Greta discovers her own quiet power.
Then Elian’s country declares war on Greta’s and invades the prefecture, taking the hostages hostage. Now the great Talis is furious, and coming himself to mete out punishment. Which surely means that Greta and Elian will be killed…unless Greta can think of a way to save them.”
The next book starts a new trilogy by the author of Girl of Fire and Thorns series. I am intrigued that it takes place in Gold Rush-era America, which is a time period I don’t know very much about. I also tend to get drawn to European-based historical stories, not those taking place in the United States. Also, that cover is absolutely fabulous!
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, Expected Publication Date: September 22
“The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature.
Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?
Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.”
Finally, a cute middle grade fairy tale retelling of Rapunzel, from the Twice Upon a Time trilogy. The first two books were published in 2006, and the final book was published six years later, in 2012, when the first two books also got amazing design makeovers.
Rapunzel, The One with all the Hair by Wendy Mass, Published February 1, 2012 (first published June 1, 2006)
“The girl’s stuck in a tower. The boy’s stuck in a castle. There are two sides to every story….
Rapunzel is having the ultimate bad day. She’s been stolen by a witch, may have a ghost for a roommate, and doesn’t even have a decent brush for her hair.
Prince Benjamin’s got it pretty tough, too. His father wants him to be more kingly, his mother wants him to never leave her sight, and his cousin wants to get him into as much trouble as possible (possibly with a troll).
Both Rapunzel and Prince Benjamin are trapped–in very different ways. Once their paths cross, well, that’s when things get really strange.
Journey back to the days when fairy tales were true with this fun and fresh spin on a timeless tale!”
Emma Kristensen 