Skin to the Sea by Natasha Bowen (Skin to the Sea book 1)

 

“A way to survive.

A way to serve.

A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable--she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .

Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn't, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is a unique but dark twist on The Little Mermaid fairy tale that takes place in West Africa in the mid-1400s. During this time, the Portuguese began buying and abducting people to be sold into slavery. Simi is a Mami Wata and when she rescues Kola instead of passing on his soul when he is thrown overboard from a slave ship, our story begins. Having defied the gods, Simi must attempt to right her wrongs while trying not to doom herself by falling in love. 

Simi’s story will conclude in a second book that has not yet been announced.

Visit Natasha Bowen’s website.

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman (The Ivory Key duology book 1)

“Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I loved this Indian-inspired fantasy of four siblings who have been torn apart by their royal legacies and the death of their parents. Each is looking for an escape from the demands of their lives. When a troubling secret is uncovered, these four must band together to solve the problem of waning magic before war breaks out once again.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book with a devastating ending that will leave readers hanging.

The story concludes with The Crimson Fortress, in 2023.

Visit Akshaya Raman’s website.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer (Gilded book 1)

 

“Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and their fairytale-bending storylines. I was a little disappointed by this book because it did not grab my attention right away. With a super slow world-building background story in the first half, the second half of the book more than made up for everything. Gilded is a twisted retelling of Rumpelstiltskin with the Wild Hunt thrown in, Serilda, blessed or cursed by the god of stories and lies, is an outcast since she is seen as bad luck by the townspeople. When she draws the attention of the Erlking by claiming to be able to spin straw into gold, Serilda finds herself in an impossible situation. Saved by a ghostly boy who is trapped in the castle, she soon finds herself caught up in a centuries-old mysterious curse.

The action of this story really picks up once all the pieces start fitting together. Raiders will be left wondering how Serilda will be able to break the curse. 

The conclusion to the story, Cursed, is out on Nov. 8, 2022.

Visit Marissa Meyer’s website.

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows book 1)

 

“Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was the book that I have been needing in my life. Brie and her sister Jaz are in an impossible situation, overwhelming debt owed to the aunt they work for. When Madam Vivias sells Jaz to the fae to settle their debts, Brie is determined to get her back. Extremely distrustful of the fae, Brie is desperate and makes a deal with the king of the Unseelie Court. Send. Soon Brie is caught up in a web of lies and deceit with no one to trust.

An incredible jaw-dropping ending that I didn't see coming explodes in the final chapters that will have readers clamoring for the next book 

The conclusion to the story, These Twisted Bonds, is out on July 19, 2022.

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray (Beasts of Prey book 1)

 

“Magic doesn't exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome and magical creatures to pay off her family's debts and secure their eventual freedom. But the night her loved ones' own safety is threatened by the Zoo's cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn't fully understand--and the consequences are dire.

As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six--an elite warrior--and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, a fire upends his plans. In its midst, Ekon not only encounters the Shetani--a vicious monster that has plagued the city and his nightmares for nearly a century--but a curious girl who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi's power ultimately saves Ekon's life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.

Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani down and end its reign of terror, but he can't do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani and selling it for a profit could be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon--each keeping their true motives secret from the other--form a tentative alliance and enter into the unknowns of the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Shattered dreams bring together Ekon & Koffi as they try to gain respect by killing the Shetani who has paralyzed the area for over a hundred years. Koffi is an indentured servant to the Night Zoo who will never get her debts repaid. When her anger gets the best of her, Koffi discovers that she has a dark magical secret that puts her in danger. Ekon wishes to be a soldier but fails his test of allegiance when he lets Koffi escape when she runs from the zoo. Both trying to right their wrongs, they soon find themselves working together towards their common goal. What neither expected to uncover was the dark and terrible secret that plagues their city.

The story will conclude with Beasts of Ruin on July 26, 2022

Visit Ayana Gray’s website.

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Gilded Wolves and The Silvered Serpents, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise?

After Séverin's seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Séverin.

Meanwhile, Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass.

With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself... but at a price they may not be willing to pay.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ten days. That's all Lalia has left. The race is on to save her life. After the shocking cliffhanger of the second book, no one knows what the future holds. Without giving too much away, fans will be satisfied with how things wrap up for this rag-tag group of friends.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

 

“Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Very loosely based on Jane Eyre, this book was a fantastic romp through a household besieged by curses and evil spirits. Andromeda is an unlicensed debtera (exorcist), who was hired by the handsome Magnus Rochester to cleanse his house where others have either fled or failed. Determined to gain Magnus's patronage, it's not long before he steals Andi's heart. Quickly realizing that she is in over her head, she attempts to reach out to her mentor for help before it's too late.

 A fantastic paranormal tale that had me quickly turning the pages. 

Visit Lauren Blackwood’s website.

Faking Reality by Sara Fujimura

 

“Dakota McDonald swore after “The Great Homecoming Disaster” that she’d never allow her romantic life to be a plot line in her parents’ HGTV show again. But when the restaurant run by the family of her best friend (and secret crush), Leo, is on the line, Dakota might end up eating her own words.

Leo Matsuda dreams of escaping his small town Arizona life and the suffocating demands of working in his family’s restaurant, but the closer he gets to his goal—thanks to the help of his best friend (and secret crush) Dakota—the more reasons there are for him to stay.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I had some high hopes for this title after reading another book by this author but unfortunately, it fell short for me. This was not a quick read but took its time before the main love interests found their way to each other. A great premise but a bit long-winded before reaching a satisfying conclusion.

Visit Sara Fujimara’s website.