Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen & Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle

     

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are:

The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
Publication: November 28th, 2023
Dutton
Hardcover. 448 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Light and dark—this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favorite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has brought the Nutcracker, an enchanted present that offers entry into a deceptively beautiful world: the Kingdom of Sweets.

In this land of snow and sugar, Natasha is presented with a power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy, who is also full of gifts . . . and dreadful bargains. As Natasha uncovers the dark destiny laid before her birth, she must reckon with powers both earthly and magical, and decide to which world she truly belongs."

I haven't read anything by Erika Johansen since The Queen of the Tearling, which I didn't exactly care for. That being said, I think this sounds amazing and I love a Nutcracker-inspired story, so I'm all for it! I've got an ARC read to go and I can't wait to dive in for the holiday season.

Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle
Publication: November 7th, 2023
Sourcebooks Fire
Paperback. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"On a sunny September morning, the creatures first appear.

Shur sees one of them hovering outside the window in history it looks like a giant butterfly, at first too beautiful and strange to seem like a threat. But when emergency alerts light up everyone's phones around her, she realizes something very, very wrong is happening outside. These… things are everywhere. By the time Shur makes it back to her house with her brother, Keene, and their two best friends, it's clear they must face whatever comes next on their own. A terrifying species the world's never seen before has suddenly emerged, and few living things are safe. As the creatures swarm and attack outside, life for Shur and her friends becomes a survival game. They board the windows, stockpile supplies, and try to make sense of the news reports for as long as the power stays on. Yet nothing can prepare them for what follows. The butterflies are only the beginning. The next onslaught will be deadlier, and even closer to home."

This sounds like a really interesting premise and I'm intrigued to see what Jennifer D. Lyle does with it!