Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen, Polostan by Neal Stephenson, & Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

   

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.

The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen
Publication: October 8th, 2024
Redhook
Paperback. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A spine-tingling, queer gothic horror debut where two men are drawn into an otherworldly spiral, and a journey that will only end when they reach the darkest part of the human soul.

'A gothic masterpiece. A devastating exploration of humanity's capacity for evil.'​ – Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters

John Sackville will soon be dead. Shadows writhe in the corners of his cell as he mourns the death of his secret lover and as the gnawing hunger inside him grows impossible to ignore.

He must write his last testament before it is too late.

The story he tells will take us to the darkest part of the human soul.

It is a tale of otherworldly creatures, ancient cults, and a terrifying journey from the stone circles of Scotland to the icy peaks of Tibet. It is a tale that will take us to the end of the world.
"

This sounds so good and delightfully dark, I can't wait to check it out!

Polostan by Neal Stephenson
Publication: October 15th, 2024
William Morrow
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock and Cryptonomicon, the first installment in a monumental new series—an expansive historical epic of intrigue and international espionage, presaging the dawn of the Atomic Age.

The first installment in Neal Stephenson’s Bomb Light cycle, Polostan follows the early life of the enigmatic Dawn Rae Bjornberg. Born in the American West to a clan of cowboy anarchists, Dawn is raised in Leningrad after the Russian Revolution by her Russian father, a party line Leninist who re-christens her Aurora. She spends her early years in Russia but then grows up as a teenager in Montana, before being drawn into gunrunning and revolution in the streets of Washington, D.C., during the depths of the Great Depression. When a surprising revelation about her past puts her in the crosshairs of U.S. authorities, Dawn returns to Russia, where she is groomed as a spy by the organization that later becomes the KGB.

Set against the turbulent decades of the early twentieth century, Polostan is an inventive, richly detailed, and deeply entertaining historical epic, and the start of a captivating new series from Neal Stephenson.
"

I've been hit or miss with Neal Stephenson, but I think this premise sounds like it could be amazing in the hands of Stephenson, so I'm all for it!

Sorcery and Small Magics (The Wildersongs Trilogy) by Maiga Doocy
Publication: October 15th, 2024
Orbit
Paperback. 416 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Desperate to undo the curse binding them to each other, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.

Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.
"

This sounds really fun, and who doesn't love a curmudgeonly rival?

3 comments:

  1. Sorcery and Small Magics sounds like something I would like too. I will definitely have to check that one out. I hope you enjoy all three of these when you read them, Jordan!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So many good books coming out. I'm curious about Black Hunger and can't wait to see some reviews of it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll definitely be reading The Black Hungar!

    ReplyDelete