Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Night Birds by Christopher Golden & The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

  

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden
Publication: May 6th, 2025
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"'The next gripping, atmospheric horror novel from NYT bestselling author Christopher Golden, set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, TX.

Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill have history. After their love ended in heartbreak, they never expected to see each other again, but when terror enters Ruby’s life, Charlie Book is the only safe harbor she can believe in.

In his work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Book has been living aboard and studying the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that lies half-sunken in Gulf waters, just off the shore of Galveston. Over many years, a massive forest of mangrove trees has grown up through the deck of the ship, creating a startlingly beautiful enigma Book calls the Floating Forest, full of birds, crabs, and snakes. Though a powerful storm churns through the Gulf, Book intends to sleep on board as usual.

But when he arrives at the dock, preparing to motor out to the Christabel, he’s stunned to find Ruby there waiting for him. And Ruby’s not alone. With her are a mysterious, terrified woman named Johanna and an infant child. They need Book to hide them safely aboard the Christabel while they're on the run, only it isn’t the police who are after them. It’s the coven of witches Johanna has fled, stealing away the helpless infant for whom they had hideous plans…or so Johanna claims.

It’s lunacy. Book wants nothing to do with it. But after the way he and Ruby ended things, and the unspoken pain between them, he can’t refuse. Yet even as he brings them out to the ruined ship and its floating forest, back in Galveston there are shadowed figures out in the storm, sniffing the air like bloodhounds. And despite the worsening wind and rain, the night birds are flying, scouring the coastline as if searching for their prey."

This sounds weird as hell and I'm totally here for it. If there's one thing I can trust from Christopher Golden, it's that he is always up for committing to some weird shit

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Publication: May 13th, 2025
Tor Books
Hardcover. 560 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side"

I just posted my review for this on Monday, but I'm still so excited for it's release--and partially because I'm curious to see all of the stunning special editions of it, haha! This book was an awesome ride, and I'm eager to see everyone's thoughts on it. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Esperance by Adam Oyebanji & The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling

 

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji
Publication: May 20th, 2025
DAW
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"The history-bending speculative fiction from Adam Oyebanji, award-winning author of BRAKING DAY.

An impossible Detective Ethan Krol has been called to the scene of a baffling a man and his son, who appear to have been drowned in sea-water. But the nearest ocean is a thousand miles away.

An improbable Hollie Rogers doesn't want to ask too many questions of her new friend, Abi Eniola. Abi claims to be an ordinary woman from Nigeria, but her high-tech gadgets and extraordinary physical abilities suggest she's not telling the whole truth.

An incredible As Ethan's investigation begins to point towards Abi, Hollie's fears mount. For Abi is very much not who she seems. And it won't be long before Ethan and Hollie find themselves playing a part in a story that spans cultures, continents... and centuries.

An extraordinary speculative thriller about the scars left by the Atlantic slave-trade, by a master of the genre."

I am unbelievably intrigued by this one and cannot wait to have a chance to check it out. "A speculative thriller about the scars left by the Atlantic slave-trade"? Uh yeah, I'm in!

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Publication: May 20th, 2025
Harper Voyager
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror.

Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration.

Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar’s walls.

As the castle descends into bacchanalian madness—forgetting the massed army beyond its walls in favor of hedonistic ecstasy—these three women are the only ones to still see their situation for what it is. But they are not immune from the temptations of the castle’s new masters… or each other; and their shifting alliances and entangled pasts bring violence to the surface. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself."

How insanely good does this sound? I'm always a bit of a sucker for books like these that play with a sort of breaking down of norms. Caitlin Starling is a little hit or miss for me these days, but because The Luminous Deep remains a book I absolutely loved, I am always eager to check out everything she writes!

Anticipated May 2024 Releases

May brings us yet another month simply overflowing with some amazing new releases and I cannot wait for them! I've been fortunate enough to have already read a couple of these and can happily say that so far they've all been incredible (The Ministry of Time was so fun!). I've compiled my regular monthly list of just some of the many new books coming out next month, so be sure to have a look and let me know which books you're most excited for (and let me know if there are any I've missed!)!

The Sword Unbound (Lands of the Firstborn #2) by Gareth Hanrahan || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Road to Ruin by Hana Lee || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Woodworm by Layla Martinez, Sophie Hughes || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

You Like it Darker by Stephen King || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Evocation by S.T. Gibson || May 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Shanghailanders by Juli Min || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Dare by Natasha Preston || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Vladivostok Circus by Elisa Shua Dusapin || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Exhibit by R.O. Kwon || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated May releases?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel & One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

     

 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.

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
Publication: May 21st, 2024
Redhook
Hardcover. 416 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi.

A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.

Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.

Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.

Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga’s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father’s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.

As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son."

I really loved Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel, Kaikeyi, so I'm really excited to have another release from her to dive into. 

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
Publication: May 21st, 2024
Scout Press
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, The Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla find herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.

But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.

A fast-paced, spellbinding thriller rife with intrigue and characters that feel so true to life, this novel proves yet again that Ruth Ware is the queen of psychological suspense."

This sounds like it'll be a really fun ride and I'm curious to see how Ruth Ware executes this idea. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland, The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, & Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor

     

 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.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
Publication: May 7th, 2024
Red Tower Books
Hardcover. 512 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"It’s the season for treason…

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers―each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal―it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win."

I've been really looking for some great new SFF to explore and Five Broken Blades has been absolutely everywhere and it sounds so good!

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Publication: May 7th, 2024 (US)
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machine,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But he adjusts quickly; he is, after all, an explorer by trade. Soon, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a seriously uncomfortable housemate dynamic, evolves into something much more. Over the course of an unprecedented year, Gore and the bridge fall haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences they never could have imagined.

Supported by a chaotic and charming cast of characters—including a 17th-century cinephile who can’t get enough of Tinder, a painfully shy World War I captain, and a former spy with an ever-changing series of cosmetic surgery alterations and a belligerent attitude to HR—the bridge will be forced to confront the past that shaped her choices, and the choices that will shape the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks the universal What happens if you put a disaffected millennial and a Victorian polar explorer in a house together?"

I recently finished an ARC of this and was actually surprised at how much I liked it, I really had a lot of fun with it and I can't wait for it to be released!

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
Publication: May 7th, 2024
Pantheon
Hardcover. 224 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In 1938, a dead whale washes up on the shores of remote Welsh island. For Manod, who has spent her whole life on the island, it feels like both a portent of doom and a symbol of what may lie beyond the island's shores. A young woman living with her father and her sister (to whom she has reluctantly but devotedly become a mother following the death of their own mother years prior), Manod can't shake her welling desire to explore life beyond the beautiful yet blisteringly harsh islands that her hardscrabble family has called home for generations.

The arrival of two English ethnographers who hope to study the island culture, then, feels like a boon to her—both a glimpse of life outside her community and a means of escape. The longer the ethnographers stay, the more she feels herself pulled towards them, reckoning with a sensual awakening inside herself, despite her misgivings that her community is being misconstrued and exoticized.

With shimmering prose tempered by sharp wit, Whale Fall tells the story of what happens when one person's ambitions threaten the fabric of a community, and what can happen when they are realized. O'Connor paints a portrait of a community and a woman on the precipice, forced to confront an outside world that seems to be closing in on them."

I'm not really sure what to expect from this book, but I'm really drawn to the general premise and what sounds like a promising narrative. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Sword Unbound by Gareth Hanrahan, Woodworm by Layla Martinez, & The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

     

 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 Sword Unbound (Lands of the Firstborn #2) by Gareth Hanrahan
Publication: May 7th, 2024
Orbit
Paperback. 624 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"He thought he was saving the world. That was his first mistake.

Twenty years ago, Alf and his companions defeated the Dark Lord and claimed his city. Now, those few of the Nine that remain find themselves unwilling rebels, defying the authority of both the mortal Lords they once served and the immortal king of the elves - the secret architect of everything they've ever known.

Once lauded as a mighty hero, Alf is now labelled a traitor and hunted by the very gods he seeks to bring down. As desperate rebellion blazes across the land, Alf seeks the right path through a maze of conspiracy, wielding a weapon of evil. The black sword Spellbreaker has found its purpose in these dark days. But can Aelfric remain a hero, or is his legend tarnished forever?

This second novel continues​ Gareth Hanrahan's acclaimed epic fantasy series of dark myth, daring warriors and bloodthirsty vengeance."

I really enjoyed The Sword Defiant last year, so I'm really excited to finally get to read the sequel!

Woodworm by Layla Martínez, trans. Sophie Hughes, Annie McDermott
Publication: May 14th, 2024
Two Lines Press
Hardcover. 144 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The house breathes.

The house contains bodies and secrets.

The house is visited by ghosts, by angels that line the roof like insects, and by saints that burn the bedsheets with their haloes.

It was built by a small-time hustler as a means of controlling his wife, and even after so many years, their daughter and her granddaughter can’t leave. They may be witches or they may just be angry, but when the mysterious disappearance of a young boy draws unwanted attention, the two isolated women, already subjects of public scorn, combine forces with the spirits that haunt them in pursuit of something that resembles justice.

Layla Martínez’s eerie debut novel Woodworm is class-conscious horror that drags generations of monsters into the sun."

I haven't heard much about this one anywhere, but I love how creepy this sounds and I'm so curious to check it out. 

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Publication: May 21st, 2024
Sourcebooks Landmark
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Solve the murder to save what's left of the world.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it. And the clock is ticking."

I still haven't gotten to Stuart Turton's work yet, but this one sounds exceptionally up my alley, so I'm looking forward to giving it a try!