A new year is upon us, and with it, new exciting books to read! I’ve compiled a list of some upcoming Science Fiction and Fantasy books this year so it’s easier to keep trak of them. I can’t wait to dive deep in these!
1. Ternary by Kristin L. Stamper
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected date: Spring 2021
I have to admit I can’t wait for this one. This is the book I’m anticipating the most! I love books that put on a creative twist on the usual genres, and Ternary promises to take the Cyborg story to a whole new level.
Blurb:
Elora isn’t a robot, but she isn’t human either. She’s an abominable combination of the two, a cyborg. For this offense, she must face judgment in a court of law. There, it will be decided if she’s a person, owed the same rights as any other, or an object, owed no rights at all.
But when a last-ditch effort to demonstrate her humanity backfires, Elora is faced with an element of human nature she always hoped to avoid: love. The consciousness of a dead man is accidentally downloaded into her cybernetic brain, and she becomes infatuated with his still-living husband—whether she wants to or not.
For Elora, making her way in a solar system that fears and hates her has been hard enough. Now, she must do it as an intermediary between lovers while keeping her own heart in check. With the trial fast approaching, and anti-robot protesters demanding her head, Elora can’t afford to get swept up in someone else’s love story.
To learn more about this upcoming release, subscribe to Kristin L. Stamper’s newsletter and follow her blog!
2. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected date: May 4, 2021
We all remember Weir’s success with The Martian. It seems Weir will once again give us another great science- based thriller! Hard Sci-Fi fans will not want to miss this one.
Blurb:
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.
All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.
Or does he?
An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
You can add Project Hail Mary to your Goodreads TBR or Pre-order it now!
3. One Day As A Lion by Jonathan E. Hernández
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected date: March 2, 2021
This debut novel promises a high stakes Military Sci-Fi were alien civilizations collide in a battle for the galaxy, and I’m all here for it!
Blurb:
Two civilizations clash. A rebellion grows. The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
Technical Chief “Pappy” Gunther is a grizzled, burning out commando in the United Earth Armed Forces. He ponders a return to civilian life, yet feels a strong sense of belonging to his elite team. When colonists on a far-flung world request aid, a task force from several allied systems is assembled. Pappy and his crack unit are sent to investigate, and to engage a mysterious alien force from beyond.
Talks-To-His-Spear is the warrior-caste champion of a matriarchal space empire called the Regime. Leading an army of fanatical, genetically-enhanced super soldiers, he dreams of dying in battle for the glory of his Queen. However, he’s beginning to question the motives of this new campaign, and fears that he may have to compromise his own deep sense of honor in order to fulfill his tasks.
Nobody expected the two alien cultures to have so much in common, and for friendships and alliances to form alongside rivalries. However, when Pappy discovers a rebellion spanning worlds, everything changes. The growing insurrection threatens to tear the Regime—and the galaxy—apart.
You can add One Day As A Lion to your Goodreads TBR or Pre-order it now!
4. The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected date: April 20, 2021
Dewes offer us a tale of survival at the edge of the universe that has been compared as The Expanse meets Game of Thrones. Hard Sci-Fi mixed with intrigue? Sounds like a promising read!
Blurb:
The Divide.
It’s the edge of the universe.
Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it.
The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military.
At the Divide, Adequin Rake commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer–genius, asshole, and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather’s genetic facility for “reasons.”
She knows they’re humanity’s last chance.
You can add The Last Watch to your Goodreads TBR or Pre-order it now!
5. Cinders of Yesterday by Jen Karner
Genre: Fantasy
Expected date: June, 2021
Fans of Paranormal Fantasy will not be disappointed with story promising a revenge mission against a ruthless necromancer that will drive a Paranormal Huntress and the daughter of a magical family together.
Blurb:
Paranormal Hunter Dani Black wants nothing more ardently than she does revenge. A year ago, the rogue Necromancer Spectre murdered her partner during a hunt gone wrong, and she’s been looking for a way to kill him —and keep him dead — ever since. When rumors of a weapon capable of killing anything surfaces in Dawson Maryland, she sets out on a mission to get her hands on it. While unraveling a web of clues about her own past, Dani runs into the alluring Emilie Lockgrove, eldest daughter of a magical family who are inexplicably tied to Spectre.
Emilie Lockgrove survived the catastrophic fire that killed her mother and hospitalized both her and her sister. Ten years later, she has returned to Dawson, expecting to confront the trauma of her past and move on. Instead, she discovers she magic is real and encounters actual ghosts, namely the necromancer who has been hunting her family for 200 years.
Dani intends to kill Spectre, or die trying. Emilie wants to reclaim her life and her memories of the magic protecting her from Spectre. To survive, they’ll need to work together to confront their past, break the spell holding back Emilie’s magic, and destroy Spectre once and for all.
Add Cinders of Yesterday to your Goodreads TBR!
6. The Chronicles of Elysia by Henry Walsh
Genre: Fantasy
Expected date: 2021
Henry Walsh’s new Young Adult Fantasy series is full of magic, adventure and friendship. The sword of Hope just came out this December, but Walsh is planning to release the rest of his series during 2021. Check it out!
Book 2 (2/30/2021) The Blood of the Fallen
Book 3 (4/30/2021) The Fate of Arcadia
Book 4 (10/30/2021) The Black Keep
Book 5 (6/30/2022) The Dark Lord
Blurb for Book 1:
When average modern teenager William Carter woke up he thought it was just an average Saturday morning. Before he knew it, however, he found himself attacked. Injured, he is taken to the secret Castle Haven where he learns that he’s descended from a line of adventurers. He will have to learn to master his new abilities, learn to trust in his friends, and retrieve a magical sword that is the only thing that can stop a Dark Lord from invading, and conquering, the Earth.
Meet Hector, Amber, David, and Minako, the Golden Eagles as they join Will, and face deadly traps, tenacious monsters, and treacherous enemies on their cross-country trek to recover the Sword of Hope before all is lost in this epic adventure for all ages.
Follow Henry Walsh on Twitter to keep track of the series!
7. The Cursed Titans by Ricardo Victoria
Genre: Science Fantasy
Expected date: August 2021
This book will be a sequel to The Withered King, a novel about a legendary blade wielder in a world where magic and science weave together.
Blurb for The Withered King:
Fionn is the wielder of a legendary Tempest Blade, and he is blessed – or cursed – by The Gift. Though his days as a warrior are long over, his past leaves him full of guilt and regret. Life, however, has other plans for him, when he agrees to help a friend locate a missing person.
Gaby and Alex never expected to become heroes… until they met Fionn. As an ancient evil arises and consumes the land, Fionn must help them to master their own Gifts and Tempest Blades.
Together the three of them, and their friends will chart a course aboard the flying ship Figaro to save the planet. Will Fionn’s past be an anchor, or will he overcome the one failure from his former life before time runs out?
In a world where magic and science intermingle, anything is possible.
Including second chances.
Follow Ricardo Victoria on Twitter to learn more about the sequel!
8. DreamRovers: Price of Deliverance by Christie Valentine Powell
Genre: Fantasy
Expected date: April 2, 2021
Valentine Powell brings us a world where it’s possible to live in dreams! Of course, this doesn’t come without its dangers.
Blurb:
ndra has lived in dreams since her mother’s death. It’s a lonely life, but it keeps her safe and connected to her mother’s memory. Joining other people would tether her to reality, but she’d gain the family she always wanted—if they survive long enough.
Fifteen-year-old Norma lost everything when her village discovered her family’s abilities. When her sister insists that dreamrovers are wrong, Norma must decide between her dreams and her family.
Walker escaped court life two years ago, when the rest of his family was executed for dreamroving. Helping other rovers build a new home might make up for his mistakes, especially his actions that ignited the dreamrover prejudice.
As persecution grows fiercer, all three struggle to defend their new family. Hatred runs deep, and escape is no longer an option—not even through dreams.
9. Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected Date: June 29, 2021
Get your fix of giant robots action in this Young Adult Sci-Fi! Described as perfect if you loved Pacific Rim, Red Rising, and the Legend Series.
Blurb:
The shadow of Godolia’s tyrannical rule is spreading, aided by their giant mechanized weapons known as Windups. War and oppression are everyday constants for the people of the Badlands, who live under the thumb of their cruel Godolia overlords.
Eris Shindanai is a Gearbreaker, a brash young rebel who specializes in taking down Windups from the inside. When one of her missions goes awry and she finds herself in a Godolia prison, Eris meets Sona Steelcrest, a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. At first Eris sees Sona as her mortal enemy, but Sona has a secret: She has intentionally infiltrated the Windup program to destroy Godolia from within.
As the clock ticks down to their deadliest mission yet, a direct attack to end Godolia’s reign once and for all, Eris and Sona grow closer–as comrades, friends, and perhaps something more…
You can add Dealbreakers to your Goodreads TBR or Pre-order now!
10. Rise of the Red Hand by Olivia Chadha
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected Date: January 9, 2021
Climate change in South Asia in the future, a tecnochratic government, genetic engineering, and a Utopia made perfec by the opresion of the poor. This novel is a refreshing take on the genre and I can’t wait to dive in!
Blurb:
A rare, searing portrayal of the future of climate change in South Asia. A streetrat turned revolutionary and the disillusioned hacker son of a politician try to take down a ruthlessly technocratic government that sacrifices its poorest citizens to build its utopia.
The South Asian Province is split in two. Uplanders lead luxurious lives inside a climate-controlled biodome, dependent on technology and gene therapy to keep them healthy and youthful forever. Outside, the poor and forgotten scrape by with discarded black-market robotics, a society of poverty-stricken cyborgs struggling to survive in slums threatened by rising sea levels, unbreathable air, and deadly superbugs.
Ashiva works for the Red Hand, an underground network of revolutionaries fighting the government, which is run by a merciless computer algorithm that dictates every citizen’s fate. She’s a smuggler with the best robotic arm and cybernetic enhancements the slums can offer, and her cargo includes the most vulnerable of the city’s abandoned children.
When Ashiva crosses paths with the brilliant hacker Riz-Ali, a privileged Uplander who finds himself embroiled in the Red Hand’s dangerous activities, they uncover a horrifying conspiracy that the government will do anything to bury. From armed guardians kidnapping children to massive robots flattening the slums, to a pandemic that threatens to sweep through the city like wildfire, Ashiva and Riz-Ali will have to put aside their differences in order to fight the system and save the communities they love from destruction.
You can add Rise of the Red Hand to your Goodreads TBR or Pre-order now!
J.S. Fernández Morales 