Review, Restock & Reflect: Part 2
Most anticipated books for 2025
I did warn you that I might post twice in a week! I mean, I didn’t stick to my one post a month plan in 2024, so you can hardly hold this against me.
Before I share with you the books I am looking forward to in 2025, I will also warn you that I will share some thoughts on my first foray into the Query Trenches at the end of this post. Hooked? Okay, let’s read on.
Most Anticipated Books of 2025
In order of release
Lightfall by Ed Crocker (8th January) - This has been on my radar for a while. Set in a world of vampires and werewolves but no humans, this promises to be a bloodthirsty treat! I had the chance to listen to Ed do a reading of this in the Nightmares and Dreams Readalong and it was so gripping with some smashing characters.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (22nd January) - I stormed through book one last year and have just started reading book two in preparation for the conclusion of this dragon-riding romantasy. Highly readable, very enjoyable - do I think there will be tears? Yeah probably
.The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell (28th January) - I got to meet Annabel at Fantasycon in October 2024 and her debut novel sounds amazing. The title kind of says it all, but it’s about a young mage struggling to harness her powers – if she doesn’t succeed - it could be the end of the world. High stakes indeed, it sounds like the classic underdog story
The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli (27th February) - another series continuation, this book follows on from The Crimson Moth, which was one of my favourite fantasy reads from last year. It’s YA so easy to digest, and book one ended on a total cliffhanger, which really made me want to continue reading
Emberclaw by L R Lam (6th March) - I’ve already pre-ordered the audiobook for this one as book one was wonderfully narrated and the voices of Philip Ishak Arditti and Rebecca Hayes will forever remain in my brain in this ingenious dragon fantasy with romance. If you haven’t read Dragonfall already - you simply must. The tale of a dragon and human bonded together inextricably features genius writing and it’s approach to gender with the concept (another high one) is just brilliant
Tideborn by Eliza Chan (25th March) - look at this amazing cover! I really enjoyed book one Fathomfolk and it was among my fave reads of 2024, so I can’t wait to see what happens in book two. I also got to meet Eliza Chan at Fantasycon last year and she was very nice
A Song of Legends Lost by M H Ayinde (8th April) - this is the debut novel of 2021 Future Worlds Prize winner, so I’m already invested in reading this. Ayinde describes this novel as the ‘epic fantasy of my soul’ and I got to hear her do a reading of this at Fantasycon last year. ‘Only people of noble blood can summon their ancestors into battle’ and when a lowly commoner bucks the trend - you can bet all hell will break loose! With rich characters and immense world-building – I cannot wait for this one
#I Found a Body by Becky Brynolf (24th April) - I promised I would read outside of the SFF genre and this is one book that I am definitely looking forward to! What happens when a social media influencer stumbles across a body on a live feed and their amateur investigations get in the way of the real detective assigned to investigate? I have read early versions of this book, and I know it has changed but Brynolf’s writing is darkly witty and I know I’m going to love it!
Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (8th May) - this one will be bittersweet. I read the first three Morrigan Crow books with my daughter, but she’s come to an age where I no longer read to her anymore and she wants to read alone. But I need to know what happens next in the series – because this series, for me, surpasses Harry Potter and puts Skandar in the shade. I think I might have to read it first before I give it to my daughter…
The Gryphon King by Sara Omer (8th July) - I’ve followed Omer on social media for a while and even from the pitch this book sounded right up my street, so when the publishing deal was announced - I was invested. Epic fantasy, morally grey stabby characters, politics and deadly monsters set in a world inspired by Turkish and Kurdish culture? Yep. Need need need.
Skandar Book 5 by A F Steadman (August) - I just finished reading Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, book one in the series, with my son and we really enjoyed this (despite my comparison to Morrigan Crow above). It’s a good one for reluctant readers, the prose is easy to read, the world-building is based around a school system and it’s very exciting. We will be reading the next three books in the series this year and eagerly anticipating the final book in August.
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson (23rd October) - the debut novel of my fellow Future Worlds Prize Finalist, this is going to be epic. Set in a secondary world inspired by Yoruba culture, this promises to be nail-biting, political and gut-wrenching. Epic fantasy adventure with a dash of romance.
The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver by Rafael Torrubia (30th October) - when I read the pitch for this queer novel it reeled me in! The world-building sounds so unique, set in a world where no one has names and ships are fuelled by the souls of dead gods. ‘Goth-as-hell villains and shadow-warping assassins’. Oh yes please! I cannot wait for the cover reveal on this one.
That’s it on my most anticipated reads for 2025. I’m sure I will pick up others on the way.
Currently, I’m finishing reading The Wingspan of Treason by L N Bayen, which has such immersive world-building and Bayen is a phenomenal author. I thought I might finish it before the end of the year, but I didn’t quite.
I’m also reading novels by David Green, who I met at Fantasycon and is such a lovely person. He is one to watch.
The First Querying Campaign
I’m told this post is too long for email, so if you’ve got this far you must be reading it in the app or on a browser. Thanks for reading.
Every gardener spends the winter months assessing what worked and what failed and makes plans for the spring.
2024 saw me start querying, but I genuinely feel I started before I was really ready. I’m not going to share stats, but it hasn’t gone as I’d hoped it would, after all – I’m still unagented. Sure I got some requests, but those requests are languishing unanswered. Why? I don’t know, because feedback has not been forthcoming, so I’m having a bit of a rethink.
It feels like the Query Trenches are filled with very talented writers. I’ve read some of their writing, so I know this to be true. But this also means things are highly competitive. In order to get noticed – your premise has to stand out. If you believe the predictions (that there will be less debuts, more agents leaving agenting and less publishing slots) then the future for unagented writers who want to be traditionally published is bleak.
However, we know there are all sorts of ways to do things. I am going to submit to some publishers directly and I might even save up to self-pub, if the remaining requests fizzle to nothing. I always said I would consider doing it myself. Never say never.
In the meantime, I’m drafting (ahem) two other novels that might be considered high-concept. I’m enjoying working on something new. I’m not giving up on my epic fantasy by any means, but I am taking stock and reinventing my plan.
My gardener’s spring might not be this spring, because writing a novel takes a lot of time – time which I always feel short on – but let’s see how it goes. I’m nothing if not optimistic. I’ll keep you posted.
As a fantasy author I’m excited to see so much fantasy listed here! I will be looking into a few of these. Though this year, ironically, I’m trying to read some of the nonfiction stuff that’s been in my TBR for years- maybe I can find a good balance!