july 2023 releases: series galore

Like June, July 2023 will be a quieter new release month for me. I don’t have a lot of books on my list so I’m hoping to clear as many backlogged books as I can in July but also, reading the latest releases. For July’s most anticipated releases on my radar, there’s one thing in common. They are all not standalone novels but rather in duology, trilogy, and series.

For duology, Erin A. Craig is releasing House of Roots and Ruin, four years after the first book which was a standalone initially. I’ve already read it and that open-ended conclusion might expand this duology into more books. The English translated version of Stars of Chaos will begin with Volume 1 as well.

There are quite a bit of trilogies here. Chloe Gong is starting her new trilogy with Immortal Longings. Meanwhile, the second book of the Rebel Skies trilogy will be releasing with the title Rebel Fire. Karen M. McManus is concluding the mystery trilogy with One of Us is Back. Jade Shards is joining the Green Bone Saga as a collection of four prequel short stories.

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rebel fire – ann sei lin

trilogy: rebel skies #2
July 5, 2023 by Walker Books
age range: middle grade
genre: fantasy
rep: japanese

Kurara and her shipmates have escaped the grasp of the princess, whose wish to control and command them as her own human shikigami would be a fate worse than death. Travelling through the forests and across the seas of Mikoshima, they finally the Grand Stream, where their old airship–and old enemies–await.

Both parties seek the greatest shikigami of all: Suzaku, a paper phoenix. But will it be saved–or destroyed?

🎐 I’ve been waiting for a continuation ever since Rebel Skies which was originally a standalone. I can’t wait to dive back into origami magic.

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immortal longings – chloe gong

trilogy: flesh and false gods #1
July 18, 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton
age range: adult
genre: fantasy, historical fiction, romance, retelling
rep: BIPOC

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

🎐 Chloe Gong is releasing a trilogy inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. You know that I’ll be there for whatever Chloe Gong will be writing so it’s unsurprising that this is on my list.

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house of roots and ruin – erin a. craig

duology: sisters of the salt #2
July 25, 2023 by Delacorte Press
age range: young adult
genre: fantasy, gothic, retelling

review.

blog tour + arc review | house of roots and ruin – erin a. craig

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance…blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade…

🎐 When Erin A. Craig announced that there would be another book set in the same world as House of Salt and Sorrows, I simply couldn’t hold my excitement in.

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one of us is back – karen m. mcmanus

trilogy: one of us is lying #3
July 25, 2023 by Delacorte
age range: young adult
genre: contemporary, mystery

Ever since Simon died in detention, life hasn’t been easy for the Bayview Crew. First the Bayview Four had to prove they weren’t killers. Then a new generation had to outwit a vengeful copycat. Now, it’s beginning again.

At first the mysterious billboard seems like a bad joke: Time for a new game, Bayview. But when a member of the crew disappears, it’s clear this ‘game’ just got serious – and no one understands the rules.

Everyone’s a target. And now that someone unexpected has returned to Bayview, things are starting to get deadly.

Simon was right about secrets – they all come out in the end. 

The thing is, Simon was right about secrets-they all come out, eventually. And Bayview has a lot it’s still hiding.

🎐 Been waiting for this ever since it was announced.

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stars of chaos volume 1 – priest

duology: stars of chaos #1
July 25, 2023 by Seven Seas
age range: adult
genre: fantasy, romance
rep: chinese, m/m couple

review.

stars of chaos volume 1 – priest

The discovery of violet gold, a vital fuel for steam-powered machines, propelled Great Liang into an age of prosperity. But for Chang Geng, a young man raised on the impoverished northern frontier, the concerns of the empire are as distant as the stars above.

When raiders from the north attack Chang Geng’s small village, he discovers that the life he knows is a lie. His mother, his teacher…even his beloved godfather, the man he trusted most in the world, are not who they seem. As enemies of the empire circle ever closer, Chang Geng must travel to the heart of the capital—with his godfather as his guide—to meet his destiny.

🎐 I have no idea what this is about but Stars of Chaos is super hyped up on Twitter so I decided to give this a chance.

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jade shards – fonda lee

trilogy: the green bone saga #0.75
July 31, 2023 by Subterranean Pressage range: adult
genre: fantasy
rep: BIPOC

Fonda Lee returns to the acclaimed Green Bone Saga with four prequel short stories that delve into the personal histories of the Kaul and Ayt families.

The Witch and Her Friend. Before she was the ruthless leader of the Mountain clan, Ayt Mada was an orphan without friends at school except for one: Aun Ure, a teenage girl feared and renowned as an assassin but yearning for a simpler life.

Not Only Blood. Before he was the heir apparent of the No Peak clan, Kaul Lan challenged his grandfather and clan patriarch to help a boy who had lost everything.

Better Than Jade. Before they were married, Kaul Hilo and Maik Wen were a young couple facing long odds: the son of a top Green Bone clan in love with a stone-eye girl from a disreputable family.

Granddaughter Cormorant. Before she left and returned to Kekon, Kaul Shae was the apple of her grandfather’s eye…as well as a daring secret informer to a foreign country.

🎐 It’s Fonda Lee. No other explanations needed.

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let’s chat;
hi! i’m so excited for this month’s releases. i’ll probably pick up immortal longings first since i managed to get an arc. i was also picked as a tour stop for house of roots and ruin so that will be my other read. what about you?

full july list

✗ rebel fire (rebel skies #2) – ann sei lin
✗ sammy espinoza’s last review – tehlor kay mejia
✗ to have and to heist – sara desai
✗ a soul of ash and blood (blood and ash #5) – jennifer l. armentrout
✗ the legacy of yangchen (the yangchen novels #2) – f.c. yee

✗ immortal longings (flesh and false gods #1) – chloe gong
✗ house of roots and ruin (sisters of the salt #2) – erin a. craig
✗ light bringer (red rising saga #6) – pierce brown
✗ not that duke (would-be wallflowers #3) – eloisa james

✗ one of us is back (one of us is lying #3) – karen m. mcmanus
✗ the debutante dilemma (the whitmorelands #3) – valerie bowman
✗ stars of chaos volume 1 (stars of chaos #1) – priest
✗ jade shards (the green bone saga #0.75) – fonda lee