Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Guardians of Dawn vs. The Monster Plague

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, with your first set of new releases for August. And…it’s August? How did that happen? We’re deep into the summer now (at least in this hemisphere), and the books just keep on coming. Not that I’m complaining. I’m also recommending a couple of indie releases from last month that are definitely worth checking out! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. All of them! It’s perfect for when my double features are not enough, because there are too many good books. You can even filter by genre. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: Entertainment Community Fund, which supports entertainment workers who are striking for living wages and a future where humans can continue to create art for each other.

Bookish Goods

a photo of a black embroidered throw pillow with the text "All knowledge is worth having" with an image of a rose and a stack of books

Kushiel’s Legacy Throw Pillow by LeoraCoutureLLC

This throw pillow is embroidered with a quote from the character Anafiel Delaunay. Color options are available! $53

New Releases

zhara book cover

Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

Jin Zhara has a lot of problems: she’s at the mercy of a cruel stepmother and responsible for caring for her blind younger sister; she’s got magical gifts in a land where magic is forbidden, and thus must hide them; and now, there are rumors that the monster plague that nearly destroyed the Morning Realms 20 years ago is coming back. But a chance encounter with a young man named Han introduces her to the Guardians of Dawn, a secret organization of magicians on the case to stop the return of the monsters. Now Zhara must make peace with her inner magical warrior and help bring harmony back to her world.

cover of Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey

Cassiel’s Servant by Jacqueline Carey

This book is a retelling of Kushiel’s Dart from the perspective of Joscelin, the Cassiline warrior-priest that eventually falls in love with the woman he’s sworn to protect. (I am unreasonably excited about this book, not going to lie. Joscelin was always one of my favorite characters!)

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Here’s a couple of recent indie new releases that you should check out!

Cover of The Meadowlands by Kate Kelly

The Meadowlands by Kate Kelly

Four children being raised in a state home in a dystopian land stumble across a portal to another world, which they discover as a beautiful meadow hidden behind a crumbling city wall. This new, verdant world belongs to the Beigfur, small beings who once lived alongside humans, but have since moved on to a parallel universe. The children will learn about these new people, and humanity, and how they all relate to nature.

cover of The Screaming Child by Scott Adlerberg

The Screaming Child by Scott Adlerberg

A mother’s child went missing long enough ago that she’s trying to move on…by writing a book about an explorer who was murdered in the wilderness. But when she hears the voice of her child screaming in the woods she’s traveled to for research, she cannot help but search.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.