Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2016.

There are so many amazing books being released during the second half of this year. Some are books that I’ve been waiting for for ages, others are sequels that I’ve wanted to get my hands on ever since finishing the latest released book in the series, and others are books that I’ve only just discovered but am no less excited for. I have a feeling that some of these upcoming releases I’ve featured for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday are going to become all-time favourites of mine.

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Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Release Date: 9^th August 2016

I was a little on-the-fence about this book, but then I read an amazing post by Aentee at Read at Midnight which, not only convinced me to add Nevernight to my pre-order list, but also made me really excited for this book to be released so I could start reading it.

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

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Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: 6^th September 2016

Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series has fast become a favourite of mine, so of course the next instalment is on the top of my most anticipated releases list for the second half of this year. After the ending to Queen of Shadows I think Empire of Storms is going to be a brilliant addition to the series.

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don’t.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin’s journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth instalment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

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Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West
Release Date: 15^th September 2016

Retellings are part of my favourite genre, anything with even a hint of fairy tales goes straight to the top of my to-read list and this book is no exception. Kingdom of Ash and Briars sounds like it’s going to be an amazing story, especially with a blend of many different original classics and fairy tales inspiring it.

Bristal, an orphaned kitchen maid, lands in a gritty fairy tale gone wrong when she discovers she is an elicromancer with a knack for shape-shifting. An ancient breed of immortal magic beings, elicromancers have been winnowed down to merely two – now three – after centuries of bloody conflict in the realm. Their gifts are fraught with responsibility, and sixteen-year-old Bristal is torn between two paths. Should she vow to seek the good of the world, to protect and serve mortals? Or should she follow the strength of her power, even if it leads to unknown terrors? She draws on her ability to disguise herself as a man to infiltrate a prince’s band of soldiers, and masquerades as a fairy godmother to shield a cursed princess, but time is running out. As an army of dark creatures grows closer, Bristal faces a supernatural war. To save the kingdoms, Bristal must find the courage to show her true form.

Building on homage’s to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jane Austen’s Emma and the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, Hannah West makes a spectacular debut.

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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Release Date: 20^th September 2016

I haven’t read her Anna Dressed in Blood series but I have read, and loved, her Mortal Gods books so I am incredibly excited to see what Kendare Blake comes out with next. Three Dark Crowns sound like it’s going to be an epic dark fantasy and, from what I’ve read by her, Kendare Blake is the queen of that genre.

Fans of acclaimed author Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood will devour her latest novel, a dark and inventive fantasy about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen. 

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomach ache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

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Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: 27^th September 2016

After finishing Six of Crows the sequel went on my to-read list despite not, at the time, having a blurb, a cover, or even a title. As information has been slowly revealed for this book I’ve become more and more excited for its release. I need to know what happens next to Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper and Wylan.

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Release Date: 29^th September 2016

Laini Taylor is on my auto-read, auto-buy and probably auto-love list. Her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series is one of my all-time favourites so of course seeing she has a new series coming out has pushed it to the very top of my to-read list and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. If it’s anything like her debut series I know Strange the Dreamer is going to be a favourite of mine.

A breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor.

Strange the Dreamer is the story of: 

the aftermath of a war between gods and men.
a mysterious city stripped of its name.
a mythic hero with blood on his hands.
a young librarian with a singular dream.
a girl every bit as perilous as she is imperilled.
alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

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Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Release Date: 18^th October 2016

Illuminae was one of my favourite reads of 2015 and if everything I’ve heard so far about the sequel proves true Gemina is going to be one of my favourite reads of 2016. The Illuminae Files has quickly become one of my favourite sci-fi series; the way it’s been put together and the graphics involved create an amazing story and a stunning book.

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that critics are calling “out-of-this-world awesome.” 

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia – and possibly the known universe – is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

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A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray
Release Date: 1^st November 2016

I recently re-read the first book and read the second book so now of course the wait for the third book is unbearable. After the cliffhanger ending to Ten Thousand Skies Above You I need to know what happens next. Plus a major draw for me with this series is the exploration of the multiverses, and of course the gorgeous covers of each book.

A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny.

The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the centre of a cross-dimensional feud since she first travelled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.

Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.

So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.

In the epic conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites…and only one can win.

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Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: 8^th November 2016

If you’ve been following my blog for a while now chances are you know at least two things about me; first is that Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles is my all-time favourite series, and the second is that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is my favourite fairytale. So the combination of Marissa Meyer and Alice in Wonderland is automatically a winning one for me. I feel like this book is going to become a new favourite of mine and I am so excited to get my hands on it.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland – the infamous Queen of Hearts – she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favourite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king’s marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

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Spindle by E.K. Johnston
Release Date: 6^th December 2016

A Thousand Nights is an amazing piece of literary fiction, I enjoyed it the first time I read it but loved it the second time, so of course finding out there was a sequel being released was brilliant news. If Spindle is anything like the first book I know it’s going to be an unforgettable story that I am going to absolutely love.

The world is made safe by a woman…but it is a very big world.

It has been generations since the Storyteller Queen drove the demon out of her husband and saved her country from fire and blood. Her family has prospered beyond the borders of their village, and two new kingdoms have sprouted on either side of the mountains where the demons are kept prisoner by bright iron, and by the creatures the Storyteller Queen made to keep them contained.

But the prison is crumbling. Through years of careful manipulation, a demon has regained her power. She has made one kingdom strong and brought the other to its knees, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When a princess is born, the demon is ready with the final blow: a curse that will cost the princess her very soul, or force her to destroy her own people to save her life.

The threads of magic are tightly spun, binding princess and exiled spinners into a desperate plot to break the curse before the demon can become a queen of men. But the web of power is dangerously tangled—and they may not see the true pattern until it is unspooled.

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So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what some of your most anticipated releases for the second half of the year are.