Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books for the Second Half of 2017.

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 Books for the Second Half of 2017.

There were so many amazing, and highly anticipated, books released during the first half of 2017 that I focused too much on those and haven’t paid a lot of attention to what’s being released throughout the second half of the year. Unsurprisingly there are a lot of books, again highly anticipated, being released throughout the second half of the year.

---

Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab
Release Date: June 13th 2017

V.E. Schwab is one of my all-time favourite authors, so anytime she has a book due-to-be-released it’s always on my most anticipated releases list. While I wasn’t as much of a fan of her Monsters of Verity series as I was her Shades of Magic series I still loved it, and can’t wait for the second book.

Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human, no matter how much he once yearned for it. He’s a monster with a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows – one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons – it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.

---

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Release Date: June 13th 2017

When I read Every Heart a Doorway I thought it was a standalone, until looking on Goodreads I saw it was the first book in a series. I loved the concept behind the first book, and was so glad to see the author was expanding it by actually going into one of the fantasy worlds in this second book.

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretence of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

---

The Savage Dawn by Melissa Grey
Release Date: July 6th 2017

While they weren’t all-time favourites of mine I loved the first two books in The Girl at Midnight series. The Savage Dawn is the conclusion to the trilogy and I think it will likely end up being the best of the series, and after the way the second book ended I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

The sides have been chosen and the battle lines drawn. 

Echo awakened the Firebird. Now she is the only one with the power to face the darkness she unwittingly unleashed…right into the waiting hands of Tanith, the new Dragon Prince. Tanith has one goal in mind: destroy her enemies, raze their lands, and reign supreme in a new era where the Drakharin are almighty and the Avicen are nothing but a memory.

The war that has been brewing for centuries is finally imminent. But the scales are tipped. Echo might hold the power to face the darkness within the Dragon Prince, but she has far to go to master its overwhelming force. And now she’s plagued by uncertainty. With Caius no longer by her side, she doesn’t know if she can do it alone. Is she strong enough to save her home and the people she loves? 

Whether Echo is ready to face this evil is not the question. The war has begun, and there is no looking back. There are only two outcomes possible: triumph or death.

---

Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy by Ameriie (Editor)
Release Date: July 13th 2017

Normally anthologies aren’t my thing, although the only two I’ve read so far I have ended up really enjoying so maybe I should look into them more. Either way the second I saw what this anthology was about, and who some of the authors writing stories were, it went to the top of my to-read list.

Leave it to the heroes to save the world—villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains’ points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like “Medusa,” Sherlock Holmes, and “Jack and the Beanstalk” provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains’ acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage—and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Featuring writing from…

Authors: Renée Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon

BookTubers: Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes), Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia), Whitney Atkinson (WhittyNovels), Tina Burke (ChristinaReadsYA blog and TheLushables), Catriona Feeney (LittleBookOwl), Jesse George (JessetheReader), Zoë Herdt (readbyzoe), Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes), Sophia Lee (thebookbasement), Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07), Regan Perusse (PeruseProject), Christine Riccio (polandbananasBOOKS), and Steph Sinclair & Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery blog and channel).

---

Fireblood by Elly Blake
Release Date: September 7th 2017

I enjoyed the first book in the series, and was really excited to discover Fireblood was being released in the same year because that meant less time to wait! Reading the blurb I’m a little anxious about the love triangle that seems to be happening but I have faith it will work out for the best.

In this action-packed sequel to Frostblood, the future of Ruby’s world and a court ruled by the love of her life depends on the uncovered secrets of her past. Perfect for fans of Red Queen and Throne of Glass.

‘With a fierce and vibrant world, richly-drawn characters, a steamy romance, and page-turning twists, Frostblood has all the elements of a great fantasy.’ – Morgan Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen Kingdom series

Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his throne of ice. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby’s powers and past…

Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fireblood queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax—which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, how can Ruby decide whom to trust? The fate of both kingdoms is now in her hands.

---

Tarnished City by Vic James
Release Date: September 7th 2017

After the way Gilded Cage ended I need the next book to discover what happens to all the characters, but especially Luke. I was much of a fan of the romance in the first book, but maybe that will be better in this one. Either way the Dark Gifts series has revived the dystopian genre for me.

The continuation of the darkly fantastical Downton Abbey-esque series – set in an England where curiously gifted aristocrats reign – and the commoners who are doomed to serve them attempt to spark a revolution.

The rebellion to free the lower classes from ten years of forced service to unfairly advantaged, magically powered rulers may have failed. Teenage siblings and would be revolutionaries – one imprisoned, the other desperate for aid – have seen their magical allies stripped of their power. While the mysterious young aristocrat has revealed the incredible extent of his dark gifts.

---

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: September 26th 2017

This book is a combination of my favourite things; Leigh Bardugo, the Grishaverse, myths, fairytales, and folklore. I have loved everything Leigh Bardugo has written so far, including her already-released short stories, so I am sure I will love the three new tales in this book, complete with illustrations.

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

---

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
Release Date: October 3rd 2017

Last year magical realism fast became one of my favourite genres, and just as quickly Anna-Marie McLemore became one of my favourite authors. When the Moon Was Ours was one of my favourite books of 2016 so I have no doubts that Wild Beauty will be one of my favourite books of 2017.

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

---

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: October 10th 2017

Maggie Stiefvater’s series seem to be a bit hit and miss for me; I loved The Raven Cycle, but wasn’t keen on The Wolves of Mercy Falls. I’m hoping All the Crooked Saints will be a hit, the blurb certainly sounds intriguing and the cover is gorgeous, so if that’s anything to go by this book will be brilliant.

From bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, a gripping tale of darkness, miracles, and family!

Saints. Miracles. Family. Romance. Death. Redemption.

The book takes place in the 1960s in Bicho Raro, Colorado and follows the lives of three members of the Soria family—each of whom is searching for their own miracle. There’s Beatriz, who appears to lack feelings but wants to study her mind; Daniel, the “Saint” of Bicho Raro, a miracle worker for everyone but himself; and Joaquin (a.k.a. Diablo Diablo), who runs a pirate radio station at night.

“The Soria family are saints as well, and the miracle they perform for pilgrims to Bicho Raro is as strange as most miracles are: They can make the darkness inside you visible. Once the pilgrims see their inner darkness face to face, it’s up to them to perform another miracle on themselves: banishing the darkness for good. It can be a tricky business to vanquish your inner demons, even once you know what they are, but the Sorias are forbidden to help with this part. They’ve all been told that if a Soria interferes with the second miracle, it will bring out their own darkness, and a saint’s darkness, so the story goes, is a most potent and dangerous thing.” – Maggie Stiefvater, EW interview.

---

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
Release Date: October 10th 2017

This seems to be a highly anticipated release for a lot of people, I’ve seen this book around WordPress a lot recently, and it’s starting to become a highly anticipated release for me as well. I am a massive fan of retellings and based on the blurb this sounds like the perfect book for me.

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl’s quest to become Empress—and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfil the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins—sorcery fuelled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

---

So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what your most anticipated reads for the second half of 2017 are.