Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
The prompt this week is:
Books on My Winter TBR
1. A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
This is a reread for me because I recently found out I got on the First Flight (Street Team) for the book. I love Allison Saft’s writing and adored this novel, so I’m pretty excited to pick this one up again!
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Synopsis: When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.
Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist–yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he’s landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.
Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt – if they survive tht long. In A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world that will sweep you away.
2. The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White
I can’t wait to read this one! It’s the third and concluding book on the Camelot Rising series, and it sounds fantastic! I’m hoping to see it under the tree at Christmas.
Series: Camelot Rising #3
Page Length: 278
Publication Date: Dec. 7, 2021
Publisher: Lightning Library
Synopsis: The gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White finds Guinevere questioning everything—friends and enemies, good and evil, and, most of all, herself.
While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her.
Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war.
Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past…even if it means destroying herself.
Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen—but what does it mean to be just a girl?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
3. What’s an Earl Gotta Do? by Courtney McCaskill
I recently read How to Train Your Viscount, the first book in the series, and loved it! So, I can’t wait to read this one. Plus, that cover has total Little Mermaid vibes, and every time I see the title I sing it to the Jonas Brothers song ‘What’s a Man Gotta do,’ which was my most-listened to song of 2021. lol
Series: The Astley Chronicles #2
Publication Date: Dec. 3, 2021
Synopsis: He lost her once. He can’t bear to lose her again.
Michael Cranfield, the Earl of Morsley, has been hopelessly in love with the girl next door, Lady Anne Astley, ever since they were fourteen years old.
This made it particularly jarring when she went and married someone else when his father sent him on a secret mission for the Crown in the wilds of Canada.
Now Anne is a widow, and Michael has a second chance to be with the woman he loves. He’s determined to marry Anne, take her back to Canada (where’s he’s spent the past four years training to be Governor General,) and wrap her up in cotton gauze so he’ll never have to be parted from her.
Anne still cringes when she recalls the day she learned with absolute certainty that Michael only saw her as a friend. But she isn’t the biddable girl Michael remembers, not any more. She’s found that being a widow, answering to no one, and running her London charity precisely as she sees fit suits her just fine. She is on the hunt for a husband, however, to give her the children she’s always longed for.
And, as much as she’d like that husband to be her best friend, if Michael Cranfield thinks she’s going to give up her charity, or let him boss her around, then he’d better think again!
What price will Michael be willing to pay to be with the woman he loves? What’s an Earl Gotta Do?
4. A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I binged the Blood and Ash series in four days and am slightly obsessed with it. I’ve heard a lot of great things about this one too!
Series: Flesh & Fire #1
Publication Date: Oct. 15th
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Synopsis: Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.
Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.
5. Girls Before Earls by Anna Bennett
You know I love a swoon-worthy historical romance, and Girls Before Earls sounds so good!! Anna Bennett writes great romances, and I’m really eager to read this one.
Series: Rogues to Lovers #1
Page Length: 320
Publication Date: Dec. 28, 2021
Publisher: St, Martin’s Paperbacks
Synopsis: WHAT A GIRL WANTS
To survive her difficult childhood, Miss Hazel Lively relied on two things:a tough outer shell and a love of books. Now, at the age of twenty-eight, she’s finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. She’s hoping that the wealthy families who flock to the shore for the summer will entrust their daughters to Bellehaven Academy―and help pay the way for less fortunate students. All Hazel must do is maintain a flawless reputation and raise a good deal of money. It’s a foolproof plan…till a sinfully handsome earl strides into her office.
WHAT AN EARL NEEDS
Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has had a monstrous headache since the day his teenaged niece became his ward. She’s been expelled from two London boarding schools and is doing her damnedest to scare off his potential fiancée. But Blade has a plan of his own―enroll his niece at Bellehaven Academy, where she’ll be out of town and out of his hair. He just needs to convince the buttoned-up headmistress with the soulful brown eyes to take on his niece.
LEAD TO AN IRRESISTIBLE DEAL
When Blade makes a generous offer to the school, it’s impossible for Hazel to refuse. But she has one non-negotiable condition: the earl must visit his niece every other week. Soon, Blade discovers there’s much more to Hazel than meticulous lesson plans. In moonlit seaside coves and candlelit ballrooms, their sparring leads to flirtation…and something altogether deeper. But the passion that flares between them poses a threat to Hazel’s school and Blade’s battered heart. They say a good thing can’t last forever, but true love? Well, it just might…
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
6. The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinka
Isn’t that cover gorgeous? The story sounds so intriguing too. This publishes shortly after Christmas, and if I get any gift cards to the bookstore, I’m totally buying this book.
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: Dec. 28, 2021
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Synopsis: The Wicked Deep meets House of Salt and Sorrows in this new standalone YA fantasy set in a snow-cloaked kingdom where witches are burned, and two enchantresses secretly compete for the heart of a prince, only to discover that they might be falling for each other.
It’s Karnawał season in the snow-cloaked Kingdom of Lechija, and from now until midnight when the church bells ring an end to Devil’s Tuesday time will be marked with wintry balls and glittery disguises, cavalcades of nightly torch-lit “kuligi” sleigh-parties.
Unbeknownst to the oblivious merrymakers, two monsters join the fun, descending upon the royal city of Warszów in the guise of two innocent girls. Newfound friends and polar opposites, Zosia and Marynka seem destined to have a friendship that’s stronger even than magic. But that’s put to the test when they realize they both have their sights set on Lechija’s pure-hearted prince. A pure heart contains immeasurable power and Marynka plans to bring the prince’s back to her grandmother in order to prove herself. While Zosia is determined to take his heart and its power for her own.
When neither will sacrifice their ambitions for the other, the festivities spiral into a wild contest with both girls vying to keep the hapless prince out of the other’s wicked grasp. But this isn’t some remote forest village, where a hint of stray magic might go unnoticed, Warszów is the icy capital of a kingdom that enjoys watching monsters burn, and if Zosia and Marynka’s innocent disguises continue to slip, their escalating rivalry might cost them not just the love they might have for each other, but both their lives.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
7. A Legacy of Darkness by J.M. Wallace
I just received this book from the author, and it sounds fantastic! This is my next read.
Series: A Legacy of Darkness #1
Publication Date: Oct. 10, 2021
Synopsis: A reluctant King haunted by his father’s actions.
A Druid girl haunted by her bloody childhood.
And an impossible quest to save their country…
Gripping and action-packed, A Legacy of Darkness is an adrenaline-filled, high fantasy of sword and sorcery, mythical creatures, and a charming cast of characters, perfect for fans of Cinda Williams Chima and Holly Black.
Darkness spreads through the kingdom of Asterion. Shaye Wistari witnesses it with her own eyes as she returns home from across the sea. Fearful of the monsters lurking in the waters to the East, she must revisit the bloody memories of her childhood.
When the newly crowned King tracks her down to enlist her help, she learns only she, the last of the Druid line, can save the country she has tried to leave behind.
Paired with the son of the man who slaughtered her people and stole her magic, she sets off on an impossible quest to save the innocent citizens of Asterion.
Alongside a group of unlikely allies, Shaye embarks on a desperate journey to reclaim her power and face the ghosts of her past. She must confront her own demons, or the darkness will overtake her, leaving Asterion vulnerable to destruction.
A Legacy of Darkness is the first book in this exciting fantasy trilogy. From it, you can expect danger, political intrigue, and thrilling passion, as Shaye and King Sorin fight the darkness closing in on them.
8. Gilded by Marissa Meyer
I’ve heard so many good things about this book, and I’ll tell you a secret – I bought it for my daughter for Christmas! She loves Marissa Meyer and wants to read this one too. I think she’ll let me borrow it, right?
Page Length: 512
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Synopsis: Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.
Or so everyone believes.
When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn’t meant to be part of the bargain.
Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.
9. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Ugh – I can’t believe I haven’t read this yet, especially considering how much I love Bardugo’s books. I’d like to read this before the holidays and really need to pencil in some time for it.
Series: King of Scars – Book 2
Page Length: 528
Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
Synopsis: The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.
The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.
The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.
The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.
King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
10. Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mahalik
I love sci-fi romance, and Jessie Mahalik writes good ones! This is a new series called Starlight’s Shadow, and I’m loving the sound of it. Luckily, I received and advanced copy and can read it early!
Series: Starlight’s Shadow #1
Page Length: 400
Publication Date: Feb. 1, 2022
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Synopsis: The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.
Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.
With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.
But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.
Have you read any of these? What’s on your winter TBR? Comment below!
I hope you enjoy all of them!
I got my daughter Gilded for Christmas. I want to borrow it from her when she’s done. I hope you get to read it soon.
Well, my Winter reads will basically be the Harry Potter series- after all, started the books in December—-so most likely will still be in the middle of them by the end of Winter
Fun! I hope you enjoy them!
I know I will- fell in love with HP when I was a kid, and now rereading them
I cannot wait to read The Midnight Girls!
I added A Far Wilder Magic to my tbr recently. It sounds so good!
It’s fantastic!!
Oops, Rule of Wolves should have deffo been on my Winter TBR. Thanks for reminding me.
lol – It’s hard to narrow it down to just 10
i need to read gilded still! and a far wilder magic is SO good💜
Right! I can’t wait for my reread!
Great list! I really wanna read Girls Before Earls and Gilded 😍 What’s An Earl Gotta Do? looks and sounds like it’ll be a fun read too so I guess that’s going on my TBR 😜 I love The Little Mermaid vibes I get from that cover too! I hope you enjoy all these books, Julie!
Thanks, Dini! Every time I hear that title, I start singing the Jonas Brothers song What a Man Gotta Do. lol Makes me want to read the book even more. 🙂
Now you’ve got me singing that song 😂
I hope you enjoy these! They have great covers. 😍
Thanks!
I’m planning to read Gilded soon too, and I do need to get back to Bardugo’s books! (Next up for me would be Crooked Kingdom…) Hope you enjoy all of these!
My TTT
Ahhhh – Crooked Kingdom!! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!!
I really enjoyed Rule of Woves! Also want to read Gilded!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I hope you like Gilded when you read it. 🙂
Great list! Rumpelstiltskin is my favourite fairy tale, so Gilded is one I’d like to try, too.
It sounds so good, and I haven’t read many Rumpelstiltskin retellings, so I’m really interested in this one too. 🙂
I hope you enjoy all of these, Julie.
Thanks, Carla!