Fall 2020 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Releases to Get Excited About

It’s hard to believe, but summer is almost at an end! And so it’s time to look to the fall and and all the amazing books on the horizon. Frankly, it’s a little frightening how much is on my to-read list. The below are only the releases that I’m personally interested in (and/or are series I’m actively reading – sequels in series I haven’t started aren’t on here), so imagine how many books DIDN’T get on this list!

I’ve linked all covers to Goodreads for your convenience, and I’ve linked back to my reviews for previous books in the series if you’re curious to find out more. Enjoy!

September 2020

   

BLOOD & HONEY by Shelby Mahurin
Release Date: September 1st, 2020
One of my favorite reads of 2019 was the YA fantasy romance, SERPENT & DOVE. It took a ridiculous premise (witch hunter & secret witch end up in an arranged marriage) and made it work. It helps that Lou is the kind of heroine that fights tooth and nail for her survival, and is full of snark. This series will be a full trilogy instead of a duology, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Lou and Reed!

THRAWN ASCENDANCY: CHAOS RISING by Timothy Zahn
Release Date: September 1st, 2020
It’s a new Thrawn Trilogy! The newer installments of my favorite Imperial Admiral’s adventures have been a little hit or miss, but I’m chalking up some of that to the fact that the author has been hemmed in by existing Star Wars mythology. This new series is a prequel adventure, covering Thrawn’s life before he crossed paths with the Empire, and I’m hoping that being removed from the Skywalker Saga will give Zahn a little more freedom to build bigger arcs with consequences. Either way, I’m here for a new Star Wars Book!

 

THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER by Andrea Stewart
Release Date: September 8th, 2020
I was super excited to get an early copy of this new fantasy debut. While I haven’t read it yet, my fellow bloggers who have have had high praise for it! In THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER, the daughter of an emperor who is trying to prove she should be named as heir finds herself in a tough spot as revolution brews in the land. The magic system involves making strange animal amalgamations using shards of bone, and I’m interested in seeing how that will be used in this world.

AN UNNATURAL LIFE by Erin K. Wagner
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
And now for a novella! The publishers are pitching AN UNNATURAL LIFE as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD meets THE MURDERBOT DIARIES. A lawyer is tasked with defending an AI from murder charges, a case made all the more tricky by the fact that AI have only been recently awarded legal rights in some parts of the galaxy. The moon where the trial takes place is resistant to implementing those rights, giving our lawyer an uphill battle from the start.

 

THE SILVERED SERPENTS by Roshani Chokshi
Release Date: September 22nd, 2020
Magical heist time! While the magic of THE GILDED WOLVES was a little nebulous, I loved the found family aspect of the first book. Fans have had to wait a bit for this one, as the publishers chose to push it from the original early 2020 release date, so I’m happy that THE SILVERED SERPENTS is almost out in the world! This time around, our gang of thieves travel to Russia as they continue their quest to hunt down artifacts that grant enormous power.

THE IKESSAR FALCON by K.S. Villoso
Release Date: September 22nd, 2020
The first book in this trilogy, THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO, was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The story follows a queen trying to track down her exiled husband in an attempt to reconcile with him (partially from love, partially for political reasons). I ultimately liked it, but it was much more of a character story than it was an action-driven piece (though there is still the odd assassination attempt), and I don’t think I was in the proper headspace for it. Even so, the ending was incredibly compelling, and I want to see where the characters are headed next!

 

BATTLE GROUND by Jim Butcher
Release Date: September 29th, 2020
I AM READY FOR THIS. After a five year gap, THE DRESDEN FILES returned in 2020 with not one, but two books! The first book, PEACE TALKS, got a bit of flack for being a very long set-up to BATTLE GROUND. For me, it’s been so long between books that I didn’t mind the fact that it was essentially a check-in with all the major factions at play. Now that all the pieces are on the board, its time for an epic-sized confrontation that’s sure to have massive repercussions on the magical world.

A DEADLY EDUCATION by Naomi Novik
Release Date: September 29th, 2020
That’s been several sequels in a row, so let’s talk about a new series again. A DEADLY EDUCATION kicks off a trilogy from the author of the acclaimed standalone UPROOTED and the TEMERAIRE series. In this adult fantasy, El begins attending Scholomance, a school for the magically-gifted. At this school, however, you’re stuck until you graduate or you die. El has power to spare, but will her abilities also threaten the lives of other students?

October 2020

 

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by Victoria Schwab
Release Date: October 6th, 2020
A standalone entry from one of my favorite authors, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE is about a girl who makes a deal to live forever. The catch: no one else in the world will be able to remember her. And that’s how Addie LaRue exists until the one day she stumbles into a bookstore and discovers a young man who, against all reason, can remember her.

BLACK SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse
Release Date: October 13th, 2020
I absolutely loved Roanhorse’s first two installments in THE SIXTH WORLD series, so I am ready to see what she can do in a brand new trilogy! In a setting inspired by cultures from the pre-Columbus Americas, it follows two people heading for the city of Tova, where a festival of renewal will coincide with a solar eclipse. Unfortunately for the world, solar eclipses herald great imbalances, and our two heroes have to find their place in a time where society teeters on the brink of upheaval.

November 2020

 

THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF ARDOR BENN by Tyler Whitesides
Release Date: October 20th, 2020
I love thieves. I love magic. So I very much love magical thieves. THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF ARDOR BENN has been on my TBR since its original release in 2018. In 2020, Orbit Books announced that they were reprinting THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF ARDOR BENN – and that the series was now a trilogy, with books two and three being released in November 2020 and December 2020. I’ve winced a bit at the page count (over 700 pages) but hopefully it will be the kind of book that keeps me racing towards the finish line.

THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL By Kiersten White
Release Date: November 10th, 2020
I adored last year’s THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION, which reimagines Camelot mythology. What if Guinevere was a secret magic user, sent by Merlin to protect Arthur from evil? This was a quiet tale that encourages you to snuggle under a pile of blankets to enjoy, and it accomplished the rare feat of providing a love triangle that seemed a legitimate complication and not the whims of the author. Guinevere’s marriage to Arthur is a farce, so it’s not unreasonable for her to develop feelings for someone else; but Arthur’s also a decent human being and there’s attraction in that as well. And yes, I will fully admit I’m here for Mordred. In this outing, Guinevere continues to untangle her past as darker threats continue to move in on Camelot.

 

THE BURNING GOD by R.F. Kuang
Release Date: November 17th, 2020
A trilogy finisher! THE POPPY WAR and THE DRAGON REPUBLIC have a well-earned reputation of emotionally destroying everyone who comes in contact with them, so it is with a healthy respect and fear that I approach the final book in the series. Rin has clawed her way to power at terrible costs and with more than one betrayal. Now in her darkest moment, she finds the only place to turn to is the home she abandoned years before.

NOPHEK GLOSS by Essa Hansen
Release Date: November 17th, 2020
I haven’t had a lot of sci-fi on this list, so let’s add a new space opera into the mix. NOPHEK GLOSS is about a young man who wants revenge on the people who destroyed his homeworld so he steals a ship. That has a soul. And might be capable of creating multiverses. Did I mention there’s an alien found family element? This book sounds weird and I am ready for it.

RHYTHM OF WAR by Brandon Sanderson
Release Date: November 17th, 2020
Last, but CERTAINLY not least, we have the next installment in THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES, RHYTHM OF WAR. These books are always an incredibly long build up, but they always earn their way with spectacular endings. I finally caught up with the series over the summer, finally completing OATHBRINGER, so I’ll actually be ready to read this one when it releases!

And those are the books on my radar for the fall! I’m sure I’m missing things – what books are you looking forward to?