2020 has been characterised by book releases slipping down the months, but July has plenty in store to get excited about. If There’s Always Room For One More around here, these are books I want to make some room for…

As we hit the midway mark for the year, publishing schedules continue to be characterised by disarray, but it’s not all bad news: there are still titles hitting the shelves, albeit sometimes only virtually with the COVID crisis continuing to make physical publication a tricky proposition.

This month sees the ebook release of three titles I’m excited about, with tree-based editions to follow – plus the belated UK ebook release of Annihilation Aria (released in paperback in May, if you could actually get hold of a copy).

First up, Jo Walton’s new book Or What You Will is sure to fly onto my virtual shelf being both the latest release by a beloved author and the latest fantasy exploring acts of storytelling and imagination. Will’s attempt to persuade his ageing author to bring him to true life in one last, desperate bid for immortality will be released on July 7 (hardback expected to follow in August).

 

Adalyn Grace’s debut fantasy All The Stars And Teeth has been out in the US since January, and is due to finally hit our shores soon thanks to the always-amazing team at Titan Books. Amazon are still claiming an ebook release on July 7, although my understanding is that the official UK release will be August 4 – so don’t be surprised if this YA tale of princesses, pirates, soul magic and mermaids slips.

 

While we’re talking derring do debuts, July will see the release of a swashbuckling tale I’ve been dying to read all year: The Sin In the Steel by Ryan van Loan. Fantasy private detectives – one a street rat with Sherlockian insights – find themselves at odds with a pirate queen and the gods themselves. July 21 can’t come soon enough (hardback expected to follow in August).

 

Sticking with adventure, but moving on to full tree-and-digital releases (allegedly), July 28 will bring us the Mercenary Librarians in Deal with the Devil, a post-apocalyptic adventure from Kit Rocha. You don’t need me to explain why I’m excited about this, do you? And as this is Kit Rocha, I’m going to just go ahead and assume the romantic elements are so deftly deployed they’ll win me over.

 

Picking up where Lexicon left off? Maybe, but in space! Damn right I’m excited for Jay Posey’s new space opera Every Sky A Grave, headed our way on July 9. With the right words, Elyth can rearrange reality, keeping change in check and aligning worlds to the great vision of those in charge. Until a new force enters the galaxy – and nobody knows its name…

 

Time for a darker tale with The Only Good Indians, an own voices tale of vengeful spirits from Stephen Graham Jones. Expect social commentary and stalking ghosts on July 21.

 

 

Last but not least, The Relentless Moon continues the alternate history of the Lady Astronaut series from a new point of view. Out in hardback in the US next month, this looks to be available as an import for those keen to lay hands on it as soon as possible (international shipping permitting). Me, I’ll be waiting for the Solaris paperback or ebook edition in November (it is SciFiMonth around here after all).

 

What are you looking forward to in July?

All release dates quoted are for the UK.