Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’m coming at you with your new releases for the day and some modern (and gritty) Arthurian retellings. We just had a big thunderstorm here and man, there is really nothing like the smell you get in a garden after a storm. It’s an invitation to sit by an open window, listen to the windchimes, and maybe read a book (or do the crossword, I’m not your boss). I hope everyone had a great weekend. We’re going to kick this week’s butt. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!
BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process.
Bookish Goods
Merlin and Arthur Earrings by BellBookAndScandal
These earrings are made from snippets of recycled book pages, naming an excellent combo of characters. The seller has a lot of similar earrings but for different book couples! $12.
New Releases
Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee
Sir Kay, brother of King Arthur, has been reborn again and again as an immortal defender of the realm, and after clawing his way up from the grave one too many times, he’s not terribly excited about it. Particularly not in this new, modern Britain he finds himself in, where a simple war would be welcome because at least it would have an easy solution. Instead, he’s faced with a realm that’s wracked by climate change, privatization, and a truly awful government…and no idea how to handle any of it.
No One Will Come Back for Us by Premee Mohamed
Premee Mohamed’s debut short story collection, you will get stories of cosmic horror and dark fantasy, and so many monsters — from deep space, from the abyss of the ocean, and hiding in plain sight while dressed in human skin.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
One Arthurian re-imagining deserves another!
King Maker by Maurice Broaddus
In Indianapolis, a street hustler named King tries to unite drug dealers and other criminals as rival gangs gear up for war. A unique reimagining of the Arthurian legend that mixes the myth into modernity with a distinct edge and Maurice’s trademark rich prose.
Blackheart Knights by Laure Eve
In a dark city where magic is illegal yet practiced everywhere, knights are celebrities who joust on motorcycles and fight for the entertainment of the masses. A magic-touched bastard named Mordred rises, shockingly, to be a king — and a sets her path to become a knight to gain not fame, but vengeance.
See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.