Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and as promised, I’ve got your second double dose of new releases. Let me tell you, this month has been murder on my book budget so far, and we’re only a third of the way through! Please send help. Someone come slap my credit card out of my hand before it’s too late. Stay safe out there, space pirates — and I hope you have a LOT of reading time this summer — and I’ll see you on Tuesday!
Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.
Bookish Goods
Black Valkyrie Art Print by MokiByMo
In honor of Black Shield Maiden, how about this gorgeous print of a Black Valkyrie? You can also get her as a tote bag or a puzzle in the artist’s shop. $49
New Releases
Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel
Yafeu is a fierce yet compassionate young warrior, stolen from the Ghānian Empire and taken to the land of the Vikings, where she does her best to survive in the alien climate and culture. What she finds is a kindred spirit, a princess she comes to serve. Together, they fight to make their own fates and defend the freedom of Yafeu and others.
Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
The God King Joon must die — and the means of his execution will be the five greatest liars in all the land, brought together by a mysterious patron. Each of these liars, these killers, has a reason to want vengeance on Joon — and the crown that sits on his head. But if they are to succeed, they must find a way to trust each other.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Why are there so many good books coming out this month? We’ll never know! But here’s more of them.
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
Once more, we travel with Cleric Chih, this time as they accompany a young bride who is set to marry an aging nobleman at his crumbling estate. As fits such a gothic beginning, the man’s mad son offers cryptic warnings, the servants are frightened and paranoid, and there is something definitely haunting the dark halls, whispering of what might have happened to the lord’s previous wives…
The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
Once upon a time, Dimitri was the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo; now, he’s an exile, thanks to a civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey. Dmitri has only one, dangerous ploy to regain his land — engineer Alexey’s downfall and then kill him. But Alexey has died and resurrected himself into immortality, claims that God Himself speaks to him, and can summon demonic creatures. If Dmitri wishes to save Novo-Svitsevo, he will have to forsake Alexey’s soul — a man he still cannot bring himself to hate — or sacrifice his own spymaster, whom he has come to love.
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.