It’s the start of a new year and the start of me bringing down my TBR before buying new books! So what has made the cut for my first reads of 2020!

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan

This is the start of my tbr cut down, I’ve had this since March last year and I’m so excited to be buddy reading this book! It had me sold at heist…

The city has always been. The city must finally end.
When three thieves – an orphan, a ghoul, and a cursed man – are betrayed by the master of the thieves guild, their quest for revenge uncovers dark truths about their city and exposes a dangerous conspiracy, the seeds of which were sown long before they were born.
Cari is a drifter whose past and future are darker than she can know.
Rat is a Ghoul, whose people haunt the city’s underworld.
Spar is a Stone Man, subject to a terrible disease that is slowly petrifying his flesh.
Chance has brought them together, but their friendship could be all that stands in the way of total armageddon.

A Throne of Swans by Katherine and Elizabeth Corr

I’m super excited to be part of the blog tour for this book, a retelling of Swan Lake it sounds amazing and I can’t wait to share my review with you all on the 9th!

When her father dies just before her birthday, seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn’s ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother – ripped apart by hawks that have supposedly been extinct since the long-ago War of the Raptors. 
With the benevolent shelter of her mother and her father now lost, Aderyn is at the mercy of her brutal uncle, the King, and his royal court. Driven by revenge and love, she must venture into the malevolent heart of the Citadel in order to seek the truth about the attack that so nearly destroyed her, to fight for the only home she has ever known and for the land she has vowed to protect.

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

I got the whole trilogy for Christmas, I have heard so much about these books that I can’t push them to the back of the queue – if all goes to plan I’ll read one a month consecutively!

Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the worst thing she’d ever been through. That was before her planet was invaded. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating craft, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But the warship could be the least of their problems. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their biggest threat; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady plunges into a web of data hacking to get to the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: Ezra.

Victory Day by Rachel Churcher

The final instalment of the Battle Ground series, there was a huge event at the end of book 4 – where will it all end up! Check back on next week for my review and another amazing guest post by the author! There’s no blurb for this one yet, but not long to wait for the actual release.

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

I loved Shadow of the Fox and I was lucky enough to be granted both that and this follow up from Netgalley. It’s a proper adventure full of mysticism and mythology.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.
Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos