Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings,
to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet
to read. It's
based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
RITES OF THE STARLING is the epic,
heart-pounding sequel to Devney Perry’s #1 New York Times-bestselling
SHIELD OF SPARROWS. A princess journeys across a cursed realm to find
the truth about her family, only to discover her quest intertwines with
the fate of a lost warrior. Love, danger and magic collide in a
captivating romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca
Yarros.
Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of
destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a
devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.
I’m
lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion,
and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is
the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become
the Guardian.
Our lives change one fateful night. A night of
death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the
real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.
Everyone
wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what
if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?
What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?
For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.
It’s time to discover the monster within.
I am so excited for this one! I read the first book as an ARC and it was one of my favorite books from last year! I loved it!
TITLE: Rites of the Starling
AUTHOR: Devney Perry
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2026
From the author of The Madness comes a haunting folk horror fable of lost sisters, old gods, and the terrible power of belief left to rot in the woods.
After
the tragic death of their parents, the seven Ward sisters are sent to
live with their grandmother on the remote forest island of Beltane, a
place suspended between time and shadow. What begins as an attempt to
mend their fractured lives soon twists into a waking nightmare, where
grief bleeds into childhood fantasy and ancient rites awaken a dark and
eerie devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood.
When
another cruel tragedy strikes, the sisters are left to fend for
themselves, learning to live with death as a constant, lurking presence.
The fragile world they’ve carved splinters beneath the weight of
isolation, and the forest around them grows restless…
Years
later, a cryptic letter summons the surviving sisters home. Drawn back
into the wild embrace of their dangerous faith, they confront a truth
more terrible than memory, and the dreadful secret that waits, silent
and sentient, in the depths of the all-seeing trees.
This lyrical
and haunting folk horror explores how trauma can root itself in the
soil of childhood, how love can curdle into obsession, and how gods,
especially forgotten ones, never stay buried for long. But at its heart,
it’s about how they fracture, survive, return, and reckon with what
they’ve made together.
I love Kurtagich's books because they have just the right amount of creepy vibe going on! Definitely can't wait to read this one!
TITLE: The Seventh Sister
AUTHOR: Dawn Kurtagich
PUBLISHER: Thomas & Mercer
GENRE: Horror
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2026
In this dark and sultry romantasy a mermaid battles hatred—and lust—for the wretched warlock who saved her life.
Mermaid Zephyra of the Syl dreams of freedom. On the run from a
dangerous captor and years of abuse, she’s shed her tail, grown legs,
and hidden herself on land in the merrow-loathing kingdom of Mortia,
left to steal and barter on the dirty streets. But her freedom is
short-lived when she’s caught and sentenced to death by the brutal
warlock, Arion Stone.
Arion is as beautiful as he is cold and
deadly, only interested in punishing the merrow he views as evil. He has
grown as strong as any warlock might, but at great personal cost…which
can only be remedied by the heart of the God of Death, lost to a fabled
kingdom beneath the ocean’s treacherous depths.
So Arion offers
Zephyra a deal she can’t refuse; help him find the mystical heart, and
he’ll spare her life. With no other options, Zephyra agrees, entangling
their souls and forbidden desires in a magical bargain until death do
they part. But Zephyra's past is catching up to her, and the enemy she
fled seeks vengeance. If Zephyra and Arion can't learn to fight
together--and trust each other--there are worse things awaiting them
than just death.
Of course, in the wicked sea, everyone has secrets, and no one should be trusted.
For Fans Enemies-to-lovers
Magic Sensual Bonds
Winged Romantic Lead
Forced Proximity
I have yet to read this blurb I only needed to see that it was Jordan Stephanie Gray and what is clearly a mermaid book to know that I NEED THIS BOOK!!
TITLE: The Wicked Sea
AUTHOR: Jordan Stephanie Gray
PUBLISHER: Requited
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2026
