It’s the first day of Wyrd and Wonder 2023, everyone! How exciting! I first found out about this social media platform-crossing event last year. So this is my second time joining and I’m pumped! For those unaware of this event, Wyrd and Wonder is an annual celebration of all aspects of the fantasy genre as an enthusiastic party of adventurers put it front and centre on blogs and other platforms. For more information on how to participate, check out Imyril’s post here. Prompt challenges and read-a-long information are here.

The first prompt is “best laid plans.” Since interpretations of prompts aren’t set in stone, I choose to use this prompt as a way to show off my May TBR list. Since Wyrd and Wonder celebrates fantasy, this month’s TBR is exclusively within that genre. Below are the books I hope to read. Will I stick to this list? Who knows?!

May TBR

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee: This is an ARC that comes out at the end of May. It’s an Arthurian retelling with a modern “twist” and I’m loving it so far.

Witch King by Martha Wells: This is another ARC that comes out at the end of the month. I’m new to Wells’s books, so I’m very interested in this one given the popularity of her Murderbot series. The synopsis say it’s “a remarkable story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.” It’s got mages and the synopsis hints at some political intrigue, so I’m game.

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young: I received this in one of my book subscription boxes, Fairyloot, I believe. It’s a standalone and I’m always looking for fantasy standalones. It’s a blend of genres like fantasy, thriller, and romance. “A deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.”

Orchid Child by Victoria Costello: This is another ARC I have, which will publish in June. I featured this one in my second quarter anticipated books list. It’s another blend of genres that incorporates Celtic mysticism with contemporary life and features a neuroscientist and neurodiversity.

Thorn Hedge by T. Kingfisher: Yet another ARC in my list, but this one hits stores in August. I’ve seen a lot of chatter about this author’s books, so I went for it. This is a retelling of The Sleeping Beauty in a novella format. Again, bring on more standalones!

Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker: This is the first book in The Up-and-Under series which is a novella-length portal fantasy. It’s “a world of talking trees and sarcastic owls, of dangerous mermaids and captivating queens […] an exceptional tale for readers who are young at heart.” I bought this from Book Outlet a while ago because at the time my library didn’t have this series. Now they do, so it’s time to read and potentially unhaul it (we’ll see) to clear some shelf space.

The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst: This is another book I bought from Book Outlet that I plan to read and unhaul. The book blurb describes it as “The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel…” Keeping with the theme, another standalone!

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas: This is the next and last book in the ACOTAR series, which I’m buddy reading with Chris. ACOSF is a chonker, so I’ll probably need to have it as a background read. The questions is will I like Nesta a little better in this book after my reread, or not?

There are a couple more standalone fantasy books I may or may not add to the list. But I’ll save those for potential mood reads. They’re also on my list of “read and unhaul.” I’ve got to start making more progress on my physical backlist!

Are any of these books on your May TBR? Or have you already read any of these?

Magic portal artwork by Tithi Luadthong. The gorgeous artwork has been licensed for use for this [Wyrd and Wonder] event online. You are welcome to use the banners on your Wyrd and Wonder posts, but please make no changes and always credit the artist(s).