Hi bookworms! Today I’m sharing 11 of my most anticipated releases from this month! They all look like fun reads. Let's talk about them! Seeds for the Swarm by Sim Kern March 1st I have already read this book and had a great time with it! This climate fiction novel follows Rylla, who after protesting the construction of a dam in the Guadalupe River, goes viral online. Because of this, she’s offered acceptance to the Wingates University, which she takes even though that means she has to leave her brother behind. There, she meets like minded students who are all working on technology with one goal in mind, to save the planet. But when Rylla and her friends discover a secret about the school’s billionaire backers, they are now in a race against the clock to reclaim the technology they’ve developed… before it’s too late. It had great characters and an exciting plot You can check out my review for more of my thoughts. My Dear Henry: A Jekyll and Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron March 7th I've been meaning to pick up more historical fiction books and this one sounds right up my alley! This YA remix of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story is set in 1885 in London, and follows Gabriel and his friend Henry, who were both expelled from medical school because of a scandal. The boys have been followed by gossip for years about their true relationship and now Henry has become distant. But Gabriel doesn't want to let go and is determined to learn more about what Henry is up to. In the process he meets a boy named Hyde who says he's close friends with Henry. This book sounds like the perfect mix of spooky and historical. I'm excited to see how this remix holds true to the original story and how it differs. The Jump by Brittney Morris March 7th I am a big fan of friend groups in books, especially when competitions are involved! The Jump is all about a scavenger hunting team who's home is threatened by the building of an oil refinery. So they enter into a scavenger hunt held by the mysterious group named The Order, with a prize that could have enough influence to save not only their homes but their parents' jobs. Puzzles and scavenger hunts are a lot of fun to read about, especially when you can guess along with the characters. I'm excited to meet these characters and see what they can do! Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia & Gabriel Picolo March 7th After loving Teen Titans: Raven, Teen Titans: Beast Boy, and Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven, I'm excited to dive into the next instalment in this series! The artwork in this graphic novel series is so pretty, and the plot makes them fast reads. I don't know much about Robin's character so I'm interested in learning more about him! Plus the next book, Teen Titan's Starfire has already been announced! Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz March 14th I'm all about retellings with exciting twists and Midnight Strikes sounds awesome. In it we follow Anaïs who would give anything to leave the kingdom's anniversary ball, after all who wants to suck up to royal bachelors? But when the ball suddenly ends with an explosion that kills everyone, including Anaïs, she's shocked to discover that she wakes up again in her bedroom as if nothing happens. No one has any memory of the event except Anaïs, and time continues to loop as explosion after explosion occurs. Now she'll have to figure out how to stop this attack from happening, which might be difficult with all the power hungry nobles around. But can she do it all before midnight strikes? I can't wait to see where this story goes! So many elements pop out to me from the synopsis. Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell March 14th This book was blurbed by one of my favourite authors (Allison Saft) so you know this grabbed my attention right away 😂. But after reading the synopsis I was soon intrigued by this cottagecore fantasy romance. Flowerheart is about a girl named Clara who has the ability to grow flowers just with a simple touch. And her power has never been dangerous before, that is until she accidentally caused poisonous flowers to bloom in her father's chest. In order to fix it a very difficult spell needs to be cast, and the only one willing to help is Clara's ex-best friend Xavier. But Xavier's help comes at a terrible price and Clara is left trying to reconcile the sweet boy she once knew with the darkness that now surrounds him. This gives me the same vibes as Down Comes the Night and I am here for it! The Legacy of Villains by Juliet Lockwood March 21st Another release that I've read and loved! This Peter Pan retelling by indie author Juliet Lockwood is magical! In it we follow Jolie Hook, daughter of the famous Captain Hook, who is desperate to save her father after he was kidnapped by the conniving Peter Pan. She has no choice but to make a bargain with Pan, make it to his castle within three days, and he will let her father go. As she faces the dangerous Neverwoods, and the nightmarish games her enemy sends, she starts to unravel the mysteries of Peter Pan. While she races against the clock, Jolie will learn more about the past while she tries to bring an end to Neverland’s fiercest unending war. is a captivating and magical tale, filled with daring sword fights, engaging characters, and exciting romance. It talks about the importance of forging your own destiny and above all, the power of love. Get ready to be charmed by this shadowy version of Peter Pan, and fall in love with this expansive world. You can check out my review for more of my thoughts! While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai March 21st This next book is speaking to my nerdy heart! While You Were Dreaming is about Sonia, who has a crush on a boy and hopes to get his attention when she shows up at their local comi con in cosplay (I love it already 😂). Except what she didn't plan on was rescuing him from a canal after he faints. Suddenly everyone is trying to figure out who the masked-do-gooder was, which is worrying because Sonia's sister is undocumented and the girls have been avoiding attention since their mother was deported back to Mumbai. Now she's trying to connect with her crush all while avoiding social media detectives. I'm excited to see how Sonia is able to balance this stressful situation! Scorned Prince by Brady Hunsaker March 23rd Next up I'm featuring another indie book! I''m currently reading Scorned Prince, the first book in the Ringdweller series and enjoying it! It's about a prince named Migo who is trying to win back his mother's favour in order to save his life and stop the assassination she has planned for him. We also follow Katsi, a shaman girl, who Migo is charged with killing. All Katsi wants to do is stop a conflict that has been happening for years between her tribe and Migo's mother. And when she uncovers a plot that could mean thousands could die on both sides, she and Migo must each decide where their loyalties lie. I'm looking forward to seeing how this first book ends! Stay tuned for a review coming soon. Made of Stars by Jenna Voris March 28th I told you guys that I'm planning on reading more sci-fi and this is one of them! Made of Stars is a YA space opera where we follow Shane and Ava, an outlaw duo who are able to take anything they need. That is until Shane got caught and thrown in prison. But now he’s escaped and has his sights on their biggest job yet, stopping a secret plot for military control. We also follow Cyrus, recent graduate from the flight academy who is determent to track down outlaws. And when he runs into Shane and Ava, he’s caught between two versions of the truth. He has to think fast though, because Shane and Ava will bring the planet to its knees… or die trying. Sounds awesome right? A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen March 28th A Door in the Dark is a fantasy thriller, a genre I haven't read much of! It follows 6 student wizards who accidentally get stranded in the middle of nowhere after a portal spell malfunctions. Now the group has to not only navigate the wilderness around them but the secrets they're all hiding. This sounds so interesting, plus the cover is stunning! Those are my anticipated releases for March 2023 bookworms! I hope you are as excited for these releases as I am! What March releases are on your radar? Are any of these books on your tbr? Let me know in the comments below!
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Happy Friday bookworms! Today I'm excited to be sharing another author interview with you all! I had a great time talking with Camilo Moncada Lozano all about Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds, his upcoming graphic novel! I loved the mythology and artwork in this book, check out my review for more of my thoughts! This book comes out April 4th and you can preorder your copy here! Synopsis: Donají is a fearless Zapotec girl who, even though she’s only fifteen, is heralded as a hero by her village. In Codex Black, Donají sets out on an adventure–accompanied by the god that lives inside of her poncho–to find her missing father. Along the way, she meets a 17-year-old winged Mexica warrior named Itzcacalotl, and over time their temporary partnership blooms into an incredible friendship. The search brings the young pair closer to danger and deeper into myster than either could have predicted. What exactly was Donají's father involved with? And how did a simple search for a missing relative lead Donají and Itzcacalotl into a fight with a terrifying bat monster to defend an entire village? Content warnings
Violence Hello Camilo! Welcome to Page by Paige Books! I am so excited to chat with you today. To get things started I’d love to get to know you a bit more. Could you share 3 fun facts about yourself? Hi Paige! Thanks for having me. As for fun facts, I’m left handed, and because of this, I often draw my characters doing things with their left hands accidentally. I can speak Spanish, English, and Japanese, which I’ve been studying since high school. Finally, I have an obsession with crows and ravens, which has got to the point where all my close friends immediately think of me whenever they come across anything crow related. They have even sent me crow feathers from abroad, as I collect them. I started said collection in the brief time I lived in Vancouver, Canada, where I would pick all the feathers I could spot on the side walks, though sadly it hasn’t grown much larger ever since, because there are no crows in Mexico City at all. Congratulations on the upcoming publication of Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds! This story is filled with action, mythology, and interesting characters. What inspired you to create the Codex Black series? Actually, Codex Black is a crossover in a sense, as I created both Donají and Itzcacalotl for two separate projects. Eventually, since both characters were from the same time period, I started daydreaming about putting them together in an adventure, and thus began writing down ideas of potential situations they could be in, as well as the kind of interactions they would have. With time, the initial simple idea evolved into an epic series of bigger proportions than I originally intended, which is pretty much the way most of my projects end up. As for inspirations, it is no secret that Japanese manga and anime are among those that have influenced me the most. In the case of Codex Black, it were particularly those with an emphasis on adventure, like Fullmetal Alchemist, and InuYasha. Likewise, certain mythical structures from Mesoamerican cosmogony play a major role in the way I built the path for Donají & Itzcacalotl’s journey. The art style in Codex Black was a lot of fun and created an immersive reading experience. Do you have any tips for someone who wants to improve their artistic skills? I’m a self-taught artist, and sometimes I regret not having put the time into studying the fundamentals more seriously. Therefore I would struggle to give advice on something I’ve navigated through by sheer intuition. The one thing I can say though, is that I think that keeping it fun or enjoyable is very important, if not to improve artistic skills, as a motivation to keep it going, which with time will inevitably result in improvement. I love learning about mythology and I enjoyed reading about the Mesoamerican myths in Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds, what was your research process like while you were writing this story? My fascination for Mesoamerican mythology, cultures, and history, long predate Codex Black in itself, so by the time I first conceived the story, I was already pretty soaked in literature on the subject. I mostly read books on anthropology, archaeology, and history, which I find myself reading even more often than fiction, taking notes when necessary. Besides research in books, I also have travelled to several of the regions depicted in the story, to where I always bring a camera, in order to get visual references on the landscapes my protagonists may travel through. I also like to visit museums and take pictures of all the objects and miniatures, as well as closely studying the surviving Mesoamerican codices, to incorporate some of their graphic styles into my character designs and such. All in all, you could say it’s an obsessive process of diving into all I can find about Mesoamerica, until it somehow becomes second nature. Codex Black initially started as a webcomic, and it’s now become a graphic novel series, which is so exciting! What advice would you give to your past self when you first began the series? I would definitely warn him about working on a standard page size instead of some arbitrary custom size! Other than that, as much as I love inking traditionally, due to the sheer amount of pages in these books, I’d insist on him finding a way to cut corners digitally, and establish a workflow that allows other people to hop in and help without disrupting the whole process. Going from being a completely solitary creator to a team based work has been quite the challenge for me. I enjoyed following our main characters Donají and Itzcacalotl on their journey and seeing them get to know one another. Which character do you relate to more, and why? Amongst the two protagonists, I definitely relate more to Itzcacalotl. Donají has a special place in my heart, but in many ways you could say she’s my antithesis, with her courageous, impulsive, and sometimes even aggressive nature, we’re nothing alike! If anything, one of our only similarities would be our headstrong reluctance to ask for help when we most need it. Several people who personally know me have said that they see me in Itzcacalotl’s character, perhaps because of his calm demeanor. They’re probably right, but I still think that we have some fundamental differences, as he is a very carefree, go-with-the-wind sort of character, while I’m more of a methodic and cautious person. Surprisingly enough, I think I more closely relate to some of the antagonistic characters that will be formally introduced later on in the series. I am always looking for more graphic novels to read. Do you have any that you would recommend for fans of your work? As I had mentioned, most of my influence comes from manga, so I don’t have many graphic novels to recommend (if anything, I would love to get the recommendations myself!). There’s a particular manga series named Akatsuki no Yona or Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi, to which I’ve been really hooked up for the last few years. The story is set in a fictional world, but in a time period that is richly influenced by a mix of ancient Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cultures, with fantasy elements which remind me a lot of Codex Black, and it also has a strong willed young girl as a protagonist, so I would definitely recommend it to those who liked my work. Despite that, I’ve also been a fan of Brian Lee O’Malley’s work for some time, having enjoyed both Scott Pilgrim and Seconds. Thank you so much for chatting with me about Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds! My last question for you is, do you have any upcoming projects that you’re currently working on? Well, for the time being I’ll be fully focusing on Codex Black, as it will be a long ride (I’m already deep into the process of drawing book 2). It is, however, part of an expanded universe, and I have several other stories in the back-burner that are related to the series in one way or another. There’s one in particular that I would like to work on simultaneously to the graphic novels, which deals with the origins of “the Crow” as a mythical being endemic to my universe, following the life of an ancient sorceress named Hoh. A sort of prequel taking place over 9000 years prior to Codex Black. I still don’t know what shape this story will adopt (Comic? Animation? A short novel?), but I can say that it will deal with somewhat more mature and darker themes than those of Donají & Itzcacalotl’s adventures. Author Information Camilo Moncada Lozano is a Mexican artist based in Mexico City. Lover of crows, mythology, and Japanese culture. Despite his background as an animator and visual arts graduate, his true passion lies in creating characters and telling their stories. He has spent most of his life weaving a fictional universe that connects all these stories, one of which is Codex Black. The development of an obsession. His friends often can't remember the last time they saw him, some even wonder if he's actually real. "I like crows."
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AuthorPaige is a bookstagrammer and blogger who loves all things bookish. From fantasy to mystery she can’t get enough! She’s always ready to recommend you a book and she can talk about her favourites all day. When she’s not reading, you can find her watching Marvel movies, playing video games, and taking bookstagram photos. Visit her on Instagram and Twitter for more updates. Categories
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