Song of Silver Flame Like Night – Chapter Malliumpkin

Salutations everyone! I hope you’ve been kicking the new year off with some amazing books and if not, that’s okay and valid, too! Today, I’m bringing back the 5 star prediction post. I feel like I do one of these every year, but it usually gets post in the middle of the year. I’ll be honest, this is a bit of solid tbr for the whole year and why I wanted to post this now while the new year is freshly starting. Of course, I’ll be reading other books this year. I mean, there’s so many amazing books that are slotted to come out in 2023 and as usual, I’m trying to play catch up with books from 2022. With all of that being said, all of the books listed here are ones that I’m really excited about and ones that I think I’m going to absolutely fall in love with. Truly, truly, I believe 2023 with be a year of amazing reads that I just end up adoring!

➼ A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
November 23, 2021 by Levine Querido

✨ Elatsoe ★★★★★

This book should come as no surprise to anyone. Darcie Little Badger has become one of my favorite authors and is an author I constantly anticipate books from. So when I stumbled upon this book, I instantly knew my heart was going to feel so full. I have so much excitement surrounding this book and hopefully I’ll be getting to this book soon!

➼ Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
August 30, 2022 by Hodder & Stoughton

With the second book releasing in 2023, I want to make sure I finally read the first book! I have been anticipating this book since 2022, but sadly I never got around to reading it. So I want to make an effort that in 2023, I read this one and instantly hop into the sequel!

➼ Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
November 8, 2022 by Tor Books

This book looks like the perfect, wholesome, cozy read! I’m so excited to dive into this book! As a lover of DnD and RPG games, I just know that this is going to make my heart so full. Plus, have you seen the cover? It looks so cute and I’m excited to see this romance flourish!

➼ Not So Yours Truly (Warts & Claws Inc., #4) by Clio Evans
December 6, 2022

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’ve been flying through this series, having a fantastic time along the way! So it should come as no surprise by the fact that this ebook is making an appearance onto this list. I’m so excited for this one in particular because it’s going to be following the sibling of one of the characters we’re introduced to early on in the series. And she’s a healer and if you didn’t know, I’m always a healer in any of my RPGs, LARPs, or DnD sessions! So I’m bursting with excitement for this one!

➼ Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Song of the Last Kingdom #1) by Amélie Wen Zhao
January 3, 2023 by Delacorte Press

By now you should know that this is one of my anticipated books for 2023. Not only did this stunning cover pull me in, but you know I’m absolutely weak for books involving dragons. However, this book is also based of Chinese mythology and I will always charge head first towards anything that’s mythology or a retelling. And if that didn’t sell you on this book, it’s going to be a duology! Look, I’m just really excited about this book and can’t wait to dive head first into it!

➼ White Horse by Erika T. Wurth

I’m so upset that I didn’t get to read this book in 2022. Not only is one of my goals for 2023 to highlight more Native/Indigenous literature, but one of my goals is to read this book. This synopsis completely sucked me in and I have been eager to read this book. Sadly, the end of 2022 didn’t give me the chance to read. Mark my words, I will read this book in 2023. It’s going to happen!

➼ Nanny for the Neighbors by Lily Gold
June 7, 2021

When I first heard about this book, I was excited. However, when I found out this is not only a reverse harem, but we get polyamorous representation, I was bursting at the rims with excitement to read this book. I don’t want to know too much about this book, but I’m excited for it. Also, the author is self-published and if you were looking for more authors who are self-publishing then you should definitely put this author on your radar!

➼ The Vampire and the Witch by Francesca Flores
March 21, 2023 by Wednesday Books

Remember what I said about loving retellings? Well, here’s a retelling to add to you list! While I didn’t mention this on my anticipated books for 2023, this is in fact one of the books I’m anticipating for 2023. This book is not only suppose to have lesbian rep, but this is a Rapunzel retelling with a paranormal twist. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m really intrigued and I think this is going to be a book I’m absolutely going to love!

➼ Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For by Zoraida Cordova
September 26, 2023 by Feiwel Friends

Look, if you don’t know my love for anthologies by now, let this be the sign that tells you I do! I’m both excited and conflicted. I’m not conflicted about the book itself, I’m conflicted on if this book will be my downfall or not. I say that because I have yet to find an anthology that I’m absolutely head over heels for. While I have high hopes for this book and have a strong desire to love this anthology, I wonder if I’m over-hyping myself. Either way, I’m slapping this book on this list because I really want to believe I’m going to love this book and this will be the anthology, my first anthology, that receives five stars!

➼ The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1) by Susan Dennard
November 1, 2022 by Tor Teen

I’m so excited about this book! I was teeter-totting back and forth on whether or not to take the plunge and read this book. After reading Caro’s Favorite Books of 2022, I was convinced that I needed to pick this book up! I love a good paranormal book and this one sounds right up my alley. This synopsis has me so intrigued and excited to see how the story will unfold.

I feel it in my heart, 2023 is going to be a year of many amazing reads! Looking at this list, I’m excited for not only the books I’m anticipating for 2023, but the books that I have yet the chance to get to. This list is only ten of my five star predictions. There are so many more books that I’m eager for and have high hopes for. However, on a more serious note, I will say that with the strikes happening with HarperCollins, making this list and thinking about my future tbrs has been difficult. And I want to emphasize that while the strikes are happening, all my reviews and reading of HarperCollins titles have come to a halt. I’m checking each book I put on any of my lists or tbr lists very thoroughly, and hoping that the current strikes with HarperCollins come to an end soon, in favor of the workers. With that all said, I hope you enjoyed this small list of ten five stars predictions. If any of these titles are on your predictions for the year or you have some titles not on my list, come chat with me in the comments below! Until the next post, Chapterlings, I hope 2023 is being gentle with you and you’re staying hydrated, resting well, and having some tasty snacks! 💚

✨ 5 Star Predictions: 2019| 2020| 2021| 2022

I’m finally getting this blog post out! When I tell you I feel majorly accomplished by this post, I mean, I feel really darn good right now! I feel like I haven’t talked about books I’m eager to read, anticipated releases, or anything of the sort for so long. And you know, disappearing for almost (not quite) two years will do that to you. However, I’m hoping that if this first week of 2023 has said indicated anything, I’m trying to do better this year. Shoutout to my amazing friends for helping me catch up with the 2023 books being released for the full year. They’re true blessings and I’m so, so grateful for them. As of today, January 4th of 2023, I’m going to share eight of the my thirty-three (possibly more) anticipated books for 2023. I’m really excited, you might be able to tell, but I hope you’re just as excited to see this list! Enjoy, friends! ♥

➸ Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
May 2, 2023 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Going forward into 2023, as a Native reader, I want to keep highlighting Native/Indigenous authors and their book. Angeline Boulley has been on my radar for a while now. I already have one book by her that I’m hoping to read this year and I’m hoping to get my hands on a copy of Warrior Girl Unearthed so I can do a dedicated post to both books by this author. Plus, the cover is absolutely stunning and reading the synopsis… my soul isn’t ready!

➸ Not So Yours Truly (Warts & Claws Inc. Series # 4) by Clio Evans
December 6, 2022 by author

This is the only book on this list where the book is already out. However, I really wanted to include this book on my list because I’ve been loving this series. I’ve been having a fun time, enjoying the characters, and of course, monsters! I’ve already read the first two books in the series and at the time of this post going up, I’m working on book three. And I’m hoping, fingers and toes crossed, I finish the whole series this year!

➸ Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
January 24, 2023 by Redhook

I am so FREAKING excited about this book’s release! I’ve barely heard anyone talking about this book and trust me, I think more readers need to put this on their radar. The synopsis alone pulled me in and I’m hoping to be chilled to my core. The gorgeous cover aside, the little bread crumbs we get from the synopsis sounds like everything I want in my horror book and I just have the biggest need for it.

➸ Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
August 1, 2023 by Sourcebooks Fire

I read Wild is the Witch during the summer of 2022 and since then I have been craving more books from this author! I love Rachel’s writing, the way this author builds the worlds and characters, and I can’t begin to express how excited I am to dive into a new book by her. And can we take a moment to address this cover? I adore this cover and I didn’t know I needed a cover like this until I saw it. When I tell you my breath hitched, oh I was choking on air, friends! I was so captivated and after reading the synopsis, I just knew I needed more.

➸ A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson
April 18, 2023 by Delacorte Press

I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about this book. Honestly, the cover is the thing that captivated me more than anything else. However, after reading the synopsis, I’m so excited and also realizing that I’m anticipating a lot of witchy, paranormal books in 2023. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, but I’m really excited to read this book. Out of everything I could take away from the little itty-bits I’ve come up with, the magic has me fascinated and I really want to know more. Plus, does the moth on the cover of the book actually tie in to the things in the book, I need to know.

➸ Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
January 3, 2023 by Delacorte Press

By the time this post is going up, this book will have already released. HOWEVER! Will this stop me from talking about it? No. Will I continue to tell everyone about this book? Abso-freaking-lutely! I have been anticipating this book since November 2022. Dragons, freaking dragons, and always dragons. You want to know how to make me fall head over heels for your book? Dragons. That’s all I needed to know and I was sold. Dragons aside, the last part of the synopsis really sunk it’s claws in me and after that I instantly preordered this book. So I’m really hoping to start this book soon because truly, I can’t wait to dive in!

➸ House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig
July 25, 2023 by Delacorte Press

I absolutely fell in love with House of Salt and Sorrows back in 2019. I gave it five stars and have been waiting for any inkling of news that involved a sequel to the book. Of course, I kind of disappeared from the book community for like a year or so and a lot of my intense researching and deep diving on books went onto a back burner. Flash forward to now and I’m just finding out about this book… NOW. Literally, I just found out about the night or so before drafting this. I have been so ready and my excitement can’t be contained since this knowledge has planted itself in my brain.

➸ Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
January 10, 2023 by Doubleday Books
ARC was given by NetGalley & Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review.

The arc gods have smiled upon me and blessed my e-arc galley with a copy of this book! I’m very privileged to have received an arc of this book and I’m so excited to read this. Crows, freaking crows! I’m so excited to have a mystery thriller that has crows as symbolism or a potential role in the book. That aside, this is a book by a Native author and the book as a whole is Native/Indigenous. Again, this year I’m trying to unapologetically go really hard for Native/Indigenous literature and so you’re going to see a lot of them pop up on tbrs or see me talking about them. But this particular book, I’m really excited about it. This is a supernatural, mystery thriller book and the synopsis alone had me vibrating with excitement to read. Truly, 2023 is blessing us with some amazing books and I just had to tell you about this one. I think this book is going to be everything and I’m calling it now, five star prediction, favorite of the year, and top books of 2023. There, I did it and I can’t go back!

➸ Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah
February 21, 2023 by Wednesday Books

I wanted to list an honorable mention here, near the end of the post. I found out about this book in the autumnal season of 2022 and this became one of my first 2023 anticipated releases. As always, I’m a very sentimental soul and the sunflowers on the cover are what lured me in. This book took me by surprised and blew a lot of my predictions out of the water. If you love small town vibes, buried secrets, and characters that contain multitudes then I want to recommend this book to you. I really enjoyed my time reading it and finished my arc copy in two days. So if that tells you anything, I hope you’ll check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Okay, Chapterlings! Those are just a small portion of the books I’m anticipating or excited for in 2023! I have quite a few books on my radar and maybe you’ll see some reviews for those books coming soon. And hopefully this year I’ll be better at reading my 2023 releases because after disappearing for a year or so, playing catch up has been hard, and a struggle. Please let me know in the comments below if any of these books are on your radar for 2023 or let me know some of your anticipated releases. I’m constantly on the hunt for books to fall in love with and get obsessed over! I hope you’re staying hydrated and remembering to take little breaks, and until next time, I love you bunches! 💚

✨ Anticipated Books: 2019| 2020| 2021| 2022