2023 release radar | 2023 releases i’m positively quivering with anticipation for!

Hello, dear friends, ’tis I, your friendly local Lila, here again to talk about books! And this time I’ll be talking about all the books that are releasing this year that I’m excited for! It feels like with every year, the books released keep getting more and more interesting, don’t you think? I think this is partially because the book industry continues to progress in the realm of publishing books from diverse voices. If my younger self heard there’d someday be so many books from Black, Arab, Indigenous, disabled, and neurodivergent voices, she’d be ecstatic!! But enough about me, let’s not dawdle any longer and just dive right into the list of my most anticipated 2023 releases!

unseelie by ilvelisse housman

Release Date: January 3, 2023

AAAAHHH I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE EXPLICIT NEURODIVERGENCE REPRESENTATION IN A FANTASY!!! As someone who is neurodivergent myself (albeit I have severe ADHD rather than being autistic) and a fantasy fan, I cannot express how excited I am for Unseelie! And it’s a fae-based fantasy too—my favorite! BRB, I’ve gotta go flail in excitement for several moments!

emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries by heather fawcett

Release Date: January 10, 2023

I knew I’d be down for this book when I saw the gorgeous cover and read the amazing synopsis, but I was completely sold when Ashleigh of the booktube channel A Frolic Through Fiction described Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries as “cozy academia.”

the daughters of izdihar by hadeer elsbai

Release Date: January 10, 2023

This is a fantasy that according to Goodreads is “inspired by modern Egyptian history” and I am so here for it! A lot of time, we see fantasies inspired by ancient Arab history and myth, but modern Arab history is really fascinating too, as well as incredibly important in understanding the Middle East and North Africa’s place in the world today. For this reason, I’m so hyped to see a fantasy based on modern Egyptian history set to release! Plus, it’s feminist and sapphic and has elemental magic?! Sign! Me! Up!!

spice road by maiya ibrahim

Release Date: January 24, 2023

A Lebanese-authored Arab fantasy based on spice trade that discusses colonization?! Yes, please! As a part Lebanese fantasy fan, I am obligated to stan, no questions asked! This book sounds so incredible and I’ve heard nothing but good things from other reviewers!!

the last tale of the flower bride by roshani chokshi

Release Date: February 14, 2023

Roshani Chokshi and I have a bit of a shaky history (I wasn’t a fan of The Star-Touched Queen, but absolutely adored The Gilded Wolves), but I’m eager to find out how I like this book since I think Chokshi’s flowery prose would suit gothic fantasy very well. Besides, the very premise of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride sounds so mysterious and haunting and intriguing that even more of my interest has been captured.

the wicked bargain by gabe cole novoa

Release Date: February 28, 2023

I’m not always sold on ocean fantasies, but this one sounds AMAZING!!! Besides, I’m a sucker for fantasies involving a deal with the devil. Between the premise of The Wicked Bargain, and the representation it has, I’m just itching to get my hands on this book!

the foxglove king by hannah f. whitten

Release Date: March 7, 2023

This book sounds amazing beyond belief! I’ve never heard of a fantasy novel involving, of all things, cults, but I am so ready to find out what it’s like! Plus there’s death magic that has to do with poison?! And royalty who are elevated to godhood?!?!! Sign. Me. Up!!! I also feel like Whitten’s darkly romantic writing style is totally gonna nail this!

blood debts by terry j. benton-walker

Release Date: April 4, 2023

I don’t know too much about this book, but what I do know sounds amazing! It seems like this book taps a lot into the lore surrounding Black American folk magic (a.k.a. “hoodoo”), but I can’t say for certain, so I’m just crossing my fingers and hoping (cause a hoodoo based fantasy would be so fucking cool!!!) 🤞🏼 Regardless, it seems like this is a contemporary YA fantasy that deals heavily with Black American culture and the concept of justice and I can’t wait to check it out!

one for my enemy by olivie blake

Release Date: April 4, 2023

In 2021 I fell in love with Olivie Blake and Little Chmura’s webcomic Clara and the Devil, and then last year I fell in love with Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six, so I am so ready to get my greedy little book goblin hands on One For My Enemy! It sounds like it has to do with two rival Russian witch/crime/mafia families and if that doesn’t sound interesting to you…well, then we probably don’t have the same taste in books, sorry, lol. This book sounds like one hell of a good time, and if it has Olivie Blake’s trademark writing style, then I think I’ll probably love it!

divine rivals by rebecca ross

Release Date: April 4, 2023

I loved Ross’s debut duology (the The Queen’s Rising duology) and she usually writes books that are semi-inspired by myth, but Divine Rivals sounds like something completely new for her and it seems so cool! I love this premise of “rivals-to-lovers journalists get caught up in a war between gods!” I feel certain this one is bound to be good!!

the last heir to the blackwood library by hester fox

Release Date: April 4, 2023

This book sounds so cool!!! A gothic fantasy involving secret societies and libraries?! No need to say more, just sign me up already! As a book lover, I’m practically obligated to check this one out!! Plus—that cover?! *flails excitedly* In all honesty, I don’t know too much about this book, but what I do know has me hooked. Regardless, I can’t wait to find out what this book is all about!

to shape a dragon’s breath by moniquill blackgoose

Release Date: May 9, 2023

It really warms my Indigenous heart to see more Indigenous fantasy—and this one involves dragons!! That being said, this book looks really intense in its examination of colonization, forced assimilation, and anti-Indigenous racism and I’m interested to see how it tackles those topics (especially in a book for young adults). I have a lot of hope and excitement for this book and I feel certain it won’t let me down.

the jasad heir by sara hashem

Release Date: July 6, 2023

As far as I know, there’s not a ton of info out about this book yet, but I’m intrigued just from what I can already glean! Basically, from what I can tell, it’s about the heir to a fallen kingdom who is on the run who makes a deal with her enemy that might force her to betray her people. It sounds like this book has a rich political narrative, mixed with magic and Arab/Egyptian cultural elements—a recipe for success in my book!

the sun and the void by gabriela romero-lacruz

Release Date: July 25, 2023

This book sounds AMAZING! It has everything I love: dark magic, deities, and folklore elements! Plus, it’s inspired by South American folklore and history and there’s a sapphic romance?! This book just ticks all the boxes! And the cover is gorgeous to boot!! I’m so ridiculously excited for this one and I’m absolutely positive it won’t let me down!

sword catcher by cassandra claire

Release Date: October 10, 2023

This is Cassie Clare’s long-awaited adult fantasy that’s (finally) her first book not set in the Shadowhunters universe and I’m hyped for it, y’all! I feel like Cassie’s been writing in the Shadowhunters world for so long now that she’s started to recycle character archetypes again and again and I’m excited to see if she can do something different with Sword Catcher. It also sounds like Sword Catcher is a good deal more politically intricate than Shadowhunters, so I’m interested to see how Cassie handles that element as well. All in all, this release has me excited and I can’t wait until December 2023 when it releases!

So that’s all I have for y’all today, friends! I hope you found a new book or two releasing this year to be excited about! Well, if you’lll excuse me, I have a cup of chai and a good book calling my name! Until next time, dear friends…

spill the beans, pals

• Have you heard of any of the releases I mentioned?
• What books that release this year are you excited for?
• Are there any 2023 books on your “anti-haul” list (i.e. 2023 book releases that you’re not interested in)?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.