Yesterday I shared my favorite books of 2019, but it’s a new year and we have a whole new batch of books releasing!

I’m honestly not sure how I can even start to create a list of most anticipated 2020 releases because it really doesn’t take much to get on my TBR and this year has SO many good releases already announced (not to mention all the ones, especially later in the year, that still haven’t been posted).

SO. This list is a bit of a compromise. I’ve already made dedicated pages for all the 2020 titles on my radar which you can find by clicking here (or going under Resources >> Book Releases >> 2020 in the menu).

The titles below are in no particular order and I tried to only pick a few from each month where I could, which was easier especially for the fall as many titles haven’t been given firm release dates yet. For the record, everything on this list has a set release date as of writing this post, to narrow things down a bit.

My “most anticipated” 2020 releases, in order of release…

Anticipated 2020 Releases

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A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmereris the second in the Cursebreakers series and I loved the first book… but I loved the sequel even more! I’ve actually reviewed this one already so you can go check that out and make sure to pre-order before it releases January 7!

Release Date: January 7

The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogmanis the 6th book of the Invisible Library series. While I still need to read book 5 (don’t look at me like that) this is a series I absolutely adore and definitely needs more attention. It literally has everything in the best way. Plus. Time traveling, dimension jumping, Librarian spies. How can you resist?

Release Date: January 7

Now this one I’ve heard next to nothing about but The Iron Will of Genie Lo by F.C. Yeereleases this month and y’all, are you sleeping on this book or something? The first in the series, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, was literally amazing and I wish it got more love so here’s hoping both books are on your radar now if they weren’t already!

Release Date: January 21

This year, Tor.com spoiled me a bit with their novellas so now I have a bunch on my TBR for 2020, including Prosper’s Demon by K.J. Parker which sounds all sorts of strange and dark and downright demonic. I can’t wait!

Release Date: January 28

And another I’ve already read and reviewed (though you won’t see it for a couple weeks) is Jeaniene Frost’s Wicked Bite, the second book of the Night Rebel books. This is my favorite series in the Night Huntress World and it’s a solid sequel.

Release Date: January 28

I think All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace has been on my TBR since it was announced. The comparison to Caraval alone sold me but the whole magic and seafaring elements promised in the synopsis were definitely icing on the cake. Definitely looking forward to diving into it soon!

Release Date: February 4

Although I can’t say Dark of the West was my absolute favorite book, by the end I was craving a sequel and now I’m really looking forward to diving into Storm from the East by Joanna Hathaway! The first book felt so unique (and very political) and with all the glimpses of the future that the main storyline hasn’t reached yet, I’m dying for more.

Release Date: February 11

The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet wasn’t even on my radar until author Erin Morgenstern tweeted about how amazing it is and, considering I loved both of her books (The Night Circus and The Starless Sea) I decided to check this book out and it sounds good. Really good. I’m excited. I have an advance copy and the moment I clear through some of my early January titles it’s queued up on my Kindle.

Release Date: February 11

It’s been a long time since I read a book by Marie Rutkoski but it won’t be much longer with the upcoming release of The Midnight Lie! Not only is it set in the same world as her Winner’s Trilogy but everything about it sounds like a must-read of the year.

Release Date: March 3

Claire Eliza Bartlett’s The Winter Duke intrigued me from the moment it mentioned being “part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia,” two stories I’m a fan of. Plus I’m starting to feel pulled toward standalones more and more so this sounds like a perfect fit, with the length, story, and genre (YA fantasy!).

Release Date: March 3

I’ve been craving more witchy/urban fantasy books and I think I might have found one to keep an eye on with Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer! Claiming to be perfect for fans of the Shades of Magic series (one of my absolute favorites) and A Discovery of Witches (which I still need to read but I loved the show!), I think this is going to be a good one.

Release Date: March 3

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo is another Tor.com novella and caught my eye with the cover reveal and held it ever since. Described as a feminist high fantasy, this novella just feels important. You know what I mean? I think it has something to say and I want to listen.

Release Date: March 24

I’m such a sucker for anything released to fairy tales (whether real or newly created) and The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag is no exception! Compared to the works of two authors I greatly admire and enjoy, and combined with the daughters of a demon with magical powers, I can’t wait to get my hands on this book.

Release Date: March 31

This year I’m hoping to read more adult SFF and one of the first titles to catch my eye was The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer. The idea of transforming into “the animal of your heart” sounds so awesome. And the whole historical era gives me sort of twisted 20’s vibes so very fitting for 2020!

Release Date: April 7

I don’t know why I haven’t heard more about Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost yet but let’s break it down. Dust Bowl-inspired fantasy. Witches. A demon. A ten-year game between Life and Death. It sounds SO GOOD! If it’s not on your TBR, definitely check it out!

Release Date: April 14

Don’t Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross intrigued me with a comparison to books by Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black, but it’s the synopsis which promises “simmering romance” and a “haunting folklore” that really hooked me. This one’s inspired by a Polish fairy tale and sounds like the dark and twisted story I’m always on the hunt for.

Release Date: April 28

I’ll be honest, Forged in Fire and Stars by Andrea Robertson made this list initially for its cover. And while I’m hesitant to read anything compared to A Game of Thrones anymore because it feels overused, this one is also compared to An Ember in the Ashes and that is far more exciting.

Release Date: May 12

I’ve been in a fairy tale mood so also making this list is Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust! I enjoyed the author’s previous book, Girls Made of Snow and Glass and this one sounds even more captivating!

Release Date: May 12

For those of you who don’t know, I was a huge fan of A Shadow Bright and Burning and its sequel (though I still need to read book 3 but I’m not sure I want to finish the series just yet!). So when Jessica Cluess’s House of Dragons was announced, I may have swooned a little. There are DRAGONS, friends. DRAGONS. And other things. But that’s the most important part. Though seriously, this book sounds fantastic and I can’t wait to read it!

Release Date: May 12

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir might actually be the death of me. I have a feeling. After reading Gideon the Ninth, with THAT ending, I knew I needed the sequel right away and somehow I’ve resisted reading it so far while I take care of some January releases but SOON…. soon…

Release Date: June 2

I actually had The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant on my TBR for a while now but it didn’t have a release date so I’m very excited to add it to this list of anticipated 2020 titles! I’m not sure what a reimagining of Les Misérables and The Jungle Book actually looks like but I can’t wait to find out!

Release Date: June 2

I really enjoyed the Swords and Fire series and look forward to The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso, a new book from the author! Witch lords and broken magic and all sorts of epic fantasy goodness, it sounds good. And while I have absolutely zero idea if there are actually any similarities, the synopsis gives me Witcher vibes (since I just watched it). So there’s that.

Release Date: June 2

As soon as Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles was compared to Moulin Rouge, I swooned. THIS was a book I needed in my life. Also the comps to Phantom of the Opera and The Night Circus certainly helped. A game with magicians, combined with all that? I’m sold.

Release Date: June 2

Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee is another high on my list with comps to two favorite authors and the promise of spies and magic and ancient powers. Honestly, I don’t have much else to say about it beyond I really want to read it!

Release Date: June 23

Okay, so I technically haven’t read the second book in the Daevabad Trilogy (yet) but it doesn’t make me any less excited for the third book, The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty! The City of Brass (book 1) was one of my favorite books of that year so I’m looking forward to re-reading it, diving into The Kingdom of Copper, and then tackling this one in 2020.

Release Date: June 30

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim is one of my most anticipated sequels releasing this year! Spin the Dawn was a fabulous debut YA fantasy and one of my favorite 2019 reads and I cannot wait to dive into this one soon!

Release Date: July 7

And another anticipated sequel releasing in the same month is The Faithless Hawk Margaret Owen! If you haven’t checked out The Merciful Crow, it was another of my favorite reads for 2019 and a fantastic YA fantasy! I’m looking forward to seeing what trouble Fie gets herself into in book 2.

Release Date: July 28

Shveta Thakrar’s Star Daughter is being compared to Stardust but drawing on Hindu mythology and everything about that makes this book a must-read of 2020. It sounds absolutely magical.

Release Date: August 11

Another that’s giving me mythology/folklore vibes is Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard. Not only is the cover stunning but the whole idea of the sun being a legend and having to find the light immediately caught and held my attention.

Release Date: August 18

When Villains Rise by Rebecca Schaeffer is the third in the Market of Monsters series and these books have become some of my favorite YA dark fantasies. I love how gritty they get and don’t shy away from the morally gray (or worse). If you don’t believe me, check out my reviews of Not Even Bones and Only Ashes Remain!

Release Date: September 8

I feel like I’ve been waiting for The Serpent’s Curse by Lisa Maxwell for ages. The third in the series finishes off Esta’s story from when she first time traveled back in The Last Magician and the chaos that ensued from there and The Devil’s Thief. I’m looking forward to seeing how this magical time-traveling tale ends!

Release Date: December 8

And some more…

Most of the books releasing later in the year haven’t been announced or given release dates yet so I’m likely going to have more that make it on this list than what I have already, but here are some of the titles coming up without covers that are also on my radar!

As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool (September 1) is the sequel to There Will Come a Darkness, a YA multi-PoV fantasy that hit my favorites list for 2019. I love how the world feels like a combination of Ancient Rome/Greece and something else altogether. Definitely recommend the first book and looking forward to the sequel!

Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer (September 29) showed up on my Goodreads one day and while there isn’t an official synopsis, the Lara Croft meets Star Wars comparison was enough to get me excited for this YA space opera!

And unfortunately there isn’t an official release for it yet but Soulswift by Megan Bannen is listed as a September 2020 title right now and after LOVING her previous book, The Bird and the Blade, I already have this one ranked high on my TBR (and I don’t even know what it’s about!).

I think I’m also feeling historical reads too because there are a number of books (on this list and my full 2020 releases pages) with historical elements, including A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe (October 2020) which sounds like a historical mash-up of science and magic that I’m eager to check out.

Which 2020 book releases made it on your most anticipated list?