Usually, comic con sneaks up on me. Every year, I tell myself that I’m going to actually prepare this time, but I’m never quite ready. Outfits have turned out to be unexpectedly terrible, I don’t look at the list of panels before I go, and I never know where to park. I also don’t set a budget for myself when it comes to books, art, or fun little trinkets you can find at the booths.
But this year, I had a plan. I gathered all the pieces of my outfit early. I tried everything on beforehand to make sure they looked good. I made sure to note all the panels that I wanted to attend. I was not the driver, so I didn’t have to worry about parking. And the best part: I budgeted for my spending at the con.
Did I stick to the budget? No, not entirely. But that’s not my fault: there were just too many interesting books there begging to be read.
There was something about the con this year that just felt different. More people attended (usually the Lilac City con is fairly small compared to Emerald City, for instance), and the energy was high. Everywhere I looked, there was usually a book booth somewhere close by, featuring some amazing-looking books with authors willing to give their pitches. And every pitch was strong, engaging, and very, very fun. Maybe it’s just the comic con rush talking, but I don’t think I was the only one prepping for the con like never before.
And when the author of the book is standing right in front of you offering to sign your copy, how can you possibly not accept? So, in an effort to share some hard-working authors, gorgeous cover art, and amazing premises, here’s a list of the 7 books I walked away with—broke, but very, very happy.
Demons and Tea Leaves, Courtney Davis
Hailey and her sister Kathy find themselves with a lot of decisions to make when their grandmother passes away. Hailey has never settled into adulthood, working dead end jobs and full of anxiety about everything. Her sister Kathy has always known what she’s wanted, her life is on track and she’s determined to not let anything get in the way.
Hailey spends one last night alone in her grandmother’s home, hoping to find closure. What she finds is a sexy half-demon knocking on her front door, ghosts appearing out of nowhere, and some kind of monster eating her grandmother’s garden.
Vint, a half-demon, half-witch claims he’s there to protect the magic that the death of her grandmother has left behind. A wild family magic that is coveted by many, including the local coven who Hailey knows her grandmother wasn’t fond of.
But the half-demon is there for more than Hailey’s benefit and when the will reveals he could have the magic if Hailey and Kathy don’t take it, the decisions that need to be made become everybody’s business.
Of the several books adorning Courtney Davis‘s table, this one looked the most charming and engaging. I was so, so excited to get an autograph as well, complete with a heart and a friendly send-off.
The Night Market, Jesikah Sundin
Some children dream of running away to join the Night Market. I did so to escape a nightmare.
Still, being forced into an overheated tent to read fortunes until sunrise has its trials—naturally. But when he visits me, I suffer for entirely different reasons.
Stars above, Rhylen Lonan is the most beautiful faerie I’ve ever known. A Raven shifter with long black hair, dark purple eyes, and magic that stirs my own. Each Night Market, in exchange for a generous slice of cake and a delicious morsel of gossip, I read him three cards. And before the gates open, he breaks my heart with the same question.
“Does my mate love me back?”
Every time, I’m taunted with visions of Rhylen in love . . . with her. His mate. Until tonight’s reading, that is, when Fate takes a sudden dark turn. I see a devastating fire. He will be forced to marry to save his tribe or face banishment. She will be hunted by other fae in a wedding game.
I do not see her face. I never have. Nor do I know her name.
But as Rhylen’s destiny continues to grip my Sight, I start to suspect it’s me. That I have always been his forbidden future. And I don’t know what terrifies me most—that I might be his downfall or that he might be mine.
I specifically chose this one out of the Bound by Ravens novels, but they all look absolutely gorgeous and sound absolutely engaging. All the copies at Jesikah Sundin‘s table had the beautiful art along the pages, a trend that I can 100% get behind. I appreciated Jesikah’s brief but detailed pitches, and the bookmarks and art at her table draws the eye (due to in equal parts the beautiful style and spiciness levels).
The Assassin of Malcoze, Bryan Asher
An aging mercenary struggles to find meaning while chasing a contract many believe is a lie.
The King’s daughter toils with a life changing decision to follow her family’s path, or forge a new one.
A young boy possesses a power no one has seen since the Kingdom’s greatest nemesis. Behind them sits an assassin lurking in the shadows, who will unwittingly unite them all.
A heroic adventure of self-discovery and bravery evoking classic pulp tales like Conan and Elric, with a mix of modern fantasy through its perspective and character development. This is a novel you will race through to finish, and immediately wish to read again. In addition to the incredible cover art, are several beautiful illustrations inside the book from Lithuanian artist Emilis Januškevič.
This booth engulfed me. Bryan Asher‘s headline description for this book was “Fullmetal Alchemist meets Mistborn,” and from the moment I saw that, I was hooked. As if I wasn’t already on board to buy this one, Bryan pointed out the internal illustrations by Bratsky Starman, and I fell in love a second time. Bryan left a very sweet note in my copy of the book and sent me away with a free print of one of the illustrations—it’s currently up on my wall, making my apartment look 10 times cooler.
The Smoke and the Sea, Katie Cross
Britt Helsing is a dragul keeper, desperate to rescue her missing brother and save her fragile race of butterfly-sized dragons.
Henrik is a loyal soldat of Stenberg, trained from childhood to obey the tyrannical rule of His Glory.
Hidden on a ship, Britt crosses paths—quite literally—with Henrik on a journey to Stenberg. When she’s discovered, Henrik saves her from a ravaging storm and secrets her away from Stenberg sailors.
Backed into a reluctant alliance, Henrik and Britt strike a deal: she’ll help him uncover the truth he seeks about his past, and he’ll aid her quest to free her brother. Their charade as lovers plunges them deep into Stenberg’s secrets.
With the ruthless Captain Oliver closing in and time running out, Henrik and Britt must navigate treacherous waters—both on the battlefield and in their hearts. As rebellion brews and an ancient creature awakens, they face impossible odds to save the people they love and the fragile hope of freedom.
In a world ruled by tyranny, can two unlikely allies find the courage to defy their fates—or will their pasts consume them both?
Everything on Katie Cross‘s table looked amazing, and all in different ways. This book’s cover spoke to me, and at the first mention of butterfly-sized dragons, my money was already spent. Talking with Katie felt so natural, and it was my pleasure to meet such a friendly author. I can’t wait to dive into this one!
Starshine, G.S. Jennsen
The year is 2322. Humanity has expanded into the stars, inhabiting over 100 worlds across a third of the galaxy. Earth struggles to retain authority over far-flung planets and free-wheeling corporations, while an uneasy armistice with a breakaway federation hangs by a thread as the former rebels rise in wealth and power. And in the shadows, powerful forces conspire to bring the fragile peace crashing down.
Alex Solovy is a space scout for hire. When she takes a routine job to chase down an errant signal in the Metis Nebula, nothing suggests the secret it conceals will turn her life—not to mention the entire galaxy—upside down. But a chance discovery reveals a terrifying truth: we are not alone. And we are not ready.
Now Alex, acerbic loner and recalcitrant wanderer, must navigate a galactic power struggle, a political conspiracy and the worst impulses of human nature to expose a threat on two fronts and avert all-out war. The fate of civilization hangs in the balance.
I’m always down to read a space opera, especially when I already have so many fantasy books already in hand. This looks like one exciting sci-fi adventure, and G.S. Jennsen absolutely sold me on the story. This one was a bit of a double-whammy because this booth was right next to Katie’s, so I walked away from the whole section a very happy camper.
The Mark of Chaos and Creation AND The Mark of Dreams and Darkness, Arabella K. Federico
Karalevine Ruzz was born with a mysterious star mark on her chest. A mark that gives her powers, but worse… it also gives her problems.
One of those problems comes in the form of the prince of Arianyte. However, Prince Malakyte is no knight in shining armor. He wears all black and his words always have a double meaning. Malakyte has one mission:
Find Karalevine and make her his.
Kara also has one sole objective: to destroy the Arianyte Empire.
After kidnapping her best friend, Kara is determined to bring down the empire that took everything from her.
Yet, once Kara infiltrates the empire, the lines between who’s good and who’s bad begins to blur, her new team becoming too much like the family she’s always longed for.
They have the answers she needs. She has the power Prince Malakyte wants.
Neither of them know that she’s a spy for the rebellion.
Let the chaos begin.
I saw this booth the first day of the con but didn’t end up working my way around to it until the second day—when I made a beeline for Arabella K. Federico‘s table. It wasn’t just the cover art that caught my eye, but the hardcover editions too. ABSOLUTELY. GORGEOUS! So gorgeous, in fact, that I couldn’t stop at just one. Arabella was very sweet and gave me a deal for both books, as well as a sneak peak at the prologue of book three, The Mark of Shadows and Starlight. I even got to pick a piece of art to take with me!
Needless to say, this year’s comic con was a huge success—even if I never got around to meeting Sonic VA Ryan Drummond or take a picture with the Chosen (who disappeared, as he does, vanishing to fight another day).
But I am so in love with all the books I collected this year and so grateful to all the authors for being there, offering bookwyrms like me all this bookish gold. Here’s hoping next year will be even more exciting! Although, if it is, I’ll need to get another book shelf…
Rachel Sandell 