2022 Review/2023 Preview — H. M. Long

2022 has been an amazing reading year for me. It’s also been a very busy year where I shouldn’t have had time to read at all – but I got back into my audiobook habit, and so the books have been flying by (in the best way!) I’ve also been reading more ARCs this year, and it’s been so exciting to peek ahead at next year’s releases. There are so many fantastic books coming up. This question took me way too long. I DNF freely, so I generally will not finish a book unless I enjoy it – which means many, many of the books I read this year are now all-time favourites. But here are 5 highlights!

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan - This was one of those books where I was immediately pulled in and became obsessed. The characters are fantastic, the world is familiar but fresh, and I NEEDED to know what happened next. I’m eagerly awaiting the third book in this trilogy!

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher - This was my introduction to T Kingfisher and… wow. It’s a fairy tale with teeth, a 30-year-old protagonist, dry humor and a knight that likes holding hands.

Oh, yes, and the demon chicken. Can’t forget her. 

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - A retelling of the Chinese legend of Chang’e, this book was so beautiful – emotional and sweeping, but still full of action and monsters and the perfect amount of romance. I adored it. 

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan - This book fulfilled my love of fantasy and mystery all at once. A Justice and his apprentice dabble in necromancy and solve crimes in a world on the brink of war, told from the perspective of an older woman looking back on her younger years. It was phenomenal and I can’t wait for the sequel in 2023!

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross - The sheer beauty of this book. The setting and atmosphere were impeccable, and everything my heart desired. Combine that with wonderful characters and music magic – I’m hooked and can’t wait to read the second part of this duology (due in December!)

Looking ahead to 2023

The Witch King by Martha Wells - I fell in love with Martha Wells’ work with Murderbot Diaries and this sounds like it’s going to be just as fantastic. A murdered sorcerer with pain magic comes back to life and tries to unravel the mysteries of the world he wakes up in? It’s going to be fantastic.

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz - A new epic fantasy world inspired by South American history and folklore? Dark sorcery and whispering gods? Yes, please! This one immediately captured by imagination and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. 

The Surviving Sky by Kritika H Rao - I was privileged to get an ARC of this earlier this year and it still hasn’t left me. Inspired by Hindu philosophy, this sci-fantasy epic has a floating city falling out of the sky, a planet torn apart by earthquakes and an archaeological expedition into a murder jungle.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S. A. Chakraborty - I’ve been waiting for this book ever since Chakraborty teased it a few years ago and I’m so thrilled it’s finally coming out. This historical fantasy has everything I love - a leading lady pirate on the high seas, a daring rescue, sorcerers and forbidden artifacts!

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown - As anyone else who’s been following the Red Rising books will know, the wait for this book has been torture. The 6th book in the saga promises a light and hope in the wake of DARK AGE, but I won’t believe it until I read it! In any case, I can’t wait.

On The Horizon for H. M. Long

2023 is going to be a huge year for me, with two books coming out and a new series beginning!

Barrow of Winter is coming first, on January 17th. It’s a stand-alone set in the Hall of Smoke world, following a new main character in an icy northern land of ancient tombs, arcane cults and dangerous monsters. A fourth book set in this world will drop January 2024, and I should be able to release some updates, including the title, early in the new year!

Dark Water Daughter will follow on July 11th, and it opens my next series – The Winter Sea, which is a planned quartet. Dark Water Daughter is a swashbuckling adult fantasy with pirates, weather witches, warring fleets and winter seas. It has all the hallmarks of nautical fantasy that we know and love, combined with highly original lore and some of my favorite characters that I’ve ever worked with. The next book in the Winter Sea series will follow summer 2024, and I’m writing it right now.

Author

Hannah (H. M.) Long is a Canadian writer who loves history, hiking, and travel. She inhabits a ramshackle cabin in Ontario with her husband and dog, but she can often be spotted snooping about museums or wandering the Alps.

Hannah writes for Titan Books and debuted in 2021 with Hall of Smoke, followed by TEMPLE OF NO GOD and the forthcoming Barrow of Winter (01.17.23). An untitled fourth book set in the Hall of Smoke world is slated for release early 2024. 

She is also the author of Dark Water Daughter, which begins a new series set in a Baroque-inspired fantasy world of weather witches, warring fleets and winter seas. DARK WATER DAUGHTER will be released July 2023, and its sequel will follow summer 2024. 

Hannah also writes fantasy set in the Edwardian period and occasionally dabbles in science fiction. 

For the latest updates, follow Hannah on TikTok (@hmlongbooks), Instagram (@hmlongbooks), and Twitter (@hannah_m_long).