11 exciting SFF book releases to kick off your New Year right this January

Wings of Ebony – J. Elle

This fantasy debut from author J. Elle follows the story of an African American teen who must tap into her ancestors’ magic to help protect her city from violence.

It’s been an extremely difficult year for young Rue – after her mother’s tragic death, she and her 12-year-old sister Tasha are separated. While Tasha is allowed to stay in the U.S., Rue finds herself spirited away by the father she never knew to a hidden island off the coast of Madagascar, that’s populated by magic wielders.

Yet despite finding herself in a world full of magic, Rue cannot forget the sister she left behind. But when she breaks Ghizon’s one rule – don’t leave – to travel back to her home town of Houston, she discovers a dangerous secret that threatens everything she cares about.

"“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue’s taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders. Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life. Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground."

Wings of Ebony is available on January 26. 

Which January science fiction or fantasy book releases are you adding to your TBR piles? Tell us your reading plans in the comments below!