A new month is here and April brings more than enough new books to keep readers interested, from historical fiction to fantasy, there is something for everyone. Here are some of the highlights from this month’s new release list. (amazon, 2021)

Historical fiction:
“The Last Bookshop in London: A novel of World War II” by Madeline Martin
Release date: April 6
August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she would wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London. Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.

Fantasy:
“The Girl and the Mountain” by Mark Lawrence – The Book of the Ice, Book 2 of 2
Release date: April 13
On the planet Abeth there is only the ice. And the Black Rock. For generations, the priests of the Black Rock have reached out from their mountain to steer the fate of the ice tribes. With their Hidden God, their magic and their iron, the priests’ rule has never been questioned. But when ice triber Yaz challenged their authority, she was torn away from the only life she had ever known and forced to find a new path for herself. Yaz has lost her friends and found her enemies. She has a mountain to climb and even if she can break the Hidden God’s power, her dream of a green world lies impossibly far to the south, across a vast emptiness of ice. Before the journey can even start, she must find out what happened to the ones she loves and save those that can be saved. Abeth holds its secrets close, but the stars shine brighter for Yaz and she means to unlock the truth.

Science Fiction:
“The Last Watch” by J.S. Dewes – The Divide Series, Book 1 of 2
Release date: April 20
The Expanse meets Game of Thrones in J. S. Dewes’ fast-paced, sci-fi adventure, where a handful of soldiers stand between humanity and annihilation. The Divide. It is the edge of the universe. Now it is collapsing―and taking everyone and everything with it. The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels―the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military. At the Divide, Adequin Rake commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms―nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer–genius and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather’s genetic facility for “reasons.” She knows they are humanity’s last chance.

Mystery and thriller:
“When the Stars Go Dark” by Paula McLain
Release date: April 13
Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims encounter violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with saving the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Young Adult:
“Witches Steeped in Gold” by Ciannon Smart
Release date: April 20
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must create a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes. Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.
Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom—and vengeance.
Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power. Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain—except the lengths they will go to win this game.