I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets a little click-happy when I see pretty covers. Today I bring to you all my aesthetically pleasing favourites hoping to persuade you into adding them to your TBRs as well. I put in a lot of research into picking books that I’ve not seen a lot of hype around. True to my style, they are all diverse books across middle grade, young adult and adult age ranges. Are you ready to discover these lesser-known titles with the best book covers coming out between Jul-Dec 2020?
July 2020
The Beast Warrior by Nahoko Uehashi
✨Age range: Young Adult
✨Release date: July 28th
This is the second instalment in a Japanese series that is being translated into English by Cathy Hirano. The first book has a similar cover and I really love the art style used because it gives a very whimsical vibe. I’ve heard good things about the first book and really excited to see how the sequel shapes up!
August 2020
Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe
✨Age range: Middle Grade
✨Release date: August 4th
I had the privilege of watching the author talk about this book in an online panel and I’m devastated that it’s getting so little hype. I love the use of green on this cover because it really accentuates the witchy vibe. I’ve been craving for a diverse magical middle grade book and this is being marketed for fans of Aru Shah, so of course it ended up on my TBR.
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Taylor Kay Meija
✨Age range: Middle Grade
✨Release date: August 4th
The way the bookish community continues to laud Uncle Rick for being an ally but sleeps on his Rick Riordan Presents line gets on my nerves every time I think about it. I don’t have much to say about this book besides the fact that it’s an #OwnVoices story based on Mexican folklore. Paola loves astronomy like I do, so I’m really excited to read more about her!
Crowning Soul by Sahira Javaid
✨Age range: Young adult
✨Release date: August 9th
This book caught my attention when my friend Krisha @ Bookathon did a cover reveal for it. I have a thing for blades on a fantasy cover and this one looks glorious coupled with a badass wielder like Nezha! The book promises fire magic, djinns, secrets, high-stakes plot and unicorns.
September 2020
The Shadow Crosser by J. C. Cervantes
✨Age range: Middle Grade
✨Release date: September 1st
Here’s another one from Rick Riordan Presents and a series finale this time. This series is based on Mayan and Aztec mythology, which I’m excited to get more familiar with. The colours used in this cover are soothing yet work homogeneously to provide a magical, other-worldly effect.
Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
✨Age range: Middle Grade
✨Release date: September 22nd
This is another magical middle grade adventure book based on mythology – this time it’s African. The author’s young adult book made quite a splash last year but I’m not seeing the same level of enthusiasm for this one, which disappoints me. Early reviews tell me that the author subverts the chosen one trope in this, which took my excitement for it up a notch!
Burning Roses by S. L. Huang
✨Age range: Adult
✨Release date: September 29th
As an adult who is still in love with the fairytales from my childhood, I’m always up for stories that draw from those. I haven’t ready any of S. L. Huang’s works yet but I’m really curious to see what she brings to the literary world from her stuntwoman background. This follows middle-aged Red Riding Hood and an archer who just want to live a quiet life but are forced to make a stand when deadly creatures start to stir again.
October 2020
The Bladebone by Ausma Zehanat Khan
✨Age range: Adult
✨Release date: October 4th
This is the last book in The Khorosan Archives and perfect for people who love to consume an entire series at once. I prefer the UK cover for this book because I have an undying love for the purple and gold colour combination. From the synopsis of the first book, it seems like an epic tale of political intrigue, power struggles and rebellion.
The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk
✨Age range: Adult
✨Release date: October 13th
I cannot believe Book Twitter hasn’t collectively lost its mind over this gorgeous cover yet but I’m hoping this will become more visible closer to release date. C. L. Polk is a critically acclaimed fantasy author and it’s a shame I haven’t read any of her books yet. The synopsis gave me a Jane Austen with magic vibes and I’m guessing this would end up on many TBRs after that comparison.
December 2020
Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang
✨Age range: Middle Grade
✨Release date: December 1st
I honestly can’t get enough of #OwnVoices mythology-inspired middle grade and this book features a famous figure from Chinese culture, the Monkey King. The cover screams middle grade with the artwork style and the colours are so pleasing to look at! It follows a 12-year-old who decides to get rid of her super-strength by striking a deal with the Monkey King and I’m guessing everything goes spectacularly wrong from there.
Further Reading
✨Novels and Nebulas – Top 10 Exciting SFF Releases of July 2020
What do you think of these covers? Do you have a similar list of the best book covers of titles releasing between Jul-Dec 2020? How much does a pretty book cover influence your buying habits? Let me know in the comments section down below. Hope you are having a magical week, readers from Earth!
Save the Post for Later
These are all such beautiful covers! I have The Beast Player and it’s so pretty, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of The Beast Warrior!
Thank you so much, Katie! 💖 What did you think of The Beast Player, if you’ve already read it? I’m thinking of reading it next month if possible.
I’ve only read a portion of it, but the parts that I’ve read so far have been really interesting – the animals are unique and the main character is really adorable.
That’s good to hear! I hope you get to finish it off soon and enjoy it all the way. 💖
Paola Santiago and Maya are on my TBR list! They’re gorgeous indeed!!
Finally someone who’s also into middle grade! 😍 There are so many amazing books coming out in the second half being marketed for fans of Rick Riordan and I’m loving that. I hope you enjoy! 💖
Oh I love MG so much especially MG fantasy, especially if there’s Rick Riordan name on the cover. In fact, I’m reading one of RR present book right now, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Universe. Have you read that one?
Sadly, the only ones from RR I’ve read are Aru Shah and The Dragon Pearl. 🙈 I really want to fix that and read the J. C. Cervantes and this one before there are too many to catch up on. How are you liking it?
Ah I love Aru Shah sooo much. Tristan Strong is a unique one maybe because I have no idea about the myth at all and I find it surprising. Do you like The Dragon Pearl?
I loved The Dragon Pearl! But it’s a standalone and science fiction, so not the standard RR blueprint I’d say. It was enjoyable nonetheless. 😊
I haven’t read it yet but I’m planning too! Oh I didn’t know it was a standalone, I thought it was a series like the other RR present books.
OMG DINI IM CRYING AT THE SHEER BEAUTY OF THIS POST 😭😭😭
im glad to see a lot of MG books here because i’ve been reading them lately. im definitely saving this post for later because i can’t wait to check these books out!
Ahhh, thank you, Rain! 💕 More people need to read MG because I need more people to fangirl with. Also, pretty much every MG book on here is being marketed for fans of Rick Riordan, which we both are, so I think it’s going to be a very good year ahead indeed. 😍
Wow.. so many I didn’t know about… I’m gonna checkout if I can find them and add to my tbr because I totally trust your recs and they all look so gorgeous 😍😍
And I did manage to get the ARCs of The Midnight Bargain and Burning Roses and I’m so excited to read them … they both have such beautiful covers !!!
Thank you, Sahi! 💕 You’ve really leaned into your adult fantasy kick, haven’t you? So glad to see you with ARCs for all the amazing upcoming releases! I hope you enjoy them both! 💖
Have I really leaned into it though 😬😬 I do have quite a few amazing ARCs and I just have to make sure I read them when I’m in the right headspace and do justice to them… otherwise, my whole reading year seems to have gone by in a blur and I sometimes can’t even recollect what books I enjoyed.. it’s awful 😭😭
But thank you so much for being there !!!! And Hope you are having a good reading time 😊😊
Oh no, I’m sorry, Sahi! I guess blogging really helps to recollect your favourites and document them. So if you’re ever feeling down, just go over your old posts. I’m sure you’ll feel more motivated. Thank you for being there as well! 💖
That’s so true. My blog really has become my memory now and I love going back to my reviews to see what I thought as well as how I wrote … sometimes I feel like I’ve forgotten how to write good reviews and I definitely need the reminder 😂😂
GOOD GRAVY THOSE COVERS!!! 😍😍😍 I’m particularly gaga for The Beast Order and Eva Evergreen, I mean, WOW! And I’ve added Maya and the Rising Dark to my fall 2020 order for school because I think my students are going to freak over how amazing it looks.
I’m so glad you liked them as well! 💖 I really hope both you and your students love Maya. I’m sure I would have been a huge fan if I’d read these books when I was a kid – back then there wasn’t much diversity. 🙈
I’m so excited for The Beast Warrior!!
Have you read the first book by any chance? I’m really looking forward to it as well! 😍
Burning Roses is so beautiful! Oh, I haven’t heard of Midnight Bargain yet but that cover is gorgeous!
I’m so glad that adult fantasy covers are finally looking great and that marginalized authors are getting the gorgeous covers they deserve! 😍
AH what a stunning selection of book covers, thank you for sharing! 😍 I love the one for The Bookweaver’s Daughter and The Midnight Bargain SO MUCH!
Thank you, Marie! 💖 I’m really looking forward to The Bookweaver’s Daughter because I’m OwnVoices for it. 😊 The cover for The Midnight Lie left me speechless and I’m wondering why Book Twitter isn’t coveting this already. I hope it gets the appreciation it deserves! 💕
Holy shit, this is such a gorgeous list!! I audibly gasped when I saw the cover of The Midnight Bargain 😳
Ah, thanks, Mathangi! 💖 I tried really hard to find some underhyped diverse books and I’m so glad everyone is loving the books on here. I really hope you can pick some of them up and enjoy! ♥️
Yess Dini, I want to read ALL the books listed here 💖 but willing to settle for one or two at least 😅