It’s the start of a new year again. I thought I’d open this new year with a list of the most anticipated fantasy books of 2009. With several BIG name releases and a host of other anticipated fantasy novels on the horizon, 2009 is shaping up to be a great year for fantasy readers. Credit goes to Mithfanion, resident member of sffworld.com, who compiled the original list.

Note: I’ve put a * by the books that I am anticipating, and a ** by the books I am most anticipating this year.

So, without ado, here’s the projected upcoming “2009 Fantasy Book Releases”:

A Dance with Dragons(George R.R Martin)- April (Tentative- UK, No US date) **
Dragonkeeper by Robin Hobb – July (UK- US date usually 6 months later) *

The Judging Eye (R. Scott Bakker) – January **
Lamentation (Ken Scholes) – February
Canticle (Ken Scholes) – October/November
The Desert Spear (Peter Brett) – August/September
Watcher of the Dead (J.V. Jones) – November (UK) **
Fall of Thanes (Brian Ruckley) – May ( UK) *

The Adamantine Palace (Stephen Deas) – March ( UK)
Avilion (Robert Holdstock) – July ( UK)
The Republic of Thieves (Scott Lynch) – February (Tentative) *
Turn Coat (Jim Butcher) – April

The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 2) (Patrick Rothfuss) – April **
Best Served Cold (Joe Abercrombie) – June **
Finch – (Jeff Vandermeer) – June
The City & The City (China Mieville) – May

An Autumn War (Daniel Abraham) – Summer
Memory of Light (Robert Jordan and Brian Sanderson) – Fall **
Dragon in Chains (Daniel Fox) – February
Twelve (Jasper Kent) – January (UK)
Heritage – (Maggie Furey) – February (UK)

Bad Things (Michael Marshall) -January
Mortal Coils (Eric Nylund) – February
Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America (Robert Wilson) – June
Bitter Seeds (Ian Tregillis) – Summer
Angels of Destruction (Keith Donohue) – March

The Cold Commands (Richard Morgan) – September *

Some other books that may come out this year:

Shadowrise (Tad Williams) **
Lord of Silence (Mark Chadbourn)