In a small river village where the water is cursed, a girl’s bravery—and the existence of magic—could mean the difference between life and death in this elegant, luminous tale from the author of Parched and Audacity. Along a lively river, in a village raised on stilts, lives a girl named Luna. All her life she … Continue reading A NEARER MOON, By Melanie Crowder, Simon & Schuster/Kids
Fantasy
LOST CHILDREN OF THE FAR ISLANDS, By Emily Raabe, Random House Kids
Twins Gus and Leo and their little sister, Ila, live a quiet life in Maine—until their mother falls ill, and it becomes clear her strength is fading because she is protecting them from a terrible evil. Soon the children are swept off to a secret island far in the sea, where they discover a hidden … Continue reading LOST CHILDREN OF THE FAR ISLANDS, By Emily Raabe, Random House Kids
TORN, by Rowenna Miller, Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group
TORN is the first book in an enchanting debut fantasy series featuring a seamstress who stitches magic into clothing, and the mounting political uprising that forces her to choose between her family and her ambitions, for fans of The Queen of the Tearling. Sophie is a dressmaker who has managed to open her own shop … Continue reading TORN, by Rowenna Miller, Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group
TESS OF THE ROAD, by Rachel Hartman, Penguin Teen, Penguin Random House
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer … Continue reading TESS OF THE ROAD, by Rachel Hartman, Penguin Teen, Penguin Random House
LOOKING FOR DEI, by David A. Willson
Fifteen-year-old Nara Dall has never liked secrets. Yet it seems that her life has been filled with them, from the ugly scar on her back to the strange powers she possesses. Her adoptive father refuses to say anything about her origins, and soon, she and her best friend must attend the announcement ceremony, in which … Continue reading LOOKING FOR DEI, by David A. Willson
FISH GIRL, by Wiesner & Napoli, Clarion Books
Who is Fish Girl? What is Fish Girl? She lives in a tank in a boardwalk aquarium. She is the main attraction, though visitors never get more than a glimpse of her. She has a tail. She can't walk. She can't speak. But she can make friends with Livia, an ordinary girl, and yearn for … Continue reading FISH GIRL, by Wiesner & Napoli, Clarion Books
THE GIRL WITH THE GHOST MACHINE, by Lauren DeStefano, Bloomsbury
When Emmaline Beaumont's father started building the ghost machine, she didn't expect it to bring her mother back from the dead. But by locking himself in the basement to toil away at his hopes, Monsieur Beaumont has become obsessed with the contraption and neglected the living, and Emmaline is tired of feeling forgotten. Nothing good … Continue reading THE GIRL WITH THE GHOST MACHINE, by Lauren DeStefano, Bloomsbury
THE FIRE WISH, by Amber Lough, Random House Publishing
Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. … Continue reading THE FIRE WISH, by Amber Lough, Random House Publishing
THE HEART FORGER, by Rin Chupeco, Sourcebooks
In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection―now she's after revenge... No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to … Continue reading THE HEART FORGER, by Rin Chupeco, Sourcebooks
DEATH MISTRESS, by Terry Goodkind, TOR
Onetime lieutenant of the evil Emperor Jagang, known as "Death's Mistress" and the "Slave Queen", the deadly Nicci captured Richard Rahl in order to convince him that the Imperial Order stood for the greater good. But it was Richard who converted Nicci instead, and for years thereafter she served Richard and Kahlan as one of … Continue reading DEATH MISTRESS, by Terry Goodkind, TOR
