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Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison. Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison. Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison. Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison. Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison. Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison. Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison.

New Worlds in YA

Written by alamancelibraries on . Posted in Book Reviews.

New Worlds in YA

The best part of fantasy fiction? The incredible worlds the authors make up! These new(ish) YA books have compelling worlds for us to enjoy as readers, as well as rich characters to populate them.

Cover of Heir. Young person standing on a small hill, facing larger mountains and a sky full of clouds. The person seems very small in comparison.

Heir by Sabaa Tahir – The world is the Martial Empire, and there’s a killer loose. Three young people have to overcome history, huge mistakes, and bad reputations to come together to save the world. Aiz uses her anger to better the lives of her people, until she makes a mistake and ends up in jail. Sirsha is tasked with capturing the killer to improve her reputation and earn some coin, but it’s not just her life on the line, it’s also her heart. Quil is the crown prince who doesn’t want to take the throne because he sees how power corrupts, but can he overcome his doubts and be the heir his people need? This book is set in the same world as her previous series, An Ember in the Ashes.

Cover of Celestial Monsters. One young man stands behind and beside the other, with one hand resting on the side of his head, and the other holding his up-stretched arm. They are looking at each other with love. The background has what looks like bird feathers/wings.

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas – The world is Reino del Sol, and the Obsidian gods have been released into the chaos. All because Teo refused to kill one of his fellow semidioses. What can he do but be the Hero he never thought he could be, and return to Sol with the Sol Stone? Luckily, he has his best friend Niya and his crush Aurelio to help him fight the monsters and retrieve the stone. This is the second of a duology, the Sunbearer Trials.

Cover of Hearts Still Beating. The background is cracked earth, with flowers growing around the title. The title letters also looked cracked.

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer – It’s our world, but after a deadly virus wipes out much of the population (which then came back to life as Ticks). Mara was a Tick, but now has been treated. She’s Mostly Dead, and sent to a resettlement program to live with her former friend Rory, who she kissed just before the end of the world. Rory is Barely Alive, and is expecting the worst at any time. She survived on the Island, one of the few places where people still live. But what does she do with her former best friend/crush who was a Tick, the monsters she’s learned to hate? This is a new twist on the zombie trope!

Cover of Draw Down the Moon. The bottom of the cover has an intricate castle. Above the castle is a crescent moon, and inside the moon is a young lady with long hair floating behind her, and a candle in her hand. Her eyes are closed.

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. and Kristin Cast – The Academia de la Luna, a secret magic school off of the coast of Seattle, is the world. Wren isn’t supposed to have powers, but here she is, at the Academia, learning alongside Lee. Lee has been in love with Wren for years, but his original goal this year was to pass the trials, impress the Moon Council and improve his family’s standing in the world. Wren and Lee realize quickly that something is different this year with the trials, and Lee must to decide to save his family’s reputation, or the girl he loves. This is the first book of the series; the second will be released next spring.

 

 

Cover of Infinity Alchemist. There is a young man holding a book in the center of the cover, with alchemist signs superimposed over him.

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender – The world is New Anglia, and Ash Wood is learning alchemy in secret because it is a crime to study magic without the direction of the Lancaster College of Alchemical Science. He’s caught by Ramsay Thorne, but instead of turning him in, she instead makes a deal with him. Help her find the Book of Source, and she’ll forget what she saw. Their journey leads to romance, danger and a reckoning – what is the price for power, and is it worth it? This is the first of a duology; the second will be released next spring.

 

Cover of A Tempest of Tea. Young lady dominates the cover, wearing a suit and a cap and holding a cup of tea (or blood). Superimposed on her suit is a photo of the city.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faisal – The world is White Roaring, where Arthie’s teahouse turns into an illegal bloodhouse at night, serving the city’s working-class vampires. Her business is threatened by the powers that be, and she must partner with some strange bedfellows – a member of the Horned Guard, a vampire and a daughter of a shipping magnate – to take them down and save her shop. And maybe she’ll find some friends (and a love interest) along the way! This is the first of a series, with the sequel coming out in September 2025.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.