How is it nearly April already! Baby lambs are roaming fields, daffodils line the streets and just yesterday it was the Spring Equinox even though Christmas doesn't even feel like it was that long ago.. but prepare to read the days away with some exciting new releases in YA!
The Hand, The Eye and the Heart by Zoe Marriott
Zhilan was assigned female at birth. Despite a gift for illusions, they know they are destined to live out their life within the confines of the women’s quarter. But when civil war sets the empire aflame, Zhilan is determined save their disabled father from the battlefield. By taking his place. Surviving brutal army training as a boy – Zhi – is only the first challenge. In the glittering court of the Land of Dragons, love and betrayal are two sides of the same smile, and soon the fate of a nation rests on Zhi’s shoulders. But to win, they must decide where their heart truly belongs…
Set, in what The Bookseller describes as a 'richly imagined fairytale China,' The Hand, The Eye and the Heart is a highly anticipated fantasy adventure that weaves together topical themes of gender identity and race.
We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo
From a rising new talent who has already been compared to the likes of Leigh Bardugo and Laini Taylor, comes a stunning and original YA fantasy that was already been praised as 'a genuine thrilling page-turner of a plot.'
In a sealed-off city, a young woman, Lena, is running for her life. She has been sentenced to death and her only way to survive is to trust those she has been brought up to fear - those with magic.
On the other side of the locked gates is a masked lady, Constance, determined to find a way back in. Years ago she escaped before her own powers were discovered. But now she won't hide who she is any longer.
A powerful and terrifying storm cloud engulfs the city. But this is more than a thunderstorm. This is a spell, and the truth behind why it has been cast is more sinister than anyone can imagine ... But what neither Lena and Constance realise is that the stormcloud binds them - without it, without each other, neither can get what they desire.
Wolf Light by Yaba Badoe
Another rich and powerful story blending environmentalism, magic and feminism from award-winning Ghanaian-British filmmaker and author, Yaba Badoe.
Steeped in elemental myth, Wolf Light tells the story of three girls, from Ghana, Mongolia and Cornwall, born on the same day in wolf light who become bound together to protect their scared sites of homeland and the world from plunder, pollution and poison. They have wind-song and fire-fury at their fingertips, but their enemies are everywhere. The girls must rally to perfect their skills and prove the strength of sister-magic before it's too late.
From the bleak steppes to the tropical forests of Ghana and the stormy moors of Cornwall, Wolf Light is a call to us all to hear the ancient power within us and conserve our heritage. Badoe's debut, A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars, was shortlisted for the 2018 Branford Boase Award and nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal.
The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
#1 New York Time bestselling author, Cassandra Clare is known by many for her unforgettably epic fantasy series Shadowhunters, which has since been adapted into a hit Netflix series, and now from Clare, and award-winning Wesley Chu, comes a Shadowhunter spin-off that follows fans favourites, High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood as they tour the world after the Mortal War.
But their romantic European getaway doesn't last long when a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself...
As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.