A nice variety of new releases that will appeal to everyone this week and one we missed last week. Which will you add to your list? And remember, you can always get these new titles from the library.
Tuesday, April 7th
To Steal a Throne by Gabi Burton
Bloomsbury
Her magic feeds on lies.
His magic could destroy her.
Mira Kyler runs the court of Virdei from the shadows. Ever since she helped her half-brother Luc cheat his way into the role of Virdei’s leader, she’s used her lie-powered magic to collect secrets from members of court, then used them as blackmail to keep her brother in power.
But when newcomer Kaidren Vale shows up and challenges Luc’s leadership, he threatens the stability Mira has worked so hard for. Kaidren also has magic-magic that can detect the precise nature of someone else’s power with a single touch. If Kaidren so much as brushes against her, everyone will discover that Mira is the one who’s been manipulating the court for years.
As Kaidren and Luc compete in three deadly challenges called The Trials, Mira realizes that no matter who wins, she’ll be stuck serving a mediocre man who doesn’t deserve to be in charge. She’s done hiding in the shadows. She wants power of her own.
To get it, she’ll have to betray both her own brother and Kaidren-but the fiercer the competition gets, the more Mira realizes that the one boy who could destroy everything is the one boy she might not be able to resist.
Tuesday, April 14th Releases
Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai
A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.
As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.
But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.
In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.
I Could Give You the Moon by Ann Liang HarperTeen
Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin.
While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other.
Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage.
But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save her reputation, she’s going to have to let Ares get to know the real her—and risk real feelings.
Summer Official by Rebekah Wetherspoon
(G.P. Putnam and Sons)
Opposites attract in this contemporary, sweet, sapphic romance about two girls who reluctantly come together for a summer challenge.
Heaven and Saylor could not be more different. Saylor is bubbly, popular, athletic, and always partnered up. Heaven is grumpy and artistic, prefers her skateboard to people, and has never dated anyone. So no one would believe they’d agree to spend the entire summer together.
Yet, that’s exactly what happened. When Saylor Ford breaks her arm at Basketball camp, distracted by her mom’s internet fame discussing Saylor’s newfound sexuality, she becomes determined not to spend the summer stuck at home with the woman. Her one saving grace is a girl she’s pretty sure can’t stand her but that she finds absolutely irresistible. Heaven Goo-Campbell. Thankfully, Heaven is willing to let Saylor in on her Summer Bingo challenge, but for a price. Saylor has to help Heaven establish a social media page showcasing her art for her future career as a tattoo artist.
They didn’t plan on the intimacy of spending each day together and the deepening feelings that followed. Soon, they become something more than a shared project. But can the girls even have a future together when Saylor is wary of bringing their relationship out into the light—too afraid that her mom’s status as a popular influencer will give Saylor and timid Heaven more attention than they can handle?
Forgive-Me-Not by Mari Costa
First Second Books
A queer, YA fantasy romance adventure that follows the “enemies to lovers” journey of a lost princess and a changeling who was made to take the heir’s place as part of a fey scheme.
On the eve of her 18 th birthday, a blithely happy princess named Aisling is confronted by a hardscabble teenage rogue named Forgive-Me-Not. Aisling quickly learns a few hard truths: she’s not the biological daughter of the king and queen. She’s not the heir to the throne. She’s not even human.
Aisling was a changeling, switched at birth as part of a fey scheme and power play. Forgive-Me-Not, the true heir, was raised in the faerie world where she was toyed with and mistreated for much of her life.
This kicks off a long and arduous journey in which the two realize both how different their lives are, and how their different lives put them into a place where they can help each other and see each other in ways no one else can.