As the Rich in Color team prepares for our yearly hiatus, we’re taking a quick look at what books are still on the horizon. Today we’re highlighting the books that will be published this month. Which ones are on your list to read before the year is out?
They Called Us Wicked by Gloria Muñoz
Holiday House
They’re a coven of four: Lucy, who can hear a whisper in a crowded room. Clara, who can read your innermost thoughts. Fabiola, who can see the future. And Sirena, who can manipulate your every emotion. They’ve been best friends since they met on the astral plane as kids, each of them hiding their gifts from a world that insists magic and witchcraft are a threat to humanity.
But they’ve never met in the real world. . .until now.
As a new student at the prestigious Fletcher University, Lucy is looking forward to a perfect freshman year full of in-person coven hangs and covert witchy fun. But something is off with Lucy’s roommate, Retta, almost like she might have latent magic powers she’s unaware of (not possible…right?). So, when Retta disappears, Lucy knows it’s up to her and her coven to investigate—that is, if they can make time for occult recon amid college classes, flirty crushes, and friendship group growing pains.
As the search for Retta leads to an enchanted forest hidden under Fletcher’s campus, Lucy uncovers a chilling truth: maybe Fletcher is just another arm of the anti-magic regime. But are supernatural powers and ride-or-die friends enough to take down an oppressive authority that thinks you shouldn’t exist?
Equal parts coming-of-age friendship story and supernatural dystopia, this dazzling novel finds resistance to oppression in the extraordinary and the ordinary, from magic and spellcraft to friendship, heritage, and love.
Papa Drew a Thousand Birds by Ahmadjan Amini, Maren Amini, Marianne Martens (illustrator)
Levine Querido
Ahmadjan dreams of becoming an artist, but finds few opportunities in tumultuous Afghanistan. So he leaves … and thus begins a colorful, zigzagging path that is not just a powerful meditation on art, war, and the meaning of life―as well as a stunning collection of a myriad of different illustration forms―but a singular retelling of the legendary Persian epic The Conference of the Birds.
By the end of Papa Drew a Thousand Birds, you realize Ahmadjan and his daughter Maren are telling this story together, and their birds have flown their way into your heart.
The Queen of the Spirit Woods by Sharon Choe
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
A kingdom on the brink of colonization.
Ten thousand nature spirits and deities seeking a vessel.
A genial nobleman and a grumpy prince uncovering the secrets at Court…
And the girl at the center of it all.
Mirae has a dangerous secret: She has faked her way into a job as a royal kitchen maid with the hope of sending money to her family. And life in the kitchens isn’t easy. The palace is in an uproar after a recent assassination attempt on the king, and Mirae nearly gets fired after inadvertently getting in the crosshairs of Jae, the prickly crown prince, during his investigation.
Her position gets even more precarious when a chance encounter with a witch in the mysterious spirit woods makes her the vessel of ten thousand spirits and deities. When her new powers spill out into the palace kitchens, Wonshik, a kind nobleman, lends a helping hand. Soon Mirae finds herself embroiled in a power struggle between the queen and Wonshik’s best friend, Prince Jae.
With the help of a fellow kitchen maid and a meddlesome ghost, Mirae must untangle the web of lies to find the traitor within the palace. But an encroaching threat from the empire to the east looms ever closer, and the palace is rife with lies and shadowy allegiances. Who can Mirae trust?
A Drop of Color by Elizabeth Ese
Scholastic Press
For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Gabrielle’s existence has been a balancing act. Between begrudgingly accepting her role as her predominantly white school’s Token Black Girl, and performing the role of the dutiful Nigerian daughter at home, she’s not left with much time to simply exist as Gabby. But as far as she’s concerned, survival is her main priority – even if it means perpetually walking on eggshells in both spaces.
With her senior year in full swing, Gabrielle can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. But when a racist incident erupts within her social circle, Gabrielle can no longer justify letting it slide and breaks the Oakmont Academy’s unspoken code: no snitching. Suddenly, social butterfly Gabrielle is transformed into a social pariah.
Now on the outs with the Oakmont student body, Gabrielle is faced with a choice: fighting to return to the idea of ‘normal’ she’d worked for years to curate, or finally reckoning with the aspects of her identity that she’s trained herself to subdue ― her Blackness, her Nigerian-ness, and the space where the disconnect between those identities exists.
With razor-sharp honesty and emotional depth, debut author Elizabeth Ese delivers a coming-of-age story that will resonate with readers navigating identity, belonging, and the weight of expectation.
Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, All American Boys, and The Black Kids, A Drop of Color is a timely and compelling novel that challenges readers to reckon with racism, embrace their heritage, and discover the power of self-acceptance.
Ghosted by Talia Tucker
Feiwel & Friends
What if you got ghosted and had the chance to do the funniest thing by haunting him right back? What if it consumed your every waking thought like a girl possessed, fighting for brain space with your sleep paralysis demon and your first serious girl crush?
What then???
Keziah is very familiar with ghosts―after all, a sleep paralysis demon has been her closest companion for the last few years, and she’s constantly getting ghosted. Which isn’t really helping her get a date for the Homecoming dance. And then she meets a guy who just transferred to the all-boys school nearby. He’s charming, cute, and―unlike with her other dates―she actually sees potential with him.
Too bad he ghosts her, too.
This time, though, she isn’t going to take it so easily. Not when Guy and his friends mess with her real true love, Mr. Kim’s food truck, and especially not when she finds out the real reason Guy transferred in the first place. If he wants to ghost, she’ll haunt him right back to where he came from.
Enacting revenge while her sleep paralysis demon keeps bugging her certainly won’t be easy but, with help from a cute girl, let the real (and well-deserved) ghosting begin!
The Silver Kingdom by Radiya Haifa
Salaam Reads
The savior will rise and lead an army to the gates of darkness. Only when the fire has fallen can light prevail.
Prince Zayd, heir to Dakaria, the Silver Kingdom, spends his days defending the land from pirate raids. Princess Layla, heir to Sawan, dreams of running away and escaping her cruel, power-hungry mother.
When the two meet, sparks fly. But the royals are destined to marry other people and tensions between their kingdoms are high—one wrong move could threaten the fragile peace between them.
As dark forces begin to threaten Dakaria, a centuries-old prophecy is set into motion, and Layla discovers she has a latent power, one that she doesn’t understand and begins to fear. Magic has been forbidden for a hundred years. Could Layla be the key to uniting their kingdoms, or will the young royals’ forbidden love plunge them all into a devastating war?
Sharpest Court (Thorn Season, 2) by Kiera Azar
Storytide
Alissa has defied the odds, escaping her kingdom—and King Erik’s clutches—with the coveted Spellmade compass. Burdened by guilt over her old friend Garret’s sacrifice, and struggling with her own growing power, she vows to destroy the compass before it can harm any more Wielders.
But when she lands in the Wielder-ruled kingdom of Ansora, she finds herself pulled again into Keil’s orbit—and into the political landscape of a nation at war. Fearing Erik’s reach, and his wrath, Alissa has no choice but to accept when the formidable Empress of Ansora offers her protection…at a very steep price.
As Alissa dons the vicious mask of a courtier once more, she and Keil delve secretly into the compass’s sinister nature, and also delve tentatively into a relationship free from King Erik’s hovering presence. But Erik is closer than they realize, and as Alissa grows even more uncertain of her place in Ansora, she must decide whether protecting the compass—and protecting Wielders everywhere—is worth losing all she holds dear. And whether trusting fellow Wielders might be the most dangerous move of all.
May a Divine Awaken (The Divine Awakens Series) by Michael A. Tinsley
Storehouse Voices
For sixteen-year-old Marcus Azure, the unusual blemishes on his skin have always made him feel insecure and unwanted. Orphaned at a young age, stares and whispers incite rumors of him being cursed. But all Marcus wants is to gain respect as a worthy soldier and a protector for his land.
Hoping to gain acceptance and silence the rumors, Marcus competes for a coveted spot in the Land of Aypha’s elite military. Before Marcus can earn his place, a mysterious group of assassins incinerate his village, destroying all he knew. On his own once again, Marcus’s quest for answers takes him on a journey across new lands where he discovers his world is ruled by Divines—powerful warriors with abilities to manipulate metals, harness the wind, and control the shape of water. As Marcus plunges deeper into the Divine world, he encounters the former Queen of the Aminas, Sinclair Bonet. She reveals the attack on his land is tied to something far worse. A war across the eight Divine Lands of Pyris is coming. If Marcus and others are to survive, he’ll need to awaken a secret yet volatile power within him.
As the battle rages closer and secrets unravel, Marcus must confront the truth of whether the blemishes he was shunned for are truly a curse or a sign of something greater.
The Revolution of Olivia Witherson by S. Isabelle
HarperCollins US
In this engrossing companion to The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick set in 1860s Paris, prim and proper Olivia Witherson is poised to become the wife of a wealthy businessman, until she’s shown a side of the city she’s never seen—and considers a potential future she never imagined. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and The Davenports.
Olivia Witherson has it all figured out. Once she’s married to Samuel Desir, a handsome (and rich) businessman in the making, she’ll be able to step into the life of upper-class comfort she’s always known she’s destined for. Getting kidnapped by a gang of ruffians and being held for ransom in their grubby headquarters on the outskirts of Paris… was not part of the plan.
Olivia is sure that Jac Santil, head of the Saints Tristes gang, is the most loathsome, infuriating person she’s ever met. But the longer she spends with the Saints, the more good she sees them doing—distributing food and medicine to the poor, taking in orphaned children, and organizing the exploited laborers of Paris, the same workers who staff Samuel’s factories. Soon, Olivia must acknowledge that there may be more to the Saints, and to Jac, than meets the eye, and that the life of luxury she’d always dreamed of may never come to fruition.
Our Aimless Nights, Volume 2 by Koumori
Ink Pop
Golden retriever girl meets black cat boy! Two teen opposites fall for each other during quiet nights at a convenience store in this popular digital manga — now in print for the first time in English.
Peppy high school girl Chika and quiet boy Waya seem like they have nothing in common. However, they share a secret. They meet every week outside the convenience store where Waya works. Slowly, the two start learning more about each other. Before either of them knows it, something begins to bloom between them in the moonlight.
My Life as an Internet Novel, Volume Three by A Hyeon and Yu Han-rye
Ink Pop
The loving parody of teen romance stories continues! Dani is still reeling from suddenly jumping back into the real world. Unfortunately, there’s little down time to recover because the story throws a new wrench into her life; a brand new pretty-boy protagonist who’s instantly taken with her!
Three years have passed in a blur since Dani woke up and discovered herself a character in a romance-trope filled internet novel. Despite her efforts to stay away from the pretty heroine and the four handsome boys who are meant to compete for her love, she’s become good friends with them all.
Things only get more complicated at the start of high school, when Dani is put in a separate class from all of her friends and sat next to a good looking newcomer. And if that weren’t bad enough, this new character seems to be head over heels for Dani right away!
Luck of the Draw by Christine Suggs
Little, Brown Ink
It’s the summer before senior year, and Mar Ortega is holding a ticket out of town: an acceptance letter to a prestigious pre-college program at an elite art school in Baltimore. Suddenly, Mar’s deepest desires are within reach: studying illustration, making a real friend group … and maybe even using new pronouns?
At the Baltimore Institute of Art, everything feels perfect. Mar is thrilled by the artsy community and incredible, engaging instructors, but when the time comes to buy painting supplies, the hefty price tags feel like a slap in the face. In fact, everything about this college is expensive, and there aren’t many students that look like Mar. As the days go by, Mar begins to wonder if they truly belong at art school … but it’s also the only place they’ve ever felt truly at home.
The Rediscovery of America for Young People: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of US History by Rebecca Stefoff (adapter) and Ned Blackhawk (author)
Triangle Square
Weaving five centuries of Native and non‑Native histories, from Spanish colonial exploration to the rise of Native American self-determination in the late twentieth century and its evolution in the twenty-first century, Blackhawk ‘rediscovers’ America, guiding readers to a new understanding of our nation’s past and, hopefully, our collective future. The book shows how
• European colonization in the 1600s was never a predetermined success;
• the first shots of the American Revolution were prompted by Indian affairs in the interior;
• California Indians targeted by federally funded militias were among the first casualties of the Civil War;
• twentieth-century reservation activists refashioned American law and policy;
• Native history is alive; it is not a relic of the past as it is often presented in history books and lessons.
The most enduring feature of U.S. history is the presence of Native Americans, yet most histories focus on Europeans and their descendants. Adapted by Rebecca Stefoff, Blackhawk’s The Rediscovery of America for Young People fills a pressing need in the teaching of American history. The book acknowledges the enduring power, agency, and survival of Indigenous peoples, revealing anew the varied meanings of America.
Includes maps, period photos, and other visuals.
Salt Water Blood by Manuia Heinrich
Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
An Indigenous teen who hears the sea’s prophetic thoughts must rely on the gift she’s always feared to save her brother and her island home in Manuia Heinrich’s debut novel, Salt Water Blood.
Eighteen-year-old Moe hears the sea’s prophetic thoughts—not just hears them…she feels them. That’s how she experienced her father’s death before he did and how she felt her mother’s relief when she abandoned Moe and her younger brother, Tao, months after.
So when the sea warns Moe that Tao will drown, she’s determined to get in fate’s way and secures them passage off their island home. But those plans are ruined when Tao’s girlfriend goes missing and Tao is found where she was last seen, with blood on his hands—and no memory of what happened.
Moe will do anything she can to clear her brother’s name, even if it means swallowing her pride and teaming up with her annoyingly clever school rival, Temanea. And even if it means relying on the sea’s prophecies. Because her dreaded gift may be the only way to save her brother—and uncover the truth behind the sickness poisoning her community.
Deadlock (The StrangeLoom Trilogy) by Chloe Gong
Margaret K. McElderry Books
The danger ramps up as Lia works as a double agent against NileCorp in this second book in the dystopian Strangeloom trilogy, in which humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong.
One wrong move will end the world…
The nation can’t stop talking about Eirale Ward. After a perilous mission with the enemy, she has been rescued and returned to NileCorp. Her gracious employer cleared her charges of treason and restored her status as an elite soldier.
Once, that would have been enough—but she is not that same Eirale anymore. She is a spy for the Coalition, tasked to take down NileCorp from the inside.
Meanwhile, everyone in Atahua is watching Nik Grant. Though he succeeded in his mission to retrieve Project Wit, he has put a target on his loved ones, and NileCorp will stop at nothing to bring him in. Working for the Coalition was supposed to help him destroy NileCorp, but the Coalition is pushing restraint while he wants action. He’s running out of time.
When Atahua’s charismatic vice president joins the scene at NileCorp, the company grows untouchable. Kieren is unwavering in his belief in Lia and her ability to rupture the power in virtual reality—but NileCorp sees all, and it has long set its trap. Before total and absolute control can land in NileCorp’s hands, Lia must embrace what she was built to do…
Either change the world or burn it all down.
The Peacock Throne by Zeba Shahnaz
Delacorte Press
In this lush, South Asian-inspired epic fantasy a young woman must uncover her secret past to free her kingdom from terrible colonial forces—if the Throne doesn’t kill her first.
She was the last Damadi princess.
She had to be.
Seventeen-year-old Eshaal Bibi is just another orphan. At least, that’s the story her family has always told her—that her parents were among the many killed during the fall of the Azzamin empire. But what if that isn’t entirely true? What if the dreams Eshaal had while struck by a magical malady—the ones where she is a princess, the last heir to the Peacock Throne, and the would-be savior of Azzamin—are real?
Eshaal becomes possessed by the idea, but her pursuit of the truth quickly draws the attention of colonial authorities. To save herself, Eshaal is forced to flee and marry the heir of a secret loyalist family, the handsome and infuriating Imran Mirza. But with a possible princess in his sights and revolution on the horizon, Eshaal’s new husband will let nothing stop him from taking back their country—not even the simmering tension between them.
With her enemies circling, Eshaal will be put to the test, the fate of Azzamin itself in the balance. And whether she’s a princess or just a pretender, Eshaal knows one thing to be true: Nothing is more powerful—or deadlier—than belief.
Spirit Lands (The Spice Road Trilogy #3) by Maiya Ibrahim
Delacorte Press
The daring, world-bending conclusion to Spice Road, a sweeping Arabian folklore-inspired fantasy series from critically acclaimed author Maiya Ibrahim.
New monsters have appeared after the collapse of the Spirit Lands, roaming the desert under a shattered sun and spreading across the Sahir, ruthless and hungry in their attacks. No matter how Imani and Qayn battle the monsters, it has become clear that combat will not be enough to stop the violent onslaught or solve the magical mysteries plaguing their land.
To Imani’s shock, Qayn determines there is only one way to save the Sahir and the entire mortal realm: They must venture to the home of the monsters themselves, the Everlasting Tower.
Reaching it and the shadowy Tower Lord who lives there will be Imani’s most dangerous undertaking yet, but she would never let Qayn make the journey alone. As Imani, Taha, and their group head toward their final battle, they will find that someone from Qayn’s past is seeking revenge at any cost, and secrets of love turned to madness could leave a legacy of scars if they survive—or destroy them all.
In this shocking finale to the Spice Road series, Maiya Ibrahim masterfully shows the monstrosities of a war-torn country and the dangers of power in a fantasy allegory of our time, destined to be a classic.