As promised my Young Adult list! Yeah! This year paranormal and urban fantasy are in short supply in YA as well. Poor steampunk is also hard to come by. Dystopian reads slowly went from paranormal to more sci-fi, and last year finally science fiction really started getting a foot hold. This year it looks like science fiction and space operas are the name of the printed word. High Fantasy has been on the rise and is still everywhere! (Though I'm hoping it's more High Fantasy less bad romance.)
This is definitely the year of Beauty and the Beast retellings. There were a lot last year, but this year it's cray-cray! Personally I think they're trying to feed off the hunger for Disney's live action remake. Retellings in general are still big, especially fusions. Not to mention that there are a lot of dragon themed books! Yeah!
So I looked through A LOT of titles and I'm sure I missed some, and for this list I tried to not put too many auto buy authors on here. New and exciting is the goal!
There is no particular order to the list. All books are to be released in 2017 or expected to be.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, book 3
Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.
So I confess I didn't read book 2 last year. I bought book 2 right away, but then realized that if I read it right away the wait for book 3 . . . would be too much! I know, I know. That means putting it off makes me have to wait for book 2 even longer. However, if I read it know the wait for the book 3 won't be so long.
Sorry my bookworm sense makes no sense.
Anywho, I loved the first book so much that my mind is in this much turmoil.
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Flame in the Mist, book 1
Release date: May 16th 2017
The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.
Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.
This cover is so pretty! Ah, the radiance.
That aside this just sounds amazing. Japan, samurais, and a gender bender!!!!!! YES! Sure I haven't read any great new gender benders, the classics seem to be the only ones able to do it, but I have faith! And hope. Lots of hope.
Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Fantasy
Series: N/A
Release Date: January 17th 2017
A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms
They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.
Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.
Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.
It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.
Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world.
What finally sold me on this is the GR review from a friend who said it's not really a P&P copy cat and has small ties to the book it's supposed to be retelling. Which makes me happy! Come on dragons! they sell themselves.
Dragonriders? Oh, yeah. Though can the women fight too? It doesn't say it up front and there dang well better be female dragonriders darn it!
Of Blood & Promises by Rebekah Faubion
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Fantasy
Series: ?
Release Date: 2017
For fans of Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES and Leigh Bardugo’s SHADOW AND BONE, the tortured romance, twisting mystery, and stunning island world inspired by Hawaii will capture imaginations and leave readers desperate for more.
For unruly Tree-girl Aliah, there is only one thing she loves more than scaling a Banyan’s trunk — Aiken. He’s her protector, her family by law, and the son of her power-hungry guardian. Loving him is allowed. Acting on that love is forbidden.
Aiken promised he would never leave Aliah, but his future lies with the King’s guard, not her. It is his only chance to escape the weight of his father’s control and the torment of loving a girl he can never have. But when Aliah is betrothed to the crown prince, his path to freedom becomes infinitely longer than the seven-day journey from the Great Forest to Capital City.
Thrust into claustrophobic castle life, their faith in each other begins to crumble beneath the pressure. Then the murder of one of Aliah’s friends within the castle walls sends them spiraling in opposite directions. Aiken turns spy for the King’s guard and plummets into the seedy underbelly of Capital City in search of the killer, while Aliah, trapped in the castle for her protection, uncovers a clue to the murderer’s identity and begins to unravel a dark secret at the heart of kingdom.
Bound by love. Torn apart by duty. Aiken and Aliah discover that some promises can never be broken and some secrets are better left hidden.
So this sounds awesome, and I love the unique setting for it all to take place in! I also like that up front it's stating it's a romantic fantasy! Thank you. (I still aspect and demand great world building.)
I love the idea of this also being a murder mystery! Ah, court politics and murder. Mwah-ha-ha.
Roar by Cora Carmack
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult High Fantasy
Series: Stealing Storms, book 1
Release Date: June 13th 2017
In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.
To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.
Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
When the general idea popped into the synopsis area on goodreads, I was intrigued. Then the real synopsis dropped, and then that cover. Well I'm obsessed! Just read it! Soooooooo awesome.
There are so many possibilities! I love that Aurora Pavan isn't willing to just accept the choices made for her to cover up her weaknesses. Not to mention that she's going to choose option 3!
Shadow Run by Adrianne Strickland & Michael Miller
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Series: Kaitan Chronicles, book 1
Release Date: March 21st 2017
"Firefly" meets DUNE in this action-packed sci-fi adventure about a close-knit, found family of a crew navigating a galaxy of political intrigue and resource-driven power games.
Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can’t resist her, even if her ship is an antique.
As for Nev, he’s a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary.
But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they’re more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive.
Nev’s mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she’ll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power—and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.
It still annoys me when synopsis say "blank meets blank"! In the case of this book ""Firefly" meets DUNE" his a potent combination. I'm very curious about it and I really wonder what the humor will be like. Because if you're tossing out Firefly, it better be clever and witty. Dune . . . there's a lot of room to pick and choose.
Either way ignoring the need to suck people in with comparisons and mentioning other great things, the synopsis sounds pretty awesome.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Strange the Dreamer, book 1
Release Date: March 28th 2017
A new epic fantasy by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.
Welcome to Weep.
This was supposed to release fall of last year, and was in fact on my list last year. Oh, well! I'm still lusting after it desperately this year! At least it's a first of the year release.
I'm still iffy about how the synopsis paints it, but then Daughter of Smoke and Bone had a lame synopsis too. Well that turned out awesome, so I'm really curious what kind of a whammy this book will pack. Not to mention surprises.
Summoner Rising by Melanie McFarlane
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Series: Laws of Summoning, book 1
Release Date: March 28th 2017
Excerpt from, The Book of Summoning:
Law One: A summoner is responsible for all creatures it lets through from the netherworld.
Dacie Cantar wishes someone had explained the Laws of Summoning to her before she watched a shadowy creature crawl out of a painting at the local arcade. At least it explains the strange things she's witnessed since moving in with her great-aunt, after her mother’s untimely death. But who wants to be followed by shadows the rest of their life? Add that to being stalked by a strange boy at school, who just might be her Tovaros (aka soulmate), it’s about all Dacie can handle in her new life.
As she nears her seventeenth birthday, will she be ready for her new responsibilities, or will the shadows that stalked her mother until her death, finally consume Dacie, too? And then there’s Law Two…
Really, I love the sound of this. Except the whole soulmate thing. Instalove/lust anyone? Sigh.
Oh, well. I want to find out about Law Two.
The Dragon's Price by Bethany Wiggins
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult High Fantasy
Series: Transference, book 1
Release Date: February 21st 2017
Fans of Julie Kagawa’s Talon and Renee Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn will devour this action-packed fantasy adventure about a girl who chooses to surrender herself to a deadly dragon rather than marry an enemy prince.
When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.
Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.
As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .
If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?
There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.
At least this time they fans of blank will enjoy this book. As it should be.
Okay, how awesome does this sound? Way awesome!! Kind of reminds me of this movie (Dragonslayer) where the Princess decided to sacrifice herself to the dragon . . . hope it goes better for Sorrow!
Untitled by Becky Allen
Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult High Fantasy
Series: Bound by Blood and Sand, book 2
Release Dates: September 2017
N/A
The first book, Bound by Blood and Sand, made my Shera's Top 10 Books of 2016! So I am super jazzed for the sequel.
The first book was an excellent Young Adult High Fantasy that fans of Tamora Peirce's work will love. Especially with all the high fantasy in YA basically being little world building with tons of instalove.
The true rebellion is coming! I can't wait to see where the cast ends up and the choices the lead will make after the huge sacrifice made.
To the honorable mentions! Yeah! This is where I always have to show restraint! (Well as best I can.) There are so many exciting titles that I just know deserve a spot. So restraint. The ones with bullets at the bottom don't have covers.
Cage of Deceit
by Jennifer Anne Davis
 | Caraval
by Stephanie Garber
 | Daughter of the Pirate King
by Tricia Levenseller
 |
Defy the Stars
by Claudia Gray
 | Empress of a Thousand Skies
by Rhoda Belleza
 | Frost blood
by Elly Blake
 |
Gilded Cage
by Vic James
 | Given to the Sea
by Mindy McGinnis
 | Hunted
by Meagan Spooner
 |
Pitch Dark
by Courtney Alameda
 | Starfall
by Melissa Landers
 | The Alchemists of Loom
by Elise Kova
 |
The Bone Witch
by Rin Chupeco
 | The Edge of Everything
by Jeff Giles
 | The Love Interest
by Cale Dietrich
 |
The Valiant
by Lesley Livingston
 | Time Weaver Heart of Cogs
by Jacinta Maree
 | Windwitch
by Susan Dennard
 |
Wintersong
by Jae-Jones
 | You Don't Know My Name
by Kristen Orlando
 | |
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