After the wonderful season of summer, where we were able to catch up on all of the YA books found towered high on our TBR piles, we can now look forward to the top-notch books of the fall season. From finales we’ve been dying to get our hands on to new debut stories that sound so sweet, there’s something for everyone this fall. These new reads are the most anticipated YA books of fall 2019.

Five ​Dark Fates by Kendare Blake

The finale to Blake’s edge-of-your-seat series is almost here. A rebellion has fallen apart. A legion curse unbound. A sister missing. Arsinoe must balance finding a cure and finding a way to stop the dangerous mist. Katherine’s reign has yet to shatter, but when Mirabella arrives, the dead queens are skeptical of her motives. This conclusion will put these three sisters to the final test and the fate of Fennbirn – like always – rests with them.

American Royals by Katharine McGee

This alternative history asks the age-old question: what if America had a monarchy? The House of Washington still leads the United States just like it once did when George Washington was given his crown. Princess Beatrice will soon be America’s first queen regent, but the duty she has been embracing her entire life is starting to feel suffocating. Princess Samantha is often forgotten about unless she’s breaking rules. Prince Jefferson, her twin brother, would have been first in line for the throne a generation earlier but now sits at third in line. And then there are two very different girls interested in capturing his heart.

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

The last in Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper series will be your next favorite. Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have made it to America, and like London, Chicago has its own dark secrets. But as they try to enjoy the World’s Fair, the event is tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders. When Audrey and Thomas try to help solve the mysteries, they will have to capture him and not get lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed. This could be their last mystery after all.

Suggested Reading by Dave Connis 

When Clara Evans discovers her principal’s “prohibited media” hit list – a list of iconic books removed from the library that, if found on school premises, will result in a student’s punishment – she decides to strike back. She starts an underground library in her locker and trades books like Speak and The Chocolate War. But when a book she loves is connected to a tragedy, Clara must look at her role in it.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

You will love Jam and Redemption’s world – even if monsters prowl around unseen. In the city of Lucille, children like Jam and Redemption are taught monsters no longer exist. But when a monster made of horns and claws emerges from one of Jam’s mother’s paintings, Jam must reconsider that lesson. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and something lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must protect her best friend but also learn how to protect the world when it no longer wants to admit monsters still exist. 

Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger

This is a love story focused on family that you will never forget. Naima would rather keep separating her Lucky Charms marshmallows into six Ziploc bags and avoid people than open up to her family, manage her OCD and GAD and remember her father, a fallen marine and her hero, “as he was.” Dew wants more time to process the unexpected loss of his parents, relying on his voice recorder to express the anxiety building up within him. But when the pair meet, everything changes.

Wild Savage Stars by Kristina Pérez

The follow-up to Kristina Pérez’s Sweet Black Waves is inspired by the legend of Tristan and Iseult and will take readers on a grand adventure this fall. Branwen has the strength to bring down kingdoms with her powers and after being stabbed in the back by the two people she trusted most, Branwen now finds herself having to protect them in order to keep the kingdom’s fragile peace in place.

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh 

If you adored Ahdieh’s The Flame in the Mist and The Wrath & The Dawn, you will fall in love with her new story. To Celine Rousseau, New Orleans in 1872 is a sanctuary after fleeing for her life from Paris – even if the city is ruled by the dead. After being taken in by the Ursuline convent, Celine soon finds herself involved with the glitzy underworld of La Cour des Lions after catching the eye of their leader, Sébastien Saint Germain. But when a body of a fellow girl of the convent appears dead in his lair, Celine battles her growing feelings for Sébastien. When another murder occurs, the city is gripped in terror of a serial killer, and he has his sights set on Celine next. 

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

This North African-inspired fantasy will make you want the next book immediately. Princess Eva was born with a dark magick that hasn’t been seen for eight generations after Queen Raina overthrew the native khimaer royalty and massacred thousands in the country of Myre. In honor of the Rival Heir tradition, Eva must fight her older sister, Isa, to the death to take the Ivory Throne. But when Eva is attacked, she learns that her sister isn’t the only one who wants her dead. She must team up with a fey instructor and khimaer prince to hone her magick and eventually choose her sister’s death or her own.

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon 

The twisted world of Alu will make you feel all the emotions. In the city-state of Alu, Kammani wants to follow the footsteps of her father and become an accomplished healer. When Alu’s leader becomes deathly ill, Kammani’s younger sister is chosen as one of the three sacred maidens who will join him in the afterlife as per honor and tradition. Kammani sees it as a death sentence and is determined to enter the palace, heal their ruler and save her sister – even if that means sacrificing herself. 

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland 

If dark fantasy books are your favorite then this story is perfect for you. Kamai and her mother are Soulwalkers, those who can wander into other people’s souls as they sleep. With every soul Kamai ventures into, she sees a black door her mother has made her vow to never open. Behind the door is a warm thing that beats as if it has a heart and whispers her name. When the unthinkable happens, Kamai must open the door in order to save the kingdom and herself. 

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

This sci-fi book takes place in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria. In 2172, most of Earth is unlivable due to climate change and nuclear disasters, and only a lucky few have escaped to live in space colonies in the sky. Nigeria has been torn apart from the years-long civil war, but sisters Onyii and Ify want more than just survival. They want to live, and they will fight a war to achieve a peaceful future together.

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters by Emily Roberson

This book explores Greek mythology in a modern, social media world. Ariadne’s royal life is known by all, and her family’s entertainment empire is on every tabloid and social media site. The Labyrinth Contest is their hit TV show where Ariadne leads 14 teens into a labyrinth to hunt down a monster. Winning means glory while losing means death, and after 10 seasons, no one has won yet. When new player Theseus asks Ariadne for help, she figures it’s just to boost his ratings. But they do have chemistry and she does know how to help him win. But if he wins, the contest would end, her family’s empire could be threatened and the monster would have to die. To Ariadne, his life might be the only one worth saving. 

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

Kiersten White returns with a new twist on the world of Camelot. Princess Guinevere has arrived in Camelot to wed King Arthur and has been named by Merlin to be his protector. But she will have to keep her true identity a secret as she navigates a court overrun with politics. Some believe in keeping Camelot as it is while others hope for a better way of life. But even with dark magic, deadly jousts and forbidden romance, Guinevere just might be the most dangerous threat of all.

Coral by Sara Ella

This is a twist on The Little Mermaid and explores mental health from different POVs. Coral is a mermaid who stands out when it’s important to blend in. Worse yet, she might have the Disease that is carried by humans: emotions. Brooke lives above the water at Fathoms, a group therapy home, and depression and anxiety have made her feel forgotten. Merrick wants to escape his controlling father, and after his younger sister’s suicide attempt, he’s determined to escape and find his mother. When their three worlds collide, they will do anything to survive.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood

This historical fiction novel is set in 1936 San Francisco. Willa MacCarthy does not want to become a nun, but as the only girl of five children, her Irish-Catholic family expects her to take her vows. Willa would much rather continue sneaking away to help Dr. Katherine Winston in her medical clinic. As she begins to help work in a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate, secrets are harder to keep but what she truly wants in life might be the biggest lie of all.

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