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Are you ready for 2023 and the young adult science fiction/ fantasy novels that will hit the shelves? We are and we’re holding nothing back, so check out these best of the best sci/fantasy young adult reads that we’re sure will knock you out of this planet.
Looking for more fantasy? Check out these best fantasy and magical realism books of 2023 >>>
A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith (1/3)
Calliope Rosewood has a long streak of bad luck. As a witch in Illinois, her fate is directly tied to Witch’s Dice. But since she was cursed with an unspeakable power, she fled her coven four years ago and has been in hiding with her two best friends. Only Calla is also hiding the fact that she’s a few dice rolls left from being the last Blood Warrior, but all Calla wants to do is reset her fate and stop her people from being eradicated. But choosing her own path may come with deadly consequences.
Don’t miss these favorite books about witches and covens>>
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (1/3)
The Battle of the Serpent was nearly eight years ago, and since then, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. At the same time, Suren, the child queen of the Court of Teeth, fled to the world of humans, where she bides her time releasing mortals from foolish bargains. When a storm hag chases Suren through the night streets, Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, saves her life—and in return, he’ll want her help on a mission that will have her confronting a past she thought she left behind.
Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston (1/17)
In Eire, water-wights lurk in the rivers, banshees chill the air, and magic is outlawed by the king. Neve and Ronan should be enemies—as the youngest daughter of the king and a former Druid’s apprentice, it would make sense. Yet their hatred for the Druids and dark magic has become allies. The threat of her people pushes Neve to take her rightful place on the throne; she’ll need Ronan’s help to do so.
Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long (1/17)
Remy Castell has spent the last two years desperately searching across worlds to find her lost friend. She has only one lead, a fellow genopath Kiran Lore, who also happens to be the one who left her for dead. Tracking Kiran has led her back to Maraas, the jungle planet where Remy lost everything. Time has changed the land, chaos has taken over, and a war of corpses is bound to break out. Remy just needs to stick to her plan and not get caught up, but the rebellion grows stronger by the minute.
Another Dimension of Us by Mike Albo (1/17)
In 1986, Tommy Gaye is a closet gay who loves his best friend, Renaldo Calabasas. But homophobia has spread across America, keeping Tommy in the dark about his feelings. One night something strange happens and lighting strikes Renaldo in a storm, and when he emerges, he’s a different boy. Eons in the future, Heron High dreams about Tommy and what the neighbors call the murder house. Wanting to investigate her dreams, she enters the house and soon discovers a guide to trans-dimensional travel.
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim (1/24)
Hidden in the desert is the city of Qalia, where secret spices awaken magic. Seventeen-year-old Imani is a warrior who wields a dagger like none in her class. She’s predicted to become the next greatest Shield to battle the monsters that lurk beyond their city. Before she could fulfill that future, her brother tarnishes their family name, steals Qalia’s coveted spices, and flees toward the Forbidden Wastes, leaving Imani alone. The moment she gets a whiff that he may be out there, she strikes a deal with the Council to find him and bring him back. But she must find him fast before his betrayal endangers them all.
The Severed Thread (The Bone Spindle #2) by Leslie Vedder (2/7)
The second installment has returned, where we meet Fi, Shane, and Briar Rose. This time a sleeping prince is awake, but the battle is just beginning, and so much still stands in the way of Fi and her happily ever after. At the same time, Shane is gearing up for her own fight against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch, and Briar Rose seeks to restore the kingdom, but the sinister bond to the Spindle Witch that lives within him threatens to grow until he can’t escape.
Seven Faceless Saints by by M.K. Lobb (2/7)
In Ombrazia, the saints rule unjustly, lording their power over all while the unfavored struggle to live. This very system is how Rossana Lacertosa lost her father. Now Rossana’s only goal in life is to see the corrupt system fall. To do this she joins the rebellion and taps into her powers as a disciple of Patience. When a murderer stalks Ombrazia’s citizens, Roz will team up with the one man she never expected to see again. But this newfound evil is one so powerful it threatens to destroy everything in its path.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi (2/14)
Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada lived in a world of fairy tales, and being as beautiful as she is, marriage came quickly for her. The man she married was a handsome scholar of myths who loved fairy tales as much as he loved her. Her only clause with her scholar was that he does not dig into her past. When Indigo must return to her home, the House of Dreams, to care for her frail aunt, Indigo is concerned her husband will be unable to resist the house’s temptation. As Indigo’s past slowly comes to light, soon they’ll all have to decide to choose fantasy or reality.
Nocturne by Alyssa Wees (2/21)
Set in 1930’s Chicago, Grace Dragotta, a talented ballerina, started out as an orphan with a poor immigrant upbringing. Years later she became the star of the town but being a ballerina isn’t all what she imagined. She then attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa who shows her the world, but she’s still unsure of who he truly is. With time she begins to unlock his secrets . . . and he turns out to be more than he seems.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty (3/7)
Amina al-Sirafi really should be happy about life. She’s survived a lot: one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and an actual demon. Now she’s living peacefully with her family away from anything supernatural. Yet the past never truly stays buried. The wealthy mother of a former crewman tracks Amina down seeking the retrieval of her kidnapped daughter. Amina accepts for the large prize and for the chance to have one last adventure with her crew but is the price enough to lose her very soul.
The Half-Life of Love by Brianna Bourne (3/7)
Flint knew the moment he was going to die. His only goal since he was eight years old and half-lifed was to make it bearable. He has no friends. He refuses to eat his favorite meals or read anything entertaining. Instead, he chooses depressing literature, while preparing to spend his last moments with his parents in his hometown. Except he meets September Harrington, who throws his plans right out the proverbial window. September has dedicated her life to save those who have half-lives, spending her days in the lab working to find a cure. Flint refuses to tell her he’s dying, but September has her own secrets, ones that may destroy everything.
Ravensong by Cayla Fay (3/14)
For as long as she could remember, Neve and her two sisters spent their time defending the mortal world against the legions of hell. Neve is a triad Irish god stuck without her full powers in high school. On her eighteenth birthday, she can shed humanity and grow into her full divine power. Then she meets Alexandria, who wants her to be a normal teenager—but something in Hell wants Alexandria, and she’s going to find out before it succeeds.
Here are 10 must-read YA sci-fi novels>>
In Nightfall by Suzanne Young (3/28)
When Theo and Marco get caught throwing a huge party, their punishment is to spend the summer with their grandmother in Nightfall, Oregon. Their grandmother has one rule: to be home before dark. Theo assumes she is superstitious, so they ignore her, wanting to make the most out of their summer. Then they meet Minnow and her friends who pull them in under a trance, making Theo wish she listened to her grandmother—because once nightfall hits, Minnow and her friends turn into something much more.
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu (3/28)
Winter Young is a rookie back up dancer turned global popstar. Penelope Morrison, daughter of infamous criminal tycoon, Eli Morrison, wants Winter to perform a private concert for her. Just his luck because the covert ops organization, the Panacea Group, wants Winter to infiltrate Morrison’s inner circle, and Penelope’s request is what he needs. Posing as his bodyguard Sydney Cossette is a fierce young spy, and together they’ll go on a mission to bring Eli down. Sydney just has to make sure she keeps her eyes on the target, and not Winter.
Spell Bound by F. T. Lukens (4/4)
Edison Rooker has plans to regain access to the magical world. When his grandmother passed away, that world went with her, and he hasn’t had magic since. So first things first he’ll have to meet with the powerful sorceress Antonia Hex. Antonia runs a call center for magical emergencies, and she’s given Edison or Rook — his new nickname — a Spell Binder that detects magic. But when the Consortium discovers Rook has an illegal device, they come for Antonia. With her gone, Rook runs to Sun, another magical apprentice who’s also lost his mentor. Together the two must try and save their mentors before they lose magic for good.
Blood Debts by Terry Benton (4/4)
Sixteen-year-old twin heirs Clement and Cristina Trudeau come from a long line of magical beings in New Orleans. In the midst of mourning their father, they realize their sick mother is actually cursed. This curse comes from the same council of magical beings their family ruled for centuries until thirty years ago when their queen died in a terrible massacre. For Cristina, a once talented practitioner, she’s done with magic for good after an ancient spell she cast killed their father, while Clement hides behind random hookups with guys to mask his anger and pain. But someone is coming to finish their family off, and if Clement and Cristina are to survive, they’ll have to trust each other and the magic that runs through their veins.
Bound by Sword and Spirit by Andrea Robertson (5/16)
The world is in danger, and Ara has to protect it, but the evil Vokkans are continuing their conquest of Saetlund. The only things that can stop the Vokk are Ara and her Loreknights, but first, she’ll have to find them. On the other side, Teth gets thrown into prison with his betrayer Prince Eamon. The battle to save their world is approaching fast, so Ara and her friends will have to pull together all that they have if they want to take back their land.
Legends and Liars by Morgan Rhodes (6/13)
Josslyn Drake still hasn’t solved her magical problems. She fled the Queen’s palace with Prince Elian, and her hopes in her criminal turned-friend Jericho Nox go south when his boss shuts them down. Jericho’s boss Valery makes it clear she’s not assisting, so Joss will have to find her way out of her own magical mess. So, she sets out to harness her natural powers, and along the way, she’ll see how her powers might hold the answers to all her problems.
Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou (6/13)
Born in threes, the descendants of the fates are here. One to weave, one to draw and one to cut the threads that connect people, the Ora sisters each have a gift. The youngest Ora sister, Lo, uses her abilities to seek out people in her half-sunken city of Alante. Lo’s latest mission has her looking for the person responsible for abducting women and setting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To bring them down, she seeks out Edei Rhuna, her linked soulmate and right hand to the infamous Mob Queen. Things get personal when Lo’s estranged older sister shows up on the arm of her number one suspect.
A Crooked Mark by Linda Kao (6/20)
Lucifer, the devil himself, is marking souls about to die, sending them back to Earth to do his evil bidding. It’s what kept Matthew Watts and his father at work all these years. He grew up moving from town to town only to find the ones that Lucy had marked and exterminate them all. When Matt hears of Rae Winter, a miracle survivor who walked away from a car crash, he knows she’s marked. But soon Matt falls for Rae, and he slowly starts to question all that he’s learned, because could Rae, beautiful and smart, truly be an agent from down below?
Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Best (7/11)
Cass, an expert there from the minor moon, knows a good target when she sees one. She has a chance to steal a fortune from the emperor’s ball, securing a fortune for her sick father and team of mischief. The plan is bullet proof — sneak a ride onto the planet of Ouris and steal from the rich royals who’ll be at the ball. But life has other plans for Cass, and someone is out to set her up for a major fall.
The Third Daughter by Adrienne Tooley (7/18)
The country of Velle, for centuries, has waited for their New Maiden. But Elodie, the queen’s eldest daughter, is not too happy to lose her claim to the crown. When thirteen-year-old Brianne takes the throne, her vulnerability creates chaos, and Elodie must do all that she can to take back the kingdom. Retrieving a potion to silence Brianne, Elodie accidentally puts her in a slumber she cannot wake, and now she’ll have to race the clock to save her before her mistakes are brought to light.
Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto (7/25)
In the Dominions, the dead linger, and only a bonesmith can sever a ghost from the earth. That’s where Wren comes in, she wants to secure her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her father with her ghost-fighting warrior skills. But Wren doesn’t see victory, only failure when her test gets sabotaged, and she’s banished to the Border Wall. When the House of Gold’s prince winds up missing, Wren sees an opportunity to reclaim her family’s respect and save him. To do so, she enters into an alliance with Julian, a fierce ironsmith, the House of Bone’s sworn enemy. On their mission Julian and Wren spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when the prince’s kidnapping becomes deadly, they’ll have to put everything on the line.
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