30 books to watch for in the first half of 2018

Cover to Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett. Image via Balzer + Bray.

May Books

Onyx & Ivory — Mindee Arnett

"They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes — deadly flightless dragons — come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight — the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart. The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror — the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him — he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life — the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked — and for him to be saved by Kate. With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom — one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime. (Via Goodreads)"

Fantasy! Rebellion! War! I’m in. Pick it up on May 15!

All of This is True — Lygia Day Peñafor

"In this gripping, genre-defying YA novel, four Long Island teens befriend a bestselling YA novelist, only to find their deepest, darkest secrets in the pages of her next book — with devastating consequences. Told as a series of interviews, journal entries, and even pages from the book within the book, this recounting of a fictional scandal is a total page-turner. Miri Tan loved the book Undertow like it was a living being. So when she and her friends went to a book signing to meet the author, Fatima Ro, they concocted a plan to get close to her, even if her friends won’t admit it now. As for Jonah, well — Miri knows none of that was Fatima’s fault. Soleil Johnston wanted to be a writer herself one day. When she and her friends started hanging out with her favorite author, Fatima Ro, she couldn’t believe their luck — especially when Jonah Nicholls started hanging out with them, too. Now, looking back, Soleil can’t believe she let Fatima manipulate her and Jonah like that. She can’t believe that she got used for a book. Penny Panzarella was more than the materialistic party girl everyone at the Graham School thought she was. She desperately wanted Fatima Ro to see that, and she saw her chance when Fatima asked the girls to be transparent with her. If only she’d known what would happen when Fatima learned Jonah’s secret. If only she’d known that the line between fiction and truth was more complicated than any of them imagined. . . . (Via Goodreads)"

If you’ve ever been suckered in by being a fan of an author, this suspenseful novel may be the book for you to buy on May 15!

Furyborn — Claire LeGrand

"When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed … unless the trials kill her first. A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable — until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined. As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world — and of each other. (Via Goodreads)"

First of all, I’m in love with this cover. Second of all, I’m a sucker for anyone fighting for the women in their world. This book is out May 22 and I think we all need it.

The Brightsiders — Jen Marie Wilde

"As a rock star drummer in the hit band The Brightsiders, Emmy King’s life should be perfect. But there’s nothing the paparazzi love more than watching a celebrity crash and burn. When a night of partying lands Emmy in hospital and her girlfriend in jail, she’s branded the latest tabloid train wreck. Luckily, Emmy has her friends and bandmates, including the super-swoonworthy Alfie, to help her pick up the pieces of her life. She knows hooking up with a band member is exactly the kind of trouble she should be avoiding, and yet Emmy and Alfie Just. Keep. Kissing. Will the inevitable fallout turn her into a clickbait scandal (again)? Or will she find the strength to stand on her own? (Via Swoon Reads)"

As an autistic woman, Jen Marie Wilde’s first book, Queens of Geek, was so stunningly important to me. I would have picked this one up on that alone, but this book looks fantastic. It comes out on May 22.

Front Desk — Kelly Yang

"Front Desk tells the story of 10 year old Mia Tang. Every day, Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel while her parents clean the rooms. She’s proud of her job. She loves the guests and treats them like family. When one of the guests gets into trouble with the police, it shakes Mia to her core. Her parents, meanwhile, hide immigrants in the empty rooms at night. If the mean motel owner Mr. Yao finds out, they’ll be doomed! Front Desk is a middle-grade novel from debut author Kelly Yang. Based on the author’s life, the story follows Mia—the daughter of first generation Chinese immigrants. (Via Goodreads)"

This book is one of the most important ones I’ve ever read a summary for, especially in a world where immigrants are, day in and day out, quite the hot topic today. You need this middle grade book when it’s out on May 29.