12 new YA books you should stay indoors and read this August

Crown of Coral and Pearl – Mara Rutherford

Crown of Coral and Pearl, a fantasy debut from author Mara Rutherford, follows the story of the story of two identical twin sisters who live in Varenia, an impoverished fishing village of wooden homes built on stilts in the sea.

For generations, the elders of Varenia have selected the most beautiful girl from their village to marry the crown prince of the mountain kingdom of Ilaria. Sweet and kind Zadie is the village’s expected choice for the prince, which will leave her twin sister Nor behind. But when Zadie is injured, Nor suddenly finds herself picked to journey to Varenia and wed the prince in her place.

In a twist that should surprise no one that reads any YA fantasy at all, Nor is hardly prepared for this mission, having spent the bulk of her life operating under the assumption that it would never happen to her. (As a result, she’s learned to be outspoken and opinionated, hardly desirable traits in the future queen of Illaria.) So when she finds herself caught up in a mysterious plot involving failing royal bloodlines, a murdered queen and more, well. She’ll have to fight to save herself, her kingdom, and even her sister.

The official synopsis:

"Impetuous and outspoken, seventeen-year-old Nor is used to living in her identical twin sister’s shadow. As the most beautiful girl in Varenia, Zadie is destined to marry the prince of Ilara, heir to all the ocean realms. Though free from her mother’s strict constraints, Nor still feels trapped. Just once, she longs to see Ilara’s glittering towers and encounter its dashing prince… But when Zadie is injured, Nor is chosen to replace her. And she soon finds Prince Ceren is as forbidding and cold as llara, a realm carved into a mountain and devoid of light. Ceren’s plans would strip Varenia of its most precious resources—a decree Nor will risk anything to stop. And through Ceren’s half brother, Talin, she pursues an even darker mystery rooted in the failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen—and Ilara’s sinister secret history. Now Nor must negotiate the treacherous protocols and insidious deceptions of a dazzling court where lies reign and obsession rules. And discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie."

Admittedly, Crown of Coral and Pearl shares some similar elements with other recent fantasy releases – Tracy Banghart’s Grace and Fury series springs to mind – but its intriguing setting, and strong heroines should land it on anyone’s TBR pile.

Crown of Coral and Pearl is available on August 27.