10 science-fiction and fantasy releases you’re bound to fall for this February

The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet

Author Kelly Braffet, who is probably best known for Last Seen Leaving, is diving into the world of YA fantasy with The Unwilling. The novel tells the story of Judah, a foundling who possesses an extraordinary gift. Though she’s been raised in Highfall castle, she doesn’t truly seem to have made a home there — though her connections to the other inhabitants keep her tied to it.

First there’s Gavin, the heir to the throne. Judah’s connection to him is described as being “the key to her survival… and possibly her undoing.” Given how dramatic that sounds, it’s safe to assume the stakes are high for Judah — and that’s without accounting for Gavin’s father, Lord Elban. Elban has big plans for Judah, moving her like a piece on a chess board — and given his barbaric personality, that can’t mean anything good for her.

And judging by the book’s synopsis, Elban isn’t the only person using Judah to his advantage:

"“But outside the walls, in the starving, desperate city, a magus, a healer with his own secret power unlike anything Highfall has seen in years, is newly arrived from the provinces. He, too, has plans for the empire, and at the heart of those plans lies Judah… The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon uncover more to her story than she ever imagined.”"

Readers who enjoy darker stories with morally questionable characters might get their fill from The Unwilling. Braffet’s latest arrives on February 11.