12 must-read new YA book releases to get us through April

Incendiary – Zoraida Cordova

Incendiary is the first installment in author Zoraida Cordova’s new “Hollow Crown” duology, a sweeping story with a definite Assassin’s Creed vibe. It follows the story of Ren, a magic user in a world where people with such abilities are regularly persecuted and killed. She was kidnapped as a child and forced to use her powers – stealing memories – against the king’s enemies.

Now, she’s grown up and part of the Whispers, an underground resistance group fighting to overthrow the crown and rescue her fellow Moira – a.k.a. the magic users – from genocide. The problem is, her fellow Whispers don’t really trust her since she used to be a weapon of the king, and some even think she’s a traitor to their cause. So when Ren accidentally endangers her boyfriend on a mission to destroy a dangerous machine that could wipe out everyone’s magical abilities, she’s on her own to save him.

The official synopsis gives us a lot more details about what to expect.

"Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King’s Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata’s ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King’s Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people. Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred–or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned “hollow” during her time in the palace. When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez’s top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it. But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom–and end the war that has cost her everything."

Incendiary is available on April 28.