15 must-read YA book releases that will make staying inside a little easier this May

House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess

Best known for her Kingdom on Fire trilogy, Jessica Cluess returns this month with House of Dragons, the fist novel in a brand-new YA fantasy series that sees five royal houses competing for a dragon throne. Fans of political fantasy and competition stories like The Hunger Games or Throne of Glass will find this one checks many of the boxes that make for a great story — and it even centers on a group of misfits.

The story opens with the death of the Emperor of Etrusia, heralding the Call for five royal houses to fight for the throne. Under normal circumstances, the oldest child from each house would be the one to compete — but this time finds the families’ outcasts lining up to take part instead. According to the synopsis, the five characteres we’ll follow include:

"THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death. THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again. THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game. THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free–he must take what he wants. THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne."

With such a fascinating cast of characters, this story is bound to be an engaging one — and that’s without the politics and magic, which are two buzzwords for just about any fantasy lover.

House of Dragons will be available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats beginning May 12.