13 must-read June YA book releases to start your summer off right

Sisters of Sword and Song – Rebecca Ross

Sisters of Sword and Song is the latest book by Rebecca Ross, author of The Queen’s  Rising and The Queen’s Resistance, a remarkable duology that put a fresh, appealing spin on the age-old trope of a queen returning to claim her throne and kingdom. (It’s about more than that, obviously, and is honestly so worth your time.)

Ross’ new effort is, as the title suggests, a story of the unbreakable bond between two sisters. In ancient Greece, Evadne is so excited to see her sister Halcyon again, who has been serving in the queen’s army for the past eight years. But when her sister arrives home, something is clearly very wrong. She’s both haunted and hunted – by her former commander. She’s murdered his son, you see, and must stand trial.

When Evadne offers to help bear some of her sister’s heavy punishment by serving in the household of the murdered boy’s family, where she uncovers many secrets, both of the magical and nonmagical variety.

The official synopsis describes the story in more detail.

"After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder. Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death."

Sisters of Sword and Song is available on June 23.