Archives de catégorie : Fantasy

THE UNINVITED de Nancy Banks

Set in the sumptuous city of lights, THE UNINVITED is a new YA novel about a young woman, a vampire, and the callous ways our vampire stories deal with consent.

THE UNINVITED
by Nancy Banks
Delcaorte, Fall 2025
(via Writers House)

When 17-year-old Tosh Reeves moves from Portland, Oregon to Paris, it’s a dream come to life. The city embraces her with its street-life, iconic architecture, and infinite gustatory delights. There’s even a charming expat boy, Nick, who introduces her to sights tourists never see. From medieval catacombs to the viciously competitive street art scene, Tosh’s immersion in Paris makes her feel wholly alive in a way she’s never before experienced. She belongs; she never wants to leave!

But when a series of brutal vampiric attacks creeps closer to her new circle of bohemian friends, Tosh will confront the darker side of her beloved Paris, and learn how deeply monsters can strike at a young woman’s power and heart.

Nancy Banks has washed buses, worked as a graphic designer and art director, and co-owned a bookstore. She lived in France for several years and still regrets that she never finished her Epic Pastry Quest. Currently, she lives in Denver with her husband and dog.

WE CAN NEVER LEAVE de H.E. Edgmon

Sweet Tooth meets The Raven Boys in this queer young adult contemporary fantasy about what it means to belong.

WE CAN NEVER LEAVE
by H.E. Edgmon
Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Publishing Group, June 2025

You can never go home…

Every day, all across the world, inhuman creatures are waking up with no memory of who they are or where they came from–and the Caravan exists to help them. The traveling community is made up of these very creatures and their families who’ve acclimated to this new existence by finding refuge in each other. That is, until the morning five teenage travelers wake to find their community has disappeared around them overnight.

Those left: a half-human who only just ran back to the Caravan with their tail between their legs, two brothers–one who can’t seem to stay out of trouble and the other who’s never been brave enough to get in it, a venomous girl with blood on her hands and a heart of gold, and the Caravan’s newest addition, a disquieting shadow in the shape of a boy. They’ll have to work together to figure out what happened the night of the disappearance, but each one of the forsaken five is white-knuckling their own secrets. And with each truth forced to light, it becomes clear this isn’t really about what happened to their people–it’s about what happened to them.

H.E. Edgmon did not sleep for several years and is now the author of copious novels and short works for tweens, teens, and adults. Their line-up includes The Witch King duology, the Ouroboros duology, and The Flicker, and their writing has been described as “monstrously thrilling, deeply emotional” by School Library Journal. Across genres, H.E. hopes to find readers in their darkest moments and help them start a fire. In their laughably limited free time, they’re likely hosting themed parties for no reason or trying to predict the future. They live in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by chosen family and giant dogs.

RAVENFALL de Kalyn Josephson

One magical inn, two kids with supernatural powers, and an ancient Celtic creature trying to destroy their world… Wednesday meets Supernatural in this bewitching middle-grade series!

RAVENFALL (Book 1)
by Kalyn Josephson
Delacorte, September 2022
(via Laura Dail Literary)

Thirteen-year-old Anna Ballinkay has never been normal. Her family uses their psychic abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a magical B&B between the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.

So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects…

Now the supernatural creature straight out of Celtic mythology, one with eerie connections to Colin’s family, is coming after them. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature, it would spell destruction for Ravenfall and the world as they know it.

« Twisty and thrilling. Ravenfall is an enthralling adventure that pulls readers in from the first page, with delightful worldbuilding that will make you want to linger for a long time. »—Julie Abe, author of the Eva Evergreen series

« As cozy as a warm cup of tea in the middle of a graveyard at midnight on Halloween. Don’t you dare sleep on this story—or its truly excellent black cat. »—Alyssa Colman, author of The Gilded Girl

« Alternating between Anna and Colin’s voices, Josephson (The Storm Crow) presents memorable characters in an engaging and eerie magical mystery. »—Publishers Weekly

« Magical traditions, creatures, and objects abound in this intriguing setting, offering possibilities for sequels… Largely spellbinding. »—Kirkus Reviews

BOOKS 2 and 3 ALSO AVAILABLE:

 

Kalyn Josephson is a fantasy author living in the California Bay Area. She loves books, cats, books with cats, and making up other worlds to live in for a while. She is also the author of the Storm Crow duology.

WOVEN FROM CLAY de Jenny Birch

In this fresh and imaginative contemporary fantasy, a golem must master the magic that binds her together and finds an unexpected ally in the mysterious boy sent to ensure her demise.

WOVEN FROM CLAY
by Jenny Birch
Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s, August 2025

Terra Slater might not know anything about her birth family or where she comes from, but that’s never stopped her, and she fully intends her senior year to be her best yet. Until the dark and mysterious Thorne Wilder—a magical bounty hunter—moves to town, bringing revelations that wreck all of her plans.

When Terra learns she is a golem, not born but crafted from mud and magic by a warlock, her world is upended. Worse, Cyrus Quill, the warlock who made her, is a fugitive, on the run from the witches who want to hold him accountable for his past crimes. But Quill’s sentence is death, which would unravel the threads of magic that hold Terra—and all of the other golems that he crafted—together.

Desperate to save herself and her friends, Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and his coven to preserve the warlock’s life and his magic. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, they’ll perish along with Cyrus. As Thorne helps her to see and manipulate the tapestry of magic that surrounds them, their unexpected alliance evolves into something more and Terra comes to understand the depths of her magic, her humanity, and her love for the people most important to her.

Jenny Birch is a middle school teacher of English, French, and history, and serves as a youth theater director for students in grades 7-12. She lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, two sons, and foster baby. Jenny holds a BA in French and an MEd in Instruction & Learning and as an adoptee herself, she is a passionate advocate for children, particularly those in the foster care and adoption communities. When she’s not in her classroom or on stage with her students, you can find her either dancing in the kitchen with her family or flexing her overactive imagination. You can find Jenny on Twitter @TheRealMrsBirch.

MARKLESS de C.G. Malburi

“With an interesting magic system and a fresh take on soulmates, this enemies-to-lovers romantasy will enthrall readers.” —Booklist

MARKLESS
by C.G. Malburi
Levine Querido, June 2024
(via Context Literary)

Ruti is Markless. In a society where worth is determined by the mark on your palm and the magic it grants you, this also deems her worthless. Except she’s also a hardened survivor, a protector of the Markless…and the most powerful witch in Somanchi. With a single song, she can pray to the many gods for unimaginable powers.

Dekala’s Mark is strong, a Mark fit for the future queen of Somanchi, but it’s also unstable. She knows the only solution is to be bonded, but she also knows that this would mean relinquishing control over her throne and kingdom. So when she is witness to Ruti’s power, Dekala offers the witch a deal: She can be prosecuted for her crimes…or she can help Dekala ascend to the throne, unbonded.

Dekala is cold and brutal and cares only about getting her way. She is also determined, intelligent, and compassionate. Ruti is torn between wanting her to fail or to emerge victorious. But as the gods are defied, new alliances are forged, and unexpected feelings are unearthed, Ruti realizes the fate of the kingdom––and the survival of the Markless––lies in her unmarked hands.

“Fast-paced and thrilling, this magical fantasy brings the enemies-to-lovers trope to new heights while poignantly examining themes of poverty, discrimination, and sexuality.” —Kirkus

“Malburi crafts an ambitious adventure teeming with surprises and romance” —Publishers Weekly

When C.G. Malburi read her first sapphic love story, she felt recognized in a way that she never had before. Now, she’s determined to fill bookshelves with more sapphic books for teens so they can experience the same. She lives on the East Coast and loves fandom, tropes, and stories in which characters flout destiny to choose each other.