It’s my first Wyrd & Wonder post of 2022, and today I have found twelve YA fantasy books that are all coming out later this year. I had a lot to choose from so this list was hard to narrow down, but I think I’ve found some good ones! I’m including links to the Goodreads pages so you can read the full description if you’re interested, and these are listed in order of release date. I’m also only including standalone novels or books that are the first in a series (no sequels). Here we go!
This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra #1) by Emily Thiede. Wednesday Books, June 28th. “Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.”
Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin. Sourcebooks Fire, August 2nd. “When eighteen-year-old witch Iris Gray accidentally enacts a curse that could have dire consequences, she must team up with a boy who hates witches to make sure her magic isn’t unleashed on the world.”
Daughter of Darkness (House of Shadows #1) by Katharine & Elizabeth Corr. Hot Key Books, August 4th. “Enter the Underworld in an epic new fantasy, where the Gods of ancient Greece rule everything but fate.”
Unraveller by Frances Hardinge. Macmillan Children’s Books, September 2nd. “Kellen and Nettle live in a world where anyone can create a life-destroying curse, but only one person has the power to unravel them. But not everyone is happy he can do so and, suddenly, he’s in a race to save both himself and all those who have been touched by magic…”
The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Dulogy #1) by Aiden Thomas. Feiwel & Friends, September 6th. “Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials, where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys.”
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah. Sourcebooks Fire, September 6th. “She grew up battling the monsters that live in the black seas, but it couldn’t prepare her to face the cunning cruelty of the ruling elite. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable, this South Asian-inspired fantasy is a gripping debut about the power of the elite, the price of glory, and one girl’s chance to change it all.”
How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy. Putnam, September 27th. “An overachieving teen witch vies for a prestigious scholarship at her elite high school in this contemporary YA fantasy for fans of Never Have I Ever and Sabrina the Teen Witch!”
The Wolves are Watching by Natalie Lund. Viking Books for Young Readers, October 4th. “A fresh, compelling, and eerie exploration of small-town living, stolen children, and wolves that watch in the woods.”
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew. Scholastic Press, October 18th. “The Raven Boys meets Ninth House in the most exciting debut of 2022 — a dark, atmospheric fantasy about a Deaf college student with a peculiar connection to the afterlife.”
Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston. Margaret K. McElderry Books, November 1st. “Caraval meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this deliciously dark young adult fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a magical secret society to enter a potentially deadly competition for the chance to avenge her mother’s death.”
The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix. Margaret K. McElderry Books, November 1st. “Love and duty collide in this richly imagined, atmospheric young adult debut about a witch whose dark powers put her at the center of a brewing war between the only family she’s ever known and the enemy who makes her question everything.”
The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1) by Susan Dennard. Tor Teen, November 8th. “From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy, about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest, and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.”
While YA might now always prove to be my proverbial cup of tea, there is a number of interesting offers in your post that might compel me to… take the plunge 😉
Thanks for sharing!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…WYRD & WONDER 2022: Give Me Five! #wyrdandwonder
I’m not a huge fantasy reader but these certainly sounds interesting.
Thanks for sharing!
I saw a comparison to Buffy in there! 🙂
Oh my! There are several books on here I’m going to have to keep an eye out for The new Francis Hardinge book especially!
How many amazing covers!! And a lot of these books sound intriguing too! I am not always a fan of YA but I am not averse to them, either, and The Whispering Dark is one of the most interesting, for me! Thanks for sharing!
My girlfriend is currently using Sarbina the Teenage Witch as a background show for everything she does around the house, so I definitely have to tell her about this book! For me though, I’m leaning toward the Luminaries.
DJ (@Bookworm M.D) recently posted…Author Interview: Jennifer Estep
Based solely on covers, Wild is the Witch is the one I’d be most drawn to! I’m not familiar with any of these, but look forward to hearing about them. Enjoy!
Ah I don’t like the hand on the cover of The Wolves are Watching at all but Cruel Illusions looks and sounds awesome! Great list!
Brittany recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read
Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin is already on my TBR because I really enjoyed her last book, but the rest of these sound pretty great too.
Ooh Daughtr of darkness- cool cover. The Dennard one looks super good too.
All of these books sound amazing but the one I absolutely wanna read is Daughter of Darkness, obviously! I’m sure that’s not surprising LOL
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Book Blitz: Kiss of Darkness by Taylor Aston White
I didn’t like The Nature of Witches, but the publisher sent me book 2, and even though it’s a different story I guess, not sure if I’ll try it or not since I didn’t finish the other one. Several of these are on my TBR, great picks!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…Blog Tour Review: The Mrs. Degree (Accidentally in Love #2) by Sara Ney
I have been out of the loop when it comes to YA and definitely need some of these lists to point me in the direction of some interesting books! There are probably a couple here I would add to the tbr, thanks!
I love Hardinge and so now I want that book very much but not sure I’m the right audience. Gah. I just want it anyway.
Lynn 😀
I loved the sound of The Wolves are Watching.
Debjani recently posted…The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams – Review
Ooo, I’d forgotten about Cruel Illusions, that is SUCH a good cover!!
Caitlin G. recently posted…Wyrd & Wonder Fantastic Five: Forest Fantasies
So many interesting ones. I have This Vicious Grace to read for review so I’m curious to see what I think of it.
Annemieke recently posted…Top Ten Don’t Leave the Path Books | #WyrdandWonder | #TropeTuesday | #TopTenTuesday
Literally screaming because I didn’t know about Daughter of Darkness until now and OMG I NEED IT! Great post and thanks for getting this book on my radar
Kal @ Reader Voracious recently posted…7 Books to Read for International Workers’ Day
Holy smokes, this list really highlights for me how YA has changed in the past 10-15 years, haha. A lot of these sound/look like adult novels at a glance. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for Frances Hardinge’s new work