The end of the year is a pretty slow time for traditional publishing when it comes to young adult speculative fiction. No new trends to report, so fans of vampires and romantasy, this is still your rodeo. That said, there are also some interesting things happening with historical fantasy. The pickings get slim in November and December, but there’s still plenty to get excited about. Here are the twelve YA science fiction, fantasy, and horror books coming up that I’m eagerly awaiting.
Past Is Present
Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez (Secrets of the Nile #2)
The last book in the Secrets of the Nile duology opens in Egypt in 1885. Inez is torn between wanting her independence and the social expectations of a respectable woman. Tío Ricardo says she must either marry or return to Argentina, and Whit Hayes is the only viable option. He wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to her—that would be the murder of her cousin Elvira in the previous book—but he’s not exactly trustworthy. Inez must wade through secrets coming from all corners to get to the truth. (Wednesday Books; November 5, 2024)
When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede
This magical realism novel-in-verse is set in 1934 Haiti. Lucille and her best friend Fifina’s dreams of opening a secular school for girls is shattered when Fifina is forced to marry the local section chief. Lucille is shipped off, first to Port-au-Prince where she works as a maid for a wealthy woman. After her secret relationship with Madame Ovide’s rebellious son is exposed, she’s sent away again, this time to work as a maid for Zora Neale Hurston. Throughout it all, Lucille is guided by her dreams and the singing mapou trees growing across Haiti. (Candlewick Press; December 3, 2024)
We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis
In the tiny French village of Mende in 1765, Joséphine and Clara have had it up to here with men behaving badly. On top of all the patriarchal bs they have to deal with on the daily, a beast has come to the Gévaudan region, and it is going after young women. The girls decide to use the beast as cover for escape. They stage their deaths and hide out in an abandoned house nearby. But the monster isn’t keen to let them go anymore than the men they fled are. The bodies, real and fake, pile up and the threats close in. (Delacorte Press; December 10, 2024)
A Darker Shade of Magic
Dead Girls Don’t Dream by Nino Cipri
Riley knows to never enter the Voynich Woods. People who go missing in there are never seen again. When her little sister runs off in search of a Wishing Tree, Riley runs after her and ends up lost herself. Then she ends up dead, murdered in some kind of arcane ritual by masked figures. Madelyn longs to escape from under the thumb of her helicopter mom. She gets the chance to tap into her powerful magic when she resurrects Riley. But her magic binds them together in unexpected ways. The two girls—and the ghost of another dead girl—try to expose the Woods’ dark secrets. (Henry Holt & Company; November 12, 2024)
Fortune’s Kiss by Amber Clement
Fortune’s Kiss is a traveling gambling hall, and for the first time in ten years, it has arrived in Ciudad Milagro, the hometown of Mayté and Lorena. Each girl has big dreams. Mayté wants to redeem herself after her alcoholic father disgraced her family and ruined the power they had worked so hard to acquire. Lo wants to escape her abusive father and the unwanted marriage he’s forcing her into. Winning the Lotería is their best chance, assuming they don’t die while playing. The strange man behind the game, Misterioso, wants them to lose. Can the girls survive long enough to fight each other for victory? (Union Square & Co.; November 12, 2024)
Genre-benders
Streetlight People by Charlene Thomas
Kady is a Have-Not, and her boyfriend, Nik, is not just a Have-Lot but a member of the ultra exclusive IV Boys. Nik heads off to college, leaving Kady behind and vulnerable. Only Aaron, another IV Boy, steps up to defend her. That’s when the rumors start. At a Halloween carnival, Kady wins a bag of magic candy that allows her to travel in time. Missing Nik and frustrated by the accusations of her cheating with Aaron, Kady jumps back and forth in time, complicating things even more. If nothing else, comping it to Twin Peaks and Black Mirror is enough to intrigue me. (Dutton Books for Young Readers; November 5, 2024)
Dust by Alison Stine
Born hard of hearing, Thea’s parents impress upon her the importance of passing as a hearing person. They also yanked her out of school, moved to a dead land with no water and disastrous blizzards, and refused to let her communicate with her old friends, so they don’t exactly have the best judgment when it comes to good parenting. At the cafe where they let her work, she meets Ray, who is Deaf. They grow closer as he secretly teaches her ASL. But the violence and climate crisis outside their little teenage bubble comes crashing down on them. (Wednesday Books; December 3, 2024)
Interview with a Vampire
Keep It In The Dark by Justin Arnold
Rowan, the son of the headmaster of the elite boarding school Mockingbird Prep, is the most popular kid on campus. Casper, a newly turned vampire, has just been adopted by vampiric royalty. They promise him a trip to Europe to meet other vampires…but first he has to finish high school. Casper and Rowan end up sharing a dorm room and tensions flair. Rowan tries not to think about how cute his roomie is and Casper tries not to think about draining his new nemesis dry. Enemies-to-lovers but with a YA vampire twist. (Tiny Ghost Press; December 3, 2024)
A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya
It’s the 1830s and vampires are everywhere. After his family are killed by vampiros, Lalo goes on a foolhardy mission to avenge them and ends up getting turned into a bloodsucker himself. Carolina wants nothing more than to be a vampire hunter, but her patriarchal family keeps shoving her to the side. Carolina stumbles on Lalo devouring an animal, but instead of introducing him to Mr. Pointy, sparks fly. The teens pair up to help Lalo find a cure and for Carolina to find a way to get rid of vamipiros altogether. (Joy Revolution; December 17, 2024)
Take Back the Throne
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow #2)
It’s been a long 3 years for fans of the Iron Widow series, but hardly any time has passed for Zetian. She may have finally secured the throne, but she isn’t in charge. Zetian must also share that power with a dangerous dude. Although they have the same goal—fix Huaxia so it’s a less awful place to live—each go about it in a way the other disagrees with. Get ready for tons of court politics and high-stakes action. (Tundra Books; December 24, 2024)
Folklore and Mythology
I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea (I Feed Her to the Beast #2)
Laure, the former prima ballerina, is still in Paris and partying hard enough to drown out her thoughts about the consequences of her monstrous choices in the first book. Bound to the god Acheron, her pact cost the life of her best friend. Now Elysium, seething below Paris, is collapsing, and the chaos has spread to the streets above. Laure must decide just how much of a monster she really is. (Henry Holt & Company; November 12, 2024)
Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson (This Dark Descent #2)
This Jewish folklore inspired duology comes to a close. Mikira and her golem horse are off with the rebels searching for the lost heir to the kingdom. Now the ruler of the House Adair, Damien has his sights set on the throne, an act of hubris that could lose him everyone he cares about. Ari is at Damien’s side; after learning the terrible truth about where her magic comes from, she’s caught between trying to rid herself of her power and keeping Damien honest. The trio will reunite to face an even greater threat to Enderlain. (Roaring Brook Press; November 12, 2024)
