Here’s the full list of SFF young adult titles heading your way in June!
Keep track of all the new SFF releases here. All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher. Release dates are subject to change.
June 2
The Game of Oaths — S. C. Bandreddi (Candlewick)
It’s 1896. Beneath a hotel in the heart of Paris is the famed le Cirque des Ombres, led by ringmaster and Enchanteur Jean-Pierre. But behind the dazzling spectacles, the circus performers are bound by magical contracts, also making them potential players in the annual Game of Oaths, an underground bloodthirsty tournament watched by the wealthy elite. Twelve will compete. Eleven will die.
Seventeen-year-old trapeze artist Falan Sunkara is out for revenge. After her sister ended up as one of the unlucky eleven last year, Falan wants nothing more than to make Jean-Pierre pay for her death. When she’s chosen to compete in this year’s tournament, Falan is not above playing dirty and forging unlikely alliances. But to be the last one standing, she has to determine whom to trust and whose motives to question. Vengeance on top of survival is a dangerous gamble—and in games like this, the house always wins.
Where You’ll Find Us — Jen St. Jude (Bloomsbury YA)
Calla Quick has no future. At least, that’s how it feels. Her parents disowned her via text message, and now she can’t afford to go to an all-women’s college with her girlfriend Ramona like they planned. But Calla wonders if maybe that’s for the best—because even though Calla told Ramona her parents disowned her because they found out she’s gay, the truth is, Calla has been questioning whether she’s a girl at all. Calla wishes she had more time to figure everything out, and one night, her wish is seemingly granted. When Calla and Ramona stumble upon a mysterious farmhouse the woods, they meet five teens who claim they’ve lived there for decades. The land, which they call Amaranth, acts as a safe haven for queer kids throughout history—a place free of hate, free of violence, free of time itself. Here, Calla can be Cal, and they feel instantly accepted. They don’t have to worry about the future because at Amaranth, it will never come—until one night when the clock strikes twelve. Now under a literal ticking clock, the housemates must find a way to stop time again or face going back to their harsh realities, but as Cal learns everyone’s story, they begin to wonder what queer people lose when their history is lost to time.
The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue — Zoulfa Katouh (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Seventeen-year-old Jihad Dabbagh has always seen life with a heightened sense for colors, one of many magical blessings the women in her family possess. But Jihad’s gift changes depending on her mood. When depression sets in, the world is a colorless oasis, and in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, the world has become a permanent shade of grey. Broken by tragedy, Jihad’s family doesn’t believe her color loss. Her father sends her to the elite Braxton Academy to finish her senior year. There, Jihad’s name and hijab put a target on her back. Her haven comes in the form of an old sketchbook carved from a tree in her hometown in Syria—a country she only knew through her mother’s stories. Jihad hasn’t picked up a brush in over a year, but finds herself channeling the colors of her hurt, pain, and grief as she paints the story of her mother’s journey in Syria. When graffiti of that same mural starts magically popping up all over New York, her art goes viral and the world takes notice, the threat of legal consequences is imminent. To reclaim her voice, Jihad will have to paint a new future for herself and Braxton, guided by the resilience of her mother’s story.
Teela: Daughter of Eternos (Masters of the Universe) — Mackenzi Lee (Mattel)
A FALLEN KINGDOM. Four years after Skeletor decimated the kingdom of Eternos, Teela and the scattered refugees of Eternia survive by never staying in one place for long. When a brutal storm of acidic rain deep within the Evergreen Forest leaves their camp ravaged and hope at its thinnest, some, like Teela’s friend Locke, begin to plan for a future beyond Eternia. But Teela knows her father Duncan, the once-mighty Man-At-Arms, won’t survive leaving the land he swore to protect. A FORBIDDEN ALLIANCE. Desperate to save her people, Teela ventures to Darksmoke to bargain with the ancient dragon Granamyr. He bestows upon her a vial filled with a mysterious, powerful elixir—and no instructions on its use. Enter Evil-Lyn, Skeletor’s ruthless second-in-command, who intercepts Teela with a dangerous proposal: an alliance. In exchange for the vial’s secrets, Teela and the Heroic Warriors must someday help the sorceress overthrow Skeletor himself. A MAGIC THAT COULD SAVE—OR DESTROY—THEM ALL. The vial heals the sick and brings food back to empty tables—until the forest around the camp begins to change. Rivers vanish. Trees peel to bone. Creatures flee. As the land around them withers at an ever-increasing pace, Teela must confront an impossible question: Has the very magic she used to save her people doomed Eternia instead?
Goldenborn — Ama Ofosua Lieb (Scholastic Press)
Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural. Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown—just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger—and far more dangerous. At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood… and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust—especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself.
The League of Dangerous Young Ladies — J. A. Morgenstein (Stonefruit Studio)
It’s 1909 and Rose Moriarty—teenage daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ greatest enemy—has made a name for herself fighting monsters and solving crimes. But that was before Rose met the one mystery she couldn’t solve: the disappearance of her headmistress. Now, her school has shut down, her classmates have scattered, and Rose is on her own. On the very day Rose receives word that an old friend is dying, the shadowy Count Christoph and his ward Clara show up at her door. Rose has already figured out why they’re here (to hire her) and what’s in their bag (an ancient orb with incredible powers), but questions remain: Can Rose convince these strangers to help save her friend’s life? What are the grotesque, bug-shaped stalkers that plague their every step? And how can Rose pursue this adventure while avoiding a particular boy from her childhood? The only thing certain is that Rose is no longer alone, because danger forges strange alliances… and Professor Moriarty wasn’t the only famous villain to have a daughter.
Shadow Reaper — Lynette Noni (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
The city of Aravell is in peril, plagued by a deadly blackmist and reapers who roam the streets, stealing magic from innocent children in their thirst for power. Seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace has trained for years to hunt these reapers, but their ranks keep growing, led by the man who murdered her parents: the Reaper Priest. When the Priest’s most loyal follower, Reeve Ashton, is captured, he offers Viri a chance to avenge her parents… for a price. She knows better than to bargain with a reaper, let alone this reaper, but his offer is too good to resist. Soon she’s breaking him out of prison, colluding with his crew of magic thieves, and following him deep into the blackmist forest in search of an ancient legend, all so they can stop the Reaper Priest’s plot to doom the city. Viri is staking her life on Reeve’s plan, but how can she trust a silver-tongued criminal to keep his word? And how can she trust her own heart when a buried secret could shatter everything?
The Secret World of Briar Rose — Cindy Pham (Kokila)
One hundred years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom to poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim. Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin’s conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom’s golden age, who protect a hidden portal into Princess Amelia’s subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her. Inside the lush world of Amelia’s dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her “perfect” paradise—and that there are some things her subconscious can’t bury forever.
The Spiritualists — Kristin O’Donnell Tubb (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Stella Bohdan is never alone—never—and yet she is the loneliest person she knows, dead or alive. A gifted psychic who can hear the voices of spirits, all Stella wants is to con enough people to survive on the brutal New York City streets and find a way to deal with the tragic death of her sister. Performing seances in parlor rooms and tarot readings by candlelight, Stella is barely holding on. Until she meets Pax, a mysterious young man who offers Stella an invitation and a promise: Join a secret group of talented mystics who explore the darker realms of spiritualism, and together they will get revenge on her sister’s killer. But how can Stella admit she is the reason her sister is dead? In the hope of righting past wrongs, Stella joins Pax and his team of mystics. It’s soon clear there is more behind their partnership than just vengeance. They must tread carefully though, because in the world of spiritualism, not everything is what it seems—especially when communing with the unknown.
Their Will Undone — R.J. Valldeperas (HarperCollins)
In Amaru, it is an honor to be chosen in the annual harvest and serve the gods-favored emperor. Nina’s brother has already been chosen, but when the emperor’s men come a second time for her sister, Nina volunteers instead. She is taken to the acllahuasi, a gilded cage where women train to become servants or wives for the ruling class. It is there that a soldier comes to collect her, and Nina learns of her fate—to become a wife… to the emperor. As the emperor’s trusted friend and soldier, Kasik is ordered to retrieve Nina and deliver her untouched. But the emperor’s betrothed is not as he expected. The distrust between Nina and Kasik is thicker than the trees surrounding them, and Kasik’s honor is put to the test when their path back to the capitol leads them into dangerous territory. Their lives and hearts are in peril as forbidden desires are unearthed, along with a stirring of dark magic in Nina that inexplicably ties her to the gods. What begins as a simple task becomes a tense journey that forces Nina and Kasik to confront where their true loyalties lie—with the emperor and the fate of their people, or with the desires of their own hearts.
June 9
Black River — Ruby Jean Cottle (Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers)
All seventeen-year-old Dusty wants is to escape into books and the Adirondack wilderness that surrounds her small town. But in the dead of night, strange things have been happening in Black River. Animals are being ravaged by something unnatural. And Dusty wakes up one day with dirt on her feet, changed and starving. When new kid Will arrives, Dusty feels an attraction unlike anything she’s felt before. She wants him… or she wants his blood. As Dusty realizes she’s transforming into something she can’t control, she reluctantly turns to the only person she somehow knows will understand: the annoyingly attractive Eli Blake. Together, Dusty and Eli must uncover the mystery of their town and their new, insatiable desires. Have they become vampires or some other kind of monster? Whatever they are, they’re not the only ones.
Her Sharp Embrace (Nightshades #1) — Kate Koenig (Wednesday Books)
In the glittering city of New Soleil, beauty masks danger at every turn. The Nightshades, a crew of magical outlaws, are no different. Their glamorous facades conceal the terror they strike into the hearts of the rich and powerful as they steal from the corrupt and fight for the forgotten. Noa Toussaint fled her cossetted life as a Saint to join the Nightshades. Infatuated with their ferocious leader, Lennon, Noa aims to capture her heart and keep it. Her talent for alchemy is valuable, but her connection to her family puts all of the Shades in danger. Now enemies are closer than Lennon knows and Noa must uncover the threat and keep them both alive. Because in a city where lies are lethal and magic is fading, secrets aren’t just costly—they’re deadly.
Devils We Know (Devils Like Us #2) — L.T. Thompson (Bloomsbury YA)
Cas, Remy, and Finn are on the run from the Order of Lazarus, a secret society that wants to use Cas’s prophetic powers to capture Death and ensure that only the “unworthy” and “immoral” will meet their ends. Which will not only upend nature’s balance but also tear apart the only place the friends have ever felt safe to be themselves: Aboard the Mori, where Cas can live openly as a trans boy, and where Remy and Finn are beginning to fall for each other. No matter what, they can’t let that happen. To protect their found family of queer sailors, the three teens will need to find Death first and strike a bargain of their own. But the society is hot on their heels—and so is a demon who’s determined to claim the soul he’s owed.
June 16
Kingdom of Waves (Kingdom of Waves #1) — Melissa de la Cruz (Roaring Book Press)
The kingdom of Ophir was one of the most powerful and beautiful places in the world. But after an invasion by the land of Lacon, it was lost to the waves. Now, the Ophir live as second-class citizens beneath Lacon’s golden palaces. When two bands of Ophir thieves—one led by Eban Sadreal and the other by Gineth Strong—go after the same treasure, a priceless relic, their worlds and hearts suddenly collide. For the relic releases an ancient magic that could restore the legacy of Ophir—a magic that could change the course of Eban and Gin’s lives forever.
Libertad (Capitana #2) — Cassandra James (Quill Tree Books)
Alongside her sister, Ximena Reale now sails under the banner of the legendary pirate Gasparilla. But, between the bounty on “Gasparilla’s” head and the Empire’s renewed efforts to stomp out piracy, the sisters’ fellow pirates are suddenly wary of swearing allegiance to their cause. After a betrayal in the one place they were supposed to be safe, Gasparilla’s crew hits the high seas again and Ximena is reunited with Cazador Dante de León. Her longtime rival has been tasked with capturing her, and Ximena doesn’t know if she can trust the information he’s feeding her about the empire’s plans to take over the Northern Archipelago’s silver mines. “Gasparilla” heads north to rob the robbers, but the Empire has a few nasty tricks up their sleeves—including putting a traitor in the pirates’ midst.
Live From the Afterlife (Riot Act #2) — Sarah Lariviere (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
The first time Gigi Durant and her renegade theater group tried to take down America’s Favorite Dictator, it ended in the murder of Max Bowl—her raunchy, loudmouthed, beloved best friend. Now Gigi is dead, shot for performing Shakespeare. But if the police state that’s taken over their city—all of America, really—thought silencing her would end the rebellion, they were wrong. Because Gigi is still tethered to her story, her ghost lingering in the consciousness of Axl Fischer, her old love. And she’s not giving up. This time, the revolution isn’t about burning down, it’s about building up. This time, the troupe is determined to subvert the dictator’s propaganda not with weapons, but with pirate broadcasts and satire sharp enough to shred the lies. This time, with Axl leading the fight, and Gigi driving the mission from beyond, the group risks everything to defend dangerous beliefs: that voices can’t be silenced, and that when art refuses to die, freedom will prevail.
June 23
Doe — Rebecca Barrow (Nancy Paulsen Books)
Maris Larsen is the captain of the West Eaton High cheer team. She’s Coach’s favorite and the team worships her. Being on the team makes her feel special—powerful. When she’s leading the girls on the mat, Maris doesn’t have to think about her dead-end life in a dead-end town. She can forget about her depressed mother and absent father and the fact that her girlfriend doesn’t really love her. But when newcomer and Coach’s new golden girl, Genevieve Ray, joins the team, the only thing going right in Maris’s life is suddenly in jeopardy. A bitter rivalry develops between the two, but Maris is determined to take Genevieve down. The knife she needs to wield comes to Maris in her dreams. While sleepwalking, Maris is visited by a monstrous, decaying beast in the shape of an enormous deer. Doe is an ancient, tired creature who has been wandering, trapped in her current form for decades. She cannot die, but she cannot go on living as she has. Only a girl related by blood to those who bound her in this form can free her, but those girls she loved died years ago—murdered in a fire. But Maris is somehow linked to Doe’s beloved girls—linked by blood—and so she has the power to free Doe, to unleash her immense power. In Maris’s dreams, she and Doe form a bond, but Maris doesn’t know the creature from her dreams is real. Maris doesn’t understand the danger she’s in. She only knows Doe has promised her a way to win her battle with Genevieve. But for Maris to win, someone has to die, and the only real winner in the end will be Doe.
A Great and Powerful Tyranny (Song of the Ghost Queen #1) — Victoria Carbol (Page Street YA)
Falling into a world of magic and oppression, Kansas-born Thia joins three cursed companions in a quest to free them and send herself home. Orphaned from a young age, Thia has spent her life trying to live up to her mother’s legacy as a doctor. She’s on track to become a promising medical student, yet she feels like she was meant for something else. The life she thought she knew comes crashing down one stormy Kansas day when Thia inadvertently uncovers clues that reveal her grandma has been lying to her: Her mother was never a doctor; she was a scholar of the supernatural, and all she left behind was a strange mirror that Thia’s grandma is convinced is dangerous. Angry with her grandma for her deception, Thia leaves in a rage and accidentally falls through the mirror, killing a witch and crashing into a terrifying land ruled by the cruel and powerful Mage King. Joined by a heartless girl, a cowardly academic, and a boy who cannot remember his past, Thia seeks out the Mage King, the only man powerful enough to send her home and grant her companions’ desires. In their quest, Thia discovers her mother was a part of the rebellion to overthrow the Mage King, and she must reckon with her mother’s real legacy. With each new truth revealed, it becomes harder to ignore the undeniable connection between Thia and the cursed, heartless girl, and even harder to decide where, in the end, Thia ultimately belongs.
The Monsters We Made — Peyton June (Norton Young Readers)
To save her family’s struggling ranch, 18-year-old Claire fabricates a video of her hometown’s legendary alien cryptid, Old Lucky, that grabs the attention of paranormal vloggers Lenny and Evan. Lenny is plagued with doubts about their channel’s future, so catching Old Lucky might just be her chance at finding something real. After Evan deserts Lenny, believing the investigation to be a hoax, Claire agrees to “help” Lenny uncover the history of Old Lucky―and preserve her deceit. But the more the girls are drawn together and the more clues they unearth, the more secrets rise to the surface. The cows are being mutilated, the ranch hand has disappeared, and the strange lights in the sky are back. Something inhuman lurks in Scarberry, where danger lives close to home.
All We Hunger For — Anna Mercier (Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers)
In Anespérer, where magic comes alive through artistic skill, Elara Rousseau knows she’ll never be selected for the Objet d’Art. The high-stakes baking competition will elect a new Souverain to join the ruling council, and someone from the slums would never be considered. But when a brooding figure from her past sneaks her into the Objet, Elara has the chance to compete for a better future… as long as no one uncovers her traitorous secret. Nikolas Dupont will do whatever it takes to impress his powerful father, a Souverain who hasn’t officially recognized his son—like handpick a contestant to win and become his father’s political pawn. But Elara is more than he bargained for, and she ignites his own subdued passions. Against all odds, Elara excels and becomes a hero to the city’s poor, all while Nik’s faith in his father crumbles and the sparks between them burn brighter. As the competition heats up, Elara and Nik must choose: fight to win the competition and secure a future of safety for them both, or use the power of Elara’s art to spark a revolution.
Asperfell (Asperfell #1) — Jamie Thomas (Orbit—Indie Conversion)
Asperfell, legendary prison of mages, is home to violent criminals and demented spirits. No one has ever left. Briony, as far as she knows, is neither mage nor spirit. Growing up on a secluded countryside estate, she has spent her life removed from the politics of the capital. But after her father is killed for sedition, the vicious King Keric sentences her to death. Only by slipping through the gate to Asperfell can she save herself. To stay alive, she must find the former crown prince, banished there to die years before. He holds the key to finding their way back home. What she finds beyond the gate is a world of dark magic and darker secrets. Of cryptic whispers and dangerous mages. And, there in the depths, a bleak and broken man with no interest in being rescued…
The Forest Kingdom (Asperfell #2) — Jamie Thomas (Orbit—Indie Conversion)
Finally free of the prison Asperfell, Briony and Prince Elyan venture northward in search of a rumored cave wherein lies their only hope of returning home to the kingdom of Tiralaen. What they discover instead is an impossible kingdom of opulence and decadence beyond her wildest imagining. Here, an ancient goddess is about to awaken once more, and she has never forgiven Briony’s people for their intrusion into this world, nor the centuries of bloodshed that followed. Caught in a deadly web of secrets and lies that stretches across generations, Briony holds the fate of two kingdoms in her hands. To leave this new world behind is to condemn its people to anguish and death. But to stay and fight, Briony must abandon her home and everyone she’s ever loved—including Elyan. To save one kingdom, the other must fall.
The Shining City (Asperfell #3) — Jamie Thomas (Orbit—Indie Conversion)
After countless trials, Briony, Elyan, and their companions have finally made their way back to Tiralaen. But things are worse here than they could possibly have imagined. King Keric’s soldiers stalk the countryside, hanging any dissenters from his cruel reign. The only refuge is in the neighboring kingdom of Sidonia, but between Briony and safety lies a mountain pass not traversed for hundreds of years. And Sidonia is a court of vipers. Nobles from across the realms are vying for a claim to the throne. Elyan must rally an army to his banner if he has any hope of reclaiming his homeland, but after so long away, will they heed his call? As war breaks out across the realms, Briony and Elyan must unlock the true power of her magic. Even if it means sacrificing everything they’ve ever loved. Even if it means tearing down the very kingdom they are hoping to save.
June 30
Six of Crows: A Darker Shore, Letters from Ketterdam — Leigh Bardugo (Insight Editions)
In the years since the violent upheaval caused bythe auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, the merchants of Ketterdam have been under attack. Secret businesses exposed. Ships sunk. Slavers hunted as they once hunted their victims. All the work of a mysterious sea captain and her ship, the Wraith. Now, two investigators meet to uncover the truth behind the latest disaster: a massacre on an island off the shores of Ketterdam. Among the evidence collected is private correspondence between notorious crime boss Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor aboard the Wraith known only as “I.”
Meet Me at Midnight — Brianna Bourne (Delacorte Press)
Every night at midnight, time stops and Aria wakes up somewhere she’s never been: under a sparkling waterfall in Bali, in the romantic Italian countryside, on a moonlit path between towering sequoias. And every night, she meets the same dreamy boy. As the two are drawn to each other, midnight after midnight, Aria knows in her heart there must be a reason why… and if she gives in, their connection might be more than she could have ever dreamed of.
These Kindred Hearts — edited by Shari B. Pennant (Sweet July Books)
The daughter of a royal hell dimension deals with an unwanted betrothal to a boy she’s supposed to murder and questions the meaning of fate. An aspiring writer accidentally summons her own book character and struggles to send her new crush back to her fantasy world. An orphaned thief and a “Chosen One” must go on the run from a tyrannical empire. Two friends confess their feelings for each other in the middle of an earth-shattering apocalypse. A mix of cozy, high-stakes, and action-packed fantasy, and everything in between fill these seventeen tales that explore the power and magic of love. These Kindred Hearts includes stories by Alexene Farol Follmuth, Angela Montoya, Brent Lambert, Chelsea Padilla, Cheryl Isaacs, Jamar J. Perry, Jennifer Helen, Jill Tew, Kalynn Bayron, Kwame Mbalia, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Nia Davenport, Nikki T. Grant, Shari B. Pennant, Sophie Li, Vanessa Montalban, and Zoraida Córdova.
When Dealing with Dragons — Dana Swift (Wednesday Books)
Copper-crafter Farren Walsh is set on following in her father’s footsteps to become a dragon veterinarian. The only thing more powerful than her love for these magnificent creatures is her hate for those who exploit them for their precious metal. That includes her classmate, an arrogant dragon racer named James Murphy, whose silver-crafting family represents the worst of human greed and dragon abuse—plus, he’s the biggest competition for the college scholarship she desperately needs. When James strongarms his way into interning at her family’s dragon sanctuary for the summer, it puts everything at risk. Farren isn’t just the plain copper-crafter she seems. She’s hiding a secret that could not only change her life, but their society as a whole. And James, trying to find refuge from his controlling father, harbors his own secret, years-long crush on Farren. Hating James might be harder than she thought, but Farren can’t risk getting too close: the fate of an endangered species is at stake.
Cursed Ever After — Andy C. Naranjo (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers)
Risa Porto is a Bad Thing who was born on a Bad Day and is cursed with Bad Luck. After years of taking the blame for every calamity, mishap, and minor inconvenience that befalls the townspeople of Barrow, Risa longs to escape her village. And on her seventeenth birthday, her wish is granted. Sort of. Risa owes a (very annoying) witch a favor, and it comes in the form of a quest: She must escort Prince Javi—the youngest, handsomest, and least significant of the kingdom’s princes—through the dark (and deadly) Bosque to his wedding. This measly errand quickly spirals into a struggle with greedy assassins, a murderous cult, a vicious tyrant, and Risa’s own curse. Most unfortunate of all… Risa is not immune to Javi’s charms. The more time she spends with the prince, the stronger—and more irritating—her urge to kiss him becomes.
The River She Became — Emily Varga (Wednesday Books)
Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land. Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema seeks: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen. With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own. To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of all: losing their heart to each other.
