Here’s the full list of young adult SFF titles heading your way in July!
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.
July 1
Send Flowers — Emily Buchanan (Park Row Books)
Fiona, better known as eco-influencer @FoliageFifi, hasn’t left her apartment since her boyfriend, Ed, died. It’s easy to self-isolate when your heart’s shattered and the planet you’ve spent your whole life trying to save is dying right outside your window. But when a houseplant randomly appears on her doorstep with an anonymous note, Fiona feels a flicker of hope—it’s not just any plant; it’s Ed’s favorite. Thinking it’s a sign, Fiona pours Ed’s ashes into the soil, only to wake up to find the plant has vibrantly flowered. And can… talk? There’s only one logical explanation: Ed is back. This time as a houseplant. As Fiona knows all too well, plants have needs—sunlight, water and fresh air—all of which she can’t adequately provide from her dark, stuffy apartment. Intent on keeping Ed alive, Fiona slowly ventures back out into the world, the plant’s voice and budding flowers her guiding compass. But when Ed becomes more demanding in his botanical needs, urging her toward the people and places that left her scarred, Fiona realizes that preserving Ed’s life could mean risking her own. How far will she go to keep him blooming?
The Nightblood Prince — Molly X. Chang (Random House Books for Young Readers)
The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses. Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom. But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before.
Tenderly, I Am Devoured — Lyndall Clipstone (Henry Holt & Co Books for Young Readers)
Expelled from her prestigious boarding school following a violent incident, eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa Arriscane returns home in disgrace to discover her family on the point of financial ruin. Desperate to save them, she accepts a marriage of convenience… to Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by Lark’s isolated coastal hometown. But when her betrothal goes horribly wrong, Lark begins to vanish from the mortal realm. Her only hope is to seek help from Alastair Felimath: the brilliant, arrogant boy who was her first heartbreak, and his alluring older sister, Camille. As the trio delve into the folklore of gods, Lark falls under the spell of both Felimath siblings. Ensnared by a fervent romance, they perform a bacchanalia with hopes the hedonistic ritual will repair the connection between Lark and her bridegroom. Instead, they draw the ire of something much darker, which seeks to destroy Therion—and Lark as well.
Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe — C.B. Lee (Feiwel & Friends)
When Brenda’s internet goes out right before an important scholarship deadline, she stumbles right into Kat’s family’s coffeeshop. Brenda is swept away by cool, confident Kat, who actually cares about Brenda’s 19-step plan to save the world through science. Meanwhile, Kat can’t stop thinking about Brenda, who is smart, passionate, and doesn’t seem to care that Kat is the prophesized Chosen One. The only problem? Kat and Brenda are from different universes. Like need-to-find-a-portal-to-go-on-a-second-date different universes. As their universes collide and things spiral out of control, can a girl who is determined to save the world find love with a girl determined to outrun her destiny?
The Yomigaeri Tunnel — Kelly Murashige (Soho Teen)
Monika can’t bring herself to celebrate her last summer before college. Instead, she’s still grieving the loss of the one classmate who didn’t make it to graduation, a boy named Shun with whom she had a complicated relationship. Then, during her final Japanese Club meeting, Monika hears about the Yomigaeri Tunnel, a local urban legend. Those who venture into this mythological passageway undergo harrowing trials to confront their hidden secrets and worst fears. According to the lore, anyone who makes it through is rewarded with the ability to resurrect one soul from the dead. Monika jumps at the chance to bring back Shun, but she soon discovers she’s not alone. Sharp-tongued and fierce Shiori is hell-bent on reviving her mother and won’t let anyone stop her. As Monika and Shiori confront the ghosts of their pasts, they have to decide: Are they friends, or foes?
Den of Liars — Jessica S. Olson (Feiwel & Friends)
Lola St. James is the world’s best kept secret. When her father’s loss in the Liar’s Dice Tournament—a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets—made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief’s kindness came with a price: Lola’s heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other’s emotions because of their shared heart. Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar’s Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief’s mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers’ shared history, and the lies she tells herself.
Bound By Stars — E.L. Starling (Entangled: Teen)
When Weslie Fleet wins a golden ticket aboard the Boundless, humanity’s most opulent starliner, it’s a dream—and a danger. Raised in the dust-ridden ruins of Earth, she is thrust into the gleaming luxury of Mars’s elite, where every whispered word carries weight and every glance is a silent judgment. And none watch her closer than Jupiter, the golden boy of Mars’s high society, bound by duty, legacy, and a future he never chose. Their reluctant partnership was supposed to be a one-off assignment. Instead, it becomes a battle of wills, a spark that ignites, and a love neither of them anticipated. But fate is as cruel as it is unpredictable, and when the Boundless veers off course, love won’t be enough to save them. The ship is failing. The odds are impossible. And in the darkness of space, survival is the only thing that matters. But some loves are worth defying the stars for.
July 8
Predatory Natures — Amy Goldsmith (Delacorte)
When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she’s landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she’s determined to make things work. But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night. And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they’re transporting are for research, but Lara can’t shake the feeling that there’s something… otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination. Soon Lara will learn: You can’t outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can’t unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good…
Hour of the Pumpkin Queen (Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas) — Megan Shepherd (Disney)
One year has passed since Sally wed her beloved Jack Skellington and stepped into her role as queen of Halloween Town. Even with her Jack at her side, though, being a ruler isn’t easy, and Sally feels uncertain of her future. Her seams are stretched thin with her royal duties, her newfound family in Dream Town, and a desire to bring citizens from across the Hinterlands together. Then a simple potion demonstration at Sally’s inaugural Halloween exhibition goes horribly wrong, and things unravel fast: Sally and her new rag doll apprentice, Luna, fall through a mysterious portal, landing in a new realm called Time Town. They discover that someone has tampered with the clock that controls Halloween Town, and Sally cannot return to the present-day version of her home unless she finds the culprit and resets time. Sally and Luna embark on a journey to unmask the truth, encountering more towns, friends, and foes along the way. But time is ticking, and as Sally fights to save Jack and her hometown, she wonders what kind of future she really wants—and what she must sacrifice to get it.
July 15
Of Flame and Fury — Mikayla Bridge (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers)
Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren “Coup” Coupers—an arrogant rival she can’t get out of her head. As tensions rise on and off the track, Kel accepts a job from a mysterious tech mogul who shows an unsettling interest in her phoenix, Savita. This thrusts Kel into a conspiracy that endangers everyone she cares about, especially Coup, as her resentment ignites into something dangerously new.
Fateless — Julie Kagawa (HarperCollins)
Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it. When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild. What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.
Climate of Chaos — Cassandra Newbould (Peachtree Teen)
In dystopic Seattle, storms have devastated Earth’s population, a new virus is spreading, and the privileged live inside domes controlled by Aegis Corp. Healthcare is earned by hours accrued working in Aegis’s pharmaceutical factories. If you run short on hours, you’re sent to Harvest House for debt collection—a place from which no one returns. After a storm killed seventeen-year old Fox LaRosa’s parents and left her disabled, Fox and her younger sister, Rabbit, join their fugitive aunt’s mercenary group Still Alive. Their mission is to restore the imbalance of medical access for post-storm survivors. But when a med supply heist goes south, Rabbit is taken captive, and Still Alive refuses to rescue her. Fox must choose between duty and family, and leaves home to infiltrate Aegis’s interior domes where Rabbit is being held hostage. The more Fox learns about life in the domes, though, the more she realizes Still Alive isn’t as altruistic as they claim. In a world where everyone is out for themselves, Fox must rely on those she trusts least in order to reunite with her sister and expose those in power for who they really are.
Hit Me With Your Best Charm — Lillie Vale (Viking Books for Young Readers)
The occasionally magic, always superstitious town of Prior’s End is famous for three things: whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival, the legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets, and Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father. Every year without him, it gets easier to pretend Nova doesn’t believe in myth and magic. Easier to pretend she’s doing okay. Easier to pretend she doesn’t have a secret crush on the girl she fake-hates. Kiara Mistry is the luckiest girl in town and the thief of every crush Nova had her heart set on first. In theory, Nova should resent Kiara. But it’s getting harder to deny her feelings. When Nova lays an unintended hex on Kiara at the Fall Festival, and one misfortune after another swiftly follows, soon Kiara’s very survival is at stake. To reverse the bad luck, Kiara’s exes turned BFFs commence a quest for the miraculous wishing well. There’s only one person who can get them there… Nova. But to save Kiara—and maybe find her dad, too—she’ll have to believe in something much stronger than magic. Nova will need to believe in herself.
July 22
This Wretched Dawn — Melinda Gong (Keylight)
It’s been nine years since the accords were established and centuries of war between the Midnight and Dawn Courts settled into a cold peace. But when poison created to eliminate the Dawn Court royal bloodline is stolen, all signs point to the Midnight Court and that tentative peace threatens to break. To prevent war, the Emperor tasks Anna Liang, daughter of the Midnight Court’s deputy, with working with Paris, the youngest prince of the Dawn Court, to find out who was responsible and prove Shanghai’s innocence. But underneath it, the real assignment: infiltrate the Dawn Court’s school for espionage, win Paris’s trust, gain intel, and then kill him—Paris, her first love and heartbreak. Despite this complication, Anna is determined to complete her mission. But as her bond with Paris deepens and the true culprit is revealed, Anna must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to fulfill her duty, and if she even wants to.
Sky on Fire — E.K. Johnston (Dutton Books for Young Readers)
Morgan Enni has things to do. A science prodigy in a university full of mage-scientists, she’s notable for having no magical ability, which only increases her ambition and drive to prove herself. Her research has the potential to devastate every aetherworker in the galaxy and shake the crumbled foundations of the Stavenger Empire. It’s no wonder she can’t find anyone who wants to listen to her, much less fund her expedition. But Morgan is stubborn, and eventually her work catches the attention of a group of rebels, who hope it might turn the tide in their favour. When they try to recruit the young scientist, they get much more than they bargained for. Morgan Enni has secrets of her own.
City of Echoes (Avatar Legends #1) — Judy I. Lin (Amulet)
This is what the citizens of Ba Sing Se are told to believe, but Jin knows better. As a refugee whose parents were killed by the Fire Nation, she is haunted by her past. Now, she does her best to keep her head down in the Lower Ring, caring for her ailing grandfather and balancing school with survival. Her one bright spot is her best friend Susu, whose family treats Jin like one of their own, and whose bakery she helps make deliveries for. Her world shatters when Susu’s father gambles away the bakery and Susu is forced to take a contract in the Upper Ring to pay off the family’s debt. Jin vows to help her friend—no matter what it takes. A chain of events fueled by her desperate promise leads Jin to Xuan, an arrogant boy from the Middle Ring with ties to the Silver Fangs, a major player in the city’s black market. The deeper Jin delves into her double life, the more she learns about Susu’s own entanglement in a conspiracy darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined. As whispers swirl of the Avatar’s presence within the city’s walls, the Fire Nation creeps ever closer. With Ba Sing Se teetering on the brink of revolution, Jin must defy the powerful forces that control her city and risk everything for the friend she’s determined to save.
Between These Broken Hearts (Cursed Stars #2) — Lexi Ryan (Storytide)
Princess Jasalyn has eleven days to live. Jasalyn is facing the repercussions of a deadly bargain. Her life, and the future of the shadow court, are forfeit on her birthday unless she can stop the evil fae king Mordeus. She needs to face her greatest fears and find him before she runs out of time, but even after everything, Kendrick won’t let her face this alone. Shape-shifter Felicity has vanished. Felicity disappeared from King Misha’s dungeons, and her friends have been searching for her to no avail. But even if she’s found, Felicity will never be able to escape the oracle’s tragic prophecy for her and her family. In her lonely battle with fate, Misha is the last person she can ask to stand by her side, but the first one she’ll need.
Steel & Spellfire — Laura E. Weymouth (Margaret K. McElderry)
In the city of Valora, where mages are feared and closely governed by the law, Pandora Small spends her life pretending to be someone she is not. Raised in seclusion by a shrouded guardian, Pandora learned to wield her magic in a way the world has never seen, making her more weapon than girl. Pandora may have escaped her guardian, but powerful forces keep them bound together and she’ll do anything to find them again to break their bond for good. Posing as an Ingenue, a well-off young woman with limited magic, Pandora hopes to gain access to the royal court’s social season and the wealthy elite who make it their playing ground. Pandora’s arrival at court becomes more complicated when Ellis Beacon, a promising young member of the royal guard, discovers the true scope of Pandora’s deadly magic. Secretly sympathetic towards mages and convinced that Pandora is no harm to the public, Beacon agrees to keep her secret. But when someone or something with powers terribly like Pandora’s own begins killing her fellow Ingenues, Beacon must decide whether Pandora is truly innocent or if there’s ruthless killer lying under her masterfully crafted facade. And Pandora will have to open up to gain Beacon’s trust because joining forces may be the only way for Pandora to find her freedom and catch the real killer plaguing the city.
July 29
Soulmatch — Rebecca Danzenbaker (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Two hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every eighteen-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs. It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats. Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.
Wrath of the Dragons — Olivia Rose Darling (Delacorte)
Cayden Veles, renowned Demon Commander of Vareveth, overthrew the throne to save Elowen Atarah, the woman he searched for since childhood. Now he’s determined to fulfill his quest for revenge against her father, even if it means forcing the only person he’s ever wanted into a marriage of political convenience. Elowen Atarah has everything she thought she’d ever want. Finally reunited with her dragons, she now has an army to enact vengeance, but as events transpire, she begins contemplating if she wants more. As her father’s only living heir, the Imirath throne is her right and destiny. But fighting and winning a war will require trusting Cayden Veles, her partner in crime and now king to her queen; the man she both longs for and doubts, especially after opening her heart only to become a pawn in his game. Navigating the shifting allegiances amongst all the kingdoms of Ravaryn will require all their strategy and strength, with devastating and bloody attacks on one side and cutthroat diplomacy for alliances on the other. But Elowen and Cayden must find a way to stand strong within the power they’ve gained, or risk losing everything.
Immortal Consequences — I. V. Marie (Delacorte)
Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located on the fringes of the afterlife. Once a pupil enters the academy’s arched gates, there is no way out… except the Decennial, a cut-throat magical competition with only one victor. This year, six of the Academy’s top students have been chosen to face the Decennial’s tests. Two academic archrivals, whose strange connection blurs the lines between obsession and hate. One girl driven solely by ambition, and another plagued by memories of the love she lost. And a charming playboy who never cared for anyone—until he met the academy’s newest student. But what none of them know? They aren’t the only ones playing Blackwood’s game. Who will win, and who will fall? Only one thing is for certain: in this game, some fates are worse than death.
Soul of Shadow — Emma Noyes (Wednesday)
Charlie Hudson is just trying to survive junior year, navigating the halls of school and the chaos of parties like a ghost. But her world is about to become seriously transformed—like world shifting altered—when a classmate mysteriously disappears into the forest, leaving only a pair of shoes and strange symbols carved into a tree. Drawn to the disappearances by forces she can’t explain, she finds herself investigating the mysterious, alluring newcomer in town, Elias Everhart. With piercing eyes and sharp wit, he dances around her questions, only intriguing her further. Elias has a secret. More than one. But what Charlie doesn’t know is that those secrets will lead her to a place she never imagined: a world hiding in plain sight, filled with enchantments, mythic beings, hidden dangers—and a first love fated to fall apart.
A Theory of Dreaming (A Study in Drowning #2) — Ava Reid (HarperCollins)
All stories come to an end. Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairytale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll. But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories? With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking. As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his. Are dreams ever truly just dreams?
The Last Tiger — Julia Riew and Brad Riew (Kokila)
In a colonized land where tigers are being hunted to extinction and ancient magic stirs, two star-crossed teens—Lee Seung, a servant yearning for freedom, and Choi Eunji, a noble girl defying tradition—join forces to try and reshape their respective fates. But their relationship evolves from begrudging accomplices to bitter adversaries as they soon find themselves on opposite sides of a battle over the last tiger, a symbol of their people’s lost freedom and key to the liberation of their country. As the ties between Seung and Eunji are complicated by their conflicting loyalties, tensions rise—especially when a charming princeling of the empire begins to rival for Eunji’s affection. In this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story of forbidden romance, antagonists turned allies, oppression and liberation, neither Seung nor Eunji can abandon their mission—or each other. And as they embark on separate quests to find the elusive creature, each must also find the power within themselves to make their own destiny.
A Raging Heart (A Ruinous Fate) — Kaylie Smith (Disney-Hyperion)
Best friends Calla, Hannah, and Delphine have been dragged to the ends of the earth and back, with the threat of the Fates’ War always looming above them. But now the war—the one that will decide who lives, who dies, whose magic is preserved, and whose is scattered to the wind—is here. All the girls have something to lose. Calla has finally found her soulmate, but the mysterious reappearance of an old lover makes her question how to move forward—and whether or not a happy ending is in her reach. And while Delphine has finally fought her way back to her friends, the destruction she left in her wake might have bigger consequences than she expected—for everyone. And Hannah’s past continues to haunt her—but when a long, unrequited love begins to blossom, will the darkness that swirls around her make her love wither on the vine, or will Hannah be strong enough to choose her fate?
Heartbroken (Villains) — Serena Valentino (Disney)
You may think you know the story of the Queen of Hearts, the bloodthirsty tyrant known for seeing red. Surely you’ve heard of the young girl Alice, who fell through the rabbit hole to a place called Wonderland, and how she defeated its villainous ruler in order to find her way back home. But have you ever wondered about the Queen’s own first day in Wonderland? Did she encounter the same wonders—and horrors—as Alice? Are the laws of the land her royal decree—or a desperate attempt to bring order to a place that refuses to make sense? And why is she so angry? It may be hard to answer, with any certainty, questions about a world created from the broken shards of others. In the end, it all comes down to a woman fighting against the darkness within, and her unlikely friendship with a little white rabbit.
Bones at the Crossroads (Blood at the Root #2) — LaDarrion Williams (Labyrinth Road)
It’s Homecoming season at Caiman University, and all 17-year-old Malik Baron wants to do is be a regular college student… or as regular as he can get at a magical HBCU for young, Black Conjurers. He’s ready to go to parties, hang out with his new friends, choose a major, and talk to girls. Instead, he’s reeling from a summer of revelations, heartbreak and betrayal, and still uncovering the truth about his powers and his legacy. The family he only just discovered is already fractured beyond repair, and a new relative who shows up on his doorstep brings even more questions. Then there’s the mother he risked everything to find, who might be the biggest threat to the life he’s trying to build. To protect his new community, Malik joins an elite secret society with roots in ancient magic. His journey takes him even deeper into his own heritage and the history of the magical world, while bringing him closer to a classmate whose friendship might mean something more, if Malik is ready to let her in. But how can he use powers he can’t even control to defend a world he’s not sure will ever fully accept him? And as the pressure and danger builds, will he be able to confront the deepening cracks within the magical society, and those building within himself?
