New Speculative Fiction

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody (Shadow Game #1)

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow. Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school--and her reputation--behind to follow her mother's trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted. Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected--he's a street lord and con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city... And she'll need to play.

Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby (AVRA-K #1)

On her first day of high school after the circus settles in a small town, Gemma meets Henry and everything changes as they begin to unravel secrets that will bind them forever.

The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth (Carve the Mark #2)

When Cyra's father Lazmet Noavek, a soulless tyrant thought to be dead, reclaims the throne, Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are desperate to stop him from igniting a barbaric war.

Johnny Quick by Barry Lyga (CW Flash #2)

Follows Barry Allen as he continues his mission to protect Central City from the sinister Hocus Pocus-- but this time, a new evil lurks beneath the city streets. The Flash plans to travel to Earth 2, but instead he lands in a world where everything is the exact opposite of what he knows. Including the villain in this town. Johnny Quick looks like the Flash. He runs like the Flash. He... may be the Flash? But the only way for the real Flash to get home is to beat this superspeedster at his own game. 

Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett (Onyx and Ivory #1)

They call her Traitor Kate. Cast out of the nobility after her father's attempt to assassinate the high king of Rime, Kate now works for the royal courier service. At night the drakes-- flightless dragons-- come out to hunt. But Kate was born with a forbidden magic, one that allows her to influence the minds of animals. Her job brings her to the scene of a drake massacre-- and to Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. With their paths entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat-- and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

Curse of the Ancients by Jo Whittemore (CW's Supergirl #2)

Kara Danvers, also known as Supergirl, ... continues her mission to protect National City.

Ride On by Gwen Cole

In a dusty, barren Texas, ruined by pollution, a young cowboy searching for the ocean and a teenage girl on the run, both struggling with loss, unite to take on a violent gang.

Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson (Dark Breaks the Dawn #2)

It is ten years since King Lorcan of the dark kingdom defeated Queen Evelayn and transformed her into a swan, and every year he has offered her the chance to resume her human form, provided she bind herself to him--but this year the kingdoms are threatened by an ancient power, and Evelayn finds that much of what she once believed was wrong, and she realizes that she must join Lorcan in a quest to return the balance of power to their lands before all is lost.

Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron

Ten days after Jaya Mackenzie's mum dies, mysterious Beings start falling from the sky. Smashing down to earth at extraordinary speeds, wings bent, faces contorted, not a single one has survived. Hysteria mounting with every Being that drops, Jaya's father uproots the family to Edinburgh intent on catching one alive. But Jaya can't stand his obsession and, struggling to make sense of her mother's sudden death and her own role on that fateful day, she's determined to stay out of it. When her best friend disappears and her father's mania spirals, things hit rock bottom and it's at that moment something extraordinary happens: an angel lands right at Jaya's feet, and it's alive. Finally she is forced to acknowledge just how significant these celestial beings are. Set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh festival, Out of the Blue tackles questions of grief and guilt and fear over who we really are. But it's also about love and acceptance and finding your place in this world, as angels drop out of another.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand (Empirium Triology #1)

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this power are a pair of prophesied Queens: a queen of light and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials destroy her first. A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family safe. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

Allied by Amy Tintera (Ruined #3)

In the final book in the New York Times bestselling Ruined series, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love. Emelina Flores and her sister, Olivia, were determined to bring peace to the people of Ruina. But as the war for liberation raged on, what triumph and freedom meant to Em and Olivia slowly changed. As Olivia's violence and thirst for vengeance became her only ambition, Em was left to pick up the pieces. But it's not only Em who is upset by Olivia's increased violence. Other members of the Ruined army are beginning to see the cracks, and soon a small group of them defects from Olivia's army and joins Em instead. The two sisters are soon pitted against each other in an epic battle for the kingdom and the future, and only one will win.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #4)

The #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series comes to a stunning conclusion in War Storm. VICTORY COMES AT A PRICE. Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal's betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all . . . starting with the crown on Maven's head. But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal's powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolish everything—and everyone—in his path. War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced? In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard's stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power . . . for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber (Caraval #2)

Having made a deal with a criminal to save her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage, Tella must win Caraval and uncover Legend's identity, or risk losing everything, including her life.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah Maas (Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)

As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

I Am a Cat by Soseki Natsume

I Am a Cat is the chronicle of an unloved, unwanted, wandering kitten who spends all his time observing human nature--from the dramas of businessmen and schoolteachers to the foibles of priests and potentates. From this unique perspective, author Sōseki Natsume offers a biting commentary--shaped by his training in Chinese philosophy--on the social upheaval of the Meija era.

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

No one on the island of By-the-Sea would call the Fernweh women what they are, but if you need the odd bit of help, such as a sleeping aid concocted by moonlight, they are the ones to ask. Georgina Fernweh waits impatiently for the tingle of magic in her fingers--magic that has touched every woman in her family, including her twin sister, Mary. But with her eighteenth birthday looming at the end of her last summer on the island, Georgina fears her gift will never come.

The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen

A slave with a secret past is forced to serve the exiled prince she loves as he risks his life in a desperate effort to forge a political marriage with a powerful and deadly princess.

 

Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser (Song of the Current #2)

Caro and Markos have settled into a routine: Wake up, eat breakfast, and try to figure out who might attempt to assassinate Markos today. His claim to the throne is shaky without the support of an army, but then a powerful Archon offers Markos the military might he needs in exchange for marrying his daughter. Markos and Caro must decide which is more important: their love for each other or the fate of Akhaia.

Smoke in the Sun Renee Ahdieh (Flame in the Mist #2)

Mariko must uncover deception in the imperial court and rescue Okami, while preparing for her nuptials.

City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts (Royal Bastards #2)

Under the protection of the king in the capital of Lightspire, Tilla believes she is safe from the treasonous machinations of her father Lord Kent, but when her University roommate is murdered, Tilla finds herself deep in a plot involving religious cultists, bloodmages, and Western insurgents.

Eden Conquered by Joelle Charbonneau (Divinding Eden #2)

The Trials of Virtuous Succession have ended. Prince Andreus is king--and Princess Carys is dead. But even as he's haunted by what he did to win the throne, Andreus discovers that his dream of ruling only brings new problems. The people love his twin even more in death than they did when she was alive. The Elders treat him as a figurehead. And worst of all, the winds of Eden are faltering. But despite what everyone believes, Carys is alive. Exiled to the wilderness, Carys struggles to control the powers that have broken free inside her. And as she grows stronger, so does her conviction that she must return to the Palace of Winds, face her twin and root out the treachery that began long before the first Trials started. The Kingdom of Eden is growing darker with each passing day. Brother and sister, former foes, must decide whether some betrayals cut too deep to be forgiven--and whether one will wear the crown or both will lose everything.

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf (Heartless #1)

Controlled by a witch who keeps her heart in a jar, Zera is compelled to infiltrate the court of Crown Prince Lucien and seduce him in order to exchange his heart for her own.
Zera is a Heartless, the immortal, unaging soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger's control, she serves the witch unquestioningly. The witch asks Zera for a prince's heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum: if she's discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy Zera's heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles. Crown Prince Lucien d'Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him: every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. When Zera arrives, the two begin a game between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all. Winner takes the loser's heart. Literally.

Lairdbalor by Kathleen Kaufman

Seven-year-old Jamie falls down a very long hill into a nightmare world where nothing is familiar except the Lairdbalor, his personal bogeyman come to life.

City of Sand by Tianxia Bachang

Teens Tianyi, his best friend Kai, and Julie, a wealthy American, join with Professor Chen and local guide Asat Amat seek the lost city of Jinjue, hindered by lethal creatures and an evil force.

Naondel by Maria Turtschaninoff (Red Abbey Chronicles #2)

Told in alternating points of view, Kabira, Garai, and the other First Sisters share a history of years of sexual violence, oppression, and exploitation at the hands of the vizier Iskan, whose dark powers originate from his control of the sacred spring at his palace at Ohaddin, before the women are able to escape and establish the female haven of Red Abbey on the island of Menos.

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (Companion to Seraphina)

Tess Dombegh journeys through the kingdom of Goredd in search of the World Serpents and finds herself along the way.

Slay by Matthew Laurence (Freya #2)

After Freya escapes from the power-controlling Finemdi Corporation, her quest to defeat her new enemy takes her to Hollywood. The ancient Norse goddess of love, beauty, war, and death disguises herself once again as Sara Vanadi, now an up-and-coming star on a scandalous television series. Freya knows that today's modern gods live on the screen, and Los Angeles offers her both fame and believers. And she desperately needs strength from her believers. With sinister forces at her heels, an ancient enemy returned, and an unknown threat lurking in the shadows, Freya must walk a dangerous line between mortal and goddess. Because if she loses her humanity, who will save the world?

Sweet Black Waves by K.K. Perez (Sweet Black Waves #1)

As best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart. Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not so easily convinced. As her powers grow beyond her control, Branwen is set against both her closest confidant, and the only man she's ever loved.

Poison's Cage by Breeana Shields (Poison's Kiss #2)

Marinda and Iyla must work together to save themselves and the ones they love from the wrath of the Snake King.

Ink by Alice Broadway (Skin Books #1)

In Saintstone everyone gets tattoos recording their deeds from birth until death, and the ink lets every other citizen know your triumphs as well as your sins; so when Leora's father dies and she glimpses a symbol of a horrible crime on the back of his neck she is horrified, and sure it is a mistake--and in her efforts to find out the truth she discovers the lengths that Saintstone will go to preserve its "perfect" society.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir (Ember in the Ashes #3)

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger as the Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, Laia of Serra, and Elias Veturius all face increasing dangers.

Evolution of Claire by Tess Sharpe (Jurassic World Original Novel)

In this prequel to the "Jurassic World" movies, college freshman Claire Dearing interns at the soon-to-open Jurassic World theme park, where she falls in love with fellow student Justin and uncovers a sinister plot.

The Life and Death Parade by Eliza Wass

Seventeen-year-old Kitty, still grieving for her late boyfriend, is sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Life and Death Parade, a group that explores the veil between life and death.

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F.T. Lukens

Desperate to pay for college, Bridger Whitt is willing to overlook the peculiarities of his new job--entering via the roof, the weird stacks of old books and even older scrolls, the seemingly incorporeal voices he hears from time to time--but it's pretty hard to ignore being pulled under Lake Michigan by... mermaids? Worse yet, this happens in front of his new crush, Leo, the dreamy football star who just moved to town. Fantastic. When he discovers his eccentric employer Pavel Chudinov is an intermediary between the human world and its myths, Bridger is plunged into a world of pixies, werewolves, and Sasquatch. The realm of myths and magic is growing increasingly unstable, and it is up to Bridger to ascertain the cause of the chaos, eliminate the problem, and help his boss keep the real world from finding the world of myths.

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White (And I Darken #3)

To build the country she wants, Lada, the brutal ruler of Wallachia, must destroy everything that came before, including her relationships with brother Radu and former love Mehmed, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson (Dance of Thieves #1)

A formidable outlaw family that claims to be the first among nations. A son destined to lead, thrust suddenly into power. Three fierce young women of the Rahtan, the queen's premier guard. A legendary street thief leading a mission, determined to prove herself. A dark secret that is a threat to the entire continent. When outlaw leader meets reformed thief, a cat-and-mouse game of false moves ensues, bringing them intimately together in a battle that may cost them their lives--and their hearts.

The Traitor's Ruin by Erin Beaty (Traitor's Trilogy #2)

Training completed, and comfortably situated as the royal tutor, the spy Sage Fowler only longs to be reunited with her betrothed: Captain Alex Quinn. As a way to be near to him again, she accepts a secret mission only to continuously clash with Quinn's gruff demeanor, until they are separated and she ends up in enemy territory.

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell

A retelling of Robin Hood in which Lady Silviana of Loughsley joins her childhood friend Bird, Little Jane, Mae Tuck, and others to become an outlaw fighting for social justice against her brother John, the Sheriff.

The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken (Darkest Minds #4)

Accused of committing a horrifying act, Zu goes on the run, forming an uncomfortable alliance with two mysterious Psi who she's not sure she can trust in order to clear her name and expose the evils underlying the country's recovery.

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

In an alternate world where women have no rights, two sisters face very different fates after an attempt to win the favor of the heir to the throne--one in the palace, the other on a volcanic prison island.

Nine by Zach Hines

In a society where everyone gets nine lives and enjoys burning through them, Julian is attempting to hang on to his first life as long as possible to avoid the example set by his mother and the resulting sickness she has to endure.