Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
*Connie’s Choice*
(YABC Site Manager)
The Thirteenth Child
Author: Erin A. Craig
Expected Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Drawing on the Grimm Brothers’ dark fairytale, “Godfather Death,” this new novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows is a sweeping, fantastical saga of actions and consequences.
This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.
All gifts come with a price.
Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.
When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.
But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?
From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.
*Cherokee’s Choice*
(YABC Staff Reviewer)
A Crown of Shadows and Starlight
Author: Aubrey Winters
Expected Publication Date: July 31, 2024
The long awaited and thrilling conclusion to Astrid and Castiel’s story.
*Lillian’s Choice*
(YABC Indie Co-Manager)
The Mirror of Beasts
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Expected Publication Date: 07/30/2024
#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken is back with the electrifying sequel to SILVER IN THE BONE, in which fresh betrayal ignites ancient magic to wake the dead, and a cursed girl with no magic of her own must put the past to rest.
With the dream of Avalon in ruins, Tamsin and her friends are all that stands in the way of Lord Death’s plans to unleash the horrors of Anwnn on the world of the living. As the Wild Hunt carves a bloody path across continents, Tamsin is mustering allies, tracking down powerful artifacts, and traversing into new otherlands in search of a way to stop him.
Legend tells of a “Mirror of Beasts,” powerful enough to trap even Lord Death in its accursed glass, but the mirror is not all that it seems. Tamsin must confront her own darkest secrets if she hopes to tap the mirror’s strength to defeat her enemies.
Arthurian legend bleeds into contemporary action, and scars of the past are torn open anew by a starcrossed love that refuses to go quietly. This riveting conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology will hold you in its thrall until the very last page.
*Mark’s Choice*
(YABC Staff Reviewer)
A Whisper of Curses (Park Row Magic Academy 2)
Author: J. Elle
Publishing Date: 7/4/24
New York Times bestselling author J. Elle continues her magical middle grade series with our favorite witches from Park Row Magick Academy!
In the world between realms, anything can happen . . .
The new Park Row Magic Academy construction is underway, and Kyana is searching for magic activities to fill the school break. When she visits the building for supplies, she’s grabbed by an Available spirit! Even though she’s able to slip its grasp, something is wrong-she can’t stop crying and laughing uncontrollably. Is she cursed?
Then Ashley shares an invitation to a camp for magical learning. Ash thinks that whatever curse is messing with Kyana, Dr. Minzy, a famous teacher there, will know how to fix it.
But once they reach the secret camp site, the magical portal suddenly collapses-they’re trapped! Ash is almost sure Availables are involved. With the camp in chaos, Kyana still under the mysterious curse, and Russ broadcasting everything to the MagickNet, Ashley must choose: Say something about what she suspects, or mind her business and trust Dr. Minzy? Are the Availables up to something nefarious, and can Kyana, Ashley, and Russ figure out what’s going on and save them all?
In this adventurous sequel to A Taste of Magic, the young city wizards must navigate a mystery in the wilderness, decide how to speak up, and be the heroes they need.
*Jan’s Choice*
(YABC Staff Reviewer)
Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orisha Book 3)
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Expected Publication Date: June 25, 2024
Brace for the storm of Tomi Adeyemi’s #1 New York Times-bestselling Legacy of Orïsha series finale.
New allies rise.
The Blood Moon nears.
Zélie faces her final enemy.
The king who hunts her heart.
When Zélie seized the royal palace that fateful night, she thought her battles had come to an end. The monarchy had finally fallen. The maji had risen again. Zélie never expected to find herself locked in a cage and trapped on a foreign ship. Now warriors with iron skulls traffic her and her people across the seas, far from their homeland.
Then everything changes when Zélie meets King Baldyr, her true captor, the ruler of the Skulls, and the man who has ravaged entire civilizations to find her. Baldyr’s quest to harness Zélie’s strength sends Zélie, Amari, and Tzain searching for allies in unknown lands.
But as Baldyr closes in, catastrophe charges Orïsha’s shores. It will take everything Zélie has to face her final enemy and save her people before the Skulls annihilate them for good.
What book are you looking forward to in 2024?
Comment the name of the book below!
