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| Legendborn by Tracy DeonnWhat it's about: While grieving the loss of her mother, 16-year-old Bree has her world shaken once again when she witnesses a demon attack and discovers the Legendborn, a magical secret society descended from King Arthur's knights.
Series alert: This series opener introduces a fascinating system of magic and an intriguing mash-up of Round Table lore with contemporary American cultures.
Further reading: For another inclusive reimagining of King Arthur's legend, pick up Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy's Once & Future series. |
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The Circus Rose
by Betsy Cornwell
An LGBTQ+ adaptation of “Snow White and Rose Red” follows the efforts of two twin sisters to battle evil religious extremists to save their loved ones and the circus that has become their family. By the best-selling author of The Forest Queen.
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As the shadow rises
by Katy Rose Pool
A sequel to the critically acclaimed There Will Come a Darkness finds the heroes forging new alliances and nursing old wounds when the Last Prophet’s haunting vision directs them to pursue long-lost sources of magic in the City of Mercy.
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A Curse So Dark and Lonely
by Brigid Kemmerer
What it is: a gripping and detail-rich fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast.
What happens: Harper, a girl with cerebral palsy and a difficult family situation, finds herself trapped in Emberfell, a magical kingdom where Prince Rhen is cursed to repeatedly relive his 18th birthday -- and his transformation into a bloodthirsty beast -- unless a girl falls in love with him.
For fans of: Marissa Meyer or Rosamund Hodge.
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| The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth NixWelcome to: 1983 London, where art student Susan is searching for the father she's never met.
What happens: A frightening supernatural encounter introduces Susan to Merlin, one of the left-handed booksellers who defend the modern world from the invading Old World of myth and magic. (When they're not running bookstores, that is.)
Why you might like it: 80's punk style and pop cultural humor add an edge to the familiar fantasy tropes in this offbeat read. |
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| With the Fire on High by Elizabeth AcevedoStarring: high school senior Emoni Santiago, who has "magic hands" in the kitchen, but who worries that becoming a chef won't help her build a future for herself and her two-year-old daughter.
Read it for: clear, vivid writing; mouth-watering food; and characters so realistic that you'll miss them when you close the book.
Book buzz: If you loved The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo's multi-award-winning debut, don't miss With the Fire On High. |
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| The Black Flamingo by Dean AttaWhat it is: the story of how London teen Michael finds his voice, both as a poet and a drag performer, in a society eager to label him for how he expresses his gender, his sexuality, and his multiracial identity.
Why you might like it: the intimate, conversational style of Michael's first-person narration.
Book buzz: This own voices novel from spoken word poet Dean Atta (check him out on YouTube) won the 2020 Stonewall Award for Young Adult Literature. |
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Girl, Serpent, Thorn
by Melissa Bashardoust
Featuring: Soraya, a cursed princess whose poisonous touch keeps her trapped inside the shah's gardens; Azad, the soldier who longs to rescue her; and Parvaneh, the alluring, demonic div whose secret knowledge could upend Soraya's world.
Why you might like it: This lush, twisty fantasy offers a blend of Zoroastrianism, European fairy tales, and the Persian epic The Shahnameh.
You might also like: Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series or Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer duology.
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A dream so dark
by L. L. McKinney
A high-suspense follow-up to A Blade So Black continues the dark adventures of Alice, whose efforts to save her Wonderland friends are complicated by a Nightmare-summoning poet’s schemes to raise the dead.
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library 601 S. Oak St. [Temporary Location] Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711)www.fallschurchva.gov/library |
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