Jen Blair
We can't leave our houses, but this means we have plenty of time to spend reading. Here are some REALLY long books and/or newly completed series that you can indulge in now!
You can't ever go wrong with Neal Shusterman.
From the publisher:
A thrilling new series by National Book Award-winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price - A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life--and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control..
Dread Nation / Deathless Divide - Justina Ireland
Civil War, zombies, and the women who fight them.
From the publisher:
A story of the undead like you've never read before, Justina Ireland'sDread Nation is a fresh, stunning and powerful meditation on race in America wrapped in an alternate-history adventure where Confederate and Union soldiers rise from the dead at the end of the Civil War.
Graceling Realm series - Kristin Cashore [Graceling / Fire / Bitterblue]
A classic. If you haven't read these books? Now is the time! There is a reason why all fantasies compare themselves to this one.
From the publisher:
Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be anything at all. Katsa's Grace is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his brutal enforcer. Until the day she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, and Katsa's life begins to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
The Selection series - Kiera Cass [ also see: _The Betrothed _on May 5th, 2020]
[The Selection / The Elite / The One / The Heir / The Crown]
I am completely obsessed with all the books in this series.
From the publisher:
Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her.
Courting Darkness is the first book in a duology with characters from the His Fair Assassin series (Grave Mercy / Dark Triumph / Mortal Heart). Read them ALL.
From the Publisher:
First in a duology, this darkly thrilling page-turner set in the world of the best-selling His Fair Assassin series is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Red Queen, and Game of Thrones. Told in alternating perspectives, when Sybella discovers there is another trained assassin from St. Mortain's convent deep undercover in the French court, she must use every skill in her arsenal to navigate the deadly royal politics and find her sister in arms before her time--and that of the newly crowned queen--runs out.
The Cursebreakers series - one of the few series that I've read where I thought the first book was fantastic, and then the second book was even better? How is this possible? Kemmerer is brilliant.
From the publisher:
In a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, it once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.
The duology of Dance of Thieves / Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson [also see: The Remnant Chronicles: Kiss of Deception / The Heart of Betrayal / The Beauty of Darkness] Immerse yourself in this world of strong, witty women and their fight to make things right.
From the publisher:
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.
Folk of the Air series - Holly Black [The Cruel Prince / The Wicked King / The Queen of Nothing]
Because Holly Black is the master of series writing. Every book in this series is perfect.
From the publisher:
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue - Jude was seven-years-old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.
Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson - Empire of Dreams - a stand alone that is connected to the original series: [The Girl of Fire and Thorns / The Crown of Embers / The Bitter Kingdom]
From the publisher:
Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair. But finally--after years and years of running, of fighting--she is about to be adopted into the royal family by Empress Elisa herself. She'll have a home, a family. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and everything Red has worked for crumbles before her eyes.
Illuminae Files series - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff [Illuminae / Gemina / Obsidio]
The YA Battlestar Galactica told via emails, maps, and interviews. This is one of my favorite series ever.
From the publisher:
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she'd have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that's little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra--who are barely even talking to each other--are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet's AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what's really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it's clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X49IrE6YtHs&feature=emb_logo
Keeper of the Lost Cities series - Shannon Messenger
[Keeper of the Lost Cities / Exile / Everblaze / Neverseen / Lodestar / Nightfall / Flashback / Legacy]
Join the legions of rabid fans for these books. Once you start, you cannot stop until you've read them all!
From the publisher:
Twelve-year-old Sophie discovers the abilities that have always caused her to stand out are because she is actually an elf and, after she is brought to Eternalia where she can hone her skills, Sophie learns she harbors certain secrets that others would kill to learn.
Monsters of Verity series - Victoria Schwab [This Savage Song / Our Dark Duet]
A series that I have been saving up for when I have time to devote to it. I guess that means now?
From the publisher:
There's no such thing as safe in a city at war; a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from acclaimed author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains--and friends or enemies--with the future of their homes at stake.
Mortal Coil Trilogy - Emily Suvada [This Mortal Coil / This Cruel Design / This Vicious Cure]
Either the perfect time to read this...or the worst. You decide.
From the publisher:
In a world where people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, gene-hacking genius Cat must decrypt her late father's message concealing a vaccine to a horrifying plague.
Once & Future / Sword in the Stars - Amy Capetta & Cori McCarthy
The Arthurian Legend retold as a sci-fi feminist adventure. You will love every minute.
From the publisher:
Resets the Arthurian legend in outer space, with King Arthur reincarnated as seventeen-year-old Ari, a female king whose quest is to stop a tyrannical corporate government, aided by a teenaged Merlin.
"My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start."
Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon
Because it's the longest book I read last year. Adult. 848 pages. Settle in.
From the publisher:
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tane has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
The Queen’s Rising / The Queen’s Resistance - Rebecca Ross
I just really liked this series. A lot. I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't.
From the publisher:
Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions--art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge--Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna's greatest fear comes true--she is left without a patron. Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana--the rival kingdom of Valenia--and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the throne. And others are involved--some closer to Brienna than she realizes.
Seafire / Steel Tide - Natalie S. Parker [book 3 - Stormbreak - coming in November]
A female Mad Max on the seas. I just loved this entire crew of women and the nonstop action.
From the publisher:
After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet.
Shatter Me series - Tahereh Mafi
[Shatter Me / Unravel Me / Ignite Me / Restore Me / Defy Me / Imagine Me]
From the very first [crossed out] sentence, I was HOOKED.
From the publisher:
One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill. No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But The Reestablishment sees it as a gift, sees her as an opportunity. An opportunity for a deadly weapon. Juliette has never fought for herself before. But when she's reunited with the one person who ever cared about her, she finds a strength she never knew she had.
Skyward / Starsight - Brandon Sanderson
When I heard that an 8th grade boy had finished the first (513 page) book in one night? I HAD to read these. They did not disappoint.
From the publisher:
Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's--a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa's chances of attending flight school at slim to none. No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.
Something Dark and Holy series - Emily A. Duncan [Wicked Saints / Ruthless Gods]
So much blood. So much romance. So many unreliable characters. Perfection.
From the publisher:
When Nadya prays to the gods, they listen, and magic flows through her veins. For nearly a century the Kalyazi have been locked in a deadly holy war with Tranavian heretics, and her power is the only thing that is a match for the enemy's blood magic. But when the Travanian High Prince, and his army invade the monastery she is hiding in, instead of saving her people, Nadya is forced to flee the only home she's ever known, leaving it in flames behind her, and vengeance in her heart.As night falls, she chooses to defy her gods and forge a dangerous alliance with a pair of refugees and their Tranavian blood mage leader, a beautiful, broken boy who deserted his homeland after witnessing his blood cult commit unthinkable monstrosities. The plan? Assassinate the king and stop the war.But when they discover a nefarious conspiracy that goes beyond their two countries, everything Nadya believes is thrown into question, including her budding feelings for her new partner. Someone has been harvesting blood mages for a dark purpose, experimenting with combining Tranavian blood magic with the Kalyazi's divine one. In order to save her people, Nadya must now decide whether to trust the High Prince - her country's enemy - or the beautiful boy with powers that may ignite something far worse than the war they're trying to end.
System Divine series - Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell [Sky Without Stars / Between Burning Worlds]
A sci-fi version of Les Miserables set in space? Yes, please.
From the publisher:
A thief.
An officer.
A guardian.
Three strangers, one shared destiny...
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it's now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.
Truly Devious series - Maureen Johnson [Truly Devious / The Vanishing Stair / The Hand on the Wall]
Just good, old-fashioned, twisty turny, murder mystery. You will never guess the solution until the very last book!
From the publisher:
A series about a sharp and funny young detective named Stevie Bell who begins school at an elite, yet peculiar, boarding school and finds herself entangled in a suspenseful murder mystery.
