known for inviting a new bride
into his home each evening just
to have her killed by sunrise.
When Shahrzad’s best friend falls
victim to his murderous ways, she
volunteers to marry the cruel king
herself so she can seek revenge.
But as they get to know each
other, and as magical secrets
about the kingdom come to
light, Shahrzad realizes that
Khalid may not be as evil as
he seems. This inventive YA
retelling of The Arabian Nights
puts the power in the hands of a
courageous heroine.
2016 ALL THE BIRDS
IN THE SKY
BY CHARLIE JANE ANDERS
Childhood friends—a witch and
a tech genius—reconnect in
adulthood just as the planet
seems to be tilting toward
self-destruction. They hold
opposing views on how to save
the world and fall in love as they
fight against each other. The
burgeoning romance brims with
eccentricities, but the true fun
of Anders’ novel is its blend of
fantasy and science fiction.
2016 A TORCH
AGAINST THE NIGHT
BY SABAA TAHIR
The sequel to An Ember in the
Ashes picks up with Elias and Laia
on the run and in search of Laia’s
imprisoned brother. Tahir raises
the stakes with the introduction
of a third point of view, that of
a woman working against the
heroes in her saga of cruelty,
perseverance and love.
2016 THE WALL OF STORMS
BY KEN LIU
In the sequel to The Grace of
Kings, the crafty emperor of Dara
faces an unprecedented invasion.
The existential threat comes
as both his kingdom and his
family face infighting and internal
destruction. Through insidious
scheming, intense action and
heartbreaking tragedy, The Wall of
Storms maintains the thrilling pace
of the series and sets readers up
for the third installment.
2017 BEASTS
MADE OF NIGHT
BY TOCHI ONYEBUCHI
Sin springs to life in the form of
literal monsters in Onyebuchi’s
novel, which is inspired by
folklore from his Nigerian
heritage. In the oligarchical city
of Kos, nobles are spared from
owning up to their sins by hiring
warriors to kill the monstrous
physical manifestations of their
wrongdoings. Protagonist Taj is
so skilled at killing these
monsters that he becomes
entangled in the mind games of
the palace’s upper echelons.2017 THE BLACK
TIDES OF HEAVEN
BY NEON YANG
Twins Akeha and Mokoya are
sent by their mother, the leader
of the Protectorate, to be raised
in a faraway monastery. Initially
inseparable, the twins begin
to take diverging paths as they
grow into their abilities—both
are gifted with magic that allows
them to manipulate the natural
world—and their individual
identities. Yang’s novella has all
the weight of an epic without the
page count.2017 THE CHANGELING
BY VICTOR LAVALLE
Apollo is a new father in New York
City, dealing with racial profiling
and professional tedium. But
after his wife viciously attacks
him and their baby boy and then
disappears, his city turns into a
whirlwind of demon giants and
glowing witches—and Apollo
must prove himself in a series
of Olympian challenges. There
are few authors who could
convincingly portray both New
York subway showtime dancers
and glowing witches, much less
fold them into the same story.
LaValle does so seamlessly
in his update on the classic
changeling myth.2017 JADE CITY
BY FONDA LEE
On the island of Kekon, jade is
everything. But it’s no normal
mineral in Lee’s fictional
universe: this jade enhances
the superhuman abilities of
the Green Bone warriors, who
have long protected the island
from invaders. When the jade
market is thrown out of balance,
a struggle for power results in a
violent clan war. Lee’s novel is
part fantasy, part mob thriller.Adebola is on a mission to bring
the magic back to the kingdom
of Orïsha, where years ago the
maji people were wiped out by the
power-hungry monarchy.2018 CIRCE
BY MADELINE MILLER
In her second novel, Miller offers
a fresh take on the sorceress
known for turning men into pigs
in Homer’s Odyssey and lends
multitudes to Circe, something
rarely afforded to women in Greek
mythology. Over the course of
thousands of years, Circe evolves
from a young naif into a formidable
yet compassionate goddess of
magic who must choose once and
for all: the immortal life she was
born into, or humanity.2018 EMPIRE OF SAND
BY TASHA SURI
Empire of Sand opens up a rich
new world in which magical power
is concentrated in one’s blood,
heritage and class are carefully
monitored, and a young woman
named Mehr is caught between
the worlds of her father, an
imperial governor, and her absent
mother, a magic-wielding nomad.
In a landscape rife with mystical
sandstorms, spirit-beings and
superstition, Suri kicks off an
adventure bent on keeping Mehr’s
identity—and potential—a secret
from those who wish her harm.2018 THE POPPY WAR
BY R.F. KUANG
Rin, an orphan escaping an
arranged marriage, earns a spot
at an elite military academy where
she and her peers prepare to
defend the Nikara Empire, should
they ever be called upon. That day
comes before they can graduate,
setting Rin and her newly
unleashed shamanic powers on a
path toward destruction.2018 SONG OF
BLOOD & STONE
BY L. PENELOPE
For centuries, a magical veil has
separated the lands of Elsira
and Lagrimar. A healer named
Jasminda lives in isolation on
the border, and when she meets
Elsiran spy Jack, she learns
that there are cracks in the veil,
putting the control of Elsira at
stake. Together, they embark on
an engrossing and dangerous
quest to save society—and
develop feelings for each other
along the way.2018 ARU SHAH AND
THE END OF TIME
BY ROSHANI CHOKSHI
When 12-year-old Aru Shah tells
her classmates about a curse
on the lamp at the museum
where her mom works, they ask
her to prove it. Caught in one
of her many lies, she lights the
lamp—and accidentally awakens
an ancient demon with the ability
to end the world. As the young
heroine embarks on a journey
to make things right, Chokshi
creates an exciting adventure,
interweaving Hindu mythology
with her snappy prose.2018 BLANCA & ROJA
BY ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE
In this innovative retelling of Swan
Lake, teenage sisters Blanca and
Roja know that only one of them,
the “good” one, is destined to
live her full life as a human. The
other, because of a curse on their
family, will be turned into a swan.
But when it appears that their time
together as humans is coming
to an end, they decide they’ll do
whatever it takes to outsmart the
curse. Departing from the original
tale’s tropes, the love story here is
clearly between the sisters.2018 CHILDREN OF
BLOOD AND BONE
BY TOMI ADEYEMI
This West African–inspired epic
kicks off a series that uses
fantasy to dissect systemic
racism and oppression. In it, Zélie2017
THE STONE SKY
BY N.K. JEMISIN
The final installment of
the Broken Earth series
made Jemisin the first
writer ever to win three
consecutive Hugo Awards
for Best Novel. The
story digs deeper into
the foundations of the
trilogy’s catastrophe-
stricken landscape,
while its characters
grapple with the question
of whether it is just to
prevent worlds built on
structural oppression
from toppling.