#but anyways. misfit boy? who finds himself in the capital out of a series of coincidences? has his life changed but still carries this

[maulfucker]

if you think about it (read: are insane in the exact same way as me) faroeste caboclo (the song) is kinda like anakin's life story except completely different

[aion-rsa]

Best New Young Adult Books

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Here are the best new young adult speculative fiction books in June 2019.

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Some of the best fantasy, science fiction, and horror storytelling is happening in the young adult book world—if you need some specific examples, check out Den of Geek's picks for the best fiction books of 2018.

There's so much to look forward to in our speculative fiction future. Here are some of the young adult speculative fiction books (and maybe a few that fall outside of that classification, too) we're most excited about and/or are currently consuming...

read more: Best New Young Adult Books in 2018

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in June 2019

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Type: Novel Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release date: 6/4/19

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Read Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

The Chosen by Taran Matharu

Type: First book in the Contender trilogy Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Release date: 6/4/19

Throughout history, people have vanished with no explanation. A group of teenagers are about to discover why.

Cade is settling into a new boarding school, contemplating his future, when he finds himself transported to another realm. He soon discovers their new world is populated with lost remnants from the past: prehistoric creatures, ancient relics, and stranger still―people. Overwhelmed by his new surroundings, Cade has little time to adjust, for soon he and his fellow classmates are forced to become contenders in a brutal game, controlled by mysterious overlords.

But who are these beings and why did they choose these teens? Cade must prepare for battle . . . because hiding is not an option. Fans of fantasy and LitRPG will welcome this new character and world from the author of the Summoner series.

Read The Chosen by Taran Matharu

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Type: First book in the Harbinger series Publisher: Inkyard Press Release date: 6/11/19

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

Read Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

All of Us With Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil

Type: Novel Publisher: Soho Teen Release date: 6/18/19

Seventeen-year-old Xochi is alone in San Francisco, running from her painful past: the mother who abandoned her, the man who betrayed her. Then one day, she meets Pallas, a precocious twelve-year-old who lives with her rockstar family in one of the city’s storybook Victorians. Xochi accepts a position as Pallas’s live-in governess and quickly finds her place in the girl’s tight-knit household, which operates on a free-love philosophy and easy warmth despite the band’s growing fame. 

But on the night of the Vernal Equinox, as a concert afterparty rages in the house below, Xochi and Pallas perform a riot-grrrl ritual in good fun, accidentally summoning a pair of ancient beings bound to avenge the wrongs of Xochi’s past. She would do anything to preserve her new life, but with the creatures determined to exact vengeance on those who’ve hurt her, no one is safe—not the family Xochi’s chosen, nor the one she left behind.

Read All of Us With Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Type: Novel Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Release date: 6/25/19

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to men. He's drawn to her anyway. 

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous and reignite a generations-old feud . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

Read Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in May 2019

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Type: First book in Aurora Cycle series Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Release date: 5/7/19

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the academy would touch . . .

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates  A smart-ass tech whiz with the galaxy's biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger-management issues A tomboy pilot who's totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty's squad isn't even his biggest problem--that'd be Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, the girl he's just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler's squad of losers, discipline cases, and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

NOBODY PANIC.

Read Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Type: First in Sands of Arawiya duology Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Release date: 5/14/19

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, Hafsah Faizal's We Hunt the Flame―first in the Sands of Arawiya duology―is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya―but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds―and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Read We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Disclaimer: This one isn't technically YA, but it has a lot of YA sensibilities. 

Type: Standalone Publisher: Griffin Release date: 5/14/19

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius―his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic. 

Read Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in April 2019

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Type: Novel Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Release date: 4/2/19

Two girls use forbidden magic to fly and fight--for their country and for themselves--in this riveting debut that's part Shadow and Bone, part Code Name Verity.

Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she's caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They're both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women's military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can't fly together, and if they can't find a way to fly well, the enemy's superior firepower will destroy them--if they don't destroy each other first.

We Rule the Night is a powerful story about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival despite impossible odds.

Read We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

Type: Book 2 in Once Upon a Con universe Publisher: Quirk Books Release date: 4/2/19

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: to save her favorite Starfield character, Princess Amara, from being killed off. On the other hand, the actress who plays Amara wouldn’t mind being axed. Jessica Stone doesn’t even like being part of the Starfield franchise—and she’s desperate to leave the intense scrutiny of fandom behind.   

Though Imogen and Jess have nothing in common, they do look strangely similar to one another—and a case of mistaken identity at ExcelsiCon sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives. When the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, with all signs pointing to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. The deal: Imogen will play Jess at her signings and panels, and Jess will help Imogen’s best friend run their booth.   

But as these “princesses” race to find the script leaker—in each other’s shoes—they’re up against more than they bargained for. From the darker side of fandom to unexpected crushes, Imogen and Jess must find a way to rescue themselves from their own expectations...and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

Read The Princess and the Fangirl

Riverland by Fran Wilde

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Amulet Books Release date: 4/9/19

When things go bad at home, sisters Eleanor and Mike hide in a secret place under Eleanor’s bed, telling monster stories. Often, it seems those stories and their mother’s house magic are all that keep them safe from both busybodies and their dad’s temper. But when their father breaks a family heirloom, a glass witch ball, a river suddenly appears beneath the bed, and Eleanor and Mike fall into a world where dreams are born, nightmares struggle to break into the real world, and secrets have big consequences. Full of both adventure and heart, Riverland is a story about the bond between two sisters and how they must make their own magic to protect each other and save the ones they love.

Read Riverland by Fran Wilde

Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen

Type: Book 3 in the Nyxia Triad trilogy Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Release date: 4/16/19

In the highly anticipated Nyxia Triad series finale, Emmett and the Genesis team must join forces with a surprising set of allies if they're ever to make it home alive.

Desperate to return home to Earth and claim the reward Babel promised, Emmett and the Genesis team join forces with the Imago. Babel's initial attack left their home city in ruins, but that was just part of the Imago's plan. They knew one thing Babel didn't. This world is coming to an end.

Eden's two moons are on a collision course no one can prevent. After building eight secret launch stations, the Imago hoped to lure Babel down to their doomed planet as they left it behind. A perfect plan until the Genesis team's escape route was destroyed.

Now the group must split up to survive the hostile terrain and reach another launch station. As both sides struggle for the upper hand, the fight leads inevitably back into space, where Emmett, his crewmates, and their new allies will fight one final battle for control of the Genesis ships. Win this time, and they'll survive Babel's twisted game once and for all. As the Imago world falls, this is the last chance to rise.

Read Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen

read more: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Read The Nyxia Triad

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

Type: First book in planned series Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 4/23/19

A broken bond. A dying land. A cat-and-mouse game that can only end in bloodshed.

Esha lost everything in the royal coup—and as the legendary rebel known as the Viper, she’s made the guilty pay. Now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha.

Kunal has been a soldier since childhood. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has only been growing more volatile.

When Esha and Kunal’s paths cross one fated night, an impossible chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces.

As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both the soldier and the rebel must decide where their loyalties lie: with the lives they’ve killed to hold on to or with the love that’s made them dream of something more.

Read The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

King of Fools by Amanda Foody

Type: Second book in The Shadow Game series Publisher: Inkyard Press Release date: 4/30/19

Indulge your vices in the City of Sin, where a sinister street war is brewing and fame is the deadliest killer of them all...

On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Séance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.

Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with the estranged son of mafia donna Vianca Augustine. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by Vianca’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.

As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive...

Or die as legends.

Read The King of Fools by Amanda Foody

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in March 2019

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Type: Novel Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 3/5/19

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.

Read The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Type: Book 4 in the Charlotte Holmes series Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 3/5/19

In the explosive conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Charlotte Holmes series, Holmes and Watson think they’re finally in the clear after graduating from Sherringford…but danger awaits in the hallowed halls of Oxford.

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson finally have a chance to start over. With all the freedom their pre-college summer program provides and no one on their tail, the only mystery they need to solve, once and for all, is what they are to each other.  

But upon their arrival at Oxford, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents befell the theater program at Oxford last year, culminating in a young woman going missing on the night of a major performance.

The mystery has gone unsolved; the case is cold. And no one—least of all the girl’s peculiar, close-knit group of friends—is talking.

When Watson and Holmes join the theater program, the “accidents” start anew, giving them no choice but to throw themselves into the case. But as the complicated lines of friendship, love, and loyalty blur, time is running out—and tragedy waits in the wings.

Read A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Internment by Samira Ahmed

Type: Novel Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers Release date: 3/19/19

Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.

Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.

Read Internment by Samira Ahmed

The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

Type: Book 2 in the Belles series Publisher: Freeform Release date: 3/5/19

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard and new love Remy must race against time to find Princess Charlotte. Sophia's Imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep the rebels from returning Charlotte to the castle and her rightful place as queen. With the help of an underground resistance movement called The Iron Ladies—a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely—and the backing of alternative newspaper The Spider's Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and restore peace to Orleans.

Read The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

Sherwood by Meaghan Spooner

Type: Novel Publisher: HarperTeen Release date: 3/19/19

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them?

Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood.

Read Sherwood by Meaghan Spooner.

Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta

Type: First in planned trilogy Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Release date: 3/26/19

King Arthur as you've never imagined! This bold, sizzling YA retells the popular legend with the Once and Future King as a teenage girl -- and she has a universe to save.

I've been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I've always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

  Now I'm done hiding.

  My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

No pressure.

Read Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta

Listen to our interview with Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Acast | RSS

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in February 2019

The Waning Age by S.E. Grove

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers Release date: 2/5/19

The Waning Age is set in a parallel San Francisco where, when you turn 10, you begin to lose you emotions. This process is known as waning. When Natalia's little brother is captured by RealCorp, a shady pharmaceutical corporation to be tested on because he does not seem to be losing his emotions like everyone else, Natalia must use her martial arts skills and perhaps her love for her brother to get him back. Pretty cool premise, right?

Read The Waning Age by S.E. Grove

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Simon Pulse Release date: 2/19/19

When Dino DeLuca's ex-best friend July dies and then comes back to life on the table in Dino's family's funeral home, things start to get weird. What follows is an examination into why Dino and July's friendship fell apart, with two very different perspectives: July thinks it's because of Dino's boyfriend Rafi. Dino thinks it's because July was jealous of Rafi. As is often the case with these situations, the answer lies somewhere in between.

Read The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia 

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 2/26/19

Welcome to Medio, a divided island nation. One side of wall is impoverished. The other side is, um, not. On the latter, the upper-class women are trained at the Medio School for Girls to be wives who either a) run the household or b) raise children. Daniela Vargas was born on the "wrong" side of the wall, but forged her papers to become a top student at the Medio School for Girls. When she is matched with a powerful man to run his household, a resistance group recruits her to spy on her new family.

Read We Set the Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Type: Book three in the Witchlands series Publisher: Tor Teen Release date: 2/12/19

Threadsisters Safiya and Iseult work to fight their way back to each other in Bloodwitch, the third book in Susan Dennard's badass series that is set in a magical world ruled by three empires that, when the series starts, are about to come to the end of a Twenty-Year Truce that has halted a centuries-long war. Oh yeah: and, in this world, every member of the population is born with a magical skill set, known as a "witchery."

In Bloodwitch, we learn more about Bloodwitch Aeduan's backstory as he teams up with Iseult and magical girl Owl to stop raiders from destroying a monastery that "holds more than just faith." These books are being adapted into a live-action TV series by The Jim Henson Company, so now is a great time to dive in, if you haven't already! 

Read Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in January 2019

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Type: Book Two in The Folk of the Air series Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers Release date: 1/8/19

If you haven't heard of The Cruel Prince, then you probably didn't read any YA in 2018. The story picks back up in The Wicked King, with Jude bound to Cardan after having tricked him into becoming king. When it becomes apparent that someone close to Jude is looking to betray her, Jude must uncover the traitor while also navigating her feelings for Cardan. #itscomplicated

Read The Wicked King by Holly Black

Slayer by Kiersten White

Type: Set in Dark Horse continuity Publisher: Simon Pulse Release date: 1/8/19

A new novel set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kiersten White's story follows not Buffy, but another Chosen One trying to figure out her role in the supernatural fight while also coming of age into a confusing world. 

The eponymous Slayer here is Nina Jamison-Smythe, the daughter of Buffy’s first Watcher, and the Last Slayer. Slayer is the perfect entry point for new Buffy fans, while also sure to delight existing fans. You can read our full review here.

Read Slayer by Kiersten White

The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Type: First book in Girl King series Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release date: 1/8/19

You've heard of sibling rivalry, right? Asian-inspired fantasy The Girl King takes the theme to the next level, telling the story of two sisters who become somewhat reluctant rivals in the quest to rule the empire. When their emperor father gives Lu's birthright to her nephew, Lu leaves home to find a new path to power, while her younger sister, Min, quietly gains power from within the empire.

Read The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Imprison the Sky by A.C. Guaghen

Type: Book Two in the Elementae series Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release date: 1/22/19

In the sequel to Reign of Earth, trading vessel ship captain Aspasia works to free as many women, children, and Elementae from slavery as she can, using her powerful magic. As Cyrus, the leader of the black market empire, gets closer to uncovering Aspasia's secrets (that she is a wind Elementae, and that she is looking for her lost family), Aspasia finds herself at the center of a brewing war.

Read Imprison the Sky by A.C. Guaghen

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Type: Book Two in the Reign of the Fallen duology Publisher: Razorbill Release date: 1/22/19

In this follow-up to 2018's fantasy breakout Reign of the Fallen, Odessa is back. This time, she is facing a Karthia where the kingdom's borders are open for the first time in 300 years. Raising the dead has been outlawed and Odessa sets out on an ocean voyage with Meredy that takes them to "a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets." I'm in!

Read Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Type: Book One in King of Scars duology Publisher: Imprint Release date: 1/29/19

Leigh Bardugo wrote one of our 2017 faves—Wonder Woman: Warbringer—so we are here for this start to a fantasy duology (is it just me or are duologies very in right now?). King of Scars is a Slavic-influenced fantasy about Nikolai Lantsov, a young ruler with a dark magic growing inside of him following a bloody civil war.

Nikolai teams up with a young monk and 'a legendary Grisha Squaller," and journeys to "the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him." Sounds like Nikolai has some big goals for 2019. Good for him.

Read King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release date: 1/29/19

Recent on-screen adaptations of Beauty and the Beast have done nothing to modernize the tale, which is one of the many reasons why I am so into the concept for this book. A cross between portal fantasy and contemporary YA, A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows Harper, a young woman with cerebral palsy who is sucked through a portal into the world of Emberfall where she meets a cursed prince. Yep, I'm in.

Read A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

What new YA speculative fiction books are on your radar? Let us know in the comments below or over at the Den of Geek Book Club!

Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.

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The Lists Kayti Burt

Jun 18, 2019

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from Books http://bit.ly/2UukbLq

[cadysu]

tell me about your kokuyo gang headcanons pls and thanks

Let us talk about my children the Kokuyo Gang aka Mukuro, Ken, Chikusa, M.M., and the rest but not Chrome because Chrome is a member of the Vongola Family and was kicked out. :^) EDIT: NO FRAN BECAUSE THIS POST GOT TOO LONG GOMEN.  I’m going to do a paragraph or so segment for each character I think with some canon facts mixed into headcanon so have FUN!

Mukuro- Mukuro has a lot of canon info already so this is gonna be on the shorter part. Mukuro is a little shit kjasnd Mukuro enjoys reading of all types- from picking up a magazine to novels. He is also very spiritual- yes his powers have ties to the levels of Hell, but I can see religion and belief systems being topics of interest for him. He’s extremely up to date on politics (less in a “wow politics is interesting” and more as a study of people. He watches to see the corruption, lies, and abuse of power. And let’s make it pretty damn clear that if he had nothing better to do/ there was no effort to it, Mukuro would 10000% be okay murdering those people in cold blood because he can. I feel like a lot of people forget Mukuro is a villain (antihero but still a villain too). On a less serious side of everything though- Mukuro can also be very laid back and playful. He pampers himself (spa day with M.M., glass of wine FRUIT COCKTAIL, video games with the rest of the gang, etc.) As serious and scary as he can come across, he is still a teenager. A teenager that is fully aware of how bad the world can be, but also in a bit of a chuuni-bubble where he feels this one man illusionist wrecking machine can take over everything and his only obstacle atm is the Vongola Family. 

Also Mukuro strikes me as someone who would enjoy David Lynch movies. I mean I’m not projecting my love of Twin Peaks on him, but watching Twin Peaks made me think he’d enjoy it a fair amount. :T Or at least Fire Walk With Me.

Ken- SMELLY BOI. I love Ken. Ken may not be the smartest, but do not call him stupid! He just works things out differently. Ken can pick up on small things that many people miss due to his keen observation skills; his sense of smell, hearing, and vision are all heightened compared to a normal human being. He can almost “sniff” out illusions if they’re not very well done and he is a natural at catching someone in a lie. Ken canonically hates bathing but I can also see him being grubby in general- he doesn’t floss as much as he should or clean his ears, he has dirty nails, runs around barefoot a lot- stuff like that. Ken doesn’t eat his veggies either. He’s like that one tumblr post where Chikusa is the “Do you feel guilty when you dont eat vegetables/ only junk food for awhile and you need healthy food to feel better?” “Idk Kakipi I’ve only had soda and gushers for 3 days and I feel fine” “Ken...no...” That is Ken. Ken has a huge fear of doctors/dental offices in general, but I think one of the biggest things that he’s scared of is anesthesia and needles, even though these things are supposed to help. Seeing tanks of nitrous or the small plastic mask to go over one’s mouth and nose really drive up his anxiety. Only Chikusa and Mukuro can really calm him down and convince him everything will be okay. Even if the doctor is Verde/ someone he has developed a degree of trust, he still cannot control his PTSD. Ken hates wearing suits and he doesn’t really like getting new clothes either- not so much anything against new clothes, he just likes wearing the same smelly shirt 5 days out of the week if he can. Also, not a set in stone headcanon, but I can picture Ken being colorblind.

Chikusa- Chikusa is such an overlooked character aaah- Okay first off- Chikusa is not as smart as Mukuro, but smarter than Ken. He sometimes reads or peaks into the books that Mukuro is reading, and he does try to continue his education however way he can. There actually isn’t a subject he really dislikes, but Ken and M.M. tease him for still doing things like homework or reading the old textbooks they have despite none of them going to school. Chikusa is also one of the only few in the house to do chores: cleaning, cooking, making Ken take a bath, grocery shopping, etc. He can also do small sewing/stitches for mending holes and he learns small skills relatively quickly as long as they aren’t too complex. Despite his extreme loyalty to Mukuro and rarely seen without Ken tagging along, Chikusa is a very independent person. Introverted, but independent. He spends his time at home playing video games and listening to music, and when he needs to leave, he just goes out. Chikusa is a better functioning adult as a teenager than most adults LOL (minus the fact he has no bills to pay). Chikusa tries to save his allowance money but usually gives some to Ken for whatever small reason like a few extra tries in an arcade game, some junk food or comic, etc. He never brings it up or asks for money in return but sometimes sighs with reluctance. If he really doesn’t want to, he’ll say no, but there’s usually a reason (”Ken we need real groceries. I’m not eating gum for dinner.” “I need to replace my headphone cord” “I have a crack in my glasses” etc.) Opposite to Ken, Chikusa tries to have really good hygiene. The only thing that truly bothers him is that he can’t wash his hair as much as he’d like, but he covers it with his hat and possibly dry shampoo from M.M. if desperate.

Chikusa is ambidextrous. :v

ABOUT THE BARCODE- Okay so another person I rp’d with had the headcanon of Chikusa being a twin and the barcode being a way the Estraneo kept track of them, which I thought was fucking genius. Screencaps and manga scans show he didn’t have that tattoo as a kiddo/pre-Mukuro rampage, so technically it isn’t accurate, but it’s a thought nonetheless. I do consider the barcode a tattoo and not drawn on/temporary/birthmark/etc. I still like that idea as an honoring thing. Like if he had a twin who they marked but the twin died during an experiment so when they were out of there he did it as a we-will-never-be-apart thing.M.M. - MY DAUGHTERU. God M.M. is such a good character but people snub her because she’s a “bitch” and a woman (I say that because when Mammon is greedy it is cute but when M.M. is greedy she’s bad. Same with her attitude! If a male shounen character acted that way he’d be like, a princely type. So yeah I think a lot of M.M. hate comes from people who don’t respect women :T) 

ANYWAYS I genuinely love the idea of M.M.’s name/design/background having a small reference to the book series of Madeline. PROBLEM HERE IS I HAVE TWO HEADCANON BACKGROUNDS FOR HER AND I LIKE BOTH SO HERE THEY ARE: I headcanon her real name as Madeline, and the she was sent off to a wealthy all girl’s boarding school as a child. She lost her parents at a very young age and inherited a small fortune, but had nowhere to go. She would stay and live in the boarding school until school was out, and then stay with an estranged relative during the breaks. However, she quickly started staying at “friends” homes instead as her limited family did not look after her or have any interest in her actual well being. THE OTHER VERSION VERY SIMILAR BUT INSTEAD OF BEING WEALTHY SHE WAS VERY POOR AND SENT TO A WEALTHY SCHOOL. The idea of her either being a poor young girl who got a taste of riches and fucking took it or the idea of a young girl who grew up wealthy but was surrounded by people who wanted what she got made her be a lot harder and did a fuck you all I’m M.M. and I get what I want. I love both those ideas and I can see them both working as a background. Both M.M.s’ see how the capitalism really runs the world and the main difference is one just had to work a little more to get rich while the other had less of a struggle but equal amount of determination. M.M. learned quickly that she was rather “pretty” to men and with money, she wouldn’t have to run to anyone or need help from anyone.

To earn money, she started as a small petty thief and moved on to grander schemes quickly. M.M. was a talented shoplifter and would pick up on things she could sell off to the girl’s in school, and then for the big money she knows how to blackmail people and get dirt on anyone. A cheap disposable camera and risky photos can ruin a person’s life. A little bit of alcohol is all it really takes for someone to make a horrible mistake. Also a lot of alcohol can make someone pass out and lose all the money in their wallet. Although she never liked the business, I can see M.M. knowing the fastest cash she could make would be to sell drugs to other girls. A little coke here and there. Think of that post making fun of the group of white boys vs. hipsters with the caption “Who would pay more for weed?” M.M. knows who and knows how to convince them “this is some really rare good stuff that I stole from my parents~ Yknow it’s imported from Amsterdam~” or “Hey I heard you want to lose weight, yknow I know how you can be the thinnest girl in school~” M.M. is resourceful and cunning and she can and will prey on someone’s insecurities for money. M.M. has been arrested and does have a mugshot, but this was in the beginning of her thieving days and she was released later that night. She also may or may not have tried to seduce her guard(s). Also despite her flirting and knowing what she CAN do, she has never gone into sex work. She hasn’t met a man or woman who can afford her. She’s a virgin but she’ll lie about it/ leave it ambiguous just to see what pays more. :T

Now a lot of this all applies to her before she joined the Kokuyo gang. Mukuro had heard about M.M. when seeing her mugshot in a trashy gossip magazine. A young, pretty and precocious teenage girl with a natural talent of stealing? No family really known/ totally independent? Why not try and get her in your growing gang of misfits. She was hesitant at first, but Mukuro, in Verde’s own words, is extremely charismatic. Plus she finds him cute and really saw promise in his plans. She hates Kokuyo Land because of how dirty it is, and actually bothered to have her part of the hideout remodeled for her liking (a nice bed, a vanity in her room, a throw rug over the damaged floorboards, etc.) She managed to turn abandoned and run down into “shabby chic” but she’s hoping she can get it to a more Versailles tier one day. 

Not to bring up Twin Peaks again but after watching it I definitely get Audrey Horne vibes out of M.M.

M.M. has the highest education of the Kokuyo Gang and has actually has a very good understanding of chemistry. Her main passion though is music and she genuinely loves to play her clarinet in her room for fun. 

OTHER CHARACTERS!:

FUN “FACTS”:

M.M. is a Sephora VIB Rouge member and makes fun of people who have to shop at Ulta (except she does shop at Ulta when no one is looking.)

Each member of the Kokuyo Gang has a preferred fighting video game and main. (SIDE NOTE: I don’t play enough fighting games to be familiar with every character’s play styles in all games so these ideas can easily change) Mukuro- Mortal Kombat (I only played MK1 for genesis and MKX which I suck at but I can see him playing Scorpion and beating up Johnny Cage repeatedly), Ken- Tekken and probably mains Kuma (Ken can definitely tap the buttons fast enough for those combos), Chikusa- Street Fighter as Ryu/ he keeps things very classic (But usually he plays whatever Ken wants to play, so I can see him maybe playing a lot of Yoshimitsu),  and M.M. is Soul Calibur as Ivy, who is definitely 100% not overpowered. Also Fran plays Smash bros. and he’s probably a Mewtwo spamming lil shit. Or Metaknight.

Chikusa’s likes to go inside Tower Records and Mandarake stores, but rarely buys anything because of his limited finances.

They didn’t have cable until Verde moved in and would sometimes watch daytime television. Local news, daytime soaps, public tv anime, etc. Sometimes they rent videos for a night at home, or sneak into movie theaters with a little illusion help.

NONE OF THEM HAVE GONE TO A DOCTOR OR DENTIST (except M.M. and Fran when he was at his granny’s) because of their past trauma. When Team Verde was formed, Verde did a health assessment but has been unsuccessful at making any of them see a dentist. Especially Ken- but Ken does take better care of his channels.

i have so much more to type but oh fuck i went on sorry chi jkdsfnaksdfn

[notsosilentsister]

Maybe don't be too obvious about your agenda - don't advertise your recommendations with "this will give you insight into the female experience and inoculate you against falling for that MRA bullshit", but try to find a selling point that speaks to his already existing interests. Only recommend things you actually like yourself for reasons other than the potential didactic value.

And start small - something stark like the Handmaid's Tale might be too much for him at this stage. Anything that was created by masterful women or has well-rounded female characters who have plot functions beyond love interest is a step in the right direction.

The Adrian Mole Books, by Sue Townsend. (With a male protagonist, but written by a woman, so maybe a good compromise for a start? My memory on them is hazy - they might not be especially feminist, but they were hilarous. At any rate, Adrian is not exactly the picture of an alpha male; he has a feminist girlfriend at some point and that's not always easy for him; there's quite a bit of fun poked at the lefty types. I haven't read the whole series, but as far as I got, Adrian, while subjected to all conceiveable indignities of modern masculinity, doesn't end up a MRA. He could be a role model for keeping a sense of humour about the whole affair. Also, Sue Townsend should reliably put the lie to the notion that women can't be funny.)

That reminds me, at some point Adrian sets himself this very exercise - he makes a reading list to broaden his horizons. I think it had Jane Eyre on it and Rebecca. (Or maybe those are his favourite books at the time? But there's certainly a passage about Adrian taking the weirdest lessons from Jane Eyre and Rebecca).

Jane Eyre, I love that book. But maybe a bit wasted on a kid if he's not coming to it from the right place.

Also Middlemarch. If you ever get him to read all of Middlemarch, I should not worry for the kid any more. Middlemarch is a balm to the soul and will inoculate you against the most toxic MRA shit and all kinds of vile stuff, because it's a brick-sized exercise in developing compassion for all kinds of characters. This is the kind of book people think about when they say that reading can increase empathy.  But maybe don't start with this. Timing can be everything with literature; each book can only work its magic if you approch it in the right state of mind and if your guy's not ready yet there's no point in pushing him to slog through.

Maybe a bit more immediately accessible:

Hild, by Nicola Griffith, about a young girl who becomes the adviser to her uncle, the King, in seventh century Britain, by setting herself up as his seer (it's more about keen psychological insight and courtly intrigue than supernatural shenanigans. It's pretty brutal though in places, nothing for a weak stomach.)

The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante. He probably won't want to touch it, because of the cover alone. (They're deliberately designed to look as corny as possible - it's a dig at classist and sexist assumptions as to what does and doesn't count as Capital-L Literature, and if you won't read them because of the design, the joke's on you.) It's about a complicated friendship/rivalry between two girls who grow up in 1950s Naples and their struggle to escape their narrow circumstances, one through tradtional paths like academical success, one through the sheer force of her charisma and genius, without selling out too much (the actual degree of selling out involved is naturally a big bone of contention in the relationship). The defiant charismatic one also has a vendetta against the local camorra family, as well as mysterious ties to left-wing political terrorists during the Years of Lead (serioiusly, if you're interested in that period of Italian history, these books are a great way to really immerse yourself).  So there's also a lot of plot happening in addition to the grade-A navel-gazing.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirely Jackson. These are short, and incredibly economical, and an absolute Must-Read for anyone who has any interest in horror at all. Trust me, you don't want to be alone at home, when you finish the Haunting of Hill House. It's all about the mood, but what a mood! And it may speak to the misanthrope in your guy. Shirely Jackson has a certain tender misanthropy that is unlike anything I've ever seen anywhere else, heart-breaking and horrifying in even measure. These are books about mobs and misfits, and common and uncommon horrors of human interaction. Revelations for anyone who's ever felt out of place.

Adolscence and early adulthood are the times of feeling monstruous. You discover all kinds of stuff about yourself you first have to learn how to deal with, and you'll get a lot of negative feeback as you do. (Because clearly teenagers/young adults are generally insufferable, as they're supposed to be - how could you possibly be sufferable, when you have yet to learn how to suffer yourself? -  because that's just their developmental task at this stage of their life. But that's no consolation while you are a teenager/young adult).

I think that's one of the main thing that might make a boy vulnerable to MRA ideology. You're feeling like a monster already anyway, because it's just that time of your life, and you resent anything that seems like a campaign to make you feel even more monstrous. It's vital for boys to understand that girls are feeling monstrous too. If they don't get that, they'll never get anything.

So start with the Shirely Jackson, I'd say.