Category Archives: Young Adult

Sovereign Sacrifice by Elise Kova

Sovereign Sacrifice by Elise Kova

Vi was supposed to be the perfect crown princess. Then, she abandoned her throne. Vi was supposed to save the world as its Champion. Then, the world she loved vanished. Now, all she knows is that she has deadly magic and brutal cunning and she’s ready to settle some scores. Old loves and new allies tell her to play it safe. But Vi is done with caution. She has a chance to right ancient wrongs and this princess-turned-warrior isn’t turning back. She’s ready to bring an end to the vortex of death the world is trapped in.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Murder

Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova

Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova

The Solaris Empire found victory in the North and, at the cost of her heart and her innocence, Vhalla Yarl has earned her freedom. But the true fight is only beginning as the secret forces that have been lurking in the shadows, tugging at the strings of Vhalla’s fate, finally come to light. Nowhere is safe, and Vhalla must tread carefully or else she’ll fall into the waiting arms of her greatest foe. Or former lover.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Murder
  • Torture
  • Knife violence

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova

Eighteen-year-old Waterrunner Eira Landan lives her life in the shadows — the shadow of her older brother, of her magic’s whispers, and of the person she accidentally killed. She’s the most unwanted apprentice in the Tower of Sorcerers until the day she decides to step out and compete for a spot in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms. Pitted against the best sorcerers in the Empire, Eira fights to be one of four champions. Excelling in the trials has its rewards. She’s invited to the royal court with the “Prince of the Tower,” discovers her rare talent for forbidden magic, and at midnight, Eira meets with a handsome elfin ambas… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Abandonment
  • Murder
  • Bullying

A Darkness At The Door by Intisar Khanani

A Darkness At The Door by Intisar Khanani

Only Rae knows the extent of the corruption at the heart of the kingdom of Menaiya, from the noble lord who betrayed her to the Circle of Mages whose wards protect the slavers from discovery. Injured and imprisoned on a slave ship, Rae’s options are quickly running out. When a desperate escape attempt goes terribly wrong, she finds herself indebted to a terrifying Fae sorceress. Now Rae will not rest until she has rescued her fellow prisoners and freed her land from the darkness that has taken hold. To succeed, she’ll need every ally she can find—including Bren, the thief who may have stolen her heart. But Bren… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Human trafficking, off-page
  • Physical & emotional child abuse
  • Attempted murder

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani

Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer – even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule. Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own. But treachery… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Slavery
  • Ableism
  • Human trafficking, off-page
  • Sexual assault
  • Physical & emotional child abuse
  • Blood depiction
  • Emesis
  • Attempted murder
  • Physical assault
  • Kidnapping

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future. When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Physical & emotional child abuse
  • Human trafficking, off-page
  • Rape
  • Death of a parent
  • Hanging
  • Animal death

The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot

The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot

Lottie collects dead creatures and lovingly cares for them, hoping to preserve them, to save them from disintegration. Her father understands—Lottie has a scientific mind, he thinks. Her aunt wants it to stop, and she goes to cruel lengths to make sure it does. And her mother? Lottie’s mother died long ago. And Lottie is searching for a way to be close to her.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Sexism
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a mother
  • Kidnapping & captivity
  • Hostage situation
  • Blackmail
  • Fire
  • Drowning
  • Building collapse
  • Colonialism
  • Graphic animal death & dead bodies (theme)

Black by Fleur Ferris

Black by Fleur Ferris

Ebony Marshall is in her final year of high school. Five months, two weeks and four days . . . She can’t wait to leave the town where she’s known only as ‘Black’. Because of her name, of course. But for another reason, too. Everyone says Black Marshall is cursed. Three of her best friends have died in tragic accidents. After Oscar, the whispers started. Now she’s used to being on her own. It’s easier that way. But when her date for the formal ends up in intensive care, something in quiet little Dainsfield starts to stir. Old secrets are revealed and terrifying new dangers emerge… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Domestic violence
  • Suicide
  • Death of a friend recounted
  • Murder
  • Physical assault
  • Car accident
  • Kidnapping
  • Bullying

Keystone by Katie Delahanty

Keystone by Katie Delahanty

When Ella Karman debuts on the Social Stock Exchange, she finds out life as a high-profile “Influencer” isn’t what she expected. Everyone around her is consumed by their rankings, in creating the smoke and mirrors that make them the envy of the world. But then Ella’s best friend betrays her, her rankings tank, and she loses—everything. Leaving her old life behind, she joins Keystone, a secret school for thieves, where students are being trained to steal everything analog and original because something—or someone—is changing history to suit their… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Child neglect & abandonment
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Drug abuse, on- & off-page

The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone

Maddie has big plans to spend the last months before college tying up high school “loose ends” alongside her best friends. Then her beloved grandmother drops two bombshells: (1) Gram is dying. (2) She’s taking her entire family on a round-the-world cruise of dreams come true—but at the end, Gram won’t be returning home. With a promise to live in the now without regrets, Maddie boards the Wishwell determined to make every moment count. She finds new friends in her fellow Wishwellians, takes advantage of the trip’s many luxuries, gets even closer to her quirky family, and falls for painfully gorgeous Enzo. But despite… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Grandmother with terminal pancreatic cancer (theme)