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40 YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books Releasing This Fall That Are Definitely Worth Picking Up

Fill your shelves with these atmospheric, adventurous, autumnal reads!

Rachel Strolle
by Rachel Strolle

BuzzFeed Contributor

Note: There are currently supply chain issues basically in every part of the production process, meaning two main things for this list.

1. Preorder the books you want, since reprints are taking forever. 

2. While all projected dates are accurate as of the publication of this list, they could still change if delays happen. 

You can read more about the supply chain issues here, thanks to New Orleans bookstore Tubby & Coo's.

1. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Penguin Teen, Via xiranjayzhao.com

Release date: September 21

What it's about: In this dynamic, inventive series starter, Zetian intends to assassinate the pilot responsible for her sister’s death. To do so, she offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, paired up with a boy of Huaxia to pilot giant transforming robots called Chrysalises that battle the mecha aliens beyond the Great Wall. After she murders him and emerges from the cockpit unscathed, she is labeled an Iron Widow, a female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up a Chrysalis. To stop more girls from being sacrificed, she will leverage her might to figure out exactly why the pilot system is set up the way that it is.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

2. The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider

Viking, Emily Sandifer

Release date: September 21

What it's about: Emmett Merlin has arrived at court to serve as Prince Arthur's right-hand wizard. A few complications: Arthur is a depressed botanist who only pulled the sword from the stone accidentally, Lancelot just got a demotion to castle guard, and Emmett is actually at home, indisposed after a spell gone wrong, and it is his sister who has taken his place. If you've been looking for fantasies with bisexual leads, Galavant vibes, and a whole (Came)lot of fun, you've come to the right place.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

3. The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi

Wednesday Books, Aman Sharma

Release date: September 21

In case you haven't read book one, The Gilded Wolves: In 1889 Paris, a group of treasure hunters led by hotelier Séverin must attempt to find an artifact for a shadowy organization so that he may claim his true inheritance.

What it's about: The crew, fractured after a seeming betrayal from Séverin, must try to track him down in Venice, despite Enrique, Laila, Hypnos, and Zofia having only a few hints at their disposal. While Séverin seeks the location of a temple beneath a plague island, the crew will face deadly masquerades before reaching an offer of divinity itself...with a high price tag.

Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Flatiron, Via Facebook: StephanieGarber.Author

Release date: September 28

What it's about: This new novel, set in the world of Garber's Caraval, follows new protagonist Evangeline alongside the fan favorite Jacks. Growing up in her father's curiosity shop, Evangeline was raised on legends about immortals. So when it comes to the Prince of Hearts, she knows that bargains with him rarely end well. But desperation strikes when she learns the love of her life is about to marry another, and she will do whatever it takes to stop the wedding...including making a deal with the Prince of Hearts. But after the first of three promises is fulfilled on her end, she realizes that he has much more planned for her than she ever could have imagined.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

5. Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

Penguin, Ayana Gray

Release date: September 28

What it's about: Get ready for a thrilling adventure through a magical jungle! Koffi is indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, caring for its magical creatures and working toward her family’s freedom. Ekon is destined to become an elite warrior, until he encounters the Shetani, a vicious monster that has plagued the city for almost a century, and Koffi, who unleashes a power that wards off the beast. Ekon is determined to hunt the Shetani down, but he’ll need Koffi’s help to do it, and the two enter the Greater Jungle together.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

6. For All Time by Shanna Miles

Simon & Schuster, Tokie Taylor

Release date: September 28

What it's about: No matter where, when, or what, Tamar and Fayard find each other. From 1325 Mali to 1924 Pennsylvania to space in the future, their stories — no matter the changes, no matter who else appears — always end in tragedy. And in the present day, they're fighting to break that cycle, and get an ending that they both choose. This one-of-a-kind novel features a love story for the ages.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

7. Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Henry Holt, Lyndall Clipstone

Release date: September 28

What it's about: Violeta arrives at the Lakesedge estate expecting a monster. After all, the rumors say Rowan Sylvanan drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But as she begins to fall for him, she learns there is something else at the estate she should be frightened of: a creature under the lake, a death god called the Lord Under, one whom Rowan is bound to and one Leta must save both of them from. Fans of monster boys and foggy nights will devour this one.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

8. Steelstriker by Marie Lu

Roaring Brook Press, Via marielu.com

Release date: September 28

In case you haven't read book one, Skyhunter: Mara is one of the last free nations in the world, but the Karensa Federation isn't planning on leaving it that way. Mara's elite fighting force, the Strikers, are trained to stop the Ghosts, people transformed into mutant war beasts used by the Federation to attack. Talin is one of these Strikers, and when a mysterious prisoner is brought in, she wonders if he could be just the thing to help save them.

What it's about: Mara has fallen, and with Talin's friends scattered and mother in captivity, she's forced to betray her fellow strikers and become the Federation's newest deadly war machine and Skyhunter.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

9. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Margaret K. McElderry Books, Alice Stallcup

Release date: October 5

What it's about: The Gray Sisters are nuns who cleanse the bodies of the deceased, allowing their souls to pass on and preventing them from rising as spirits who hunger for the living. Artemisia is in training to become one of these sisters, defending the convent when it comes under attack by possessed soldiers. Only...she does so by awakening a revenant, an ancient spirit of extraordinary power, bound to a saint's relic. But as knowledge of the vespertines, priestesses trained to wield these relics, has been lost, the only teacher for Artemisia to learn from is the revenant itself. Margaret Rogerson's first duology begins with this atmospheric thrill that is sure to leave you ready for the next one.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

10. Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle

Greenwillow Books, Via goodreads.com lisasterle.com

Release date: October 5

What it's about: Fans of Heathers, Promising Young Woman, and killer art will find a new obsession in this graphic novel. Becca has just transferred to a new high school and is immediately adopted by Marley, Arianna, and Mandy...the most popular girls in school. Becca quickly learns that there is more to them than meets the eye, as under the light of a full moon, she discovers that her new friends are werewolves who position themselves to destroy slimy boys who take advantage of unsuspecting girls. But after Arianna's boyfriend is killed, the search for a serial killer begins, and their position gets much grayer than they initially believed.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

11. When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Wednesday Books, Mei Lin Barral

Release date: October 5

In case you haven't read book one, Where Dreams Descend: The Conquering Circus is looking for a new headliner, and those hoping to earn that job must face off in a competition of increasingly risky magical feats. But as an unseen danger lurks behind the scenes, magicians start going missing. Three competitors — Kallia, a fiercely determined showgirl, Jack, the keeper of the club, and Demarco, a judge with a dark past — must reckon with their secrets before they become the darkness's next victims.

What it's about: Kallia wakes in a world ruled by a powerful game master, and though Jack is by her side, she still does not fully trust him. Following his fall from grace, Daron is doing whatever it takes to try and find Kallia and bring her back to their world. With no promise of return and worlds on the line, this sequel is filled to the brim with illusions and the struggle to emerge from their grip.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

12. Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia

Rick Riordan Presents, Via kwamembalia.com

Release date: October 5

I know what you're thinking: "Rachel, this is a middle-grade novel." And yes, you'd be correct. However, not only do I think it has strong teen appeal, but Tristan Strong is one of the best fantasy series in kid lit. I want everyone to read it, and also this list follows my own rules, and I want to talk about it.

In case you haven't read book one, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: Tristan is supposed to be spending a month at his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal after a bus accident that took his best friend Eddie's life. All he has left of Eddie is a notebook of his stories...which is stolen by a doll-like creature on his first night at the farm. In the ensuing struggle, Tristan punches a tree, accidentally opening a chasm into the MidPass, and landing him in the middle of a conflict involving Black American folk heroes (such as Brer Rabbit and John Henry) and West African gods (such as Anansi, the Weaver).

What it's about: Tristan is traveling up the Mississippi after reuniting with Ayanna. On their way to Chicago, Tristan's hometown, they encounter new haints determined to halt their progress in their pursuit of King Cotton, Tristan's archenemy.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

13. Descendants of the First by Reni K. Amayo

Onwe Press, Via renikamayo.com

Release date: October 5

In case you haven't read book one, Daughters of Nri: Naala and Sinai are twins, but to ensure their survival and the survival of the magic inside them, they've grown up in completely different worlds. Naala has been raised in a small, quiet village while Sinai lives in the palace of Nri. But their paths will eventually lead them both back to the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri, Eze Ochichiri.

What it's about: After the death of the king, Naala and Sinai are travelling through a fractured Nri. Their use of the Ndu crystal has led to some unexpected outcomes, namely the return of mythical beasts and lost gods who keep appearing one by one. The twins will have to put their differences aside in order to heal the turmoil within their land.

Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

14. Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat

Quill Tree Books, Via cspacat.com

Release date: October 5

What it's about: Will is on the run from the men who killed his mother. Not helping in his attempts to stay under the radar is the fact that he's just learned of his destiny to fight alongside the Stewards, the keepers sworn to protect humanity from the potential return of the Dark King that is threatening London.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

15. The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

Inkyard Press, Greg Samborski Photography

Release date: October 12

What it's about: This gorgeous historical fantasy follows Ren Scarborough, who has collected souls in the London streets for centuries. Half–British Reaper, half–Japanese Shinigami, Ren's failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives her out of 1890s London to Japan and to the Japanese underworld, where she seeks to serve the Goddess of Death. To prove herself worthy, she must find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons in the hope of finally claiming a place of her own, even if that place is at Death's side.

Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

16. The Heartbreak Bakery by A. R. Capetta

Candlewick, Cory McCarthy

Release date: October 12

What it's about: The best books come with a sprinkling of magic and a whole lot of heart baked in, which is precisely the case with this new A. R. Capetta novel. Agender teen Syd works at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. But after being dumped, Syd's baking, which has always been an outlet for big feelings, quite literally takes on the feelings Syd was trying to bake away: Everyone who eats Syd's breakup brownies breaks up. Now it's up to Syd, along with the cute bike delivery person, Harley, to fix things...including the magical brownie-induced breakup of Vin and Alec, the bakery owners.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

17. Dragonblood Ring by Amparo Ortiz

Page Street Kids, Melanie Barbosa

Release date: October 12

In case you haven't read book one, Blazewrath Games: Blazewrath Games follows Lana, whose biggest dream is to represent her native Puerto Rico in its first-ever appearance in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament for dragons and their riders to compete. Her chance arrives when the person who is supposed to be the runner for the Puerto Rico team gets kicked off. Quickly, though, she realizes that not everything is as dreamy as it seems, because a former Blazewrath superstar has teamed up with a dragon in human form to take down the entire world cup.

What it's about: In this action-packed sequel, we follow both Lana and Victoria as their former team heads to Puerto Rico after the capture of the Sire. Since the end of the Blazewrath World Cup, news of burning towns and kidnapped dragons has emerged. Lana and Victoria follow the less-than-forthcoming Director Sandhar to Le Parc Du Chasseurs, a French theme park that has become an illegal fighting ring for dragons. To keep their dragons safe, they'll have to work to take down the entire operation...and keep the Sire's supporters from freeing him.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

18. Thronebreakers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Harperteen, Via rebeccacoffindaffer.com

Release date: October 12

In case you haven't read book one, Crownchasers: When Alyssa's uncle, the emperor, becomes gravely ill, she ends up exactly where she's always strayed from: fighting for the throne. For the first time in seven centuries, the emperor calls a crownchase, a race to find the royal seal, hidden somewhere in the empire, between representatives from each of the prime families. Alyssa, an explorer by nature, is favored to win, but the chase quicky turns deadly.

What it's about: Might as well call this dynamite series The Fast and the Furious, with book one being the Fast high-speed chase and book two being the Furious revenge tale. After trying desperately to help her friend Coy win the crownchase, and subsequently losing Coy when Edgar Voles killed him to claim the seal for himself, Alyssa is ready for revenge. But getting to a well-protected man is not so easy, and it will take everything in Alyssa's arsenal to take him down.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

19. Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

Harperteen, Via drive.google.com

Release date: October 12

What it's about: In this epic fantasy with Zutara vibes, Ahn is a peasant girl who accidentally reveals her deadly magic, while Altan is a lost heir searching for revenge. In each other, they see the thing they most want: Ahn sees a path to her past and her magic, and Altan sees a path to his future and his throne.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

20. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Henry Holt, Via margaret-owen.com

Release date: October 19

What it's about: Up until a year ago, Vanja was the dutiful servant of Princess Gisele. Using an enchanted string of pearls, Vanja stole Gisele's life for herself, taking her place and leaving the princess a penniless nobody while Vanja lives a double life as a princess and a jewel thief. But after crossing the wrong god, she's turning into jewels, stone by stone, with only two weeks to determine how to break the curse. Little Thieves is an ode to chaotic heroines on unintentional paths toward redemption.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

21. Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline

Amulet Books, Via cheriedimaline.com

Release date: October 19

In case you haven't read book one, The Marrow Thieves: After decimating the world via global warming, most of humanity has lost the ability to dream. The Indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, as it is the only thing that recovers this ability. Frenchie just wants to survive, struggling to stay hidden in the north. But among him and his companions lies one who holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves.

What it's about: French lost his family to the residential schools that popped up or were reopened in the time after much of the world stopped dreaming. Since heading north, he's gained a new family in a group of other dreamers. But when he wakes up, locked in a room and alone for the first time in years, he knows where he is. To escape, he'll need to determine how far he is willing to go to survive, and he'll need the help of the found family that has been searching for him in the midst of new dangers. Dimaline's return to the world of The Marrow Thieves is a triumph.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

22. City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn

Flux, Rad DeLong

Release date: October 19

What it's about: Asa is on the run from her father's powerful tech empire, with the digitized mind of her rebellious sister in tow. Riven is a smuggler trying to move up the underworld hierarchy of Requiem, a neon-drenched outlaw paradise. When Asa's getaway ship crash lands in Requiem, Riven realizes that she would be exactly the bounty she needs. But a computer virus followed by a citywide blackout means the girls will need to team up to defeat the rogue A.I. chasing Asa down.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

23. That Dark Infinity by Kate Pentecost

Little, Brown, Vic Clark

Release date: October 19

What it's about: After the kingdom of Kaer-Ise is attacked, Flora, handmaiden to the princess, is left as the sole survivor, searching for the princess she served. To do so, she'll make a deal with the Ankou, who by night is a legendary young mercenary and by day nothing more than bones. He'll help train her in exchange for her help breaking his curse, finding the death that has been prophesied for him even as she slowly grows to understand (and possibly love) him.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

24. Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Wednesday Books, Terri LaShae

Release date: October 19

What it's about: Jane Eyre meets The Exorcist in this debut fantasy following Andromeda, a debtera hired to rid households of the Evil Eye. When she's hired to cleanse a castle by snarky young heir Magnus Rochester, she quickly realizes that this job will push her like no other has, and that there are deadly secrets around every corner.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

25. We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera

Bloomsbury, Lilith Fierrera/Las Fotos Project

Release date: October 26

What it's about: Los Angeles has a Visitor. After the unexpected passing of Luna's beloved cousin, Tasha, is followed up by an extraterrestrial figure taking Tasha's form, Luna and her classmates Pedro and Rafa try to warn others of what is coming. Despite the fact that the three teens run in different worlds, they'll have to work together, because the Visitor is the first of many. But can they save a world that keeps proving it doesn't want to save them?

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

26. A Rush of Wings by Laura E. Weymouth

Margaret K. McElderry Books, Laura Weymouth

Release date: November 2

What it's about: A stormy night in the Scottish highlands brings about two big events in Rowenna's life: her rescue of a stranger named Gawen from a shipwreck, and the miraculous return from the dead of Rowenna's late mother, Mairead. But things aren't as peachy as they might seem, as her reanimated mother turns Rowenna's brothers (and Gawen) into swans and robs her of her voice. This 1746 set retelling of The Wild Swans is a lyrical delight of a book.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

27. Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

Sourcebooks Fire, Via onlybylaura.com

Release date: November 2

What it's about: If you've wanted your fairy tales with a side of boarding school intrigue, here's your book! Nani Eszes has just arrived at Grimrose Académie and is thrust into the center of a mystery. After all, her new roommates — Ella, Yuki, and Rory — lost a best friend last year in what police ruled a suicide. As they retrace their friend's last steps, they discover connections to ancient fairy tale curses and the brutal endings to their stories they're doomed to repeat if they can't break the cycle.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

28. Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells

Simon & Schuster, Carter Hasegawa

Release date: November 2

What it's about: This beautiful sapphic fairy tale takes place in a world with the Silence, a mysterious forest that lures folks into the trees for them never to return...so the girl that just stumbled out of the woods is unexpected, to say the least. Miranda comes from a city in the forest called the Gather, and she is on a quest to wake a sleeping princess. But to do so, she'll need the help of Lena, who was cursed by a witch before birth to have skin poisonous to the touch. Lena's desperation to break her curse means she's willing to assist Miranda, but as they wander farther into the woods, the more questions she has.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

29. Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Random House, Via penguinrandomhouse.com

Release date: November 2

What it's about: In this remarkable debut, Simi collects the souls of those who die at sea, serving the gods as a Mami Wata, a mermaid. But after breaking the rules to save the life of a boy thrown overboard, one who seems to know more than he should, Simi heads to the Supreme Creator in order to make amends.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

30. A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

Balzer & Bray/Harperteen, Ashley Hirasuna

Release date: November 2

In case you haven't read book one, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin: After a vengeful spirit takes Malik's younger sister, Nadia, he makes a deal to get her back. Meanwhile, Karina is reeling from the assassination of her mother, the Sultana, and the threat of mutiny from her court. But she can resurrect her mother, for a price. Both Malik and Karina plan to act around the Solstasia festival — Malik competing to get close to Karina, as he is meant to kill her, and Karina offering her hand in marriage to the winner, since she needs the beating heart of a king to bring back her mother.

What it's about: Brown has crafted a masterful finale, which kicks off with Malik in a peaceful new gig as Farid's apprentice, while Karina is the most wanted person in Sonande after a violent coup. Oh, and there are tons of disasters occurring thanks to the resurrection of Karina's sister, so that's fun. And of course, Malik discovers that to restore balance, he'll need to get Karina to trust him again, which is kind of hard when he tried to kill her.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

31. Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah

Little, Brown, Via goodreads.com

Release date: November 9

In case you haven't read book one, The Light at the Bottom of the World: The Light at the Bottom of the World is set in the last days of the 21st century, and London is underwater. When Leyla McQueen, a 16-year-old submersible racer, gets the chance to participate in the annual marathon, she knows it's her opportunity to save her father, who was arrested on false charges. But during the race, something unexpected occurs, leaving Leyla to defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, and she sets off to rescue her father herself.

What it's about: Leyla has reunited with her father, but in the process has lost Ari. Though she's been labeled the number-one enemy of the nation, she's determined not only to track down Ari, but also to discover and dismantle the future plans of the authorities behind her father's abduction and arrest. And with tensions between Anthropoid and non-Anthropoid communities reaching an all-time high, it will take a whole lot of courage to make it through the darkness. This magnificent sequel caps off one of the most inventive and thrilling science fiction series in all of YA history.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

32. Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

Clarion Books, Jenny Wight Bowles and Haley Bowles

Release date: November 9

What it's about: This excellent standalone fantasy follows Lord Cassia, who desires nothing more than to return to his home in the mountains, but three years after his mission was ambushed by enemy soldiers, and after the plague that devastated their land, his castle has become court, and so isn't quite the relaxing place he hopes. Plus, he's pulled into a search for a killer after an assassin targets those closest to the queen, teaming up with Lena, a young historian. And they soon realize that the question they've been asking — who is behind the attacks — might not be the right question at all.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

33. Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne

Disney-Hyperion, Rachel Hadiashar

Release date: November 9

What it's about: This historical fantasy takes place after the events of Disney's Mulan, where Mulan is now training a militia of female warriors. But the emperor has offered her an unexpected responsibility: He's decreed that she will be his heir. But when he dies before she can fully come to terms with that decision, and she's declared empress, everything starts to go off the rails. Between advisors working against her, a member of her militia under suspicion of treason, and the reawakened threat of the Huns, she'll need to prove her leadership potential and save her world...again.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

34. A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Levine Querido, Via darcielittlebadger.wordpress.com

Release date: November 9

What it's about: Darcie Little Badger's brilliant sophomore novel is influenced by traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure, and has already been longlisted for a National Book Award. Nina, a Lipan girl from Earth, and Oli, a Cottonmouth kid from the land of spirits and monsters, decide to help each other after catastrophe strikes and collides their worlds together, despite those who would kill to keep them apart.

Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

35. Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

Margaret K. McElderry Books, Via thechloegong.com

Release date: November 16

In case you haven't read book one, These Violent Delights: In 1926 Shanghai, the blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers leaves the city helpless. In the center of it all are Juliette Cai, a former flapper and heir of the Scarlet Gang, and Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers, and Juliette's first love. But something bigger is threatening the city as gangsters on both sides show signs of instability — ending with them clawing their own throats out.

What it's about: This masterful duology comes to a roaring close with a sequel that fulfills all the promises of the first and surpasses it. While Roma is still reeling from his best friend Marshall's death, Juliette knows that the only way to protect Roma is to let him think she was the murderer. But as the Nationalists begin to march into Shanghai, and a monstrous danger arises, Roma and Juliette will need to put aside their differences, or lose everything they have left.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

36. Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

Jimmy Patterson, Via natashangan.com

Release date: November 23

In case you haven't read book one, Girls of Paper and Fire: Every year, eight girls from the Paper caste, the lowest caste in Ikhara, are chosen to serve the king as consorts. Rumors of Lei, a beautiful girl with golden eyes, reached the king, who chose her as a ninth girl. While forced into training, Lei falls in love with one of her fellow Paper Girls, and becomes involved in an explosive plot that could change her world forever.

What it's about: Following Girls of Storm and Shadow, Lei and Wren are separated, their fates hanging in uncertainty. But can they find each other again? And if they do, will they make it through the end? Natasha Ngan is certain to deliver a fiery finale to this beloved series.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

37. The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

Razorbill, Via isabelsterling.com

Release date: December 7

What it's about: There pretty much isn't anything that Elise wants to do less than team up with a vampire, but alas, that is the very situation she's in. Elise is a Death Oracle, experiencing how her loved ones will die and being unable to stop it, like in the case of her brother. But she's just predicted the imminent murder of a teacher, and she turns to Claire, who has been assigned by the Veil to teach Elise how to use her powers anyway, for help. But the Veil's mission is put in jeopardy less by the killer stalking the streets and more by the feelings growing between the two girls.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

38. The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

Harperteen, Ernest Simmons

Release date: December 7

What it's about: Daniel Kaluuya is set to produce and star in an adaptation of this one for Netflix, so our excitement is through the roof for this outstanding debut. When an accident knocks Esso into a world where he can see glimpses of the past and the future, he sees a vision of a bullet fired in an alleyway with disastrous consequences. Fifteen years later, Rhia is a football prodigy, being pulled into a mystery by her new physics tutor...Dr. Esso.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

39. The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Crystal Stokes

Release date: December 7

In case you haven't read book one, The Beautiful: After Celine is forced to flee Paris in 1872, where she worked as a dressmaker, she winds up in New Orleans. She's taken in by a convent and soon falls in love with the city and its glitzy underworld, La Cour des Lions — not to mention Sébastien Saint Germain, the group's enigmatic leader. But when one of the other girls from the convent is found dead in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine must hide a terrible secret and fight off her growing attraction to Sébastian. After all, the city is ruled by the dead, and a serial killer is loose...with his sights set on Celine.

What it's about: The third book in this darkly delicious series follows Pippa, who vows to find Celine after her disappearance. But her journey will throw her into the world of the fae, and put her in the path of the charismatic Arjun.

Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

40. Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes

Bloomsbury, Nile Scott Hawver

Release date: December 7

What it's about: All it takes is a hit on the head and Luis is sent back in time to 1985...and to Chaz Wilson. Luis's present day is informed by Chaz's past: After all, Luis's "progressive" school still won't allow him to go to prom with his boyfriend, all because of what happened with Chaz back when Luis's parents were in school. Luis decides on a plan: give Chaz his first real kiss, and then somehow make it back to the present day.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.