This has such a strong concept; I mean, who doesn’t want to read about a pop star search turned deadly in a dystopian world? These girls are literally singing for their lives and your heart is in your mouth through every chapter.

Juno Dawson knows how to deliver razor-sharp social commentary and this is no exception with a wonderful peek behind the scenes of reality TV shows, the music industry and parasocial relationships. We can all recognise these types of shows, removing the literal death aspect, and how they thrived on humiliating potential contestants. These shows remove the humanity from the people they depict, forcing them into certain narratives and using them as pawns for production. Dawson is just taking this a step further in a dystopian nightmare that feels frighteningly plausible. This deadly battle for stardom lures these contestants in for very different reasons, all of them heartbreaking in different ways.

Speaking of characters, Taryn is a great protagonist. She is driven, talented and her character arc of coming into her voice is brilliant. Her confidence slowly grows in the competition, even as the system tries to grind her down. The audition process is gruelling and then the actual competition is life or death, literally. Through it, the love for her family propels her and that empathy spills out to the girls she comes to call sisters. That bond forms reluctantly between the girls as they work together and start to gel, but are keenly aware that not all of them will make it through.

Surrounding Taryn are a brilliant cast of characters, namely the girls fighting it out for the spaces in the band. You end up falling in love with all of them in different ways as Dawson gives them all moments to shine and create that human connection with the reader beyond the perfect pop sensations. You’re reminded just how young and vulnerable they are and it is sickening to think just how many people are complicit and benefit from this system that continues to crush young people beneath its boot. I also liked how blatantly the propaganda and product placement is used as part of the show with forced advertisements as an example. The world-building around this is fascinating and feels like you could explore more stories in your head, though I am hoping for more work set within this world from Dawson.

Dawson explores this intersection with underrepresented groups and how they play with problematic stereotypes or provide tokenistic representation that doesn’t offer substance or protection for those people against the hatred and bigotry of the world. We also delve into the exploitation of trauma for storylines and narratives, with everything being driven by wanting to claim a viral moment that captures the attention of the world for just a second. There is this rampant consumerism that literally is using up and discarding these lives, treating them as disposable products rather than people. It is at sharp odds with the extreme situations the wider world is facing in this dystopian landscape. You can see the elite party while the world burns and this fuels the palpable anger that permeates the pages and will cross over into your heart. The dystopian elements aren’t too dissimilar from our own world and you can recognise plenty of aspects Dawson is parodying here. It is a call to action and a reminder that our voices matter.

Survival Show is the incisive YA dystopian thriller you need in your life that will get stuck in your head just like the next huge pop earworm.

Survival Show is available in the UK from April 23rd and can be ordered here and the US from August 4th 2026, which can be preordered here.

Will you be picking up Survival Show? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis

Tune in for Starmaker, the most watched reality TV show in the world. The rules are simple; young women from all over the globe compete to join an all-singing, all-dancing pop group. If you win, a life of luxury awaits . . . But there’s a catch. Eliminated contestants are literally eliminated.

Taryn Beck and the contestants soon realise that reality TV is far from real. They are pitted against each other in cruel challenges and Taryn is determined to expose the brutal regime and destroy Starmaker from the inside.

Get ready for the performance of Taryn’s life.

The explosive new YA novel from the internationally acclaimed and bestselling* author of Clean and Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, Juno Dawson.

The post Review: Survival Show by Juno Dawson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

About Darkening Song: Daisy Jones & The Six meets Euphoria and fiercely feminist, Darkening Song follows the story of two young women; a teen star from Manchester failed by the music industry which made her an idol, and her ambitious manager, forced to make an impossible choice between friendship and power. The book is going to be adapted into a Major TV Series. Out April 20th 2026.

I remember the first time I heard Firestarter by the Prodigy. I was fifteen years old, sitting at the kitchen table doing my school homework and listening to Radio 1. I was born in 1981 and grew up in a world of records and tapes and then came this radical new invention, the CD! I didn’t have a massive vinyl collection though, I was a mixtape girl – I used to sit up in my bedroom with a two deck tape player, listening to the chart countdown and recording the songs I liked. So anyway, here I was surrounded by maths textbooks and Firestarter came on the radio and stopped me in my tracks. It was raw and exciting and dangerous and F-you. What that song said to me was, ‘You do not have to be the person other people want you to be, you can be your own person.’ I get goosebumps even now just thinking about it. I think music can do that – it can speak to you in ways beyond the lyrics of a song, it can speak to you even when there are no lyrics. It’s a very powerful thing. I never imagined, when I first started working in the music business in my early twenties, that one day I’d be writing a book set in the music business. But when I was at Warner Brothers Records, I could almost feel a story brewing inside me. I didn’t know what the plot was, I didn’t know what my characters would be called, but I knew there would be two girls, working in partnership with each other in this very heavily male dominated environment, going up against ‘the system’ and winning against all odds. But of course, what ‘winning’ means isn’t a simple matter, and both of them have had experiences in their pasts which ultimately colour the decisions they make. I think, to the extent I had an objective in writing Darkening Song, I wanted to explore human behaviour, particularly the ‘why’ behind how power, fame, success, and money can have a negative effect on who we are and the choices we make. These forces operate in the wider world, way beyond the music industry. But for me personally, I love reading books with a music theme, so I’ve written a list of some of my favourites – I hope you enjoy!

Kill Your Friends by John Niven

American Psycho in the Music Business
I read this book when it first came out in 2008, which is almost 20 years ago. At the time, I was working as a talent lawyer, and my clients were mainly bands (it was the band era!). But I was dealing with major record labels a lot and the people who worked there, and I remember thinking, parts of this book feel scarily real. The author, John Niven, used to be an A&R guy (tasked with signing artists to a record label), and even though the book is a satire in which the fictional A&R guy is literally killing people to advance his own career, the uncomfortable truth is that the music business can be ruthless, with people metaphorically stabbing each other in the back to get ahead.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

Band member + new lead singer + falling in love = band imploding
This is a gorgeous book. The story is told via a series of interviews with the former members of fictional band, The Six, and their new lead singer, Daisy Jones and it just feels real, even down to the language the characters use which is reflective of the time (1970s). Daisy is a very strong female lead, but there’s also a real vulnerability to her which is beautifully conveyed. Lots of early reader reviews say Darkening Song reminds them of Daisy Jones & The Six but a darker, present day version – every time I see someone write that I nearly faint with joy because it’s such a huge compliment.

A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Brilliant, funny, poignant
This book won the Pulitzer Prize. I don’t know if I’d describe it as music fiction exactly – one of the characters is a record label executive, so there is an element of music business, but it felt to me like this was more a book about human behaviour and why we are who we are and the choices we make. There’s an entire chapter which is made up of diagrams on power point slides. Truthfully, I never really understood what that chapter was saying, but big respect to the author for doing something so radical – I love that. Sasha is an incredible character – another strong, flawed, female protagonist (I clearly love a strong, flawed female protagonist!). A Visit From The Goon Squad is to my mind a modern day classic.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Creativity at its purest
OK so this one definitely isn’t music fiction, because it’s Patti Smith’s autobiography. But I’ve snuck it in here because I love it so much. Patti Smith lives a life of the purest creativity, she is somehow indistinguishable from her art and that’s just so inspiring. She’s also so goddamn cool but I don’t imagine Patti Smith has ever given a second thought to actually trying to be cool in her life. It’s one of those books which I loved so much I pressed my copy into the hands of all my friends, and then ended up losing it. But as I type this, I’m remembering how much I love it, so I’m going to buy it again!

Honey by Isabel Banta

If you love 90s era Britney and Christina then…
You should definitely read this book. I don’t think the author has ever openly said that her characters were inspired by Britney or Christina specifically, but as a reader, I felt like they were. The book explores how controlled female pop stars were back in the 90s, and how objectified. It’s of an era, but some of the issues raised still ring true, particularly in the context of manufactured groups and TV talent shows.

Survival Show by Juno Dawson

Hunger Games meets the X-Factor (and possibly the best comps ever?!)
Speaking of manufactured groups and TV talent shows…I had the immense privilege of being sent a pre-publication copy of this brilliant book. It’s dystopian, set at some point in what honestly could be the not too distant future considering the madness and sheer horror of the world we’re living in right now. Contestants live in a house together – called the Dreamhouse – being filmed 24/7 and compete in a manufactured idol group style situation with the slightly major catch that the losing contestants are murdered live on TV. Terrifying, thrilling, utterly addictive.

Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon

Is it ok to include my own book in the list??
I still find it a bit awkward talking (or even writing!) about my own book. It’s this thing which you work on, and wrestle with, in private for years. And then suddenly, it’s ‘out there’ and people talk to you about it and DM you about it and write things online about it, and even though hearing from readers has honestly been the best thing about publishing a book, it also takes a bit of getting used to that other people are now inside the story with me, when it previously just existed in the vacuum of my own thoughts! But I’m proud of Darkening Song, I think it’s ok to say that without sounding like a narcissist?!

And I do really love Eva and Alora, the two girls at the heart of the story, who are vulnerable and young and brave and at times, make very bad decisions in the way we all do, but for them, due to the pressure cooker of fame and the public eye, the stakes are high. There’s also another female character who’s very close to my heart – a former supermodel from the 70s called Vanessa who Alora meets in rehab. Vanessa’s quick-witted with a sharp tongue, and initially she dislikes Alora. But the two women become close and Vanessa takes Alora under her wing in a very lovely way. She becomes her confidante, someone Alora can rely on in a way she’s never had with anyone before.

Darkening Song is a lot about female friendships, there’s a love story element for both Eva and Alora and it’s a story about betrayal too, but more than anything I’d say it is a hopeful story, and shows how dreams can come true in ways we least expect. There’s also an original score music soundtrack written and produced by an all-female team (me included!) and performed by the amazing independent artist S.Michaud who also wrote the bonus track at the end, Sanctuary. It’s pretty unusual for a book to have a soundtrack, but to me the lyrics help tell the story and it felt right that they should exist as real songs too. I hope it enhances the experience for readers, and people listening to the audiobook, which by the way is narrated by three brilliant actresses playing Alora, Eva and Vanessa.

If you’d like to check out the songs, they’re available on all the usual streaming platforms, link HERE and if you’d like to read an extract of Darkening Song, I’ve included one HERE.

If you’d like to buy a copy of Darkening Song, link HERE. You can find me at @delphineseddon on Instagram and TikTok

Thank you so much for reading!

All my love,
Delphine x

The post Delphine Seddon’s Favourite Music-Themed Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Straight out the gate, the queues to enter the competition for a proof of this title were humungous and spoke to the quality of Faridah’s previous work and the killer concept. Five geniuses, one murder and one hell of a whodunnit is in store. This sounds like Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games and I am here for it. Faridah is one of my all-time favourite authors and if she’s not already on your radar, you need to correct that immediately. 

Survival Show by Juno Dawson 

Simon and Schuster organised an attention-grabbing stunt for the cover reveal at YALC with a flashmob performance in keeping with the theme of this book as a deadly reality TV competition to join the latest hot pop group. It sounds like everything you could ask for. 

The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze

This is an intoxicating-sounding debut, blending Dark Academia with magic and revenge. Emma Curran is drawn into the prestigious, all-male Turnbull Club after falling for its leader and things take a dark turn when a fox hunt game gets underway. 

Reap & Sow by Charlotte B. Plumb (cover TBA)

Penguin’s House of YA had a fantastic bargaining ploy in their intricately themed booth – sign your soul away in the hopes of reading this Gothic romantasy. Set in a world where you must sell your body or your soul to survive, this sounds like a high-stakes and darkly wonderful read. 

King of Beasts by Catherine Doyle

Doyle continues this thrilling romantasy series with a new spin-off standalone set in the world of Twin Crowns. This was a highly sought-after title with a fervent fanbase. It promises slow-burning icy YA romance, perfect for these wintery nights. 

A War of Wyverns by S. F. Williamson

A War of Wyverns takes the stakes from A Language of Dragons and raises them tenfold in this lushly imagined YA fantasy where secrets are rife and not everyone is as they seem. It builds wonderfully on that jaw-dropping ending of the first book and elevates every aspect. 

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. Lord utilises this phenomenal premise to full effect, delivering an epic start to a fantasy series that encompasses a fascinating magic system, shadowy politics and deadly consequences. 

Wicked Onyx by Debbie Cassidy

In a ruthless magical academy where she’s cursed and powerless, the last Onyx must unravel dark family secrets and navigate dangerous alliances to reclaim her legacy and make those who betrayed her pay. Dark Academia is clearly a hot genre for 2026 with another exciting title added to the mix. 

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones 

In a world ruled by ancient spells and silent power, five young witches are about to discover that the truth is the most dangerous magic of all. This tarot-inspired graphic novel is about chosen family, breaking the cycle and the love we’d fight for. I got to have a peek at the illustrations and they are gorgeous, detailed and vibrant. 

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Reality TV turned deadly – four new contestants must solve the murder that dramatically ended the previous series of the escape-room themed reality show they’re participating in. This co-authored YA murder mystery promises to deliver on this intriguing premise. 

These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter

In a rotten and bloody world, four magical rivals are forced to work together to avoid certain death in a deadly competition.  This kickstarts a new queer Gothic high-fantasy trilogy that sounds like a blend of The Raven Scholar and The Atlas Six, with a competition that will take everything from our protagonists. 

Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter

Two publishing powerhouses have combined forces to deliver this debut romantasy, kickstarting a new trilogy. Two heirs to their respective kingdoms (witches and dragon riders) are pitted against one another in a once-in-a-generation duel to the death as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. 

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

This is a poignant and powerful fantasy debut that will shatter your heart. It is evocative with dirt under its nails in a desperate portrayal of survival. To kill a monster, she must become one…

Her Hidden Fire by Clíodhna O’Sullivan

If he has the ability to wield magical powers, everyone will rejoice – especially the girl who loves him. But what happens when they realize she has the gift?

Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni

A young reaper hunter must conspire with her enemy to stop an ancient evil threatening her world in this heart-pounding romantic fantasy from the million-copy bestselling author of The Prison Healer.

Your Murder Next by Ravena Guron 

New to town, wannabe journalist Myra is caught up in an escalating series of events when one of the popular clique mysteriously dies at her parents’ restaurant and Myra is confronted by a mysterious boy avenging her death. Guron’s YA mysteries always deliver and this sounds like it will be no exception. 

Coterie of Liars by Kate Weston

One of Us Is Lying meets The Inheritance Games with the vibes of Saltburn – a seductive thriller tapping into decadence, Dark Academia and privilege from stand-up comedian Kate Weston.

Seven Deadly Spells by L. A. Weatherly

This was one of the most hotly sought-after proofs across the weekend. Romeo and Juliet meets The Sopranos with magic in this epic enemies-to-lovers urban romantasy about duty, desire and betrayal. 

An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole

Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones―and forbidden magic―of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way. This is Dark Academia with a wonderful twist – the type of book you can completely lose yourself in. 

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

Aurora Finch from the miraculous village of Reverie is taken under the wing of the enigmatic and alluring sorcerer known as the Starmaker and must uncover what he is hiding or face an endless winter in this whimsical and sweeping romantasy.

The post 20 Anticipated Titles From YALC 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

As Grace navigates treacherous waters, she realises that revenge isn’t the only thing at stake—it’s the survival of witchkind itself. With King Henry’s witchfinders closing in and betrayal lurking within, Grace must not only vanish but undergo a profound transformation to ensure her survival and the future of her sisterhood.

Queen B is sure to be a huge hit with lovers of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. We are transported back in time to the 1500s to the beginnings of the HMRC and let me tell you, it is a doozy. While this is following Anne Boleyn’s execution, the focus is really more on the people that were around her and how her death impacts them—not to mention the critical political situation and the constant threat of exposure. I enjoyed this twist on history and quite liked that—while speaking about characters we know already—it added a historical twist and served as a nice counterpart to the more modern setting the actual series’ books offer.

The revenge-driven Grace of the present in 1536 was also nicely balanced with flashbacks that showed a different side of her as she not only became part of court and the coven but also how and why she fell in love with Anne Boleyn. The themes of having to hide your identity is interestingly doubled here, with clear parallels between having to hide your sexual identity and the fact that you are quite literally magic. Additionally, Dawson’s talent to portray flawed characters in a way that makes you love them all the more for their flaws instead of in spite of them absolutely shines in this novel. Grace is by no means perfect and that makes her and the other witches all the more exciting to follow as they uncover secrets.

I really enjoyed the way Dawson combined actual historical figures with the magical elements from the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series. While I don’t think you’ll get as much out of the novella if you haven’t read the first two books in the series, it still makes for the perfect addition to this magical universe and nicely bridges the wait until the third book releases. While there’s not as much of subtle political commentary in Queen B (which makes sense since this follows the very straightforward history of witches being persecuted and thus the politics that existed at that time can also be addressed more directly) as you might be from the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series, that didn’t take away from my enjoyment and will surely still appeal to readers.

Weaving real history and magical elements together, Queen B is a new, fast-paced take on Anne Boleyn’s tragic demise and the woman willing to go to the ends of the earth to avenge her.

Queen B is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 23rd 2024.

Will you be picking up Queen B? Have you read it already? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

This next spellbinding installment of Juno’s “irresistible” fantasy series Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (Lana Harper) takes us back to the reign of Henry VIII and the origins of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven under the beautiful, the bewitching, Anne Boleyn.

It’s 1536 and the Queen has been beheaded.

Lady Grace Fairfax, witch, knows that something foul is at play—that someone had betrayed Anne Boleyn and her coven. Wild with the loss of their leader—and her lover, a secret that if spilled could spell Grace’s own end— she will do anything in her power to track down the traitor. But there’s more at stake than revenge: it was one of their own, a witch, that betrayed them, and Grace isn’t the only one looking for her. King Henry VIII has sent witchfinders after them, and they’re organized like they’ve never been before under his new advisor, the impassioned Sir Ambrose Fulke, a cold man blinded by his faith. His cruel reign could mean the end of witchkind itself. If Grace wants to find her revenge and live, she will have to do more than disappear.

She will have to be reborn.

In this gripping, propulsive, sultry short novel, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood.

The post #ReadWithPride: Queen B by Juno Dawson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Thank you for chatting with us, Juno! Tell our readers a bit about yourself and how 2023 has treated you so far!

Thanks for having me! It’s been an insanely busy year – juggling finishing THE SHADOW CABINET with film and TV projects has kept me out of trouble. I can’t believe it’s summer already. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of the year finishing the COVEN trilogy.

Now, tell us about The Shadow Cabinet! What can readers expect from the sequel?

Book 1 explored a coven of witches who’ve been friends for over thirty years. When a young transgender witch arrived in need of sanctuary, the friends were torn apart over how to deal with her. Not everyone made it out alive…

At the end of Book 1, an evil witch called Ciara came out of her coma. Twist! On waking up, she’s suffering from amnesia, and knows only to return to the town of Hebden Bridge. The problem is, everyone thinks she’s her twin sister! And Niamh was about to become the coven’s high priestess. The novel builds up towards her coronation – but will she be exposed?

Leonie, meanwhile, is on the hunt of the dashing rebel warlock, Dabney Hale, and ends up unearthing his nefarious scheme.

The Shadow Cabinet builds on Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and delves deeper into topics such as feminism, power imbalances, sisterhood, queer identity and more that we only scratched the surface of in the first novel. What was a challenge you faced while writing the sequel and was there a moment that made your heart soar?

I definitely wanted to expand the world we discovered in Book 1. This time around we explore the world geographically, with Leonie taking a tour of Europe, but also thematically. Book 1 was about division within feminism, whereas this time I wanted to consider misogyny. I knew in a world where women are so powerful, there’d be men who took issue with that. The witches are about to learn witchfinders are still a very present threat.

This trilogy is all about sisterhood and banding together to fight against the injustices of the world. How much of it has been inspired by real life events and what made you want to write this story?

The final piece of the puzzle was transphobia. When I started writing HMRC in 2020 we were in COVID lockdown. I couldn’t believe that bigots still had so much time to spread misinformation and fearmongering about trans people. The phrase ‘witch-hunt’ is grossly overused but in this case it felt very accurate. It felt right to take a coven – a female-only space – and ask what would happen to a young transgender witch in that situation.

Without spoiling too much, was there a favourite scene you wrote for the sequel?

There are a LOT more demons in Book 2. In Book 1 there was a glimpse of demonic invocation, but Ciara is no stranger to possession. This one goes into true horror territory.

If you could create your own coven solely made up of fictional characters, who would you choose?

OK, I’ll take Willow Rosenberg; Wanda Maximoff; Nancy Downs and Marie Laveau.

With just as an emotional ending as the first book in the trilogy, what do you want readers to take away from Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo’s journey?

The trick with this novel is getting you to care about characters who have done absolutely dreadful things. Even if you don’t like them, I hope you understand why Ciara does the things she does. In this book, all the women make some questionable choices, but isn’t that what real life is like?

Can you tease what is in store for readers in the final book in the trilogy?

I hope it’s going to feel really epic. Book 1 started with a country vet looking after her animals, and now we’re dealing with a celestial battle between the forces of good and evil! I want it to feel like Avengers: Endgame!

With Pride Month just around the corner, is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to?

I’m on tour for the whole month! Trans rights! I’m mostly looking forward to going home and seeing my husband and dog!

Last but not least, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

My favourite book of the last few months was a French novel called MY HUSBAND. Very twisted and very chic indeed! Perfect for lazy summer days.

Will you be picking up The Shadow Cabinet? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Juno Dawson, Author of ‘The Shadow Cabinet’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Dawson takes everything that worked so well in the first book, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, and makes it stand out even brighter. At times provocative and sharp, at others funny and filled with queer joy, this book is sure to keep lovers of the first book very happy. Told from a variety of different characters, the threads of the story are woven together even more intricately and alliances (as well as friendships) shift as we dive deeper into this magical world.

While I will say that this had some moments that dragged a bit (middle-book syndrome and with that many pages it was bound to happen, we all know it), the slow build-up was warranted once you see how everything unfolds and sets up for the conclusion.

As always, Dawson’s talent of tackling contemporary topics in a fantastical setting truly makes this story stick with you. The way misogyny is handled in here via groups of men that believe a witch’s place is wherever they deign it to be was done so well—and it’s as rage-inducing and aggravating as it is in real life. The power imbalance is frustrating and you can’t help but want to riot right along with Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo, whose fierce protectiveness of each other and unapologetic desire for a just world drives the story to its inevitable end.

This entrancing mix of feminism, queerness, magic and power-hungry villains makes for an intoxicating reading experience. The Shadow Cabinet takes the irresistible themes of the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and amplifies their reach well beyond the pages of the book.

The Shadow Cabinet is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 20th.

Will you be picking up The Shadow Cabinet? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

In the second installment of Juno Dawson’s “irresistable” fantasy trilogy (Lana Harper), a group of childhood friends and witches must choose between what is right and what is easy if they have any hope of keeping their coven–and their world–from tearing apart forever.

Niamh Kelly is dead. Her troubled twin, Ciara, now masquerades as the benevolent witch as Her Majesty’s Royal Coven prepares to crown her High Preistess.

Suffering from amnesia, Ciara can’t remember what she’s done–but if she wants to survive, she must fool Niamh’s adopted family and friends; the coven; and the murky Shadow Cabinet–a secret group of mundane civil servants who are already suspicious of witches. While she tries to rebuild her past, she realizes none of her past has forgotten her, including her former lover, renegade warlock Dabney Hale.

On the other end of the continent, Leonie Jackman is in search of Hale, rumored to be seeking a dark object of ultimate power somehow connected to the upper echelons of the British government. If the witches can’t figure out Hale’s machinations, and fast, all of witchkind will be in grave danger–along with the fate of all (wo)mankind.

Sharp, funny, provocative, and joyous, Juno Dawson’s sequel reimagines everything you think you knew about her coven and her witches in a story that spans continents and dives deep into the roots of England and its witchcraft. Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo are fierce, angry, sexy, warm–and absolutely unapologetic as they fight for what they believe in, all in the name of sisterhood.

The post #ReadWithPride: The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
This sensational epic fantasy follows an emissary for the king as he gathers a group of strangers and embarks on a dangerous quest across a war-torn land.​

Dragonfall by Laura Lam
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Long-banished dragons, revered as gods, return to the mortal realm in the first in this magical new epic fantasy trilogy from a bestselling author

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
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From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world’s most famous band of heroes, the Argonauts

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
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Scarlet is the first book in a wildly engaging new series from Genevieve Cogman, which reinvents the beloved tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
With unforeseen twists, romance, and a heavy sprinkle of magic, The Enchanted Hacienda  is a captivating coming-of-age debut exploring identity, unconditional family love, and uncovering the magic within us all.

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In the second installment of Juno Dawson’s “irresistible” fantasy trilogy (Lana Harper), a group of childhood friends and witches must choose between what is right and what is easy if they have any hope of keeping their coven–and their world–from tearing apart forever.

The Will of the Many by James Islington
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At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

Loki by Melvin Burgess
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
This is a retelling that is contemporary in tone, at once amusing and relatable. It is a heartfelt plea to overthrow the old gods of power and authority and instigate a new era ruled by love and intelligence.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Savage Beasts by Rani Selvarajah
Goodreads | Amazon 
Savage Beasts is a propulsive retelling of the Greek myth of Medea, reimagined as Meena the daughter of the powerful Nawab of Bengal, during the rise of the East India Company.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand
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New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn, Claire Legrand, makes her stunning adult debut with A Crown of Ivy and Glass, a lush, sweeping, steamy fantasy romance series starter that’s perfect for fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
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The explosive, hotly-anticipated debut novel from the New York Times-bestselling author of Friday Black, about two top women gladiators fighting for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America’s own.

What releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post May 2023 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Talk about a gut punch of a novel. Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is sure to have readers who love witchy stories— and the queerer, the better—salivating from the very first page. Dawson invites readers into a provocative narrative by transporting them into a fantastical world that clearly echoes the societal and political issues of our own.

The characters are in huge part what made this story so intriguing. We have four friends who haven’t all been together in ages (for different reasons) and each of them is dealing with their own struggles. We have Niamh, a witch who has become a country vet who uses her powers to heal sick animals, Leonie, who defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora, Elle who is trying to pretend she is a normal housewife with mediocre success and lastly Helena, the reigning High Priestess of the secret organisation. Through alternating POVs, we get to see the story unfold and learn what has brought these women together— and what has torn them apart in recent years. Here, Dawson manages to weave an intricate tale and introduce the characters through the conflicts they are facing and have created—for example the fact that Helena thinks Leonie has betrayed her by creating her own intersectional coven whereas Leonie just finally wanted a safe space to practice magic that wasn’t seemingly feminist but really upholding rigid and heteronormative traditions. It’s hard to summarise all of the different conflicts in this book in a few sentences but let me tell you, this book has more twists, betrayals and drama than a Desperate Housewives episode and I lived for that.

The highlight of this book for me was Theo. Getting to know this incredibly powerful and feared teenage warlock who is really a fluffy, scared and skittery teenager who’s trying to find her place in the world was so heartwrenching. And then to see her grow not only her powers but also feeling accepted in Niamh’s care and getting to meet a Latina trans woman was marvellous and showcased just how much representation—in fiction but also in real life—can mean when you’ve been brought up with antiquated rules about your identity.

And with Theo, we come of course to the main themes of the novel. Admittedly, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the somewhat dry writing style, I still found myself flipping the pages and that’s down to Dawson’s compelling exploration of gender, power and intersectional feminism in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. Let me just say that the depiction of transphobia in perceived “feminist circles” in this book is devastatingly realistic. The reader spends quite a few chapters in Helena’s head and it’s as aggravating as it is terrifying to listen to the justifications this woman has for wanting to get rid of Theo just because she identifies as trans. If this reminds you of a certain British figure in the media, let me tell you that the parallels are staggering. Obviously, it’s absolutely no fun being in Helena’s head but you gotta give credit where credit’s due—Dawson deserves all the kudos for managing to write Helena’s TERF POV without wanting to burn stuff down because let me tell you, sitting on the other side as the reader, I was beginning to feel murderous because I couldn’t stop this woman myself—which, if you think about it, is an absolutely brilliant way of showing readers how powerless queer people can feel when our rights are taken away from us based on ancient, outdated traditions and institutions—and the people that preserve them time and again. It’s a clever allegory that must have cost the author a lot to explore and for that alone, this novel should be on your TBR.

While I won’t spoil too much about how the story goes—you can guess that friendships are bound to break and people will be facing off to protect Theo from Helena who’s so desperate to get her clutches on her to “preserve the order of things”—I will say that, since this is a first instalment in a trilogy, the cliffhanger is nothing short of brutal, so fair warning. You’ll itch to get your hands on the next instalment. As for me, I’m excited to see where things go from here—and whether certain people get what’s coming for them.

A provocative exploration of intersectional feminism, loyalty, gender and transphobia, Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is an immersive story about what it means to be a woman—and a witch—and invites readers into an intricately woven web of magic, friendship and power.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 31st 2022.

Will you be picking up Her Majesty’s Royal Coven? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A Discovery of Witches meets The Craft in this the first installment of this epic fantasy trilogy about a group of childhood friends who are also witches.

If you look hard enough at old photographs, we’re there in the background: healers in the trenches; Suffragettes; Bletchley Park oracles; land girls and resistance fighters. Why is it we help in times of crisis? We have a gift. We are stronger than Mundanes, plain and simple.

At the dawn of their adolescence, on the eve of the summer solstice, four young girls–Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle–took the oath to join Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, established by Queen Elizabeth I as a covert government department. Now, decades later, the witch community is still reeling from a civil war and Helena is now the reigning High Priestess of the organization. Yet Helena is the only one of her friend group still enmeshed in the stale bureaucracy of HMRC. Elle is trying to pretend she’s a normal housewife, and Niamh has become a country vet, using her powers to heal sick animals. In what Helena perceives as the deepest betrayal, Leonie has defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora. And now Helena has a bigger problem. A young warlock of extraordinary capabilities has been captured by authorities and seems to threaten the very existence of HMRC. With conflicting beliefs over the best course of action, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie: with preserving tradition, or doing what is right.

Juno Dawson explores gender and the corrupting nature of power in a delightful and provocative story of magic and matriarchy, friendship and feminism. Dealing with all the aspects of contemporary womanhood, as well as being phenomenally powerful witches, Niamh, Helena, Leonie and Elle may have grown apart but they will always be bound by the sisterhood of the coven.

The post #ReadWithPride: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Welcome to 2022, but more importantly, welcome to a whole lot of new book releases to look forward to over the next year!

In this round up, we take a look at an array of highly anticipated books releasing between the months of January and June. From new releases from favourite authors such as Rachel Lynn Solomon, Sarah J. Maas, Tahereh Mafi, Marlon James, Emily St. John Mandel, Holly Black, Christina Lauren, Ryan Sager, and many more, to absolutely dazzling debuts, you’re sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list!

Stay tuned as we’ll be releasing more 2022 lists for several genres!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite January to June 2022 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! 

JANUARY

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
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A destitute woman deceives her way into the guesthouse of a Hollywood Hills mansion and inadvertently becomes a target in the twisted game of the wealthy family upstairs in the next intoxicating novel from Eliza Jane Brazier.

Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
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Anything But Fine is a hilarious coming of age story about a gay ballerina who loses his dancing dreams, but finds his true self and his first love. 

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
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Three years ago, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were the brightest literary stars on the horizon, their cowritten books topping bestseller lists. But on the heels of their greatest success, they ended their partnership on bad terms, for reasons neither would divulge to the public. They haven’t spoken since, and never planned to, except they have one final book due on contract.

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi
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In his adult novel debut, Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and NAACP Image Award finalist and ALA Alex and New England Book Award winner Tochi Onyebuchi delivers a sweeping science fiction epic in the vein of Samuel R. Delany and Station Eleven.

Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series comes the first book in a brand-new duology about forbidden magic and dangerous secrets, for readers of Victoria Aveyard and Margaret Rogerson.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
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A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
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From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

A Thousand Steps by T. Jefferson Parker
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A Thousand Steps is a beguiling thriller, an incisive coming-of-age story, and a vivid portrait of a turbulent time and place by three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker.

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
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Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
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The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut “that is both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable.” (Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate).

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
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In this epic YA fantasy debut, magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology that’s perfect for fans of There Will Come a Darkness, The Gilded Wolves, and We Hunt the Flame.

FEBRUARY

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson
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When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide… 

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
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Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—bestselling author Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
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From debut author Kit Mayquist, a propulsive and atmospheric modern Gothic with all the splendor of The Great Gatsby . . . and all the secrets, lies, and darkness that opulence can hide.

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
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Three generations of abused women must navigate their chilling new reality as a mysterious epidemic of violence sweeps the nation in this compelling novel of self-discovery, legacy, and hope.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
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A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James
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Both a brilliant narrative device—seeing the story told in Black Leopard, Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman—as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire, Moon Witch, Spider King delves into Sogolon’s world as she fights to tell her own story. Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, it is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour
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The debut adult novel by the bestselling and award-winning YA author Nina LaCour, following two women on a star-crossed journey toward each other. (Edit: Yerba Buena will now publish on May 31st 2022)

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
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In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
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Axie Oh’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong,” perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s SpiritedAway.

Lease On Love by Falon Ballard
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Beach Read meets The Flatshare in this warmly funny and delightfully sharp debut rom-com about a down-on-her-luck young woman who turns an innocent mix-up between a dating app and a roommate app into a new chance at love.

The Verifiers by Jane Pek
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Introducing a sharp-witted heroine for the 21st century: a new amateur sleuth exploring the landscape—both physical and virtual—of New York in a debut novel about love, technology, and murder.

MARCH

Sundial by Catriona Ward
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Sundial is a new, twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, internationally bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street.

Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
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The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
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The much-acclaimed viral sensation from Olivie Blake, The Atlas Six—now newly revised and edited with additional content, is a dark academic debut fantasy with an established cult following that reads like The Secret History meets The Umbrella Academy.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
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From the author of the breakout thriller Every Last Fear, comes Alex Finlay’s electrifying next novel The Night Shift, about a pair of small-town murders fifteen years apart―and the ties that bind them.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.

Lakelore by Anna Marie McLemore
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In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake – but can they keep their worlds above water intact?

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
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The Golden Couple is the next electrifying novel from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo behind You Are Not Alone, An Anonymous Girl, and The Wife Between Us.

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma
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Nisha Sharma’s hilarious new romantic comedy inspired by The Taming of the Shrew features a love-phobic TV doctor who must convince a love-obsessed homebody they are destined to be together.

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
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A mythic love story set in Trinidad and Tobago, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s radiant debut introduces two unforgettable outsiders brought together by their connection with the dead.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James
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A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch
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A wry and bold debut novel, which is at once an irresistible catastrophe waiting to happen and an unflinching exploration of how we narrate the stories of our lives, as an aspiring novelist finds herself stalking—and writing about—her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.

The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta
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A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed―perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

APRIL

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan
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Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After.

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
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In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.

Reputation by Lex Croucher
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Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl with a dash of Jane Austen, in Reputation, a Regency-era historical romantic comedy with a deliciously feminist twist, from a hilarious new British voice, Lex Croucher.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
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For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.

I Am the Ghost in Your House by Maria Romasco Moore
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From the author of Some Kind of Animal comes a wildly unique story about an invisible girl struggling to see herself in a world obsessed with appearances.

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose
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Meet the women of Buckhead — a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships. Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead — and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher
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This seething, gut-punch of a thriller can only have sprung from the fiendish brain of Tarryn Fisher, one of the most cunning writers of our time.

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
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A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter’s discovery that she has the power to change her family’s legacy.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
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A searing and compassionate new novel about a young Black nurse’s shocking discovery and burning quest for justice in post-segregation Alabama, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
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The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
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The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with a hilarious rom-com about two strangers who get trapped in a lie and have to fake date their way out of it…

The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
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Thirty, flirty, and asexual Joy is secretly in love with her best friend Malcolm, but she’s never been brave enough to say so. When he unexpectedly announces that he’s met the love of his life—and no, it’s not Joy—she’s heartbroken. Malcolm invites her on a weekend getaway, and Joy decides it’s her last chance to show him exactly what he’s overlooking. But maybe Joy is the one missing something…or someone…and his name is Fox.

MAY

Book of Night by Holly Black
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus.

Hide by Kiersten White
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A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
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The “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar) and New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners present a charming and laugh-out-loud funny novel filled with adventure, treasure, and, of course, love.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
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From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need…

Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer
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New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer expands the Cursebreaker world in an electrifying new series.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
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From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.

City of Orange by David Yoon
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This imaginative and affecting new novel is beloved, bestselling, and award-winning author David Yoon at his finest: thought-provoking and heart-piercing, by turns funny and challenging, and at all times deeply human. 

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
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Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches…

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
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An insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb
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Three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder, from the acclaimed author of The Hunting Wives.

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
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Merida goes on an all-new, life-changing adventure in this original YA novel set several years after the close of Brave!

Boys, Beasts & Men by Sam J. Miller
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In Nebula Award-winning author Sam J. Miller’s devastating debut short-fiction collection, featuring an introduction by Amal El-Mohtar, queer infatuation, inevitable heartbreak, and brutal revenge seamlessly intertwine. Whether innocent, guilty, or not even human, the boys, beasts, and men roaming through Miller’s gorgeously crafted worlds can destroy readers, yet leave them wanting more.

JUNE

Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
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From the author of the critically-acclaimed Blackwing trilogy comes Ed McDonald’s Daughter of Redwinter, the first of a brilliant fantasy series about how one choice can change a universe.

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay
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In this dangerously sexy rom-com that evokes the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, a prince who wants to live out of the spotlight falls for a daring American rapper who turns his life, and the palace, upside down.

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
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A dazzling epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award Finalist Sabrina & Corina.

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron
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How much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?Bestselling author Kalynn Bayron continues the story of Briseis and her family’s deadly magic in the sequel to This Poison Heart.

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
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A people-pleasing bridesmaid-for-hire falls for the crushable new lesbian in town. Will she finally find her happily ever after—and her own voice? 

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
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With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense and gasp-worthy twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake will shock readers until the very last page.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
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A Discovery of Witches meets The Craft in this the first installment of this epic fantasy trilogy about a group of childhood friends who are also witches.

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
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A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
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In the first book of a visionary African and Arabian-inspired fantasy trilogy, three women band together against a cruel Empire that divides people by blood.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
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Evvie Drake Starts Over meets Beach Read in this heartwarming and hilarious novel about a divorced romance channel screenwriter whose script about her marriage’s collapse just might help her reclaim her life and find love.

We All Fall Down by Rose Szabo
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The first book in a dark fantasy YA duology by the author of What Big Teeth, about the power and danger of stories and the untold costs of keeping magic alive, perfect for fans of Aiden Thomas and Marie Rutkoski.

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert
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She was the face that launched a thousand ships, The fierce beauty at the heart of Olympus, And she was never ours to claim. A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

What 2022 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2022 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
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Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.

Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
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In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he’s forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.

But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
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Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco
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Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.

Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.

A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M Johnson
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In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Bluecovers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
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Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance – and Papi’s secrets – the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Papi’s death uncovers all the painful truths he kept hidden, and the love he divided across an ocean. And now, Camino and Yahaira are both left to grapple with what this new sister means to them, and what it will now take to keep their dreams alive.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
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Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
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When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.

Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.

Hideous Beauty by William Hussey
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When Dylan and Ellis’s secret relationship is exposed on social media, Dylan is forced to come out. To Dylan’s surprise they are met with support and congratulations, and an amazing reception at their highschool dance. Perhaps people aren’t as narrow-minded as he thought?

But Dylan’s happiness is short-lived. Ellis suddenly becomes angry, withdrawn, and as they drive home from the dance, he loses control of the car, sending it plunging into Hunter’s Lake. Barely conscious, Dylan is pulled free of the wreck, while Ellis is left to drown.

Grief-stricken, Dylan vows to discover what happened to Ellis that night and piece together the last months of his boyfriend’s life – and realises just how little he knew about the boy he loved.

Wonderland by Juno Dawson
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Alice lives in a world of stifling privilege and luxury – but none of it means anything when your own head plays tricks on your reality. When her troubled friend Bunny goes missing, Alice becomes obsessed with finding her. On the trail of her last movements, Alice discovers a mysterious invitation to ‘Wonderland’: the party to end all parties – three days of hedonistic excess to which only the elite are welcome.

Will she find Bunny there? Or is this really a case of finding herself? Because Alice has secrets of her own, and ruthless socialite queen Paisley Hart is determined to uncover them, whatever it takes.

Alice is all alone, miles from home and without her essential medication. She can trust no-one, least of all herself, and now she has a new enemy who wants her head…

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
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Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
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Saoirse doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. If they were real, her mother would still be able to remember her name and not in a care home with early onset dementia. A condition that Saoirse may one day turn out to have inherited. So she’s not looking for a relationship. She doesn’t see the point in igniting any romantic sparks if she’s bound to burn out.

But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms.

Unbothered by Saoirse’s no-relationships rulebook, Ruby proposes a loophole: They don’t need true love to have one summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters actually fall in love… for real.

I’ll Be The One by Lyla Lee
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Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.

She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.

When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
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It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew…

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
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There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.

Loveless by Alice Oseman
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Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.

As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.

But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.

Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?

Boy Queen by George Lester
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Robin Cooper’s life is falling apart.

While his friends prepare to head off to university, Robin is looking at a pile of rejection letters from drama schools up and down the country, and facing a future without the people he loves the most. Everything seems like it’s ending, and Robin is scrabbling to find his feet.

Unsure about what to do next and whether he has the talent to follow his dreams, he and his best friends go and drown their sorrows at a local drag show, where Robin realises there might be a different, more sequinned path for him . . .

With a mother who won’t stop talking, a boyfriend who won’t acknowledge him and a best friend who is dying to cover him in glitter make up, there’s only one thing for Robin to do: bring it to the runway.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
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Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters
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Comic book geek Wesley Hudson excels at two things: slacking off at his job and pining after his best friend, Nico. Advice from his friends, ‘90s alt-rock songs, and online dating articles aren’t helping much with his secret crush. And his dream job at Once Upon a Page, the local used bookstore, is threatened when a coffeeshop franchise wants to buy the property. To top it off, his annoying brother needs wedding planning advice. When all three problems converge, Wes comes face-to-face with the one thing he’s been avoiding—adulthood.

Now, confronted with reality, can Wes balance saving the bookstore and his strained sibling relationship? Can he win the heart of his crush, too?

Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass
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Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare.

His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.”

But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are— and taking this place down.

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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