Her Radiant Curse
Elizabeth Lim

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers / Random House Children's

Pub Date: Aug. 29th, 2023
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Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
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Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of SIX CRIMSON CRANES comes a tale of two sisters—one as beautiful as the other is monstrous—who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever.

One sister must fall for the other to rise.

Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.

Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who’s had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath—launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi’s heart to its breaking point.
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Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.

​1. You love Lim's 'Six Crimson Cranes' series: 
'Her Radiant Curse' is a prequel to the popular series, so you're bound to love this too!

2. Rich in cultural background: 
Beautiful authentic Asian fantasy, steeped in Chinese mythology.

3. Familial conflict: 
Two sisters, one shunned by her family, the other desperate to save her. 

4. Lyrical prose: 
Lim is an elegant writer with a lyrical style, while managing not to overdo the flowery language.

5. Slow-burn monster romance: 
Demons, half-dragons, and serpent beings.. oh my.. what more could you want?

​About the Author:


Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively. 


Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. 


Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn’t looked back since.

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Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.

Cold Girls
Maxine Rae

Publisher:
    Flux

Pub Date: Aug. 22nd, 2023
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Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
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Synopsis:


Eighteen-year-old Rory Quinn-Morelli doesn’t want to die; she wants refuge from reality for even a minute: the reality where she survived the car crash eight months ago, and her best friend, Liv, didn’t. Yet her exasperating mother won’t believe the Xanax incident was an accident, and her therapist is making it increasingly hard to maintain the detached, impenetrable “cold girl” façade she adopted from Liv.

​After she unintentionally reconnects with Liv’s parents, Rory must decide: will she keep Liv’s and her secrets inside, or will she finally allow herself to break? And if she breaks, what will she unearth amid the pieces?

Content Warning: Grief

About the Author:


Maxine Rae attended Tulane University where she was taught and singled out for commendation by two-time National Book Award–winner Jesmyn Ward.

​While working on Cold Girls, Maxine received feedback and mentorship from National Book Award–finalist Charles Baxter. She later revised and workshopped the manuscript in the selective Novel in a Year program at StoryStudio Chicago, whose artistic director is Pulitzer Prize in Fiction–finalist and Andrew Carnegie Medal–winner Rebecca Makkai.

As a young, queer woman from the Chicago area, Maxine has written a debut molded by emotional truth.

To Charm a Dark Prince
Book 1 of The Iron Crystal
Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Publisher: Second Sky
Pub Date: Aug. 18th, 2023
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Genre: Fantasy Romance


​To save a kingdom, she must charm a monster.


Transported to the magical realm of Avalon, Gwen finds herself in the hands of its dark and beautiful ruler--Mordred, the Prince in Iron.


The prince holds total power in Avalon, trapping his rivals in an enchanted crystal prison. But he shows a strange gentleness to Gwen.


Seeing no other way to escape, Gwen strikes a deal with Mordred’s enemy. If she can break the crystal, she will be free to go home.


Gwen joins Mordred’s court with a plan to steal his heart and destroy his prize.


Desire sparks between them at once. But Mordred is a dangerous host. As they draw closer, his passion and anger burn brighter.


Gwen would be foolish to trust him.


And even more foolish to betray his trust…


A gripping dark fairy tale and a seductive fantasy romance, with slow-burning attraction, enemies-to-lovers banter and an alluring villain. The Iron Crystal series will enchant fans of Sarah J. Maas, Elisa Kova and Danielle L. Jensen.

'To Charm a Dark Prince' by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a dark fantasy re-telling of the Arthurian legend that focuses primarily on Mordred and Gwen. Other familiar names do make appearances, but the characters are definitely a modern take on their 'could-be' place in Avalon.

Mordred is tasked with a heavy burden, which of course leaves him generally grumpy and overall kind of intriguing. He's powerful and a bit oppressive, which makes him fun to read.. and he's definitely not lacking in the looks department either. 

For me, he was the best part of the book. Gwen I found to be just okay, moderately annoying and sometimes coming across rather clueless. The bones of the story are interesting. There are lots of neat concepts strewn throughout the pages, but the writing could use some development. 

The book is recommended for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Elisa Kova, and Danielle L. Jensen, but in my opinion it's far more Kova than Maas. If you liked Kova's A Trial of Sorcerers, this one is for you.

About the Author:


​As a USA Today bestselling author and award-winning designer, Kat has always been a storyteller. She delights in spinning stories of the sweetest nightmares to delight her readers with her unique twist of fantasy, horror, and romance. With ten years in script-writing for performances on both the stage and for tourism, she has always been writing in one form or another.
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Also on her list of skills are artistic direction, scenic painting and props, special effects, and electronics. A graduate of Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Design, she has a passion for unique, creative, and unconventional experiences. In her spare time, she builds animatronics and takes trapeze classes.