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8 Epic Fantasy Series You Need to Read After Finishing Throne of Glass

As many of you know, Kingdom of Ash, the final book in Sarah J. Maas’ epic Throne of Glass series, is officially out in the world to conclude the story of our favorite assassin. Now that you’ve bought it, read it, probably had your soul shattered by it, you must undoubtedly be suffering from a terrible book hangover. We totally understand.

But as you remember and reminisce on your favorite Throne of Glass moments, here are eight other fantasy series to dive into. Whether it’s wonderful worldbuilding, lovely writing, or amazing female characters you’re after, they have them all. Happy reading!

 

Throne of Glass: Epic fantasy series

 

1. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

If you want something with high stakes, unique settings, and complex characters, these are the books for you. Sabaa’s crafted a fantasy world with dystopian tendencies and an emperor who needs to be overthrown, and these books will quickly become some new faves.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Add An Ember in the Ashes to your Goodreads shelf!

 

2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Maas’ other best-selling book series, these books loosely reference some of our favorite fairy tales and are filled with action and steamy romance. Twists and turns make for jaw-dropping surprises along with gorgeous writing.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin–one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it… or doom Tamlin–and his world–forever.

Add A Court of Thorns and Roses to your Goodreads shelf!

 

3. The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

Wishing for more brave girls who defeat kings in honor of queens-to-be? Then this book is perfect for you. With a magical system and world that will make you wish you mastered a passion, this is a book you won’t want to put down.

Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true: she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the throne.

Learn more about The Queen’s Rising!
Add The Queen’s Rising to your Goodreads shelf!

 

4. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Amazing worldbuilding? Check. Badass girls ready to take a stand? Check. This book has it all. So, without needing to explain much else… what are you waiting for?

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Add Children of Blood and Bone to your Goodreads shelf!

 

5. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Beautifully dark and deceptive with an ending that will make you wonder how it could even occur, this is a book with your name on it if you already miss Maas’s unexpected twists.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose… it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

Learn more about Three Dark Crowns!
Add Three Dark Crowns to your Goodreads shelf!

 

6. The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

If you latched onto the complex mythology, we’re begging you to read the beautifully crafted Iskari series. With gorgeous, lyrical writing and histories that collide with things more fantastical—plus, dragons and shapeshifters!—we just know you’ll love it, too.

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected.

Learn more about The Last Namsara!
Add The Last Namsara to your Goodreads shelf!

 

7. Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Incredible stakes, incredible characters, female rage, responsibility, and angels manipulating those from beyond—this high fantasy dazzled us. Rielle and Eliana are everything we’d want in our lead characters, and they’re sure to be your new faves once Aelin’s story’s ended.

When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable—until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire’s heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world—and of each other.

Add Furyborn to your Goodreads shelf!

 

8. Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Kate’s inherited the title of traitor and a bad reputation. The world she lives in has a complex magic system, and Kate’s own powers endear her to animals the way we’ve grown to love so many in the Throne of Glass world as well. And every time you think the stakes have peaked, Mindee Arnett will shock you with another twist to raise them even higher.

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

Learn more about Onyx and Ivory!
Add Onyx and Ivory to your Goodreads shelf!

 

The post 8 Epic Fantasy Series You Need to Read After Finishing Throne of Glass appeared first on Epic Reads.

All the Secrets and Hidden References You Missed in What If It’s Us

What if… Adam and Becky’s latest book was full of Easter eggs for readers?!

That’s right! Not only did Adam and Becky team up to write the witty, heartfelt, let-boys-fall-in-love rom-com of our dreams—they also filled it with secret jokes, hidden references, and shout outs to their friends that we dare any fan of YA to try to find. Because if you thought you couldn’t love this story anymore, prepare yourself. Some of these Easter eggs are hilarious and some are just straight up adorable—but would we expect any less?!

If you haven’t finished What If It’s Us yet, hurry up! It’s already been on bookshelves for over two weeks!! And then come back and watch this adorable video of Adam and Becky revealing all their secret hidden messages within the book.

 

All the References You Might’ve Missed

Could they be better best friend #goals? We don’t think so. Check out a recap of all the Easter eggs in What If It’s Us below—then go back and see how many you can spot in the re-read! Because yes, we know, it’s inevitable, it will happen.

 

What If It’s Us: Easter Eggs

THE COMPLETE LIST

 

1. “Date Zero:“ What Arthur calls his and Ben’s failed first date, which is also a nod to Adam’s first book, More Happy Than Not! The first section is called “Part Zero.”

2. Love, Simon: That’s right! Ben and his ex went to go see one of our favorite adaptations of all time—the movie based on Becky’s epic debut novel, Simon vs.!

3. The most awkward father/son moment of all time? Ben’s dad works at Duane Reade, a New York City drug store, and discusses witnessing a scene that is ALSO from Adam’s book History Is All You Left Me. And the scene? Griffin and his dad bumping into each other… both buying condoms. BRB, awkwardness overload just thinking about it.

4. Angie Whaley: This character is a mashup of two epic authors and friends, Angie Thomas and John Corey Whaley!

5. Best friend homages are included, too! Both Arthur and Ben’s book BFFs are modeled after two of Becky and Adam’s real life author BFFs. Dylan is based on author David Arnold, and Jessie was inspired by author Jasmine Warga!

6. Café Arvin is named after Down and Across author Arvin Ahmadi.

7. The Bray-Eliopulos Files are also the names of Adam and Becky’s editors IRL!

8. Arthur and Ben’s initials: Becky and Adam pulled a little switch and gave the characters they wrote each other’s initials! We hope you’ve already met Arthur Seuss (A.S., as in Adam Silvera) and Ben Alejo (B.A., as in Becky Albertalli).

The post All the Secrets and Hidden References You Missed in What If It’s Us appeared first on Epic Reads.

18 Young Adult Books That’ll Hit You Right in the Nostalgia

We have to admit, as much as we love a good throwback (and NOTHING will beat 90s and early 2000s Nickelodeon or Disney Channel…) we’re getting a little tired of just seeing straight reboots. But that’s not to say that we want to abandon the golden age of our childhood completley! Actually, we’re loving that we can see some of those influences in our fave new original stories now. And nostalgic books? Much better. Not sure what we mean?

A lot of the books we’ve been reading recently have been reminding us of classic movies and shows from our childhood.

And so, we thought we’d spread those nostalgic feelings with the book list below! And for the record—you totally don’t have to have seen all of these, especially if you were born after their time. Just consider this a list full of book and movie recommendations! You’re welcome.

 

 

Nostalgic Books | For your TBRs

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO VIEW IT AT FULL SIZE!

 

1. She’s All That » To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Add To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to your Goodreads shelf

 

2. I Know What You Did Last Summer » There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Love hurts…

Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind.

Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.

Add There’s Someone Inside Your House to your Goodreads shelf

 

3. Xena: Warrior Princess » And I Darken by Kiersten White

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

Add And I Darken to your Goodreads shelf

 

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer » This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

In This Savage Song, Victoria Schwab creates a gritty, seething metropolis, one worthy of being compared to Gotham and to the four versions of London in her critically acclaimed fantasy for adults, A Darker Shade of Magic. Her heroes will face monsters intent on destroying them from every side—including the monsters within.

Find out more about This Savage Song
Add This Savage Song to your Goodreads shelf

 

5. Spice World » Fireworks by Katie Cotugno

It was always meant to be Olivia. She’s the talented one, the one who’s been training to be a star her whole life. Her best friend, Dana, is the levelheaded one, always on the sidelines, cheering Olivia on.

But everything changes when Dana tags along with Olivia to Orlando for the weekend, where superproducer Guy Monroe is holding auditions for a new singing group, and Dana is discovered too. Dana, who’s never sung more than Olivia’s backup. Dana, who wasn’t even looking for fame. Next thing she knows, she and Olivia are training to be pop stars, and Dana is falling for Alex, the earnest, endlessly talented boy who’s destined to be the next big thing.

It should be a dream come true, but as the days of grueling practice and constant competition take their toll, things between Olivia and Dana start to shift… and there’s only room at the top for one girl. For Olivia, it’s her chance at her dream. For Dana, it’s a chance to escape a future that seems to be closing in on her. And for these lifelong best friends, it’s the adventure of a lifetime—if they can make it through.

Find out more about Fireworks
Add Fireworks to your Goodreads shelf

 

6. Bring It On » The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school… Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

Add The Cheerleaders to your Goodreads shelf

 

7. Harriet the Spy » A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Find out more about A Study in Charlotte
Add A Study in Charlotte to your Goodreads shelf

 

8. Hocus Pocus » The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into. Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

Add The Wicked Deep to your Goodreads shelf

 

9. Passport to Paris » I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and a half weeks travelling through Europe with her childhood best friend Leela. Their plans include Eiffel Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers.

Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug of war.

In this hilarious and unforgettable adventure, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski tells the story of a girl learning to navigate secret romances, thorny relationships, and the London Tube. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka dot underpants.

Find out more about I See London, I See France
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10. Spy Kids » Warcross by Marie Lu

The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem… and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Add Warcross to your Goodreads shelf

 

11. Cruel Intentions » S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett

At St. Aidan the Great School, or S.T.A.G.S., new things–and new people–are to be avoided. Unfortunately, Greer MacDonald, token scholarship student, is very much a new person. She has just transferred to S.T.A.G.S., and finds herself ignored at best and mocked at worst by the school’s most admired circle of friends, the Medievals.

So imagine Greer’s surprise when this very group invites her to an exclusive weekend retreat at the private estate of the parents of their unofficial leader, Henry de Warlencourt. It’s billed as a weekend of “huntin’ shootin’ fishin’,” and rumor has it that the invitee who most impresses the group will be given the privilege of becoming a Medieval themselves.

As the weekend begins to take shape, however, it becomes apparent that beyond the luxurious trappings–the fancy clothes the maid lays out on Greer’s bed, the elaborate multicourse dinners held in the Great Hall–there are predators lurking, and they’re out for blood…

Add S.T.A.G.S. to your Goodreads shelf

 

12. The Ultimate Christmas Present » The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn’t.

And then she died.

Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change…

Find out more about The Afterlife of Holly Chase
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13. Save the Last Dance » A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.

Find out more about A Very Large Expanse of Sea
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14. Halloweentown » House of Furies by Madeleine Roux

After escaping a harsh school where punishment was the lesson of the day, seventeen-year-old Louisa Ditton is thrilled to find employment as a maid at a boarding house.

But soon after her arrival at Coldthistle House, Louisa begins to realize that the house’s mysterious owner, Mr. Morningside, is providing much more than lodging for his guests. Far from a place of rest, the house is a place of judgment, and Mr. Morningside and his unusual staff are meant to execute their own justice on those who are past being saved.

Louisa begins to fear for a young man named Lee who is not like the other guests. He is charismatic and kind, and Louisa knows that it may be up to her to save him from an untimely judgment. But in this house of distortions and lies, how can Louisa be sure who to trust?

Find out more about House of Furies
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15. Raise Your Voice » The Midnights by Sarah Nicole Smetana

Susannah Hayes has never been in the spotlight, but she dreams of following her father, a former rock star, onto the stage. As senior year begins, she’s more interested in composing impressive chord patterns than college essays, certain that if she writes the perfect song, her father might finally look up from the past long enough to see her. But when he dies unexpectedly, her dreams—and her reality—shatter.

While Susannah struggles with grief, her mother uproots them to a new city. There, Susannah realizes she can reinvent herself however she wants: a confident singer-songwriter, member of a hip band, embraced by an effortlessly cool best friend. But Susannah is not the only one keeping secrets, and soon, harsh revelations threaten to unravel her life once again.

Find out more about The Midnights
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16. Cadet Kelly » The Academy by Katie Sise

Frankie Brooks knows what she wants in life: to become the world’s next great fashion editor. But after Frankie messes up one too many times—hey, it’s hard not to prioritize her acclaimed fashion blog above all else—her parents come up with entirely different plans for her future: military school. How is Frankie, the least athletic person in the world, who knows absolutely nothing about the military, going to survive a whole semester at the famed—and feared—Academy?

With classmates who seem to be totally uninterested in her, a course load that’s even more difficult than her old school’s, and the weird War Games competition she has to join, Frankie finds that her life is way tougher than it used to be. And no one, including her roommate Joni, seems to understand Frankie at all.

As she learns how to cope with impossible military drills and intimidating specialized classes and is maybe even falling for super-hot and super-smart cadet Jack Wattson, can Frankie prove to everyone that being a fashionista doesn’t mean she can’t succeed?

Find out more about The Academy
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17. Men in Black » The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele

In small town Michigan, Penny Hardjoy, an aspiring journalist, teams up with the nerdy boy next door and the town’s star quarterback to find her conspiracy theorist father after he goes missing and several other people turn up dead in the woods.

The deeper she digs, the weirder things start to get. Townspeople repeat the same phrases—verbatim. Men in black suits stroll around Main Street. Chunks of Penny’s memory go missing.

Pretty soon, her research leads her to the long-ago meteorite crash in Bone Lake’s woods, and she’s going to have to reconsider her definition of “real” if she wants answers…

Find out more about The Truth Lies Here
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18. Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century » Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

Find out more about Heart of Iron
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The post 18 Young Adult Books That’ll Hit You Right in the Nostalgia appeared first on Epic Reads.

Books for Halloween Costume Inspiration! | Book Recs from Heidi Heilig

Every year, our friends ask us what we’re going to be for Halloween as if they don’t already know we’ve just been itching for the chance to flaunt the book character costumes we’ve been stocking up. Should we embrace the dark fantasies that were our favorites of fall, or represent the rebellions we’ve felt like we’ve fought alongside? Or, maybe we should embrace the more positive and empowered aspects of the YA world!

See what we mean? The choices are endless.

Luckily, we’ve got Heidi Heilig, author of For a Muse of Fire and our current author in resident, to not only recommend great books for us, but also to help us decide what to wear! This week, Heidi has recs to inspire your bookish Halloween costume—and the best part? They’re all super simple to pull together, and will look phenomenal when finished!

 

Book Character Costumes | Rec’d by Heidi Heilig

 

Find the books recommended in the video above!

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

“For a Halloween costume inspired by The Belles, you’ll want to break out your best floor length ballgown—prom dress, if you still have it—and a flower crown, as well as your very best eye makeup. And the candy I would pair with The Belles is rock candy, for that jewel-like, brittle sweetness.”

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

“For costumes, I would recommend a simple white dress, a gorgeous red lip, and a bloody beating heart. You can use a prop. It doesn’t have to be a real heart. Could be, doesn’t have to be. For the candy pairing I recommend Botan rice paper candy.”

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

“For costumes, it’s a perfect group costume. I recommend netting, wetsuit bottoms, and leather boots. Candy pairing? Saltwater taffy, of course!”

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

“Costumes for this come so naturally! It’s an urban wonderland—stripes, lacey cravats, leather boots, tall tophats… anything whimsical and fantastic. Vorpal swords if you have them. I would definitely pair this book with candy corn, for the stripes.

Dumplin ‘ by Julie Murphy

“You will need a Miss Teen Blue Bonnet pageant sash, and anything that makes you feel confident and beautiful. The candy pairing for this book is red candy suckers, of course!”

 

More Inspiration for Book Character Costumes

 

1. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

Add The Belles to your Goodreads shelf

 

2. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under. Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters. But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

Add The Wicked Deep to your Goodreads shelf

 

3. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins—sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

Add Forest of a Thousand Lanterns to your Goodreads shelf

 

4. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas’s life.

Add Anna Dressed in Blood to your Goodreads shelf

 

5. Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric’s armed and armored fleet.

But when Caledonia’s best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all… or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?

Add Seafire to your Goodreads shelf

 

6. Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: The newbie. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: The pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: The queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives; a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

Find out more about Sawkill Girls
Add Sawkill Girls to your Goodreads shelf

 

7. A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head… literally.

Add A Blade So Black to your Goodreads shelf

 

8. The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Add The Diviners to your Goodreads shelf

 

9. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked… until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

Find out more about Dumplin‘
Add Dumplin‘ to your Goodreads shelf

 

10. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Add Stalking Jack the Ripper to your Goodreads shelf

The post Books for Halloween Costume Inspiration! | Book Recs from Heidi Heilig appeared first on Epic Reads.

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