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March's Most Anticipated New YA Novels

Posted by Cybil on February 24, 2022

As dedicated readers already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of young adult fiction. Every month our team looks at the books being published and how they're resonating with early readers, as measured by Want to Read shelvings and initial reviews. We use this information to put together a roundup of soon-to-be favorites.

New in March: Two second-generation Pakistani kids try to keep their parents’ dream alive in Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage. An alchemist and a sharpshooter team up in Allison Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic. And a young woman explores a peculiar kind of magic in Jessica S. Olson’s A Forgery of Roses. Also this month: queer romance, faerie trouble, and Yoruba Nigerian mythology.

Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!

Gallant
by V.E. Schwab

This new standalone fantasy from venerated author V.E. Schwab offers an interesting spin on the old fantasy concept of the shadow realm: What happens, exactly, at that place where the shadow touches its source? Young Olivia Prior finds out the hard way when she crosses a ruined garden wall into a dark version of the family manor and encounters ghouls and a sinister entity known as the Master of the House.

Read our interview with V.E. Schwab.

All My Rage
by Sabaa Tahir

Pakistani immigrants Misbah and Toufiq were paired in an arranged marriage before immigrating to the U.S. When they opened the Cloud’s Rest Inn, it was a dream come true. But illness and age have taken their toll, and now it’s up to second-generation strivers Salahudin and Noor to save the hotel, keep the dream alive, and maybe get to college, too. Bonus autofiction trivia: Author Sabaa Tahir also grew up in her family’s motel.

All That’s Left in the World (All That's Left in the World, #1)

All That's Left in the World
by Erik J. Brown

Here’s a dilemma: What if you’re in the mood for a postapocalyptic sci-fi story and a queer YA romance—but you only have time for one book? We have good news to report. Debut novelist Erik J. Brown covers all the bases with All That's Left in the World, in which a vicious pathogen has wiped out virtually all the world’s population. Two young men must navigate an empty land where all they have left is each other.

A Far Wilder Magic
by Allison Saft

Young love is hard to pull off in the best of circumstances. For Margaret Welty and Weston Winters, the circumstances…aren’t great. He’s an alchemist. She’s a sharpshooter. Stuck together in a crumbling and haunted mansion, they must work together to win the deadly contest known as the Halfmoon Hunt. Allison Saft (Down Comes the Night) conjures a fascinating new fantasy milieu filled with ghosts, mythical creatures, and a bloodhound named Trouble.

A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea, #1)

A Magic Steeped in Poison
by Judy I. Lin

Taiwanese Canadian debut author Judy I. Lin brews up a new kind of fantasy realm with A Magic Steeped in Poison, part one of The Book of Tea duology. Recommended for fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo, the story follows a haunted young woman named Ning, who unknowingly brewed a poison tea that killed her mother and now threatens to take her sister’s life, too. Her only chance to make things right requires mastering the ancient and magical art of tea making.

So This Is Ever After
by F.T. Lukens

A subversive and irreverent queer take on Arthurian legend, So This Is Ever After chronicles the adventures of brave young Arek, reluctant ruler of the Kingdom of Ere. Having vanquished the evil king, Arek assumed that the hard part was over. But there’s a catch to being king. Arek must choose a spouse before his 18th birthday. At a loss, Arek tries wooing his various quest companions. It doesn’t go well. Time is ticking. Maybe Arek’s best friend, Matt, could help out?

Right Where I Left You
by Julian Winters

Isaac Martin is heading off to college, but before that happens, he has the perfect summer all mapped out. He’s planning to score two tickets to the epic comic convention Legends Con and attend his first Teen Pride rally. Then things get complicated. Plans with his best friend, Diego, go awry when Isaac’s old crush Davi shows up. The Legend Con plan falls apart, and now Isaac is stuck hanging out with Diego’s gamer dude pals. Can the summer be salvaged? Find out in the latest from Julian Winters (Running with Lions).

A Forgery of Roses
by Jessica S. Olson

Author Jessica S. Olson (Sing Me Forgotten) returns with a gothic-flavored fantasy thriller meets murder mystery. Myra Whitlock practices the obscure tradition of portrait magic, in which her paintings can alter and change people’s real-life bodies. When the secret of her gift is revealed, she’s forced to deal with the sinister family secrets of a powerful family and their spooky stone mansion.

Edgewood
by Kristen Ciccarelli

Singer Emeline Lark has always suspected that there is magic in her music. Visions of the dark woods of her childhood arise unbidden whenever she sings. When Emeline’s grandfather disappears, she finds the courage to return to the forest, where she encounters the handsome and brooding Hawthorne Fell. That would be a nice ending to the story, but alas the two are now in the realm of the Wood King and his faerie court. Complications arise.

Blood Scion
by Deborah Falaye

Inspired by Yoruba Nigerian mythology, Deborah Falaye forges a new path into YA fantasy territory with this emotionally charged debut. Fifteen-year-old Sloane has been forcibly conscripted into the malicious Lucis army. Her plan is to destroy the group from within, but to do so she risks losing control of the dark magic within her. Blood Scion is being called a cross between A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and Daughter of Smoke and Bone—ideally, if you dig those, you’ll dig this.