Here are the new releases of science fiction and fantasy from the middle to the end of July...my pick out of all of these is Spellbond, the second of the Books of Elsewhere--I loved Jacquline West's first book lots!
As usual, my information comes from Teens Read Too, with blurbs lifted from Amazon/Goodreads.
MIDDLE GRADE:
THE ADVENTURES OF ROOPSTER ROUX by Ryan Burton & Erik Thompson Finals are tough, but they're even tougher when your best friend and sister have been mind controlled by the most sinister villain in the city! And that's exactly the situation Roopster Roux finds himself in his latest escapade. He'll have to use all his wits, book smarts, and his trusty Roux Ripper to overcome his greatest and most dangerous adventure yet!
FAIRY SCHOOL DROPOUT: OVER THE RAINBOW by Meredith Badger In a city only for fairies, Rainbowville has brilliantly colored trees, glittering skyscrapers that look like crystal, and fairies skateboarding in midair. It is decidedly NOT the sort of place that Ellie likes. But when Ellie’s Grandmother Knottleweed-Eversprightly finds out that she is a Fairy School dropout, she picks her up from human school and enrolls her in Rainbowville’s Fairy Boarding School. Fairy School has never been easy for Ellie. She can’t get the hang of synchronized flying, and always messes up her spelling tests. And boarding school is even more strict. Ellie doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to keep up. But does she want to stop being a fairy? Or will the Fairy School dropout become a proper fairy after all?
THE FLIGHT OF DRAGONS: THE FOURTH TALE FROM THE FIVE KINGDOMS by Vivian French How long does a dragon’s egg take to hatch? Find out as this hilariously macabre series continues.In this deadly funny fourth Tale from the Five Kingdoms, it’s Gracie Gillypot’s birthday, and Prince Marcus plans to show her a flight of dragons as a special gift. But when greedy, chocolate-hungry twins awaken the banished Old Malignant One, evil magic and Total Oblivion threaten the Five Kingdoms. Gracie must find a powerful, long-forgotten dragon’s egg before the Old Malignant One does in order to save the day. With the help of a wayward troll, two chatty bats, and the ancient crones, can Gracie foil his rotten plans? And can she overcome a spoiled princess, a malicious crow, and loads of chocolate cake to do so?
THE FULL MOON: THE FAERIES' PROMISE by Kathleen Duey In simultaneous hardcover and paperback editions, the final book in a four-book chapter book series, a companion to The Unicorn's Secret. The faeries have returned to their beloved meadow near the village of Ash Grove. Winter is coming and they are working hard to prepare for the storms—and to stay hidden. Alida saved the villagers' crops from Lord Dunraven's greed, but now the people of Ash Grove know that the faeries have returned. Will they tell Lord Dunraven’s guards? The faeries live in fear of being discovered and Alida wants desperately to find a way to make her family safer. Then a frightening accident in the woods outside Ash Grove brings even more danger, and an opportunity for Alida to forge a friendship that could change the faeries' lives forever. The risk is terrible—Alida can only follow her heart.
HERA, THE GODDESS AND HER GLORY: OLYMPIANS by George O'Connor The story of Hera, Queen of the Gods, and the heroes who won her favor. Volume 3 of Olympians,
Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory, introduces readers to the Queen of the Gods and Goddesses in the Pantheon. This volume tells the tales of the many heroes who sought and won Hera’s patronage, most notably Hercules. In Olympians, O’Connor draws from primary documents to reconstruct and retell classic Greek myths. But these stories aren’t sedate, scholarly works. They’re action-packed, fast-paced, high-drama adventures with monsters, romance, and not a few huge explosions.
MAGICAL MISCHIEF by Anna Dale What if magic took over everything in its path? This is the fate of the old Hardbattle Bookshop. Magic has settled in every corner and brought chaos to Mr. Hardbattle's life, driving away all of his customers. Then one day, just when Mr. Hardbattle's had enough, a young boy named Arthur stumbles in. And soon Mr. Hardbattle, Arthur, and the lovable Miss Quint are banding together to reclaim the shop. A new home for magic must be found . . .
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DUST BUNNIES: STONE RABBIT by Erik Craddock After months and months of neglecting his chores, all of the dirt in Stone Rabbit's house has come to life—and it is turning all of the citizens of Happy Glades into evil living dust bunnies! Will our hero be able to clean up his town? Or will he be swept away by the fiendish filth?
Night of the Living Dust Bunnies is the sixth book in a full-color series of riotous, rip-roaring graphic novels that chronicles the zany of adventures of a quick-tempered and quick-witted young rabbit. Its fast pace and outrageously-high visual content will appeal to thrill-seeking young readers everywhere!
THE SECRET SPIRAL by Gillian Neimark It’s just another boring Wednesday in May for ten-year-old Flor Bernoulli of Brooklyn, New York. As soon as school is out she hurries to the popular Sky High Pie Shop down the block, owned by the wonderfully mysterious Dr. Pi. But when she gets there, her life changes forever. Dr. Pi reveals he is actually an ancient wizard, in charge of a very special cosmic fire that keeps nature in balance. Without him, every single thing that has the shape of a spiral—from seashells to galaxies to the inside of your ear—will cease to exist. Flor wonders if Dr. Pi has lost his mind, but then two tall blond strangers from another planet show up, hoping to steal Dr. Pi’s fire for themselves. The adventure of a lifetime has begun. As she travels in time and travels in space, Flor learns that only she has the magic to help Dr. Pi protect the fire, save the spiral, and keep the world spinning just as it should.
SPELLBOUND: THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE by Jacqueline West With no way into the house's magical paintings, and its three guardian cats reluctant to help, Olive's friend Morton is still trapped inside Elsewhere. So when Rutherford, the new oddball kid next door, mentions a grimoire - a spellbook - Olive feels a breathless tug of excitement. If she can find the McMartins' spellbook, maybe she can help Morton escape Elsewhere for good. Unless, that is, the
book finds
Olive first.
The house isn't the only one keeping secrets anymore. Mystery, magic, corruption, and betrayal abound (plus just enough laughs to take the edge off). You'll never guess what happens next in this thrilling, chilling second volume in the critically acclaimed series.
THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET by Shawn Thomas Odyssey Oona Crate was born to be the Wizard’s apprentice, but she has another destiny in mind.
Despite possessing the rare gift of natural magic, Oona wants to be a detective. Eager for a case to prove herself, she wants to show her uncle—the Wizard of Dark Street—that logic is as powerful as magic. But when someone attacks the Wizard, Oona must delve even deeper into the world of magic to discover who wanted her uncle dead.
Full of magic, odd characters, evil henchmen, and a street where nothing is normal,
The Wizard of Dark Street will have you guessing until the very end.
YOUNG ADULTBEAUTIFUL BEINGS by Kailin Gow An ethereal exclusive boarding school with unearthly beautiful students...Lux, a rebel girl, who has been seeing demons and angels since she was two...Asher, the bad boy on a motorcycle who sketches angels...Brax Kingsley who instantly captures Lux's eyes when she moves into the neighborhood...And the Hatchett twins whose parents were murdered, leaving them a ridiculous fortune...All brought together...all part of the puzzle behind the Beautiful Beings.
DRAGON'S OATH: A HOUSE OF NIGHT NOVELLA by P.C. & Kristin Cast The first in an enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night, Dragon’s Oath tells the story behind the House of Night’s formidable fencing instructor – the love that will transform him, and the promise that will haunt himIn early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome yet talented human teen who thinks he can get away with anything… until his father, a wealthy nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him to America. When Bryan is Marked on the docks and given the choice between the London House of Night and the dragon-prowed ship to America, he chooses the Dragon – and a brand new fate.
Becoming a Fledgling may be exciting, but it opens a door to a dangerous world.... In 1830’s St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, Dragon Lankford becomes a Sword Master, and soon realizes there are both frightening challenges and beautiful perks. Like Anastasia, the captivating young Professor of Spells and Rituals at the Tower Grove House of Night, who really should have nothing to do with a fledgling…
But when a dark power threatens, Dragon is caught in its focus. Though his uncanny fighting skills make him a powerful fledgling, is he strong enough to ward off evil, while protecting Anastasia as well? Will his choices save her—or destroy them all?
FOREVER: WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS by Maggie Stiefvater then.
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.THE HIDDEN CORONET: RELIC MASTER by Catherine Fisher The third installment in the Relic Master quartet!The coronet, a potent ancient relic, might be the only way to defeat the power that is destroying Anara. But it has been lost for centuries, and only legend tells of its whereabouts. Will Galen and Raffi be able to find it before the Watch does?
MAYHEM: A MYSTYX NOVEL by Artist Arthur A lot can change in a few months. Jake Palmer is living proof of that. In a short time, the once–shy loner has discovered his incredible supernatural abilities and forged a tight bond with his fellow Mystyx. What's more—he's fallen for his best friend, Krystal. And fallen hard.
Still, some things remain the same—like the jocks who keep bullying him. Even though they have no idea how powerful Jake has become. And while he tries to follow Krystal's advice, he may not be able to keep his cool much longer. But there are bigger problems ahead, because the darkness that's been hovering nearby is about to descend on the town of Lincoln, Connecticut. And when it does, the Mystyx will learn who to trust, who to fear and just how much is at stake…
RETURN TO DAEMON HALL: EVIL ROOTS by Andrew Nance A year has passed since that fateful night in Daemon Hall’s house of horrors. Bestselling macabre author Ian Tremblin decides to hold another writer’s contest but this time in the safety of his own home. Tremblin is excited to share with contestants a very old book he has recently acquired that once belonged to Rudolph Daemon, the millionaire builder of Daemon Hall who later went mad and killed his family. But the book, like the mansion, is powerfully evil and soon transports the group to the burned out shell of the haunted mansion. Flesh eaters, voodoo, a proficient sociopath, and the root of the house’s malevolence are all part of the mix. Who will get out alive?
RIPPLE by Mandy Hubbard Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?
THE ROBOT by Paul E. Watson Science-loving Gabe and girl-crazy Dover are best friends. In fact, they're practically each other's only friends. So when Gabe's parents leave town for the weekend, he lets Dover convince him to break into his father's basement laboratory-even though he knows it's off-limits under penalty of lifelong grounding. Once inside, the boys make a shocking discovery, one that will turn a boring weekend into a hilarious madcap adventure: a smoking hot robot!
While Gabe and Dover argue over "Trina," the robot flees the lab. The chase is on! Before the day is over, she'll expose a traitorous plot, catapult two geeky freshmen to high school fame, and try to assassinate Dr. Phil!
SIREN'S STORM by Lisa Papademetriou Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident.
Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people.
Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman?
STARSTRUCK by Cyn Balog Gwendolyn "Dough" X doesn't think she has much going for her—she carries a few extra pounds, her family struggles with their small bakery in a town full of millionaires, and the other kids at her New Jersey high school don't seem to know that she exists. Thank the stars for her longtime boyfriend, Philip P. Wishman—or "Wish." He moved away to California three years ago, when they were 13, but then professed his love for her via e-mail, and he's been her long-distance BF ever since.
At the beginning of her junior year, though, Wish e-mails that he's moving back to Jersey. Great, right? Well, except that Dough has gained about 70 pounds since the last time Wish saw her, while Wish—according to his Facebook photos—has morphed into a blonde god. Convinced that she'll be headed for Dumpsville the minute Wish lays eyes on her, Dough delays their meeting as long as she possibly can. But when she sees Wish at school, something amazing happens. He looks at Dough like she's just as gorgeous as he is. But Wish is acting a little weird, obsessed with the sun and freaked out by rain. And the creepy new guy working at the bakery, Christian, is convinced that there's more to Wish's good looks than just healthy eating and lots of sun. He tells Dough that a mark on Wish's neck marks him as a member of the Luminati—an ancient cult of astrologers who can manipulate the stars to improve their lives. Is Wish and Dough's love meant to be—or are they star-crossed?
SUPERNATURALLY: PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be... kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.
But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.
TOUCH OF FROST: A MYTHOS ACADEMY NOVEL by Jennifer Estep Gwen Frost is an outsider at Mythos Academy, a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword. Gwen is an outsider both to the students of the Academy and the rest of the world. But when her gift of psychometry - the ability to know an object's history just by touching it reveals dark undercurrents and danger afoot, she has no choice but to get involved.
UNDERCURRENT: A SIREN NOVEL by Tricia Rayburn The sirens are back, but Vanessa may be the biggest threat of all. . . . Nothing has been normal since Vanessa Sands learned that her sister was murdered by sirens—femme fatales of the watery depths—and that everything she believed about her family was a lie.
Her boyfriend Simon’s been the only person Vanessa feels she can really trust. But now there are some secrets she can’t tell even him. And when Vanessa finds herself in the sights of Parker, Hawthorne Prep’s resident charmer, she needs someone to confide in more than ever. Doubting her relationship with Simon, unsure of Parker’s intentions—and of her own—and terrified by what she’s learned about herself, Vanessa has never felt so alone.
But personal problems must be put aside, because the Winter Harbor sirens are back for revenge. Now, Vanessa must face her past and accept that she is just like her enemies—every bit as alluring, every bit as dangerous.
The eagerly anticipated second novel of the Siren trilogy,
Undercurrent is a seductive paranormal romance that will leave you breathless.
VOICE OF THE UNDEAD: ALEX VAN HELSING by Jason Henderson Now that Alex is in the know about the deadly vampires that live--and hunt--clustered around his boarding school, everything is different. Putting his talents to use, Alex is training with the Polidorium to become a vampire hunter, just like his Van Helsing ancestors. Sure, he's only fourteen, but c'mon, this runs in his blood.Meanwhile, Alex's arch-nemesis Elle, a vampire whose youthful appearance and blond hair disguise a vengeful rage, is out to get him before a powerful leader called "Ultravox" arrives on the scene. Ultravox specializes in assassinations, but who is he targeting? Dodging Elle's attacks, Alex is on a mission to uncover Ultravox's deadly plan before his friends and his school become collateral damage. There's no time to report back; innocent lives hang in the balance, and it's up to Alex to act now--or else. WILDCAT FIREFLIES: A MERIDIAN NOVEL by Amber Kizer Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra—the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead. She has the dark responsibility of helping souls transition safely into the afterlife. If people die without the help of a Fenestra, their souls are left vulnerable to be stolen by the Aternocti, a dark band of forces who disrupt the balance of good and evil in the world and cause chaos.
Having recently lost her beloved Auntie—the woman who showed her what it meant to be a Fenestra—Meridian has hit the road with Tens, her love and sworn protector, in hopes of finding another Fenestra. Their search leads them to Indiana, where Juliet, a responsible and loving teenager, works tirelessly in the nursing home where she and several other foster kids are housed. Surrounded by death, Juliet struggles to make a loving home for the younger kids, and to protect them from the violent whims of their foster mother. But she is struggling against forces she can't understand . . . and even as she feels a pull toward the dying, their sickness seems to infect her, weighing her down. . . .
Will Meri and Tens find Juliet in time to save her from a life of misery and illness? And will Meri and Tens' own romance weather the storms of new discoveries?
WILDEFIRE by Karsten Knight Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.
WOLFSBANE: A NIGHTSHADE NOVEL by Andrea Cremer This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about
Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.
The Red House (The Haunting of Derek Stone, Book 3), by Tony Abbott. “Derek didn't ask for this. It's bad enough that his brother's body is hosting a dead soul. Then there's that whole business of the evil dead waging war. And don't even get him started on all the weird voices rattling around inside his head. But like it or not, the war is on. The Legion is back in full force, and they're heading for the mysterious, long-abandoned Red House. It holds a secret that could change everything. Derek doesn't know what they're after --- but he knows he has to find it first. “
Deltora Shadowlands: The Complete Series, by Emily Rodda. "The Shadow Lord's evil tyranny over Deltora has ended. He and the creatures of his sorcery have been driven back across the mountains. But thousands of Deltorans are still enslaved in the Shadowlands. To rescue their friends and families, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine, heroes of the quest for the Belt of Deltora, must find a weapon powerful enough to combat the Shadow Lord's magic on his own ground. For the first time, all three books in this follow-up to the bestselling Deltora Quest fantasy series are brought together in one action-packed hardcover volume."
The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival, by Dene Low. I’m not sure if this is, strictly speaking, fantasy, but it sounds like fun! “You would think Petronella’s sixteenth birthday would be cause for celebration. After all, fashionable friends are arriving at her country estate near London, teas are being served, and her coming out party promises to be a resplendent affair. Everything is falling nicely into place, until, suddenly—it isn’t. For Petronella discovers that her guardian, Uncle Augustus T. Percival, has developed a most unVictorian compulsion: He must eat bugs. Worse still, because he is her guardian, Uncle Augustus is to attend her soiree and his current state will most definitely be an embarrassment.During the festivities, when Petronella would much rather be sharing pleasantries with handsome Lord James Sinclair (swoon), important guests are disappearing, kidnapping notes are appearing, many of the clues are insects, and Uncle Augustus is surreptitiously devouring evidence. It’s more than one sixteen-year-old girl should have to deal with. But, truth be told, there is far more yet to come . . .”
Mugglenet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died: Controversial Views from the #1 Fan Site, by Emerson Spartz & Ben Schoen.
Girl #3, by Nichole McGill "From the outside, 14-year-old Syd Johanssen seems like a typical teenage girl — busy delivering newspapers, training with her high school track team, and hanging out with her friends. Under the surface, though, things aren’t what they seem. Her family life leaves a lot to be desired: her workaholic mom turns up her nose at Syd’s offbeat tastes, and she hasn’t seen her dad in months. Even more troubling, Syd can’t shake her fascination with the highly publicized kidnappings and murders of two local girls. Her friends think she’s nuts to obsess over such a morbid subject, and Syd’s afraid to tell them she’s started having visions of the murdered girls. Syd’s obsession turns to terrifying reality when she realizes she’s being stalked on her paper route. Tense and fast-paced, Girl #3 is a vivid portrayal of the dangers girls have to watch out for, and how, in the darkest of hours, a friend can be found in the most unlikely of places."
Mind Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series, edited by Scott Westerfeld. My review coming soon!
Sea Change, by Aimee Friedman. "16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate. There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality. Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?”
The Secret of the Dread Forest: The Faire Folk Trilogy Book 3, by Gillian Summers. "In the third book of the popular and critically acclaimed Faire Folk Trilogy, sixteen-year-old Keelie Heartwood reluctantly joins her father in the Dread Forest, home to the elves and her fearsome elf grandmother. Keelie's budding romance with Sean is dashed, her "real" friends are gone, and her dad is preoccupied with the responsibilities of being Lord of the Forest. Except for her impossible guardian cat Knot, and Alora, a demanding and bratty little princess tree, Keelie has no one to hang with—unless you count the nasty elf-girl Elia, who suddenly wants to be Keelie's friend (or frenemy). Then Keelie discovers a mysterious boy in the woods...Both humans and dark magical forces encroach on the elves' enchanted realm, threatening to destroy the Dread Forest and all who dwell within it. Meanwhile, an age-old rift within her family and among the elven community reaches a dangerous climax."
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