2020 has only just begun and here on The Booked Shelf, we’re starting off the new year by highlighting some Young Adult book covers!
Check out these covers for upcoming YA titles that were revealed in January!
1. The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige
Revealed exclusively via Entertainment Weekly on January 10, was the cover to The Ravens which is a “dark new contemporary fantasy about a prestigious sorority of witches, and two girls caught up in its world of sinister magic and betrayals.”
Alongside the cover reveal was also an excerpt of the prologue and chapter one. According to the EW article, Paige shared that “I’ve always been fascinated by witches…It’s their power, the potential for darkness, the idea that they are even more powerful together. But most importantly, it’s the sisterhood. That’s why it is so much fun to write a modern take on witches with a friend…”
Here’s the full summary:
Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches.
For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate — that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.
The Ravens is set to be released January 5, 2021!
2. Kingdom Of The Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
Through a Paste Magazine exclusive, both a cover reveal and excerpt were revealed for Maniscalco’s upcoming historical fantasy set in 19th century Italy titled, Kingdom Of The Wicked on January 13!
According to the article, Paste Magazine mentioned that although she has a talent for “weaving haunting mysteries and smoldering romances” this marks Maniscalco’s “first foray into the fantasy genre…”
Here’s the full summary:
Emilia and her twin sister Victoria are strega – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Victoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to discover who did this, and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.
Then Emilia meets Wrath, the outlier among the seven demon brethren, always choosing duty over pleasure. He’s been tasked by his master with investigating a series of women’s murders on the island. When Emilia and Wrath’s fates collide, it’s clear this disturbing mystery will take a bewitching turn…
Kingdom Of The Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco is set to be released September 15, 2019!
3. The Summer Of Everything by Julian Winters
Paste Magazine revealed a cover and exclusive excerpt for the third upcoming contemporary novel from Julian Winters which “boasts many YA tropes to adore. A protagonist who’s smitten with a best friend? Check. Who’s obsessed with “old” music? Done. And who’s a nerd working at a bookstore?…” titled The Summer Of Everything!
Here’s the full summary:
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?
The Summer Of Everything by Julian Winters is set to be released August 4, 2020!
4. All The Stars And Teeth by Adalyn Grace
The Book Smugglers shared the official UK cover for Adalyn Grace’s Fantasy debut, All The Stars And Teeth on January 20, 2020!
Alongside the cover reveal was also an excerpt! Grace’s novel is “set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, [its] a thrilling fantasy!”
Here’s the full summary:
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
All The Stars And Teeth by Adalyn Grace is set to be released February 4, 2020 in the US & July 7, 2020 in the UK!
5. The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
On January 21, Paste Magazine revealed both the cover and an exclusive excerpt to Chokshi’s highly anticipated sequel to The Gilded Wolves titled, The Silvered Serpents!
Set around the turn of the 19th century, this series follows “Séverin Montagnet-Alarie and his team of treasure hunters from 19th-century Paris…”
Additionally, the article also revealed the new paperback cover for The Gilded Wolves which will be also be released in September.
Here’s the full summary:
They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.
Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost ― one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God.
Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.
As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.
A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi is set to be released September 22, 2020!
6. A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
Hypable revealed the cover and excerpt to Brown’s fantasy debut, A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin on January 22, 2020!
This Young Adult fantasy, also the first in a duology is “inspired by West African folklore and follows a princess and a refugee as they try to save their families…”
According to the article, Song is “pitched as ‘What if Aladdin and Jasmine had to kill each other?’, Brown also said the book contained themes of inter-generational trauma, mental health in the Black community, the unfair slutshaming of Black girls, and how far each of us is willing to go for the people we love…”
Here’s the full summary:
For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.
When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a heart-pounding course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?
A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin is set to be released June 2, 2020!
Now a new addition to The Booked Shelf cover reveal posts, there will be a list below ↷ where newer & more recent covers revealed throughout the month will be listed following this post:
Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass (Via Teen Vogue; Jan. 22, 2020/ Queer YA Contemporary + Thriller)
The Booked Shelf 