Crown of Thunder

Crown of Thunder
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2019-09-03
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0448493942

In the sequel to the acclaimed Beasts Made of Night, Taj has escaped Kos, but Queen Karima will go to any means necessary--including using the most deadly magic--to track him down. Taj is headed west, but the consequences of leaving Kos behind confront him at every turn. Innocent civilians flee to refugee camps as Karima's dark magic continues to descend on the city. Taj must return, but first he needs a plan. With Arzu's help, Taj and Aliya make it to the village of her ancestors, home of the tastahlik--sin-eaters with Taj's same ability to both battle and call forth sins. As Taj comes to terms with his new magic, he realizes there are two very different groups of tastahlik--one using their powers for good, the other for more selfish ends. Aliya is struggling with her own unique capabilities. She's immersed in her work to uncover the secret to Karima's magic, but her health begins to mysteriously deteriorate. With the help of a local western mage, Aliya uncovers her true destiny--a future she's not sure she wants. As Taj and Aliya explore their feelings for each other and Arzu connects with her homeland, the local westerners begin to question Taj's true identity. Karima is on his heels, sending dark warnings to the little village where he's hiding. Taj will have to go back and face her before she sends her most deadly weapon--Taj's former best friend, Bo.

Beasts Made of Night

Beasts Made of Night
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2017-10-31
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0448493926

"...The beginning of a great saga..." —NPR.org "This compelling Nigerian-influenced fantasy has a wonderfully unique premise and lush, brilliant worldbuilding that will consume you until the last page."—Buzzfeed "...Unforgettable in its darkness, inequality, and magic." —VOYA, Starred Review "...A paean to an emerging black legend."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Black Panther meets Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch in Beasts Made of Night, the first book in an epic fantasy duology. In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts—lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt. Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family. When Taj is called to eat a sin of a member of the royal family, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves—and his own life. Debut author Tochi Onyebuchi delivers an unforgettable series opener that powerfully explores the true meaning of justice and guilt. Packed with dark magic and thrilling action, Beasts Made of Night is a gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy perfect for fans of Paolo Bacigalupi and Nnedi Okorafor. iBooks Most Anticipated YA Books of the Fall io9’s All the Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Keep On Your Radar This Fall BuzzFeed’s 22 YA Novels You’ll Want To Read From Cover To Cover This Fall A 2017 BookExpo Buzz Book A Junior Library Guild Selection

Crown of Slaves

Crown of Slaves
Author: David Weber
Publisher: Baen Books
Total Pages: 393
Release: 2003
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0743471482

"And, just to put the icing on the cake, the radical freed slave organization, the Audubon Ballroom, is also on the scene - led by its notorious and ruthless assassin, Jeremy X."--BOOK JACKET.

The Pretender's Crown

The Pretender's Crown
Author: C. E. Murphy
Publisher: Del Rey
Total Pages: 481
Release: 2009-04-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0345514971

Fiercely intelligent, beautiful, and ready to claim her birthright, she navigates a dangerous world torn between war and witchpower. Seduction and stealth are Belinda Primrose’s skills–weapons befitting the queen’s bastard daughter, a pawn of espionage conceived by Lorraine, ruler of Aulun, and her lover and spymaster, Belinda’s father. Now an accomplished assassin, Belinda uncovers the true game her father never intended her to play. For Belinda has found her witchpower, a legacy born from something not of this earth. In a treacherous world where religion and rebellion rule, Lorraine is now in a position to sweep over the countries of Echon and to back her chosen successor to the throne: Belinda. But Belinda is no longer anyone’s pawn. Lured by the sensual dark magic of Dmitri, envoy to a neighboring throne, yet still drawn to the witchlord embrace of her former lover, Javier, Belinda knows that she has entered a realm where power and control go to those who can master and manipulate their fiercest desires. For the witchpower depends on the skill its wielder holds. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Stealing Thunder

Stealing Thunder
Author: Alina Boyden
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2020-05-12
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1984805460

Protecting her identity means life or death in this immersive epic fantasy inspired by the Mughal Empire. In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself. Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen. An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia’s life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she’s ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost…and save her prince.

Rebel Sisters

Rebel Sisters
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 466
Release: 2020-11-17
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1984835068

In the epic, action-packed sequel to the "brilliant" (Booklist, starred review) novel War Girls, the battles are over, but the fight for justice has just begun. It's been five years since the Biafran War ended. Ify is now nineteen and living where she's always dreamed--the Space Colonies. She is a respected, high-ranking medical officer and has dedicated her life to helping refugees like herself rebuild in the Colonies. Back in the still devastated Nigeria, Uzo, a young synth, is helping an aid worker, Xifeng, recover images and details of the war held in the technology of destroyed androids. Uzo, Xifeng, and the rest of their team are working to preserve memories of the many lives lost, despite the government's best efforts to eradicate any signs that the war ever happened. Though they are working toward common goals of helping those who suffered, Ify and Uzo are worlds apart. But when a mysterious virus breaks out among the children in the Space Colonies, their paths collide. Ify makes it her mission to figure out what's causing the deadly disease. And doing so means going back to the homeland she thought she'd left behind forever.

Thunder-Boomer!

Thunder-Boomer!
Author: Shutta Crum
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2009
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780618618651

A farm family scurries for shelter from a violent thunderstorm that brings welcome relief from the heat and also an unexpected surprise.

Crown of Oblivion

Crown of Oblivion
Author: Julie Eshbaugh
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2019-11-12
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0062399330

In this mesmerizing YA fantasy mash-up of The Road meets The Amazing Race, one girl chooses to risk her life in a cutthroat competition in order to win her freedom. In Lanoria, Outsiders, who don’t have magic, are inferior to Enchanteds, who do. That’s just a fact for Astrid, an Outsider who is indentured to pay off her family’s debts. She serves as the surrogate for the princess—if Renya steps out of line, Astrid is the one who bears the punishment for it. But there is a way out: the life-or-death Race of Oblivion. First, racers are dosed with the drug Oblivion, which wipes their memories. Then, when they awake in the middle of nowhere, only cryptic clues—and a sheer will to live—will lead them through treacherous terrain full of opponents who wouldn’t think twice about killing each other to get ahead. But what throws Astrid the most is what she never expected to encounter in this race. A familiar face she can’t place. Secret powers she shouldn’t have. And a confusing memory of the past that, if real, could mean the undoing of the entire social structure that has kept her a slave her entire life. Competing could mean death…but it could also mean freedom.

Guns of Thunder

Guns of Thunder
Author: Douglas Bond
Publisher: Faith and Freedom
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2007
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9781596380134

The Faith Freedom Trilogy, sequel to the Crown Covenant Series, chronicles new generations of the M'Kethe family who find freedom in 18th-century America. Adventure is afoot as Old World tyrannies clash with New World freedoms. Douglas Bond weaves together fictional characters with historical figures from Scottish and American history.