Two teenage girls—Taisin, a sage who has visions, and Kaede, a brave fighter from a powerful family—must travel to see the Fairy Queen to try and save their land. A persistent winter has settled over their kingdom for two years, halting not only trade and harvests but the natural course of life itself, and threatening the survival of Taisin and Kaede's fellow citizens. The journey to the city of Taninli, home of the Fairy Queen, is treacherous, and along the way Taisin, Kaede, and their travel companions face many dangers and tests of their abilities, not least of which are Taisin and Kaede's growing feelings for each other. Lo's storytelling and prose are masterful, and her protagonists will fascinate, particularly Taisin and her relationship to death and its accompanying rituals, her visions, and the way she can occupy another's mind. As with Ash, Lo's characters are emotionally reserved, which makes the unfolding of romance between Kaede and Taisin all the more satisfying. Fans of Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy will love this. Ages 15–up. (Apr.)
There’s currently a movement in sci-fi and fantasy encouraging readers to seek out more diverse books. But what to read? Well, there’s Kindred, by Octavia Butler, but surely everyone knows about Octavia Butler, right? Maybe everyone is tired of being told to read Kindred? Have other books featuring POC characters been published since 1979? In fact, yes! Here are […]
Young adult fiction is constantly evolving, but when it comes to including more diversity, sometimes it feels like it’s moving at a glacial pace. Authors like David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, Two Boys Kissing) and Malinda Lo (Ash, Huntress) are always reliable sources of diversity in YA characters, and here are 8 other lesbian, gay, […]
Even as queer characters have begun to proliferate in YA literature, LGBTQ+ teens of color continue to be underserved—these characters are mostly gay and overwhelmingly white. In honor of Pride Month, and to shine a light on books often missing from recommendation lists, here’s a short (and by no means complete) list of excellent LGBTQ YA novels featuring protagonists of […]