May 2022 YA Fantasy Releases
Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Set several years after the events of Disney’s Brave, Merida is looking for adventure. When Feradach arrives in DunBroch with the intent to destroy the land, and everyone in it, only Cailleach’s intervention stops him.
Merida must convince her family to change their ways within a year, or Feradach will be back. Merdia will travel to kingdoms near and far to stir revolution.
But as she travels to convince others of change, Merida forgets about the change she’ll need to bring about herself.
The Valkyrie’s Daughter by Tiana Warner
Release Date: May 3, 2022
This OwnVoices, LGTBQ fantasy follows Sigrid, a girl who has always dreamed of becoming a valkyrie.
After receiving a vision of her leading a charge on the eight-legged horse Seliphnir, Sigrid requests the help of an enemy valkyrie, who agrees to lead her to Helheim.
But what if the future Sigrid seeks does not align with what the Fates have planned? And what if her future is capable of ending the nine worlds?
An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco (A Hundred Names for Magic #2)
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Though the Snow Queen is still out there somewhere, Tala, Alex and their friends are safe for now. But everyone has their own idea of how to defeat the deadly Snow Queen.
Ryker works to free refugees. And the legendary weapon that turns its wielder into the most powerful warrior turns up with Tala’s name on it.
But despite all their individual preparation, when the Snow Queen arrives with an unlikely ally, the group will have to band together once again if they hope to make it out alive.
Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older
Release Date: May 3, 2022
When Mateo’s island homeland sunk into the sea, the survivors escapes to New York. Now sixteen years later, Mateo is a musical prodigy, desperate to get the attention of musical legend Gerval.
Mateo has never sought to find a way back home like the rest of the survivors, but when the evil that destroyed their island returns, Mateo’s whole life changes.
Thrust into an ancient battle, Mateo must awaken a power deep within himself and unravel secrets long buried, to unlock the mystery behind the sinking of his homeland.
Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Eleanor has never believed in witchcraft, despite working in a witchy souvenir store in Salem. When a handwritten guide to tarot arrives at her shop, with a message promising that magic is about to enter her life, Eleanor is quick to dismiss it.
But when a real-life witch, Pix, shows up with an invitation for adventure, it’s hard to say no. Eleanor is willing to open herself up for Pix, but first, she must acknowledge the ghosts of her past before she can start a new future.
Spark of Ash by Molly E. Lee (Ember of Night #3)
Release Date: May 3, 2022
The Seven—the Divine beings meant to protect the world—just declared war. On me. They took Ray, my baby sister, and now they’re using my boyfriend to do their dirty work.
Well, screw that.
I may not be able to wipe them off the face of the earth now, but I know what can.
Thanks to an Ather connection, I know about the Seven Scrolls. An ancient incantation made by the Creator to counteract the Seven’s great power, scattered into pieces across the world.
With the help of my new crew, we’re on the hunt. And with each located scroll, I face new battles, bloodier and harder than I’ve ever known before. But now the stakes are even higher, because Ray has always been my bright light in the darkness, and Draven is my hope when all seems lost, and if I don’t get them back?
Well, then I might just become the scariest legend the world has ever known.
Book of Night by Holly Black
Release Date: May 3rd, 2022
In Charlie’s world, shadows are power but manipulating them comes at a cost. While they can alter someone’s feelings, change cosmetic preferences, and have a life of their own, utilizing their power can take hours, or days, off your life.
As a low-level con artist, Charlie has done her best to stay out of the shadow trading business. But when someone from her past enters her present, Charlie’s life is thrown into chaos. As she faces all kinds of beings desperate to control the magic of the shadows, her future hangs in the balance.
Flame & Crystal Thorns by Kay L. Moody
Release Date: May 10, 2022
She vowed she’d never return to Faerie…
But vows were made to be broken.
As a human girl, Chloe is perfectly happy being back in the mortal realm where she belongs. She’s even become the town apothecary. When a fae from her past shows up begging her to return to Faerie, she utterly refuses.
But then she finds out an angry group of mortals are using iron to hold an entire castle full of fae hostage. And of course, the hostages include Chloe’s older sister and her sister’s beloved.
Reluctantly, Chloe packs a bag for what is supposed to be a short trip to Faerie.
But the mortals are more powerful than she expected. To fuel them, they have weapons, flames, and revenge. They won’t stop until they control every court in Faerie.
With the help of a new and mysterious magic and a too-handsome-for-his-own-good fae companion, Chloe has to save Faerie before her sister and the other fae are killed.
Wind Daughter by Joanna Ruth Meyer (Echo North #2)
Release Date: May 17, 2022
A storyteller from the north has told his daughter many stories, but the most important story he’s told was his own.
Once the North Wind, Satu’s father traded his power for mortality. But this sacrifice has thrown the world into a state of imbalance.
Satu must embark on a dangerous adventure to reclaim her father’s magic and save the north. But out in the mountains, she soon discovers that she isn’t the only one looking for it.
She must race against the Winter Lord to find her father’s magic, before her rival claims its destructive powers for himself.
Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Wren Greenrock was trained at birth to steal the crown from her sister. Looking to avenge her parents’ murder, Wren is determined to rise to power and protect the witches.
Princess Rose Valhart knows that life outside the palace walls is dangerous. She has grand plans to take rise to power.
But when the two sisters meet, and their two worlds collide, everything chances. Which sister will wear the crown?
Glow by Raven Kennedy (The Plated Prisoner #4)
Rot may bring death… but gold will come alive.
This is book four in The Plated Prisoner series, the adult fantasy romance inspired by the myth of King Midas.
The Inadequate Heir by Danielle L. Jensen (The Bridge Kingdom #3)
Release Date: May 24, 2022
The Inadequate Heir released to Audible only in late 2021, but will release to ebook and physical copies and on May 24th of 2022. Here’s a brief glimpse into the third book in this beloved series by Danielle L. Jensen, author of Dark Shores.
A soldier raised as heir to an empire, Zarrah is motivated by two truths. The first is that the Veliant family murdered her mother. And the second is that her pursuit of vengeance will put every last one of them in their graves.
The Endless War between Maridrina and Valcotta has raged for generations, leaving thousands of Zarrah’s people dead and countless more orphaned. So when she’s given command of the contested city of Nerastis, Zarrah is prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Maridrinian forces who oppose her. And to kill the Veliant prince who leads them.
The Fae Keeper by H.E. Edgmon (The Witch King #2)
Release Date: May 31, 2022
With the door to Faery closed, Emyr and Wyatt focus on hunting Derek and Clarke. After the abolition of the corrupt Guard, the two discover the truth about witches in fae society.
While Wyatt learns to control his magic and balance the needs of the kingdom, he must decide what future to build for himself and Asalin… before he loses everything he and Emyr have built.
A Game of Retribution by Scarlett St. Claire (Hades Saga #2)
Release Date: May 31, 2022
Hades, God of the Dead, does not take sides or bend the rules. He makes no exceptions to these values—not for god or mortal, even his lover, Persephone, Goddess of Spring.
Usually, fear prevents retaliation.
But not this time.
When Hera, Goddess of Women, approaches Hades with a plan to overthrow Zeus, he declines to offer help. As punishment, Hera sentences Hades to perform a series of labors. Between killing mythical monsters and recovering deadly stolen artifacts, each feat seems more impossible than the last and draws his attention away from Persephone—whose own tragedy has left her questioning whether she can be Queen of the Underworld.
Can Hades maintain the balance he craves?
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez
Release Date: May 31, 2022
When Zarela Zalvidar’s father, the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia, is brutally injured, Zarela must do everything she can to protect their arena from the Dragon Guild. With no choice but to take her father’s place, she approaches the infuriating dragon hunter, Arturo Diaz de Montserrat, for help.
Refusing to take no for an answer, Zarela is ready to do whatever it takes to protect her family name and stop the Dragon Guild from stealing her birthright.
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna (Deathless #2)
Release Date: May 31, 2022
The Merciless Ones is a sequel to The Gilded Ones, released in 2021.
Despite freeing the goddess, Deka is considered a monster. With war waging across the kingdom, she must focus on freeing the rest of the goddesses.
But with every goddess she saves, a mysterious symbol appears in places of worship and on armour. A symbol that not only repels her powers, preventing her from communicating with the new deathshrieks.
Something evil and malicious is looming, and it is up to Deka and her army to stop it before the kingdom, and humanity itself, is destroyed.