10 YA Books To Look Forward To In The Upcoming Year

Sometimes we need things to look forward to. Sometimes those things are books, especially when the previous book in a particular series ended on a very dramatic note. Here are some books that will be releasing in the upcoming year, if you (like me) need a refresher on what to look forward to being released within the upcoming year because you read books so often you sometimes can't keep up with what exactly you're waiting impatiently for.

For example, I forget about almost all of these books until I'm reminded of their existence. Then my heart leaps before I realize just how many more days I have to wait.

1. 'The Darkest Legacy,' Alexandria Bracken, July 31, 2018

Goodreads

I read the first book in this series, 'The Darkest Minds' around when it first came out a few years ago. I have yet to read the last book, and now it looks like I'll be two behind instead of one. The series is about kids who develop superpowers, and it's pretty cool (and well written).

2. Muse of Nightmares, Laini Taylor, October 2, 2018

Goodreads

This is the sequel to 'Strange the Dreamer,' and if you haven't read that yet, it's seriously time to. The world that Taylor creates in 'Strange the Dreamer' is incredible and beautiful, and the writing reflects that.

3. 'The Tyrant's Tomb,' Rick Riordan (Release date TBA, but I think it'll be October 2018)

Viria's Lester Instagram

Rick Riordan has proved to be a bit ruthless about this series. The stakes are raised, the enemy is intense and quite different from the Titans and giants of his past books within his world of Greek gods. Apollo/Lester has made an interesting protagonist, but I think the old characters such as Grover, Leo, Calypso, Piper, and Jason are a great addition. Along with that, Meg has been a great new character, and despite her young age (12!) she has a lot of depth and I find that her own conflict is very compelling.

4. 'Kingdom of Ash,' Sarah J. Maas October 23, 2018

Goodreads

If you haven't read Sarah J. Maas's "Throne of Glass" series yet, it's beyond time to. This is another series that I've been reading since the first book came out, and this is the seventh one. The nostalgia is high for this, along with some panic because the last book ended on quite an interesting and panic filled note. The series is filled with action and ruthless characters and set in a very cool world. I'm sad about the conclusion of this series, and I hope Maas does a good job finishing the series so the characters can get some well deserved peace and rest.

5. 'Queen of Air and Darkness,' Cassandra Clare, December 4, 2018

Goodreads

In my opinion, this series ("The Dark Artifacts") is Cassandra Clare's best, which is unsurprising as I find her writing gets better with every book she writes, In addition to that, though, the characters are amazing and heart-wrenching. This will be another incredible series finale.

6. 'The Wicked King,' Holly Black, January 8, 2019

Goodreads

This is the second book in the new series by Holly Black. The main character is a strong female character, a human in the ruthless faerie world. There's a lot of scheming in the first one, and it's only going to become greater with this second installment.

7. 'King of Scars,' Leigh Bardugo, January 29, 2019

Goodreads

This is the first book in Leigh Bardugo's duology about King Nikolai of Ravka. You don't have to have read her previous series, the "Grisha Verse" novels or the 'Six of Crows' duology, but I think you should for a few reasons, the main of which being that one of the narrators will be the Heartrender Nina, from the 'Six of Crows' duology.

8. 'Courting Darkness,' Robin LaFevers, February 5, 2019

Goodreads

If you enjoy fiction with historical background, this is the author for you. It's a companion of sorts to the "His Fair Assassin" trilogy, which is set in fifteenth century Brittany. It's the first of a duology, so you don't need to read the "His Fair Assassin" series beforehand, but one of the characters from that trilogy is a main character in the book and probably a narrator. As the trilogy name indicates, the books are about assassins, the daughters of the god of death. I'm very excited about this book because the trilogy was very enjoyable, and I have high expectations for this.

9. 'The Red Scrolls of Magic,' Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu, March 5, 2019

Instagram

If you've read "The Mortal Instruments" and "The Dark Artifacts" you know about Alec and Magus and how they decide to tour the world after the Mortal War to chill out. However, we find out in the second book of "The Dark Artifacts," 'Lord of Shadows' something is up with Magus (and Tessa). 'The Red Scrolls of Magic' is going to start to tell us about this threat that was introduced.

10. 'Ninth House,' Leigh Bardugo, June 4, 2019

Instagram

A book about occult happenings set at an Ivy League? Who doesn't want to read that? Leigh Bardugo just keeps giving us wonderful books with plots for everyone to enjoy, and I am here for it.