4 Best YA Books in September
Fall Publishing
September marks back to school and the start of the fall publishing season. Shiny new things! If you are a pre-order addict or typically put a boatload of new releases on hold, you know what I’m talking about. This fall is no exception, with tons of YA novels being published from here until the end of the year. Here are 5 exciting finds that I cannot wait to get a hold of.
A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes Book 2) – Sabaa Tabir
Last year’s debut dystopian fantasy, An Ember in the Ashes, shot author Sabaa Tabir to the top of many best YA of the year lists. In her riveting tale, Elias the soldier and son of the most feared and severe woman in the Martial Empire is trained in the city’s elite military academy, though his allegiances trend towards the defiant, a fatal game to play in a city as obsessed with order at all costs—including death. Meanwhile, Laia acts as a slave to Elias’ mother to try to infiltrate the system and destroy the government that stole her brother and many other innocents. As Laia crosses paths with Elias, both define defiance together…and dare to lead the resistance to power. The sequel, A Torch Against the Night picks up where An Ember in the Ashes left off … with relentless suspense, pulse-pounding action, and a touch of romance. In a starred review, Publisher’s Weekly wrote the novel had “Even higher stakes than its predecessor… thrilling,” echoed in Booklist‘s starred review: “[An] action-packed, breathlessly paced story.” In other words, block out a day to devour this dystopian novel inspired by Ancient Rome. –August 30
The Graces – Laure Eve 
Lovers of the supernatural—and novels about close knit friends will love Laure Eve’s The Graces. River, the loner new girl at high school, gets swept up in the magical (literally) spell of the Grace sisters: Summer, Fenrin, and Thalia. A coven of sisters, these witches unwittingly unleash a thread of old fashioned supernatural evil when River comes to town. Suddenly, nothing is as it seems… The Graces might not be as all-powerful as they seem, and River might not have landed in their small town. This novel packs the twists of We Were Liars with the dynamics of The Coven. Read it with a buddy because when you’ve turned the last page, you are going to need someone else to talk about what just happened! -September 6
Vassa in the Night – Sarah Porter
Are you a fan of fairy tale retellings? Who isn’t! Sarah Porter adapts the Russian fairy tale of Vassilissa the Beautiful in a slick interpretation of New York City. Vassa lives in a rough, working-class area of the Kingdom of Brooklyn. Many of her peers are wealthy scenesters flaunting their wealth at house parties. Vassa is just trying to get by and get on with her life. A magical quest to find light bulbs in the pitch black night sets her off on a journey accompanied by her lucky wooden talking doll, Erg. With shop owner Babs Yagg (yes, a version of the famous Baba Yaga) up to her old tricks and a Brooklyn full of danger and delight, Vassa in the Night is a clever and captivating story. -September 20
Crooked Kingdom: A Sequel to Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo 
Another powerful sequel released this month is Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo’s follow-up to the wildly popular, wildly imaginative Six of Crows. In 2015’s Six of Crows, a group of ragtag misfits led by an irresistible—and magical—thief or “criminal prodigy” attempt to pull off a heist that could change everything for the shifty trading city of Kitterdam—and everything for the team of six, each with their own needs and desires. Bardugo’s novels have a somewhat dreamy but razor-sharp style, almost cinematic. You’ll want to grab Six of Crows now and get ready for Crooked Kingdom, which answers the question of “What next?!” -September 27
What books are you most looking forward to this fall publishing season?