Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine that highlights our much anticipated books.
Expected Publication Date: April 2nd 2019 by Albert Whitman Company
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Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own
Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.
Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant and alluring investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?
In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.
Expected Publication Date: July 30th 2019 by Knopf
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Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.
The illustrations in both covers are just stunning! As a newbie artist, I have a new eye in appreciating art like these two and I must say that they are --- WOWZAAAAAH! The palette, the intricate details and symbolism are just so well done I can imagine petting the cover in person with so much love for both of them.
I miss championing not only debut authors but Asian authors as well! I am just so damn proud that more and more Asian /and diverse/ books are being published and it is absolutely time to shine! I cannot ever word it correctly - the importance of representation - that seeing these books I know would matter to me /and a lot of people/ hit shelves soon just give me so much pride and joy!
And of course, the synopsis of both books! I can only ever hope that both books would deliver because THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN THESE AND MY HEART WON'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE DISAPPOINTMENTS HUHUHU - but really, I am just excited to read them and drown in all the goodness of it all!
2019 is surely gonna rock YA!
What title/s did you pick this week?
