Rick Riordan Presents: 'Paola Santiago And The Forest Of Nightmares' By Tehlor Kay Mejia Gets Official Cover

The Rick Riordan Presents imprint has never disappointing me one bit by introducing new cultures and mythologies that do not have enough representation, and authors that we can watch out for. One series from this imprint that delivers the same is the Paola Santiago series by Tehlor Kay Mejia, who introduced us to the titular character in Paola Santiago and the River of Tears.

Now the second book titled Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares will see to the continuance of the heroine's (mis)adventures. The official cover of the said title has been unveiled first in Rick Riordan's blog, and you can view it below.

Check out the official cover of Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia.

Synopsis

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the sequel to Tehlor Kay Mejia's critically acclaimed own-voices novel about science-obsessed Paola Santiago.

"Paola is a brilliant, furious girl who often trusts her brain but trips over her heart."--Sarah Gailey, Hugo and Locus award-winning author of River of Teeth

Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she'd expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what's worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can't escape the feeling that she's all alone in the world.

Pao has no one to tell that she's having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante's abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman.

Pao's search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?

Once again Tehlor Kay Mejia draws on her Mexican heritage to tell a wild and wondrous story that combines creatures from folklore with modern-day challenges.

Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia will be released on August 3, 2021.

Cover Reveal News Round-Up, Including Books By Bradley P. Beaulieu, Jonathan Stroud, Jenn Lyons, Julie Murphy And Graci Kim

Here are some of the recent cover reveals, including the finale of The Song of the Shattered Sands series by Bradley P. Beaulieu, a new series from Jonathan Stroud, sequels from Jenn Lyons and Julie Murphy, and a new entry from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.

A Desert Torn Asunder by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Synopsis

The final book in The Song of the Shattered Sands series closes the epic fantasy saga in a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.

The plans of the desert gods are coming to fruition. Meryam, the deposed queen of Qaimir, hopes to raise the buried elder god, Ashael, an event that would bring ruin to the desert.

Çeda and Emre sail for their ancestral home to bring the traitor, Hamid, to justice. To their horror, they discover that the desert tribes have united under Hamid's banner. Their plan? A holy crusade to annihilate Sharakhai, a thing long sought by many in the tribes. In Sharakhai, meanwhile, the blood mage, Davud, examines the strange gateway between worlds, hoping to find a way to close it. And King Ihsan hunts for Meryam, but always finds himself two steps behind.

When Meryam raises Ashael, all know the end is near. Ashael means to journey to the land that was denied to him an age ago, no matter the cost to the desert. It now falls to Çeda and her unlikely assortment of allies to find a way to unite not only the desert tribes and the people of Sharakhai, but the city's invaders as well. Even if they do, stopping Ashael will cost them dearly, perhaps more than all are willing to pay.

A Desert Torn Asunder by Bradley P. Beaulieu will be released on July 13, 2021.

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud

Synopsis

Set in a fragmented future England, The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne introduces us to a world where gunfights and monsters collide, and where the formidable outlaw Scarlett McCain fights daily against the odds. When she discovers a wrecked coach on a lonely road, there is only one survivor – the seemingly hapless youth, Albert Browne. Against her instincts, Scarlett agrees to escort him to safety. This is a mistake. Soon, new and implacable enemies are on her heels. As a relentless pursuit continues across the broken landscape of England, Scarlett must fight to uncover the secrets of Albert’s past – and come to terms with the implications of her own.

In his first new project since Lockwood & Co., Jonathan once again fuses action, humour and mystery to create a uniquely exciting adventure with two fascinating heroes at its heart.

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud will be released on April 1, 2021.

The House of Always by Jenn Lyons

Synopsis

For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, The House of Always is the fourth epic fatnasy in Jenn Lyons' Chorus of Dragons series that began with The Ruin of Kings.

What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?

In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin's enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he's willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy.

The House of Always by Jenn Lyons will be released on May 11, 2021.

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

Synopsis

Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon, so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth.

So when Clementine deviates from their master plan right after Waylon gets dumped, he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show, Fiercest of Them All. What he doesn’t count on is the tape accidentally getting shared with the entire school. . . . As a result, Waylon is nominated for prom queen as a joke. Clem’s girlfriend, Hannah Perez, also receives a joke nomination for prom king.

Waylon and Hannah decide there’s only one thing to do: run—and leave high school with a bang. A very glittery bang. Along the way, Waylon discovers that there is a lot more to running for prom court than campaign posters and plastic crowns, especially when he has to spend so much time with the very cute and infuriating prom king nominee Tucker Watson.

Waylon will need to learn that the best plan for tomorrow is living for today... especially with the help of some fellow queens....

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy will be released on May 25, 2021.

The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim

Synopsis

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim's thrilling debut about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family.

"Graci Kim does such an amazing job of blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information."--New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan

Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.

Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to share Hattie's magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family's old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie's initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It's a perfect plan!

Until it isn't. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie's life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it?

As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong.

The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim will be released on May 4, 2021.

Ferius Parfax Book 1: 'Way Of The Argosi' By Sebastien De Castell Brings Us Back To The World Of 'Spellsinger'

Ferius Parfax will get a new series all of her own, bringing us back once again to the world of Spellsinger. After the closing chapter of Crownbreaker by Sebastien de Castell I thought that was last story we would ever have in this world. And I am glad I was wrong! So that means we will be getting two books from this author next year together with another new series-opener, Court of Shadows Book 1: Play of Shadows!

The Ferius Parfax series is said to be a prequel series that will serve as origin story of the wandering gambler titular character and, as the title of first book suggests, the Way of the Argosi. The official cover has been unvieled by the author himself and you can't help but wonder, can't this be published any sooner?

Check out the official cover of Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell.

Synopsis

'The Alchemist' meets 'The Three Musketeers'--with card tricks. A brilliant origin story of adventure, wit and philosophy to enrapture devotees as well as newcomers to the 'Spellsinger' series.

Ferius Parfax has a simple plan: kill every last inhabitant of the spell-gifted nation that destroyed her people, starting with the man who murdered her parents. Killing mages is a difficult and dangerous business, of course, but when she meets the inimitable and extraordinary Durrall Brown she discovers that physical strength is not the only way to defeat evil of all kinds.

So Ferius undertakes to study the ways of the Argosi: the loosely-knit tribe of tricksters known for getting the better of even the most powerful of spellcasters. But the Argosi have a price for their teachings, and by the time Ferius learns what it is, it may be too late.

Perfect for fans of The Dark Tower, Firefly, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell will be released on April 15, 2021.

Cover Reveal: Victoria Aveyard Comes Back Stronger With 'Realm Breaker', A New Series Set In Allward

After a quite long while, author Victoria Aveyard returns! If the Red Queen series has left you wanting for more (that even her short story collection titled Broken Throne cannot satiate), then worry no more. Get ready to be mesmerize by an entirely new series set in the world of Allward.

Realm Breaker kicks off the story of a new protagonist, expanding our world-view and perspective. Its official cover has been released and it is bloody as ever--no surprise about that. This time around the cover takes on a golden hue, featuring the bloody hand of the protagonist while clasping the sharp end of a sword. Oh did I mention the lovely archaic floral and acanthus design in the background?

Check out the official cover of Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard.

Synopsis

Irresistibly action-packed and full of lethal surprises, this stunning new fantasy series from Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Queen series, begins where hope is lost and asks: When the heroes have fallen, who will take up the sword?

A strange darkness grows in Allward.

Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

She soon discovers the truth: She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won’t be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions:

A squire, forced to choose between home and honor.
An immortal, avenging a broken promise.
An assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty.
An ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight.
A forger with a secret past.
A bounty hunter with a score to settle.

Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard will be released on May 4, 2021.