#learning to fall

The Rhythm of the Stars

YA. Science Fiction. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks #actuallyautistic

In the year 2156, the UN is ready to launch Andromeda, the biggest space station in history, one that promises to create a permanent colony in orbit around earth, and to act as a launchpad for future space exploration. In celebration of this, they are holding the Andromeda Technology & Science Showcase, a competition that will allow the greatest young minds on Earth a chance to see the station and, perhaps, to live aboard it.

Seventeen-year-old Peyton, an engineering prodigy in Neo Toronto, is determined to secure their family’s position on that station, no matter what it takes. Down on Earth, Peyton is trapped in rigid rules and traditional methods. But, in a zero-gravity environment, they might just be able to finally live up to their potential. With Peyton’s parents in dead-end jobs and Peyton’s siblings unable to find anything better, Peyton is the last hope for the Helion family.

But the competition is fiercer than Peyton ever expected. From sabotages to mockery to outright harassment, the competitors in the ATSS are worse than any schoolyard bully. Peyton’s project could rewrite their family’s future, but with so many people working against them, Peyton may need to enlist help just to keep from going under.

Learning to Fall

YA. Contemporary. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

At fifteen years old, Tabitha Scott was on her way to becoming the next gold medalist on the Canadian Olympic Gymnastics Team. But on the way home from practice one day, tragedy struck when a semi swung in front of the Scott family’s car. In that moment, Tabitha lost everything: her family was killed, her knee was shattered, and her hopes, dreams, and future were washed away by the Thursday night rain.

Four years later, Tabitha Scott, now Tobi Barone, has left their old identity, and gender, behind, and is on their last hope for a future. With help from their parole officer, Tobi has found a college willing to look beyond their lengthy and impressive record. And, as a bonus, it has great areas for Tobi’s late night, and secret, free running adventures.

Bitter and snarling, Tobi pushes everyone away, but when the college’s cheerleading-dance team discovers Tobi’s free running and dancing ability, they won’t let up until Tobi agrees to come to practice. As much as Tobi hates being reminded of their old life, everyone else thinks this is a great idea: and their parole officer even guarantees Tobi a clean record if they can stay on the team for the year without causing trouble.

But Tobi’s not who they used to be, and being so close to who they were before puts them on edge. What if the team finds out about their past, and what if, in finding out, they decide they want the old instead of the new? And, when push comes to shove, can Tobi go back to the flips and spins of old, or will their past bring this new life crashing down?

Renegades

YA. Science Fiction. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

Eli, better known to the world as Jinx, is a thief, a hacker, and a hoverboarder like no other. In the city of Sol, where hard-ass government officials run rampant and people scramble for the crumbs the rich leave behind, becoming a thief is the only way to earn a living. For Jinx, that means pushing the limits of what is possible and using their tech genius to make a few bucks.

Unfortunately, Eli’s life gets complicated when Julian, known in the underground as Jaguar, comes back from his “vacation” and starts pushing in on Eli’s ventures. As charming as he is frustrating, Julian knows just how to push Eli’s buttons, and Eli wants nothing to do with him.

It’s safer alone, Eli knows that, and they think it’s high time that Julian learned it too. But when Julian gets in over his head and comes begging for help, Eli finds themself agreeing, whether they think it’s possible or not.

And it only gets worse when Eli and Julian are thrown into a world they only saw through stealing, and if they make one wrong move, it’s a long fall back to the streets, and an even longer one for the fate of caught thieves and hackers.

Fall from Grace

YA. Fantasy/Science Fiction. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

Lady Eleni is one of the privileged, one of the Avians: a race of near-humans with great, feathered wings. High in the skies, in the cities of new, the Avians created a world in which they could rule over all others with poise, grace, and beauty. The only humans upon these cities are servants and workers, scurrying to and from to make the lives of the Avians easier.

For Eleni, this has always been normal, and she thinks little about the maids and cooks that shuffle in the shadows of her home. Her focus, instead, is on the Flower Gala: a grand spectacle in which all the royal houses come together to feast, dance, and connect. Every royal marriage is arranged through this gala, and Lady Eleni, finally of age, wants nothing more than to see how high she can soar at this Gala.

But this year, the Gala has a dark shadow looming over it, in the form of Princet Deimos, who disappeared weeks prior. Heir to the Sky Kingdoms, Princet Deimos was supposed to choose their spouse at this gala, but, instead, vanished without a trace.

So distracted are the royals, Eleni included, that no one notices the trap before it’s too late, and, amidst the fires and the screaming, Eleni finds herself falling: out of the Sky Kingdoms and down to the land of humans far beneath.

There, she is rescued by a mysterious stranger who intends to prove to her just how different life is like for the humans, and how terrible the Avians truly are.

In the Shadows of Emerald Street

NA. Mystery, Crime, Thriller. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

Less than 1% of the population is born with extraordinary abilities, abilities that even fewer are aware of. For most, these abilities allow them to improve their everyday lives, but for the members of Emerald Street, those abilities allow them to be the greatest criminals their city has ever known.

In the middle of this gang is Scout, a shadow walker whose skill with knives is whispered about throughout the metropolis. Scout is a more recent addition to Emerald Street, and they are determined to stay afloat.

However, Emerald Street is facing more crackdown than ever before. With police banging down half their safehouses, spies from other gangs trying to work their way in, and a new, powerful gang pushing their way into the city, its an absolute bloodbath.

Scout won’t let anyone stop their rise to infamy, however, not even enemies that should have them shaking in their boots. Everything is perfect, until Scout’s everyday life pushes its way into focus when Scout meets a barista named Juliette.

Scout’s never wanted to have a regular life before, but Juliette drives them to prioritize life over crime, and Scout’s not sure if they can keep up with trying to woo Juliette and take down Mayhem Park at the same time. Sooner or later, they’re going to have to choose a side, or Scout’s blood will join all the rest in the gutters.

The Sudden Appearance of Space Whales

YA. Contemporary. Science Fiction. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

Devon Jones, better known to their friends as Jonesy, is a sixteen-year-old boarding school student who plays volleyball on weekends, enjoys old movies, and can travel through time. And no, they aren’t kidding.

Since Jonesy hit puberty, they’ve been able to rewind time, no more than a few minutes at a time, to redo actions that didn’t go as planned. Through this, they’ve been able to keep up good grades, save themself from their social awkwardness, and even help some friends in need.

Jonesy never really thought about using this power for anything bigger than that, but when strange weather phenomena and even stranger apparitions start appearing in their small town, they begin to wonder if they might be connected to these weird things. Except, when they start looking into it, things get even weirder, and Jonesy realizes they’re in way over their head and need help to keep searching.

Alongside fellow student, long-time crush, and plushie enthusiast, Gwen, Jonesy sets out to uncover just what is going on, why they’re connected, and, maybe, kiss the girl if they get the chance.

Who knew high school could be so complicated?

How to Wrangle a Prince

YA. High/Medieval Fantasy. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

Prince Loran, heir to the throne, has spent the last two years trying to get out of the day he has to choose a bride from all the eligible women present at the Queen’s Gala. But no matter how much he tries, he just can’t find a way to get out of marrying a woman instead of a man, like he wants. So, when the night comes, Lor sneaks away in the chaos and disappears into the forest, determined to start a life of his own.

Wilhelmina has been training her whole life for the Prince Trials, an event held once in a prince’s lifetime to determine the greatest warrior in the land, who will serve as the personal guard to the prince and his fiancé. So, when Prince Loran disappears, Wil finds herself stalking off into the forest and promptly tripping over the lost prince. Loran refuses to go back to the castle, insisting that there must be a way to help his kingdom and marry a cute boy. Wil, with nothing better to do and her future on the line, agrees to help him, in exchange for a guaranteed position as the prince’s personal guard.

Malice, better known as Mal, is a thief in far more debt that is reasonable. So, when they stumble upon the lost prince and his supposed kidnapper, it would make sense if they were to turn the two over for the bounty. Except, Mal is a trickster at heart, and thinks that helping them through their adventure would be much more interesting – especially with the prince agreeing to pay Mal’s debts for their help.

A lost prince, a wannabe knight, and a broke thief wandering the kingdoms for answers. Together, they have to undo old laws, take down bandits, avoid dragons and dire animals, and, hopefully, not get caught before they’re done.

This can’t possibly end well.

Breath of Smoke and Shadow

YA. Contemporary Fantasy. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks #actuallyautistic

Eighteen-year-old Remy is a college student in a world where magic has been commonplace for over two hundred years. By day, Remy goes to class, studies magic and English literature, and works at their aunt’s magic shop, where they weave enchantments into just about anything. By night, Remy lives another life, collecting emotions from the breaths of the unaware and using those in secret magical crafts, while also longing for adventure outside of Montreal.

That wish is granted, one night, when a half-fey boy named Keith, accused of the greatest crime of all – the slaying of a dragon – appears in Remy’s room, begging for help in proving his innocence before the fey can drag him back to the Wylds.

Against their better judgement, Remy agrees to help, in exchange for an ingredient only fey can get them: the tears of a unicorn.

Together, the two strike out to hunt down proof as to just what happened on the night the dragon died, a night Keith has no memory of. But, the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes, and Remy and Keith know that if they want to see how far down the rabbit hole goes, they may lose their chance to climb back out.

A Legacy of Red

YA. Contemporary Fantasy. Fairy Tale Retellings. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

Whit Carmine has spent their entire life in the shadow of their late mother, who died when Whit was only two years old, leaving them with her parents. Despite the pictures and the comparisons, however, Whit knows very little about their mother, and their grandparents refuse to divulge anything of note.

While cleaning out the attic one day, Whit finds an old journal of their mother’s and stows it away for later. That night, as Whit begins to read the journal, a great storm blows in and, when it finally clears, Whit finds themself called out into the woods, and into a world very few know about.

In opening the journal, Whit resumed the prophecy their mother had tried so hard to stop. Now, armed with only the journal and their wits, they must strike out into the world and stop the Evil Queen, an ancient mistress of dark magic bent on destroying everything that they hold dear.

But Whit can’t do it alone, and the journal tells them of those they must gather: a new generation of fairy tales that don’t know their identities, and whose magic may soon be destroyed. And Whit? Whit’s at the centre of it all, for, when their mother died, her legacy passed on to them, and Whit became Red Riding Hood: the destroyer of beasts.

Heart Guardians: The Awakening

YA. Contemporary Fantasy. Magical Girls. #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks #actuallyautistic

Kitty Dashner is just a normal girl starting her first year at Cirdhe University in Cirdhe, British Columbia, a city with over 1.5 million people. Normal, that is, until one night, during a thunderstorm, Kitty stumbles into the local science museum to get out of the rain and discovers and ancient necklace with magical powers and a magical guardian named Moony. Moony, sensing greatness in Kitty, turns her into a Heart Guardian and tasks her with finding the 52 lost Essences, before the Corruption can destroy them.

Genevieve Juliani, a second-year at Cirdhe University, figured her year would involve practicing piano, working on her voice lessons, and maybe finding someone cute to watch Battlestar Galactica with. Instead, her world is turned upside down when some weird alien named Moony and a first-year named Kitty (and seriously, who allowed her parents to name her that?) drag her into some huge, world saving plot involving ley lines, cute outfits, and some kind of ancient evil.

Neither one is prepared for the chaos they’ve been pulled in to, nor how high the stakes are. Things fall apart even further when both of them are, time and time again, outdone by the mysterious Onyx Guardian, who seems to be hellbent on destroying their lives. Plus, the new transfer student Jules Valentine, who seems to know way more than they let on.