TOP 5: Most Anticipated Fall YA Book Releases

Fall marks the start of a new school semester, the return to cooler weather, and, most importantly, a slew of amazing new books become available! I have compiled a list of my top five most anticipated young adult releases.

1. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: September 6, 2016

The next fantasy book in the epic Throne of Glass series, which follows female assassin Celaena Sardothien as she is given the chance to be absolved of her lifelong prison sentence in exchange for her tenure as the king's assassin, comes out in two weeks! One of the best aspects of Maas' writing is that with the each new installment of this series, the plot gets even more complex and the stakes become higher.

2. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo 

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Crooked Kingdom, the final book in the Six of Crows duology, is a fantasy version of Ocean's Eleven. Six characters are hired to pull of an impossible heist. Each of these people are so well written and developed that you can't help but care for them. The first book ended in a cliffhanger so if you're looking for a finished series that you can read quickly, will keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you laugh and cry check this one out.

3. The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan 

Release Date: October 4, 2016

The Hammer of Thor follows Magnus Chase, the son of a Norse god, as he tries to retrieve one of the most powerful weapons in all of Norse mythology, Thor's hammer. This is the second book in the hilarious Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. This is the perfect read for someone looking for a fun lighthearted novel.

4. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 8, 2016

Marissa Meyer wrote the New York Times bestselling Lunar Chronicles series which was a futuristic science fiction fairy tale retelling of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Now she's back with Heartless, a story about the Queen of Hearts (from Alice in Wonderland) before she became the villain. Meyer has a gift for creating great villain backstories so it'll be interesting to see if the Queen's story elicits empathetic emotions from her readers. If that description doesn't entice you, get it for the gorgeous cover.

5. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman

Release Date: November 15, 2016

After Cassandra Clare finished writing the Mortal Instruments series she decided to dive deeper into the future of one of the characters, in a collection of short stories called Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. These novellas give more details about specific plot points and feature characters from Clare's other books which take place in the same world. This is a must read for Shadowhunter fans.

I can already feel my wallet shrinking at the thought of buying all the books I want this fall!