Skies are moody. The air is crisper, if not outright cold. Leaves have changed color and may have completely fallen off the trees. Halloween is quite a ways in the rearview, and in the U.S., another holiday is coming up quickly. For years, November was one of my least favorite months, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it quite lovely. There’s something about the transition between fall and winter, between the days full of sunlight and those full of more darkness, that really has grown on me. Without a whole lot of doubt, much of it has to do with the fact that this is a custom-built period for enjoying books and other art. While the publishing season itself is also winding down, there are still many new YA book releases hitting shelves this week that you’ll want to consider for your TBR.
As noted recently, due to the slower publishing pace right now, the diversity of offerings isn’t as broad as it was in early fall. That doesn’t mean you won’t find a variety of voices, perspectives, genres, and stories here–you will. But it is worth noting that the range is smaller.
Among this week’s new YA book releases is a lot of magic. We’ve got space magic and fire magic, right alongside things that may be a little less magical but are nevertheless interesting, including revenge and a kidnapping.
(Plus, scroll to the end to find a sneak peek at the biggest YA books out next week!)
New Hardcover YA Releases This Week
Blood of Silver by Allie Nguyen
The first in a fresh new duology, the story follows Linh, who, on the day of her mother’s funeral, is being followed by a mysterious boy. He claims to know about her mother’s past, and as much as she knows not to follow a stranger, Linh is deep in her grief and looking for comfort. By following Elior, Linh is transported into a whole different world.
Six ancient magics govern the realm of Ebrirene. It is a beautiful place, complete with talking flowers, powerful mages, and more. Linh’s mother had been a princess of Ebrirene, and she used her space magic to seal the demon portal–something that kept evildoers away. Elior, the crown prince, brought Linh to Ebrirene, hoping she could amplify her mother’s weakening protections.
Linh doesn’t know if she has the powers her mother did, but she’s going to try. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people in this realm who don’t want her to succeed, and she finds herself stuck in a tournament at the mages’ academy. She didn’t enter herself, and now, she’s caught up in a web of court politics and intrigue. She’s also falling for the prince who may be more dangerous than he seems.
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Embers of Magic by Catherine Bakewell
Fiamma’s parents disappeared long ago, and she’s desperate to leave her past, as well as her unpredictable fire magic, behind.
When she seeks help from the king, he demands something unexpected from her. She must help his son, Prince Joseph, kill the witch responsible for the frost covering their kingdom.
Fiamma isn’t prepared for a gentle and kind Prince, given his father. But she’s drawn to him as they work together on this quest. It isn’t long before she discovers he’s got a secret, though. The same frost harming the kingdom is harming him, too, taking over his insides. Fiamma is realizing that her fire magic may be the only way to save him and the kingdom.
Is she ready to confront her own magic, though?
Fans of retellings will dig this take on The Snow Queen.
Girls Walking With Wolves by Jenna Baner
Arden Hood has been blind her entire life, and her life is pretty small. Not bad, but small. She spends quiet nights at home with her father, and during the day, she walks deep into the woods to care for her ailing grandmother.
In all her trips, Arden’s never encountered a witch, despite the stories she’s been told about them. That is, until she has two unexpected experiences on her daily trips to the woods. First, she meets the Queen’s hunter, who is friendly but won’t tell Arden what he’s hunting. Later that day, she’s saved from a wolf attack by Myra. She is the last witch living in the woods.
Myra is nothing like the witches in the stories that Arden’s heard. The two develop a fast friendship. But that friendship is kept secret, and secrets won’t last forever. Especially because that hunter is on a mission to capture a witch.
Ghosted by Talia Tucker
Keziah is used to being ghosted. That doesn’t help her get a Homecoming date (and neither does the fact she’s besties with a sleep paralysis demon, but who’s keeping score?). When she discovers there’s a new student at the local all-boys school, Guy, she thinks she’s found her date.
But then he ghosts her, too.
She’s going to get revenge, and she’s going to do it by ghosting Guy. When she discovers that he and his new friends are messing with a local food truck and that there’s a more, err, sinister reason Guy has transferred to this school, Keziah is ready to take action.
That sleep paralysis demon might trip up the operation, but perhaps the new cute girl in Keziah’s life could help get the deed done.
The Revolution of Olivia Witerson by S. Isabelle
It’s 1860s Paris, and Olivia Witherson knows all that she needs to do to live a life of luxury is marry the up-and-coming businessman, Samuel Desir. She knows it’s her destiny to do so.
What she didn’t anticipate was being kidnapped by the Saints Tristes gang, who are holding her for ransom on the outskirts of the city. Olivia cannot stand Jac Santil, head of the Saints, but the longer she’s in their hands, the more she’s starting to think her initial beliefs about them may have been wrong. She sees them doing good, including helping to organize exploited workers in Paris–some of whom work for Samuel.
Perhaps what Olivia originally dreamed of for her life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe there’s more to Jac and the Saints than she’s ever given them credit for.
This is a companion to Isabelle’s The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick, but you don’t need to read that one to enjoy this one. It’s getting comparisons to The Davenports and to Bridgerton.
Hardcover YA Series Releases This Week:
More Hardcover YA Releases This Week:
New Paperback YA Releases This Week
The Siren and the Star by Colby Cedar Smith
Readers who love verse novelsandbooks told in dual timelines will want to get this one on their TBRs.Thestory follows Luciana “Lula” Gabroni, a homeschooled,introverted vocal prodigy who enterstheNew England Conservatory of Music. Once there, she’s given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Venice, Italy, with several of her peers for a vocal competition.
Barbara Strozziis gifted in music, but as a poor girl in 17th-century Venice, she has few options beyond her work as a servant girl. That doesn’t mean she won’t fight for itandpush againstthebarriers of her classandgender to make her dream of music come true.
Lula finds Barbara’s music intheConservatory libraryandfalls down a rabbit hole about who this young woman was, feeling a connection with her she can’t quite describe. This relationship will become even more important–andintertwined–as Lula finds herself scrambling to reclaim her own voice.
Where There’s Smoke by E. B. Vickers
Calli is 18 and lives in a small townwhereit seems everyone knows everyone—and everything. She’s just buried her father, and everyone has gone home. Or so she thinks.
Standing there alone is a girl who is scared, bruised, and dirty. She can’t speak. Calli knows right then she needs to help the girl, whom she has started to call Ash, but Calli cannot let anyone know about her.
When a detective comes around asking about whether or not Calli has seen or heard anything about a girl who has disappeared from another town, she’s not saying anything.
But it seems as though Ash might have a whole lot to tell.
More Paperback YA Releases This Week:
Are you thinking about the best YA books of the year as we round the corner on 2026? If you haven’t, dive into our look at the best YA books of 2026 (so far) from earlier this year and see what you may have forgotten or missed altogether. Then maybe take a gander at the bestselling YA books of 2026, from this summer.
A Sneak Peek at the New YA Books Out Next Week
Looking to keep up with the buzziest new YA books? Check out our New Release Index: a database of upcoming books, curated by Book Riot. It’s organized by release date, and you can filter by genre: below is a sneak peek of some of the YA books out next week.
Here’s how it works: scroll through the covers until you find one that catches your eye. Click on the cover for the book description, and then save the titles you’re interested in on your Watchlist.
The best part is that the New Release Index is included in your All Access subscription. For $6 a month, you not only get the New Release Index, but also all of Book Riot’s paid content.
Sign up for All Access to get started, or you can check out our guide to the New Release Index for more information.
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