8 YA Series Worth Binge-Reading Before Their Big Finales
by Iva-Marie Palmer
When it comes to binging on stories, why should Netflix and Hulu have all the fun? This year happens to be a prime one for binge-reading, as a number of young adult series and sagas come to what are sure to be stunning conclusions. Whether you’re already reading one of these series or looking for something fresh to devour, now is a great time to catch up on these sagas — in advance of their gripping final pages.
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Get drawn into the world of the Falling Kingdoms before being spellbound by…
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Immortal Reign (Falling Kingdoms #6)
At the start of Rhodes’s six-book epic series, the delicate peace between kingdoms is broken, setting the stage for war, deceit, magic, and forbidden love. Fans of Game of Thrones have called the series the YA answer to George R.R. Martin’s gripping series, and reviewers praise Rhodes’s masterfully crafted characters: Each has an agenda that makes it possible to love and hate them at the same time. Put the compelling cast together with Rhodes’s impressive world-building, and the series promises many a late night repeating the mantra, “just one more chapter.”
(On sale: 2/6/18)
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Take a ride with Empress of a Thousand Skies before being mind-blown by…
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Blood of a Thousand Stars (Empress of a Thousand Skies #2)
Available from:If space operas are music to your ears, Belleza’s duet — featuring vengeful Princess Rhee and refugee-turned-star Aly — is both real-world relevant and endlessly inventive. Drawing comparisons to both Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles and the TV series “Firefly,” this is a great bet for any reader who loves those series’ galaxy-crossing adventures, futuristic technology, and political danger and deception.
(On sale: 2/20/18)Also available from:
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See the game afoot in the Charlotte Holmes books before getting entangled in…
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The Case for Jamie (Charlotte Holmes #3)
It takes but a minute to get wound up in Brittany Cavallaro’s bestselling Charlotte Holmes novels. The page-turning series follows Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson, the modern-day teen descendants of, yes, that Holmes and that Watson. The action-packed books deliver on all fronts, thanks in large part to the volatile and endlessly fascinating Charlotte.
(On sale: 3/6/18)
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Catch up on the Rebel of the Sands books before falling for…
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Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands #3)
Hamilton won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut Author of 2016 with Rebel of the Sands, and the second book in the series, Traitor to the Throne, also delivered. Following gifted gunslinger Amani Al’Hiza — a poor orphan left to the desert of Miraji, home to mythical beasts and the occasional magic-working djinn — the series is part adventure, part romance, and entirely gripping. (Of note for readers who don’t typically read lots of fantasy: It’s also been called hilarious.) It’s best to get reading as soon as possible, as teen star Willow Smith has optioned the film rights.
(On sale: 3/6/18)
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Explore the full dossier of The Illuminae Files before waging final battle in…
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Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)
Kaufman and Kristoff’s trilogy is told via confidential documents, emails, transcripts, schematics, and more, and the story is no less than a battle for the planet (not this one). Beginning as Kady Grant must flee her home planet with her ex, Ezra, not far behind in book one (Illuminae), then introducing Hanna, the pampered daughter of a space station captain, and Nik, the reluctant member of an infamous crime family in book two (Gemina), the finale promises to be just as action-packed and ambitious.
(On sale: 3/13/18)
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Get swept away by Given to the Sea before being mesmerized by…
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Given to the Earth (Given Duet #2)
McGinnis, known for her powerful YA contemporary The Female of the Species, thrills in this dark duet featuring Khosa, a girl born to be fed to the sea (to prevent a kingdom-destroying wave). But she’s also meant to produce an heir, even though the idea of a human’s touch terrifies her. Her tale and those of four other characters interlock as McGinnis crafts a riveting world of schemes and schemers, rife with surprising moves and star-crossed romance. No stranger to tough topics, McGinnis tackles real-world questions of racism and misogyny in this feminist tale set in a mythical world.
(On sale: 4/10/18)
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Catch up on The Merciless I-III before confronting the terror in…
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The Merciless IV: Last Rites
Vega’s series grips as it centers on alluring and unnerving young women facing their worst demons: quite literally. Delving into the occult and delivering Stephen King-esque terror, the series starts with a group of friends performing an exorcism, and later takes its characters and readers to a creepy Catholic school, into a cultish youth group, and, in this final book, to Italy with a true crime-style story a la the Amanda Knox case. Even if you’re too scared to keep going, you may find you can’t stop turning the pages.
(On sale: 6/12/18)
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Get carried away with the first And I Darken books before being dazzled by…
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Bright We Burn (And I Darken #3)
White’s ambitious trilogy is afraid of nothing, much like its lead character Princess Lada Dragwlya, who is ruthless in her plans for vengeance against the Ottomans (yes, of empire fame). Called “unapologetically feminist” by Buzzfeed, the And I Darken saga is at once sweeping and intimate, with enough power plays, acts of cunning, and devastating romance to hold readers for days.
(On sale: 7/10/18)
What thrilling YA conclusions are you looking forward to reading this year? Let us know in the comments below!