The long-awaited series edition!
Clariel, Garth Nix (October) – this book deserves special mention. It is the new novel in the Old Kingdom trilogy series, which is super-popular (for lots of excellent reasons). The series began with Sabriel in 1995, and the last addition, Abhorsen, was published in 2003. So fans have been waiting 11 years! This is a long time in book-land. There is to be a fifth book in the series (hopefully published before 2025).
“Clariel is the daughter of the one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most importantly, to the King. When her family moves to the city of Belisaere, there are rumors that her mother is next in line for the throne. However, Clariel wants no part of it—a natural hunter, all she ever thinks about is escaping the city’s confining walls and journeying back to the quiet, green world of the Great Forest.But many forces conspire against Clariel’s dream. A dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she discovers hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King?” (goodreads.com)
Lone Wolf, Robert Muchamore – this is the next instalment in the CHERUB series 2. “Fay has spent eighteen months locked up in a Secure Training Centre. Drug deals and rip-offs are the only things this teenager knows. Now she’s back on the street, looking to settle old scores. CHERUB agents Ryan and Ning need Fay’s knowledge to unearth a major drug importer. They’re trained professionals with one essential advantage: even experienced criminals never suspect that children are spying on them. But Fay’s made a lot of enemies and she’s running out of time …” (goodreads.com)
The Hunted, Charlie Higson – the sixth book in the series that began with The Enemy in which people over the age of 14 are struck down by an illness that leaves them as zombies. “The others had promised that the countryside would be safer than the city. They were wrong. Now Ella’s all alone except for her silent rescuer, Scarface – and she’s not even sure if he’s a kid or a grown-up. Back in London, Ed’s determined to find her. But getting out of town’s never been more dangerous – because coming in the other direction is every SICKO in the country. It’s like they’re being called towards the capital and nothing is going to stop them…” (goodreads.com). This is the second-to-last book in the series, so expect the ending to be a total cliffhanger.