Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan (September 24) is the latest installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and I can’t believe this story is still going.
I remember seeing Percy Jackson novels in my local bookstore at the age of 10. But somehow, the YA franchise continues more than two decades later. Most of the reviews I have seen originate from adults, which tells me that the same individuals who read this series two decades ago have stuck with it. So clearly, Riordan is doing something right.
Percy, the protagonist, is a high school senior hoping to land a position at New Rome University, an objective he will only accomplish after collecting three recommendation letters from the Greek gods.
Percy got his first recommendation after retrieving Ganymede’s chalice. Now, the goddess Hecate wants him to watch over her mastiff and polecat over Halloween, which is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Wrath of the Triple Goddess sounds like this series has not matured with its readers.
The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow (September 10) is far more appealing. The protagonist, Binsa sits on the Scarlet Throne and executes her duties by channeling a famous goddess. Except she is lying.
Binsa’s power has nothing to do with the gods. Rather, she made a pact with a demon. Now, her priests have selected a new girl to replace her. Binsa is unwilling to relinquish the throne because losing her position means returning to the streets.
Some early reviews have criticized the publisher for categorizing this book as adult fiction even though the protagonists are teenagers. An Academy of Liars by Alexis Henderson (September 17) is fantasy/horror/paranormal. However, many reviewers call it ‘dark academia,’ a term I had never encountered before today.
According to Google, ‘dark academia’ is an aesthetic associated with traditional educational clothing (blazers, plaid skirts, tweed, and the like) and activities (Ancient Art, Poetry, Classic Literature, etc). I can’t tell if the concept is as silly as it sounds or I’m just ancient.
In An Academy of Liars, Lennon Carter is ready to end her life at 22 after her fiancé cheats with her best friend, when a phone call leads her to Drayton College, a school where people like her can hone their powers of persuasion.
Lennon makes new friends, falls for her charismatic adviser, and discovers the secrets hiding beneath Drayton’s appealing veneer. Early reviews have praised the messy character dynamics and gothic horror components. The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi (September 17) was translated by Jesse Kirkwood.
The Japanese author loves photography, which is why the subject plays a significant role in her book. The protagonist is Yomotsu Hirasaka, a photographer who prepares the newly dead for the afterlife by allowing them to reflect on their earthly lives. Each individual selects one image from each year of their life.
Hirasaka arranges those pictures in a slideshow of sorts that each victim can view before moving on. The book highlights Hirasaka’s most challenging clients: a murdered Yakuza and a young girl killed by abusive parents, each of whom struggles to identify happy memories.
Reviewers have praised Hiragi’s emotionally charged and bittersweet storytelling, not to mention the short length and fast pace. The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry (September 24) takes readers to a world where borders fell and all meaning was lost because words went away.
Monsters left the dreamscape to haunt the waking world and ghosts invaded the living realm. But then the committees of the Named rose, building borders on the physical plane and within the minds of their charges, arming them with the tools to fight the unknown.
Our protagonist is a courier who spends her days delivering the words assigned to her by the Names Committee. Her life changes when a monstrous attack forces her to flee.
Happy reading!
inarticle} inarticle}