The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan

by Sherry Thomas

  Kristin Nelson, for herding this opportunity directly into my lap.

  Cheryl Klein, for the sheer amount of work she put into this book. I didn’t even know editors edited like this anymore. Her dedication, energy, and vision guided me to produce a work that I am enormously proud of. Although I am still embarrassed that she read my first drafts, even partials—I haven’t inflicted those on anyone in quite some time.

  Christina Chung and Neil Swaab, for the beautiful cover.

  Linda Yu, for pointing me in the right direction on research.

  Chris Stewart, for generously sharing his knowledge and expertise.

  Janine Ballard, for always making my books better.

  Cheryl Etchison, for telling me how excited her daughter is for this book. I tend to exist in a cave, so it’s really helpful to be reminded from time to time that I’m not doing this solely to honor a contract.

  My family, for always being there.

  And you, dear reader, for everything.

  Photo © Jennifer Sparks Harriman

  SHERRY THOMAS is the author of nineteen novels across multiple genres, including the acclaimed Lady Sherlock mystery series; a YA fantasy trilogy that began with The Burning Sky; and more than a dozen romance novels, which have twice won her the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award. Born in China, she learned English as a second language, and now lives and writes in Austin, Texas. Please visit her website at www.sherrythomas.com and follow her on Twitter at @sherrythomas and on Instagram at @writersherrythomas.

  REBEL SEOUL

  by Axie Oh

  EAST ASIA, 2199. Ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the academy’s ranks. When he is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But his mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government’s supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.

  With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes her partner and earns her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands—as a soldier of the Republic, or a rebel of the people.

  ★“Equal parts K-drama (Korean drama) and sci-fi blockbuster, Oh blends futuristic tech, authentic Korean culture, and romance in this complex, utterly engrossing, and wholly fresh story that is sure to entice a wide array of readers.”—Booklist, starred review

  www.leeandlow.com

  SHAME THE STARS

  by Guadalupe García McCall

  Eighteen-year-old Joaquín del Toro’s future looks bright. With his older brother in the priesthood, he’s set to inherit his family’s Texas ranch. He’s in love with Dulceña—and she’s in love with him. But it’s 1915, and trouble has been brewing along the US-Mexico border. On one side, the Mexican Revolution is taking hold; on the other, Texas Rangers fight Tejano insurgents, and ordinary citizens are caught in the middle.

  As tensions grow, Joaquín is torn away from Dulceña, whose father’s critical reporting on the Rangers in the local newspaper has driven a wedge between their families. Joaquín’s own father insists that the Rangers are their friends, and refuses to take sides in the conflict. But when their family ranch becomes a target, Joaquín must decide how he will stand up for what’s right.

  Shame the Stars is a rich reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in Texas during the explosive years of Mexico’s revolution. Filled with period detail, captivating romance, and political intrigue, it brings Shakespeare’s classic to life in an entirely new way.

  ★ “Far beyond a love story . . . Pura Belpré winner McCall delivers an ambitious, sardonically relevant historical novel—a must-read, complex twist on a political Shakespearean tragedy.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

  ALL THE STARS DENIED

  by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

  Rancho Las Moras, like everywhere else in Texas, is gripped by the drought of the Dust Bowl. Resentment is building among white farmers against Mexican Americans. All around town, signs go up proclaiming “No Dogs or Mexicans” and “No Mexicans Allowed.”

  When Estrella organizes a protest against the treatment of tejanos in their town of Monteseco, Texas, her whole family becomes a target of “repatriation” efforts to send Mexicans “back to Mexico”—whether they were ever Mexican citizens or not. Dumped across the border and separated from half her family, Estrella must figure out a way to survive and care for her mother and baby brother. How can she reunite with her father and grandparents and convince her country of birth that she deserves to return home?

  In a companion novel to her critically acclaimed Shame the Stars, Guadalupe Garcia McCall tackles the hidden history of the United States and its first mass deportation event, which swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.

  ★ “Intense and enlightening.” — School Library Journal, starred review