Sarah Beth Durst Books

But for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and are doomed to be a kehok for the rest of time. Unless you can win the Races. After a celebrated career as an elite kehok rider, Tamra became a professional trainer.

A group of magical misfit animals learns to appreciate their seemingly useless powers-and themselves-when they work together to thwart a villain's attempt to steal their magic. Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards' familiars.

Sixteen-year-old Kayla, a master shoplifter with telekinetic abilities, steals to escape her dangerous father. When caught by Daniel, who can teleport, she is blackmailed into helping him find an ancient incantation to rescue his mother. Their quest uncovers painful family betrayals that could threaten their survival.

When a shy girl and her dragon-like companion discover their country's idyllic weather comes at a steep--and secret--cost, they recruit students to attempt to spread the truth.

After sixteen-year-old vampire Pearl Sange is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn, she develops non-vampire-like traits that lead her to save her high school classmates from the Vampire King of New England.

EXCLUSIVE DELUXE EDITION—a stunning hardcover with beautiful blue sprayed edges! New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to a standalone novel set on a distant island filled with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. Terlu Perna, lonely and desperate, broke the law by casting a spell to create a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was transformed into a wooden statue and placed in the Great Library of Alyssium. This seemed to be the end of her story until she awakens one winter on a nearly-deserted island with magical greenhouses. Starving and cold, she meets a grumpy gardener who offers her shelter, clean clothes, and honey cakes—until she’s ready to leave. However, Terlu finds herself enchanted by the greenhouses, each more wondrous than the last. When she discovers that the magic sustaining them is failing, she realizes she must act to save them, even if it means breaking the law again. With the gardener and a sentient rose by her side, Terlu must uncover the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer to save the island and find a chance at happiness and love. This story is about giving second chances—to others and to oneself.

Like a rom-com filled with mythical creatures, The Spellshop is a cottagecore cosy fantasy for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune.

Filled with political intrigue, violent magic, and malevolent spirits, this mesmerizing sequel in Sarah Beth Durst’s epic fantasy trilogy explores a world where everything has a spirit—each one a potential threat. Daleina, the new queen, has used her strength to survive and protect her people, but she harbors a terrible secret: she is dying. If she passes before a new heir is ready, the spirits will run rampant, endangering her realm. Naelin, a devoted mother living in a remote village, wants nothing to do with the crown. Her life revolves around her children and husband, and she denies her own magical abilities to keep them safe. However, when Ven, the Queen’s champion, visits her village, her husband boasts of her spirit-controlling skills, putting her family at risk. Ven’s mission is to find a successor to protect Aratay, and he believes Naelin could be the answer. As the Queen’s power diminishes and spirits grow bolder, Naelin faces a harrowing choice: to protect her children, she may have to embrace her magic and confront the dangers that lie ahead. The stakes rise as threats emerge from within and beyond Aratay, deepening the dark wonder established in the first installment.

The natural magic of the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst's beloved world of Renthia. Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene.

"It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassible dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing--and what she's running from--before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found..."--

Zoe must figure out how to keep a giant kitten safe in this magical adventure about change, expectation, and accepting all for who they truly areregardless of shape or size.

Best friends Rachel and Joon embark on a thrilling summer of spycraft, eager to uncover secrets, including Joon's family's impending move. Their adventure takes a twist when they discover a ring linked to Anna "Nancy" Smith Strong, a legendary member of George Washington's Culper Spy Ring, which contains a coded message. As they decode a series of cryptic clues, they race against time to uncover a hidden treasure before Joon leaves town. The quest challenges their skills and friendship, revealing the significance of the past.

Sophie discovers a hidden dream shop beneath her parents' bookstore, but when it's robbed and her parents vanish, she must uncover the truth. Alongside her loyal monster friend, she navigates trust and betrayal to protect her family's secrets. A tale of adventure, humor, and imagination awaits!

Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived. Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less.She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives.But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all.  Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should be dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.”

A half-magic girl learns about heroism and taking action when she and her sister confront a wizard who endangers others for her own gain. Even and Odd are sisters who share magic. Lately, though, it seems like that's the only thing they have in common. Odd doesn't like magic, and Even practices it every chance she gets, dreaming of the day she'll be ready to be a hero. When the hidden border between the mundane world the sisters live in and the magical land they were born in shuts abruptly, the girls are trapped, unable to return home. With the help of a unicorn named Jeremy, they discover a wizard is diverting magic from the border to bolster her own power. Families are cut off from each other on both sides of the border, and an ecological disaster is brewing. But the wizard cares nothing for the calamitous effects her appropriation of magic is having. Someone has to do something to stop her, and Even realizes she can no longer wait until she's ready: she needs to be a hero now.

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow… But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still only human, and no matter how strong or good they are, the threat of danger always looms. Because the queen’s position is so precarious, young women are specially chosen to train as her heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Meanwhile, the disgraced champion Ven has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. When Daleina and Ven join forces, they embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land…before it’s bathed in blood.

The battle between vicious spirits and strong-willed queens that started in the award-winning The Queen of Blood and continued in the stunning The Reluctant Queen comes to a gripping conclusion in the final volume of Sarah Beth Durst’s Queens of Renthia trilogy . . . Queen Daleina has yearned to bring peace and prosperity to her beloved forest home—a hope that seemed doomed when neighboring forces invaded Aratay. Now, with the powerful Queen Naelin ruling by her side, Daleina believes that her dream of ushering in a new era can be realized, even in a land plagued by malevolent nature spirits who thirst for the end of human life. But then Naelin’s children are kidnapped by spirits. Naelin would rather watch the world burn than see her children harmed—and she is ready to start a war with the north to secure their return. But defeated Queen Merecot of Semo has grander plans than a bloody battle with her southern neighbors. Taking the children is merely one step in a plot to change the future of all Renthia, either by ending the threat of spirits once and for all . . . or by plunging the world into chaos.

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet! Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets. When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.

"Three girls who arrive to an abandoned island must outwit and outlast the mysterious killer who awaits them there"--

Leading your first heist is a major milestone in Sky Hawkin’s family—even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated—especially when you’re a wyvern, a human capable of transforming into a dragon. Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky’s mission uncovers deep secrets about the mother who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community. With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist—and get back the people she loves in the process. But instead, she ends up discovering a dark truth about were-dragon society—a truth that is more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

From the award-winning author of The Shelterlings and The Lake House comes a haunting novel about sisterhood and grief, where difficult truths must contend with the corrosive power of unchecked lies. After her mother dies, Hannah doesn't know how to exist without her. Literally. In fact, Hannah's not even certain that she does exist. No one seems to see or hear her, and she finds herself utterly alone. Grief-stricken and confused, her sense of self slowly slipping away, Hannah sets out to find new purpose in life--and answers about who (and what) she really is. Hannah's only remaining family is her older sister, Leah. Yet even Leah doesn't seem to notice her. And while Hannah can see and hear her sister, she also sees beautiful and terrible things that don't--or shouldn't--exist. She learns there's much more to this world than meets the eye and struggles to make sense of it all. When Hannah sees Leah taking the same dangerous path that consumed their own mother--where lies supplant reality--she's desperate to get through to her. But facing difficult truths is harder than it looks...

From the author of The Lies Among Us comes a magical tale about mothers and daughters, choices and consequences, and the real meaning of home when every place feels like a cage. Ten months. That's the longest Elisa has stayed anyplace, constantly propelled by her fear that if she puts down roots, a family curse will turn her into a tree. But she's grown tired of flitting from town to town and in and out of relationships. When she discovers a small town in Massachusetts where mysterious forces make it impossible for the residents to leave, she hopes she can change her fate. As Elisa learns about the town's history, she understands more about the women in her family, who seem doomed to never get what they want. Now she believes she's stuck, too--is that a patch of bark on her arm? But her neighbor's collection of pet birds sings secrets that Elisa can almost understand--secrets she must unravel in order to be truly alive.

When Sadie Brooks unexpectedly loses her marketing job, she escapes New York City to spend the summer in small-town Texas with her best friend. Joining his Dungeons & Dragons campaign becomes the perfect distraction as she plans her next steps. In the game, she transforms into Jaylie, a powerful cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck. In reality, Sadie feels her luck has run out—until she meets Noah Walker, the charming bartender who joins their party as Loren, a charismatic elf. As Jaylie falls for the bard's charms during their adventures, Sadie finds herself enchanted by Noah as well. Their relationship deepens in both the game and real life, leading Sadie to question if their connection can endure beyond the summer. However, like his character, Noah is often on the move. When a new opportunity arises back in New York, Sadie must confront the reasons behind her job loss and whether her feelings for Noah are worth staying in Texas for. Caught between her career ambitions and the thrill of a new romance, she faces a pivotal choice. This swoony and nerdy romance promises to keep readers captivated and blushing throughout.

Die junge Cassie lebt mit ihrem Vater auf einer Forschungsstation in der Arktis. Ihre Mutter ist angeblich bei ihrer Geburt gestorben, doch Cassie wächst mit rätselhaften Geschichten über ihren Tod auf. Kurz vor Cassies achtzehntem Geburtstag kommt es zu einer merkwürdigen Begebenheit: Cassie trifft auf einen Eisbären, der zu ihr spricht und ihr berichtet, dass die alten Legenden wahr sind. Ihre Mutter ist noch am Leben und wird in der Festung der Trolle gefangen gehalten. Doch um sie zu befreien, muss Cassie den Eisbären heiraten, der sich des Nachts in einen Menschen verwandelt. Zwischen Cassie und dem magischen Wesen entwickelt sich eine zarte Liebe, die jedoch von einem geheimnisvollen Fluch bedroht wird ...

Die sechzehnjährige Lily hat einen Traum: Sie möchte auf die renommierte Princeton University gehen, die auch ihr Großvater schon besucht hat. Dazu muss sie einen geheimnisvollen Test bestehen und einen Schlüssel suchen, der ein Tor zu einer anderen, magischen Realität öffnet. Auf dem Campus begegnet Lily der gut aussehende Tye, der ihr seine Hilfe anbietet. Doch Tye ist nicht, was er zu sein scheint ...

Im Buchladen von Sophies Eltern gibt es nicht nur Bücher zu kaufen – sondern auch Träume. Sowohl schöne als auch böse Träume werden hier destilliert, in Flaschen abgefüllt und verkauft. Aber das Traumgeschäft ist gefährlich und streng geheim, denn mit Träumen ist nicht zu spaßen! Ausgerechnet an Sophies zwölftem Geburtstag wird im Buchladen eingebrochen. Sämtliche Flaschen mit Albträumen werden gestohlen. Und Sophies Eltern werden entführt! Zusammen mit ihrem Freund Ethan macht sich Sophie auf die Suche nach ihren Eltern und den verlorenen Träumen. Ein zauberhaftes Kinderbuch ab 11 Jahren über das Träumen und ein fantasievolles Spiel mit der Frage, was passiert, wenn die Wesen aus unseren Träumen lebendig werden.

Vítejte v říši, kde skoro každé zvíře oplývá kouzelnými schopnostmi! Má to ale háček – nadání některých obyvatel je trochu… zvláštní. Třeba veverka Violka: umí čarovat, copak o to, ale pouze a jedině pečivo. A rozhodně není jediná, kdo je tak trochu jiný. Zdá se, že pro zvířátka s takovými neužitečnými schopnostmi není na světě místo, takže živoří v Útulku pro odmítnuté pomocníky. Jednoho dne však přijde bobr Oliver s neodolatelnou nabídkou: Co kdybychom ta naše nadání nějak opravili? Všichni obyvatelé Útulku nadšeně souhlasí – nic ale není tak, jak se na první pohled zdá, a odmítnuté pomocníky brzy čeká doslova boj o přežití.

Skrytý obchůdek, ve kterém její rodiče prodávají sny stáčené do lahviček, je pro Sophii to nejúžasnější místo na světě. Sny ji přitahují hlavně proto, že sama nikdy žádný neměla. A to už vyzkoušela všechny zaručené recepty, jak je přivolat! Když rodiče záhadně zmizí a Obchůdek se sny je vykraden, Sophie se pouští do pátrání. Se svým kamarádem – upovídaným a mlsným příšerákem Příšerou – se vydává na cestu, během které narazí na mnohá nebezpečí a odhalí nejedno rodinné tajemství.