15 highly anticipated fantasy and science fiction books coming this fall

2. Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (9/14)

If you’re hoping for a revolution that isn’t quite as soulcrushing, then perhaps Defy the Night will be a bit more to your taste. This is the newest novel from Brigid Kemmerer, author of The Elementals series, Thicker Than Water, Letters to the Lost, and a bunch of other books. It’s been described as a dark fantasy story with Robin Hood vibes, and begins with the main characters stealing supplies to make elixirs for the sick who cannot afford them. That, of course, begets all sorts of questions about what has brought the in-world society to the bitter brink of revolution.

Here’s the official description:

"Apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her people die. King Harristan and his cruel brother, Prince Corrick, ignore the suffering of their people and react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion, even as a sickness ravages the land. That’s why she and her best friend Wes risk their lives each night to steal the petals of the delicate Moonflower, the only known cure. But it’s not enough to keep everyone she loves safe-or alive. When Prince Corrick commits an act of unspeakable cruelty, Tessa becomes desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds there makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix their world without destroying it first."

Color us intrigued. Defy the Night comes out on September 14.