STABBY BOOKS, STABBY COVERS: PART ONE

Here are seven must-read 22Debuts with stabby covers coming out in the first half of the year!

THE BLOOD TRIALS  by N.E. Davenport
Harper Voyager US April 5, 2022
​The fierce expression on her face! The glowing blue sword! Some red stabby claw things that I'm pretty sure are weapons! Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.
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https://www.22debuts.com/ne-davenport.html

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ONE FOR ALL by Lillie Lainoff
FSG March 8, 2022
​Ten swords! TEN SWORDS! One for All is an OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.
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https://www.22debuts.com/lillie-lainoff.html

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THE BONE SPINDLE by Leslie Vedder,
Razorbill January 11, 2022
​I was lucky enough to read an early version of this book and I can confirm, it is very stabby. (P.S. I am team 'Shane punches everyone in the face'). Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and All the Stars and Teeth.
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https://www.22debuts.com/leslie-vedder.html

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DAUNTLESS by Elisa A. Bonnin  
Swoon Reads July 19, 2022
What's better than one stabby girl on a cover? TWO STABBY GIRLS ON A COVER. A teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy novel from debut author Elisa A. Bonnin.
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https://www.22debuts.com/elisa-a-bonnin.html

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 THE HITMAN'S DAUGHTER  by Carolyne Topdjian
Agora Books February 22, 2022
Beautiful dress? Check. Weapon on cover? Check. Mysterious title that promises lots of stabbiness? CHECK! An homage to classic gothic horror, that proves that the ghosts of family and classism are alive and well.

https://www.22debuts.com/carolyne-topdjian.html

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DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by Sue Lynn Tan
Harper Voyager January 11, 2022
With my own copy due to arrive in the mail in *checks calendar* 15 days, this book is one of my most-anticipated reads of the year—the beautiful cover is a bonus! An enthralling debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother sets her on a dangerous path and pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

https://www.22debuts.com/sue-lynn-tan.html

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THE WITCH, THE SWORD, AND THE CURSED KNIGHTS by Alexandria Rogers
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers February 8, 2022
A sword on the cover AND a sword in the title??? Sign me up! A charming middle-grade fantasy debut that put a new spin on the legend of Camelot, perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil and A Tale of Magic…

https://www.22debuts.com/alexandria-rogers.html​

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List curated by: Lillie Lainoff
Posted to the blog by: ​Susan Azim Boyer