Readers who loved Maas’ earlier series, “Throne of Glass,” will enjoy N.E. He’s also funny as feck, and his devotion, which completely baffles and irks him, for his human Aveen might just be the death of him. Rian is the epitome of the morally gray love interest: a self-confessed murderer with an entire castle worth of emotional issues. The Gancanagh, an Irish folk legend with a lethal kiss, is Rian’s half-brother and is more than happy to use his special talents to assist his brother in a “Midsummer Night’s Dream”-meets-“Romeo and Juliet” scheme to achieve multiple ends. Favorites aside, the characters in Hickman’s latest series are a motley crew of dysfunctional, hilarious and at times terrifying companions. Prince Rian has a penchant for swearing, debauchery, fine clothes and strawberry tarts. Hickman is perhaps better known for another series, “The Pan Trilogy,” but if you were to prize one series on this list, this would be the one I’d stake my heart on. The latest book in the “ Myths of Airren ” series by Jenny Hickman, “Prince of Deception,” is told from the point of view of the “wicked” half-fae Prince Rian. All the while, a murderer stalks citizens of Ombrazia, and the Palazzo military seems keen to ignore the climbing body counts, except when a prized disciple of Death becomes a victim. She finds herself growing into her powers as a disciple of Patience, joins a rebellion and is forced to face the boy who obliterated her trust and heart, Damian Venturi, the now-youngest guard of the Palazzo military.

Rossana Lacertosa is a citizen of the city, but after her father’s brutal murder by the Ombrazian military, she’s pushed into exposing and destroying the powers that be. It opens in the city of Ombrazia, where saints and their devoted disciples rule with ruthless power, doting on their favorite citizens and leaving the rest to barely survive.

Lobb, is quickly capturing fans of the dark fantasy genre and is being touted as a similar read to bestselling authors Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco. “ Seven Faceless Saints ,” the debut from M.K. The market tagline for this new young adult debut is “There’s a holiness in revenge,” which is enough to pique my interest.

Gild glint gleam