Books by A. R. Capetta

Once & Future

by Cory McCarthy, A. R. Capetta

King Arthur as you've never seen her! This bold, sizzling YA novel reimagines the Once and Future King as a teenage girl determined to save the universe from an evil curse.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

I've been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I've always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur. Now I'm done hiding.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure.

* "All hail this worthier-than-ever, fresh, and affirming reincarnation of the legendary king and her round table of knights which dazzles with heroic flair, humor, and suspense." —Kirkus, starred review

The Brilliant Death

by A. R. Capetta

Teodora di Sangro is used to hiding her magical ability to transform enemies into music boxes and mirrors. Nobody knows she’s a strega—and she aims to keep it that way.

The she meets Cielo—and everything changes.

A strega who can switch outward form as effortlessly as turning a page in a book, Cielo shows Teodora what her life could be like if she masters the power she’s been keeping secret. And not a moment too soon: the ruler of Vinalia has poisoned the patriarchs of the country’s five controlling families, including Teodora’s father, and demands that each family send a son to the palace.

If she wants to save her family, Teodora must travel to the capital—not disguised as a boy, but transformed into one. But the road to the capital, and to bridling her powers, is full of enemies and complications, including the one she least expects: falling in love.

The Brilliant Death

by A. R. Capetta

Teodora di Sangro is used to hiding her magical ability to transform enemies into music boxes and mirrors. Nobody knows she’s a strega—and she aims to keep it that way.

The she meets Cielo—and everything changes.

A strega who can switch outward form as effortlessly as turning a page in a book, Cielo shows Teodora what her life could be like if she masters the power she’s been keeping secret. And not a moment too soon: the ruler of Vinalia has poisoned the patriarchs of the country’s five controlling families, including Teodora’s father, and demands that each family send a son to the palace.

If she wants to save her family, Teodora must travel to the capital—not disguised as a boy, but transformed into one. But the road to the capital, and to bridling her powers, is full of enemies and complications, including the one she least expects: falling in love.

The Storm of Life

by A. R. Capetta

The sumptuous and powerful conclusion to the gender-fluid duet begun by The Brilliant Death, hailed in a starred review by Kirkus as "a delicious and magical intrigue too tempting not to devour."

By turns thrilling, witty, and heartbreaking, this dramatic conclusion to the Brilliant Death duet transports us to a Vinalia on the verge of transformation and radiates with the electric power of love.

With her power over magic finally in hand, and her love for Cielo at last confessed, Teodora di Sangro should be on top of the world. But the country of Vinalia is in chaos as the dictator like Capo threatens to plunge them all into war and capture every strega in the land--including Teo and Cielo.

Teo knows she can't take down the Capo alone. She must convince a small band of streghe who have been hiding in plain sight to join her in the cause. But as she struggles to bring them together, she discovers a far deadlier enemy than the Capo has been hunting her all along. Now everyone--especially Cielo--is in danger. What lengths will Teo go to in order to unite her country and save the one she loves?

Costumes for Time Travelers

by A. R. Capetta

Calisto and Fawkes are drawn to each other for the first time, again, as they travel from when to when to take on a threat to all they hold dear in this lyrical and playful fantasy from award-winning author A. R. Capetta.

Anyone who has hiked through time knows the town of Pocket. It's the place travelers first reach after they stumble away from their hometime, passing through on their way to any other when. To Calisto, Pocket is home. They love their grandmother's shop, which is filled with clothes from every era that are used to make costumes for time travelers. Calisto has no intention of traveling--it's too dangerous. For Fawkes, traveling is life. He put on time boots when he was young and has been stumbling through eras ever since. When he floats into Pocket, Calisto meets him for the first time, though Fawkes has seen Calisto--in glimpses of what hasn't happened yet. He's also seen the villains chasing them both. Now Calisto and Fawkes must rush--from Shakespeare's London to ancient Crete to California on the eve of a millennium--to save Pocket, and travelers, from being erased. From the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The Heartbreak Bakery comes a fairy-tale romance that weaves in and out of time, from kiss to kiss and costume to costume.

For the Rest of Us 13 Festive Holiday Stories to Celebrate All Seasons

by Sonora Reyes, Kosoko Jackson, Preeti Chhibber, Abdi Nazemian, Katherine Locke, Cory McCarthy, A. R. Capetta, Natasha Díaz, Dahlia Adler, Candace Buford, Laura Pohl, Karuna Riazi, Aditi Khorana, Kelly Loy Gilbert

Fourteen acclaimed authors showcase the beautiful and diverse ways holidays are observed in this festive anthology. Keep the celebrations going all year long with this captivating and joyful read!

From Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de Los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it's clear that Americans don't just have one holiday. Edited by the esteemed Dahlia Adler and authored by creators who have lived these festive experiences firsthand, this joyful collection of stories shows that there isn't one way to experience a holiday.

With stories by:

Dahlia Adler, Sydney Taylor Honor winner of Going Bicoastal

Candace Buford, author of Good as Gold

A. R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy, authors of the Once & Future series

Preeti Chhibber, author of Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot

Natasha Díaz, award-winning author of Color Me In

Kelly Loy Gilbert, Stonewall Book Award winning author of Picture Us in the Light

Kosoko Jackson, USA Today bestselling author of The Forest Demands Its Due

Aditi Khorana, award-winning author of Mirror in the Sky

Katherine Locke, award-winning author of This Rebel Heart

Abdi Nazemian, Stonewall Book Award-winning author of Only This Beautiful Moment

Laura Pohl, New York Times bestselling author of The Grimrose Girls

Sonora Reyes, Pura Belpré Honor winner of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

Karuna Riazi, contributor to The Grimoire of Grim Fates

Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door

by A. R. Capetta

Magical puppies Hocus and Pocus have a new neighbor: Bye-Bye the dragon! Hocus is delighted, but Pocus is nervous about making friends--and about fire breath. A funny and affirming adventure.

On a walk around the neighborhood delivering potions with their magical family, puppies Hocus and Pocus discover that the wizard next door, Jade, has a new pet--a dragon named Bye-Bye. Hocus is excited! She loves making new friends and thinks Bye-Bye's wings and fire breath are cool. But Pocus is afraid. He already has five friends, which feels like a lot. Plus Bye-Bye might eat them! Right? When Hocus bounds into Bye-Bye's yard wanting to play, the dragon shies away, then chases her off. Could it be that Bye-Bye isn't scary--she's scared? How can the puppies help? Maybe if Hocus uses a potion to turn into a dragon temporarily, or if Pocus learns some friendly phrases in dragon language, it might help Bye-Bye open up. And it just might help Pocus feel braver, too. This charming series continues with another fun-filled and enchanted romp in a world where everyone can be their unique selves.

Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home

by A. R. Capetta

From award-winning author A. R. Capetta comes a new first-chapter-book series delivering plenty of puppies, magic, and charm.

Puppies Hocus and Pocus are still waiting to be adopted from the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets. Even though Hocus can see two minutes into the future and Pocus can turn bad feelings into bubbles (which he eats!), nobody seems to want them. This could be because the two keep causing mischief so they won't be separated. When Jinx the witch uses a "spell for home" potion to help a color-changing tortoise find his match, the puppies know what to do: sneak both their hairs into the mixture to ensure they get adopted together. But with these two, anything can happen--from a shrinking spell to giant bees! Can the puppies, along with Jinx and her young apprentices--witch Archer (he/him), wizard Ofelia (she/her), and warlock Tam (they/them)--fix the magical mess? And will they finally find a home, maybe even right under their noses? This adorable new series takes readers to a vibrant world full of magic, community, surprises, and welcoming homes.

Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities

by Maddi Gonzalez, Kekla Magoon, Eliot Schrefer, A. R. Capetta, David A. Robertson, Jenn Reese, Fran Wilde, Carlos Hernandez

In a thrilling follow-up to Tasting Light, ten best-selling and award-winning masters of the form use the possible--and the premise of hope--to explore how science and technology can reshape our world and defy assumptions.

At once a collection of hard science fiction for curious middle-graders and an antidote to despair in the face of dystopian uncertainty, these ten horizon-bending stories may seem unreal, but all follow the rules of physics and biology as we understand them today. These tales of space junk, multiverse navigation, an asteroid named Doomsday, and bees and marmots in space pulse with honesty and optimism. Whether home is a planet, a moon, a space station, or a fleet starship, relatable protagonists of different genders, classes, nationalities, ethnicities, and orientations face challenges--some harrowing, some hilarious--true to their moment in time and space. Brisk plots, resonant themes, and scientific rigor define these forward-facing stories by leading middle-grade authors. Taken together, the tales champion youth agency through characters who approach science in adventurous ways, underscoring that we are all, indeed, made of the same luminous stuff.

With stories by:
William Alexander * A. R. Capetta * Maddi Gonzalez * Carlos Hernandez * Kekla Magoon * Jenn Reese * David Robertson * Wade Roush * Eliot Schrefer * Fran Wilde