The River She Became Series: River & Salt #1 Published by Macmillan on April 23, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction / Love & Romance, Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Crime
Pages: 400
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Reading Challenges: 2026 Audiobook Challenge, All booksNo. 1 bestselling, Waterstones Prize-shortlisted author Emily Varga returns with a much-anticipated new YA romantasy novel, coming in 2026! A high-stakes, action-packed romantasy where a relic-hunter searches for an ancient fae object to restore the magic to her world, but must learn to trust her own powers - and her heart.
My mother told me magic used to pass freely between our land and the fae, like the current of the river that divided us.
Until the invaders came, and the wall erected, cutting us off from them.
And our crops died. Our people starved.
And magic leaked out of our country like the drip in the rotten board of a ship.
Nearly all our magic was gone.
All except mine.Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire - or so they think. By day, she catalogues the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret, trying to restore magic to her dying land.
When she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world, a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin. Even the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies isn't what he seems, and he is seeking the same lost relic as Yaseema: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen. To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But soon they face the greatest danger of all: losing their hearts to each other.
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.
This Book Fed Me Dangerous Fae and Emotional Damage
The River She Became feels like someone mixed cursed relic-hunting, dangerous fae politics, rebellion, and slow-burn romantic tension into one chaotic fantasy cocktail, and somehow made it impossible to put down.
Yaseema is exactly the kind of main character I love reading about: stubborn, clever, emotionally messy, and constantly making choices that had me both cheering and panicking for her. She’s forced to work within the same empire that’s destroying her homeland while secretly trying to reclaim stolen magical relics tied to her people’s history. That conflict gives the entire story this constant undercurrent of grief and anger. The world feels wounded, making everything feel heavier, even in the quieter moments.
And the second, the story crosses into the fae realm? The vibes become immaculate. Creepy forests, unsettling magic, political manipulation, ancient curses, terrifying creatures wrapped in beauty — the atmosphere in this book is genuinely so good. Emily Varga leans fully into the danger of the fae instead of making them feel soft or harmless, and I loved that.
Then there’s Kiyan, the emotionally unavailable fae captain carrying enough guilt and tension to fuel the entire book. The romance is very much built on distrust, reluctant alliances, and “I absolutely should not be falling for this person” energy, which made every tiny moment between them feel earned. It stays messy in the best way because neither character ever fully stops prioritizing their own people and goals over the relationship.
What surprised me most was how layered the story feels underneath all the romantic elements. The themes of stolen culture, exploitation, and reclaiming identity give the story real emotional weight without losing the fun of the adventure and political intrigue. One minute you’re getting dangerous court tension, the next you’re emotionally spiraling over the cost of survival.
Also, this book absolutely knows how to end on a note of emotional damage and betrayal. I reached the final chapters thinking I understood where things were going, only for Emily Varga to prove me wrong immediately.
If you love YA fantasy with dangerous fae courts, slow-burn tension, cursed magic, rebellion stories, morally complicated characters, and worlds that feel dark, alive, and constantly on the edge of collapse, The River She Became deserves a spot on your TBR immediately.
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