Judging books by their covers, 23

Just want to share some books whose covers I love! Once every 4 weeks, I'll post 4 books and super short synopses of books whose covers catch my eye.

1. The Pirate Queen: A Novel by Ariel Lawhon (Doubleday, 2026): A sweeping historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish folk heroine who risked everything to defend her people.
2. Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books, 2026): The highly anticipated, explosive conclusion to the Ninth House trilogy.
3. Turncloak by L.K. Steven (Del Rey, 2026): Three rival mages race for power, vengeance, and the fate of Atherin in the epic second installment of the Silvercloak Saga.
4. American Hagwon: A Novel by Min Jin Lee (Cardinal, 2026): An unforgettable, panoramic novel where the smallest of gestures can have enormous repercussions, where the bonds of family and of memory twist and fray but rarely break, and where willful self-sacrifice—for the benefit of loved ones and even strangers—is a kind of prayer.