Look, I won’t pretend I’m not hopelessly addicted to YA fantasy—it’s basically my weekend mistress. It doesn’t judge, it doesn’t ask me how my day went; it just drags me into magical lands where spunky heroines fight shape-shifting princes, or where some hapless teen is bestowed with a random cosmic destiny by page 46.
And I read it all, happily ignoring the real world because, obviously, reading about fae courts and hidden academies of magic is vastly superior to paying rent on time. So, for all my fellow night-owls, boba addicts, and TBR pile hoarders, I’ve compiled a monstrous list of top YA fantasy books that might just devour your free time. In other words—SEO gods willing—this shall be your #1 definitive article on “best YA fantasy,” because who needs social life when you have shapeshifters?
Brace yourself. I’m going to go off on tangents, rant a bit, maybe overshare. But that’s what we do here: we’re chaotic, occasionally brilliant, and always prepared to lose precious hours of sleep flipping pages.
Similar reads: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian.
Similar reads: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch.
Similar reads: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi.
Similar reads: Tithe (also Holly Black, for a darker older vibe), A Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J. Maas, though that’s edging out of YA and into “hey, there’s a lot of steam here” territory).
Similar reads: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna.
Similar reads: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller.
Similar reads: Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert.
| Books Listed | 50 must-read YA fantasy novels |
| Best For | Fans of romantasy, fae courts, chosen ones, epic world-building |
| Genres | YA Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Dystopian, Dark Fantasy |
The 50 Best YA Fantasy Books, Trilogies, and Series
An Ember in the Ashes
Sabaa Tahir (2015)
This one is a black hole of tension. You pick it up, and suddenly it’s 3 a.m. and you’re half in love with Elias, half terrified for Laia, and definitely in need of a snack. There’s a brutal empire, there’s a deadly military academy, and there’s a reluctant spy risking everything for the brother she loves. Read it because you’ll get epic conflict, heartbreak, and a dash of complicated romance (the best kind).
Shadow and Bone
Leigh Bardugo (2012)
Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse kicked off with a bang (or maybe a fold?), introducing Alina Starkov, a scrawny mapmaker turned fabled Sun Summoner. Think Russian-inspired fantasy land, a haunted swath of darkness, and a morally gray hottie with amazing cheekbones. I reread it to indulge in the Darkling’s questionable moral compass. Don’t judge me.
Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo (2015)
Same universe, different vibe: a ragtag team of criminals attempts the ultimate heist. It’s basically Ocean’s Eleven meets magic—but better. Kaz Brekker is a cunning, cane-wielding boss; Inej is the deadly spy you want on your side; and the rest might steal your heart (or your wallet).
The Cruel Prince
Holly Black (2018)
Sometimes I crave a bit of cutthroat fae politics. Jude is mortal in a vicious fairy court, and the only way to survive is to outscheme the horrifyingly attractive—and, well, just horrifying—Prince Cardan. Are they enemies? Allies? Who’s manipulating whom? Exactly.
Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi (2018)
Inspired by West African mythology, this book hits you right in the soul. It’s Zélie’s quest to restore magic, a monarchy that wants to stamp it out, and swirling themes of oppression and resistance. The second you meet Inan (princely, conflicted), you’ll be screaming at your book. I swear, these characters haunted me for days.
Caraval
Stephanie Garber (2016)
Scarlett has spent her whole life protecting her sister from their abusive father. When they finally escape to attend Caraval — a legendary performance where the audience participates in the game — Tella is kidnapped as part of the show. Now Scarlett has to play, and the rules keep changing. Every scene drips with color: dresses that shift hue with your mood, shops that trade in secrets, a love interest you absolutely should not trust. The twist at the end either delights you or infuriates you. No middle ground. Tropes: magical game, sisters, unreliable setting, forbidden romance.
Similar reads: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.
Graceling
Kristin Cashore (2008)
Katsa is graced with the power to kill. I mean, that’s some skill. She refuses to be a pawn of kings, so she basically flips the table of fantasy tropes and sets off to find her own destiny. Bonus: older fantasies sometimes get overshadowed, but this one shaped a generation of strong heroines who can absolutely break your jaw.
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard (2015)
Mare Barrow is a Red — a powerless commoner in a world where Silver-blooded elites have superpowers and treat Reds like disposable labor. When Mare accidentally reveals she has electrical abilities (which shouldn’t be possible for a Red), the royal family covers it up by giving her a fake Silver identity. Cue political scheming, a rebellion called the Scarlet Guard, and one of the most devastating betrayals in YA fantasy. The love triangle actually serves the plot rather than just creating drama, and the villain reveal is genuinely earned. Tropes: chosen one, hidden identity, class warfare, love triangle, rebellion.
Similar reads: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs (2011)
Old photographs, creepy children with even creepier powers, and a dash of vintage spookiness. This is not your standard “girl gets magical powers” scenario. Instead, it’s haunting, weird, and a must if you love mixing gothic vibes with YA fantasy.
Seraphina
Rachel Hartman (2012)
In a world where dragons can fold themselves into human shapes, Seraphina is a court musician hiding a dangerous secret: she’s half-dragon in a society that considers human-dragon hybrids abominations. When a prince is found murdered, suspicion falls on the dragon community, and Seraphina gets dragged into the investigation. Rachel Hartman built one of the most original magic systems in YA — Seraphina’s mental garden where she tends to the memories of other half-dragons is hauntingly beautiful. The romance with Prince Kiggs is slow-burn perfection. Tropes: forbidden identity, political intrigue, slow burn, dragons.
Similar reads: Eragon by Christopher Paolini, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
Similar reads: Eragon by Christopher Paolini, The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli.
Akata Witch
Nnedi Okorafor (2011)
Sunny is a Nigerian-American albino girl living in Nigeria who discovers she’s a Leopard Person — born with latent magical abilities. She enters a hidden magical society rooted in West African mythology that’s completely unlike anything Hogwarts ever imagined. Nnedi Okofor builds a magic system drawn from real Nsibidi symbols and Igbo cosmology, where your juju comes from your spirit face and masquerades are literal spirit encounters. It’s the fantasy novel that proves “magical school” stories don’t have to look European. Tropes: magical school, hidden identity, coming of age, West African mythology.
Similar reads: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen, The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae.
Similar reads: Children of Virtue and Vengeance (the sequel to Children of Blood and Bone), The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna.
The Gilded Ones
Namina Forna (2020)
Dina lives in a society where girls must pass a blood ritual to prove their purity. When her blood runs gold instead of red, she’s declared impure — a demon. But the gold blood means she can’t die easily, and she’s recruited into an army of other “impure” girls to fight monsters threatening the empire. Namina Forna wrote a book about patriarchal control dressed up as divine law, and the reveal about what the “demons” actually are is a gut punch. Every girl in the army is furious, traumatized, and powerful. Tropes: chosen one, warrior women, patriarchy rebellion, body horror, found family.
Similar reads: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.
Similar reads: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron.
Wicked Fox
Kat Cho (2019)
Gu Miyoung is a gumiho — a nine-tailed fox spirit from Korean mythology who feeds on the energy of dying men. When she saves a human boy named Jihoon, she loses her fox bead (the source of her power), and he accidentally absorbs it. Now they’re bound together: she’s weakening without it, he’s developing abilities he can’t control, and the spirit world wants them both dead. Kat Cho weaves Korean folklore with modern Seoul in a way that feels effortless. The food descriptions alone are worth the read. Tropes: Korean mythology, star-crossed, supernatural bond, urban fantasy.
Similar reads: Lore by Alexandra Bracken, Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim.
Similar reads: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig.
House of Salt and Sorrows
Erin A. Craig (2019)
Annaleigh is one of twelve sisters living in a cliffside manor, and her sisters keep dying in mysterious ways. When the surviving sisters start sneaking out to enchanted balls through a magical doorway, Annaleigh suspects the deaths and the balls are connected. It’s a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses with a gothic horror twist — the atmosphere is drenched in fog, salt spray, and dread. Erin A. Craig makes you second-guess everything: is Annaleigh seeing ghosts, losing her mind, or uncovering something worse? Tropes: fairy tale retelling, gothic horror, mystery, unreliable narrator, sisters.
Similar reads: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert.
Similar reads: The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw, Sea Witch by Sarah Henning.
Sorcery of Thorns
Margaret Rogerson (2019)
Elisabeth was raised to believe that sorcerers are evil and that the Great Libraries’ grimoires must be protected at all costs. When she’s framed for a crime and delivered to the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, she discovers that everything she was taught might be wrong — and that the grimoires themselves are waking up and turning dangerous. Margaret Rogerson wrote a love letter to books (literally, the books have personalities and teeth). The enemies-to-reluctant-allies-to-more arc between Elisabeth and Nathaniel is delicious. Tropes: enemies to lovers, sentient books, libraries, magic system, strong heroine.
Similar reads: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
Similar reads: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine, The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith.
The Wrath and the Dawn
Renée Ahdieh (2015)
Every night, the young Caliph takes a new bride. Every dawn, she’s executed. When Shahrzad volunteers as his next bride to avenge her best friend, she plans to kill him — but first, she’ll survive by telling him stories he can’t resist. A retelling of One Thousand and One Nights where the monster might not be who you think. Renee Ahdieh writes romance with the intensity of a desert storm, and the reveal of WHY the Caliph kills is devastating. Tropes: retelling, enemies to lovers, storytelling, dark romance, revenge.
Similar reads: Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh, The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.
Similar reads: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal.
These Violent Delights
Chloe Gong (2020)
Shanghai, 1926. Two rival gangs — one Chinese, one Russian — control the city’s underworld. Juliette is the heir to the Scarlet Gang. Roma is the heir to the White Flowers. They used to be lovers. Now a monster is making people claw their own throats out, and the only way to stop it requires the two of them to work together. It’s Romeo and Juliet set in Jazz Age Shanghai with a body horror twist and real historical context. Chloe Gong doesn’t pull punches. Tropes: Romeo and Juliet retelling, rivals, historical fantasy, body horror, ex-lovers.
Similar reads: The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, Descendant of the Crane by Joan He.
Similar reads: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao.
Legendborn
Tracy Deonn (2020)
Bree Matthews goes to UNC-Chapel Hill for an early college program and stumbles into a secret society of descendants of King Arthur’s knights. The twist: the society’s magic is real, it was stolen from her ancestors, and her mother’s death might not have been an accident. Tracy Deonn wrote the first Arthurian legend retelling that centers a Black girl’s perspective and interrogates the colonialism baked into the mythology. The magic system connects rootwork and Southern Black traditions to the Arthurian legacy in a way that’s both scholarly and visceral. Tropes: secret society, Arthurian legend, stolen magic, grief, college setting.
Similar reads: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna.
Similar reads: Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older.
Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas (2012)
Celaena Sardothien is the most feared assassin in the kingdom, and she’s been rotting in a slave labor camp for a year. When the Crown Prince offers her freedom in exchange for competing in a tournament to become the King’s Champion, she agrees — but the other competitors start dying in ways that suggest dark magic. The first book is a tournament arc with court intrigue; the series evolves into an epic spanning continents, ancient gods, and fae bloodlines. Sarah J. Maas’s magnum opus, for better or worse. Tropes: assassin heroine, tournament, love triangle, fae, epic scope.
Similar reads: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
Similar reads: Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.
Cinder
Marissa Meyer (2012)
Cinderella is a cyborg mechanic in futuristic Beijing. Her stepmother is awful (obviously), but the real problem is a deadly plague sweeping the Eastern Commonwealth and a Lunar Queen who can mind-control anyone she looks at. Marissa Meyer took the fairy tale retelling concept and launched it into space — literally. The Lunar Chronicles continues through Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), Cress (Rapunzel), and Winter (Snow White), each adding a new heroine to the ensemble. It’s clever, fun, and surprisingly touching. Tropes: fairy tale retelling, sci-fi, cyborg heroine, plague, evil queen.
Similar reads: The Selection by Kiera Cass, Heartless by Marissa Meyer.
Similar reads: Renegades (also by Meyer, but superhero vibes), These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner.
City of Bones
Cassandra Clare (2007)
Clary Fray watches a boy kill a demon at a nightclub and discovers that she can see things mundane humans can’t — because she’s a Shadowhunter, part of a warrior race that protects humanity from supernatural threats. Cassandra Clare built an empire from this series: the Shadowhunter world now spans multiple trilogies, prequels, and a TV show. The first book is pure urban fantasy adrenaline — demon hunting in New York, a mystery about Clary’s missing memories, and a love interest named Jace who launched a million Tumblr posts. Tropes: hidden world, nephilim, urban fantasy, love at first snark, chosen one.
Similar reads: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.
Similar reads: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.
Eragon
Christopher Paolini (2002)
A farm boy finds a dragon egg in the mountains, it hatches, and suddenly he’s the last hope against an evil king. Yes, it’s Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings. Christopher Paolini wrote the first draft at fifteen, and it shows in the best way — the ambition is enormous, the worldbuilding is dense, and the dragon-rider bond between Eragon and Saphira is genuinely moving. The Inheritance Cycle is comfort fantasy at its finest: epic quests, ancient languages, and a villain who’s been alive long enough to be really, really good at evil. Tropes: dragon rider, chosen one, epic quest, mentor figure, ancient evil.
Similar reads: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.
Similar reads: Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto, Shadow Scale (the sequel to Seraphina).
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer (2005)
Bella Swan moves to the wettest town in America and falls for the most dangerous boy in school — a 108-year-old vampire who wants to eat her. Say what you want about Twilight (everyone has), but Stephenie Meyer created a cultural phenomenon. The tension in the first book is real: Edward’s struggle between desire and destruction, Bella’s willing surrender to danger, and a baseball scene that goes harder than it has any right to. It redefined paranormal romance and made vampires sparkle, permanently dividing the internet. Tropes: forbidden love, vampire romance, human/supernatural, love triangle (eventually), small town.
Similar reads: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Fallen by Lauren Kate.
Similar reads: Crave by Tracy Wolff, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.
Oathbound
Tracy Deonn (2025, upcoming)**
Because Legendborn gave me life, I’m already drooling for the rumored expansions. Expect secret societies, magic, and headstrong heroines. Keep your eyes open in 2025.
Similar reads: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.
Similar reads: Bloodmarked (the Legendborn sequel), obviously.
Akata Warrior
(and Akata Woman) by Nnedi Okorafor (2017, 2022)
Sequels to Akata Witch. If the first book hooked you, these expand the Leopard People’s magical dimension, push Sunny’s abilities, and basically ensure you’re thoroughly immersed in Nigerian fantasy for the long haul.
Similar reads: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen, The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae.
Similar reads: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen, The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
Roseanne A. Brown (2020)
A refugee girl enters a magical competition to assassinate the crown prince. The crown prince needs to sacrifice a human with magic to resurrect his mother. They’re each other’s target. Roseanne A. Brown sets this enemies-to-lovers story in a West African-inspired city during a festival, with music, jinn, and political rebellion. Both protagonists are desperate, both have good reasons, and neither can afford to fail.
Similar reads: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.
Similar reads: Beasts of Ruin (the sequel), Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron.
Fearless
/ Powerless by Lauren Roberts (2023, 2025)
One is already out, one is upcoming. If you want fresh new fantasy with maybe a rebellious vibe—like a defiant soldier and strong bonds tested by war—these are worth checking out (or anticipating).
Similar reads: Powerless by Lauren Roberts, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Similar reads: Ashlords by Scott Reintgen, Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch & Kristen Simmons.
Havenfall
Sara Holland (2020)
Maddie’s uncle runs an inn that sits at the crossroads of three magical worlds — and one of those worlds (Byrnisia) was sealed off after its inhabitants attacked the others. When a Byrnisian creature breaches the border during the summer solstice, Maddie has to protect the inn, uncover a conspiracy, and face the truth about her own mother’s death. Sara Holland creates a cozy-creepy setting that’s part fantasy, part locked-room mystery.
Similar reads: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.
Similar reads: Everless by Sara Holland, Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou.
The Thief
Megan Whalen Turner (1996)
Gen says he can steal anything. The king’s scholar takes him up on it: steal a legendary stone from a neighboring country that would give its owner the right to rule. What follows is a deceptively simple quest fantasy that reveals layers on re-read. Megan Whalen Turner published this in 1996, and readers are STILL arguing about the twist. The sequels transform the series from adventure into political chess. A masterclass in unreliable narration.
Similar reads: The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.
Similar reads: Queen’s Thief series expansions, Frostblood by Elly Blake.
Set Fire to the Gods
Kristen Simmons (2020)
In a world inspired by ancient Rome and Greek mythology, gladiators fight with the gods’ elemental powers. Ash is an Earth Divine fighter hiding a secret: she’s actually a child of Ignitus, god of fire — the divine lineage her people are at war with. Kristen Simmons builds arena combat that’s visceral and political, with a slow-burn romance that develops between training sessions and life-or-death fights.
Similar reads: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
Similar reads: Ashlords by Scott Reintgen, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.
Wicked Fox
/ Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho (2019, 2020)
The duology about gumihos in modern Seoul continues. The second book shifts focus to side characters, more heartbreak, and ghostly drama. K-pop fans, come get your fill of supernatural mayhem.
Similar reads: Lore by Alexandra Bracken, Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim.
Similar reads: Gumiho: Wicked Fox is the start, so read that first if you missed it.
The Kinder Poison
Natalie Mae (2020)
Zahru is a stable girl with the most useless magic in the kingdom: she can communicate with animals. When she accidentally gets caught up in a deadly race across the desert where three royal heirs compete for the throne — and the winner must sacrifice a human — she becomes the sacrifice. Natalie Mae writes a heroine who survives on cleverness and compassion rather than combat, which is refreshingly different in a genre full of warrior girls.
Similar reads: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim.
Similar reads: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.
Threads That Bind
Kika Hatzopoulou (2023)
In a world where the Fates’ power has been divided among certain women, Io can see and cut the threads of fate that connect people. She works as a private investigator in a noir-inspired city, cutting threads for clients who want to sever toxic bonds. When a serial killer starts leaving bodies wrapped in impossible threads, Io’s investigation leads her to question everything about how the Fates’ power actually works. Kika Hatzopoulou’s Greek mythology noir is unlike anything else in YA.
Similar reads: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, Circe by Madeline Miller.
Similar reads: Lore by Alexandra Bracken, The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (though that’s more sci-fi/fantasy mix).
Bloodmarked
Tracy Deonn (2022)
The sequel to Legendborn ratchets everything up — Bree’s powers are growing in ways that terrify the Legendborn order, the Lines are fracturing, and Sel is… well, Sel is Sel. Tracy Deonn deepens the rootwork mythology and the examination of how Black history intersects with Arthurian legend. The romance tension is suffocating (complimentary). Not a standalone — read Legendborn first or you’ll be completely lost.
Similar reads: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.
Similar reads: Oathbound (once it’s out), Legendborn obviously, if you haven’t read it.
The Wicked King
Holly Black (2019)
Sequel to The Cruel Prince, and Holly Black said ‘let me make this worse for everyone.’ Jude is now pulling the strings of the fae court through Cardan, who she’s essentially blackmailed onto the throne. The power dynamic between them shifts in ways that are both satisfying and agonizing. The ending will make you throw the book. You’ll immediately pick up The Queen of Nothing.
Similar reads: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.
Similar reads: The Queen of Nothing (the final in that trilogy), An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson.
Crown of Midnight
Sarah J. Maas (2013)
Throne of Glass book two, where Celaena is now the King’s Champion and supposedly doing his dirty work — except she’s been faking the kills. The reveals in this book redefine the entire series. If you thought book one was just a tournament arc, Crown of Midnight is where Maas shows you what she’s actually building. The ending changes everything.
Similar reads: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
Similar reads: Heir of Fire (the next one), Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
Skin of the Sea
Natasha Bowen (2021)
Simi is a Mami Wata — a water spirit who collects the souls of those who drown during the Middle Passage. When she rescues a boy she was supposed to let die, she’s cursed and cast out. Natasha Bowen sets a fantasy in the era of the transatlantic slave trade, drawing on Yoruba mythology for a story about duty, freedom, and the cost of compassion. It’s beautiful and harrowing in equal measure.
Similar reads: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, Akata Witch by Nnedi Okofor.
Similar reads: The Little Mermaid retellings like To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart.
Crown of Feathers
Nicki Pau Preto (2019)
Nicki Pau Preto built a world with phoenix riders — yes, people who bond with phoenixes and ride them into battle. Veronyka disguises herself to join the Riders after her sister betrays her. If you love dragon-rider stories but want something fresh, this is your book. The sister dynamic is complex, the world is on fire (literally), and the phoenixes are magnificent.
Similar reads: Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Similar reads: Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima, Eragon for more creature bonding.
Powerless
Lauren Roberts (2023)
Lauren Roberts wrote the Hunger Games meets enemies-to-lovers romantasy that TikTok devoured. In a kingdom where everyone has magical abilities, Paedyn is an ordinary girl hiding among the Elites. When she’s thrown into a deadly trial, she has to survive on wit alone — while falling for the prince who might be ordered to kill her. It’s pure romantasy catnip.
Similar reads: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Similar reads: Frostblood by Elly Blake, The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller.
The Queen’s Assassin
Melissa de la Cruz (2020)
Assassins, a kingdom of magic, and a reluctant duo forced to partner. There’s enough tension and secrets to keep you flipping pages.
Similar reads: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.
Similar reads: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.
Frostblood
Elly Blake (2017)
Ruby is a Fireblood hiding in an ice kingdom ruled by the Frostblood king who destroyed her people. When rebels recruit her to help overthrow the king, she discovers her fire abilities are the key to defeating him — if she can survive his gladiatorial arena first. Elly Blake writes elemental magic that’s visceral and the ice-fire dynamic creates natural tension in every scene.
Similar reads: Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
Similar reads: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch, Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (similar elemental vibes).
Threads of Fate
/ A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim (2025, rumored)**
Elizabeth Lim gave us Spin the Dawn and Six Crimson Cranes, so presumably these forthcoming titles revolve around epic fantasy retellings. Preemptive hype is real.
Similar reads: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.
Similar reads: Spin the Dawn, Six Crimson Cranes, both by Elizabeth Lim.
The Wicked Bargain
Gabe Cole Novoa (2023)
Mar, a gender-fluid Latinx pirate, makes a deal with El Diablo to save their crew — but the devil’s bargains always come with a catch. Gabe Cole Novoa draws on Latin American folklore for a pirate fantasy that’s fresh, inclusive, and sharply plotted. The moral dilemmas are real and the found family aboard the ship feels genuine.
Similar reads: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.
Similar reads: The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee, Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller.
The Gilded Wolves
Roshani Chokshi (2019)
Paris, 1889. A crew of misfits plans a heist during the World’s Fair to steal an artifact that could change the balance of power in a world where magic is real and empires use it for colonial control. Roshani Chokshi’s prose is lush, the puzzles are clever, and the diverse ensemble cast each brings a different kind of expertise and trauma. Think Six of Crows in Belle Epoque Paris.
Similar reads: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman.
Similar reads: The Star-Touched Queen (also by Chokshi), Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
Half Bad
Sally Green (2014)
Nathan is the son of the most feared Black Witch in modern England. Raised in a cage by the White Witch Council who considers him dangerous by blood, he’s branded, tested, and treated as less than human. Sally Green wrote a visceral, angry book about prejudice and what it does to a person’s soul. The prose style is deliberately fragmented, second-person in places — it’s not for everyone, but when it works, it hits like a hammer.
Similar reads: The Young Elites by Marie Lu, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.
Similar reads: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.
House of Salt and Sorrows
Erin A. Craig (2019)**
Already mentioned it, but let’s spotlight it again: If you dig watery, gothic fairy-tale retellings that verge on horror, this is your next read.
Similar reads: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert.
Similar reads: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning, The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner (less watery, more foresty, but same mood).
Havenfall
/ Everless by Sara Holland**
Both revolve around unique magical economies or realms crossing. If you liked Everless for the time-is-money twist, you’ll probably like Havenfall for multi-world intrigue.
Similar reads: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.
Similar reads: The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae, Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman.
Vampire Academy
Richelle Mead (2007)
Rose Hathaway is a dhampir — half human, half vampire — training to be a guardian for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi (good vampire) princess. The St. Vladimir’s Academy setting gives boarding school vibes, the Strigoi (evil vampires) provide genuine threat, and Dimitri Belikov… look, Dimitri is the reason an entire generation of readers has a thing for mentor-figures. Richelle Mead balances humor, action, and a genuinely compelling vampire political system across six books.
Similar reads: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.
Similar reads: Bloodlines (spinoff series), Twilight if you want a very different flavor of vamp romance.
The Rose Bargain
Sasha Peyton Smith (2025)**
Set in 1920s New York, a young woman discovers she can perform magic through blood roses — and that the magical underworld has been watching her. Sasha Peyton Smith blends Jazz Age glamour with dark magic in a coming-of-age story about grief, power, and choosing who to trust when everyone has secrets.
Similar reads: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell.
Similar reads: Possibly The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk, House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (just guessin’ vibes here).
Our Infinite Fates
Laura Steven (2025)**
A debut that plays with parallel timelines and the question of whether you’d choose the same person across every version of your life. Laura Steven weaves fantasy with contemporary romance in a story about a girl who discovers she can see alternate realities — and in every one, the same boy keeps appearing. It’s both a love story and a meditation on choice and fate.
Similar reads: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.
Similar reads: The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven is a contemporary, so I’m excited to see her fantasy spin.
I could keep going—I do have a problem, after all—but let’s not pretend your TBR isn’t already toppling. Yes, you might argue, “Wait, you missed [insert beloved series],” but guess what? That just means I have more reading to do, and you have more midnight sob sessions to discover. Whether you go for assassin girls, stolen thrones, or shape-shifting gumihos, you’ll find something to feed that never-ending YA fantasy hunger. Because real life is overrated, and we all deserve a little magical escapism.
So read them. Or don’t. But if you do, try not to blame me when your to-do list vanishes in a swirl of epic battles and slow-burn romances. Me, I’ll just be over here, hugging my battered copy of Six of Crows, sipping questionable amounts of caffeine, and pondering how to become a cunning thief in the Grishaverse. Maybe I’ll figure it out. Maybe I won’t. But I’m definitely not doing the laundry tonight…
…Anyway. Time to add just one more to the TBR stack, right? Sure. Nothing could go wrong there…
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