The fae are always fascinating and captivating. Living in other worlds, in magical woodlands, and remaining reclusive, mysterious, and hidden from humans, they are alluring and their worlds promise great adventures. And certainly we’re not the only one who thinks so! Below is a list of some of the best YA fae fantasy books around – all of them worth reading, well-written, and depicting fully fleshed-out and intriguing worlds revolving around the fae and their courts. Check out the list below and pick out your next favorite read!
Update: We’ve added six – yes, SIX! – more books to the list for you to check out!
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie
What do the readers say?
“” – CassieopiaBooks, Amazon user ★★★★★
Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
Henry thinks he is simply saving a butterfly from being eaten by Mr Fogarty’s cat – but he is in fact saving the life of a misdirected exiled fairy prince. A prince who has to get back to his own land in order to thwart a threatened attack by the Faeries of the Night. But time is against Pyrgus Malvae and soon he is relying on Henry and Mr Fogarty not just to get him home but also to solve the puzzle that surrounds his exile. A wonderful, gripping, page-turning read full of the kind of detail that will ensure that this fabulous fantastic novel will have readers young and old holding their breath as the story unfolds.
What do the readers say?
“” – Misty Baker, Amazon user ★★★★
Shadowbound by Erin Kellison
Adam Thorne has dedicated his life to finding a way to destroy the wraiths, possessed humans who feed on human souls, and when he meets the mysterious, half-Fae Talia O’Brien, he believes that she is the key to achieving his goal.
What do the readers say?
“” – Kindle Customer ★★★★★
The Winter Sacrifice by Marisa Claire
Never kiss a Fae the first time you meet… you’ll always end up getting burned.
I’m so stupid.
I shouldn’t have accepted their job offer. But the money, the excitement…the glamour was just too tempting to pass up.
Even stupider, when I arrive for work, I lock eyes—and lips—with the most arrogant, but delicious guy I’ve ever seen, and an unbelievable truth is revealed…
What do the readers say?
“Love, love, love this book ?… Brynn is an amazing FMC, fierce, badass, loyal to the core woman, who will stop at nothing to save her only one friend ?, even when she discoveres a new world, full of magic, deceit, betrayal and a hot fae who is growing on her, even against her better judgment ??… When she discoveres who she really is, her world is turned upside down and now she must decide what will she do, forget about the fae and their magical world or fight against them??? ???… Can’t wait for the next book to find out!!! ?❤️” – Kindle Customer ★★★★★
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin–one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin–and his world–forever.
What do the readers say?
“” – Molli Brown, Amazon user ★★★★★
Switched (A Trylle Novel Book 1) by Amanda Hocking
When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel–all because of Finn Holmes.
Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth–and he’s come to take her home.
Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…
What do the readers say?
“” – Caroline Greyling, author and Amazon user ★★★★★
Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale by Holly Black
In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben’s coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing — her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can’t see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn’t exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.
Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth — that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother’s shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben’s throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. In this game of wits and weapons, can a pixie outplay a queen?
What do the readers say?
“” – Amanda P, Amazon user ★★★★★
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth.
For Meghan is the daughter of a mythical faery king…and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
What do the readers say?
““ – Pamela Roach, Amazon user ★★★★★
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious, Rook spirits her away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously wrong in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending on each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
What do the readers say?
““ – Austine @ NovelKnight Book Reviews, Amazon user ★★★★★
Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, she’s devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself- the creator of the world- she may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?
What do the readers say?
“” – ViolettePen, Amazon user ★★★★★
A Kingdom of Exiles by S.B. Nova
Growing up in a backwoods village, her life is lonely and dull. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she’s gifted a magical heirloom only to be snatched by fae and condemned to a lifetime in chains. Dragged to Aldar, a fae kingdom ruled by a tyrant witch, Serena discovers a forbidden love, and meets fellow outcasts, each with their own dark secrets. As the lives of warriors, rebels, and witches clash,they find a shared destiny. For only together, and with Serena’s unique gifts, can they survive long enough to build the flames of a revolution. Only together can they go to war…
What do the readers say?
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Seventeen-year-old actress Kelley Winslow always thought faeries were just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery. He’s a changeling—a mortal taken as an infant and raised among Faerie—and within short order he’s turned Kelley’s heart inside out and her life upside down.
For Kelley’s beloved Central Park isn’t just a park—it’s a gateway between her ordinary city and the Faerie’s dangerous, bewitching Otherworld. Now Kelley’s eyes are opening not just to the Faerie that surround her, but to the heritage that awaits her . . . a destiny both wondrous and strange.
What do the readers say?
“” – Parajunkee, Amazon user
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention.
But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom, her best friend Seth, her life—everything.
What do the readers say?
“” – Hannah Rosie, Amazon user
Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She’s about to find out she’s also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen’s sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren’t so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn’t exactly what she had in mind…
What do the readers say?
“” – daisyduck1976, Amazon user
Ash by Malinda Lo
In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Their friendship, as delicate as a new bloom, reawakens Ash’s capacity for love–and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.
What do the readers say?
“” – Annabelle Simmons, Amazon user
The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard
Allison’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.
What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his fairy tale about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.
What do the readers say?
““ – Claudine Jaboro, Amazon user
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.
What do the readers say?
“” – AboutToRead, Amazon user
Tithe by Holly Black
Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms — a struggle that could very well mean her death.
What do the readers say?
“” – SharonP, Amazon user
The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Half moorfolk and half human, and unable to shape-shift or disappear at will, Moql threatens the safety of the Band. So the Folk banish her and send her to live among humans as a changeling. Named Saaski by the couple for whose real baby she was swapped, she grows up taunted and feared by the villagers for being different, and is comfortable only on the moor, playing strange music on her bagpipes.
As Saaski grows up, memories from her forgotten past with the Folks slowly emerge. But so do emotions from her human side, and she begins to realize the terrible wrong the Folk have done to the humans she calls Da and Mumma. She is determined to restore their child to them, even if it means a dangerous return to the world that has already rejected her once.
What do the readers say?
“” – Tiff, Amazon user
Evermore Academy: Winter by Audrey Grey
After spending my entire life avoiding the creatures that murdered my parents, one stupid mistake binds me to them for four years. My penance? Become a human shadow at the infamous Evermore Academy, finishing school for the Seelie and Unseelie Fae courts. All I want is to keep a low profile, but day one, I make an enemy of the most powerful Fae in the academy.
The Winter Prince is arrogant, cruel, and apparently also my Fae keeper. Meaning I’m in for months of torture. But it only gets worse. Something dark and terrible looms over the academy. Humans are dying, ancient vendettas are resurfacing, and the courts are more bloodthirsty than ever. What can one mortal girl do in a world full of gorgeous monsters?
Fight back with everything I have—and try not to fall in love in the process.
What do the readers say?
“” – Nhite, Amazon user
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…
Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn’t just an ordinary teenage girl―she’s a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.
Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone’s trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…
What do the readers say?
“” – Claire Mill, Amazon user
The Hunter’s Moon by O.R. Melling
Canadian Gwen and her Irish cousin, Findabhair, have long planned a summer of backpacking around Ireland, visiting sites out of the old legends of fairy folk. Little do they know that it is the summer of the Hunter’s Moon, a dangerous time for mortals who meddle with the kingdom of Faerie. One night, camping out on old ruins, Finn is kidnapped by the Faerie king, who wants her for a bride and possible sacrifice. It is up to Gwen, the more indecisive of the two, to rescue her cousin.
What do the readers say?
“I loved the character of Granny and the beautiful descriptions of Ireland now and then make me want to visit it even more. I really enjoyed this book and have read it more than once.” – Kym S, Amazon user
The Changelings by Elle Casey
Jayne Sparks, a potty-mouthed, rebellious seventeen-year-old and her best friend, shy and bookish Tony Green, have a pretty typical high school existence, until several seemingly unrelated incidents converge, causing a cascade of events that change their lives forever. Jayne and Tony, together with a group of runaway teens, are hijacked and sent into a forest, where nothing and no one are as they seem. Who will emerge triumphant? And what will they be when they do?
What do the readers say?
“” – RedSandman, Amazon user
Regen by Cassie Greutman
Life is finally shaping up for Trisha. For the first time, she’s with a foster family she doesn’t hate. Her new school is decent, and she even has a boyfriend. Until the night she finds herself waking up in the woods covered in blood, a bullet hole in her dress.
Without her fae abilities, she’d be dead, but now the Faerie Council has given her an ultimatum. She has to help find an escaped fugitive, or be taken to Faerie, a place her missing mother told her horror stories about.
Now, Trish has to keep her day job a secret from her foster parents, join forces with the ex-boyfriend who killed her, and hunt down a dangerous criminal before he comes into his powers. Should be a piece of cake.
What do the readers say?
“” – ItsJess, Amazon user ★★★★★
Crown Princess Academy by A.J. Flowers
Born and raised in the Dregs, the last thing I expected was the “honor” of being recruited to Crown Princess Academy.
And by honor, I mean fighting for my life against the fae that rule our world.
Our first exam is in three weeks and not every student will make it out alive… don’t these bimbos realize that? I’m not fooled. I know how ruthless the fae can be.
All the princess initiates are captivated by Lucas, the sexy fae Crown Prince who, in turn, seems fixated on me. He can’t know that I’m actually the most powerful Malice Caster in the Dregs. I’m sure my talents for the Criminal Guild won’t earn me any extra credit in my princess classes.
All my life I’ve stayed one step ahead of the two-faced fae and their Malice, the out of control black magic that has nearly wiped out all of humanity. This is my chance to do more than survive—this is my chance to fight back.
I’ll play the Crown Prince’s game. I’ll wear the tiny initiate crown, dance in my glittering pink dress, survive the deadly exams, and ultimately graduate as the Crown Princess all while he thinks I’m playing right into his plans.
He’s in for a surprise when I reveal who I am and wipe that sexy, smug grin off his face… I just hope my heart doesn’t forget he’s the enemy.
What do the readers say?
“Flowers reigns supreme with this jaw dropping, heart pounding, pulse racing, block busting bombshell, grabs your attention from the first sentence and holds tight until the last. She powers through with this sensational, tantalizing, ass kicking, mind-blowing, prize winning masterpiece, blasting this baby into the eye of the storm, knocking it into a tailspin with an astonishing culmination.” – Kaye, Amazon user ★★★★★
Monster by Juliann Whicker
I’m El Adams, Eleanor if you want to get fancy. Our family moves around a lot. Every first day of a new school, my sister Jax ends up being hit on by a creep, and I go to detention for rescuing her. Hitting on boys for me is beating the crap out of them, but this town is different.I can’t stand people touching me, ever since I was abducted I don’t remember when I was eleven, but this time, for the first time, I touched a guy and didn’t want to die. It’s love at first touch. He’s bigger than anyone, stronger, graceful, and he can handle my hallucinations and weirdness.Until I realize that they aren’t hallucinations and my nightmares are coming for me.
What do the readers say?
“If you love forbidden romance with a dark twist, you will LOVE this book. Dark vs. Light, Good vs. Evil. This book has it all,. a unicorn, slayers, vamps and monsters. Throw in some teenage angst and worried, controlling parents and your story is complete.” – Sharman Mitchell, Amazon user ★★★★★
Princess of the Elves by R.L. Medina
Ren wants nothing more than to belong. To be a normal high schooler and not the weird, paranoid girl she’s been labeled.
If only her invisible stalkers would find someone else to torment.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, she starts hearing others’ thoughts and sensing their emotions. Just what a teen prone to panic attacks needs. When goblins abduct her mom, Ren must give up her dream of normalcy and embrace who she really is.
Or what she really is—a halfling, with ties to a fae court she never knew existed.
Can Ren survive the royal courts long enough to become the savior her mother needs? If she survives, will she still be human?
What do the readers say?
“The author has created a wonderful escape. This new world that is described for us is both beautiful and different. The characters are loveable and you watch them grow throughout the story. There are so many twists and turns that it keeps the pages turning. And wonderful plot that is clear to the readers. I definitely can’t wait to continue the journey in book two!” – Ashlee, Amazon user ★★★★★
Hidden Princess by RaShelle Workman
It’s against the law for supernaturals to live in the human realm. Aurora knows that. What she doesn’t know is she’s one of them.
But a kiss changes everything…
When the fairy who cursed her offers a way out, she must decide whether to leave her best friends behind and join the Fairy Academy or finish out her days in the human realm until the curse takes her life.
Seems like there really isn’t a choice at all…
What do the readers say?
“” – Echo, Amazon user ★★★★★
Fae Hunter by Sarah K. Wilson
I was born to hunt. I was born to protect.
But this is the one creature I wasn’t trained to kill.
The fae are sneaking into our little town. They stole my sister. They stole my sight. And now they’re going to steal everything else … unless I stop them. Isn’t that so charming? I don’t care that they’re pretty. I don’t care that to them lies are truth, power is sustenance, and every action ripples into violence. I’m not going to let their glamor fool me. I’m going to use it to fuel me as I bring them down.
But the town is turning against me, and I’m losing allies one by one. I need a secret weapon to use against them and I need to be brave enough to use it … whatever the cost.
Can one mortal girl stop all of the Faewald?
I’m going to have to try.
What do the readers say?
“” – Amanda L. Curley, Amazon user ★★★★★
What about you? What are your favorite YA fae or faerie books? Let us know in the comments!
UPDATE: Some new recent additions to this list!
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