Young Adult Fantasy Novels To Take You Far, Far Away

As the thirteenth child in her family, Hazel is promised to Merric, Death himself. As her godfather, Merric has plans for her to become a renowned healer, even gifting her the ability to instantly know the cure for any ailment.

However, because of her connection to Death, Hazel is also tasked with ending the suffering of those he's marked to die. Eventually, she becomes entangled with the royal court, where her loyalty to Death is challenged by her own heart.

Another Gothic addition to this list—and also yet another retelling, this time of a Grimm tale—but perhaps a bit darker than my usual tastes. There's something a little more raw about The Thirteenth Child, and it probably has to do with how much Death truly permeates this novel. Most of the focus is on Hazel herself, exploring how her role in this world affects her and her outlook on life, which lends the narrative vulnerability.

There's a sense of found family in this book as well, and once Prince Leopold enters the picture, we get one of my favorite kinds of characters: playboy princes! 

While not for the faint of heart, this world of deities, curses, and trying to heal a broken kingdom is a great pick for those who like something a little deeper.

Long before they were driven from their home, the Illustrians referred to Ximena as their Condesa. Little do they know she’s been the decoy Condesa since childhood, protecting the real one who remains close at hand. Thus, when the Condesa's hand in marriage is demanded by their sworn enemy, Ximena begrudgingly accepts the deal. 

While within enemy territory, she must build her revolution to reclaim her home, hiding messages in the tapestries she magically weaves from moonlight. But the more time she spends there, the more she realizes that perhaps violence isn't the only answer.

There's something comforting about this book, which is weird to say, considering the subject matter. I started reading Woven in Moonlight while at the library, so perhaps being surrounded by other books helped me settle into the world, but I was also fascinated by the political undertones and subtle magical elements. While not the most overtly fantastical on this list, there was enough wonder to keep me turning pages.

Fearsome gang leader Kaz Brekker receives an offer to pull off a daring rescue in exchange for millions of kruge. Unable to resist the allure of so much money, he gathers five others to assist him.

Unfortunately for him, there is more to this heist than he was led to believe, and that information may just cost him and his crew everything.

Although this young adult fantasy duology is in the same universe as Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy, no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy it—at least, I was able to read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom just fine without having finished the preceding books.

If you enjoy morally gray characters or even just a good romp with criminal masterminds, this will be the book for you. Of course, I'd be remiss to mention the found family aspects of this novel, because even though every character claims not to care about the others… you can tell they're all lying.

While the world tries to survive the letumosis pandemic ravaging the world, Linh Cinder is trying to survive the streets of New Beijing and her cruel stepmother. She's the most skilled mechanic in the city, and yet her status as a cyborg renders her despised by almost everyone she meets.

Yet just when she thinks her life can't get any worse, she discovers a secret that could save her country—and, most importantly, Prince Kaito—from the evil Queen Levana.

Having included two of her books, you can probably tell Marissa Meyer is one of my all-time favorite fantasy authors—and The Lunar Chronicles is one of my all-time favorite fantasy series.

A sci-fi fantasy retelling of Cinderella is probably the last thing you'd expect, and that’s perhaps why I love it so much. Meyer managed to intertwine a fairytale into a futuristic world, all with clever references to the Cinderella tale we've all encountered a dozen times.

This is one of the best YA fantasy novels, in my entirely biased opinion, and after a decade of rereading, a movie adaptation is finally on the way, and I can’t wait!

Percy Jackson is a "troubled kid”. He's been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, expelled from every school he's attended, and worst of all, he's vaporized his pre-algebra teacher with a pen that turned into a sword…

As it turns out, he's the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and for some reason, he's been accused of stealing Zeus's most prized weapon. Now he's being pursued by gods and monsters alike, and has to clear his name and stop a war from breaking out. It should be easy for a twelve-year-old demigod who’s only just found out that the Greek pantheon exists!

Percy Jackson is practically a household name these days, especially with the new Disney+ television series, which just released its second season. That said, I still think the entirety of the PJO universe is practically a cornerstone of young adult fantasy books, with one of the funniest male protagonists around. Not everyone can pull off the raw sarcasm that Riordan does, and even though I'm much older than Percy now, I still find him to be one of the funniest preteens ever.

If you like the first book, you're sure to like the rest, and, if you're like me, you'll keep returning to Percy's world to visit the chosen one who helped foster a love of the Greek pantheon and its stories. He's always there to provide some comfort, and maybe even a good laugh!