Adolescence is one of life’s stormiest seasons. Your body changes, friends start acting differently, and the shadow of adulthood looms in the distance. Everyone needs an anchor to help them weather these years, and for me, that anchor was the enormous pile of fantasy books perched perennially on my desk.
Fantasy is a robust genre, and young-adult fantasy is even more so. As someone who part-times as a paraprofessional at a middle school, I can confidently say that YA Fantasy is doing better than ever. It’s hard to count the number of “teen fantasy” books out right now; it’s even harder to narrow down which ones are the best.
Young adults are still adults, even if most “real” adults disagree
Uninformed onlookers have a nasty habit of dismissing fantasy, especially fantasy written for young adults, as shallow escapism. However, fantasy can be an excellent teaching tool when written well. Challenging fantasy enables young readers to see the world from new perspectives, allowing them to engage with challenging subjects personally and gain new insight into the world they return to when they put their books down.
I spent most of middle and high school with my nose in a fantasy book, and I’ve tried to keep reading YA fantasy literature as an adult to stave off becoming a fantasy lit-boomer. Here are the ten best fantasy books for teen readers as of 2024.
10. The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae
The success of The Hunger Games proved young readers can’t help but gravitate towards books about children forced into life-or-death competitions. The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae is the first of many books on this list to do just that.
In the Kingdom of Orkena, the royal family’s heirs win the right to rule by competing in a deadly game that ends with one of them taking the life of a human sacrifice. Zahru, a witty young stable girl and animal whisperer forced to serve as the contest’s latest sacrifice, has no intention of dying. Unfortunately, survival depends on her ability to outwit all three of Orkena’s potential rulers. Maes’s wry prose knows how to find the comedy in an otherwise dark tale, and surprising revelations about the three heirs keep you on your toes from start to finish.
9. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
I can’t in good conscience recommend anything by George R. R. Martin to inexperienced teenage readers. However, I have reservations about doing the same for Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Mare Barrow’s a thief trying to make a living in a kingdom ruled by a decadent aristocracy of sorcerers. A series of unfortunate events ends with Mare getting engaged to one of the kingdom’s princes, forcing her to adapt to a life she’s always watched from afar or die trying.
Red Queen puts a unique spin on the game of political intrigue at the heart of so many great fantasy novels. Driven forward by a cast of active characters, Red Queen spins a captivating tale of romance and betrayal that teens will have difficulty putting down.
8. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
In recent years, the fantasy literature scene has seen a massive influx of BIPOC authors, and The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna proves why that’s a good thing. When sixteen-year-old Otera uses her innate magical powers to defend her village from deadly specters, she’s imprisoned and left to die. Released by an envoy of the ruling emperor who recruits her into the imperial army, Otera soon learns her country’s rulers aren’t as noble as people think.
Inspired by West African history and oral tradition, The Gilded Ones is a fiery tale set in one of the most immersive literary worlds I’ve ever experienced. Otera’s voice rings loud in every word of Forna’s prose, and the story she weaves touches on relevant themes, including the innate human desire for acceptance, the dangers of putting blind faith in tradition, and the value of self-determination.
7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
I’ve been a fan of Holly Black since I read The Spiderwick Chronicles in first grade, and the universal appeal of her work is on full display in The Cruel Prince. Jude Duarte, a human adopted by a decorated Fey general, has spent her life dodging the spiteful hexes of her human-hating peers. When a brother of her most hated rival gives her a chance to become one of the Royal Court’s spies, she accepts, ready to face any danger to prove she belongs among the Fey.
Black is an author who understands the Fey of European folklore are terrifying creatures: masters of magic who delight in inflicting harmful mischief on mortals. The Cruel Prince plays up this underrepresented aspect of the Fey, making it even more satisfying whenever Jude, one of my all-time favorite protagonists, outsmarts them.
6. Carry on by Rainbow Rowell
Harry Potter may have popularized the concept of a school for wizards, but Carry On by Rainbow Rowell gives this well-worn idea a coat of fresh paint. Simon Snow is the “Chosen One” of the magical world, destined to slay a magic-devouring beast known only as the Insidious Humdrum. However, after he agrees to help his long-time rival Basilton “Baz” Grimm-Pitch’s investigation of his mother’s death, Simon slowly starts questioning his destiny–and his sexuality.
Based on the Harry Potter spoof featured in Rowell’s Fangirl, Carry On weaves a captivating tale of queer discovery that isn’t afraid to challenge its source material. J.K. Rowling’s abhorrent stance on the transgender community has opened a serious discussion on the more problematic elements of Harry Potter’s writing and world-building, and Carry On deliberately deconstructs them to tell a story that celebrates and empowers the LGBTQ+ community.
5. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Asian history and mythology have inspired many of my favorite movies, television shows, and books. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim gave me another reason to appreciate it. Shiori’anma, crown princess of the kingdom of Kaita, loses her title and voice when her sorceress stepmother transforms her siblings into cranes and forces her into exile. Allying herself with a sentient origami crane, a dragon of questionable loyalty, and her sword-wielding husband-to-be, Shiori’anma sets out to reclaim her kingdom and save her family.
Six Paper Cranes takes bits and pieces from classic fairy tales, Chinese mythology, and Japanese folklore and molds them together into an epic ballad of betrayal, justice, and magic that had me hooked from start to finish. If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender or Studio Ghibli, you owe it to yourself to read this.
4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Assassins make great fantasy protagonists, and few literary life-bleeders are cooler than Celaena Sardothien from Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass. After being locked away in a brutal prison camp for a year, Celaena’s sentence ends abruptly when Prince Dorian of Adarlan recruits her to serve as his champion in a tournament hosted by his tyrannical father. When Celaena’s rival assassins die off one by one, she and Dorian investigate, uncovering a terrible conspiracy tied to their kingdom’s bloody history.
Throne of Glass is a brutal book, but the savagery of its world isn’t without purpose. Maas’ lead, a wry but insightful teenage sell-sword with a unique code of ethics that regularly leaves you wondering what she’ll do next, is the perfect hero for a dark fantasy world, and the author’s sardonic, contemplative prose gives us a clear window into her mind.
3. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabba Tahir isn’t about the Roman Empire, but the Martial Empire at the heart of its story isn’t too far off from the real thing. Laia and her family live at the bottom of the empire’s social hierarchy, and it only gets worse after her brother is accused of treason. When rebels offer to free her brother if she goes undercover in the empire’s most prestigious military academy, she agrees. That decision leads to her fateful meeting with Elia, a charming and disillusioned soldier who hates the empire almost as much as she does.
An Ember in the Ashes hits many of the same chords as Red Rising, which isn’t bad. Laia’s journey from terrified pseudo-slave to determined warrior is a sight to behold, and the political intrigue she partakes in to maintain her cover is almost as thrilling as the fights she gets into. There’s even some fun teen romance thrown into the mix for good measure.
2. The Firth Season by N. K. Jemisin
If you’re looking for a new fantasy epic on par with J. R. R. Tolkien or Robert Jordan, I implore you to check out The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. Ossun, Damaya, and Syenite are Orogenes, a mage capable of manipulating the earthquakes that ravage her world. Hated and feared by those around them, all three women embark on parallel-running journeys that end with them coming together to unearth their world’s oldest secrets.
I can’t say much about The Fifth Season without spoiling what I consider one of the best stories ever written. Jemisin’s world is as rich and alluring as a fantasy world can get, jammed full of creatures, locals, and characters unlike anything I’ve read before. Get ready to be rocked to your core with this one.
1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Have you ever wanted to read a magical heist book? If so, read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Kaz Brekker is out to pull a heist that will set him up for life and make him the most infamous criminal in Ketterdam. Pulling together a crew of six colorful outcasts, Kex sets out to make his dream a reality—only to uncover a secret that could destroy the world.
Six of Crows is peak teen fantasy. The lead cast is a delightful band of misfits that remind me of my first Dungeons and Dragons party, and their chaotic antics are the third rail driving the story forward. Bardugo’s gift for world-building–and the impressive magic system she created for her Shadow and Bone trilogy– are on full display throughout. Seriously, this book has everything an underage fantasy fan could ask for.
Published: Sep 21, 2024 09:25 am