Young Adult Fantasy Books: Best Reads

Young adult fantasy focuses on teenage characters navigating magic, identity, and first big choices. Stories often mix school life, quests, and romance for YA fans.

Curated by Fabled Tome

138 Books in subgenre
Apr 13, 2026 Last updated
Content filters Expand or collapse to refine what appears in this ranking. NSFW hidden Illustrated hidden LGBTQ+ hidden Male & female leads

NSFW

Include books categorized as erotica or containing other explicit content.

Light Novels, Comics & Manga

Show illustrated and light novel entries alongside standard fantasy books.

LGBTQ+ themes

Include books tagged with LGBTQ+ themes or related sub-tags.

Protagonist

Narrow to books tagged with a male and/or female lead. Choose Any to show every book.

49 The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

By

Rated 4.20 out of 5 stars, based on 65,269 reviews.

In The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, Jeanne Birdsall follows four spirited sisters spending their summer holiday at the Arundel estate. Between exploring expansive gardens, a cluttered attic full…

Book 1 of The Penderwicks series


50 The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society

By

Rated 4.20 out of 5 stars, based on 176,902 reviews.

In The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart introduces four unusually gifted children who pass a strange series of intelligence and logic tests advertised in a newspaper. Chosen by the enigmatic Mr. Benedict, they form a small team and ar…

Book 1 of The Mysterious Benedict Society series


51 The Herbwitch's Apprentice

The Herbwitch's Apprentice

By

Rated 4.20 out of 5 stars, based on 1,783 reviews.

The Herbwitch's Apprentice by Ireen Chau follows sixteen-year-old debutante Amarante Flora, who discovers she is half witch in a kingdom where magic is punishable by death. Determined to suppress her powers after an unfortunate incident with Prince A…

Book 1 of Witches of Olderea series


52 Fantasy of Frost

Fantasy of Frost

By

Rated 4.20 out of 5 stars, based on 12,457 reviews.

Fantasy of Frost by Kelly St. Clare introduces a veiled heir to the throne whose own mother despises her, leaving her isolated within a hostile royal court. As Tatuma, she is next in line to rule, yet years of abuse, secrecy, and enforced anonymity h…

Book 1 of The Tainted Accords series


53 Azmina the Gold Glitter Dragon

Azmina the Gold Glitter Dragon

By

Rated 4.20 out of 5 stars, based on 1,744 reviews.

Azmina the Gold Glitter Dragon by Maddy Mara follows Azmina, a young girl who has just moved to a new home and stumbles into a hidden world behind her backyard. Drawn into an enchanted forest by mysterious music, she discovers that her reflection has…

Book 1 of Dragon Girls series


54 Arcane

Arcane

By

Rated 4.19 out of 5 stars, based on 3,762 reviews.

Arcane by Sever Bronny introduces Augum, a fourteen-year-old orphan in a quasi-medieval kingdom torn apart by war and a ruthless usurper. Alongside his friends Bridget and Leera, he trains under the formidable warlock Anna Atticus Stone, whose posses…

Book 1 of The Arinthian Line series


55 Assassin's Apprentice

Assassin's Apprentice

By

Rated 4.19 out of 5 stars, based on 414,093 reviews.

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb introduces Fitz, the illegitimate son of a prince, who is brought from the margins of the royal estate into the heart of a medieval-style court. Trained in weapons, letters, and etiquette, he is also apprenticed to…

Book 1 of The Farseer Trilogy series


56 Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass

By

Rated 4.19 out of 5 stars, based on 2,488,507 reviews.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas follows Celaena Sardothien, a skilled assassin summoned from prison to compete for her freedom by serving as the King’s Champion. Set in a kingdom ruled by a ruthless king, the story unfolds within the castle walls wh…

Book 1 of Throne of Glass series


57 Chase the Dark

Chase the Dark

By

Rated 4.19 out of 5 stars, based on 14,151 reviews.

In Chase the Dark, Annette Marie introduces Piper Griffiths, a young woman training to become a Consul, charged with maintaining an uneasy peace between humans and daemons in a modern, magic-laced city. When a lethal break-in at the Consulate ends wi…

Book 1 of Steel & Stone series


58 Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant

By ,

Rated 4.18 out of 5 stars, based on 73,441 reviews.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy introduces a fast-talking skeleton detective and sorcerer who unexpectedly becomes the guardian and partner of twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley. Set in a contemporary world threaded with hidden magic, the story fol…

Book 1 of Skulduggery Pleasant series


59 Shadow Blessed

Shadow Blessed

By

Rated 4.18 out of 5 stars, based on 1,454 reviews.

Shadow Blessed by D.K. Holmberg follows Carth, a young woman whose life is shattered when the feared A’ras of Nyaesh murder her parents. In the aftermath, she uncovers that her family secretly prepared her to wield magic, leaving her with dangerous a…

Book 1 of The Shadow Accords series


60 Hawksong

Hawksong

By

Rated 4.18 out of 5 stars, based on 23,101 reviews.

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes follows Danica Shardae, a young avian shapeshifter princess whose people have been locked in a brutal war with the serpiente for generations. As heir to the avian throne, Danica agrees to a politically arranged pair…

Book 1 of The Kiesha'ra series


61 The Mystwick School of Musicraft

The Mystwick School of Musicraft

By

Rated 4.18 out of 5 stars, based on 7,133 reviews.

The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury follows Amelia Jones, a determined young musician who earns a precarious trial spot at an elite academy where music is the source of magic. After a failed audition, she must navigate demanding classe…

Book 1 of Mystwick series


62 Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch

By

Rated 4.18 out of 5 stars, based on 4,146 reviews.

In Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch, Julie Abe introduces a young witch whose limited powers put her future at risk. Nearly thirteen, Eva must complete a coming-of-age quest to earn the title of Novice Witch or lose her magic entirely, a challenge m…

Book 1 of Eva Evergreen series


63 The Dragon of Trelian

The Dragon of Trelian

By

Rated 4.18 out of 5 stars, based on 2,023 reviews.

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen introduces Calen, an isolated apprentice mage, and Princess Meglynne, whose secret bond with a young dragon changes both their lives. As Meg struggles with the dangerous magical link tying her to the dragon,…

Book 1 of Trelian series


64 Six Crimson Cranes

Six Crimson Cranes

By

Rated 4.17 out of 5 stars, based on 106,002 reviews.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim follows Shiori’anma, the exiled princess of Kiata who possesses forbidden magic. After her stepmother curses her brothers, transforming them into cranes, Shiori must remain silent to keep them alive. Stripped of he…

Book 1 of Six Crimson Cranes series


65 Magician: Apprentice

Magician: Apprentice

By

Rated 4.17 out of 5 stars, based on 103,833 reviews.

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist introduces Pug, an orphan in the Kingdom of the Isles whose apprenticeship under the magician Kulgan never quite fits traditional expectations. As Pug’s unusual talents emerge, he is drawn from a quiet coastal…

Book 1 of The Riftwar Saga series


66 The Bird and the Sword

The Bird and the Sword

By

Rated 4.17 out of 5 stars, based on 46,687 reviews.

In The Bird and the Sword, Amy Harmon sets a young woman with forbidden magic at the center of a kingdom that has outlawed enchantment. Cursed into silence by her dying mother and bound to her ambitious father’s claim to the throne, Lark lives as bot…

Book 1 of The Bird and the Sword Chronicles series


67 Red Sister

Red Sister

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 63,547 reviews.

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1) by Mark Lawrence introduces Nona Grey, a young girl taken from execution and raised in the Convent of Sweet Mercy, where girls are trained as lethal warriors. Over ten years, Nona develops formidable skills in co…

Book 1 of Book of the Ancestor series


68 Terrier

Terrier

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 70,219 reviews.

Terrier by Tamora Pierce introduces Beka Cooper, a young trainee in the Provost’s Guard who insists on patrolling the dangerous Lower City where she grew up. In this high fantasy mystery set in Tortall’s capital, Beka works under two seasoned guards…

Book 1 of Beka Cooper series


69 Dealing with Dragons

Dealing with Dragons

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 94,732 reviews.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede follows Princess Cimorene, a sharp, independent heroine who refuses to accept the passive role expected of her. Tired of etiquette lessons and arranged marriage plans, she escapes her kingdom and volunteers t…

Book 1 of Enchanted Forest Chronicles series


70 Pawn of Prophecy

Pawn of Prophecy

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 112,135 reviews.

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings opens The Belgariad with a classic high fantasy coming-of-age story set in a world shaped by ancient gods, warring kingdoms, and long-guarded relics. Garion, a sheltered farm boy, is drawn from his rural home when a…

Book 1 of The Belgariad series


71 The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn

By ,

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 124,371 reviews.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, with an introduction by Patrick Rothfuss, follows a solitary unicorn who discovers that creatures like her may have vanished everywhere but in her ageless forest. Disturbed by rumors that she is the last of her ki…

Book 1 of The Last Unicorn series


72 The Summer Dragon

The Summer Dragon

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 3,302 reviews.

In The Summer Dragon, Todd Lockwood introduces Maia, a young woman raised in a remote aerie where her family breeds dragons for a powerful war-driven empire. As she prepares to claim her first breeding dragon, the sudden appearance of the legendary S…

Book 1 of The Evertide series


73 Kiki's Delivery Service

Kiki's Delivery Service

By ,

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 26,427 reviews.

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono, translated by Emily Balistrieri, follows thirteen-year-old Kiki, a half-witch who must spend a year living independently in a new town as part of her training. Settling in the seaside city of Koriko with her ta…

Book 1 of 魔女の宅急便 [Majo no Takkyūbin] series


74 Sabriel

Sabriel

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 219,586 reviews.

Sabriel by Garth Nix introduces a young woman raised in the safety of a strict school in Ancelstierre, far from the unstable magic and restless Dead of the neighboring Old Kingdom. When her father, the Abhorsen, disappears, Sabriel must cross the bor…

Book 1 of Abhorsen series


75 The Poppy War

The Poppy War

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 508,178 reviews.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang is a historical military fantasy set in the Nikara Empire, inspired by China’s twentieth-century conflicts. The story follows Rin, a war orphan from a poor southern province who gains admission to the elite Sinegard milita…

Book 1 of The Poppy War series


76 Red Rope of Fate

Red Rope of Fate

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 6,316 reviews.

Red Rope of Fate by K.M. Shea follows Tari, an elf chosen for a formal bonding with Arion, a human military captain, in a political effort to ease tensions between their peoples. When the ritual unexpectedly allows them to understand each other despi…

Book 1 of The Elves of Lessa series


77 The Cry of the Icemark

The Cry of the Icemark

By

Rated 4.16 out of 5 stars, based on 11,919 reviews.

The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill follows Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, a young warrior princess suddenly responsible for defending her frozen kingdom after her father’s death in battle. As invading forces threaten to overwhelm th…

Book 1 of The Icemark Chronicles series


78 The Demon King

The Demon King

By , ,

Rated 4.15 out of 5 stars, based on 81,161 reviews.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima introduces Han Alister, a former street thief in the struggling mountain city of Fellsmarch, whose mysterious silver cuffs and a stolen wizard amulet pull him into dangerous magical politics. When Han discovers…

Book 1 of Seven Realms series


79 Redwall

Redwall

By

Rated 4.15 out of 5 stars, based on 130,541 reviews.

Redwall by Brian Jacques introduces young mouse novice Matthias, who lives a sheltered life in Redwall Abbey until the peace of the abbey is threatened by Cluny the Scourge, a ruthless one-eyed rat warlord. As Cluny’s army advances, Matthias searches…

Book 1 of Redwall series


80 The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl

By

Rated 4.15 out of 5 stars, based on 148,984 reviews.

In The Goose Girl, Shannon Hale expands a classic Grimm fairy tale into a character-focused young adult fantasy about identity, loyalty, and power. Crown Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee of Kildenree grows up more at ease with animals and the…

Book 1 of The Books of Bayern series


81 A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses

By

Rated 4.15 out of 5 stars, based on 4,348,726 reviews.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas follows nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre, whose decision to kill a wolf draws her into the perilous realm of the Fae as payment for her crime. Taken to a faerie court ruled by the enigmatic Tamlin, she mus…

Book 1 of A Court of Thorns and Roses series


82 Steelheart

Steelheart

By

Rated 4.14 out of 5 stars, based on 197,454 reviews.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson opens in a near-future, dystopian city where a mysterious event called Calamity has turned a select few into superpowered tyrants known as Epics. David, a young man whose father was murdered by the seemingly invulnerab…

Book 1 of The Reckoners series


83 Dread Nation

Dread Nation

By

Rated 4.14 out of 5 stars, based on 36,263 reviews.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland imagines an alternate Reconstruction-era America where the Civil War ends not in surrender, but in a zombie uprising that reshapes the nation’s laws and social order. Jane McKeene, a sharp-witted Black teenager trained…

Book 1 of Dread Nation series


84 Arrows of the Queen

Arrows of the Queen

By

Rated 4.14 out of 5 stars, based on 40,036 reviews.

Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey introduces Talia, a young runaway whose life changes when she is chosen by Rolan, a mysterious Companion with extraordinary powers. Taken to the kingdom of Valdemar to train as a Herald, she must learn to contro…

Book 1 of Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar series


85 The Search for WondLa

The Search for WondLa

By

Rated 4.14 out of 5 stars, based on 14,135 reviews.

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi follows twelve-year-old Eva Nine, a sheltered girl raised in an underground Sanctuary by her caretaker robot, Muthr. When circumstances force her to the surface of a strange, post-apocalyptic world, Eva discov…

Book 1 of The Search for WondLa series


86 Nice Dragons Finish Last

Nice Dragons Finish Last

By

Rated 4.13 out of 5 stars, based on 14,468 reviews.

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron introduces Julius, an unusually polite and conflict-averse young dragon born into the ruthless Heartstriker clan. When his domineering mother traps him in human form and exiles him to the DFZ, a towering urban…

Book 1 of Heartstrikers series


87 Furies of Calderon

Furies of Calderon

By

Rated 4.13 out of 5 stars, based on 114,289 reviews.

Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera, #1) by Jim Butcher is set in a world where the people of Alera harness elemental spirits called furies to defend against hostile races. The story follows Tavi, a young boy without the ability to control furies, as pol…

Book 1 of Codex Alera series


88 Dark Lord of Derkholm

Dark Lord of Derkholm

By

Rated 4.13 out of 5 stars, based on 18,159 reviews.

Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones is a comic high fantasy novel in which a magical world is exploited as a package-tour destination for visitors seeking staged battles, dragons, and stock “Dark Lord” spectacles. When the ruling University de…

Book 1 of Derkholm series


89 The Novice

The Novice

By

Rated 4.13 out of 5 stars, based on 36,604 reviews.

The Novice (Summoner, #1) by Taran Matharu follows Fletcher, a blacksmith apprentice who discovers he can summon demons from another world. He enrolls in the Adept Military Academy, where students are trained as battlemages to fight in the Hominum Em…

Book 1 of Summoner series


90 Touch of Power

Touch of Power

By

Rated 4.13 out of 5 stars, based on 47,441 reviews.

In Touch of Power, Maria V. Snyder introduces Avry of Kazan, a healer who takes on the injuries and illnesses of others, only to be blamed for a devastating plague and forced into hiding. When a group of rogues kidnaps her, they seek not her bounty b…

Book 1 of Healer series


91 Fierce Heart

Fierce Heart

By

Rated 4.13 out of 5 stars, based on 7,977 reviews.

Fierce Heart by Tara Grayce follows Essie, a human princess who unexpectedly finds herself bound by marriage to Laesornysh, an elven prince and seasoned warrior, after a failed diplomatic meeting. Thrust into an arranged union and an unfamiliar, rese…

Book 1 of Elven Alliance series


92 Guardians of the West

Guardians of the West

By

Rated 4.12 out of 5 stars, based on 55,932 reviews.

Guardians of the West by David Eddings opens a new phase in Garion’s life, after he has defeated the god Torak and taken his place as King of Riva. As he adjusts to ruling and to his marriage with Queen Ce’Nedra, the mysterious child Errand grows up…

Book 1 of The Malloreon series


93 Wildwood Dancing

Wildwood Dancing

By

Rated 4.11 out of 5 stars, based on 32,665 reviews.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier follows Jena, the practical second daughter of a minor noble family, who lives with her four sisters in an isolated Transylvanian castle. Each full moon, the sisters secretly cross into the Other Kingdom, a fae re…

Book 1 of Wildwood series


94 Winds of Fate

Winds of Fate

By

Rated 4.10 out of 5 stars, based on 17,726 reviews.

Winds of Fate by Mercedes Lackey opens a new chapter in Valdemar, a kingdom still recovering from the loss of high magic after Vanyel’s sacrifice. Elspeth, both Herald and heir to the throne, realizes that her emerging mage talent may be the key to d…

Book 1 of Valdemar: Mage Winds series


95 Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Blood and Bone

By

Rated 4.10 out of 5 stars, based on 253,465 reviews.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi introduces Zélie Adebola, a young woman who grew up in the West African–inspired land of Orïsha before its magic was violently erased by a brutal king. Marked by the massacre of the maji and the loss of her…

Book 1 of Legacy of Orïsha series


96 The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid

By

Rated 4.10 out of 5 stars, based on 429,350 reviews.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan introduces siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, who have grown up on different continents and barely know each other. When their Egyptologist father attempts a risky ritual at the British Museum and vanishes in a violent bu…

Book 1 of The Kane Chronicles series