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Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Being a normal human can be overrated. Young adult fantasy offers irresistible escapism, letting readers step into the shoes of demigods, demons, witches, and assassins. Sure, these heroes possess supernatural abilities and supernatural luck, but they're also intensely relatable as they grapple with growing up and falling in love (and saving the world).
As we searched for the best YA fantasy on Goodreads, we stuck to books with at least a 4.0 average rating. This meant that popular titles with big film adaptations like Twilight, Eragon, and The Golden Compass missed the cut. While The Boy Who Lived made it in, surprising no one, the list is dominated by powerful girls with no time for evil royals or rampaging monsters.
Take a look at our top 10 YA fantasy books and let us know how many you've read in the comments!
by J.K. Rowling
You could've been…a wizard!
The muggle struggle is real for young Harry until he's swept away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
by Rick Riordan
You could've been…the child of a Greek god!
Percy, son of Poseidon, realizes he must travel to the Underworld to stop a war between the gods.
by Cassandra Clare
You could've been…a demon hunter!
After witnessing a terrifyingly bizarre murder, Clary enters a new world of vampires, werewolves, and demons.
by Kiera Cass
You could've been…a princess contestant!
One girl gets the chance to compete for a prince's affection in this fairy tale with a light dystopian twist.
by Becca Fitzpatrick
You could've been…a fallen angel!
Nora doesn't have time for romance, let alone a romance with an angel, but handsome Patch turns her "normal" world upside down.
by Richelle Mead
You could've been…vampire royalty!
Where do vampires learn about their powers? St. Vladimir's Academy, an exclusive school for the creatures of the night and their guardians.
by Victoria Aveyard
You could've been…a commoner with god-like superpowers!
In a realm divided by blood, one red-blooded girl discovers she possesses the same unnatural abilities as the silver-blooded elite.
by Sarah J. Maas
You could've been…an assassin!
Celaena Sardothien, a famed assassin, competes to become the king's champion in a contest that quickly turns deadly.
by Kristin Cashore
You could've been…the king's thug!
Born with the ability to kill a man with her bare hands, Katsa finds herself the unwilling pawn of her uncle, the king.
by Laini Taylor
You could've been…a demon in love!
A young art student with a mysterious past gets caught up in a brutal otherworldly war between angels and demons.
What's your favorite YA fantasy? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction on Goodreads
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
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8/10 Glad to see Graceling on the list. It's one of my favorites! Haven't read Hush, Hush or Daughter of Smoke & Bone.
Princess Serese and the Perilous Quest by Christine Schumaker
Denise wrote: "9/10! Haven't read Graceling yet."I'm exactly at the same point! Although, I'm trying to get it right as I'm telling you lol.
Amelia wrote: "It should have been The Raven Boys instead of The Selection"That is so true. The Raven Boys is an incredible book
I've read 5 out of 10 and plan on reading the other 4 on this list (as of right now I have no desire to read "Hush, Hush").
Gabrielle wrote: "Also should have been Six of Crows series instead of Red Queen, in my opinion"I agree
Unbroken.: Book 1: The RenegadesThis book is a very interesting dystopian novel. It is recently published, and I found it on Amazon. The main character seems to be of black and Native American heritage, probably like the author herself. The author does not specify cultures but makes her own, however. Different diversity of characters for a dystopian novel. It escapes a lot of common dystopian cliches. All in all, it is very interesting. Lots of action, romance, drama, everything that you can think of, something for everyone. I like it a lot, something to add to your reading list.
I am answering for my 11yr old son, we "read" via audio books together following his choice, he is high functioning autistic and dyslexic so this affects the way he chooses his titles. He has Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif, one of his favourites and the starting point of reading every Rick Riordan book.
6/10. theres 2 in here that caught my attention. Thanks!!
8/10 Haven't read Hush Hush or Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but will def be getting those nextSo The Selection shouldn't even be on this list, even if there was some Fantasy in it (which there isn't). Where the heck did that come from?
Would Grave Mercy qualify for this list?
Young adult literature has apeal to more than YA. Most of it doesnt get too explicit or have a lot of unneeded bad words.
6/10 but I agree with some of the above comments, especially about Six of Crows and An Ember in the Ashes, will think about trying Hush Hush... thanks for all the feedback on how good they were guys.
Annette wrote: "Only 6/10 😭 I have no interest reading the rest I haven't read yet."Same!
Benjamin wrote: "Folks need to check out Wrestling Demons by Jason Brick. Japanese-style demons are trying to take over the world by feeding on negative emotions, and what could bring about more heartbreak than cau..."just added to my to read list! sounds good!
Pat wrote: "Fallen". the first is alright. movie too, but started 2nd and gave up. using the word "Nephilim" Pissed me off. TMITMITMI
Jastuart314gmail.com wrote: "Young adult literature has apeal to more than YA. Most of it doesnt get too explicit or have a lot of unneeded bad words."But that may only be for people who are uncomfortable with explicit scenes and bad words. YA is a lot more exciting and adventurous, in my opinion.
I read them all except;Red Queen - reading at the moment
Hush hush - Should I?
Vampire academy - Watched the movie because of some actors I like and didn't look good.
Greenfire wrote: "Annette wrote: "Only 6/10 😭 I have no interest reading the rest I haven't read yet."Same!"
which ^ have u read?
Sean wrote: "I read one! WOOT!"u should try the rest. really.
Why isn't An Ember in the Ashes on this list? It's insanely good.
Minglu wrote: "Why isn't An Ember in the Ashes on this list? It's insanely good."I guess it's probably because at the time this was made, An Ember in the Ashes was fairly new and not as popular, only a year old.
I don't care in which category it belongs to...
Oh and I really want to read throne of glass"
I love the selection too! Throne of Glass is one of my favorites.