What should you read next? Check out this list of ten clean fantasy book recommendations for young adults.
Helpful tip: click any book cover to bring up its Goodreads page.
The City of Brass by Shannon Chakraborty
Shannon Chakraborty is my favorite historical fantasy author. The Middle East is fertile ground for all things mythical and fantastic. I also love Amina al-Sirafi and can’t wait for the second book in the series to release in May 2026.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Humorous, witty, and creative. Tress of the Emerald Sea is a tale of traveling through deadly spore oceans in search of a lost love.
What do you get when you cross a talking rat, a wish-granting dragon, an undead being, and a narrator who’s lost his senses? A brilliantly unique story that reads like a modern fairy tale.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
There’s more to Alina Starkov than meets the eye. When a dormant power rises, the kingdom of Ravka is given its first glint of hope in centuries. But is her power strong enough to overcome the Shadow Fold—or her enemies?
Shadow and Bone turns romantasy tropes on their head (but I won’t spoil it by saying anything more).
Chosen one | Hidden identity | Political intrigue
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
WWI vibes with a touch of magic.
Rivals to lovers | Romantasy | Historical fantasy.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
“A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.“
Romantasy
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
The Prince of Hearts is not to be trusted, but Evangeline Fox is desperate to stop the lover of her life from marrying another, even if that means striking a deal with a wicked fate.
Romantasy | Modern fairy tale.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Bree Matthews knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what the police report says. She’ll do whatever it takes to uncover the truth, even if that means infiltrating a secret society known as Legendborn. With a magical war on the horizon, she must decide whose side she’s on.
Urban fantasy
Nominated for Goodreads’ 2020 Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fantasy.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Get whisked away to the High Court of Faerie, where Jude, an ordinary human girl, wants nothing more than to win a place at court.
Portal fantasy | Political intrigue
Elemental Thief by Rachel Morgan
Magic is forbidden—after all, it’s magic users who are to blame for the fall of the world.
Beyond the Water’s Edge by Janine Eaby
Alaira Hughes discovers a magical path in the woods. But some paths were never meant to be discovered. When a mysterious hunter tracks her down, she must team up with an otherworldly traveler with secrets of his own if she has any hope of survival. But there’s more to this new world than appearances suggest. In this place, time is a foreign concept, memories a target on your back, and the past a closely guarded secret.
A past lost to time. Dark secrets lurking beneath the surface. And a truth long forgotten. Fantasy meets mystery in this twisted tale of adventure.
Portal fantasy | Hidden identity | Chosen one | Epic adventure
Happy reading!
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