Best YA fantasy books to read

Best YA fantasy book recommendations

Cruel Prince by Holly Black

When a seven-year-old girl Jude along with her two sisters lost their parents who were murdered, they were stolen and sent to live in the High Court of Faerie. Ten years have gone by and the only thing Jude is to fit in, to feel belongs especially for being mortal. However, the fey despised humans, one of them is Prince Cardan, the wickedest and cruelest prince of the High King. To belong at the Court, she needs to go against Prince Cardan as well as face the consequences. The more she gets involved in the palace deception the more she finds out about the ability of bloodshed and trickery. Plus the palace faces betrayal with violence, and Jude has to risk her life for the alliance to save her sisters and the entire Faeries.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Deka is a sixteen-year-old teenage girl, she has to face a blood ceremony to determine if she is pure and will become a member of the village. She hoped she would feel accepted and not feared by the people. During the ceremony, her blood was shown gold not red, which is the color of impurity and Deka has to face consequences worse than death. A woman has given her two options, stay in the village or join an army of girls who are just like, with rare abilities to stop the emperor's biggest threat. She then left her old life behind and moved to the future where she learned more about what she could do. The abilities she had. And she will find out the truth surprising everyone including Deka herself. Any girl with gold blood is called alaki, they have rare abilities, and they are capable of taking down the deathshrieks, the most powerful creatures. To the emperor, they are warriors who needed the training to save their country as for the villagers they see the alaki as monsters or demons because they are impure. That every girl should have red blood, to get married and raise children. Deka was ashamed of herself because of gold blood running in her veins and accepted to face death or any consequences instead of accepting herself. 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is a deadly siren royalty with her collection of hearts of seventeen princes until she was forced to kill one of her own, she was punished by being transformed into a human. She has until the winter solstice to deliver the heart of Prince Elian to the Sea Queen otherwise she will remain human for the rest of her life. Prince Elian considers the ocean as his only home despite being the heir of the most powerful kingdom in the world. He has a hobby of hunting sirens, which he considers to be unsavory. He found a woman drowning in the ocean, she then made a promise to help Elia to destroy every kind of siren however being trusted is a challenge. Along with Elia making many deals to save his kingdom, he was willing to barter to eliminate mankind's biggest enemy. 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabba Tahir

Laia's brother got arrested and had to find a way to free him so she started working with the rebels. She has to collect information at the military academy. Elias is one of the finest soldiers. After meeting Elias, at first, she thought he pretended to be nice but she learned that he wants to be free from being academy, from being a soldier. They decided to choose to change their fate and change the Empire itself. 

Laia is the land where people have to rule and vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor otherwise they and their loved ones get executed, and they lose everything. Laia's brother got arrested for treason, which means she had to decide by asking for help from the rebels. They made the promise to rescue her brother but she has the task of being a spy in the disguise of a slave at the Empire's military academy. Elias always knew being a soldier is not what he wanted so he is willing to help Laia to free her brother and take down the Empire.  

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Scarlett Dragna and her sister live on a tiny island with their cruel and powerful father. He arranged a marriage for Scarlett and her dream is to see Caraval, a performance that only happens once a year, this is where the audience can participate in the show. This year she has been invited to Carvaval and started her journey with the help of a mysterious sailor. She was whisked by her sister to the show. By the time they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval's mastermind organizer Legend. For this season, the only goal is Tella and the first person who finds her is a winner. Scarlette was told that in Caraval the performances can be elaborate and she gets tangled in the game of love, heartbreak, and magic. She doesn't care if Caraval is real or not, the only thing she wants is to find her sister for five nights. During the game she faces consequences and her sister will be gone.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Tessa Gray traveled from London to New York to meet her brother but by the time she arrived, she was kidnapped by the Dark Sisters who was a member of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club. Tessa found out that she is a Downworlder, and could shapeshift. And a mysterious man Magister who owned the club wanted to claim Tessa. Until she had help from the Shadowhunters of London Institute, they made a promise to find her brother as long as she used her powers to help. Not only did she get torn between two Shadowhunters James and Will, but she also soon had to make decisions, either save her brother or save her new friends. Tessa wasn't aware that she had powers, that she was a shapeshifter, or even the fact that she was a Downworlder. Not until the Dark Sisters forced her to use her powers. She was trapped for days until two handsome Shadowhunters rescued her. Tessa entered the world of Shadowhunter. Her life wasn't the same. She will learn about her past.