Have you been watching Shadow and Bone, the brand new Netflix fantasy series? Maybe you've finished the all-too-short first season and are left wanting more? Here are six young adult fantasy novels for readers seeking another helping of magic, intrigue and romance.
Shadow and Bone / Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone is the gripping tale of Alina Starkov, an orphan who discovers she has the power to summon light - a rare gift that may end a war and heal the rift at the heart of her nation. A perfect choice for readers who love intense drama, epic action and complex worldbuilding.
Fans of the Netflix show may be surprised to find some characters missing from the novel Shadow and Bone. That's because the TV series actually combines two novels: Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows. Read both to get the whole story - then jump ahead to find out what happens next with the sequels: Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising and Crooked Kingdom.
Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
Katsa is a Graceling, one of a few people in her world granted special abilities. As a result, she is legally the property of her king and must serve as his assassin. But when she falls in love with the mysterious Prince Po, she must challenge everything in her life and set out on a quest to save an innocent child from a terrible fate.
Graceling is a classic of YA fantasy, with three gripping sequels available for readers to devour.
Deeplight, by Frances Hardinge
Hark and Jelt have always looked out for each other in the dangerous world of the Myriad islands. But when Jelt gains mysterious powers from the heart of a drowned god, he begins to grow strange. Can Hark save his friend from corruption, or will he be forced to let him go?
Deeplight is a unique novel that stands out for its use of body horror, its nuanced depiction of toxic relationships, and its depiction of deaf culture.
The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black
Jude is a human raised in the world of the fey. Cardan is the youngest son of the fey High King. Facing constant humiliation from Cardan and the other noble fairies, Jude must fight to secure her place in the High Court of Faerie. But as she becomes more entangled in Court politics, she will be forced to make a desperate deal with Cardan himself...
Holly Black is rightly called the Faerie Queen of YA, and The Cruel Prince is the perfect entry point to her magical worlds.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
Karou lives in the human world, but her family are monsters. Akiva is an angel who has been fighting a war in another world. When they meet, they begin a doomed romance that will throw both of their worlds into chaos.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone will entrance readers with its feisty heroine, intense emotions and vivid imagery. But most importantly - it's the novel that started the trend of YA books titled 'X of Y and Z'.
Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir
Gideon Nav has spent her whole life trying to escape from the gloomy, decaying Ninth House--and from its heir apparent, the necromancer princess Harrowhark, who Gideon hates with a passion. But now, her only chance of getting out is to serve Harrowhark on a journey through space, to face a deadly trial with immortality itself as the ultimate prize.
Combining science fiction, dark fantasy, and razor-sharp wit, this debut novel from a New Zealand author is a brand-new classic in the making.