Larissa's YA Favorites

Raybearer

“Immerse yourself in a rich fantasy world with wishes to cheat death, struggles for power, and hopes to find love. Jordan Ifueko has given us the start of a series where peace may not be as it seems and who you are vs. who the world tells you to be can have life-threatening and history-shaping consequences. One of my favorite aspects is the chants, prayers, and songs that are essential to the story and the narrator rhythmically enriches the reading.”

Jessica, Once Upon A Time

The hotly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling YA fantasy about Tarisai’s quest to change her fate

For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar’s throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend...

**One of YALSA's 2020 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults**

Nahoko Uehashi's The Beast Player is an epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.

Children of Blood and Bone

“Children of Blood & Bone, is a story told in a world where magic no longer exists. Years ago, this was not the case. Once, magic and the Gods were celebrated. Now, Diviners (those with Maji blood, but no magic) are treated poorly, and all the Maji have been killed. One of those including our main protagonist, Zélie’s, mother. Determined to find a way to bring back magic, Zélie, along with her brother Tzain, and Orïsha’s only princess, Amari (gone rogue), set out on a quest against all odds. Told from Zélie, Amari and Amari’s brother and crown prince, Inan’s viewpoints, Tomi Adeyemi weaves together a tale so beautifully and tragically relevant, it will leave you craving for answers and more.”

Jen, Vroman's Bookstore

*The spectacular sequel to Audie Award Audiobook of the Year Children of Blood and Bone*

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

"Bhani Turpin exquisitely narrates the second book in this fantasy series, Legacy of Orïsha. Her steady pace and West African accent draw us into the story of Zélie, a Maji warrior, and Princess Amari--both of whom fight...

Iron Widow

“Iron Widow is addictive, non-stop, and insane! I LOVE this book so much! Take control of your life. Take control of your body. Make the patriarchy pay through blood and vengeance! This alt-reality world mixes Chinese culture and Pacific Rim, with addictive action, complex characters, and an unstoppable fury. Zetian wants revenge and will bring everything down to achieve it. No one, not men nor monsters, can stand against her will and determination. I can't stop thinking about this book! When are we getting book two?? “But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.””

Anna, The Well-Read Moose

A Deadly Education

“A school for wizards! The Chosen One! But imagine if the Chosen One was just a sweet, dumb jock with a penchant for slaying monsters who had a hard time saying ‘no.’ And if the bright, often-relegated Lady Sidekick was just as intelligent, rude, and ruthless as she wanted to be. If she was the so-called hero of the story. And one more small thing - if the magical school they attended was actively trying to kill them, morning, noon, and night while they were just trying to study. Self-aware, witty, and brutal, A Deadly Education is your new favorite magical read. You’ll fall in love (or possibly terror) with El from the very first line when she declares her intent to kill Orion after he saves her life for the (gasp) second time.”

Cassie, Wellesley Books

If you enjoyed The Magicians, then you’ll love The Last Graduate.

“If you fell in love with El like I did, you will be thrilled to know she is her same snarky self. A grander scheme will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. And oh... what an ending! Once again, flawlessly narrated by Anisha Dadia.”

Kristine, Buttonwood Books and Toys

In this nail-biting sequel to Tehlor Kay Mejia’s critically acclaimed fantasy novel We Set the Dark on Fire, La Voz operative Carmen is forced to choose between the girl she loves and the success of the rebellion she’s devoted her life to. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Anna-Marie McLemore.

Being a part of the resistance group La Voz...

We Set the Dark on Fire

“Tehlor Kay Mejia's imaginative LGBTQ YA debut fantasy starts in mythology and ends in open rebellion. In between she builds a culture we know deeply without knowing at all, and characters trapped in consequences of old choices and trying to invent new ones. While the latter speaks to the novel's appeal to YA readers, the former also pulls in adult fantasy fans. That the story's fantasy world is Latinx adds to its complexity - for some readers this will make the world more haunting in its strangeness while for others it will be more haunting in its familiarity. Kyle Garcia's narration is exactly right. A great summer road trip listen!”

Elliott, Big Blue Marble Bookstore

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A SYDNEY TAYLOR NOTABLE BOOK

Perfect for readers of Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman, a sweeping historical fantasy that follows two teens on a journey through the Far Country, a Jewish land of spirits and demons.

For the Jews of Eastern Europe, demons are everywhere: dancing on the rooftops in the darkness of... Read more »

A Song Below Water

“Tavia and her sister, Effie, are struggling with being themselves in a world where some people are born as mythological beings, like Sirens, Eloko and Gargoyles. Tavia is a Siren, a being that is feared because her Siren voice can be used to control others. In addition, she is Black, adding an additional layer of silencing. She lives in hiding and fear and frequently resorts to sign language when she cannot speak for fear of revealing her Siren voice. Effie is a Ren Faire performer and only feels herself when swimming or being Euphemia the Mer, her mermaid alter ego. At school she hates when attention turns to her and clams up, unable to speak. She is also troubled by secrets in her past, including her absent father. Tavia and Effie are everything to each other, even though they are sisters by circumstance rather than birth, and are able to truly talk to each other. With this support they learn to find and accept their voice and their true selves. The narrator alternates from one sister to the other throughout the book and each chapter has a unique voice and feel. Through a mix of reality and metaphor Bethany C. Morrow is able to tackle, without preaching, issues concerning Black women's voices being silenced.”

Caroline R., Blue Willow Bookshop

Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she has albinism. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent" with latent mystical power. Soon she's part of a... Read more »

A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is... Read more »

Acclaimed author of Ash Malinda Lo returns with her most personal and ambitious novel yet, a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s.

"That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other." And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its... Read more »

Nocturna

“This book spoke to me from the moment I picked it up. From the cover, to the beautiful world, and the characters full of spark and life, everything whispered to me, enticing me to dive in. What drew me most was the fact that May Motayne wanted to create a world that she thought had been MIA when she was younger and looking for books to read. Set in a Latinx-inspired land a prince without a future and a thief without a face have to team up to get something they both desire above all else. But to get what they want, they are going to have to defeat a power evil that wants to devour the world. Maya was able to capture the spirit of both a character who had no roots, and one who was true to their homeland, and their people. Maya beautifully blends language, culture, and magic in her debut novel. I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy”

Victoria, Mysterious Galaxy Books

National Book Award Finalist!
Instant New York Times Bestseller!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. 
 
Perfect... Read more »

The Merciful Crow

“Equal parts beauty and grit, The Merciful Crow is a novel that kept me up through the night. In the start of what is planned on being a duology, Margaret Owens filled her story with beautiful words, witty characters, and situations many can connect to. The world Owens created is divided into a caste system named after birds, which like many in the real world has an upper and lower caste, and the Crows are the lowest of them all. Owens sends the readers on a journey with Fie, a Crow Chief-in-training willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family, Jasimir, a Phoenix prince trying to outwit his step-mother, and Tavin, a Hawk bodyguard who is learning what it means to want something for himself. Along the way, Jasirmir and Tavin learn what it means to be a Crow and all of the discrimination that comes with being not of the "splendid castes." Even though they face discrimination and are hunted down, they still are able to find joy in life and survive. Fie hopes that with the prince’s help the Crows will be able to not only survive, but thrive. I couldn't get enough of this book.”

Victoria, Mysterious Galaxy Books

Kings become outcasts and lovers become foes in The Faithless Hawk, the thrilling sequel to Margaret Owen's The Merciful Crow.

As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky,...

Sorcery of Thorns

“Amazing! I wonderful fantasy I loved every bit of. The narrator brought this story to life, and I was hypnotized the entire time. This story has some of my favorite elements in it. A strong, smart heroine? Check. A charming hero with demons and a chip on his shoulder? Check. An evil threatening the safety of the world? Check. Elizabeth is such an interesting character, she is determined and clever and she has approximately no quit in her. Despite all of the things that stand in her way, she never says die. When she is forced to choose between the person she has always been, and sacrificing all she knows about herself to help save a clueless, thankless world, she becomes someone new. Part of this is because of Nathaniel. He embodies everything she has learned to avoid and fear. But the world she lives in is bigger than the fears she has been taught. Nathaniel is mysterious and tortured. Elizabeth is everything he doesn't want to need, and he rebels against that. Their partnership progresses naturally, slowly and arduously as they wrestle with what is happening. By the end of the book they have complete confidence in each other and I reveled in every stage of their relationship. Give me the slow burn partnership that neither wants, but works so well. I'll love it every time. Margaret Rogerson is amazing and this book HAD me from the very beginning.”

Sam, Bright Side Bookshop