Young adult fantasy novels will always be an epic and exciting literary blackhole to get sucked into. Authors are constantly churning out new fantastical series with mind-bending plots, even when they are just reimaginings of old fairy tales. But do you ever get tired of coming across a new YA fantasy, finally reaching that perfectly written last page only to fall into eternal despair when you find out that you have to wait a year for the next book? Fantasy series are great, but sometimes the intermittent, book-induced depression is too much to handle. You watch the days tick by, itching to get your hands on an advanced copy of the sequel and wallowing in sorrow until the next book is finally released. If like me, you are tired of the agony, then I have the perfect book recommendations for you.
Here are some spectacular stand-alone YA fantasy titles to get you through the darkness:
- Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Two hundred years after Cinderella’s death, the Annual Ball has turned into a required
display of female finery where men select their wives. The women that aren’t chosen for
marriage are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophie and Cinderella’s only remaining descendant, Constance, vow to break down the rules of the kingdom. - Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas Five years after Wendy and her brothers went missing in the woods, the rest of the town’s children begin to disappear. Questions arise regarding Wendy’s past. In an attempt to flee, Wendy runs into Peter, who claims that if they don’t work together, all the missing children will end up like her brothers.
- A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell Derry and her eight siblings were raised in an isolated lake house surrounded by a menacing forest. The man who took them in after their families abandoned them says that the isolation is for their own good and safety. As her siblings begin to disappear into the forest and Frank’s true nature begins to show, Derry is forced to confront the dark things living within the forest and within herself.
- Lore by Alexandra Bracken The Agon—a hunt for the Greek gods who are forced to walk the earth as mortals as punishment for their past rebellion—is about to begin in New York City. Lore Perseous, whose family was murdered by a man-turned-god, has been given the opportunity to seek revenge and leave the Agon behind forever. To do so, she must join forces with a childhood friend and the goddess Athena. Joining forces during the hunt has deadly costs, especially when there is a god on the rise who seeks to bring humanity to its knees.
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Far past the boundaries of the universe lies a library filled with books on infinite realities. In one book, you will find the story of your life as it is, and in another, you will find a life that could have been. Nora Seed is faced with the choice of exchanging her life for a new one. As she travels through the Midnight Library, she must discover what makes life truly fulfilling and worth living.
Happy reading!