4 Underrated YA Fantasy Series

Of the many branches on the YA family tree, YA fantasy seems to be the most well-regarded by even the pickiest of readers. It’s hard to ignore the way it shapes and affects culture when some of its most beloved gems include Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians. But these days, with so many catchy covers and alluring summaries to choose from, it’s easy for some books to fall by the wayside.

I’ll level with you: most of the fantasy I find myself drawn to isn’t flying off the shelves, and isn’t praised alongside (wonderful) series like Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse or Sarah J. Maas’s books (confession: I’ve never read a SJM book. I’m thinking I’ll wait until her Throne of Glass series is wrapped up to give it a try).

If you’re looking for some new YA fantasy to add to your TBR, check these out:

Burning Glass trilogy by Kathryn Purdie

Burning Glass follows Sonya Petrova, an Auraseer— she’s a conduit for other people’s emotions, feeling their rage, sorrow, ecstasy, etc. as if it’s her own— whose gifts have been left unchecked for her entire 16 years of life. Far more powerful than your average Auraseer with the self-control of a toddler on a raging sugar-bender, Sonya is best left shut up in the convent of Riaznin, where she can’t hurt anyone. And then, under the spell of someone else’s emotions, she burns the convent down, murdering pretty much everyone in it.

Sounds crazy, right? Don’t worry: it gets worse. Being that she is the oldest Auraseer left in the kingdom of Riaznin, Sonya is legally obligated to serve the crown (refusing would mean certain death), protecting Emperor Valko from assassination attempts, poisoning, etc.

But the more Sonya learns about life at the palace, the more conflicted she feels. Valko is a passionate, charming, volatile man. On the other side of the coin, his steady, level-headed, equality-minded younger brother, Crown Prince Anton, is plotting a revolution.

Sonya must decide what’s right, what’s wrong, and whose side she’s on. The first book, Burning Glass, was pretty solid, especially considering it was Purdie’s debut.

The second installment, Crystal Blade, is everything I wanted as a reader.  There was so much character development between the first and second books. Sonya matured noticeably, going from someone who was a passive bystander in her own life to a formidable heroine. Plus, the plot was kicked up several notches, leaving me waiting on the edge of my seat for the last book (due out in November of 2018).

The Raven Boys cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

There’s so much going on in this series, I don’t feel like I could do it justice without shoving it in your hands and insisting you read it ASAP. But if you like stories with:

A) Strong family dynamics

B) Strong friendships

C) A doomed love story (Seriously. Doomed.)

D) The search for a long-dead, mythical king

E) Laugh-out-loud humour (though that’s subjective)

it’s a good bet you’ll love The Raven Boys. Seriously, check it out. It’s well worth your investment.

Flame in the Mist duology by Renée Ahdieh

Ahdieh is best known for her The Wrath & the Dawn duology, an Arabian Nights retelling. In Flame in the Mist, the first in her newest duology, Ahdieh takes on Mulan. Set in Feudal Japan, we follow Mariko, whose convoy is attacked by a group of notorious criminals, The Black Clan, as she’s traveling to meet and marry the emperor’s son. (Yeesh, talk about a tall order).

The only survivor— thus, making the attempt on her life thoroughly botched— Mariko escapes into the woods and presents as a boy to fit into and then destroy The Black Clan. But things get complicated when Mariko— a quick, capable inventor who has been urged to forget her passion and focus on more marriageable traits— is embraced by her would-be murderers for who she is, treated as an equal, a friend.

Man, being appreciated for who you are is kind of an irresistible draw, and when you add in Mariko falling in love with one of her would-be assassins (don’t you hate when you fall for someone who tried to kill you? The heart wants what it wants, I guess, but like, maybe be a bit more choosy), it’s a mess.

Sprinkled with magic, mythology, rampant backstabbery and just enough (seriously, not too much) political intrigue, Flame in the Mist was one of my favourite reads last year.

Caraval trilogy by Stephanie Garber

I can understand, with this trilogy in particular, why Garber’s writing style might not be for everyone. Her descriptions are flowery and the world she’s built is constantly shifting. But I personally loved it.

18-year-old Scarlett Dragna is about to get married to a man she’s never met in order to secure a better life for both herself and her impetuous younger sister, Donatella, away from their physically abusive father. Donatella is horrified that Scarlett has resigned herself to entering a contractual, loveless marriage. So, she stages a sisternapping with the help of a roguish sailor named Julian.

Their destination? Caraval— an interactive show that sweeps the audience away on a tide of hopes, dreams, and magic. But when they arrive, the fake kidnapping turns into a real one, with Donatella being swooped up as the prize in this year’s game. Scarlett must win Caraval, save her sister, and return home to be married before their father finds them.

But the magic of Caraval is as dangerous as it is spellbinding. With no one to trust but herself, Scarlett must figure out what’s real and what’s an illusion, or Donatella will pay the price.

What are some of your favourite underrated YA fantasy series? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to add more to my TBR. (No I wouldn’t, my bookshelves are crying. But seriously: I would. I just shouldn’t. Help me).

Ready to add any of there series to your bookshelf? Shop our Amazon affiliate links: Burning Glass, The Raven Boys, Flame in the Mist, and Caraval!

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