10 Best YA Fantasy Books of All Time

The best YA fantasy books of all time are better described as life-changing experiences rather than novels. It’s been said that there are good books and there are great books. Then there are books that transcend greatness to reach heights that didn’t exist before their creation.

Choosing only ten books to go on a list of the best YA fantasy books of all time was challenging, but I’ve finally condensed it down to the novels below. The first reason I chose these books was because each one of them is loved by millions, whether in the famous sense (like The Lightning Thief and Harry Potter) or more in the sense of having a vast devoted cult following (like The Last Unicorn and A Wizard of Earthsea).

Secondly, I chose these because there’s a lot of variety. YA fantasy is a genre that encompasses not only many subgenres but many flavors of fantasy. Whether you’re looking for a lush and adventurous epic like The Hobbit or a heartwarming and humorous fairy tale like The Princess Bride, it’s on this short but inclusive list. 

If I had to pick a personal favorite, it’s The Hobbit, so I’ve listed that book first. I also found a Welsh-themed book called The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. Unsurprisingly, considering the author and the world of the story, it’s quite Tolkienesque in certain respects. So, if you’re a fan of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, you will most likely enjoy Alexander’s widely acclaimed series.

This post is about the 10 best YA fantasy books of all time.

Best YA Fantasy Books of All Time

Best YA Fantasy Books of All Time: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 

What is the best fantasy book of all time? For me, it’s The Hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, loves his cozy and sensible life in the beautiful Shire where he lives. He doesn’t do much traveling. When and if he does, it’s to his own pantry or the cellar. Adventures aren’t respectable things, after all! Unfortunately, a wizard named Gandalf and a company of dwarves disturb Bilbo’s peace and quiet by showing up on his doorstep one day. Soon, his new companions whisk him away on a grand quest. 

Smaug, a very large and menacing—and very old—dragon, has been hoarding the Dwarves’ treasure, securing the Lonely Mountain for himself all these years (150, to be precise). The dwarves want to reclaim the hoard as their own, as well as the mountain where their ancestors once dwelled. Bilbo, Gandalf believes, is just the hobbit to help them. They need a burglar, and who better to do that than a hobbit, a creature no bigger than a child? 

Bilbo reluctantly joins, having no idea what’s in store for him. On his journey, he’ll not only encounter a magic ring but an unsettling creature called Gollum. Both the ring and Gollum have incredible roles to play, but Bilbo doesn’t know that yet. I’ve always loved seeing Bilbo’s tremendous growth throughout the story. (Like many LOTR fans, I’ve read the book more than once.) While the hobbit is unsure and full of misgivings at the beginning, he grows into a loyal hero you can’t help but admire and also can relate to in so many ways. The Hobbit is a must-read for children and adults alike who love adventure.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is an eleven-year-old boy who lives with his awful aunt and uncle at number four, Privet Drive, in the fictional town of Little Whinging in England. Harry’s never heard of Hogwarts—not to mention that he doesn’t know magic is real or that magical events are happening in the world. Imagine his surprise when he starts getting letters from the school addressed to him personally. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon aren’t having it. They confiscate every letter without allowing Harry to read them. Eventually, however, a massive man named Rubeus Hagrid delivers the message to Harry in person. 

Hagrid tells Harry that he’s a wizard by birthright and there’s a place for him at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Soon, Harry’s incredible adventure begins. He leaves Little Whinging with Hagrid and finds himself picking out a wand and an animal companion—an owl named Hedwig. He’ll need them both for his classes. On the train to Hogwarts, Harry meets two other students who will become his best friends: Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger. What I love about the Harry Potter series is how fun it is and how much detail the author puts into the magical items, spells, and the magical realm in general. It’s another book that readers of all ages have fallen in love with.

Best YA Fantasy Books of All Time: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

The Atlantic has called The Last Unicorn “one of the best fantasy novels ever,” and I agree wholeheartedly. It is, without a doubt, one of the best YA fantasy books of all time.

This lovely book begins with the line, “The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone…” We learn about the unicorn and her world as she ventures out of her enchanted forest, searching for others of her kind. Along the way, she meets an insecure magician named Schmendrick and a fiery peasant cook named Molly Grue. These well-intentioned humans desire with all their hearts to help the unicorn on her quest and aid her as she weathers the joys and sorrows of life on her journey. 

The unicorn, whose name we never know, meets her destiny after she undergoes a shocking, life-changing experience before entering the castle of a reclusive monarch and his son, Lir. Ultimately, with the help of her devoted friends and the prince, the unicorn finds and confronts the creature that threatens her kind.  

The Last Unicorn is a beautifully written story told in the style of fairy tales. Beagle’s prose has a certain poetic quality we seldom find, making the book’s world all the more magical and memorable. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning is a children’s book suitable for teens and adults due to its dystopian atmosphere and certain themes. As the first novel in a dark thirteen-book series, most readers agree it’s okay for kids to read. However, some controversy exists, including some schools banning the books. Now that I’ve really got your attention, I’ll tell you what it’s about!

The series follows three orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, through the events of their quite miserable and unlucky lives after their parents die. Count Olaf is the villain the siblings find themselves up against. He’s after their inherited fortune, and he’ll do anything to get it, no matter how vile and unthinkable. 

I’ve included it in the Top 10 not only because it’s an interesting story that has sold over 60 million copies worldwide but also because it’s a great choice if you’re looking for something different and like short fantasy novels. The characters are more adultish than many protagonists of this age group. The language is also more mature and complex, such as in some situations encountered and humorous references. Summary: Dark, complex, pushes boundaries.

A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle Series Book 1) by Ursula K. Le Guin

In his youth, Ged was the reckless Sparrowhawk. He had a way with animals, especially birds, and all beasts would come when he called. However, it’s not until Ged learns more magic from the weathermakers that he gets his true name. When he makes a fog to save the town from raiders, he goes into a trance after exhaustion from using every bit of his power. A powerful magician heals him and then, on his birthday, gives him his proper name: Ged.

Ged becomes the magician’s apprentice and, in time, becomes the greatest magician in Earthsea. While that was the accomplishment of a lifetime, in his quest for knowledge and power, he interferes with closely guarded secrets and unleashes something dark and terrible upon the world.

A Wizard of Earthsea is the turbulent story of Ged’s testing. He must master the words of power, learn to control an ancient dragon, and even cross the line between life and death.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson can’t seem to stop getting in trouble. He’s about to get thrown out of boarding school… again. But it isn’t all his fault. What’s he supposed to do—stand by while bullies harass his best friend? Or watch in silence when his teacher turns into a monster and nearly murders him?

Mythical creatures abound as though they’re flying out of Percy’s Greek mythology book. And not only that. He’s ticked a few of them off. Someone has stolen Zeus’s master lightning bolt, and the god suspects Percy as the thief. 

Percy and his friends Grover and Annabeth set out to find the lightning bolt and return it to Zeus. If they can do that, then there’s a chance they can bring peace to Mount Olympus. They make their way to Los Angeles, where the gates of the Underworld await, along with a multitude of enemies set on stopping them. 

The series is well-grounded in its mythology, fun to read, and full of unexpected twists with diverse, well-developed characters.

Best YA Fantasy Books of All Time: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

In Seraphina, a novel by Rachel Hartman, humans and dragons coexist and work together in the kingdom of Goredd. Still, animosity and unease have been simmering behind the surface for some time. The tension feels like a pot ready to boil over when you turn your back.

Seraphina, a musician with exceptional talent and the newest member of the royal court, has a dark secret of her own. It’s a secret that she is fiercely protective of.

But secrets have a way of being found. Seraphina and the frighteningly charismatic—and handsome—Prince Lucien are dragged into an inquiry after a member of the royal family is brutally killed. Seraphina’s fight to keep her secret gets more challenging as the two discover a dark scheme to ruin the kingdom’s waning calm, even if its discovery would result in her death.

The Book of Three (Chronicles of Pydain 1) by Lloyd Alexander

Prydain, which roughly coincides with the land area of Wales, is the world we find ourselves in once we open the book. While many characters and features are made up specifically for the fictional Land of Prydain, some are based on Welsh mythology.

The protagonist is Taran, Dallben’s assistant pig keeper. Dallben is the shadowy wizard who owns and consults “The Book of Three,” and right off, strange things start to happen. Bees swarm, chickens take off, and Hen Wen, the oracular pig, flees as Dallben tells Taran that his book foretells a disturbance approaching Caer Dallben and Prydain itself. Taran goes off to search for Hen Wen in the woods. There, he meets the Horned King, the Lord of Annuvin (the land of the dead), sent by King Arawn and the renowned good King Gwydion.

The characters are funny and thoroughly entertaining as they attempt to outrun the dreadful army that King Arawn has assembled. They face one adventure after the next and continuous peril, all richly described by the author. This first book in one of the best young adult fantasy series of fast-paced adventures will take you to unexpected places. 

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman

The Princess Bride is a modern classic that tells the story of true love and high adventure, complete with pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a terrifying array of wild monsters.

We begin the tale with the reluctant Princess Buttercup devastated after the loss of her true love as Florin and Guilder teeter on the brink of war. She is abducted by a mercenary and his goons, saved by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, and then recused once more by the same crew who had originally absconded with her. You’ll meet a colorful cast of characters during this spectacular adventure: Count Rugen, the evil mastermind behind it all; Fezzik, the gentle giant; Inigo, the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for vengeance; and Vizzini, the criminal philosopher who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the loot. However, Westley, Princess Buttercup’s one true love and a close friend of a very dangerous pirate, ruins all the aforementioned characters’ plans and barges in when he’s least expected.

It’s a beautiful story full of warm feelings, high energy, and true love. It would be a crime against yourself not to read it at least once—and, of course, not to see the adorable movie from the 80s! Curiously, there is also a Middle English edition of the book, a fun rendition created by a fan.

Inkheart (Inkheart Trilogy, Book 1) (Inkworld series) by Cornelia Funke

This blockbuster, magical epic, written by the internationally celebrated author Cornelia Funke, is the last gem on our list. When Meggie’s father reads aloud from the book Inkheart one harsh night, a villainous ruler breaks through the walls of the fictional world and enters their living room. Meggie finds herself embroiled in an adventure she’s only ever read about in novels. She learns that she accidentally summoned this nightmare by magic and now must learn to control it. Only she has the power to alter the story, although there can be no doubt that it’s changed her life forever. 

The author tells the story from multiple viewpoints, giving the plot and characters extra dimensions. While the book isn’t as lighthearted as some, I wouldn’t call it dark. The main characters are such wonderful people that you can’t help but root for them all the way. Adding to the charm of Inkheart is that each chapter opens with a well-chosen quote.

This post was about the 10 best YA fantasy books of all time.

You may also enjoy 5 Best YA Fantasy Romance Books to Charm Even Non-Romance Readers and 7 Best YA Fantasy Book Series to Binge-Read.