This post was last updated on August 24th, 2024 at 04:34 pm
If fantasy books for YA featuring fairy folk, medieval Welsh adventure, the Otherworld, and Afallon (the Isle of Apples) are your thing, then this list is for you. While it’s all very magical and exciting, some of the creatures you may encounter aren’t so nice. And the Tylwyth Teg are just the beginning.
What are the Tylwyth Teg? So glad you asked! “Tylwyth Teg” literally means “Fair Folk,” but don’t let that fool you. Although they are pixie-like creatures with wings, the Tlywyth Teg aren’t like the happy and sweet fairies you’d likely find in a Disney movie. They have a darker nature. For instance, a Tylwyth Teg might steal a baby and replace it with a changeling.
The origin of these creatures traces back to the druids who remained for a while during Christian times. At this time, the people of Cymru (Wales) were transitioning from paganism to Christianity. A druid, upon departing this life, was said to be unallowed into heaven because he wasn’t Christian. His soul turned into a Tylwyth Teg and remained trapped on earth in the Otherworld as a small, fair-haired being who looked much like a child. Over time, the Tylwyth Teg grew an ugly face and became sour-tempered and shriveled.
This post is about recommendations for the best fantasy books for YA with Welsh or Celtic elements.
Fantasy Books for YA
If you know how to get along with them, the Tylwyth Teg have their good points, too. They’re said to bestow gifts to humans who show them kindness. They also love to dance, make merry, and create fairy rings. You’ve probably seen a “fairy ring” as a circle of mushrooms that appears overnight. According to legend, the Tylwyth Teg use them to mark the locations of their underground kingdoms. Female Tylwyth Teg might also marry human men. Careful though. As with any fae, they will vanish back to the Otherworld if they touch iron.
The Blackthorn Branch by Elen Caldecott
From the blurb:
Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing
Cassie’s older brother Byron has fallen in with the wrong crowd—it’s soon clear these boys are wild, reckless and not human at all. They are tylwyth teg—Fair Folk, who tempt humans down into the dark places of the world. And Byron is tempted.
When he goes missing, Cassie and her cousin, Siân, follow his trail to an old abandoned railway tunnel which goes down and down into Annwn, the underworld. Here, they find that the tylwyth teg are restless—and angry. Their leader, Gwenhidw, wants to protect Annwn from the damage humans are doing to the world. Byron is part of her plan. But Cassie won’t let her big brother be part of anyone’s plan. Can she rescue her brother before it is too late?
Fantasy Books for YA: The Shadow Order by Rebecca John
From the blurb:
One year on from the day the shadows shifted—showing people their truest selves instead of just their shapes—best friends Teddy, Betsy, and Effie plan to risk all and watch the winter sunrise over Copperwell in defiance of the Shadow Order. But from their hidden vantage point, the three shocked friends witness a mysterious woman shouting a dire warning before being arrested, beaten, and dragged away in handcuffs. The event leads them on an extraordinary series of dangerous adventures to save their city as they begin to learn the truth about the Shadow Order, the world surrounding Copperwell, and themselves.
Uprising: Time Travel Adventure in Medieval Wales (Girl Across Time Book 1) by Dai Pryce
From the blurb:
“Nothing is further away than one second ago…”
The year is 1294, and the Welsh countryside seethes with rebellion against the despised English monarchy.
Enter Megan Lynch, a high-school sophomore from Virginia Beach. In the wake of her father’s tragic demise in Afghanistan, Megan’s mother dispatches her to stay with her grandmother in North Wales with a simple directive: “Go stay with your gran for a while, it’ll keep you out of trouble.” Little could she have anticipated the extraordinary events that would befall Megan among the ruins of Flint Castle as she is catapulted into an adventure beyond her wildest imagination.
While her striking resemblance to King Edward’s daughter is initially her saving grace, the inability to speak Norman French arouses suspicions, and with danger lurking at every turn, Megan finds an unlikely ally in Hugh—a knight’s squire harboring secrets of his own.
Their bond strengthens as they navigate the treacherous landscape of medieval Wales, evading pursuit and witnessing the chaos of rebellion firsthand. From dungeons to crossbows, lynch mobs to burning villages, Megan and Hugh traverse a world fraught with peril yet adorned with the majesty of towering castles and unspoiled landscapes.
Can Megan find her way back to the familiar world she left behind, or will the pull of history prove too strong to resist? Join her in this gripping tale of rebellion, friendship, and the quest for home.
Home From the Sea (Elemental Masters Book 7) by Mercedes Lackey
From the blurb:
They came from the sea…
For as long as she could remember, Mari Prothero had seen things—tiny manlike creatures that were mischievous and wore only seaweed and beings that seemed to be made of water. Mari had grown up in a tiny Welsh fishing village where she lived alone with her father, Daffyd, a master fisherman—her mother and brother having drowned when she was a child.
On the morning of her eighteenth birthday, her father finally told her the great secret of the Prothero family. Her family had an ancient covenant with magical shape-shifters, the Selch. Her lost mother and brother were not truly dead, but neither were they human. Now, Mari must abide by her family’s magical compact or face dire consequences.
But Mari is not without protectors. The tiny creatures she had seen her whole life counseled her to bargain with the Selch. While in faraway London, the head of the Elemental Masters had dispatched some very unique champions to come to Mari’s aid…
Tales of Witches and Wyverns: A Portal Fantasy Adventure (Tales of Afallon Isle Book 1) by S. Ramsey
From the blurb:
“Offers fascinating world-building, almost making us believe that fae and other magical creatures walk among us.” —Readers’ Favorite Book Award Review, 5 stars.
Dive into a whirlwind of magic, treacherous quests, and mythical beasts. If you’ve gobbled up the Court of Thorns and Roses set, The Lunar Chronicles series, or How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories, you’re in for a wild ride!
Meet Enid Davies—your not-so-typical teen. She might look ordinary, but when she gazes into a mirror, a cursed witch’s daughter stares back, not a hero.
But on her 16th birthday, things get bizarre when her best friend, Dylan, gets snatched by the evil Queen Malagant, who’s got some dark plans up her sleeve.
Time freezes, a portal opens, and they’re gone, whisked off to an alternate world—Afallon.
With a little help from the legendary Merlin and some magical goodies from King Arthur’s court, Enid sets off on a rescue mission with two squabbling sidekicks—a cruel prince and a loyal friend. But watch out; they’ve both got secrets!
Lugh The Shining One: The Return of the True King by Bob Svihovec
From the blurb:
Can Louis discover his true power in time to save the rightful King?
Bridging the mists of time, Louis, a Brooklyn street artist whose one and only desire is to express the visions sensed in his imagination, is swept up in the epic struggle of the Tuatha Dé Danann against the tyranny of the evil cyclopic Lord Balor and his dark servant, the King’s chief Druid, Lobais. Louis quests for the ever-abundant Cauldron of Dagda, one of the four magical treasures, and finds unbreakable bonds of friendship along the way.
Explorers who love a tale of high adventure in Middle-earth will appreciate this ancient myth. Bob Svihovec, an award-winning storyteller, animator, and illustrator has a deep interest in ancient mythologies which shape our lives. Based on ancient Celtic myths forged in the age before man, this illustrated young adult novel reveals our own inner journey as we seek to master our individual treasures. The flow of destiny is yours to change.
Are you the creator of your own destiny? If you try to be who you’re not, you’ll remain lost.
Fantasy Books for YA: The Obsidian Dagger (Celtic Mythos Book 1) by Brad A. LaMar
From the blurb:
When a mad witch with a magically crafted and frightfully powerful Obsidian Dagger threatens to obliterate humanity and overtake the magic clans of the Celtic Isles, destiny forces 17-year-old American Brendan O’Neal and his younger sister, Lizzie, to intervene.
Joining the desperate princess of the Leprechauns, Dorian, and her two loyal companions, Rory and Biddy, they embark on a dangerous and wondrous adventure across Ireland and Scotland to thwart the witch and save mankind.
Battling the witch’s mutated forces of magical beings, the heroic band will have to reach deeper into themselves than they ever thought possible to find the strength, courage, and will to see their quest through to the end. Brendan will soon learn that the lines between reality, mythology, and divinity are more blurred than he ever imagined.
What readers are saying:
“Fans of Percy Jackson will devour this book.” —Robots and Rogues Blog
“The Obsidian Dagger by Brad A. LaMar is an action-packed, page-turning fantasy adventure set in magical Ireland and Scotland featuring a sister and brother team who end up on a quest of a lifetime.” —Book Swoon
“This is a delightful YA novel that will make you feel young at heart. Thoroughly entertaining and a refreshingly novel plot that evokes a sensation of Harry Potter and yet remains unique.” —Dave Edlund, USA Today bestselling author of the award-winning Peter Savage Novels
This post was about recommendations for fantasy books for YA with Welsh or Celtic elements.
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