This post was last updated on August 24th, 2024 at 03:07 pm
The great thing about a gripping YA fantasy book series is that you don’t have to read just one book. Why stop there when you can binge-read all weekend? Here are seven great picks of completed series that will have you reading into the wee hours and keep you coming back!
What makes fantasy books for YA binge-worthy? Well, for one thing, believable and relatable characters. You want real people you care about–characters that you forget are characters that exist only in the heart and mind of the author and you, the reader.
Other factors contributing to grip-ability and unputdownableness (Is that a word? If it’s not, it should be.) are an exciting and magical fantasy world, a realistic romance that sizzles but isn’t insta-love, and a protagonist with a strong inner issue.
The last component, the main character’s deep inner issue, is the most important. Ultimately, the inner issue drives the story and keeps you turning the pages as quickly as possible! Without this, the story never comes to life.
So how do your favorite authors do it? Writers accomplish epic books through strong, meticulous world-building and a solid knowledge of story-telling elements. And when they do it right, you know it because you are hooked! For a complete breakdown of the elements of the best YA fantasy book series, check out this article.
This post is about seven truly amazing completed YA fantasy book series.
YA Fantasy Book Series
The Bone Witch Trilogy by Rin Chupeco
There are three titles in this series: The Bone Witch, The Heart Forger, and The Shadowglass.
Rin Chupeco’s trilogy is one of the darkest YA fantasy series currently available. It paints vivid imagery of the plight of a girl named Tea, who learns she is a bone witch. A bone witch, it turns out, is a rare and potent witch with a magical ability to raise and control the dead. Her special power causes her to be feared and shunned by those around her. Although you feel for Tea, you also get it.
With the air thick with suspense and danger around every corner, the author reveals Tea’s background story bit by bit and shows us how far Tea will go to use her abilities to get what she wants, building up more tension and dread with each unfolding of a new scene. A fresh new fantasy in this genre.
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising
If you’ve seen any of the original series on Netflix, then you’re way ahead of the game and know what you’re in store for in this gem of high fantasy YA books. Magical soldiers known as Grisha have the ability to manipulate and control matter, giving them control over the different elements. In Bardugo’s Grisha series, some of these elements include fire (Inferni), objects like metal or textiles (Durasts), and even the human body (Heartrenders). Alina Starkov is the main character of the first three volumes of the series. She’s a rare Sun Summoner whose predicted abilities over light itself may just save her planet from the actual forces of evil. I’d say that’s a protagonist worth rooting for.
Luckily for readers, this series doesn’t stop at the first three books. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom continue the journies of Kaz Brekker and company, while King of Scars and Rule of Wolves connects us back up to Nikolai Lantsov, Zoya Nazyalensky, and Nina Zenik.
The companion novels The Language of Thorns and Lives of Saints include numerous Ravkan folktales and tales of the Grisha saints who serve as the foundation of the world’s dominant religion.
YA Fantasy Book Series About Sisters and a Carnival: The Caraval Trilogy by Stephanie Garber
Caraval, Legendary, and Finale make up the completed trilogy. For additional reading, you can pick up Once Upon a Broken Heart, a spin-off series that follows Evangeline Fox.
Caraval is a beautiful and highly detailed narrative with everything you’d expect in the very best young adult fantasy tales. The story centers around a renowned carnival that more or less resembles what we’d think of as a circus. The love of Scarlett and Donatella is what keeps you reading. Additionally, the unbreakable tie between these two sisters that lies at the story’s core puts this tale in a class by itself.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows is one of the two-book series by Leigh Bardugo mentioned earlier. It’s one of the finest fantasy heist stories out there! It’s also one of the best YA Fantasy Romance books. This incredible book combines humor, tragedy, wit, murder, thoughtfulness, and more into one cohesive whole.
The narrative centers on Kaz Brekker, a robber, scam artist, and gang leader who is referred to as Dirtyhands throughout Ketterdam because there’s nothing he won’t do — no job too low. Kaz is abducted by a scary bunch of powerful individuals. They hand him the impossible task of breaking into Fjerda’s Ice Court and retrieving what they want. The benefits go beyond his wildest fantasies, yet if he fails, the consequences will rival his worst fears. Kaz feels certain that he can get the right people for the job. Only one small problem: they might all kill each other in the process.
Post-Apocalyptic YA Fantasy Book Series: Penryn & The End Of Days Series by Susan Ee
One of the best YA Fantasy books of all time! Penryn, a 17-year-old girl, is just trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. All she wants is to try and make ends meet for herself, her mentally ill mother (You’ll hear about Mom’s eggs a few times.), and her younger sister, Paige. Paige has special needs and gets caught in the center of it all. At one point, she gets kidnapped. That kidnapping changes her forever in a way you’ll never see coming. Penryn joins forces with Raffe, an atheist angel, to rescue her sister after she is taken hostage.
The novels in this trilogy are dark, immersive, and wonderful. There’s also a bit of romance, with Penryn remaining a strong, intelligent heroine who knows what’s most important.
Angelfall, book one of the trilogy, certainly belongs in the list of the top 100 YA Fantasy books. Time Magazine also rated it among its Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time.
The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
Books in this series: The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower, and The Winter of the Witch
The Bear and The Nightingale narrates the life of Vasya, a young girl growing up in a remote Northern Russian village situated on the brink of the wilderness. Vasya possesses the gift of Sight, and her nanny Dunya regales the family with magical stories of frost demons and spirits, which Vasya perceives as more than mere tales. However, when Vasya’s father remarries and brings her new stepmother, Anna, home, her life takes an unexpected turn. And if that isn’t enough, the arrival of a new priest in the village shows that danger is coming, and Vasya’s the only one capable of overcoming it.
This is one of those stories that captivates you from the first sentence. The Bear and the Nightingale combines historical fiction and fairy tales, immersing the reader in the era when the Golden Horde still ruled Russia. Mythical folklore imbues every page as you navigate a mesmerizing, wintry setting. Best of all, the writing style is lush and poetic.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
This four-book series is addictive! It starts out with Laia living in a brutal world inspired by ancient Rome: the Martial Empire. Here, the Empire punishes rebellion with death. Those who refuse to pledge their loyalty and devotion to the Emperor risk losing their loved ones to execution and forfeiting all that they cherish.
It is within this harsh reality that Laia resides with her grandparents and elder brother, struggling to survive in the impoverished alleys of the Empire. They don’t dare challenge the status quo, having witnessed the brutal consequences for those who do.
But when the powers that be detain Laia’s brother and accuse him of treason, she must make a decision. In exchange for assistance from the rebels, who promise to rescue her brother, Laia must risk her life by infiltrating the Empire’s most esteemed military academy as a spy.
It’s here that Laia meets Elias, the academy’s top soldier. He’s also its most reluctant. Elias yearns to break free from the oppression he’s training to enforce. Laia and Elias come to realize that their fates are inextricably intertwined, and their choices could determine the fate of the Empire itself.
Whichever series you choose, be sure to find a comfortable reading nook and grab some great snacks because once you start reading, you won’t want to get up for a while!
This post was about seven binge-worthy YA fantasy book series with links and descriptions.
You may also enjoy the Copper and Cobalt Trilogy, a fantasy series for young adults set in North Wales. Click here for all eReader formats: Universal Book Link and here for Amazon Kindle and paperback: Amazon
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