What is a good YA fantasy definition? YA fantasy is a subcategory of young adult fiction that features magic and fantastical elements and is often set in a world very different from ours. Familiar YA fantasy tropes are the love triangle, a great quest, a hidden identity, a prophecy, and the protagonist as the chosen one.
What’s a good YA fantasy definition, and what separates it from other types of fantasy? For one thing, its target audience and primary readership is teens, or roughly readers ages 12 – 18. The age range can vary depending on the book. There can also be some overlap. For example, some YA fantasy romance books are enjoyed by adult readers just as much as teens. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Series is a stellar example. Similarly, some fantasy books written for teens are also appropriate and easily digestible by younger readers.
The main elements that make YA fantasy what it is are a young protagonist (or several young main characters), the existence of magic, and being set in a world with a different set of rules. Young adult fantasy books also commonly include themes relevant to teens, such as the struggles accompanying coming-of-age, discovering one’s identity, navigating good versus evil, and right and wrong.
This post is all about a descriptive YA fantasy definition with examples and book recommendations.
YA Fantasy Definition
What about New Adult Fantasy (also abbreviated as “NA”)? What’s the difference in YA or NA meaning? So glad you asked! While Young Adult is generally written for teens, New Adult (be it fantasy or another genre) is written for adults. NA novels feature a protagonist who has recently become an adult or is still (generally) under 30. Authors of New Adult books write for readers between the ages of 19 and 29. You can read more about the differences between these two genres in my post, YA or NA Meaning: What’s the Difference? You’ll also find book recommendations for each.
YA Fantasy Definition and Examples
Why are YA fantasy books so appealing? For one thing, they offer an incredible amount of adventure and a means to experience magical situations that one would never be able to connect with in real life. However, even though the world, creatures, and magic may not be real, the inner conflict and struggles of the protagonist—as well as many external onesare easily felt by the reader. YA fantasy books also provide other ways to feel a connection and sense of belonging, especially when the main character doesn’t fit in, gets excluded, or is treated unjustly by the society in which they find themselves. While the protagonist may be fictional, how we can relate to them, their emotions, and their difficulties are real and tangible.
Now that you understand the basic YA fantasy definition, we’ll look at some incredible books and why they’re great examples of the genre! Here are some of the best YA fantasy books.
Graceling (Graceling Realm Book 1) by Kristin Cashore
Voted Best of BookTok, this award-winning novel comes to us from New York Times bestselling author Kristin Cashore. In Graceling, the main character, Katsa, lives in the Seven Kingdoms and is the king’s niece. The peculiar thing about her world is that selected people are born with a special gift called a “Grace.” This ability can be anything. Katsa’s happens to be killing—she’s quite skilled at this. She’s so good at it, in fact, that she can do it with her bare hands. When the king forces Katsa to act as a torturer and murderer, she forms a secret group of others who also want the injustice to stop. And then the arrival of Prince Po changes everything.
Graceling is a great example of the trope “the chosen one.” We see this as Katsa is picked for a grim job, yet she is also chosen in the reverse sense that she’s forced into being the one to fix things. There’s also a strong buildup to the romance between Katsa and Po. There’s no love triangle here—not a bad thing, as many readers feel the trope is overused.
Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto
Crown of Feathers is the first book in this thrilling YA fantasy series by Nicki Pau Preto. The tale is told from three different viewpoints: Veronyka, Tristan, and Sev. After a war rips the empire apart, Veronyka is left an orphan. Veronyka and her sister Val try to hatch phoenix eggs. In this world, phoenixes are made of fire—real fire. Veronyka desperately longs to be a phoenix rider like the heroes of old. When she and her sister do manage to hatch one egg, the bird bonds with Veronyka, and Val shows her true colors, killing the bird in the process. Now, disguised as a boy, Veronyka leaves home and joins what remains of the Phoenix Riders. Just as things start looking up, Val reappears, making everything very complicated and dangerous.
Crown of Feathers is a wonderful example of magical beasts! It’s also a good example of the magical world of the Auran Empire as we learn about the Animages. They are people who can control animals through magic. The novel shows a strong theme of oppression as we learn that the riders must be male only. We root for Veronyka as the underdog in her mission to become a Phoenix Rider and deal with the continuous betrayals from her sister. There’s not a lot of romance in the book. And that’s okay, as sometimes fantasy works just as well or better without it! However, you can tell more is coming in future books of the series.
Return of the Thief (Queen’s Thief Book 6) by Megan Whalen Turner
The final, highly-anticipated book of this series paints a beautiful picture of respect, friendship, and the incredible strength of the human spirit. Pheris Mostrus Erondites has been known as a monster because he was born with an infirmity that runs in his family. So, he’s more shocked than anyone when he’s named Baron Erondites’s heir. He’s then sent to serve as the attendant to Eugenides, the king of Attolia. Pheris soon finds that his and the king’s fate intertwine more closely than he ever imagined. An invasion is imminent, and it will take everything to win. Throughout the story, the author shows us the best and worst sides of the king and thief. While Return of the Thief concludes the series, you can read it as a standalone.
This YA fantasy book is an excellent example of an underdog as a protagonist. There is also a great quest to save the Little Penisula from the Mede Empire, who, with the help of the Continental Powers and the Erondites, intend to overthrow it. Return of the Thief contains a hidden identity trope as well, at least in the sense that Pheris conceals his true personality and how intelligent he is. He knows he’s safer if he’s underestimated. The book is a stunning conclusion to the series and is full of feels and connections.
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
This book is a mesmerizing tale based on Persian mythology. Alizeh appears to be nothing more than a servant girl with unusual eyes. Instead, she’s the heir to the Jinn kingdom. Meanwhile, Kamran, the crown Prince, hears rumors of the king’s death. He never would have imagined the servant girl would be the one to turn his world upside down. What’s worse, he can’t get Alizeh out of his mind.
This Woven Kingdom is a perfect example of a secret identity. It also embraces forbidden love and the theme of the chosen one, as Alizeh must be the one to save her people. The Jinn are, of course, wonderful examples of magical beings, and ones we don’t hear about too often at that. Jinn are spirits from Muslim or Arabic mythology that can appear in either human or animal form. They can be either good or evil and can aid or harm humans by exerting their supernatural powers over them.
In author Tahereh Mafi’s novel, a past conflict has forced the Jinn to live a hunted existence. Life in human society is nearly unbearable. They are shunned, attacked, or isolated and must act with caution. While the mysterious Jinn are stronger than humans, they are still the oppressed characters in the tale, and Alizeh is destined to set them free.
YA Fantasy Meaning
YA fantasy is a genre that places young protagonists in fantastical settings and compels them to solve their inner conflicts by tackling the external ones through magic and their own special abilities. Whether dealing with issues such as coming of age, identity, or relationship struggles, these totally relatable hardships are what give YA fantasy books meaning to so many readers. We get it. We strive, overcome, and grow right along with the characters on every page.
If you’d like to read free YA fantasy stories by new and upcoming authors, check out teen fiction wattpad.
This post was all about a descriptive YA fantasy definition with examples and book recommendations.
You may also enjoy the Copper and Cobalt Trilogy, a YA fantasy series set in Snowdonia in North Wales. Click here for all eReader formats: Universal Book Link and here for Amazon Kindle and paperback: Amazon
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