I'm in my thirties. I pay taxes, have a mortgage, and contribute to a retirement account. I also regularly sob over fictional teenagers falling in love in magical academies. These things are not contradictory.
The young adult label has become meaningless when it comes to fantasy fiction. Some of the most ambitious, emotionally complex, and genuinely literary fantasy being written today carries that "YA" designation. And I'm tired of pretending we should age out of it.
Why YA Fantasy Hits Different
Here's what YA fantasy does better than a lot of adult fantasy:
Pacing That Respects Your Time
YA fantasy tends to move. There's less wheel-spinning, fewer 100-page digressions, less of that doorstop fantasy padding. When I want a story that grabs me and doesn't let go, YA delivers.
Emotional Intensity Without Apology
YA doesn't do understated. The feelings are BIG. The stakes feel personal. And you know what? That's actually great. I don't always want subtle. Sometimes I want a book that makes me feel things deeply and dramatically.
Found Family, Enemies-to-Lovers, and Other Tropes Done Right
YA fantasy has mastered the tropes that readers actually love. Found family? Check. Enemies who have too much chemistry? Check. Training montages at magical schools? Check. These aren't clichés when they're done well—they're the building blocks of comfort reading.
The YA Fantasy Series That Wrecked Me
The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo
If you haven't entered the Grishaverse yet, I envy you. Starting with Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo has built one of the most compelling fantasy universes in modern fiction. The real magic happens with the Six of Crows duology—morally complex characters, incredible heist plotting, and an ensemble that will become permanent residents in your brain.
Reading order matters here. You can start with Six of Crows, but you'll get more out of it if you read the original trilogy first. Trust me.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Let's address the elephant in the room: this series is spicy. It's marketed as YA but has become the poster child for "new adult" content. That said, the world-building is incredible, the character development across the series is substantial, and the romance is... well, you'll see.
Start with book one, but know that the series really hits its stride in A Court of Mist and Fury. You need book one for context, but book two is where most readers become obsessed.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Dark faerie courts, morally complicated protagonists, and some of the most delicious enemies-to-lovers tension in the genre. Holly Black writes antagonists who are genuinely menacing while also being impossibly magnetic. The Folk of the Air trilogy is tight, addictive, and perfect.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Roman-inspired fantasy with genuine stakes and beautifully developed characters. This series deals with serious themes—oppression, resistance, moral compromise—while delivering an epic fantasy adventure. The emotional payoffs across the quartet are substantial.
Reading Order Complexity in YA
Here's something that surprises a lot of readers: YA fantasy has become just as complex as adult fantasy when it comes to reading order. Authors write companion novellas, short stories in anthologies, and spinoff series that fill in world-building gaps.
The Grishaverse alone has multiple trilogy timelines, standalone novels, and short story collections that all connect. Sarah J. Maas has three different series (ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Crescent City) that are now crossing over with each other.
This is exactly why I built detailed reading order guides for these authors. The interconnections are real and worth following.
The "Age-Appropriate" Question
I occasionally get pushback: "Aren't you too old to read books for teenagers?" To which I say: when was the last time you checked a book's target demographic before deciding if you enjoyed it?
Good stories are good stories. The age on the spine doesn't determine quality. Some YA fantasy has more sophisticated world-building than adult fantasy that takes itself much more seriously. The genre label is a marketing category, not a measure of literary merit.
Where to Start
If you're a YA fantasy skeptic, here's my recommendation: start with Six of Crows. It reads like adult fantasy, features an ensemble cast of complex characters, and has some of the tightest plotting in any fantasy series. If you don't enjoy it, YA fantasy might genuinely not be for you. But I bet you will.
Search our database for YA fantasy series to find complete reading orders. We track every novella, every short story, every companion content so you get the full experience.
There's no shame in the YA fantasy game.
— mrod