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100 Must-Read YA Historical Fantasy Novels

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Tirzah Price

Senior Contributing Editor

Most of Tirzah Price's life decisions have been motivated by a desire to read as many books as humanly possible. Tirzah holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked as an independent bookseller and librarian. She’s also the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries, published by HarperTeen, and Bibliologist at TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. Follow her on Twitter @TirzahPrice.

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When I sat down to compile the list of 100 Must-Read YA Historical Novels, I was faced with a dilemma: to include fantasy or not to include fantasy? I’ve loved YA fantasy ever since my middle school self stumbled upon A Great and Terrible Beauty, but being in the mood for good historical realistic fiction is a very different thing from being in the mood for good historical fiction with magic.

Beyond that, historical speculative fiction encompasses many sub-genres! Time travel, steampunk, fantasy, alternate history, historical ghost stories–it’s a lot. It really deserved a 100 Must-Read list of its very own, which many of you were quick to ask about when the YA Historical Novels list went live. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

Books that are the first in a series are denoted with +.

  1. A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
  2. A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica SpotswoodA Wish After Midnight
  3. A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliot
  4. Along the River by Adeline Yen Mah
  5. An Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton
  6. And I Darken by Kierstin White
  7. An Architect of Song by A.G. Howard
  8. The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan+
  9. The Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle+
  10. Blythewood by Carol Goodman+
  11. Born of Illusion by Teri Brown +
  12. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood+
  • Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney+
  • A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey+
  • The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni
  • City of Fire by Laurence Yep*
  • Copper Magic by Julia Mary Gibson
  • Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge
  • Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
  • The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler
  • The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
  • Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
  • Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan
  • Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn
  • The Diviners by Libba Bray+The Diviners
  • Door at the Crossroads by Zetta Elliot
  • Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (not out until 2018, but sure to be a must-read when it hits shelves!)
  • Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel+
  • Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire
  • Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger+
  • Everlasting by Angie Frazier +
  • The Falconer by Elizabeth May
  • Fateful by Claudia GrayFriday Society
  • Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh
  • The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
  • Forbidden Tale: Sword by Da Chen
  • The Game of Love & Death by Martha Brockenbrough
  • The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges+
  • The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace
  • The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig+
  • The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross+
  • The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui
  • Golden Hour by Maiya Williams+
  • Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers+
  • A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray+
  • The Heavenward Path by Kara Dalkey
  • In the Serpent’s Coils by Tiffany Trent+
  • In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
  • The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare+
  • Into the Dim by Janet B. TaylorIron Cast
  • Iron Cast by Destiny Soria
  • Jackaby by William Ritter+
  • Legacy by Ravin Tija Maurice
  • Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld +
  • Little Sister by Kara Dalkey+
  • A Matter of Magic by Patricia C. Wrede
  • The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson
  • Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey +
  • My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows
  • Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
  • Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown
  • Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink +Razorhurst
  • Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier
  • Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson
  • Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
  • Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier +
  • Sekret by Lindsay Smith+
  • Serpentine by Cindy Pon+
  • A Shadow Bright & Burning by Jessica Cluess
  • Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
  • Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon+
  • Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard+
  • Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede +
  • Spirit’s Princess by Esther Friesner+
  • Steel by Carrie VaughnStrands of Bronze and Gold
  • The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters
  • Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
  • The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe+
  • The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye+
  • The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
  • The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
  • The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
  • The Shadows by Megan ChanceThis Dark Endeavor
  • These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
  • This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel+
  • This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee
  • Ticker by Lisa Mantchev
  • Timebound by Rysa Walker
  • Timekeeper by Tara Sim
  • Timespell by Diana Paz
  • Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick
  • Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent +
  • Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell+Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
  • Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson+
  • Wildwing by Emily Whitman
  • Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
  • Winterspell by Claire Legrand
  • Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
  • Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
  • The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh+

    What are your favorite YA historical fantasy novels?