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Riot Recommendation

26 Great Inclusive YA Fantasy Reads!

Jamie Canaves

Contributing Editor

Jamie Canavés is the Tailored Book Recommendations coordinator and Unusual Suspects mystery newsletter writer–in case you’re wondering what you do with a Liberal Arts degree. She’s never met a beach she didn’t like, always says yes to dessert, loves ‘80s nostalgia, all forms of entertainment, and can hold a conversation using only gifs. You can definitely talk books with her on Litsy and Goodreads. Depending on social media’s stability maybe also Twitter and Bluesky.

This Riot Recommendation listing great inclusive YA fantasy reads is sponsored by We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal and Fierce Reads.

We Hunt the Flame cover imageSet in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, Hafsah Faizal’s We Hunt the Flame—first in the Sands of Arawiya duology—is a gripping story of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands. // “We Hunt the Flame should be on every fantasy fan’s bookshelf.” —Kiersten White, bestselling author of And I Darken. // “Filled with rich worldbuilding with stakes that will keep you at the edge of your seat.” —BuzzFeed


Ahh, fantasy: the genre where we can have dragons flying around, but some will argue that it’s inaccurate to have people of color. We’re here for having it all and want all the great inclusive YA fantasy reads, because our TBR is always welcoming of more books. So many more books. Which is why we asked you to tell us your favorite inclusive YA fantasy reads for this amazing list. Our pet dragons are most pleased.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Princess of Dorsa by Eliza Andrews

The Diviners by Libba Bray

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Great Library by Rachel Caine

Inkheart trilogy by by Cornelia Funke

Dreadnought by April Daniels

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyami

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Serpentine by by Cindy Pon

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Huntress by Melinda Lo

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

White Cat by Holly Black

Timekeeper series by Tara Sim

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

The Disasters by M.K England

The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Seraphina and Dragon Scale by Rachel Hartman

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer