10 Engrossing Found Family Fantasy and Alternate History Novels

In this YA fantasy novel, Miliani, Inez, Natalie, and Jasmine are best friends in Providence, RI. They’ve been inseparable since childhood and are as close as family. Mili is often called the “mom friend” of the group. After Jasmine’s sudden death, Mili wants to perform rituals to contact her or even bring her back. The novel emphasizes both bio and found families and traditions that connect us to them. I also enjoyed recognizing the many RI landmarks in this book.

Seelie is a changeling (a fairy exchanged for a human as a baby). She’s also autistic in a world that doesn’t have a word to define it. As the author’s note explains, the myth of fairy changelings has historically been used to dehumanize autistic children, and autistic rep is still mostly white men. So, Housman wanted to reclaim the changeling myth by telling a story of an autistic girl with brown skin and loving parents. Traditionally, human parents would return changelings to the fairies to get their own children back. Instead, Seelie’s parents raised both children as their twin daughters. On the way to save their parents, Seelie and her twin sister, Isolde, form unexpected, strong friendships. This is the first of a duology, and its ending suggests the second book might develop the found family aspect even more.

In a fantasy world inspired by African folklore and climate change, a spreading poison desert threatens climate apocalypse. Djola, the master of poisons, advises the emperor how to prevent total devastation. Awa is a young girl with the power to speak to bees and to enter the spirit world, Smokeland. Eventually, these two characters meet and form a unique found family. Awa’s own family sold her; Djola lost his family. He becomes a father figure to Awa, who reminds him of his own daughter.

Many people call this novel historical fantasy, but I’d describe it as more historical fiction in general. I’m including it because I loved the disability rep and found family. In this feminist retelling of The Three Musketeers, Tania de Batz is a musketeer’s daughter in 17th century France. She’s accepted to a secretive “finishing school” that covertly trains musketeers. Tania’s classmates, Portia, Théa, and Aria, have vivid personalities. Plus, their names play on the original Three Musketeers. Like the author, Tania has POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). The book describes how Tania sword-fights with dizziness and low blood pressure, defying people who think she can’t.

In a racist, ableist, patriarchal, fantasy world, leaders use stories of monsters to control people. Teenage Deka must undergo a blood ritual, and her gold blood means she’s considered impure. Does she even want to fit into such a prejudiced society? She gets another option and a chance to join a community of girls who also don’t fit in. The second book in the trilogy is The Merciless Ones. The first book was optioned in 2021 for an upcoming movie.

After the death of his World War II veteran grandfather, Jacob Portman discovers that all his grandfather’s unbelievable stories were true. Jacob travels to an island near Wales, where he meets a group of children with unusual, dangerous powers. He learns more about his own biological family and this unique found family. Unlike the 2016 movie adaptation, the book is filled with beautiful writing and creepy, black-and-white, Victorian photos.

In fan fiction, almost every fandom has a coffee shop AU. Many writers and readers find coffee shops comforting, social places. That also explains some of the appeal of this humorous, cozy fantasy, with its tagline “A Novel of High Fantasy…and Low Stakes.” Viv, an orc, wants to open a coffee shop in a world where most people have never even heard of coffee. Though she’s never stayed long in the same place before, she connects with people quickly. The romance and found family bring groups together that traditionally don’t get along.

I loved this urban, political fantasy and its magic system based on fire. In a setting loosely inspired by Prohibition, a substance called flare provides magical and political power, while flicker is the diluted, bootleg version. Both the protagonist and the author are aromantic, though Ingrid isn’t ready to acknowledge it yet. Sometimes aromantic teens have romantic relationships to fit in. The supporting characters are also well-developed, as Ingrid and her found family must decide where their real loyalties are.