20 Must-Read 2021 Young Adult Fantasy Releases

Out now, this novel follows the story of the Eight Courts of Folk.

The Eight Courts of Folk have actually lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has kept the peace in the Courts, but then a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.

Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, form an alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike, which is a lot of responsibility to bear.

If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to be a part of it. The question remains as to which way our heroes will go in this adventure, and based on what the book promises, I cannot wait to find out what will happen.

Shuttleworth’s debut novel promises action, adventure, and a ton of surprises, and having read it myself, I highly recommend it to fans of Cassandra Clare and her The Mortal Instruments series and of high fantasy swirled in with fast-paced and thrilling action.

In this debut from a Jamaican American author, releasing on November 9, Andromeda is a debtera, an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. She would be hired, that is, if her mentor hadn’t thrown her out before she could earn her license to work.

Now she is faced with the fact that her only hope of steady work is to find a patron, which is a rich, well-connected individual who will completely vouch for her abilities.

When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rorschach reaches out to hire her, she takes the job without question, desperate to work as she wishes.

She finds out that he’s rude, demanding, and eccentric, that the contract between them comes with a number of intense rules, and that almost a dozen debtera had quit before her. But, if Andromeda wants to earn a living, she has no choice but to stay put.

The novel hints at romance. Our main character seems to realize that this is a job like no other and Magnus has some hidden secrets, which might just mean the end of her. But it seems like leaving might not be a choice because she might just be falling for Magnus.

I am so excited to pick up this book, which seems to promise drama and suspense at every single turn.

Releasing on May 4, this novel’s main character feels unloved by her abusive dad, unwanted by her classmates, and unnoticed by everyone else.

Yet, she’d do anything it takes to give her little sister a better life than the one they have lived so far. Her most coveted wish is that the minute she turns 18, she’ll be able to get them out of this hellish situation. Yet, there’s some hot stranger telling her that she is the key to stopping a war between Heaven and Hell. Where did that come from? She has no idea and does not intend to find out.

The messenger, Draven, is relentless, and she distrusts him. But what does he want from her? In the end, maybe they can grow powerful enough to work together. But at what cost and why her?

This angels-and-demons story promises pulse-pounding romance, epic world-building, and plenty of twists and turns sure to keep us turning the pages. It is giving me Fallen vibes mixed with Twilight, and I cannot wait to pick it up ASAP to see what exactly the book holds in store for us.

Releasing on March 2, this is the sequel to the paranormal fantasy series that includes Crave and Crush. In this book, Grace may have reached her breaking point after a series of events rocked her world.

As if trying to graduate from a school full of and for supernaturals isn’t stressful enough, her relationship status has gone from complicated to messy. Also, the Bloodletter has decided to drop a bomb of epic proportions on the students at Katmere Academy, right in the middle of Grace feeling intense stress at the way her life has turned upside down.

The hits just keep coming for our main character. Her now (but is he, really?) ex-boyfriend, the sexy vampire Jaxon has become cold toward her and The Circle at the school is torn over her upcoming coronation. As if things couldn’t get worse, now there’s an arrest warrant for Hudson and Grace for some supposed crimes, which apparently means a lifetime prison sentence with a deadly unbreakable curse.

Expect romance, fantasy, and drama in the third installment of this epic fantasy series. I’m a huge fan of Crave and Crush and Tracy Wolff’s romantic, funny and pop-culture-reference-filled writing, so this is one novel that I will certainly not miss and cannot wait to pick up.

Teen vampires, witches and werewolves? There’s that and plenty more in the series which has been compared to some of the best teen paranormal novels with great reason.

Releasing on March 23 comes this epic fantasy full of mystery and intrigue from the author of Cemetery Boys.

When children start to go missing in the local woods, a teen girl must face her fears and a past she can’t remember to rescue them.

For the girl, Wendy, it’s been five years since her two brothers went missing in the woods. But when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious disappearances are brought back into the light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road, whose name is Peter.

The boy, who she truly thought only lived in her stories, asks for Wendy’s help to rescue the missing kids. But can Wendy face what’s in the woods and find the courage to solve this mystery?

This novel promises an atmospheric setting and lots of twists and turns, from an author that knows how to weave epic characters, twisty dialogue, and mystery into one amazing book.

Releasing on June 22, this sequel to Hunted by the Sky features dramatic and immersive fantastical elements for all.

With King Lohar dead and a usurper queen in power, Gul and Cavas face a new tyrannical government that is set on killing them both. Their roles in King Lohar’s death have not gone unnoticed, and the new queen is out for blood.

What she doesn’t know is that Gul and Cavas have a connection that runs deeper than just a simple romance, and together, they just might have the strength and magic to end her.

But when a grave mistake ends with Cavas taken prisoner by the government, Gul must now train an army of warriors alone. With alliances shifting and the thirst for vengeance growing, the fate of Ambar seems ever more uncertain.

This sequel to a novel that was full of action and romance will then follow Gul and Cavas and their love and sacrifice as they rush to reach their final goal of building a fairer world.

I fully expect to pick this novel up since the world-building in Hunted by the Sky left me on the edge of my seat, and this one truly promises more romantic elements packed in with courage and action.

In this follow-up to Call Down the Hawk, releasing on May 18, something is happening to the source of the dreamers’ power. It is blocked, diminished, and somewhat weakened. If it goes away entirely, what will happen to the dreamers and those who depend on them at all times?

Ronan Lynch isn’t planning to wait and find out. Backed by his mentor, Bryde, he is ready to do what needs to be done to save the dreamers and the dreamed, even if it takes him far from his family and the boy he loves. But this is a sacrifice Ronan might just have to make.

On the other hand, Jordan Hennessy knows she will not survive if the dreaming fails. So she plunges into a dark underworld in order to find an object that may help her. Then there’s Carmen Farooq-Lane, who is afraid of the dreamers, which is why she’s agreed to hunt them down. The closer she gets, though, the more complicated her feelings become towards the group.

Will the dreamers destroy the world, or will the world be destroyed trying to eliminate the dreamers? I am excited to find out in this second book of the Dreamer Trilogy.

Need more Maggie Stiefvater books while you wait? I highly recommend her Shiver and The Raven Boys series if you haven’t picked them up yet. You won’t be disappointed as you wait for this anticipated sequel to arrive.

In the book releasing July 20, Hannah Ashton wakes up to silence. The entire city around her is empty, except for one other person: the reckless, charismatic Leo Sterling.

Leo might be the hottest boy ever, as well as the only one seemingly left, but he’s also too charming, too selfish, and too devastating for his own good, and that does not bode well for Hannah.

Stuck with only each other against a backdrop of abandoned carnivals and empty museums, Hannah and Leo explore a world with no parents, no friends, and no school. In the beginning, it sounds dreamy to them, but there are surprises waiting at every turn.

Together, they get a chance to start over and be themselves instead of playing parts others cut out for them. In this new world, Hannah doesn’t have to just be an overachieving ballerina, and Leo can be more than an ’80s glam metal–obsessed guitarist. They can be anyone they want to be, together.

Leo is a mix of honesty and fun that draws Hannah out, and Hannah’s got Leo thinking about someone other than himself for the first time. Together, they search for answers amid the tough isolation and realize that they need each other more than ever as they face fantastical and epic trials in this now abandoned world.

This book seems to offer dramatic, fantasy-filled and dystopian elements, and I am definitely here, first in line, for it to be released.

Releasing March 9, this sequel to Scavenge the Stars features main character Amaya Chandra who, imprisoned for seven years on a ship, only had one plan: to survive.

But now, survival is not enough. She has people counting on her for protection, for leadership, for vengeance. And after barely escaping Moray, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and all of her friends.

On the other end of the story, Cayo Mercado has lost everything, including his money, his father and even his reputation. Everything except his sister, who he adores. But he’s well on his way to losing her, too, with no way to afford the treatment for her deadly illness.

In an empire now also being ravaged by ash fever, Cayo has no choice but to join Amaya in uncovering the mystery of the counterfeit currency, the fever, and how his father was involved in their creation. But Cayo still hasn’t forgiven Amaya for her earlier deception, and their complicated feelings for each other are getting harder and harder to ignore. Could this mean love or hate?

Cayo and Amaya will learn that the corruption in Moray goes far deeper than they know, and that the only people they can trust is each other.

I adored Scavenge the Stars and all of its storytelling, so I’m highly anticipating this epic sequel.

Releasing February 16, this sequel to Kingdom of Souls follows Arrah, who has the one thing she’s always wanted: magic. But it came at too steep a price. Now the last surviving witchdoctor, she’s been left to pick up the pieces of a family that betrayed her, a kingdom suddenly in chaos, and a love that possibly can never happen.

While Arrah returns to the tribal lands to search for survivors of the prior demons’ attack, her love Rudjek hunts down what’s left of the demon army and uncovers a plot that would destroy what’s left of their world. It seems that The Demon King wants Arrah, and if she and Rudjek can’t figure out his deadly schemes, he will destroy everything.

This sequel is set in a gorgeous world inspired by tales of voodoo and folk magic. The beauty behind Kingdom of Souls was its lyrical and rich story, and I cannot wait to dive back into this unique world.

In this sequel to Incendiary releasing on May 11 Renata Convida, reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, is suddenly a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she’s now faced with the fact that she must join forces with Prince Castian, her most infuriating enemy.

Yet, they’re united by similar goals, which include finding the fabled Knife of Memory, killing the ruthless King Fernando, and simply bringing peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other, which are the heart and center of the story.

With the king’s forces nearby at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for messing up. But there’s an even greater danger within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to disappear and crumble, threatening her own sense of reality. She’ll have to control her magic to release her power and protect the Moria people. But at what cost?

Featuring strong characters and an exceptional narrative, this book promises magic and adventure. Need something to tide you over while you wait? Pick up Zoraida Córdova’s also amazing and fully witchy series Brooklyn Brujas, starting with Labyrinth Lost.

In this sequel to the epic Where Dreams Descend, releasing on August 24, the prior competition that the characters faced has now come to a terrible end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news, something he never wanted to happen.

But not a lot matters to him beyond Kallia, the lovely contestant that he fell for, who is now lost to this world and in the hands of an evil and manipulative magician. Daron is willing to do whatever it takes to find her, even if that means having to go on a dark journey, which is a high risk with the only promise being that of not returning safe and sound.

After awaking in darkness, Kallia has never felt more lost. Especially with Jack, a magician who has answers but cannot be trusted, by her side. Together, they must navigate a dazzling world where mirrors show memories and illusions shadow every corner, a world ruled by a powerful game master who could all too easily destroy the world she left behind. Kallia also struggles with her heart as there is one specific boy she cannot seem to forget.

This lush fantasy world is sure to prove immersive, as magical tricks and romance collide. I am a huge fan of Where Dreams Descend, the author’s debut novel and first in this series, and cannot wait to dive into this thrilling world once more.