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I emotion big, sprawling, phantasy bid arsenic overmuch arsenic anyone. But for the past fewer years, I’ve besides been craving much self-contained stories that don’t request arsenic overmuch clip and attraction from me. Which is wherefore I began speechmaking standalones — and fto maine accidental that they are much than susceptible of telling implicit and elaborate stories with well-developed characters contempt the shorter format. In fact, that’s precisely what makes them large reads for some phantasy newbies and genre veterans. We covered adult phantasy standalones precocious present astatine Book Riot. So contiguous I’m going to absorption connected standalone YA phantasy books.
A fewer things earlier we get to these astonishing books. For today’s list, I chose 8 large books with antithetic kinds of phantasy elements. From mythology retellings, to mermaids, golems, witches, and adjacent exorcists. There’s a publication for everyone connected this list! Plus, I chose to absorption connected much caller releases — the oldest 1 being from mid 2020. That’s because, present much than ever, standalone YA phantasy books are thankfully afloat of non-Western, non-white, and non-cis characters and settings. Which is thing I wanted to absorption connected today.
So without further ado, let’s dive into 8 large standalone YA phantasy books that are perfectly worthy reading.
8 Standalone YA Fantasy Books You Should Read
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
Let’s footwear things disconnected with a Japanese-inspired fantasy! A Thousand Steps into Night follows Miuko, an mean miss who lives successful the fantastical realm of Awara. She has resigned herself to an uneventful life, but everything changes erstwhile Miuko is cursed. She’s dilatory becoming a demon now, truthful Miuko embarks connected an epic and adventurous quest to reverse her curse. As Miuko’s communicative moves forward, she’ll recognize that the full happening has a agleam broadside — and that her aged and mean beingness nary longer fits her.
From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos
Mythology is simply a large portion of this list, truthful we’re moving connected to an epic standalone YA phantasy publication imbued with Jewish folklore. From Dust, a Flame is the communicative of Hannah. On her 17th birthday, she wakes up to find her assemblage has started to transform. Her parent leaves her and her member Gabe successful bid to find a cure for this curse, but she ne'er comes back. So present it’s up to Hannah and Gabe to find retired the truth. This involves getting to cognize their tragic and magical household history.
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Have you ever work a Korean mythology retelling? I surely hadn’t, which is wherefore I emotion that The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea exists! The communicative follows a miss named Mina. She took Shim Cheong’s spot arsenic the latest sacrifice for the Sea God. This is due to the fact that her homeland is looking for the deity’s “true bride,” hoping it volition enactment an extremity to the deadly storms that onslaught them each year. Swept distant to the Spirit Realm, Mina discovers that the Sea God is trapped successful an enchanted sleep. So she sets retired connected a quest to aftermath him and prevention her colony erstwhile and for all.
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
Next comes a magical publication astir mermaids! A Song Below Water follows Tavia, who is forced to fell the information that she’s a siren. At slightest Tavia has her BFF Effie, who helps her navigate the ups and downs of being 1 of the fewer Black, magical, people successful Portland. But their full lives are turned upside down erstwhile an net celebrity, who besides happened to beryllium a siren, is murdered. To marque things worse, Tavia’s powers are revealed successful beforehand of the police. As everyone’s secrets travel to light, nary 1 volition beryllium harmless anymore.
Lost successful the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
The adjacent standalone YA phantasy publication is besides a retelling, but successful this lawsuit it reimagines the classical communicative of Peter Pan. Lost successful the Never Woods follows Wendy Darling and her 2 brothers. All 3 siblings went missing 5 years agone nether mysterious circumstances, and lone Wendy was found. Her past was each but forgotten, until children commencement to spell missing again — and Wendy astir runs implicit an unconscious and someway acquainted lad who goes by the sanction of Peter. Together, they acceptable retired to find the children earlier it’s excessively late.
The Witchery by S. Isabelle
Moving connected to a ace amusive and witchy standalone! The Witchery begins with Logan, a newbie witch, starting a caller schoolhouse twelvemonth astatine Mesmortes Coven Academy. There, she’s taken successful by the Red Three: Iris, Jailah, and Thalia. It’s large that Logan has recovered a caller coven, for Haunting Season is present and Wolves volition beryllium escaped to provender connected the townsfolk. This curse has plagued the citizens of Haelsford for ages, truthful the recently formed coven sets retired connected a ngo to find a cure and enactment an extremity to the terrors of the Wolves erstwhile and for all.
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan
Jade Fire Gold is an action-packed and romanticist phantasy standalone that pays homage to the Xianxia novel. The communicative follows 2 characters named Ahn and Altan. Ahn has nary past and nary memories, portion Altan is simply a mislaid heir whose aboriginal was stolen from him. Their gathering volition alteration their lives everlastingly and acceptable them connected an epic quest. For Altan sees Ahn arsenic a way to taking backmost the throne — and Ahn thinks Altan is the cardinal to knowing her past and her ain magical abilities.
Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
Last but not least, Lauren Blackwood said let’s instrumentality Jane Eyre and marque it magic. Which sounds weird but perfectly works! Within These Wicked Walls follows Andromeda, a debtera (or exorcist) looking for her adjacent job. Enter Magnus Rochester, who hires her to escaped his location of the Evil Eye. Soon aft Andromeda arrives astatine his castle, she realizes that this occupation isn’t similar the rest. Magnus is intelligibly hiding something, and the evil that lurks down the walls is dissimilar immoderate different she’s faced. But she’s besides afloat of burning desire, and she won’t permission Mr. Rochester unsocial with his curse.
Want much standalone YA phantasy books? We’ve got you covered with 20 much recommendations. Or possibly instrumentality a dive into our SFF Archives to find each kinds of phantasy books.
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