Cover Story: Epic fantasy

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the epic fantasy genre.

Champion of Fate

Kendra Blake

Since she was a child, Reed has been training to join the Aristene, an exclusive group of immortal female warriors. She has one task remaining before she can join their ranks; shepherding a young prince to ensure he earns glory in battle. But the task turns out to be harder than she expected. As her feelings for the prince change, Reed is faced with a tough choice - does she become an Aristene and give up on love, or follow her heart and abandon her chance at immortality?

9780861547500 Rock the Boat: 2023

Of Jade and Dragons

Amber Chen

Why was Ying’s father murdered? To find out, Ying must disguise herself as a boy and complete the trials required to enter the all-male Engineers’ Guild. Her father was a great engineer, and the guild must hold answers about his death, but can Ying best the competition? Can she maintain her disguise long enough to track down her father’s killer and exact her revenge? And should she trust her only ally; the royal prince who may have secrets of his own…

9780241624364 Penguin: 2024

A Tempest of Tea

Hafsah Faizal

Arthie has swiftly risen through the ranks of the criminal underworld as the proprietor of Spinthrift; a tearoom by day, bloodhouse by night, that caters to both humans and vampire clientele. However, her hard-won reputation has made her a target of the ruling Horned Ram and Arthie must assemble a crew of outlandish outlaws for a dangerous heist that will give her the leverage she needs to ensure Spinthrift’s survival. Mystery, romance, vengeance, and tea make a delicious blend in this uniquely crafted fantasy.

9781529098938 First Ink: 2024

So Let Them Burn

Kamilah Cole

Faron is the Childe Empyrean, a normal girl who was chosen by the gods themselves to fight against an invading army of dragon-riders. Five years of peace later, Faron is a national hero, leaving her sister Elara desperate to make her own mark. When Elara unintentionally soul-bonds with an enemy dragon, the two sisters find themselves on opposite sides of an inevitable conflict as ancient powers collide with political plots in this exhilarating tale of sisterhood, romance, and ancestral connection.

9780349125442 Atom: 2024

Otherworldly

F T Lukens

Knox is a supernatural being with magical powers whose time on earth is ending. Ellery is a non-believer convinced that the never-ending winter in their region must have a scientific explanation. After a chance meeting, Knox offers a deal, signed in blood, that will fix both their problems and leave them bound together in a paranormal pact. As Ellery confronts the fantastical, Knox gets to experience the human world, and their magical bond begins to change into something new… A smart, funny romance perfect for the winter months.

9781398521506 Simon & Schuster: 2024

A Cure Ever After

Angharad Walker

In this alternative London, emotional turmoil has real, physical consequences. Os, greedy for a better life, is cursed with Midas-fingers; the ability to turn anything, or anyone, to solid gold. While this may be of benefit within the Financial Guild, he struggles to let anyone close. Kitt is equally out of place in his studies to become a doctor, where his ability to read feelings may hamper his ability to heal. They must work together to uncover the dark secret at the core of this corrupt and dangerous society.

9781915026293 Chicken House: 2024

If I Have to be Haunted

Miranda Sun

Cara Tang can see ghosts, just as her grandmother could, but she steadfastly ignores them in an attempt to live a normal life. But when her classmate, the infuriatingly charming Zach Coleson, is murdered and his ghost begs her for help, she will have to face the supernatural world she has spent her life avoiding and embrace the power that she has long kept buried inside. A romantic, funny, and fantastical adventure that blends mythology and mystery in a magical quest across dimensions.

9780008612443 Magpie: 2024