10 Best Young Adult Books Captivated by Martial Arts
Get ready to unleash your inner warrior! Toss aside the mundane reality for a bit and plunge into the world of martial arts with our curated list of top 10 young adult books. These novels are packed full of captivating storylines, surreal reality, deep-rooted history, intriguing battles, and an in-depth look into various martial arts techniques embedded within the stories. Picture it: adrenaline-pumping combat, complex characters you can't help but root for, treacherous villains, the fine line between honor and disgrace, and most importantly, unforgettable journeys of self-discovery. Martial arts isn't just about the high-flying kicks and deadly punches; it's about discipline, self-control, and a profound understanding of life's principles. Every book in our selection offers something unique to the genre, all the while maintaining a balance between excitement and inspiration. They are not just mere pieces of fiction; they are an homage to this ancient and esteemed art form. Whether you're into the strategic moves of Wing Chun, the swift punches of Karate, or the grappling techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there's a page-turner here for every martial arts enthusiast. So, are you ready to delve into this riveting world where every fight isn't just physical, but far beyond?
『Eon』
Read Alison Goodman's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community. Eon--the award-winning crossover fantasy that soars! Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured. When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.
Author | Alison Goodman |
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Price | $8.99 |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Aug 31, 2010 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Girl of Fire and Thorns』
“Rae Carson has proved she’s a master and has shaken up the YA genre.”—USAToday.com The first book in Rae Carson’s award-winning and New York Times–bestselling trilogy! The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a sweeping journey full of adventure, sorcery, heartbreak, and power. Fans of Shadow & Bone and Game of Thrones, will devour this fantasy series. Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she has always felt powerless, useless. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Fierce enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young. Most of the chosen do. William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten Pick Andre Norton Award Finalist A Texas Tayshas Selection Ohioana Book Award YA winner Don’t miss The Empire of Dreams, Rae Carson’s action-packed return to the world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns!
Author | Rae Carson |
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Price | $9.49 |
Publisher | Harper Collins |
Release Date | Sep 20, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
『Shadow of the Fox』
In this first book of her Japanese mythology-inspired Shadow of the Fox trilogy, bestselling author Julie Kagawa weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren’t what they seem, and secrets that could change the fate of the world. Every millennium, whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers has the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. When demons kill half-kitsune Yumeko’s adoptive family, she’s forced to flee her home with one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of mysterious samurai Kage Tatsumi, who is Yumeko’s best hope for survival. But he’s under orders to retrieve the scroll. An uneasy alliance forms, and Yumeko begins the deception of a lifetime, knowing her secrets are more than a matter of life or death—they’re the key to the fate of the world. Books in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy: Shadow of the Fox Soul of the Sword Night of the Dragon
Author | Julie Kagawa |
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Price | $14.99 |
Publisher | Harlequin |
Release Date | Oct 02, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Fountains of Silence』
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, extraordinary portrait of love, silence, and secrets under a Spanish dictatorship. Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography--and fate--introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War--as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city. Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence--inspired by the true postwar struggles of Spain. Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more. Praise for The Fountains of Silence "Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead in Ruta Sepetys’s suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction . . . Like [Shakespeare's family romances], 'The Fountains of Silence' speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past." --The New York Times Book Review “Full of twists and revelations…an excellent story, and timely, too.” --The Wall Street Journal "A staggering tale of love, loss, and national shame." --Entertainment Weekly * "[Sepetys] tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction." --Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW* * "This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain." --Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW* * "This richly woven historical fiction . . . will keep young adults as well as adults interested from the first page to the last." --SLC, *STARRED REVIEW* * "Riveting . . . An exemplary work of historical fiction." --The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*
Author | Ruta Sepetys |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Sep 29, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
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Price | unknown |
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Source | Google Books |
『Flame in the Mist』
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan where Mulan meets Throne of Glass. “[A] fun feudal samurai drama. . .action-packed and well-paced.”—The Washington Post “If you live for books that have lush worlds, swoony romance and non-stop action, you’ll want to read this.”—Paste Magazine The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and track down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she's within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she's appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she's ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.
Author | Renée Ahdieh |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | May 08, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Street Fighter: the Novel』
The World Warrriors take center stage in the first ever Street Fighter novel! Featuring Ryu VS Akuma, Chun-li VS Elena, Guile VS E.Honda, Sagat VS M.Bison, and many more classic fighters colliding in their most epic encounters yet. It's all described in Shoryuken-smashing, Sonic Boom-throwing, Psycho Power-pulsing detail! The action is only enhanced with bonus manga pages and artwork in every chapter by manga legend Yusuke Murata!
Author | Takashi Yano |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Udon Entertainment |
Release Date | Oct 09, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Poppy War』
“I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year [...] I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.” -- Booknest A Library Journal, Paste Magazine, Vulture, BookBub, and ENTROPY Best Books pick! Washington Post "5 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel" pick! A Bustle "30 Best Fiction Books" pick! A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy. When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school. For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . . Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
Author | R. F. Kuang |
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Price | $15.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | May 01, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Legend』
"Legend doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it." From the New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
Author | Marie Lu |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Apr 16, 2013 |
Source | Google Books |
『Serpentine』
Inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology, this sweeping fantasy is set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns 16, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell. When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.
Author | Cindy Pon |
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Price | $5.99 |
Publisher | Month9Books, LLC |
Release Date | Sep 08, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
In conclusion, the world of young adult literature is vast and rich with various themes and concepts. However, when it’s entwined with the fascinating discipline of martial arts, it becomes an altogether unique and invigorating experience. Our list of book recommendations was handpicked with care, paying special attention to the powerful blend of adventure, skill, focus, and determination that epitomize martial arts spirit in YA literature. Whether it's the thrill of combat, the quest for self-discovery, or the exploration of ancient philosophies, these books capture the heart and essence of martial arts, making them perfect reads for both ardent fans of the genre and newcomers alike. These captivating tales will not only entertain you but will also inspire you to appreciate the art, discipline and philosophy behind every punch, kick or stance. Here's to hoping you find a book that resonates with you, compels you to chase your dreams, and maybe even inspires you to take up martial arts yourself. Happy reading!
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