10 Best Fantasy Young Adult Books Where Magic Intersects with Reality
In the realm of young adult (YA) literature, nothing is as enchanting or exhilarating as tales where the mundane meets the mystical; where the humdrum of everyday life is unexpectedly mingled with the extraordinary world of magic. This is the true allure of fantasy novels. They allow us to dream, to escape from reality and, ironically, they also enable us to better understand our world and ourselves. Like a fascinating kaleidoscope, the 10 handpicked fantasy novels we're about to delve into, will surely mesmerize you with their innovative juxtaposition of the commonplace with the magical.
From ordinary teenagers who suddenly discover their powerful magical lineage, to unsuspecting towns getting flipped upside down by spells and enchantments—these books will keep you on the edge of your seat, all while blurring the boundaries between our reality and an enchanted parallel universe. You'll be swept up in the intricate magic systems, fantastical settings that are subtly reminiscent of real-world issues, and rich, complex characters whose journeys will grip you from the first page to the last.
Ready to plunge into the captivating worlds where magic intertwines with our reality? Here's our eclectically curated list of top 10 YA fantasy books that does just that. Prepare for a roller-coaster ride of the imagination. You have been warned!
『A Wrinkle in Time』
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER • TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years! "A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it so often, I know it by heart." —Meg Cabot Late one night, three otherworldly creatures appear and sweep Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe away on a mission to save Mr. Murray, who has gone missing while doing top-secret work for the government. They travel via tesseract--a wrinkle that transports one across space and time--to the planet Camazotz, where Mr. Murray is being held captive. There they discover a dark force that threatens not only Mr. Murray but the safety of the whole universe. A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quintet.
Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
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Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) |
Release Date | Apr 01, 2010 |
Source | Google Books |
『Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, Book 1)』
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility. All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley - a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry - and anyone who reads about him - will find unforgettable.
Author | J. K. Rowling |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Scholastic Incorporated |
Release Date | May 02, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Night Circus』
Waging a fierce competition for which they have trained since childhood, circus magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other and share a fantastical romance that manifests in fateful ways.
Author | Erin Morgenstern |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Doubleday |
Release Date | Sep 13, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Movie Tie-In Edition』
Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in triumphing over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
Author | C. S. Lewis |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | HarperFestival |
Release Date | Oct 25, 2005 |
Source | Google Books |
『Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children』
After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing facts about the children who were kept there.
Author | Ransom Riggs |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Large Print Press |
Release Date | Nov 03, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Cat Who Saved Books』
AN INDIE NEXT PICK! From the #1 bestselling author in Japan comes a celebration of books, cats, and the people who love them, infused with the heartwarming spirit of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles. Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for—or rather, demands—the teenager’s help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and the cat and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners. Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, the cat and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge—the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter . . . An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper. Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai. "Cats, books, young love, and adventure: catnip for a variety of readers!" –Kirkus
Author | Sosuke Natsukawa |
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Price | $14.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Dec 07, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Ten Thousand Doors of January』
"A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers, and the doors they lead us through...absolutely enchanting."—Christina Henry, bestselling author of Alice and Lost Boys LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER! Finalist for the 2020 Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Awards. In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut. In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own. Lush and richly imagined, a tale of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories await in Alix E. Harrow's spellbinding debut--step inside and discover its magic. Praise for The Ten Thousand Doors of January: "One for the favorites shelf... Here is a book to make you happy when you gently close it. Here you will find wonder and questions and an unceasingly gorgeous love of words which compasses even the shape a letter makes against a page."―NPR Books "Devastatingly good, a sharp, delicate nested tale of worlds within worlds, stories within stories, and the realm-cracking power of words."―Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author "A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love."―Kirkus For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Once and Future Witches.
Author | Alix E. Harrow |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Redhook |
Release Date | Sep 10, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Atlas Six: the Atlas Book 1』
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake is the runaway TikTok must-read fantasy novel of the year. If you loved Ninth House and A Deadly Education, you'll love this. The world's best young magicians accept the opportunity of a lifetime. Six are chosen. Only five will walk away. The Alexandrian Society is a secret society of magical academicians, the best in the world. Their members are caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity. And those who earn a place among their number will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Each decade, the world's six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation - and here are the chosen few . . . - Libby Rhodes and Nicolas Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds. - Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself. - Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched. - Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe. - Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask. When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they must spend one year together to qualify for initiation. During this time, they will be permitted access to the Society's archives and judged on their contributions to arcane areas of knowledge. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. If they can prove themselves to be the best, they will survive. Most of them.
Author | Olivie Blake |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Tor |
Release Date | Mar 03, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『City of Bones』
Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.
Author | Cassandra Clare |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Sep 01, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1)』
An all-new series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater! Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
Author | Maggie Stiefvater |
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Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | Scholastic Inc. |
Release Date | Sep 18, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
Alright, there you have it, folks! My top ten recommendations for fantasy YA books where the magical and the mundane worlds collide. These novels truly stand out with their unique spins on magic and how it fits into our ordinary reality. Be prepared for a wild ride that will make you question your own beliefs about what is possible in our world. I strongly encourage you to pick up and dive into these riveting tales. They're sure to satisfy your craving for magical moments, epic battles, mystical creatures, and tough decisions faced by relatable characters. With storytelling so enticing, you'll have the urge to turn the next page faster than a whirlwind. Plus, you'll surely be on board for a rollercoaster of emotions and epic plot twists. Expect the unexpected! Trust me, the compelling intersection of the wizarding world and real-life scenarios in these novels does not disappoint! Happy reading!
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