Some of the best fantasy, science fiction, and horror storytelling is happening in the young adult book world—if you need some specific examples, check out Den of Geek’s picks for the best fiction books of 2018.
There’s so much to look forward to in our speculative fiction future. Here are some of the young adult speculative fiction books (and maybe a few that fall outside of that classification, too) we’re most excited about and/or are currently consuming…
read more: Best New Young Adult Books in 2018
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in September 2019
The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Type: NovelPublisher: ImprintRelease date: 9/24/19
Read The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Read our inteview with Sara Faring.
The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen
Type: First in The Bright Sessions seriesPublisher: Tor TeenRelease date: 9/24/19
Read The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen
Read our interview with The Infinite Noise’s Lauren Shippen.
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Type: Sequel to Carry OnPublisher: St. Martin’s PressRelease date: 9/24/19
Read Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in August 2019
Let’s Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry
Type: NovelPublisher: Katherine Tegen BooksRelease date: 8/6/19
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Read Let’s Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Cordova
Type: NovelPublisher: Disney LucasFilm PressRelease date: 8/6/19
Read Star Wars: Galaxy Edge: A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Cordova
Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford
Type: NovelPublisher: Inkyard PressRelease date: 8/27/19
Read Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in July 2019
Destroy All Monsters by Sam J. Miller
Type: NovelPublisher: HarperTeenRelease date: 7/2/19
Read Destroy All Monsters by Sam J. Miller
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Type: First book in the Blood of Stars seriesPublisher: Knopf Books for Young ReadersRelease date: 7/9/19
Read Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed
Type: NovelPublisher: Simon PulseRelease date: 7/9/19
Read The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in June 2019
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Type: NovelPublisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release date: 6/4/19
Read Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
The Chosen by Taran Matharu
Type: First book in the Contender trilogyPublisher: Feiwel & FriendsRelease date: 6/4/19
Read The Chosen by Taran Matharu
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Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Type: First book in the Harbinger seriesPublisher: Inkyard PressRelease date: 6/11/19
Read Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
All of Us With Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil
Type: NovelPublisher: Soho TeenRelease date: 6/18/19
Read All of Us With Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
Type: NovelPublisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Release date: 6/25/19
Read Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in May 2019
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Type: First book in Aurora Cycle seriesPublisher: Knopf Books for Young ReadersRelease date: 5/7/19
Read Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Type: First in Sands of Arawiya duologyPublisher: Farrar, Straus and GirouxRelease date: 5/14/19
Read We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Disclaimer: This one isn’t technically YA, but it has a lot of YA sensibilities.
Type: StandalonePublisher: GriffinRelease date: 5/14/19
Read Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in April 2019
We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Type: NovelPublisher: Little, Brown Books for Young ReadersRelease date: 4/2/19
Read We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett
The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston
Type: Book 2 in Once Upon a Con universePublisher: Quirk BooksRelease date: 4/2/19
Read The Princess and the Fangirl
Riverland by Fran Wilde
Type: Standalone novelPublisher: Amulet BooksRelease date: 4/9/19
Read Riverland by Fran Wilde
Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen
Type: Book 3 in the Nyxia Triad trilogyPublisher: Crown Books for Young ReadersRelease date: 4/16/19
Read Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen
read more: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Read The Nyxia Triad
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
Type: First book in planned seriesPublisher: Katherine Tegen BooksRelease date: 4/23/19
Read The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
King of Fools by Amanda Foody
Type: Second book in The Shadow Game seriesPublisher: Inkyard PressRelease date: 4/30/19
Read The King of Fools by Amanda Foody
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in March 2019
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
Type: NovelPublisher: Katherine Tegen BooksRelease date: 3/5/19
Read The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro
Type: Book 4 in the Charlotte Holmes seriesPublisher: Katherine Tegen BooksRelease date: 3/5/19
Read A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro
Internment by Samira Ahmed
Type: NovelPublisher: Little, Brown Books For Young ReadersRelease date: 3/19/19
Read Internment by Samira Ahmed
The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton
Type: Book 2 in the Belles seriesPublisher: FreeformRelease date: 3/5/19
Read The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton
Sherwood by Meaghan Spooner
Type: NovelPublisher: HarperTeenRelease date: 3/19/19
Read Sherwood by Meaghan Spooner.
Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta
Type: First in planned trilogyPublisher: Jimmy PattersonRelease date: 3/26/19
Read Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta
Listen to our interview with Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta.
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Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in February 2019
The Waning Age by S.E. Grove
Type: Standalone novelPublisher: Viking Books for Young ReadersRelease date: 2/5/19
The Waning Age is set in a parallel San Francisco where, when you turn 10, you begin to lose you emotions. This process is known as waning. When Natalia’s little brother is captured by RealCorp, a shady pharmaceutical corporation to be tested on because he does not seem to be losing his emotions like everyone else, Natalia must use her martial arts skills and perhaps her love for her brother to get him back. Pretty cool premise, right?
Read The Waning Age by S.E. Grove
The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson
Type: Standalone novelPublisher: Simon PulseRelease date: 2/19/19
When Dino DeLuca’s ex-best friend July dies and then comes back to life on the table in Dino’s family’s funeral home, things start to get weird. What follows is an examination into why Dino and July’s friendship fell apart, with two very different perspectives: July thinks it’s because of Dino’s boyfriend Rafi. Dino thinks it’s because July was jealous of Rafi. As is often the case with these situations, the answer lies somewhere in between.
Read The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Type: Standalone novelPublisher: Katherine Tegen BooksRelease date: 2/26/19
Welcome to Medio, a divided island nation. One side of wall is impoverished. The other side is, um, not. On the latter, the upper-class women are trained at the Medio School for Girls to be wives who either a) run the household or b) raise children. Daniela Vargas was born on the “wrong” side of the wall, but forged her papers to become a top student at the Medio School for Girls. When she is matched with a powerful man to run his household, a resistance group recruits her to spy on her new family.
Read We Set the Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
Type: Book three in the Witchlands seriesPublisher: Tor TeenRelease date: 2/12/19
Threadsisters Safiya and Iseult work to fight their way back to each other in Bloodwitch, the third book in Susan Dennard’s badass series that is set in a magical world ruled by three empires that, when the series starts, are about to come to the end of a Twenty-Year Truce that has halted a centuries-long war. Oh yeah: and, in this world, every member of the population is born with a magical skill set, known as a “witchery.”
In Bloodwitch, we learn more about Bloodwitch Aeduan’s backstory as he teams up with Iseult and magical girl Owl to stop raiders from destroying a monastery that “holds more than just faith.” These books are being adapted into a live-action TV series by The Jim Henson Company, so now is a great time to dive in, if you haven’t already!
Read Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in January 2019
The Wicked King by Holly Black
Type: Book Two in The Folk of the Air seriesPublisher: Little, Brown Books For Young ReadersRelease date: 1/8/19
If you haven’t heard of The Cruel Prince, then you probably didn’t read any YA in 2018. The story picks back up in The Wicked King, with Jude bound to Cardan after having tricked him into becoming king. When it becomes apparent that someone close to Jude is looking to betray her, Jude must uncover the traitor while also navigating her feelings for Cardan. #itscomplicated
Read The Wicked King by Holly Black
Slayer by Kiersten White
Type: Set in Dark Horse continuityPublisher: Simon PulseRelease date: 1/8/19
A new novel set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kiersten White’s story follows not Buffy, but another Chosen One trying to figure out her role in the supernatural fight while also coming of age into a confusing world.
The eponymous Slayer here is Nina Jamison-Smythe, the daughter of Buffy’s first Watcher, and the Last Slayer. Slayer is the perfect entry point for new Buffy fans, while also sure to delight existing fans. You can read our full review here.
Read Slayer by Kiersten White
The Girl King by Mimi Yu
Type: First book in Girl King seriesPublisher: Bloomsbury YARelease date: 1/8/19
You’ve heard of sibling rivalry, right? Asian-inspired fantasy The Girl King takes the theme to the next level, telling the story of two sisters who become somewhat reluctant rivals in the quest to rule the empire. When their emperor father gives Lu’s birthright to her nephew, Lu leaves home to find a new path to power, while her younger sister, Min, quietly gains power from within the empire.
Read The Girl King by Mimi Yu
Imprison the Sky by A.C. Guaghen
Type: Book Two in the Elementae seriesPublisher: Bloomsbury YARelease date: 1/22/19
In the sequel to Reign of Earth, trading vessel ship captain Aspasia works to free as many women, children, and Elementae from slavery as she can, using her powerful magic. As Cyrus, the leader of the black market empire, gets closer to uncovering Aspasia’s secrets (that she is a wind Elementae, and that she is looking for her lost family), Aspasia finds herself at the center of a brewing war.
Read Imprison the Sky by A.C. Guaghen
Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Type: Book Two in the Reign of the Fallen duologyPublisher: RazorbillRelease date: 1/22/19
In this follow-up to 2018’s fantasy breakout Reign of the Fallen, Odessa is back. This time, she is facing a Karthia where the kingdom’s borders are open for the first time in 300 years. Raising the dead has been outlawed and Odessa sets out on an ocean voyage with Meredy that takes them to “a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets.” I’m in!
Read Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Type: Book One in King of Scars duologyPublisher: ImprintRelease date: 1/29/19
Leigh Bardugo wrote one of our 2017 faves—Wonder Woman: Warbringer—so we are here for this start to a fantasy duology (is it just me or are duologies very in right now?). King of Scars is a Slavic-influenced fantasy about Nikolai Lantsov, a young ruler with a dark magic growing inside of him following a bloody civil war.
Nikolai teams up with a young monk and ‘a legendary Grisha Squaller,” and journeys to “the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him.” Sounds like Nikolai has some big goals for 2019. Good for him.
Read King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Type: Standalone novelPublisher: Bloomsbury YARelease date: 1/29/19
Recent on-screen adaptations of Beauty and the Beast have done nothing to modernize the tale, which is one of the many reasons why I am so into the concept for this book. A cross between portal fantasy and contemporary YA, A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows Harper, a young woman with cerebral palsy who is sucked through a portal into the world of Emberfall where she meets a cursed prince. Yep, I’m in.
Read A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
What new YA speculative fiction books are on your radar? Let us know in the comments below or over at the Den of Geek Book Club!
Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.
