I’ve always loved reading young adult fantasy books with forbidden romance and lush worldbuilding and classic fairytale elements like princesses, dancing, pretty clothes, and delicious food spreads. All these books offer fresh takes and twists, and tug at your heartstrings with the angst, the betrayals, the secrets, and the love. These are all immersive stories that transport you far away, to a different time, to a different land, which is exactly what you need sometimes to get away from this world and its craziness.
Kestrel is a pampered society girl hoping for her father’s approval. While she doesn't know how to fight well, she can still protect herself with her wits. She is pretty and clever but also terribly lonely and a bit stifled in her life. She finds herself befriending and then falling in love with Arin, a man who is secretly plotting the demise of Kestrel’s people. The angst in this story is unparalleled, and coupled with gorgeous outfits, glittering ballrooms, and stunning prose, this book is bound to break your heart.
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE HEART-STOPPING WINNER'S TRILOGY: an irresistible story of forbidden romance and class warfare
'Every line in The Winner's Curse is beautifully written. The story is masterfully plotted. The characters' dilemmas fascinated me and tore at my heart... I loved it. I want more.' Kristin Cashore, author of the Graceling Realm books
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. Kestrel has other ideas.
One day,…
Nyx will do anything to save her people, including marrying the terrible Ignifex, the evil ruler of her kingdom. But there is more to Ignifex than she initially imagined, and as Nyx falls in love with him, she fights to find a way to save both her people and her love. This book portrays such fun banter between Nyx and Ignifex and poses a truly difficult riddle that is bound to break your heart.
If you're excited about the upcoming Disney film Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, don't miss Cruel Beauty. The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of Graceling in this dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Perfect for fans of bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away. Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known…
Eleanor Piper would rather tie knots than dance. Raised among sailors and shipping routes, she’s only attending the London Season to appease her ambitious parents. When a fashion mishap at her first ball leads to a creative rescue and an unexpected friendship…
When Lira is banished by her mother, she will do anything to win back her mother’s favor, including killing Elian. She doesn’t expect them to become reluctant allies and friends, nor does she expect to fall in love with him against the backdrop of a story with high stakes, lush world-building, and action-packed sea adventures. With a siren princess and a human pirate prince who wishes to slay her, this book brings forth a forbidden romance that is bound to break your heart.
An unforgettable dark romantic YA fantasy about the siren with a taste for royal blood and the prince who has sworn to destroy her.
"Stellar world building and nonstop action will keep readers hooked on this twisted reimagining of 'The Little Mermaid'." Booklist Online
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing…
Shazi is a headstrong, stubborn girl who marries the ruthless caliph of her kingdom with the intention of killing him. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with him, which thwarts all of her plans. This book easily transports you to an Arabian caliphate with the gorgeous descriptions of setting, food, and clothes, and the relationship between Shazi and Khalid is wonderful to witness blossoming. This book keeps you at the edge of your seat and gives you an ending that is bound to break your heart.
One of TIME magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
A #1 New York Times bestseller and a sumptuous, epic tale inspired by A Thousand and One Nights.
'A riveting Game of Thrones meets Arabian Nights love story' US Weekly
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a terrible surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and…
When King Priam's pregnant daughter was fleeing the sack of Troy, Stan was there. When Jesus of Nazareth was beaten and crucified, Stan was there - one crossover. He’s been a Hittite warrior, a Silk Road mercenary, a reluctant rebel in the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, and an information peddler…
Juliette has just returned to Shanghai and there she is met with complicated politics, a strange mystery, and a forbidden romance she cannot forget. She is forced to work with her enemy, Roma, and their relationship goes from enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers and shifts back and forth in a truly angst-ridden novel. Juliette and Roma both are trying to solidify their standing as prince and princess of their gangs, but to do so might mean forsaking one another, the aftermath of which will break your heart.
As crown princess of Marghazar, Durkhanai Miangul will do anything to protect her people and her land. When her grandfather, the Badshah, is blamed for a deadly assault on the summit of neighboring leaders, the tribes call for his head. To assuage cries for war, the Badshah opens Marghazar's gates to foreigners for the first time in centuries.
As Durkhanai races to solve who really orchestrated the attack, ambassadors from the neighboring tribal districts arrive at court, each with their own intentions. When a mysterious illness spreads through the villages and the imperialists push hard on her borders, Durkhanai must dig deep to become the queen her people need. To distract Durkhanai from it all is Asfandyar Afridi, the wry ambassador who tells her outright he is a spy, yet acts as though he is her friend—or maybe even something more.
When Syd Brixton was eleven years old, her identical twin vanished from a park and was never found.
Now twenty years later, Syd’s favorite customer, Morley, is killed in a horrific accident outside the pub where Syd works. Moments before Morley dies, he gives Syd an extraordinary gift: the power…
After the death of her father, Annalee is taking over the running of the family ranch. Her foreman is the best in the state. But he's irritating. Arrogant. And, unfortunately, handsome.
In order to have full control of the ranch, she's got to go on a trip up the Chisolm…
