Tiffany Aching is a young adult series by Terry Pratchett. I was about to jump into the comments and suggest it, but I see Sir Terry Pratchett has been covered already.
Yes! Any of the Tiffany Aching series. Also, not exactly fantasy, more alternate history, but young adult and also by Pratchett is Nation. It is so, so good.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater (hopefully I spelled that right) and Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Idk if it counts as YA but House on the Cerulean Sea is also a great comforting read
If you want a true escape from reality may I suggest the manga series- One Punch Man, Spy X Family, Death Note, or Attack on Titan. They are all good stories
I had to look up which books counted as YA, but I rated these highest:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Tiffany Aching series (part of the larger Discworld series) by Terry Pratchett
The Bromeliad Trilogy by Terry Pratchett
Nation by Terry Pratchett
💙📚🪐
You're welcome! The Discworld books can be a bit confusing, so, for clarification, the first Tiffany Aching book is called The Wee Free Men. Takes place in an established universe, but no prior knowledge is required.
I'm gonna go Old School with my recommendations:
The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (and the rest of the books in the series)
My personal favorite is “A Wizard of Earthsea” by Ursula K. LeGuin. There are a few books in the series but the first really captured my heart in my teens 😁
Juliet Marillier —everything she writes!
Patricia McKillip - The Riddle Master of Hed series
Octavia Butler
Terry Goodkind
T.H. White
Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave
Oh I envy your first discovery of these wonderful stories!
Omg I absolutely LOVE the abhorsen series stumbled across it in high school, re-read as an adult, never hear much on sns about it so it tickles me to see
Don't think it's technically YA but The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend is like if Harry Potter was a girl and actually talked to the adults in her life. Plus it's not written by a TERF (at least I really hope it's not).
Frances Hardinge "Face Like Glass". I read it probably 5+ years ago and still feel it every time it crosses my mind. Hard to explain what I mean by that but if you've read it you probably understand. I recommend it almost everytime anyone expresses an interest in YA.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne...not YA but definitely not overtly "adult" and has fun plays on mythologies from around the world
I really enjoyed Little Thieves by Margaret Owen. The good news is that if you like it too, there's already a second book out, and the trilogy concludes later this year :)
The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn is excellent, if you haven’t read it already. I really enjoyed Sarah Raughley’s Effigies series and Roseanne A. Brown’s A Song of Wraiths and Ruin duology, also.
Gilded Ones Trilogy by Namina Forna
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (ongoing series)
These Violent Delights Duology by Chloe Gong
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (ongoing and more sci-fi than fantasy, but still)
His YA series about Tiffany Aching was a good distraction for me back when they were new. I don't know if they still hold up, I've been many versions of myself since then.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight, book one of the Dragonlance series. Ignore that they're D&D books: the first Chronicles (Dragons of Autumn begins) and Legends trilogies are fantastic stories filled with well developed characters and some very neat story moments. Quick reads too!
Almost anything by Brandon Anderson he's my top favorite YA author, Abhorsen series by Garth Nix, and The Nekomancer (if you can find it. It's a LitRPG which is really funny)
I think they're meant for younger than YA, but The Jumbies was good! I was reminded of it when I went to the library earlier. I only read the first one, though. A Song Below Water (def YA) was really good as well. 🥰
If you're ok with themes not revolving around catholicism or christianity (they are there, but its mainly from pagan/wiccan/indigenous views) you may want to try a fantasy/vampire series called "Marked".
If there's a crescent moon and tattoos, its the right series
Not really flagged as YA, but not a day goes by that I don’t recommend The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Fantastic universe and coming up on 20(?) books. I’d probably put them at 14+.
Comments
-Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron
-Sabriel by Garth Nix
-Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine
-Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Have fun!
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Tiffany Aching series (part of the larger Discworld series) by Terry Pratchett
The Bromeliad Trilogy by Terry Pratchett
Nation by Terry Pratchett
💙📚🪐
The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (and the rest of the books in the series)
Patricia McKillip - The Riddle Master of Hed series
Octavia Butler
Terry Goodkind
T.H. White
Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave
Oh I envy your first discovery of these wonderful stories!
DAVID EDDINGS!
Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series
I haven't read your other recommendation.
My Favs from last year💖💖💖
It’s got body horror. But man. So good.
We Hunt the Flame, by Hafsah Faisal
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne...not YA but definitely not overtly "adult" and has fun plays on mythologies from around the world
🐦⬛The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
🍭Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
All of these are part of a series, so if you like them, you can stay in that world for a little bit longer ❤️
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (ongoing series)
These Violent Delights Duology by Chloe Gong
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (ongoing and more sci-fi than fantasy, but still)
Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
2. Inheritance Saga
3. His Dark Materials trilogy
Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin (series of 4, I think)
Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan
Both have some wit and humor with great characters and storylines.
Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
If there's a crescent moon and tattoos, its the right series
Those are both excellent introductions to their series.