Great Fantasy Books for Teens
Discover the best fantasy books for teens, from Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus and Christopher Paolini's Eragon to Robin McKinley's classics. Explore epic magic, dragons, and unforgettable adventures in this curated list for young adult readers!
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Bartimaeus: Amulet of Samarkand, The (Book One)
by Jonathan Stroud
Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
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Eragon
by Christopher Paolini
Beautifully written and taut with suspense, "Eragon" is the first installment in an epic fantasy trilogy about a 15-year-old farm boy who discovers his destiny as a Dragon Rider.
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The Hero and the Crown
by Robin McKinley
A Newbery Medal Winner Although she is the daughter of Damar's king, Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Both in and out of the royal court, people whisper the story of her mother, the witchwoman, who was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her to get an heir to rule Damar-then died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son. But none of them, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future-for she is to be the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword... “[The Hero and the Crown] confirms McKinley as an important writer of modern heroic fantasy, a genre whose giants include C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin.”—The Washington Post “An utterly engrossing fantasy.”—The New York Times
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The Lost Years of Merlin
by T. A. Barron
When Merlin, suffering from a case of severe amnesia, discovers his strange powers, he becomes determined to discover his identity and flees to Fincayra where he fulfills his destiny, saving Fincayra from certain destruction and claiming his birthright and true name. Reprint.
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Spindle's End
by Robin McKinley
In the tradition of Beauty and Rose Daughter, Newbery Award-winning author Robin McKinley "lends a fresh perspective to a classic fairy tale, developing the story of Sleeping Beauty into a richly imagined, vividly depicted novel" (School Library Journal) BRILLIANT...[a] sumptuous world. (New York Times Book Review) MYTHIC GRANDEUR...with magical detail and all-too-human feeling. (Publishers Weekly starred review) Satisfying reading, pleasing in the depth of the weaving and elaboration. (Chicago Tribune) Rich prose and colorful description...keep readers spellbound. (Rocky Mountain News)