Nothing is better than when two of my passions combine-like fantasy and history. YA historical fantasy has been an emerging sub-genre that has yielding some pretty incredible books. It doesn’t take long after meeting me to see that I love all things fantastical and learning about history. There’s something romantic about envisioning life in the past, and something exciting about imagining a little bit of magic with it. I have been thrilled to find more and more YA historical fantasy books being released, and even more thrilled to add them to my bookshelves. If you’re a magic-loving history buff like me, here are some YA historical fantasy books to whet your appetite.
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Time Period: Early 20th century, Russia
Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them. Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are to either release the spell or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Magic doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction to Zash. Especially when she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton
Time Period: Mid-16th Century, England
Edward is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he hasn’t decided who will inherit his crown. Jane is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. Gifford is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and Gifford are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
Time Period: Late 19th century, New Orleans
Seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau is in New Orleans to flee her past life in Paris. Celine quickly becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien’s guilt. When more bodies are discovered, New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld.
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Time Period: Late 19th century, Paris
It’s Paris, 1889 . Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is coerced by the elite Order of Babel to help them find an ancient artifact, and in return, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined. Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood. Together, they explore the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they survive.
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Time Period: Mid-19th century, Western United States
Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more. She also has a secret. Lee can sense gold in the world around her. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered.
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
Time Period: Early 17th century, London
Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting him is spreading. And soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in. The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King. The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Time Period: 1920s, New York City
Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened…
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
Time Period: Late 19th century, Italy
Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are witches who live secretly among humans. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means partnering with Wrath, one of the Wicked—princes of Hell she has been warned against since she was a child. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Time Period: Late 19th century, England
It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one and she’s being followed by a mysterious young Indian man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her foray into the spiritual world lead to?
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Time Period: Medieval ages, Russia
Inspired by Russian folklore, this trilogy is set in a medieval Russian village and begins with the story of a young girl named Vasya Petrovna. Vasya discovers she has a spiritual gift when she begins to see fantastical creatures hanging around her house and the surrounding forest. Vasya must learn to persevere through the hardships life throws at her and to harness her gift in order to protect the people she cares about.
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