Best Original YA Sci-fi/Fantasy Series

We’ve all heard of Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stievater and many others. These guys dominate the charts constantly. But what if you’re sick of the atypical urban fantasy or dystopia? Here’s a list for you if you’re into sci-fi or fantasy, but don’t want the ‘usual’ plotlines.

Most Original Sci-Fi

Taken (Taken #1) by Erin Bowman

And no, I don’t mean the movie franchise. My GR review.

“Fans of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher and Variant by Robison Wells won’t want to miss this magnetic first book in a gripping dystopian sci-fi series. Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy, raves that Taken is “an action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end. More, please!”

Gray Weathersby has grown up expecting to disappear at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. They call it the Heist—and it happens to every boy in Claysoot. His only chance at escape is to climb the Wall that surrounds Claysoot. A climb no one has ever survived . . .”

 

Best Mythology Retellings

So I went through a phase after reading PJO, where I just read a heap of retellings or imagines of the Greek Gods. Also, I’m a huge ancient history buff (hence my minor in uni for it).

Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy #1) by Anna Banks

This more is to do with mermaids/men, but still refers slightly to the ancient gods (obviously, each book in the series relates to the God of the Sea). My reviews for book one, two and three.

“Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom…

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.”

The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter

I loved this story!!! This is more related with the gods, but like Riordan, the author makes them super sassy. It’s the best! My reviews for book one and two.

“Every girl who had taken the test has died.

Now it’s Kate’s turn.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom – and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld – and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy – until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride and a goddess.

If she fails…”

Abandon (Abandon #1) by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot wrote the Princess Diaries and How to Be Popular (one of my all-time FAVES!). She’s a brilliant author who encapsulates a teen girl’s mind perfectly. My reviews for book one, two and three.

“New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can’t help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she’s never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. 

But now she’s moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid. 

Only she can’t. Because even here, he finds her. That’s how desperately he wants her back. She knows he’s no guardian angel, and his dark world isn’t exactly heaven, yet she can’t stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. 

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.”

 

Best Fae/Faerie/Fairy Story

If you’re a fan of any sort of fae story, check out Wendy Higgins’ story. She wrote the Sweet Evil trilogy, and is amazing at writing short, fantasy YA novels. My review.

“The author of the Sweet Evil trilogy from HarperTeen brings you a Young Adult modern folktale full of Irish magic and romance. 

While most seventeen-year-old American girls would refuse to let their parents marry them off to a stranger, Robyn Mason dreams of the mysterious McKale in Ireland, wondering how he’ll look and imagining his Irish accent. Prearranged bindings are common for magical families like her own, however when she travels to the whimsical Emerald Isle she discovers there’s more to her betrothal and McKale’s clan than she’d been led to believe. 

What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands in the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their ancient bloodlines.”

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Have you read any of these unpopular YA books? If not, what’s something else you suggest?

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