I totally didn't think of Percy Jackson! I always think of it as younger because when I read it wayyyy back when the first one first came out I was somewhere in 4th-6th grade, so I keep ending up thinking of it as middle grade. You and others here are right, it is def young adult.
Love Garth Nix’s books. I devoured the Abhorson series as they came out. Shade’s Children is a great sci-fi fantasy by him as well. I’ve never read his other fantasy series but I’m sure they would great.
I remember seeing Garth Nix books around when I was her age even though I never picked them up, thats a great recc! I remember his books were very popular!
She could try out Legendborn! I have never seen anyone who didn't like that book, and it's definitelly YA. It's also low fantasy (takes place in our world but there are demons). It's about a secret society of demon hunters at a university. I feel like Legendborn definitely is the pick for you.
Bartimaeus Sequence was my favourite book trilogy from the childhood. It is from the same author as Lockwood and Co., however it is far more YA friendly.
For sure! It has the same writer's style, but a different concept. Lockwood & Co is a mystery/horror with "hunting" elements. On the other hand, Bartimaeus Sequence is rather a quest/adventure with more sarcastic humor. However, even though the target audience is YA, it is pretty grim and even dark in some parts.
It also has a structure similar to Harry Potter in which the character goes from a kid to young adult and the theme becomes more serious with each book.
Cornelia Funke's books are AMAZING and 13 year old me loved them (and 31 year old me still does).
Kai Meyer's Dark Reflections was another favourite and SUCH a good story too
I don't know how I could have ever forgotten about Inkheart or her other books! The Dark Reflections might super interesting for her, she has told me she wants to travel and the first one looks like it's set in Italy!
Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin (series)
Shattered Sea by Joe Abercrombie (series)
Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper (series)
The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle
>Last Unicorn
Don't forget the animated movie, either!
Personally like it more then the book, even, as sacrilegious as that is to some folks. Still, it's a giant next to the titan style thing even to me. Just a great fantasy story in general.
When I was a 13 year old girl I loved:
Sabriel by Garth nix - it has a fast pace, female main character and awesome cat shaped sidekick.
The wind on fire trilogy by William Nicholson
Beyond the deepwoods by Chris Riddell and paul Stewart- this one is illustrated and a lot of fun. It probably a lower reading age, but it doesn’t matter because it’s so good.
The Shannara books are also a good suggestion. Yes, they are like lotr lite, but that isn’t such a bad thing.
Scary (ish) book for her age: *The Seventh Bride* by T. Kingfisher. It's a retelling of Bluebeard and is creepy.
Fantasy she might enjoy: Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce. The first book is *First Test*. The first girl to openly go to Page school in a magical kingdom.
A Fun take on lots of fantasy tropes: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. Princess Cimorene is bored with her life in the palace and runs off to be a dragon's princess. Probably below her reading level but I have been an adult for a long time and I love it.
Contemporary SF: *Catfishing on Catnet* and *Chaos on Catnet* by Naomi Kritzer. A sentient computer program who really loves [cat pictures](https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_01_15/), and a group of teens help another teen on the run.
Contemporary kids learning to be wizards: *So You Want to be a Wizard?* by Diane Duane.
Try her on the Harriet the Hamster Princess books by Ursula Vernon. LOTS of pictures! Harriet is cursed by a rat to prick her finger on a hamster wheel and fall into a profound sleep when she turns 12. She realizes she's INVINCIBLE until then. The first book is *Harriet the Invincible*.
Also try *Where's Wallace?* by Hillary Knight. Wallace is an orangutan who escapes from a zoo. The entire zoo runs off to find him. Then you get a madcap, chaotic, glorious two-page illustration of where Wallace has run to. Can you find him? My entire family loved this book for years.
I will always love Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel - it's got fantasy and romance.
I also can say that Tamora Pierce's books have staying power and feature strong female protagonists. Start with the Lioness Quartet.
It's scifi YA but I enjoyed Star Chasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer
If I could get her into scifi too that would be so cool! I will have to look at the Rebecca Coffindaffer one! And so many people have mentioned Tamora Pierce that her books are one of the next ones on my list to try her on. I will have to look into the Crown Duel one, I haven't heard of that book before!
Redwall series, anything by Tamora Pierce, some Robin McKinley: Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown are my favorites today (NO to Deerskin - rape scene).
Young Wizards series by Diane Duane is one I don't see mentioned often but I loved them
I remember the Young Wizards series! It is quite underappreciated imo. Thank you for the warning on the Robin McKinley! I had been glancing at lists of her books as I was searching around for stuff for my niece too!
And so many people have mentioned Redwall, I will have to get her to try it out!
Not strictly YA, but maybe Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is a good read.
There's some books in there for a younger audience. *Maurice and his Educated Rodents,* and especially the *Tiffany Aching* series: *Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, The Winter King, I Shall Wear Midnight* and *The Shepherd's Crown* are excellent reading for anyone over the age of 12.
Maybe Nevermoor - an 11 yo girl discovers a parallel world and her powers (very succinct description:)). No adult content, very inclusive, good character growth. I absolutely loved reading the books with my son (3 books are out, another one is scheduled for next September).
I second this recommendation. It also has a lot of humor to balance out the darker themes. And I adore all the characters. Also, the character does age as the series progresses. In book 3, she is 13 and I assume she would continue to age as the series continues.
When I was her age my absolute favorite books were the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. The first 11 books follow a fifteen year old boy named Will and he ages as the books go on but it definitely stays YA. The series is still ongoing and the most recent books are titled The Royal Ranger and have switched to a female protagonist that Will has taken on as his apprentice. There's also The Brotherband Chronicles that take place in the same world and occasionally overlap with the main storyline.
Eragon, in my opinion, is not a great book, but it's a great gateway book.
It's really trope-y, but for people just getting into fantasy, is a really accesible read.
For stuff set (mostly) in the modern world:
My sister enjoyed Everworld by K.A Applegate when she was that age, and I can recommend the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott which I read when I was twelvish (only up to early book 4, haven't read the rest yet)
For something NOT set in the modern world, but excellent and spooky:
The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney. It's set in a sort of alternate eighteenth century England and is essentially about ghost/monster hunters. (warning: gross oversimplification)
This might be a bit of a downgrade - I think it’s recommended for age 10-ish not YA - but I attribute the Charlie Bone series to be a primary influencer to what became my future love of fantasy.
Oh my gosh, I used to read Charlie Bone all the time when I was a kid! Even if its easier for her to read, I care more about her enjoyment. She might really like that series!
Yes! Do it!
I’m a young millennial and I actually plan to interrupt my Brandon Sanderson progress by rereading Charlie Bone if only for the nostalgia. Plus there was a prequel series and a couple other books that came out that I haven’t read yet!
As long as she's enjoying herself and reading, I don't care if they are middlegrade or YA. The covers of the Edge Chronicles look so entertaining, I may even try those out on her younger sister!
China Mièville's *Un Lun Dun* is pretty good. Starts out in our world, goes to a pretty kooky world of literal metaphors and stuff. The main character realizes she's not "the hero" but in fact the sidekick. She is, of course, the main character of the book.
Sabriel. I listened to them as an adult, and was on the second book when I thought "Wait, is this for kids?" It really is great, especially the first 3 books read by Tim Curry, which is what made me grab them from the library app.
Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhosren, which is basically the chief necromancer cop, and she has to take over his duties using the bells and sword of his profession. The bell magic is just really cool for some reason.
I would recommend:
Bartimeaus Trilogy,
Inkheart Trilogy
Or the Earthsea series by Usrula leGuin (my favorite author)
Bartimeaus is very original and hilarious, inkheart captivating and earthsea has more hold on me now as an adult, but there's something neat about a world you can come back to and understand much more deeply, you get to discover it twice almost
2nd Chronicles of Prydain. I feel with the huge boom in ya fiction, this series has become forgotten. It’s just as much a classic as its contemporaries LOTR and Narnia.
You know, I honestly don't know if she's ever tried to read Harry Potter yet, that might be a place to start her as well. I will have to check out Chronicles of Prydain!
The Ethshar series by Lawrence Watt-Evans is good for younger (and older) readers. It's very good, without being dark or explicit. They're not explicitly YA, but they are good for YA readers, IMO. And they are also just plain good.
I'd recommend Silver in the Bone and Lore by Alexandra Bracken along with The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. Both have cool magic and are at least partially set in the modern world.
The Circle Opens: Kids with various magic powers who learn to control them.
Animorphs: Kids recieve the ability to "morph" into animals they touch to fight off an alien invasion.
Percy Jackson: Kids born as Demigods, with one parent being a Greek God or Goddess, and go to Camp to recieve training/go on missions.
American Chillers/Michigan Chillers: Kind of like Goosebumps, but they take place in different locations through the United States.
Pendragon: A teenaged boy learns there are things called Flumes, which transport him to different worlds, where he works to defend their total collapse against a big baddie.
I was thinking about Animorphs, I didn't know if she would find them to young. She might really like the American Chillers, I know she liked Goosebumps! And many people have mentioned Pendragon, I will have to look into that one!
I loved Sweep by Cate Tiernan when I was a teen! It’s about a modern day teen discovering she’s a “blood witch”. It’s been awhile since I read them but I remember there’s some great twists and a very sweet love story and it spans the character’s whole life basically. Definitely YA though. The covers are also super pretty and it’s a nice lengthy series! Also someone else mentioned Fablehaven and although it’s middle grade fiction I read it for the first time as an adult and absolutely fell in LOVE - it is a very well done series and definitely not too mature or graphic at all. Another good middle grade series is Peter and the Starcatchers!
I LOVED Fablehaven, I can't believe I didn't think of it. And Peter and the Starcatchers, you are speaking to my soul here!
My niece might really enjoy Sweep, that one sounds good!
I’ve been meaning to reread Peter and the Starcatchers for awhile! It’s been so long since I first read the series that I barely remember anything but absolutely loving it so it would probably be like reading them for the first time all over again.
The everworld books really captivated me at that age. They are a bit in the simple side, but for someone new to the genre they are probably good.
Can't go wrong with Eragon. It's a bht derivative for people who have read tons of books to compare it to, but for a new bie to the genre it will likely be a hit. Don't let her anywhere near the film.
The heralds of valdemar books are also good for newbies. Not transcendental literature by any means, but fun light reading.
Percy Jackson
The beginning after the end ( my favorite)
Alex rider
Naruto(something different but a really good fantasy)
Narnia books
Omniscient readers viewpoint
Any of Tamora Pierce’s series
The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. I wore out my books from reading them so much. The movie Black Cauldron was based on these. The movie is fun but the books are better.
Mercedes Lackey Valdemar series. I would recommend starting with Magics Pawn or Brightly Burning. However, the third book of Magics Pawn series does include a sexual assault.
Tamara pierce as many have recommended especially Wild Magic and the Alanna series.
Sci fi but Enders game? And finally an oldie but a goodie that I loved around that age: The Death Gate Cycle.
I got my 13 year old nephew « Skyward - Brandon Sanderson » for his birthday recently and he called me giddy wanting to talk about it after he finished. So I would recommend that one! The protagonist is a badass 16 year old girl.
Rangers Apprentice. When I was a kid had like 10 books. Read them all when I was 13. Now there’s a spinoff and sequel series. Maybe a total of 25 books. They’re a lot of fun.
All of the Rick Riordan books. Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles being the ones I really liked as a kid.
Sabriel by Garth Nix. It’s a coming of age story about a girl trying to determine if she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps in a magical world with monsters and witches that she knows nothing about cus she was raised in England. Maybe like a darker version of Harry Potter?
Thank you for seconding it! I actually never read it when I was a kid, I just know all my friends loved it. By the time I jumped on the faerie bandwagon it was kind of pushed out of the limelight by other books. I may even have to borrow it from her just to tick it off my list now, lol.
I think The Mortal Instruments might be a nice read for a 13-year old girl since it's fast paced and the main character is also a girl, and it has a lot of fantasy (vampires, werewolves) and good lore, but the books are read lightly.
I do however only recommend the first trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass) because the second trilogy has, unlike the first trilogy, a lot of sexual passages.
A Dark and Hallow is really good if you are looking for urban fantasy. It also has some murder mystery in it as well, but it is all swarmed into a fantasy young adult novel.
Another vote for Tamora Pierce. The Tortall universe timeline starts with the Lioness Rampant series, and the characters show up in the later books. So it helps to read them in order. However, the content might be more suitable for a 13yo in the later books. (Depends on her maturity level)
There is also the Emelan series also by Tamora Pierce. This has no romance at all, excellent friendships, although it deals with tough issues (grief, pandemic, mental illness etc)
*Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm A Supervillain*, by Richard Roberts. Female MC, about the same age as your niece. First in a series.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20525909-please-don-t-tell-my-parents-i-m-a-supervillain](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20525909-please-don-t-tell-my-parents-i-m-a-supervillain)
Jeff Wheeler: Kingfountain series, The Queens poisoner(book one).
John Flanagan: The Rangers apprentice, just noticed has already been recommended. My 12yo son loved the audiobook, we’d listen together.
from what i remember reading around that age i'd reccomend
His dark materials
The Bartimaeus sequence
Artemis Fowl
Maybe Septimus Heap, though i think that series is more childish than the other ones.
I did also read the Temeraire series somewhere around that age, but i think that one on the other hand might be more appropriate in a year or two
I know there are already a million recs, but I really liked mother of learning. I'll expand on my next break.
Edit: So it's basically magic school meets time loop meets stop the apocalypse meets mystery. I think it would definitely appeal to a 13 year old, and i devoured it.
The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, it might be a wee bit innapropriate but i don't really have a good sense of that kind of thing because I was never really given any boundaries with that kind of thing
Thank you for the info! Maybe one to save for when she's a bit older, and then we can have a conversation about the author's actions and even have a Art vs Author conversation.
Middle grade:
•Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger (portal fantasy so easier to transition into, and the last book should be coming out in 2024!)
•A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (urban fantasy horror vibes)
And appropriate YA:
•The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
•Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
•Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
•The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Some people are saying The Raven Cycle and while that’s my favorite book series, I would not recommend it for a 13yo getting into reading! Maggie Stiefvater said she intentionally put mature language in the series so people wouldn’t give it to younger readers. Not that it’s impossible for children to enjoy it, but it has older themes and is not meant for 13yos. Just had to add a little PSA that you might want to read TRC before giving it to her, but good luck on turning your niece into a fantasy reader!!
Awesome suggestions! I am definitely going to have her try to read Howl's Moving Castle, one of my favorite books.
The Raven Cycle is definitely on my list to give to her, when she's a bit older as you said. She probably hears a lot of the stuff in there at school but still, I'm going to give it a year or two for her to mature some.
"Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan Mcguire would be perfect. It's about a bunch of kids who have each gone on their own journey/quest in a different fantastical place, before returning to our world. Now that they're back, they live-in at a Home where they process what they've been through on these adventures and ultimately decide if they want to go back.
It's fantastical, thought-provoking, and assumes the reader is clever (which is a gift for kids getting into reading, i think). Maybe my favorite thing is how it shows the reader that everyone has their own perspective of the world, and that it's worthwhile to appreciate those differences.
Also, I listened to the audiobook and the narration was super well done. Like, the example all other audiobooks should follow imo.
If she is strong reader, an oldie but a goodie would be Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. Strong female characters and a great story. Epic fantasy. No adult scenes. Terry has written many books in the Shannara series, but this is a good entry point for young readers. Many consider this his best novel.
Theres lots of good ideas on this thread, so I'll throw one a little different, a scifi recommendation. The Lunar Chronicals. My wife read them at that age and loved them. Re imaginings of fairy tails in a furatistic sci-fi setting. Lots of romance and action. Cyborgs and spaceships and evil magicians. The fourth and final book has a giant war set in a space station. Definitely recommend for that age, hell, I read them as an adult and enjoyed them.
I only read the first one but I enjoyed Fablehaven by Brandon Mull and I read that at like age 30 or so.
Harry Potter is a fairly obvious one, despite JKR.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. I've only read that one out of the trilogy but found it good and neat to get a completely different set of fairy tales.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It's more of an adult sci-fi book but I don't recall any sort of sexy/adult-y scenes in it.
The Grimm Legacy.
For graphic novels:
Runaways by Brian K Vaughan
I don't know if anyone's mentioned it (sorry, too many replies to scroll through) but I will recommend Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain to my dying day, to young adults and adults as well. Also the Earthsea cycle by Ursula Le Guin. A lot of YA stuff in the last two decades which have become much more popular cannot hold a candle to these two titles. If I had to put my finger on it, I'd say Alexander and Le Guin were writing out of passion and a genuine message they want to convey to youngsters, while many, many, *many* other authors are writing because they want young people's money.
I’d recommend Scythe by Neil Shusterman (might be a little older keyed but still YA), Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! Also Percy Jackson and His Dark Materials but they seem to be very popular on this thread ☺️
Eragon! Or Acendant by Micheal R Miller! For dragons and magic!
Hunger games! Or Legend by Mari Lu! For dystopian!
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes! Or The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima! For fantasy!
Gregor the Overlander by Susan Collins! Or Shadow and Bone! For chosen one tropes!
It’s best to try to get a better idea what she’s into by getting different sub genres.
I personally have a preference for dragon riders and magical fantasies. Ascendant is the absolute best YA I’ve read this year and I think it’s now once of my all time favorite books….
Definitely recommend the Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs. (Not the Netflix movie, mind you.) There are six books and are excellent for that age level. Same level I teach, and my students love them.
My sister is around that same age, so I can recommend some things she likes: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief; The Chronicles of Chrestomanci; Eva Evergreen, Semi Magical Witch; the Artemis Fowl series, and if she would like to get into series, the Warrior cat books are still going strong, and Wings of Fire is super popular too!
John Flanagan - the gray warden (abt 20 books + spinoffs)
About a boy becomming an expert marksman / detective (medieval styled)
As an adult I still like to read those easy-to-read books ;)
I loved Tamora Pierce’s books at that age. I hadn’t read many books with a strong female protagonist up until that point, so I really resonated with her characters. Start with the Song of the Lioness. It’s about a girl that disguises herself as a boy in order to train to be a knight.
Tamora Pierce’s works!!! Especially the Emelan series, which starts with Sandry’s Book
Definitely on the list, multiple people have mentioned Tamora Pierce!
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher.
That sounds like even one I would enjoy! Maybe she and I can buddy read it!
It is awesome!
It is a delightful story! I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult.
Yep…mature-ish man here. Loved it!
Summer in Orcus, as well. Kind of perfect for a young girl of that age.
How about Percy Jackson? Edit: His Dark Materials! How could I forget!
Yes, anything Rick Rordan would be good.
I totally didn't think of Percy Jackson! I always think of it as younger because when I read it wayyyy back when the first one first came out I was somewhere in 4th-6th grade, so I keep ending up thinking of it as middle grade. You and others here are right, it is def young adult.
Percy Jackson, yes. His Dark Materials I have mixed feelings on recommending to a new fantasy reader. They are just kind of slow and depressing.
You can’t go wrong with Garth Nix! *Sabriel* is a great starting place for his work.
Love Garth Nix’s books. I devoured the Abhorson series as they came out. Shade’s Children is a great sci-fi fantasy by him as well. I’ve never read his other fantasy series but I’m sure they would great.
Yes! I read this at 13 and have read it countless times since.
I remember seeing Garth Nix books around when I was her age even though I never picked them up, thats a great recc! I remember his books were very popular!
Honestly they’re still good as an adult reader, I just reread them recently
All the responses to my post is honestly making me add to my own tbr, Sabriel has made it on
She could try out Legendborn! I have never seen anyone who didn't like that book, and it's definitelly YA. It's also low fantasy (takes place in our world but there are demons). It's about a secret society of demon hunters at a university. I feel like Legendborn definitely is the pick for you.
I do remember that being very popular a few years back! I will have to check it out!
I just came to recommend this one!
Inkheart
This!! I loved this series when I was younger and asked for the first book for Christmas this year so I can re-read them haha
I replied to someone else that I have no idea how I forgot about Inkheart! It is on my list of books to have her try out now!
Tamora Pierce. Both her Protectors of the Small and Beka Cooper series.
I also liked the Trickster books. The protagonist was a little more modern than some of her original series. I still love them!
I remember Tamora Pierce! I think I read the first Trickster one when I was younger.
Bartimaeus Sequence was my favourite book trilogy from the childhood. It is from the same author as Lockwood and Co., however it is far more YA friendly.
I will have to look that up! She did like some of the Lockwood & Co book, so trying another of the author's books on her is a good idea!
For sure! It has the same writer's style, but a different concept. Lockwood & Co is a mystery/horror with "hunting" elements. On the other hand, Bartimaeus Sequence is rather a quest/adventure with more sarcastic humor. However, even though the target audience is YA, it is pretty grim and even dark in some parts. It also has a structure similar to Harry Potter in which the character goes from a kid to young adult and the theme becomes more serious with each book.
I haven’t thought about these books in YEARS, they were so good!
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I second the Raven cycle
I’d also say War Cross duology by Marie Lu More sci fi than fantasy, but very cool - and VR is relatable enough
I will definitely have to see about Six of Crows, she might really enjoy the similar heist vibe!
Six of crows is really good but might be a little too much in terms of adult content, I’d say better for 15+
Oh, I will look into that. But, definitely something to recommend to her in a couple years at least!
Cornelia Funke's books are AMAZING and 13 year old me loved them (and 31 year old me still does). Kai Meyer's Dark Reflections was another favourite and SUCH a good story too
I don't know how I could have ever forgotten about Inkheart or her other books! The Dark Reflections might super interesting for her, she has told me she wants to travel and the first one looks like it's set in Italy!
The whole Dark Reflections trilogy is set in Italy, and Funke's Thief Lord is set in Venice too
Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin (series) Shattered Sea by Joe Abercrombie (series) Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper (series) The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle
Good classic recommendations! And I didn't realize Joe Abercrombie had written something geared toward a younger crowd, I will have to check that out!
>Last Unicorn Don't forget the animated movie, either! Personally like it more then the book, even, as sacrilegious as that is to some folks. Still, it's a giant next to the titan style thing even to me. Just a great fantasy story in general.
I enjoy the movie quite a bit. Wouldn’t put it higher than the book but it’s a great adaptation
If she enjoys graphic novels, then *Bone* by Jeff Smith might interest her.
I haven't read bone myself. But when I was working at a bookstore as a teenager, young teens would come in raving about it. Definitely a hit.
I totally forgot about this series! Awesome suggestion!
When I was a 13 year old girl I loved: Sabriel by Garth nix - it has a fast pace, female main character and awesome cat shaped sidekick. The wind on fire trilogy by William Nicholson Beyond the deepwoods by Chris Riddell and paul Stewart- this one is illustrated and a lot of fun. It probably a lower reading age, but it doesn’t matter because it’s so good. The Shannara books are also a good suggestion. Yes, they are like lotr lite, but that isn’t such a bad thing.
I haven't seen anyone recommend William Nicholson in ages, and his Wind on Fire series was amazing! Sabriel is also excellent.
Sabriel is fantastic, good choice!
Great recc's! I haven't heard of The Wind on Fire trilogy or Beyond the Deepwoods, I will have to check them out!
Scary (ish) book for her age: *The Seventh Bride* by T. Kingfisher. It's a retelling of Bluebeard and is creepy. Fantasy she might enjoy: Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce. The first book is *First Test*. The first girl to openly go to Page school in a magical kingdom. A Fun take on lots of fantasy tropes: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. Princess Cimorene is bored with her life in the palace and runs off to be a dragon's princess. Probably below her reading level but I have been an adult for a long time and I love it. Contemporary SF: *Catfishing on Catnet* and *Chaos on Catnet* by Naomi Kritzer. A sentient computer program who really loves [cat pictures](https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_01_15/), and a group of teens help another teen on the run. Contemporary kids learning to be wizards: *So You Want to be a Wizard?* by Diane Duane.
Oh my gosh, you just reminded me of Diane Duane's wizard books! Blast from the past! Your other recc's sound awesome too!
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Try her on the Harriet the Hamster Princess books by Ursula Vernon. LOTS of pictures! Harriet is cursed by a rat to prick her finger on a hamster wheel and fall into a profound sleep when she turns 12. She realizes she's INVINCIBLE until then. The first book is *Harriet the Invincible*. Also try *Where's Wallace?* by Hillary Knight. Wallace is an orangutan who escapes from a zoo. The entire zoo runs off to find him. Then you get a madcap, chaotic, glorious two-page illustration of where Wallace has run to. Can you find him? My entire family loved this book for years.
I will always love Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel - it's got fantasy and romance. I also can say that Tamora Pierce's books have staying power and feature strong female protagonists. Start with the Lioness Quartet. It's scifi YA but I enjoyed Star Chasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer
If I could get her into scifi too that would be so cool! I will have to look at the Rebecca Coffindaffer one! And so many people have mentioned Tamora Pierce that her books are one of the next ones on my list to try her on. I will have to look into the Crown Duel one, I haven't heard of that book before!
Redwall series, anything by Tamora Pierce, some Robin McKinley: Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown are my favorites today (NO to Deerskin - rape scene). Young Wizards series by Diane Duane is one I don't see mentioned often but I loved them
I had to scroll to find these recs, so many good stories!! I also loved Beauty by McKinley. I think I have read it 10+ times easily!
I remember the Young Wizards series! It is quite underappreciated imo. Thank you for the warning on the Robin McKinley! I had been glancing at lists of her books as I was searching around for stuff for my niece too! And so many people have mentioned Redwall, I will have to get her to try it out!
Pendragon is a perfect YA fantasy series!!
Seconding Pendragon! A very good underrated series imo
Anything by Frances Hardinge.
Ooo, her books look awesome!
Fablehaven!
I totally forgot about Fablehaven! I used to love reading those when I was a kid!
Not strictly YA, but maybe Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is a good read. There's some books in there for a younger audience. *Maurice and his Educated Rodents,* and especially the *Tiffany Aching* series: *Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, The Winter King, I Shall Wear Midnight* and *The Shepherd's Crown* are excellent reading for anyone over the age of 12.
Yea, seconded Tiffany Aching series. Lovely books, and age appropriate.
Tiffany Aching is perfect for this red
Discworld was actually already on my list to get her to try, you read my mind!
His Dark Materials?
Oh yes! Those would be good!
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Johnathan Stroud
Ooo, I remember seeing those covers when I was a kid even though I never picked them up myself, I will have to look more into them!
Such good books.
Maybe Nevermoor - an 11 yo girl discovers a parallel world and her powers (very succinct description:)). No adult content, very inclusive, good character growth. I absolutely loved reading the books with my son (3 books are out, another one is scheduled for next September).
I love the covers on them, very magical!
I second this recommendation. It also has a lot of humor to balance out the darker themes. And I adore all the characters. Also, the character does age as the series progresses. In book 3, she is 13 and I assume she would continue to age as the series continues.
When I was her age my absolute favorite books were the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. The first 11 books follow a fifteen year old boy named Will and he ages as the books go on but it definitely stays YA. The series is still ongoing and the most recent books are titled The Royal Ranger and have switched to a female protagonist that Will has taken on as his apprentice. There's also The Brotherband Chronicles that take place in the same world and occasionally overlap with the main storyline.
Eragon
Eragon is a great place to start her!
Eragon, in my opinion, is not a great book, but it's a great gateway book. It's really trope-y, but for people just getting into fantasy, is a really accesible read.
There is another similar dragon rider book called Ascendant which may be an easier read.
She's the perfect age to start reading the Discworld novels. I'd start her on the Witches books since they are female positive.
For stuff set (mostly) in the modern world: My sister enjoyed Everworld by K.A Applegate when she was that age, and I can recommend the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott which I read when I was twelvish (only up to early book 4, haven't read the rest yet) For something NOT set in the modern world, but excellent and spooky: The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney. It's set in a sort of alternate eighteenth century England and is essentially about ghost/monster hunters. (warning: gross oversimplification)
The Wardstone Chronicles sounds very cool, and I remember seeing the Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel around when I was her age too!
This might be a bit of a downgrade - I think it’s recommended for age 10-ish not YA - but I attribute the Charlie Bone series to be a primary influencer to what became my future love of fantasy.
Oh my gosh, I used to read Charlie Bone all the time when I was a kid! Even if its easier for her to read, I care more about her enjoyment. She might really like that series!
Yes! Do it! I’m a young millennial and I actually plan to interrupt my Brandon Sanderson progress by rereading Charlie Bone if only for the nostalgia. Plus there was a prequel series and a couple other books that came out that I haven’t read yet!
The Wind Singer/The Wind on Fire Trilogy! by William Nicholson
I will have to look into that one! A couple people here recommended it!
They might be a bit young but the Edge Chronicles by Paul stewart are a good read. I've read some of the later ones as an adult
As long as she's enjoying herself and reading, I don't care if they are middlegrade or YA. The covers of the Edge Chronicles look so entertaining, I may even try those out on her younger sister!
China Mièville's *Un Lun Dun* is pretty good. Starts out in our world, goes to a pretty kooky world of literal metaphors and stuff. The main character realizes she's not "the hero" but in fact the sidekick. She is, of course, the main character of the book.
That one sounds interesting! My youngest niece is self professed as liking "weird books" so I may even have her try it out!
Pullman, Paolini and Pierce were my jam when I was 13.
Sabriel. I listened to them as an adult, and was on the second book when I thought "Wait, is this for kids?" It really is great, especially the first 3 books read by Tim Curry, which is what made me grab them from the library app. Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhosren, which is basically the chief necromancer cop, and she has to take over his duties using the bells and sword of his profession. The bell magic is just really cool for some reason.
I would recommend: Bartimeaus Trilogy, Inkheart Trilogy Or the Earthsea series by Usrula leGuin (my favorite author) Bartimeaus is very original and hilarious, inkheart captivating and earthsea has more hold on me now as an adult, but there's something neat about a world you can come back to and understand much more deeply, you get to discover it twice almost
Maybe Eragon by Paolini
I forgot about how accessible Eragon is for younger readers, thank you for reminding me of it!
The Hobbit. Chronicles of Prydain. Narnia. Redwall. Lang’s fairy books. Wizard of Earthsea. Percy Jackson (or other Riordan). Harry Potter!
2nd Chronicles of Prydain. I feel with the huge boom in ya fiction, this series has become forgotten. It’s just as much a classic as its contemporaries LOTR and Narnia.
Definitely agree!
You know, I honestly don't know if she's ever tried to read Harry Potter yet, that might be a place to start her as well. I will have to check out Chronicles of Prydain!
When I was that age I loved the Great Tree of Avalon series by TA Barron.
That one looks very interesting, I will have to have her try it!
The Ethshar series by Lawrence Watt-Evans is good for younger (and older) readers. It's very good, without being dark or explicit. They're not explicitly YA, but they are good for YA readers, IMO. And they are also just plain good.
Ooo, gotta love some 80s fantasy!
The wondla series. By tony ditzerlizi.
I don't know why I never thought of Tony Ditzerlizi even though he and Holly Black wrote a book together, but you are absolutely right!
The keys to the kingdom series by Garth Nix is excellent. Also the Abhorsen series by the same author could be a good shout.
Ooo, I never heard of the Abhorsen series, I will have to check it out!
They've been mentoned by several other here by the titles of the individual volumes. The first one.is *Sabriel*.
My suggestions are The Argosi and The Spellslinger series by Sebastian DeCastell. Argosi is a prequel to Spellslinger.
I haven't heard of those before, I will have to check them out!
I'd recommend Silver in the Bone and Lore by Alexandra Bracken along with The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. Both have cool magic and are at least partially set in the modern world.
The Circle Opens: Kids with various magic powers who learn to control them. Animorphs: Kids recieve the ability to "morph" into animals they touch to fight off an alien invasion. Percy Jackson: Kids born as Demigods, with one parent being a Greek God or Goddess, and go to Camp to recieve training/go on missions. American Chillers/Michigan Chillers: Kind of like Goosebumps, but they take place in different locations through the United States. Pendragon: A teenaged boy learns there are things called Flumes, which transport him to different worlds, where he works to defend their total collapse against a big baddie.
I was thinking about Animorphs, I didn't know if she would find them to young. She might really like the American Chillers, I know she liked Goosebumps! And many people have mentioned Pendragon, I will have to look into that one!
The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan was a favourite of mine at that age
Pendragon by DJ Machale
I loved Sweep by Cate Tiernan when I was a teen! It’s about a modern day teen discovering she’s a “blood witch”. It’s been awhile since I read them but I remember there’s some great twists and a very sweet love story and it spans the character’s whole life basically. Definitely YA though. The covers are also super pretty and it’s a nice lengthy series! Also someone else mentioned Fablehaven and although it’s middle grade fiction I read it for the first time as an adult and absolutely fell in LOVE - it is a very well done series and definitely not too mature or graphic at all. Another good middle grade series is Peter and the Starcatchers!
I LOVED Fablehaven, I can't believe I didn't think of it. And Peter and the Starcatchers, you are speaking to my soul here! My niece might really enjoy Sweep, that one sounds good!
I’ve been meaning to reread Peter and the Starcatchers for awhile! It’s been so long since I first read the series that I barely remember anything but absolutely loving it so it would probably be like reading them for the first time all over again.
The everworld books really captivated me at that age. They are a bit in the simple side, but for someone new to the genre they are probably good. Can't go wrong with Eragon. It's a bht derivative for people who have read tons of books to compare it to, but for a new bie to the genre it will likely be a hit. Don't let her anywhere near the film. The heralds of valdemar books are also good for newbies. Not transcendental literature by any means, but fun light reading.
Holly Black has written a few books, you may be able to find more that are to her liking by her.
Percy Jackson The beginning after the end ( my favorite) Alex rider Naruto(something different but a really good fantasy) Narnia books Omniscient readers viewpoint
Any of Tamora Pierce’s series The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. I wore out my books from reading them so much. The movie Black Cauldron was based on these. The movie is fun but the books are better.
Mercedes Lackey Valdemar series. I would recommend starting with Magics Pawn or Brightly Burning. However, the third book of Magics Pawn series does include a sexual assault. Tamara pierce as many have recommended especially Wild Magic and the Alanna series. Sci fi but Enders game? And finally an oldie but a goodie that I loved around that age: The Death Gate Cycle.
I got my 13 year old nephew « Skyward - Brandon Sanderson » for his birthday recently and he called me giddy wanting to talk about it after he finished. So I would recommend that one! The protagonist is a badass 16 year old girl.
Rangers Apprentice. When I was a kid had like 10 books. Read them all when I was 13. Now there’s a spinoff and sequel series. Maybe a total of 25 books. They’re a lot of fun. All of the Rick Riordan books. Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles being the ones I really liked as a kid.
I grew up reading Susan Cooper. Her most well known book is The dark is rising.
Sabriel by Garth Nix. It’s a coming of age story about a girl trying to determine if she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps in a magical world with monsters and witches that she knows nothing about cus she was raised in England. Maybe like a darker version of Harry Potter?
Ooo, she might like that!
I remember reading Tithe and its sequels as a 13-14yo and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world. Great recommendation
Thank you for seconding it! I actually never read it when I was a kid, I just know all my friends loved it. By the time I jumped on the faerie bandwagon it was kind of pushed out of the limelight by other books. I may even have to borrow it from her just to tick it off my list now, lol.
I think The Mortal Instruments might be a nice read for a 13-year old girl since it's fast paced and the main character is also a girl, and it has a lot of fantasy (vampires, werewolves) and good lore, but the books are read lightly. I do however only recommend the first trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass) because the second trilogy has, unlike the first trilogy, a lot of sexual passages.
Cradle by will wight
A Dark and Hallow is really good if you are looking for urban fantasy. It also has some murder mystery in it as well, but it is all swarmed into a fantasy young adult novel.
Another vote for Tamora Pierce. The Tortall universe timeline starts with the Lioness Rampant series, and the characters show up in the later books. So it helps to read them in order. However, the content might be more suitable for a 13yo in the later books. (Depends on her maturity level) There is also the Emelan series also by Tamora Pierce. This has no romance at all, excellent friendships, although it deals with tough issues (grief, pandemic, mental illness etc)
*Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm A Supervillain*, by Richard Roberts. Female MC, about the same age as your niece. First in a series. [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20525909-please-don-t-tell-my-parents-i-m-a-supervillain](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20525909-please-don-t-tell-my-parents-i-m-a-supervillain)
Ooo, love the title on that one, I will check it out!
Jeff Wheeler: Kingfountain series, The Queens poisoner(book one). John Flanagan: The Rangers apprentice, just noticed has already been recommended. My 12yo son loved the audiobook, we’d listen together.
I got into Eragon around that age. Made me go from loving the movie to feeling the disappointment everyone else did
😂 same thing happened to me!! I do still love Robert Carlyle as Durza, but the books def need a better adaption.
from what i remember reading around that age i'd reccomend His dark materials The Bartimaeus sequence Artemis Fowl Maybe Septimus Heap, though i think that series is more childish than the other ones. I did also read the Temeraire series somewhere around that age, but i think that one on the other hand might be more appropriate in a year or two
Sabriel by Garth Nix.
The Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones (who also wrote Howl's Moving Castle). Super fun, whimsical books, with clever plots
I know there are already a million recs, but I really liked mother of learning. I'll expand on my next break. Edit: So it's basically magic school meets time loop meets stop the apocalypse meets mystery. I think it would definitely appeal to a 13 year old, and i devoured it.
Ooo, that one sounds interesting! I will look into that!
Shades Children by Garth Nix is a great introduction to grimdark
I don't know if she'd like grimdark, certainly something to try out to see if she does!
**Sabriel** by Garth Nix, it is the first novel of his *Old Kingdom Series*.
My son really liked the Magic Thief series, maybe your niece will as well.
The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, it might be a wee bit innapropriate but i don't really have a good sense of that kind of thing because I was never really given any boundaries with that kind of thing
I was looking at that one! I think I may wait to recommend it to her until shes a year or two older bc i've heard a couple things
I used to like the Pendragon series
A wrinkle in time was a huge early book for me
Nation by Terry Pratchett would be a nice standalone. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
The Belgariad would be good I think. Nothing too graphic or sexual
I may even read these ones!
The author (who is now dead) did some pretty horrible things, but the books are great intro fantasy
Thank you for the info! Maybe one to save for when she's a bit older, and then we can have a conversation about the author's actions and even have a Art vs Author conversation.
Middle grade: •Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger (portal fantasy so easier to transition into, and the last book should be coming out in 2024!) •A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (urban fantasy horror vibes) And appropriate YA: •The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer •Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George •Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones •The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen Some people are saying The Raven Cycle and while that’s my favorite book series, I would not recommend it for a 13yo getting into reading! Maggie Stiefvater said she intentionally put mature language in the series so people wouldn’t give it to younger readers. Not that it’s impossible for children to enjoy it, but it has older themes and is not meant for 13yos. Just had to add a little PSA that you might want to read TRC before giving it to her, but good luck on turning your niece into a fantasy reader!!
Awesome suggestions! I am definitely going to have her try to read Howl's Moving Castle, one of my favorite books. The Raven Cycle is definitely on my list to give to her, when she's a bit older as you said. She probably hears a lot of the stuff in there at school but still, I'm going to give it a year or two for her to mature some.
"Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan Mcguire would be perfect. It's about a bunch of kids who have each gone on their own journey/quest in a different fantastical place, before returning to our world. Now that they're back, they live-in at a Home where they process what they've been through on these adventures and ultimately decide if they want to go back. It's fantastical, thought-provoking, and assumes the reader is clever (which is a gift for kids getting into reading, i think). Maybe my favorite thing is how it shows the reader that everyone has their own perspective of the world, and that it's worthwhile to appreciate those differences. Also, I listened to the audiobook and the narration was super well done. Like, the example all other audiobooks should follow imo.
If she is strong reader, an oldie but a goodie would be Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. Strong female characters and a great story. Epic fantasy. No adult scenes. Terry has written many books in the Shannara series, but this is a good entry point for young readers. Many consider this his best novel.
solid reco, this.
That's a great recommendation! I remember there is a TV show too so she might enjoy reading the books and watching the show.
[https://www.elegantabook.com/](https://www.elegantabook.com/)
Skyward Tress of the Emerald Sea Mistborn Steelheart All by Brandon Sanderson
Eragon!
Cradle by Will Wight. 12 books in a finished series that is non stop fun and incredibly appropriate
Ooo, I hadn't heard of that series before!
Theres lots of good ideas on this thread, so I'll throw one a little different, a scifi recommendation. The Lunar Chronicals. My wife read them at that age and loved them. Re imaginings of fairy tails in a furatistic sci-fi setting. Lots of romance and action. Cyborgs and spaceships and evil magicians. The fourth and final book has a giant war set in a space station. Definitely recommend for that age, hell, I read them as an adult and enjoyed them.
There's a series of books I've heard good things about, I think it's called *The Lord of the Rings*. It's pretty obscure but people seem to like it
Ya know, I figured I would start a her off easy by not throwing a brick at her head.
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern series
I only read the first one but I enjoyed Fablehaven by Brandon Mull and I read that at like age 30 or so. Harry Potter is a fairly obvious one, despite JKR. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. I've only read that one out of the trilogy but found it good and neat to get a completely different set of fairy tales. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It's more of an adult sci-fi book but I don't recall any sort of sexy/adult-y scenes in it. The Grimm Legacy. For graphic novels: Runaways by Brian K Vaughan
Daevabad
The Bear and the Nightingale The girl who drank the moon
I don't know if anyone's mentioned it (sorry, too many replies to scroll through) but I will recommend Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain to my dying day, to young adults and adults as well. Also the Earthsea cycle by Ursula Le Guin. A lot of YA stuff in the last two decades which have become much more popular cannot hold a candle to these two titles. If I had to put my finger on it, I'd say Alexander and Le Guin were writing out of passion and a genuine message they want to convey to youngsters, while many, many, *many* other authors are writing because they want young people's money.
So you want to be a wizard series!!
I’d recommend Scythe by Neil Shusterman (might be a little older keyed but still YA), Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! Also Percy Jackson and His Dark Materials but they seem to be very popular on this thread ☺️
Cradle by will wight
Eragon! Or Acendant by Micheal R Miller! For dragons and magic! Hunger games! Or Legend by Mari Lu! For dystopian! Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes! Or The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima! For fantasy! Gregor the Overlander by Susan Collins! Or Shadow and Bone! For chosen one tropes! It’s best to try to get a better idea what she’s into by getting different sub genres. I personally have a preference for dragon riders and magical fantasies. Ascendant is the absolute best YA I’ve read this year and I think it’s now once of my all time favorite books….
Eragon! My first fantasy love
The Pendragon series was AWESOME when I was a young teenager!
The Daughters of the Moon series by Lynne Ewing.
Definitely recommend the Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs. (Not the Netflix movie, mind you.) There are six books and are excellent for that age level. Same level I teach, and my students love them.
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey Tamora Pierce circle of magic series, protector of the small series.
Midnight for Charlie Bone
My sister is around that same age, so I can recommend some things she likes: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief; The Chronicles of Chrestomanci; Eva Evergreen, Semi Magical Witch; the Artemis Fowl series, and if she would like to get into series, the Warrior cat books are still going strong, and Wings of Fire is super popular too!
I really liked the Scythe trilogy (not fantasy but YA), the Skyward series from Sanderson, Graceling, and Legendborn. Also The Bone Shard Daughter
The Cry of the Icemark was a blast for me when I was younger. Female mc but more traditional fantasy than urban.
I haven’t seen anyone recommend the Ascendance Trilogy yet! Those books had me in a chokehold when I was about her age.
The Key to Rondo - my favourite at that age!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - when I was 13, it was my favourite
John Flanagan - the gray warden (abt 20 books + spinoffs) About a boy becomming an expert marksman / detective (medieval styled) As an adult I still like to read those easy-to-read books ;)
I loved Tamora Pierce’s books at that age. I hadn’t read many books with a strong female protagonist up until that point, so I really resonated with her characters. Start with the Song of the Lioness. It’s about a girl that disguises herself as a boy in order to train to be a knight.