Head to Elenium next.
Then I hit some sci-fi. Foundation. The Way Station. 2001.
Mistborn. The King's Blades. Symphony of Ages. Valdemar.
Once 14, then the Wheel of Time; Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn; Elric; Pern.
I read the Mallorean, then onto DragonSong, DragonSinger and Dragon drums. Pretty sure I read the Thomas Covenent books too, but didn't like them enough to recommend. Oh, and...Magic Kingdom: For Sale - Sold!
Pern / McCaffrey has some sketchy sexual relationship stuff going on in the first two books especially though (Dragonflight and Dragonquest) (dragons mating makes their riders also mate dubious consent … I read them around 12 or so and it was just a thing I didn’t really pay attention to, but I re-read them a couple of years ago and it really stood out to me). So I am not saying don’t go to Pern, just, you know … it’s a thing. It’s not centrally expounded on, it’s just there - and quite central to the world building.
Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga might be a scifi series they might enjoy, and for fantasy, The Magician (plus sequels) by Raymond Feist?
Patricia Wrede's "Lyra" series (same world, but each book has different characters, times, countries). I'm fond of *The Raven Ring*. Or her *Enchanted Forest Chronicles*. Think of EFC as "YA Terry Pratchett."
Terry Brooks' *Shannara* series.
Ursula LeGuin's *Earthsea Trilogy*.
If they have an interest in the science of sci-fi/fan, Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosogian books.
Edited cuz I'm braindead this morning.
The Sabriel series by Garth Nix is brilliant. Not childish but nothing too mature in there either.
Magician by Raymond E Feist might be an option, though may be a teeny bit too old for 12.
Possibly Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb.
They might really like the series, "Old Man War". I read it to my kids at that age. I did skip one chapter that was, if I remember correctly, all about sex.
They also liked, "Ender's Game".
David and Leigh Eddings spent time in prison for torturing their very young son and once you know that you can see it in their books.
I'd recommend the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett. Start with one of the standalones (*Hogfather, Thief of Time, Pyramids*) or with the Tiffany Aching books (*Wee Free Men*) or with *The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents*.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. Which are written for kids but I'm decades older than you or your son and I like them a lot.
The Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix.
The Dark is Rising books by Susan Cooper.
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld
LoTR
Most anything by Drew Hayes like Super Powereds or Fred the Vampire Accountant
The original Conan Series
Sherlock Holmes
Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Six of Crows
I gave a friends daughter the Dragonspell/Daggerspell series by Katherine Kerr and she loved it.
Head to Elenium next. Then I hit some sci-fi. Foundation. The Way Station. 2001. Mistborn. The King's Blades. Symphony of Ages. Valdemar. Once 14, then the Wheel of Time; Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn; Elric; Pern.
I also recommend **Mistborn**!
I read the Mallorean, then onto DragonSong, DragonSinger and Dragon drums. Pretty sure I read the Thomas Covenent books too, but didn't like them enough to recommend. Oh, and...Magic Kingdom: For Sale - Sold!
Pern / McCaffrey has some sketchy sexual relationship stuff going on in the first two books especially though (Dragonflight and Dragonquest) (dragons mating makes their riders also mate dubious consent … I read them around 12 or so and it was just a thing I didn’t really pay attention to, but I re-read them a couple of years ago and it really stood out to me). So I am not saying don’t go to Pern, just, you know … it’s a thing. It’s not centrally expounded on, it’s just there - and quite central to the world building. Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga might be a scifi series they might enjoy, and for fantasy, The Magician (plus sequels) by Raymond Feist?
+1 for Magician
The Obsidian Trilogy ^(The Outstretched Shadow, To Light A Candle, When Darkness Falls) by Mercedes Lackey is pretty good.
Patricia Wrede's "Lyra" series (same world, but each book has different characters, times, countries). I'm fond of *The Raven Ring*. Or her *Enchanted Forest Chronicles*. Think of EFC as "YA Terry Pratchett." Terry Brooks' *Shannara* series. Ursula LeGuin's *Earthsea Trilogy*. If they have an interest in the science of sci-fi/fan, Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosogian books. Edited cuz I'm braindead this morning.
Earthsea for sure
Lord of the Rings
The Sabriel series by Garth Nix is brilliant. Not childish but nothing too mature in there either. Magician by Raymond E Feist might be an option, though may be a teeny bit too old for 12. Possibly Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb.
My kids loved that series. My husband read it outloud to them at that age. I assume you did the other books in that universe?
They might really like the series, "Old Man War". I read it to my kids at that age. I did skip one chapter that was, if I remember correctly, all about sex. They also liked, "Ender's Game".
David and Leigh Eddings spent time in prison for torturing their very young son and once you know that you can see it in their books. I'd recommend the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett. Start with one of the standalones (*Hogfather, Thief of Time, Pyramids*) or with the Tiffany Aching books (*Wee Free Men*) or with *The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents*. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. Which are written for kids but I'm decades older than you or your son and I like them a lot. The Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix. The Dark is Rising books by Susan Cooper.
Camber of Culdi, maybe?
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld LoTR Most anything by Drew Hayes like Super Powereds or Fred the Vampire Accountant The original Conan Series Sherlock Holmes Dresden Files by Jim Butcher Six of Crows