Arvyn Cerezo is an arts and culture writer/reporter with bylines in Book Riot, Publishers Weekly, South China Morning Post, PhilSTAR Life, the Asian Review of Books, and other publications. You can find them on arvyncerezo.com and @ArvynCerezo on Twitter.
Return to the world of mythical female warriors in Warrior of Legend, the epic finale to the immersive Heromakers fantasy duology that began with Champion of Fate! Will Reed be able to survive this war with her chosen family—and her heart—intact? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare blake, Warrior of Legend is a must-read for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Shelby Mahurin!
If I pick up an epic fantasy book, it had better completely suck me in. It better have some dragons and princesses, lengthy quests, heroes and heroines attempting to save humanity from destruction, swords clashing to keep an empire from crumbling, or epic battles that hang the world in the balance. It must have a lush, fully realized world, an intricate magic system, and a dense mythology, a total escapism from my current reality.
These ambitious and larger-than-life elements, unfortunately, can be difficult to pull off in an epic fantasy, resulting in books with flat worlds and half-baked magic systems that aren’t ready for prime time. Luckily, I was able to identify recent epic fantasy books that are so engrossing that young readers won’t want to put them down.
In here, all of the books are by authors of color and focus on themes and worlds that are underexplored in the literary landscape. There’s a book set in ancient Rome where young people try to survive a brutal regime, a book set in kingdoms where the protagonists fight their colonizers, a book inspired by Indian mythology where the protagonist is bitten by vipers and becomes a monster herself, a book inspired by the Korean legend of gumiho, or the nine-tailed fox, and so much more. Each offers a unique world of its own and is ideal for young readers or readers who are young at heart.
Here are eight recent immersive young adult epic fantasy books.
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
This is the first in Tahir’s new YA epic fantasy duology. The book follows three different characters, Aiz, Sirsha, and Quil, who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Aiz finds herself in prison, Sirsha is tasked with finding a killer that has been terrorizing the Empire, and Quil is the Empire’s crown prince, and he must rise to confront the threat that afflicts his domain.
Set 20 years later in the same world as An Ember in the Ashes, the individual stories of the characters intertwine and culminate in an explosive ending.
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee (January 2025)
Every six years, a new Guardian is given the Scroll of Earth. Ambitious 16-year-old Jun wants to join the Guardian’s Tournament in the hopes of improving his family’s reputation after being exiled from their home.
His father doesn’t want him to compete, however, especially as he lacks magical abilities like his twin, a “breathmarked,” who was born with a dragon’s features. Despite his father’s wishes, Jun finds a way to escape anyway. But when he gets to the arena, he discovers that there are far more pressing matters than restoring his family’s honor.
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
Ruying, who possesses the ability to sap human life, despises the invaders who have colonized her homeland. There’s brutality and starvation, and Ruying thinks that it’s only a matter of time until her family suffers the same fate.
When the enemy prince discovers her hidden talent, he makes a deal with her. In exchange for her and her family’s safety and well-being, she needs to kill the enemy prince’s opponents. But Ruying is wise to doubt the prince’s motivations, especially as using her magic shortens her life.
A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel
Manisha, a 16-year-old priestess, meets Pratyush, a monster slayer and warrior on the king’s payroll, and they fall in love.
Shortly afterward, however, a temple visitor assaults Manisha and pushes her until she falls into a snake pit. Nevertheless, the venom doesn’t kill her. Instead, she grows stronger and takes on traits from the vipers…including their wickedness. Manisha transforms men into stones and has been terrorizing the kingdom since she emerged from the snake pit.
The king then sends Pratyush to kill a monster that has been turning men into stone. Will he be able to recognize that it’s his beloved?
Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi
This is the third book in Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orïsha series, following Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance. In book one, Zélie works to restore magic to Orïsha and overthrow the monarchy. The second book follows her struggle to regain control of fractured Orïsha amid the presence of power-hungry rulers.
This one picks up where book two left off, with Zélie captured by the enemy, King Baldyr. She and her friends must fight enemies to save their people as the Orïsha are once again in turmoil.
Dancers of the Dawn by Zulekhá Afzal
Aasira is being trained as one of the queen’s assassins. She has the ability to wield flame through dancing, a powerful magic that enemies are terrified of. Aasira doesn’t know any better, however. All she knows is that after completing her training, she will have to serve her queen as an assassin.
But her fate may change when she discovers a shocking truth. Will she deviate from the path she has always known?
The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha
This YA graphic novel is based on the Korean mythology of gumiho, a nine-tailed fox that transforms into a girl and seduces its victims.
The story follows Kai as she aspires to be a warrior. Her patriarchal society forbids her from becoming one, however. This is compounded by rumors that she’s the granddaughter of Gumiho, the nine-tailed fox. As she navigates her young adulthood, she discovers aspects of her identity that call into question who she truly is.
Spin of Fate by A.A. Vora
The book follows Aina, Aranel, and Meizan as they deal with class divide. Their society is governed by Toranic Law and is primarily divided into upper and lower realms. Those at the top want to keep the status quo, while those at the bottom of the society, including Aina’s family, continue to suffer. Aina is given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ascend, but it’s bittersweet leaving her family behind.
Meanwhile, Aranel and Meizan are both members of the Balancers, a group that works to help those in the lower realms. Will they be able to strike a balance in a society that keeps its margins wide?
Do you want to lose yourself in more lore? Here are epic fantasy journeys for every reader and excellent epic fantasy debuts to check out!
English (US) · 