15 Jul Unearth Magic: Fantasy Books for Teens
You don’t have to travel far to find a little magic. Begin a fantastic journey of your own by traveling to places both familiar and distant with these picks from Teen Central.
The Last Best Quest Ever
by F.T. Lukens
Seventeen-year-old Ellinore, famous as the kingdom’s greatest quester, retires suddenly but is forced back into adventure when her twin Zig wagers his life that she can retrieve the horn of the mythical Elder Beast. Joined by Zig, her rival Aven, an ambitious former bar maiden, and a young magical bard, she faces a perilous journey of mythical trials, shifting loyalties, and rising feelings for Aven while fearing for Zig’s safety. Racing against time, Ellinore must confront the Elder Beast and her own hidden truths to save her brother, choose her future, and accept who she really is.
Almark
by Noboru Yamada
Almark, the timid son of famed northern mercenary Reiz, strives to prove himself worthy of his father’s recognition. Reiz, however, hopes to spare Almark the harsh life of the north and sends him to the South’s prestigious Norkh Institute to develop his magical abilities. In a land that has forgotten war, Almark trains with the dream of returning home stronger to bring prosperity and make his father proud.
A Study in Drowning
by Ava Reid
Effy Sayre, who has been haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, the only thing that keeps her hope alive is a tattered copy of Emrys Myrddin’s epic Angharad. When Myrddin’s family holds a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy believes it is her destiny to enter. At musty, unwelcoming Hiraeth Manor she clashes with Preston Héloury, a literature scholar bent on proving Myrddin a fraud. As they uncover clues about Myrddin’s legacy, both mortal and magical forces threaten them, and the truth could destroy them both.
Little Thieves
by Margeret Owen
Vanja Schmidt, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, stole Princess Gisele’s life using enchanted pearls after her otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price, leaving the real Gisele destitute. Living a lonely double life as princess and jewel thief, Vanja is cursed by a god to turn into jewels stone by stone for her greed and has only two weeks to break the curse. With a feral half-god guardian, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an eager junior detective closing in, Vanja must pull off one final, massive grift to save herself.
Where Shadows Bloom
by Catherine Bakewell
Ofelia has always dreamed of entering Le Château Enchanté, the gods-blessed court where the shadow monsters that plague her home cannot go. Lope, a knight who protects Ofelia from those Shadows, secretly longs to flee with her. When the Shadows draw near, the two embark on a journey into the dazzling but dangerous Château, where monsters, gods, and dark secrets test their love.
The Skeleton Flute
by Damata Allen
When Sam Windsor uses a mysterious bone flute to wish his parents would stay together, the wish appears to work, but it also warps his life in dangerous, unexpected ways. As familiar people and realities shift into unsettling versions of themselves, Sam must navigate a world of unintended consequences to find the stranger who gave him the flute. Racing against time, he fights to undo the wish and restore his true family and life.
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
by Jonathan Auxier
Fantastic Eyes follows the tale of Peter, a ten-year-old blind orphan trained as a thief who steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher containing three pairs of magical eyes. Trying the first pair transports him to a hidden island where he is given a quest: travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue people in need. Joined by his loyal sidekick, a knight transformed into a horse-cat, and aided by the magic eyes, he sets off on a swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.
Where There be Monsters
by Alby C. Williams
Eleven-year-old Glory Brown longs to leave her family’s quiet inn in the monster-filled Seam to learn Moxie, a child-only magic, and train as a Spherinaut like her mother. When Marcus, a boy on a secret Parliamentarium mission, appears, Glory takes her books and joins a journey across time and space that uncovers hidden dangers beyond the Seam. Now she must help stop a threat upsetting the balance between worlds, their magic, and monsters before it’s too late.
– written by Alex B, Teen Central Library Assistant
