5 YA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series Adults Need to Read

The Grisha trilogy, by Leigh Bardugo
Thanks to the sheer depth of the world Bardugo has built, this recommendation is actually a twofer. The original Grisha trilogy centers on Ravka, a nation under siege by a swath of evil darkness, the Shadow Fold. The series opener, Shadow and Bone, introduces us to Alina, plucked from relative obscurity to be trained as a member of the magical Grisha corps. This world was too broad to be contained in just three books. In the follow-up Six of Crows series, Bardugo continues to probe her universe, plopping the story in Ketterdam, a trade (and crime) hub largely ruled by criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz, an anti-hero by any other name, yet obliquely root-for-able, assembles an Ocean’s 11-style band of misfits in the hopes of pulling off a major heist that is obviously more complicated than it appears.

The Old Kingdom, by Garth Nix
The long-anticipated fifth book in Nix’s wholly satisfying series, Goldenhand, arrives in stores in October, and stands to continue with the same characteristic wit and suspense as the entries that came before. As the series explores its universe in different ways (Clariel, the most recent, is actually a prequel set 600 years before the first novel), we’re privy to full-bodied action in two locations: Ancelstierre, an alternate version of early 20th-century England, and the Old Kingdom, a high fantasy realm kept walled off from the more modern world. That the two chief protagonists, Sabriel and Lirael, are young women, gives the typical hero’s journey arc a special kick, as both find themselves on quests they never expected, often filled with a darkness YA has proven adept at evoking. (Bonus rec: If you dig Nix’s style, his Keys to the Kingdom series is equally imaginative.)

Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
A Torch Against the Night, the second installment (of a planned three) in Tahir’s sensational Roman-esque fantasy series, hits shelves August 30, giving you plenty of time to become acquainted with its briskly plotted predecessor, An Ember in the Ashes. In the brutal Martial Empire, Laia is a Scholar, a member of the impoverished and subjugated underclass. When her brother is arrested for his work with the Resistance, she is forced upon an elaborate, covert operation to secure his safety—one that will take her deep inside the Martial Empire, to its finest military academy. There, she’ll encounter Resistance spies like herself, and two young soldiers whose journeys will be entwined with her own: Elias Veturia and Helene Aquilla.

Magonia series, by Maria Dahvana Headley
Magonia, and its forthcoming sequel, Aerie, will enchant Neil Gaiman fans with their unconventional protagonist and worlds that juxtapose the ordinary and the fantastic. Since infancy, Aza Ray Boyle has suffered from a mysterious lung disease, one that is increasing in severity and making it ever harder for her to breathe. When she spies a great ship in the sky, it’s easy to chalk the sight up to a hallucinatory side effect of her cocktail of drugs. But Aza—inquisitive, incisive, and bitingly funny—knows it’s more than that. She’s right, of course. While Aza has diminished in our world, she’s brought to life in a new one: Magonia. With prose as light and shifting as a feather, Headley imbues the book with wonder, even as a clash between the worlds above and below the clouds looms.

Illusive series, by Emily Lloyd-Jones
File this under: Scientists, They’ll Never Learn. As typically happens with well-intentioned and untested vaccines, a plague preventative has accidentally created a whole new segment of humanity. These are the “immune” Americans, whose vaccine side effects include several powers, including perfect recall, telepathy, levitation, and the ability to change their appearance at will. In this landscape, 17-year-old Ciere has the latter capability, and she’s used it for a great purpose: thievery. Through a series of unfortunate events, Ciere assembles a slapdash band of likeminded super-powered criminals that carry the action through two novels and a charming side novella. The series will prove particularly appealing to fans of George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards works.
What series would you add to our list?