8 YA Novels for Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Looking for fascinating worldbuilding and group dynamics? Then you’ll want to pick up Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch, the first of her Witchlanders universe, where there are a seemingly infinite types of different magic. Safiya is a Truthwitch, somebody who can discern truth from lie. Iseult is a Threadwitch, who can see the bonds that connect other people together. Their friendship helps them navigate the nobility Safii’s noble roots and their mutual adventures—until war comes to the Witchlands. With the help of a Windwitch prince, and a vengeful Bloodwitch in their path, they must fight to keep their freedom—especially when the whole world seems to want a Truthwitch of their own.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
What’s not to love about ambitious, ruthless, magical teen girls? If you love Azula as much as I do, the book for you is Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. Xifeng is meant to be the Empress of Feng Lu, a destiny she can only achieve by embracing the darkness within her. The price of the throne would come at the cost of young man who loves her, in favor of her sorcery—magic fueled by eating the hearts of the murdered. It’s what the gods want. But is it what Xifeng wants? How high a price is she willing to pay?

Fullmetal Alchemist (Vol. 1), by Hiromu Arakawa
There are plenty of  Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels and comics that could have been on this list, but I’ll assume you’ve read them all already. What you might not have read? The manga Fullmetal Alchemist, adapted into an equally excellent television show, and a story that will make you feel all the feels in much the same way Avatar: The Last Airbender does. When Ed and Al lose their mother, they try alchemy’s only taboo: human transmutation. When it rebounds, destroying Al’s body and costing Ed his leg, they set out to find a way to reclaim their own bodies. But there’s more unfolding in their country than they understand, and the farther down their path they travel, the more secrets they discover—and the more people who want them dead.

Not Your Sidekick, by C.B. Lee
We all know a Sokka. The hilarious sidekick who, sure, might not be as strong as the rest of his group, but is invaluable nonetheless. Not Your Sidekick is for the Sokka fans. In Andover, superpowers are common—but Jessica Tran doesn’t have them, despite her heroic lineage. She just wants to beef up her college application with the perfect internship, even if it happens to be for the town’s supervillain. Thrown into the chaos of her new job—and working with her longtime secret crush and the mysterious and attractive fellow intern—Jessica thinks it will be a great way to spite her supernatural parents and nail her college applications… until she discovers a plot larger than the heroes and villains of Andover.

Sorcery of Thorns, by Margaret Rogerson
Are you looking for fast-paced fantasy story punctuated with both humor and drama? Though the worldbuilding is radically different from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sorcery of Thorns should hit many of those sweet spots for fans just looking for an excellent fantasy novel. Elisabeth believed her whole life that sorcerors were evil—at least, until she’s framed for the murder of the head of her Great Library, arrested and thrown out, and only has sorceror Nathaniel Thorn to help. He might be able to help prove her innocence, but the farther they dig into the mysteries of the Great Library, the more they learn about their country… and a centuries-old conspiracy that could destroy them all.

Raven: The Pirate Princess (Vol. 1), by Jeremy Whitley and illustrated by Rosy Higgins and Ted Brandt
I will take every opportunity I have to shove the Princeless universe at people, and it fits perfectly on this list. These delightfully fun graphic novels are perfect for fans of the group dynamic and humor of the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe. After her brothers con her father and steal her rightful throne, Raven is determined to get revenge—and to get her crown back. But she can’t do it alone. The only way she’ll be able to reclaim the pirate kingdom is by finding a crew of her own. But without pirates at hand, she’ll have to make do with what she can find: a motley group of strange, talented young women.

Heart of Iron, by Ashley Poston
One of the most endearing qualities of Avatar: The Last Airbender is how a ragtag group of misfits, forced together by circumstance, quickly become friends. It’s also one of the endearing qualities of Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston, a fast-paced science fantasy that feels like a blend of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Star Wars. Outlaw Ana wants one thing: to save her best friend D09, a Metal whose memory core has started glitching. The coordinates of a lost ship could offer answers that could save Di, but she’s not the only one in pursuit of the ship. When she crosses a spoiled Ironblood boy, it sucks her into a political battle—one that may force her to choose between saving the kingdom and saving Di.

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan, by Sherry Thomas
Look, this whole list comes from an excuse to talk about how cool Kyoshi is—which means I can’t leave The Magnolia Sword off this list, either. There’s no way that Kyoshi wouldn’t love the legend of Mulan, after all. Mulan has trained her whole life to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight, eager to reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords and avenge her father. But when war strikes the Emperor, she goes in her father’s place to join the army, and her martial arts skills earn her a place on the elite team. But the princeling who heads the team has secrets of his own, and with a traitor in their midst, Mulan must uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion before her own identity is discovered… and before the Empire crumbles forever. Coming this September, Sherry Thomas reimagines the story of Mulan through the inspiration of wuxia martial-arts dramas. It sounds perfect for fans of Kyoshi and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I cannot wait to read it.