6 YA Fantasy Novels to Read This Month

by MK French

Fantasy is always a popular genre, but in the lead-up to Halloween, there seems to be more than the usual amount of fantasy novels coming out. If you are still trying to figure out what to read for the holiday or just love young adult fantasy, you will want to add these novels to your reading list.

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Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen

October 2025; Random House Graphic; 978-0593125472
ebook, print (224 pages); fairytale 

Angelica seemed to have it all until she hit burnout. There were low moments, but she has the support of friends and family. Her most surprising support is Per, the bear mascot from the local theater. He sent supportive messages through social media, and she might have developed a bit of a crush.  Determined to find the human behind the bear costume, Angelica gets a summer job interning at the theater. She might not be the girl who has it all, but she can still find her sense of self.

The art and story are wonderful, as they were with Nguyen's initial graphic novel. This story touches on grief as it explores motifs of fairy tales, and we see the story within the story as gilt-edged bubbles compared to the ordinary squares of Angelica's usual world. I love that Angelica is seeing a counselor, and that even her friend recognizes that memes and the internet can't help someone claw their way back from burnout. Or depression, because Angelica's crash seems deeper than a lack of energy or motivation, but also a lack of sense of self and enjoyment in life. She admits she's clawing her way back to a sense of purpose, and her best friend Christine is not only a support for her, but an awesome comedic sidekick. Her parents are also supportive and, despite the assertion that they're not a "feelings family," are still emotionally aware, modeling good relationships and communication.

There are several relationships in this story, each in different stages and with contrasts in communication styles and needs. Of course, there's the main focus on Angelia and Per, and the eventual revelations regarding who's in the suit. The characters all grow over the course of the story, a gentle nudge to realize that sometimes we all need space and room to breathe, to listen, and to enjoy the softer moments. We don't always need to dive into action immediately, no matter what society says. We need to experience life, not just hold it at a distance, and join with others to do so.

Buy Angelica and the Bear Prince at Amazon

Zodiac Legacy by Katie Zhao

October 2025; Random House; 978-0593646458
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); YA fantasy

Evangeline Long and her crew of supernatural beings just held a heist to steal the twelve Chinese zodiac statues that are the source of their power. The curse isn't broken, however, and not all of the Descendants are on the same page about returning to life before the curse. Evangeline must go to London to finish breaking the curse, but there are complications: one of her crew is in enemy hands, allies are turning on her, and monsters are coming for them all.

This is the second book of the Descendants of the Zodiac series. I didn't read the first one, but I felt like the opening chapters gave enough background to the supernatural element in New York City and who the characters were to each other. Monsters worked to destroy humanity and supernatural beings alike, led by the Collector. The Descendants are the warriors to protect the world, but selfishness and greed would weaken them and allow the Collector a foothold to return. The Descendants are now supernatural beings: vampires, werewolves, foxes, tigers, and the like. They have items that give each lineage its power, which had been stolen.

The Descendants are split into different factions, supporting Marcus, Evangeline, or Julius. Each has their own agendas and view of the future for the Descendants, though Marcus is a bully that's mostly interested in himself. Evangeline and Julius are siblings, and Julius betrayed Evangeline and his own allies in the first book. He's willing to betray Evangeline again, and she's already stressed trying to protect her remaining friends when the larger Descendant society refuses to believe in the dangers posed by the Collector and the Wrathlings. This means they're divided, with too many different plans going on at once. For us, that means it's a fast read once you get into the story. There are plenty of double crosses, dubious loyalties, and jockeying for power between the siblings to increase the tension and drama.

Buy Zodiac Legacy at Amazon

Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer

October 2025; Scholastic Press; 978-1546137689
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); YA romantic fantasy

Gretel had to kill the witch to save her brother, Hansel, but she still has nightmares months later. It doesn't help that Hansel is more like their monstrous father, who now insists that Gretel must marry to increase their wealth. When she flees a ball, she meets Prince Wilfried, who is also being pressured to marry. A fake engagement would put off others, but Gretel is soon falling for the handsome prince. It doesn't stop the nightmares, and meeting Katharina during a walk introduces her to witches who are healers. Information comes to light implicating her family’s involvement in a traitorous plot, making Gretel wonder if the wrong person died in that cottage. Can the Witchkiller become a witch?

We start with Gretel having nightmares, and her brother taking responsibility for killing the witch instead of Gretel. He stole the valuables in the Witch's cottage to rebuild their wealth, and their father remains cold and abusive. Gretel is nothing more than a pawn for them to maneuver to get more power and prestige. In this culture, women hope for a marriage and family that isn't abusive, and this is how Gretel grew up. Then, women in the woods have a village of their own, with women and children who were cast out or discarded, yet they focus on healing, herbalism, and aiding others. This is nothing like the rumors circulating that Gretel's family amplifies. It is, but it isn't surprising that some of their business deals involve framing witches for theft, though it escalates from there. In the meantime, Gretel and the prince developed a friendship during their courtship, and he wants to protect her from her family and their plans.

Gretel is cowed and agreeable, as many abused children are. She hopes to avoid conflict whenever possible and feels trapped in the expectation of the nobility and royalty. As a common girl, she didn't care about reputation or having to appease society at large. I liked her and her journey through the book. The choices she made eventually led to making her as independent as she could be in this society, though she would still have to bow to convention. In retrospect, the ending really isn't as surprising as it first was, and fits this new worldview. It overall is a good book that kept me reading even when I had other things to do.

Buy Witchkiller at Amazon

Witchlore by Emma Hinds

October 2025; Wednesday Books; 978-1250369499
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); YA romantic fantasy

Orlando is the only shapeshifter at Demdike College of Witchcraft, making him an outcast. Not just for being the only shapeshifter in a college of witches. They have no control over shifting between male or female, no control over their magic, and had been the reason their girlfriend Elizabeth died. Charming new boy Bastian knows a spell that can raise Elizabeth from the dead. As Lando's attraction to Bastian grows, questions start to arise. Who is Bastian? What does he really want? And who will survive the resurrection spell?

Told from Lando's POV, we get more details behind the rumors spread about them by peers at the college. They have never had good control over their magic, which is supposed to be innate and not something to be channeled through a ring. Elizabeth had been in a secret relationship with them in their female body, and the spell meant to make it easier for them to use magic unleashed it and led to her death and a switch in form to male. Afterwards, Lando was suicidal, made an attempt, and continues to have those thoughts and dark, sarcastic humor. Enter Bastian, who wants to someday work for the Merlin Foundation, which controls all the dangerous magic and old grimoires. Resurrecting Elizabeth is his attempt to get noticed and eventually hired. Bullied, ostracized, and alone at every turn, of course, Lando would agree to work on the spell. It's in an old grimoire they have to steal, which is locked by shifter blood, which has the spell as well as the diary of the shifter who had written it. The two grow closer as they collect the ingredients for the spell, and there are issues at college related to peers, Lando's difficulties with magic, and the past that Bastian doesn't talk about.

The glimpses we get of the shifter's past from the grimoire, and the childhoods that Bastian and Lando had. Both were lonely in different ways, kept apart from others due to traits that others were prejudiced about. Talking about the spell components or planning how to get them brought the two together, and the dangers inherent in the tasks also meant they had to confront their fears and memories of the past. Lando wanted to bring back Elizabeth out of love, a sense of safety, and to have her tell others that Lando hadn't harmed her. Grief is tangled up in guilt, and Lando has to come to grips with both of those feelings. It turns out that Bastian is on a similar journey. Of course, their magic is compatible, and hidden motives are revealed at the worst moment. The finale brings all the story threads together in a satisfying way. There's no easy path forward, but life isn't easy, and nothing worthwhile is. The happily ever after is well-earned and fits the story perfectly. 

Buy Witchlore at Amazon

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford

October 2025; Wednesday Books; 978-1250359889
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); cozy fantasy

Willow Stokes knows that everything in her father's shop is fake and not actually magic. When Brianna Hargrave appears in Ardmuir, she turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. Everything she touches turns into magic, and Brianna wants to find a particular grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse. Willow proposes that the two of them and the printer's assistant go in search of the grimoire. It leads to discovering a secret and helping an ambitious collector find the rarest magical object in the world. Along the way, Willow learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

Willow had been on her own following her father's death, scrambling to make ends meet. She and her best friend Finlay have danced around potential feelings for each other, but Willow is prickly, rude, and after coin to make ends meet. The townsfolk don't like or trust her much, and she returns the favor. This means she tends to lie and sees Brianna's curse as a way to keep her shop open and avoid getting evicted. She's less than forthcoming about the details she learns along the way about the grimoire Brianna wants to find, the trader that might have it, or the dangerous mission she's threatened with. 

Throughout the book, we're given Willow’s interpretation of others' motives, her wish for stability, and the jealousy she feels when Finlay and Brianna become friends. She's not good at sharing or trusting, feeling that she must do everything on her own. She isn't used to having good things happen to her, but Finlay and Brianna are definitely the highlights of her day. She is as attached to them as she is mercenary, which makes for an easy target to manipulate with. The missions to find information on Brianna's curse, then to find the dragon egg, are all wonderfully done. I enjoyed the traveling, the different details hidden along the way that imply Willow is more than she seems, and the growing relationships. It's hard for her to trust and be trusted, but when she realizes that she has her people, she truly opens up. I enjoyed seeing her grow up and find happiness in the novel. The three of them find their way, and I lived how it at neatly tied together. 

Buy A Curious Kind of Magic at Amazon

Our Vicious Descent by Hayley Dennings

October 2025; Sourcebooks Fire; 978-1728297903
audio, ebook, print (512 pages); young adult fantasy 

Elise Saint is estranged from Layla Quinn, the reaper she loves.  The Saint family empire is in decline, gangster-run blood houses peddle debauchery, and a dangerous reaper-venom drug has become all the rage with wealthy thrill-seekers. Elise is desperate to find her beloved little sister, Josi, who has gone missing in the chaos. Meanwhile, Layla contends with shifting alliances in the New York underworld, including Karine, an ancient reaper, and the gangster Nicoletta―both with scores to settle. On top of this, a beast emerges that hunts reapers and humans alike.  Layla and Elise are joined in purpose when they suspect the monster's origins are related to a far deeper mystery that involves Josi, Karine, and a disquieting new future for reapers.

This is the sequel to This Ravenous Fate. Beginning in the wake of that disastrous ending, Layla is refusing to drink blood and is losing control over her clan, while Elise is in hiding. Both are incredibly unhappy, and the new threats don't quite register yet. From there, we see them grow more and more unhinged, both for each other and for their respective goals. The violence in Harlem is increasing, with bodies broken and scattered like broken dolls. While reapers are blamed for it, the monstrous new thing is actually responsible. Layla has no real control over herself or anyone else, and I like her a lot less in this book compared to the first one. Elise is miserable or angry, and grows increasingly reckless both over her own safety and what will happen to the people around her. It's grief, disillusionment, and despair, and it matches how Layla feels.

The second half of the book drew me in better than the first half. There are betrayals, a lot more action, and uncovering secrets about Josi and the past. The reckless behavior of both Elise and Layla causes them to make some mistakes, but they also show some people and reapers that the old ways don't work. We learn why the new drug is so dangerous and where it comes from, and taking down gangsters and reapers alike are bloody and cinematic fights that really grab the attention. The finale of the book involved stages of fighting, more blood, and loss. It brings together the themes of love, grief, and hope for better things.

Buy Our Vicious Descent at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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