Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Best of 2010 - Middle Grade and YA Fantasy

I read a ton of great Middle Grade and YA fantasy this year.  My favorites are listed below.

Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven, Book 5:Keys to the Demon Prison
This was an excellent series and Keys to the Demon Prison wrapped up the series in a fantastic way!  If you haven't read this series you should.

Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray
This was an excellent book.  Set in a dark Victorian London it tells the story of a Wych hunter and the young possessed girl he is struggling to save.  With an intricate plot and wonderful characters it was a great read.

The Bone Magician (Tales from the Sinister City)
This was another dark Victorian London book about a boy working for an undertaker and a hunt for a serial killer.  Full of interesting plot twists and wonderful characters this was definitely a winner.  I can't wait to read the other books in this series.

Lord Sunday (The Keys To The Kingdom)
This was an excellent series and Lord Sunday was a fabulous conclusion to it.  Everyone has probably heard of this series.  It is incredibly creative and a wonderful read.  Nix is an excellent writer and I am a big fan of his.

Moon and Sun series by Holly Lisle
The Ruby Key (Moon and Sun)The Silver Door (Moon & Sun)
An excellent adventure/fantasy series, these two books were incredible.  Lisle is great at building wonderful worlds and realistic characters.  My only problem is that the second book leaves a lot of issue hanging and I haven't been able to find info on when the next book will be released.

The Invisible Order, Book One: Rise of the Darklings
This was a great book.  Another one set in Victorian London, this involves a girl and boy who have lost their parents and get entangled in the world of fairy in efforts to find them.  Very well written, great world and characters...I loved it! 

Ilyria by Elizabeth Hand
Illyria
This book is more appropriate for YA audiences than middle grade.  It follows a pair of cousins through a journey of star-crossed love.  Beautifully and intelligently written it was impossible to put down.  I absolutely loved it.

Pegasus by Robin McKinley
Pegasus
This book reminds of McKinley's older works like The Hero and The Crown.  This was a wonderful book, targeted at the young (teen) female audience.  Just a warning this is part of a duology and this book leaves you in a terrible spot.  It was a wonderful book though and I would definitely give it a read if you are a fantasy fan.

1 comment:

  1. I have a student that tore throught the whole Keys to the Kingdom series and just really really loved it.

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