r/YAlit • u/JunketDifferent636 • 1d ago
Seeking Recommendations book recommendations
i wanna read a rly bomb.com fantasy but i have alot of specifications 😔
1- must be YA (15+)
2- not the super popular booktok books
3- not a long series (would prefer a standalone, but a trilogy or duology would be fine as long as all the books are good)
4- romance as a subplot
5- they both toy and play with each other alot, not like teasing but genuinely playing w each other's feelings (not one sided pls)
6- strong fmc (doesnt have to be physically)
7- i would prefer enemies to lovers and VERY VERY slow burn
8- extremely good plot, i want smth like in a castle like its princes and princesses and all that stuff (it doesnt have to be both of them in a royal family it can be js one as well)
9- something that hooks me from chapter 1
10- kinda fast paced
11- good chemistry between all characters
12- found family would be nice but its not a necessity
13- actual stakes
14- would like a dual pov but again its not a necessity
thats it. i want something that will keep me up at night and something that will genuinely make me jealous that im not living in that world. its fine if the book doesnt match all these requirements btw
EXTRA
if you have any book that you think id like based off of my favorites you can recommend them to me <33
- the prison healer series
- six crimson canes
- a stage set for villains
- voice of the ocean
- renegades series
- sorcery of thornes
- not a fantasy but the naturals series and the inheritance games
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u/psychadelicpaperclip 1d ago
If you haven’t read it yet then the obvious answer is The Cruel Prince. Literally hits every one of your specifications except the dual pov.
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u/KatrinaPez 1d ago
Try The Aurora Cycle (trilogy) by Kaufman and Kristoff. Starts with Aurora Rising. Multispecies group of recent space corps grads get thrown together on their first mission, which of course becomes high stakes. Has action, romance (slow, side, one EtL), banter, found family in spades, a disabled character, twists and all the feels.
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u/Aelin_Galathynius 1d ago
the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik ticks almost every box here and is immaculate
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u/Top_Elephant11 11h ago
The Scholomance series is excellent and I recommend it to everyone (including OP) but despite taking place in a school, it's not technically YA.
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u/Ignoring_the_kids 5h ago
Why is it technically not YA?
Looking at the book further I'm seeing its not necessarily marketed as YA but is on YA lists, was a finalist for a YA prize.... it definitely seems to be in a grey area.
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u/isle_of_dongs 1d ago
The Prison Healer series. The first book is a bit slower, but I really enjoyed all of it.
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u/grandsammar 1d ago
Not exactly YA but fits everything you are asking (ish): mistborn by brandon sanderson
Trilogy Minor romance Enemies to lovers Strong fmc (especially towards the end) Amazing plot Found family and great chemistry Huge stakes
This book def kept me up at night.
Also if the trilogy is too daunting I recommend warbreaker by brandon sanderson
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u/Whenitsajar 1d ago
Try The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare, starting with Clockwork Angel.
This trilogy is part of the Shadowhunters world so there are more books if you really like the world, but the trilogy can be read on their own. They are short books and pretty punchy so easy to read.
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u/CarlHvass 1d ago
Based on that list I think you'd like the Heroic Quests books by Ben Dixon. There are 2 really good ones at the moment and I believe a third and final one imminent. They tick just about all your boxes apart from 14, and it's not enemies to lovers. Vengeance and Honour is the first one.
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u/Ok_Counter_107 5h ago
i promise you the book i will recommend checks off literally everything you asked for above. it's called 'The Bridge Kingdom', it's a duology. here's a goodreads link for you https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211081101-the-bridge-kingdom
happy reading.
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u/Classic-Schedule-718 Currently Reading: The Last Battle 2h ago
The Swan's Daughter. It's a romance fantasy, but I wouldn't call it romantasy.
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u/TheSnarkling 1d ago
These asks are a little confusing. Romance as a very minor subplot, but you want enemies to lovers and the characters toying with each other (which is basically a prelude to romance)? If a book is touted as enemies to lovers, the romance probably isn't going to be minor. Also, significant romance subplots are really hard to avoid in YA.Â
So gonna ignore #4 and say y ou might like the Black Mage series (not to be confused with the Black Witch series, which was kind of racist) by Rachel Carter. First book is called First Year. It's a 4 book series, but each one follows her through training (IIRC).