YA Fantasy Book Reviews

A tangled tale of second chances, risky deals, and the curious kindness of strangers, The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen is a fiendishly clever YA novel that crackles with Gothic energy.

A protective young guardian and provider for her siblings, Callie skeptically accepts an offer from an eccentric neighbor that seems nearly too good to be true. Working and living in a macabre funeral home will mean hanging out on death’s doorstep, but it beats getting harassed by predatory neighbors or having social services split up their already fractured family.

In this new home of corpses, forbidden doors, and secrets […]

In a once-magical realm now ruled by an iron fist, one young woman must liberate the forces within to change the world, and save those she loves, in The Last Refuge by Christina Bacilieri. A rebellious YA fantasy thriller with an apocalyptic edge, this first installment of the Stealing Sanctuary series is a stunning foundation for what’s to come.

Over a century ago, magic was outlawed and shuttered away behind the forbidden borders of Etabon by the Founding Ruling Board, who claimed that the elimination of magic would save the planet from constant war and an age of darkness. However, […]

Rhyming its way through monstrous lands and otherworldly mommy issues, The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweet Pea of Monsterville by Corey Wolff is a strange and visionary work of fantasy.

Sweet Pea may be a resident of Monsterville – and heir to the throne – but his personality is anything but horrifying, and his mother is far from happy about it. The Queen of the Monsters is one sadistic mother, and has no mercy for humans or sons who are unwilling to scare them. Her cruelty forces Sweet Pea to discover the strength he has always possessed, and stand […]