Twisted Kingdom

You probably read Harry Potter or perhaps another equally famous not-for-adults book, figured teen and children novels can be just as entertaining and well written as those meant for adults yet are stuck and don't know where to go next. Fear not my dear friend for I am here to guide you in the right direction. Whether is high fantasy, more wizards, faeries or even a vampire pirate or two I will tell you just which books and series are a treat for everyone in the family regardless of age.

The first thing you should know is that children and Young Adult books can be just as well written and descriptive as any book geared towards an older audience. You won't find simple dialogue or two sentence descriptions here. They can also be as chock full of dangers, murder, death and mayhem as their adult counterparts. Indeed a lot of younger audience books don't shy away from killing, mayming or otherwise harming even the protagonists. These means you don't have to suffer from sugary sweet worlds filled with nice, fluffy beings that never get into anything dangerous. No siree-bob, these books have a bit of everything!

With that said, let's get to the books themselves!


NOTE: I've put descriptions by each of the titles so you have an idea of what to expect. Please note that GORE means just that. Some of the books easilly get into creepy character death/murder and/or other somewhat disturbing themes.


Books of Pellinor by Allison Croggon - High Fantasy, Magic, Quests, Adventures

These books are beautifully written. They are, in fact, my favorite in the children, young adult category as far as the writing is concerned. The books deal with the adventures of Maerad in the world of Edil-Amarandh. Books 3 & 4 deal with Hem, Maerad's brother.

They are:
The Naming
The Riddle
The Crow
The Singing

WEBSITE




The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix - High Fantasy, Necromancers, Quests

Second best children/YA writing. Garth Nix has such a way with words and this trilogy shows just how incredible his writing can be. Get swept away to a magical world where necromancers are good and they are all that stands between the forces of good and evil.

The books are:
Sabriel
Lirael
Abhorsen

WEBSITE



Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan - High Fantasy, Faeries, Magic, Some Gore

Amazing. Absolutely amazing! From book one these books are one rollercoaster ride after another. There is always something going on from the first time we are brought into this magical kingdom and the ride doesn't stop until the very end.

Books are:
Faerie Wars
The Purple Emperor
Ruler of the Realm

WEBSITE







Tithe by Holly Black - Urban Fantasy, Faeries, Minor Gore

Holly Black shows us faeries as they were meant to be: mean, selfish, and cruel. You won't be finding cute little Tinkerbell pixies in this book. No way. These faries just as soon eat you or torture you for entertainment than look at you.

Tithe and Ironside tell the story of Kaye and Roiben.
Valiant is set in the same world but has different characters.

WEBSITE








The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley - Urban Fantasy, Fairy Tale Characters, Some Gore

Unbeknownst to humans, there is a town where faerie tale characters live and mingle with the rest of us mortals. However these immortal characters are not as you remember from your children fairy tales. Snow White is the most beautiful teacher in school. Prince Charming is the town mayor and a mayour sleaze of a politician. Little Red Riding Hood is a deranged lunatic. The Big Bad Wolf works for the good guys alongside the Three Little Pigs. This is one strange town where you never know what to expect except a lot of murder, mysterious kidnappings, and more. Nothing is what it seems and, as the town's detectives, it's up to the Sisters Grimm and their Granny to sort out just what the hell is going on.

Books so far:
The Fairy-Tale Detectives
The Unusual Suspects
The Problem Child
Once Upon a Crime

WEBSITE


Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - Urban Fantasy, Magical Creatures, Faeries, Magic

If you like Sisters Grimm then you'll surely love Fablehaven. Brother and sister Kendra and Seth are faced with a similar dilema of being in a preserve where magical cratures exist. Humans, of course, are not aware and it's their job to keep it that way while at the same time dealing with the not so nice and often evil creatures.

So far:
Fablehaven
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

WEBSITE






The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart - High Fantasy, Adventure, Quest, Pirates, Some Gore

You NEVER know which way is up in this highly entertaining and exciting series. Unlike most series, the main protagonist in these books is the land of The Edge. That's all that is constant throughout the series as main characters in one book become mince meat in another. From one book to the next the story jumps forwards and backwards in time to tell the history of The Edge and some of its most famous and interesting inhabitants. These books don't shy away of killing anyone as some of the creatures that inhabit these worlds can be downright cruel and you just never know who will make it to the end....of the series!

Books so far:
Beyond the Deepwoods
Stormchaser
Midnight over Sanctaphrax
The Curse of the Gloamglozer
The Last of the Sky Pirates
Vox
Freeglader
The Winter Knights

WEBSITE


Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan - High Fantasy

This series is set in a world much like ours in medieval times but where evil creatures exist and are threatening to take over the world led by an evil human. Not much magic but lots of adventures as we follow William in his quest to become a knight and then a Ranger, the secret service that works for the king.

Books are:
The Ruins of Gorlan
The Burning Bridge
The Icebound Land

WEBSITE




Septimus Heap by Angie Sage - High Fantasy, Magic

These books arte just plain fun. Also reminds me of a magical medieval times where we follow the adventures of Septimus Heap, the seventh son of the seventh son and thus endowed with magical powers.

Books so far:
Magyck
Flyte
Physik

WEBSITE




Leven Thumps by Obert Skye - Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy

Just think of him as a down=on-his-luck Harry Potter. OK, so Leven isn't a wizard but he did have one hell of an upbringing with his adopted family. The poor guy is stuck living outside in a trailer park when suddenly things start going bump in the night...and they want to bump him off!

Books so far:
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret

WEBSITE







The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix - Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy

The books gets better as the series progresses simply because one of the most entertaining characters, Suzy Blue, has a quick wit and dry humor that grates on Arthur's nerve and makes for some really funny dialogue and observations at the worse possible moments. At first I was skeptic of the series but by book 3 I was completely hooked.

So far:
Mister Monday
Grim Tuesday
Drowned Wednesday
Sir Thursday
Lady Friday

WEBSITE




Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

You'll laugh yourself silly with this witty series as the poor yet resorceful Baudelaire orphans go form one caretaker to another. Highly recommended reading.

13 books in this series which has now come to an end.

WEBSITE








Vampirates by Justin Somper - Quest, Adventure, Vampires, Pirates

If vampires are bad and pirates are too, well, what do you expect from pirate vampires?! Highly entertaining book about the adventures of twin brothers Connor and Grace as they are faced with the truth about the Vampirates.

Books are:

Demons of the Ocean
Tides of Terror
Dead Deep
Blood Captain

WEBSITE

Just some of the good fairy tale retellings out there:

Dennis L. McKiernan
Once Upon a Winters Night
Once Upon a Springs Morning
Once Upon a Summer Day
Once Upon an Autumn Eve
And it looks like there is a fifth one coming out in October called Once Upon a Dreadful Day.

Mercedes Lackey
Elemental Masters:
The Fire Rose
The Serpent's Shadow
The Gates of Sleep
Phoenix and Ashes
The Wizard of London
Reserved for the Cat
Fairy Tale:
Firebird
The Black Swan
Five Hundred Kingdoms:
The Fairy Godmother
One Good Knight
Fortune's Fool

Terri Windling's Fairy Tale series
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust
Jack, the Giant Killer by Charles de Lint
The Nightingale by Kara Dalkey
Snow White and Red Rose by Patricia Wrede
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
White as Snow by Tanith Lee
Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost

Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner
Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

Robin McKinley (not all fairy tales)
Beauty
Spindles End
Water
Hero and the Crown
Sunshine (more urban fantasy)
Blue Sword
Deerskin
Outlaws of Sherwood
Rose Daughter
Door in the Hedge

Shannon Hale
Enna Burning
River Secrets
Princess Academy
The Goose Girl

General Supernatural/Fantasy:

Dance Chica Recommends:
Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling - Of course!
Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine




Kailana Recommends:
Daughter of Blood - Anne Bishop
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
The Skystone - Jack Whyte
Rhapsody - Elizabeth Haydon
The Hawk's Gray Feather - Patricia Kennealy
Lord of the Silver Bow - David Gemmell
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Moon Called - Patricia Briggs
The Fairy Godmother - Mercedes Lackey
Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Once Upon a Summer's Day - Dennis McKiernan




Mailyn Recommends:
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix
The Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling
Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - THIS should be a given. LOL.
The Death of a Necromancer by Martha Wells
Tithe by Holly Black
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart
Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
The Malus Darkblade books by Dan Abnett
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke
The Naming by Alison Croggon
The Gilded Chain: A Tale of the King's Blade by Dave Duncan
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Study series by Maria V Snyder




Nathalie Recommends:
FBI SCU series by Kay Hooper
Women of the Underworld by Kelley Armstrong
Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea
Dragonlance Saga by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Tiger's Eye by Marjorie Liu



Vampires:

Dance Chica Recommends:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - This book is a must!
Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris
Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton - Only books 1-9. Do NOT pass go! Or in this case, do not pass book 9! The books deteriorate into a pile of poop after book 9. You have been warned!
Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson – Books 1 and 2 were fun reads. After book 2, however, the series starts to lose stream.
J. R. Ward – Black Dagger Brotherhood series - Loved books 1 and 2. Found book 3 somewhat disappointing...



Kailana Recommends:
Twilight - Stephanie Meyer



Mailyn Recommends:
Bram Stoker's Dracula - do I even have to mention this?! LOL
Robin McKinley's Sunshine
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight & New Moon
Douglas Clegg's Priest of Blood
The Rest Falls Away: Gardella Vampire Chronicles Book 1 by Collen Gleason



Nathalie Recommends:
Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon - yes, I do recommend this series. Some of these books are pretty entertaining.
Dark Lover by J.R.Ward