Ah, who doesn’t dream of being lifted from a life of utter crap and mediocrity (such as peeling potatoes for rich snobs) and going to live in some amazing palace that’s complete with diamond-studded swimming pools, amazing parties, and a hot prince (or two, or three…) Oh, and you get to be a long-lost princess, either by accident or by a random drawing. Of course, there’s always someone trying to kill you in a power grab, or rebels constantly trying to break into the palace, and people whispering behind your back because you have some never-before-seen superpower, but so long as we have that hot prince, that’s okay, right?
Well, maybe that part isn’t okay, but we still have that drop-dead prince that we’ll be sure to get in the end. And that makes all the danger worth it.
So, what are some awesome YA royalty fantasy books that are out, or coming out soon? We’ve snatched together a list of swoon-worthy reads.
1: The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. An ordinary girl from a poor family inhabits a world where those with regular, red blood form the peasant class and those with silver blood are the nobles, royals, and military leaders. Oh, and they each have their own unique superpowers. When she winds up manifesting the ability to control electricity, the silvers are of course alarmed and say she’s a long lost royal to cover up the fact that Reds having powers isn’t right. Oh, and there are a pair of hot princes both taking an interest in her. Full of danger, romance, and intrigue, this is one we won’t miss.
2: Crown of Lore by David R. Bernstein and Jenetta Penner. This one just came out from Torment Publishing and features Arabella, a poor scavenger trying to survive in a world controlled by dark magic. The poor are squeezed to death to support the rich, and when she’s chosen to harbor someone else’s memories and live in a world of dark magic, she has to fight to escape and reunite with Asher, her love. However, she soon finds she has an entire Queendom to serve and fight for, leaving her with an impossible choice. Ditch this new life, or learn dark magic and help her people?
3: Air Awakens by Elise Kova. This time, it’s a librarian who receives a magical call. Vhalla’s magic awakens when she accidentally saves the life of the most powerful sorcerer in the land, who also happens to be the crown prince. When this happens, she gets sucked into a world of royalty and magic. Now Vhalla has to choose between giving up her magic and going back to her old world or embracing her sorcery and abandoning her quiet life for good. Oh, and there is plenty of darkness and danger lurking in the shadows, and the fate of the empire rests of Vhalla. Sign us up!
4: The Vampire Wish by Michelle Madow. Okay,Annika isn’t a lost princess, but a newly kidnapped blood slave taken to the hidden kingdom of Vale and trapped in the palace. She doesn’t want to fall for the hot vampire prince, the enemy. No way. The vampires killed her family, after all, so how can you blame her? But we’re treated to a hate to love romance and plenty of danger to keep our couple on their toes. Oh, and it’s a whole popular series now!
5: Voice of Power by Melanie Cellier. In this magical royal fantasy, Elena inhabits a world where kingdoms are at war. When she discovers she has a unique magical ability, she finds herself at the royal academy for magicians. Yes, this story combines academies and royalty. And thanks to her power, she just might be considered a threat to the whole societal order, so she has no choice but to turn to the mysterious prince for help. And that won’t cause any tension at all…
6: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. In this royal fantasy, Jude has been kidnapped and made to live in the faerie high court, which is complete with a jerk prince who hates humans. (What is it with princes often being jerks at first, anyway? At least jerks can be fun.) Wanting nothing more than to be like the fae, Jude soon finds herself defying the prince and getting tangled in a web of faerie intrigue in a mission to save her family and the fae themselves.
There are so many magical worlds and courts to choose from that we don’t know where to start. Whether we want fae, magicians, vampires, or elementals, it’s all out there for the taking! Sure, we have to deal with assassins, rebels, and wars on the way to our happily ever after, but that’s just slightly more rocky than real life, right?
