underrated SFF books (YA and Adult)
So uhm, since I keep seeing the same books on my dash all the time (and I like them too, justâŚthereâs more! to read!) hereâs a list of less popular SFF books, divided into YA and Adult. Iâve tried to mention when there is lgbt rep and the trigger warnings. Also, books written by poc will be in bold. Please point out any typo or mistake or if Iâve forgotten specific rep/tw mentions.
All of these are books that Iâve read and enjoyed (by enjoyed I mean anything from 3 stars and above), but if anyone wants to add titles please feel free to do so!!
YA:
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: beautifully written, fairytale-like story rich in mythology (inspired by several Hindu myths. Thereâs a full list on goodreads indicated by the author herself). Roshaniâs prose is gorgeous.
A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: itâs a companion novel to The Star-Touched Queen, but both can be read as a standalone. I liked this one more than its companion and I particularly loved how the romance was written (slow burn, but specifically, the author really highlights the mutual respect between the characters, we love to see it).
The Young Elites by Marie Lu: fantasy trilogy set in a world inspired by Renaissance Italy, in which children who survived a mysterious and deadly illness ended up with strange and dangerous powers. Secret societies and a female villain!
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu: historical fantasy following Mozartâs sister, Nannerl, a girl as talented as her brother, but afraid of being forgotten because of the lack of opportunities she has to be seen and heard. Nuanced sibling relationship, no romance. Â
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski: fantasy f/f romance! Both a coming of age story set in a society with a rigid class system and a slow burn f/f romance with a lot of banter. TW: abuse.
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: magical realism. The book follows two families of traveling performers that have been locked in a feud for over a generation. This was the authorâs debut and I remember getting an arc of it and being impressed by both the prose and how the forbidden love trope was handled.
When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: another magical realism novel. One of the main characters is a trans boy and the book focuses on issues of racism and gender. One of my favorite YA!
Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton: fantasy romance set in a village that periodically sacrifices a young man in order to keep a deal with the devil that ensures their prosperity. Also, polyamorous and non-binary rep.
The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: first book in a duology following avatar Kyoshiâs life. It explores the political and cultural aspect of the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshiâs past. Bisexual rep.
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: sort of a murder mystery fantasy, as the main character finds herself suddenly thrust into power once her father has been murdered. The story has a slow build up to a last part full of twists and machinations and it features lots of court intrigue. Warning: the ending is quite open and afaik there isnât a sequel planned as of now.
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: a quite unique take on zombies influenced by Welsh mythology (itâs super cool). The novel follows Ryn and their siblings, as they try to get by after their parentsâ death by working as gravediggers. Only well, the dead donât always stay dead. The characters read a bit younger than they are imo. There is chronic pain rep.
The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas: retelling of the original ballad of Mulan. The book follows Mulan, whoâs trained her whole life to win a duel for a priceless heirloom, as she joins the army. Thereâs a lot of political and historical details, which I really appreciated. Do not go into it expecting a fun adventure though. The descriptions of war arenât extremely graphic, but be aware of the fact that most of the book is set during a conflict.
The Candle and The Flame by Nafiza Azad: standalone fantasy set in a city on the Silk Road! Itâs a quite slow-paced tale about love, family and politics. It has lush descriptions of landscapes and cultures (and FOOD, there are some really great descriptions of food). Itâs a very atmospheric book and while I struggled a bit with the pace Iâd still recommend it.
Forest of a Thousand Lanters by Julie C. Dao: sort of an East Asian inspired retelling of Snow White, but following the Evil Queen before she became Snow Whiteâs stepmother. I honestly havenât read its sequel (which should focus on Snow White herself), but I do think this can be read and enjoyed as a standalone too.
The Queenâs Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner: itâs hard to point out exactly what this series is about because it has evolved so much with time. It starts out as classic quest/adventure series with The Thief (which may seem a classic and simple book, but is actually full of foreshadowing and has a really clever set up), but develops into a complex and intriguing political fantasy in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia (and then goes back to the quest theme in book 5, Thick as Thieves). One of the books has a m/m relationship.
Adult:
A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong: Iâm cheating with this one because itâs technically a short story but I love Alyssa Wongâs stories so Iâm putting it here anyway. It can be read for free and you should justâŚread it.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. Itâs adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome. Please make sure you check all the TW before reading.
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang: a Japanese-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchenâs floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: first book in an epic fantasy duology inspired by Mughal India (TW: abuse, slavery). I really liked both Empire of Sand and its companion and I find them pretty underrated. Both books have great slow burn romance (with a focus on mutual trust and respect) and focus on culture, religion, self acceptance and politics.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. Itâs a great approach to adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human (this trope is everything!).
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. The trilogy as a whole has one of the best arcs Iâve ever seen: each book is perfectly self-contained and has its own arc, but also fits perfectly in the bigger picture of the trilogy. The atmosphere is amazing, the cast of characters is extremely well developed. Also frost demons are better than men.
The Binding by Bridget Collins: historical fantasy, but with very minimal fantasy elements. Itâs set in a world vaguely reminiscent of 19th century England. Iâd say this book is about humans and self discovery. Itâs about cowardice and the lies we tell ourselves and those we wish we could tell ourselves. Gay rep. (TW: abuse, sexual assault, pretty graphic suicide scene).
The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett: heist fantasy following a thief as sheâs hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Set in a Venice-like merchant city. Also, slow burn f/f romance.
Jade City by Fonda Lee: sort of a gangster urban fantasy, heavily inspired by wuxia and set in an Asian-inspired metropolis. It follows a pretty big cast of characters, each with their own journey and development. It features nuanced family dynamics and a lot of political and economical subplots. Not extremely prominent, but book 2 features m/m side rep.
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: inspired by Native American culture and specifically by the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. TW: the book isnât extremely violent but there is death and some gore.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what itâs like to live in between spaces Iâve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn f/f romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks). I ranted a lot about it already.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. Itâs honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue Iâve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault, abuse). I also really recommend Yoon Ha Leeâs short-story collection Conservation of Shadows.
The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot arenât particularly complex themselves. f/f romance. Â
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella that gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed. f/f side rep.
The Black Godâs Drums by P. DjèlĂ Clark: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. I really like how creative Clarkâs worlds are and how good he is at writing female characters (which rarely happens with male authors).
The haunting of tram car 015 by P. DjèlĂ Clark: novella set in an alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. Itâs set in the same world of a Dead Djinn in Cairo, which is a short story you can read for free.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: epistolary novella set during a time-travel war. It has gorgeous writing and an amazing f/f romance. As a novella, itâs quite short but itâs beautifully crafted and so complex for such a short book!
The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. Itâs a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.
One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake: self-published urban fantasy following two rival families in New York. Sort of a Romeo and Juliette retelling but with gangster families and magic. Honestly recommend all of her books, I love how Olivie writes and especially how she writes female characters.
