YA Fantasy-Not just for Kids

[malko050987]

I hate to respond six months after the question was asked, but I have the perfect (almost) answer: The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima (Her other books are very good too, but they aren't medieval, nor do they involve any schools).

Now, there is a very big almost here, and I would say it, but it would more or less ruin the plot so, if you happen to see this 6 months after you asked the question, just pick it up, read it without any expectations, become wildly, murderously angry at me and the author (I know I was), cool down (in a couple of months), thank me profusely.

I just looked this one up, and it sounds great. Thanks for the rec.

[Loerwyn]

For a more comical approach, there's two universes I'll recommend.

Tales of the Dark Forest and the Illmoor Chronicles

[Janus]

I just have to mention Laini Taylor's excellent Dreamdark books Silksinger and Blackbringer here. I have read most of what's been mentioned in this thread and Taylor's books are by far some of the best .

I strongly recommend that you check them out.

[rune]

One of the YA authors I have enjoyed to some degree with

Holly Black
But not the very young books. Im speaking of the Teens Fae stories - urban fantasy

I really enjoyed -

Tithe
Valiant

I didnt like Ironside quite so much though, that follows Valiant.
And the latest book - White Cat - takes some getting going this one. Got some good ideas, but very slow, especially for this author as I normally find her quite engaging

[CH4PPY]

I love books that cross from ya into adult genres

[EMMAXIS]

No kidding? Wow. I'm just the opposite, Pullman's style seems more mature to me than Rowling's. I don't get much from Rowling's books, although I enjoy reading about her various creations and I usually get a chuckle from the wordplay.

I haven't finished Phoenix. Nothing annoys me more than overuse of adverbs in describing speech, and Rowling tosses them around like bird seed at a wedding.

It's always interesting to see how books affect people so differently.

Agreed. I felt Pullman to be much more sophisticated with the ideas he presents, especially toward the later books.

[Teresa Edgerton]

I have a lot of the same favorites mentioned when this thread was young, but I've discovered some new favorites: The Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare. Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher, also her series The Oracle Prophecies. The Seeker Chronicles, by Betsy James, especially the third book, Listening at the Gate.

[HellsGuardian]

Some YA novels / sets I've grown up with...
The Mortal Engines series by Phillip Reeve is one of my favourites, along with a free book by Nix; Shade's Children. Also Phillip Pullman's Old Kingdom trilogy as well as William Nicholson's Wind and Fire trilogy. I own the complete Keys to the Kingdom series as well by Garth Nix as well as the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials is also there somewhere.

[Westsiyeed]

Some favourites of mine are:

Un Lun Dun - China Mieville
The Thief of Always - Clive Barker
Abarat series - Clive Barker