YA Books to Read if You Love Shadow and Bone

There’s no question that Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is an obsession-worthy series. And now that the Netflix adaptation is here, we’re more obsessed than ever. What if you’ve read (and reread) the books and binged the TV show, but you’re still craving more? What’s a reader to do?

If you’re suffering from a severe case of book hangover, here are some excellent read-alikes to fill that Shadow and Bone–sized hole in your heart.

Ash Princess series by Laura Sebastian

If you love stories about fallen royals, magical kingdoms, and forbidden romance, you’ll love the Ash Princess series. Like Shadow and Bone, it’s a dark, gritty fantasy series with a strong female protagonist who will keep you glued to the page!

Ash Princess

Ash Princess

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

"Made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir" (Bustle), Ash Princess is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen...

Blood Heir series by Amélie Wen Zhao

We loved Alina’s unique magical abilities in Shadow and Bone. Likewise, we’re obsessed with Ana’s unusual talent for controlling blood. This retelling of Anastasia has everything you could want in a fantasy series—a kingdom in turmoil, dark magic, a crime lord, and a plot to expose a powerful killer.

Blood Heir

Blood Heir

The first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder. 
 
In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are deemed unnatural—even dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the cro...

Camelot Rising Trilogy by Kiersten White

A girl with unique magical abilities gets recruited to save her kingdom from terrifying magic and looming threats. Princess Guinevere must conquer her fears, navigate the royal court, and resist falling in love if she hopes to succeed. If you need an excellent book to help you move on after Shadow and Bone, this is it!

The Camelot Betrayal

The Camelot Betrayal

The second book in the fantasy trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White, exploring the nature of self, the inevitable cost of progress, and, of course, magic and romance and betrayal so epic Queen Guinevere remains the most famous queen who never lived.

EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arth...

Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

Two powerful kingdoms are poised to unite through the marriage of their young royals. But when those same royals run away from their duties, they cross paths under the guise of their new identities. Magic, romance, corruption, and criminals combine into an unputdownable story that will leave you wanting more.

Cast in Firelight

Cast in Firelight

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs, who are engaged and yet their loyalties are torn as a ruthless enemy threatens their world, perfect for fans of The Tiger at Midnight, We Hunt the Flame, and An Ember in the Ashes.

Adraa and Jatin are heirs to the thrones of neighboring kind...

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

You’ve probably seen the buzz about this book. If you haven’t read it yet, now is the perfect time to jump into this sensational story of a nearly immortal girl who joins a group of gifted warriors. This high-stakes novel is the ideal solution for your Shadow and Bone withdrawal!

The Gilded Ones

The Gilded Ones

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TEEN VOGUE
 
"A dark feminist tale spun with blood and gold. Must read!" –Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
 
Sixteen-...

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

With curses, forbidden magic, and a conspiracy to conquer the world, this book from the author of Spin the Dawn is the perfect next read after Shadow and Bone. You’ll get lost in the enchanting story inspired by fairy tales and East Asian folklore. It’s a breathtaking escape from reality that you won’t want to miss!

Six Crimson Cranes

Six Crimson Cranes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse... Drawing from fairy tales and East Asian folklore, this original fantasy from the author of Spin the Dawn is perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone.

"A dazzling fairytale full of brea...

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

The monster-filled forest in this spooky novel is an impenetrable barrier that keeps Ellerie and her family from wandering too far from home. But when neighbors start going missing, Ellerie has to face her fears (and the monsters) head-on. If you loved the spooky vibes of the Fold in Shadow and Bone, read this book next!

Small Favors

Small Favors

By Erin A. Craig

Coming 04.02.24

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the critically-acclaimed author of House of Salt and Sorrows comes a mesmerizing and chilling fairy-talesque novel about Ellerie Downing, a young woman in a small town with monsters lurking in the trees and dark desires hidden in the shadows—in Amity Falls, nothing is mor...

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

When you’re craving another breathtaking fantasy novel about a young mage coming into power, pick up this novel from the queen of the genre. Arram’s abilities will shape kingdoms, and his loyalty has the power to alter the future. This addictive novel is precisely what you need in your TBR stack!

Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles, Book One)

Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles, Book One)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

This must-read fantasy from an author who is legend herself--Tamora Pierce--is one Bustle calls "the perfect book for die-hard Pierce fans and newcomers alike."

Discover the origin story of one of the realm's most powerful mages in the first book in the Numair Chronicles.

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