15 Immortal, Long-lived, Ancient, or Eternally Youthful Protagonists in Fantasy Books

Immortal warriors, ancient (yet eternally youthful) mages, elves, yokai, and characters cursed to live forever… Readers have long been fascinated by centuries-old heroes, from the enduringly popular Greek gods or Doctor Who, to the more recent phenomena of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and the immortal cultivators of progression fantasy.

Let’s look at some of them here! I’ve included both old and new, and traditionally published and indie releases. In each case, the immortal (or hard to kill) character has POV or is the main focus of the story, rather than a side character, mentor, or antagonist. This trend appears popular across multiples subgenres, including epic and dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, science fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary, and cozy fantasy.

  1. Immortal human characters
  2. Non-human immortal characters

This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Immortal Human Characters

Classic and pulp fantasy examples

1. Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings

When the world was young and Gods still walked among their mortal children, a headstrong orphan boy set out to explore the world.

Then came the dark day when the Dark God Torak split the world asunder, and the God Aldur and his disciples began their monumental labor to set Destiny aright. Foremost among their number was Belgarath, who would become known to all the world as the finely honed instrument of Prophecy.

2. Gods in Darkness (Kane) by Karl Edward Wagner

Kane An immortal, cursed to wander the Earth until he is destroyed by the violence that he himself has created. A warrior and statesman: As comfortable in the shadowy halls of courtly intrigue as he is on the bloody battlefields where those intrigue’s inevitably play themselves out.

Gods in Darkness contains:
Bloodstone (1975) – on Internet Archive
Dark Crusade (1976) – on Internet Archive
Darkness Weaves (1970, revised 1978)

Many readers recommend the Night Winds short story collection as a better place to start the series.

3. The Book of Jhereg (Vlad Taltos #1) by Steven Brust

One of the most powerful bosses in the Jhereg—Dragaera’s premier criminal organization—hires Vlad, one of their guild members, to assassinate Mellar, who stole millions from the Jhereg leadership and fled.

Unfortunately, this thief turns out to be protected in a way that makes it difficult for Vlad to do his job without gaining the permanent enmity of a friend.

The Book of Jhereg follows the antics of the wise-cracking Vlad Taltos and his dragon-like companion through their first three adventures—Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla.

4. The Eternal Mercenary (Casca #1) by Barry Sadler

When they flew Casey into the hospital at Nha Trang, the medics were sure he’d die. That he didn’t was only the first surprise.

The second, bigger one, was that Casey had been fighting for two thousand years, ever since that day on Golgotha when he put his lance into the side of the Man on the Cross.

“Soldier, you are content with what you are. Then that you shall remain until we meet again.”

So does Casca’s journey begin, a man who cannot die, does not age, and knows no skill but those of battle.

Modern fantasy examples

5. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue cover: block text fills the whole textured black cover, a constellation connected several letters.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

6. Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne

Atticus O’Sullivan is the last of the ancient druids, on the run for more than two thousand years. The Irish gods who want to kill him are after an enchanted sword he stole in a first-century battle, and when they find him managing an occult bookshop in Tempe, Arizona, Atticus doesn’t want to uproot his life again.

The Morrigan is on his side, and so is Brighid, First Among the Fae, a bloodsucking lawyer, and loyal wolfhound.

But he’s facing down Aenghus Óg, a vengeful Irish god with the firepower of hell, plus a coven of witches and even the local police. Atticus will need all the luck of the Irish to stay alive.

7. Black Stone Heart (The Obsidian Path #1) by Michael R. Fletcher

A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was. He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past.

There was a woman.
There was a sword.
There was an end to sorrow.

Khraen walks the obsidian path.

8. The Radiant King by David Dalglish

Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is at the command of six immortals. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath them, they swear a vow: They will sit upon no thrones.

But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land. Faron and Sariel swear to crush Eder’s kingdom, but they will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids: the fanatical Bastard Princess.

But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.

9. The Immortal Prince (The Tide Lords #1) by Jennifer Fallon

A routine hanging goes wrong, and the murderer announces he is an immortal: Cayal, the Immortal Prince, a fictional hero of legend, and the creator of the half-human, half-animal Crasii, a race of slaves.

Arkady Desean is an expert on the legends of the Tide Lords so at the request of the King’s Spymaster, she is sent to interrogate this would-be immortal, hoping to prove he is a spy, or at the very least, a madman.

But as Arkady finds herself believing him, her own web of lies begins to unravel…

Non-human Immortal Characters

Demigods, spirits, yokai, gods and goddesses, fae, elves, and other legendary or mythological creatures! Many immortal main characters are inhuman and all the more compelling for it.

10. Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber #1) by Roger Zelazny

Amber is the one real world, casting infinite reflections of itself – Shadow worlds, that can be manipulated by those of royal Amberite blood. But the royal family is torn apart by jealousies and suspicion; the disappearance of the Patriach Oberon has intensified the internal conflict by leaving the throne apparently up for grabs.

In a hospital on the Shadow Earth, a young man is recovering from a freak car accident; amnesia has robbed him of all his memory, even the fact that he is Corwin, Crown Prince of Amber, rightful heir to the throne – and he is in deadly peril . . .

11. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven’s Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained by the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven’s watch, the city flourishes.

But the Raven’s tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself. . . and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.

12. The Bone Harp by Victoria Goddard

Thrice-cursed bard and warrior-elf Tamsin wakes up in Elfland after what might or might not have been his death, healed and hale for the first time in millennia. Somewhat confused but not entirely unhappy with this turn of events, he sets off in the hopes of finding a way home…

A standalone tale of friendship, family, and fair Elfland.

13. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay by a disgraced rabbi knowledgeable in the ways of dark Kabbalistic magic.

Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert and trapped centuries ago in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard.

Chava and Ahmad meet accidentally in New York and become friends and unlikely soul mates. But when the golem’s violent nature overtakes her one evening, their bond is challenged. An even more powerful threat will emerge, however, challenging their very existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

14. Under the Earth, Over the Sky by Emily McCosh

In the woods where human lands meet fae, an ancient king born before the history of men finds a dying baby. Iohmar will take in the child and care for him until a suitable home in the human realm is found. But best laid plans often go awry in the lands of Látwill.

Magic long tethered to Iohmar’s soul will crumble. Unknown shadows and monsters of mirrored glass will encroach upon the borders of their land. And memories thousands of years lost will unravel as Iohmar struggles not only to properly rule his fair folk, but protect the fragile human son he never should have saved.

15. Acheron (Dark-Hunter #14) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.

For centuries, he has fought for our survival, until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both. War has never been more deadly… or more fun.


Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.

I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!

Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…

18 Young Adult Urban Fantasy Books with a Male Protagonist (Science Fantasy, Superhero, Steampunk, & More)

This is part 2 of my ongoing series of book lists featuring young adult books with male protagonists. Part 1 lists high/epic fantasy books with young male leads, which you can read here!

I personally prefer reading about male protagonists (I’m a woman). I also would rather read a book with 1 POV, rather than ones that switch back and forth between different perspectives. The pacing of young adult fiction is also perfect after a long day at work!

Or perhaps your son has outgrown Spiderman, but isn’t ready to pick up adult fiction yet.

However, since the young adult market is largely aimed at girls and women these days, it can be a bit hard to find fast-paced books with 1 male main character. So I thought I’d share my growing TBR list with you all to help you find this kind of story as well!

Happy reading!

  1. Science Fantasy
  2. Superheroes and Academies
  3. Urban Fantasy and Supernatural
  4. Steampunk
  5. Comedy/Parody

This article contains affiliate links – I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Science Fantasy Books

Science fantasy is the umbrella term for fantasy that doesn’t fit neatly into just one genre! From contemporary fantasy and superpowered characters, to fantasy that leans a bit more toward sci-fi, there are a lot of great stories that fall outside of the epic category.

1. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

John Smith seems like an ordinary teenager, living a normal life with his guardian Henri in Paradise, Ohio. But for John, keeping a low profile is essential, because he is not an ordinary teenager. He’s an alien from the planet Lorien, and he’s on the run. A group of evil aliens from the planet Mogadore, who destroyed his world, are hunting anyone who escaped.

Nine Loric children were sent to Earth to live in hiding until they grew up and developed their Legacies, powers that would help them fight back—and help them save us. Three of them are now dead. John is Number Four, and he knows he’s next….

2. Steelheart (The Reckoners 1) by Brandon Sanderson

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.

Nobody fights the Epics…nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father.

3. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

Only his father knows the truth about Rigg’s strange talent for seeing the paths of people’s pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him—secrets about Rigg’s own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.

Rigg’s birthright sets him on a path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him crowned and one that wants him dead.

4. Flames of Mira (The Rift Walker 1) by Clay Harmon

Among boiling volcanoes under Mira’s frozen lands, people like Ig are forced to undergo life-threatening trials that bind chemical elements to the human body. One of Mira’s most powerful elementals, Ig serves as an enforcer for Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, but is cursed with flesh binding magic that will kill him at the first sign of disobedience.

When Sorrelo is overthrown, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what has been asked of him so far. If he can’t escape the flesh binding in time, he will have to kill friend and foe alike to stop his master reclaiming the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.

Superheroes and Magic Academies in Fantasy

These books aren’t so different from the ones above, as they also feature superpowered individuals. But if you like the added structure of magic academies and secret organizations, or you’re looking for stories set in the superhero/supervillain “metaverse,” these ones are for you!

5. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist, one who has the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings—merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery.

6. The Never Hero (Chronicles of Johnathan Tibbs 1) by T. Ellery Hodges

Heroes are supposed to be the first to step forward. I didn’t. I was drafted.
An Alien, Heyer, did this to me. I asked him once why I had to do all the fighting while he watched from the shadows. He said he couldn’t be replaced. But I could be.

My name is Jonathan Tibbs. I’m the one standing between Earth and the Enemy.
They tell me every hero’s story follows a path. If I’m going to save the world, I have to find a different one.

7. The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents’ insistence, he’s made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he flees to the school. There he begins to explore all that he’s capable of–physical and mental feats that should be impossible–and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

8. The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell

Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But then he discovers that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, and his dad insists he come live with him.

Damien has to survive his dad’s “flying lessons” that involve throwing him off the tallest building in the city and keep his supervillain girlfriend in the dark. But when Damien uncovers a plot to turn all the superheroes into zombie slaves, a plan hatched by his own mom, he has to choose: let his family become zombies, or stand up to his mom and become a real hero.

9. Psion Beta by Jacob Gowans

In the shadowy underbelly of a futuristic city, Sammy, a fourteen-year-old fugitive, stumbles upon a secret: he possesses the extraordinary powers of a Psion.

Plucked off the streets, he is thrust into the rigorously disciplined environment of Psion Beta headquarters. As a new Beta, Sammy must hone his newfound abilities using holographic fighting simulations, stealth training missions, and complex war games.

But when things go horribly wrong on a routine training mission, he must rely on the other Betas to stay alive.

10. Into the Labyrinth (Mage Errant #1) by John Bierce

Hugh of Emblin is the worst student that the Academy at Skyhold has ever seen. He can barely cast any spells at all, and those he does cast tend to fail explosively. He’s also managed to attract the ire of the most promising student of his year – the nephew of a king.

When an unusual mage unexpectedly selects him as apprentice in the Choosing, however, his life starts to take a sharp turn for the better. Now all he has to worry about is the final test for the first years – being sent into the terrifying labyrinth below Skyhold.

Urban Fantasy & Supernatural Books

Most urban fantasy tends to jump straight to adult fiction, with adult characters and grittier scenarios and content. A lot of supernatural fantasy shifts towards paranormal romance. But I found a promising few. If you can think of any more urban fantasy examples with young male leads, please share!

11. White Cat (Curse Workers 1) by Holly Black

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, all by the slightest touch. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider—the straight kid in a crooked family—as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila.

Now he is sleepwalking, haunted by terrifying dreams of a white cat. His brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of one huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.

12. Infinity (Chronicles of Nick 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

At 14, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough, and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . . until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Now Nick has to hide his werewolf friends from his mom, his chain saw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended.

13. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.

Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.

14. Nightlife (Cal Leandros 1) by Rob Thurman

There’s a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side—and that’s only the beginning. Of course, most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half-human.

His father’s dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares—and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal. Why?

He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal’s dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they’ve always wanted him…

Steampunk Books

Classic steampunk mostly features adult characters, and a lot of contemporary steampunk has merged with the fantasy of manners sub-genre, featuring dashing young girls with pistols under their skirts. But here are a few that feature young men!

15. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

It is the cusp of World War I. The Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure…. One that will change both their lives forever.

16. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three half brothers are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and is surrounded by sycophants.

He is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life.

Comedy/Parody Fantasy

I don’t read much comedic fantasy, so if you do, please help me fill out this section. You can’t go wrong with Terry Pratchett!

17. Dodger by Terry Pratchett 

Seventeen-year-old Dodger is content as a sewer scavenger. But he enters a new world when he rescues a young girl from a beating, and her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.

From Dodger’s encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd, to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

18. Nice Dragons Finish Last (Heartstrikers 1) by Rachel Aaron

As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble. But this meek behavior doesn’t fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has had enough.

Now, sealed in his human form and banished to the DFZ–a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit–Julius has one month to prove he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test.

How to Find More YA Fantasy Books with Male Leads

Here’s the trick to finding young adult books with male protagonists. They’re NOT marketed as YA anymore. Use tags such as “coming of age fantasy” or “teen fantasy.” “Adventure fantasy” is a tag more often paired with high fantasy worlds, but can still be helpful if paired with other themes you’re looking for. For instance “superhero adventure fantasy” can filter through stories that primarily feature romance.

Why am I focusing on YA? Well, it’s not hard to find adult fantasy about male main characters. It IS hard to find contemporary adult fantasy with only 1 male POV, so I also made a list for those.

Until then, stay tuned for the next male YA lists which will feature dystopian, progression fantasy, and more!

These are affiliate links – I may earn from qualifying purchases.


Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.

I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!

Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…

18 High/Epic Young Adult Fantasy Books with a Male Protagonist

Where are all the young adult fantasy books with one male lead?

YA fantasy has largely skewed towards romantasy in recent years. Nothing wrong with that, but it means that boys who loved reading in elementary school may have difficulty finding books now that they’re in middle or high school (of course boys and men can enjoy stories about female leads, but there’s nothing wrong with preferring to read about your own gender). Male protagonists are as common in adult fantasy as they’ve always been, but jumping straight from Percy Jackson to Game of Thrones would be quite a shock.

Young adult books not only feature younger characters (generally between 12-17), but also an accessible writing style and fast pacing. They’re easy for kids (and tired adult brains) to read. I wouldn’t want to come home after work and pick up Steven Erikson, but I do look for books more mature than Ranger’s Apprentice.

Note: a lot of people DO list Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and Ranger’s Apprentice as YA since the main characters fall within the 12-17 age range (I highly recommend all those series!). However, the simpler writing style, at least at the start of each series, is much more in line with middle grade books. Style separates genres just as much as character ages. After all, Game of Thrones includes children as point-of-view characters, but is certainly not YA because of both R-rated content and the dense writing style.

So I searched Goodreads, Amazon bestseller lists, review blogs, and recommendations on sub-reddits to compile a list of exciting, classic-feeling YA fantasy books with 1 male lead (I’ve read half of these myself). I hope you find some great reads!

Prefer other sub-genres of fantasy (urban, superhero, etc.)? Find part 2 here!

This article contains affiliate links – I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. Eragon by Christopher Paolini

When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and, gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.

2. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own…

3. The Will of the Many by James Islington

I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Catenan Academy’s ranks. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

4. Dragon Blood by Mary Beesley

Twin brothers separated at birth and raised as enemies… Neither brother feels they belong. Cal is human, fighting against becoming a beastly Draco Sang. Ferth yearns to push back his humanity and transform into a worthy Draco warrior.

Before ever meeting in open battle, Ferth is sent to kill Cal. Then he discovers they are brothers.

5. Free the Darkness by Kel Kade

Raised and trained in seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows.

With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bestowed upon him by a dead king, Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence.

6. The House of Fire by B.K. Cook

Rangers Apprentice meets Hunter x Hunter.

Ward is a Crumb, a low born servant to the nobles of Alcorn. He was never meant to be anything more than a field hand. He definitely was never meant to wield the power of Ilamantium. Fate had other plans.

Chosen at the Affinity Ceremony and sent to train at The House of Fire, he must fight every step of the way.

Read my review here!

7. Powers of the Six (Emissary of Light 1) by Kristal Shaff

Six rare powers govern the land of Adamah. Possessing one demands entrance to the king’s army. To refuse means death. When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.

Read my review here!

8. The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city.

9. The Broken Heir by Jasper Alden

On his sixteenth birthday, Talen is given a magical birthright that forever changes his life—the ability to glimpse possible futures.

When his family is slaughtered by a powerful sorcerer only known as the Golden Fool, Talen is sold into slavery and forced into the fighting pits.

To seek vengeance, first, he must escape the pits, using his wits and his magical gift.

10. Amok by Anna Tan

All Putera Mikal wants is to gain the Amok Strength, the supernatural power granted by Kudus to the Mahan royal family. No matter how religiously Mikal keeps his vows, Kudus still denies him the Strength—whilst his father, Sultan Simson, flaunts the Strength despite his blatant defiance of the Temple and the priests’ visions of coming doom.

Then the prophecies come true. Taken captive, Mikal must find a way to liberate his people and restore his throne in Maha—and the key to this is the Amok Strength.

11. A Star so Bound and Broken by Yakira Goldsberry

Jorrin has only five days to find his missing friend. But it won’t be easy to find a lost star in the dangerous city of Bash-al Feret, ruled by Rahim Padishah, the immortal ruler who hungers for stardust. His reckless search brands him a slave and brings with it a fatal consequence: the stars he fought so desperately to protect are now within the padishah’s grasp.

Nouri Shah lost his brother long ago. But when he discovers that Rakhshan is alive and their father has finally hunted him down, Nouri must face the past that he’s run from for years.

12. Dawn of Wonder (The Wakening 1) by Johnathan Renshaw

When a high-ranking officer gallops into the quiet Mistyvales, he brings a warning that shakes the countryfolk to their roots. But for Aedan, a scruffy young adventurer with veins full of fire and a head full of ideas, this officer is not what he seems.

The events that follow propel Aedan on a journey that only the foolhardy or desperate would risk, leading him to the gates of the nation’s royal academy – a whole world of secrets in itself.

13. Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken 1) by Ryan Cahill


In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving – a test of courage and skill that not all survive.

But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.

14. The Eyes of the Dragon by Steven King

Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a king with two sons…

​Thus begins a sprawling fantasy of dark magic and the struggle for absolute power that utterly transforms the destinies of two brothers born into royalty. Through this enthralling masterpiece of mythical adventure, intrigue, and terror, you will thrill to this unforgettable narrative filled with relentless, wicked enchantment, and the most terrible of secrets…

15. Banished (Street Rats of Aramoor 1) by Michael Wisehart

Desperate to become the youngest warrior of his clan, Ayrion will stop at nothing to reach his goal, not even the one thing all Upakans fear… Magic. However, when a fatal accident forces him to flee, Ayrion barters passage aboard the only ship willing to take one of his kind – A Cursed Ship.

Ayrion sets sail for the royal city of Aramoor in hopes of making a name for himself. Little does he know how deadly those streets can be.

16. Master Assassins (Fire Sacraments 1) by Robert V.S. Redick

Kandri Hinjuman was never meant to be a soldier. His brother Mektu was never meant for this world. Rivals since childhood, they are drafted into a horrific war led by a madwoman-Prophet.

When the brothers’ simmering feud explodes into violence, and holy blood is spilled, Kandri and Mektu are taken for contract killers and must flee for their lives—to the one place where they can hope to disappear: the sprawling desert known as the Land that Eats Men.

17. Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee

16-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every 6 years to entrust the magical Scroll of Heaven to a new protector. Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s pride—righting a mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating, for he is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and special abilities, like his twin. So Jun stows away with Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital.

18. Dragon Prince (The Last Free Dragon 1) by Jada Fisher

Kashir has lived his whole life in the shadow of his older brother who is now the king. When the young prince saves a dragon in distress, it appears he has finally done something to help his brother and his kingdom.

He soon learns that the power of a dragon is something not to be trifled with. Or controlled. Will the dragon help Kashir become the prince he has always hoped to be, or will it destroy everything he sought to protect?

Find More YA Fantasy with a Male Protagonist

If you’re looking to build your own TBR list, here’s the trick: these types of books are NOT marketed as YA. They’re usually tagged as “coming of age fantasy adventure,” and sometimes as “teen,” so use those search parameters instead. You can also search for “new adult” or “college” fantasy books, which feature characters aged 18-20s, a similarly quick-paced writing style, and a PG-13 rating (though generally with more sexual content than YA).

Right now, indie houses publish more books about boys going on adventures than big traditional presses do, since romantasy sells better. So you’ll have a better chance finding this sort of book on Kindle Unlimited than at your local bookstore.

Please comment below with your recommendations so I can keep expanding this list! Happy reading!

P.S. I’m working on similar lists for sci-fi, dystopian, progression fantasy, and more, so subscribe if you’d like to be notified when those go live!


Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.

I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!

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