Apparently I’m in the minority, but I much prefer reading stories set in antiquity than in medieval times and on. Due to fragmentary or absent records, many people might not even consider books about ancient times to be “historical” fiction. Such stories do tend to incorporate much more of myth, legend, and folklore (which is perhaps why I love them).
For this reading list, I’ve compiled historical fiction books set in the BC era, with a focus on Bronze Age empires and civilizations. I love the Greco-Roman and Egyptian world, but they make up the bulk of ancient historical fiction. It can be hard to find novels from the perspectives of any other ancient cultures!
But I’ve wrangled up some options which are intricately researched and can help you expand your story’s worldbuilding beyond Medieval European or Mediterranean analogues (I would LOVE to read more “bronze age fantasy”).
They were brothers, best friends, rivals in love. But, though it seemed that nothing could come between them, only one of them could become master of the dazzling Assyrian Empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the western borders of India; only one could know the love of Esharhamat, the woman they both desired.
Seven centuries before Christ, the young Assyrian princes Tiglath Ashur and Esarhaddon were forced to compete fiercely against each other, for the greatest Empire the world had ever seen.
1315 BC. The Hittite Empire faces threats from Egypt, Assyria, and Mycenae. The birth of Prince Hattu should unite the Hittites in celebration.
But the Goddess Ishtar delivers a chilling omen: the boy will bring ruin, betrayal, and bloodshed. Thus, he grows up as an outcast, feared by his people, scorned by his father and hunted by prophecy.
Yet as war burns across the horizon, Hattu is drawn into the fray. Will he fulfill the goddess’s curse—or rewrite destiny itself?
Old and blind but still unyielding, Persian ambassador Cyrus Spitama breaks his silence in 445 BC, furious at Herodotus’ tales and determined to dictate the Persian truth of empires, wars, and the gods themselves.
He recounts a life spent at the heart of Darius’ court, surviving boars and palace coups, debating with Buddha and Confucius, taking an Indian wife, and witnessing the rise and fall of kings from Babylon to Cathay. His “travel memoir” becomes a sweeping counter-history to the Grecian perspective.
Note: If you’ve read Herodotus, you’ll understand why many readers say this is hard to get through.
Historical Fiction Set in North Africa
I couldn’t find any historical fiction set in Africa during antiquity, except about cultures bordering the Mediterranean. It’s hard enough to find pre-colonial fiction and records from Africa, let alone pre-Medieval ones. There are many great novels about Egypt, notably River God by Wilbur Smith, but essentially all other fiction set in Africa in antiquity focuses on myths and folklore, as oral histories were lost.
Carthage—an opulent superpower ruled by greed, gods who demand sacrifice, and citizens far too wealthy to fight their own battles. Following the end of the first Punic War, 20,000 mercenaries, still unpaid rise in fury, laying siege to the city.
A rebel warlord’s obsession with the high priestess Salammbò adds fuel to the flame, resulting in a clash of armies so savage the earth itself seems to bleed. Epic, operatic, and unflinching, this is War and Peace by way of the Punic Wars.
Historical Fiction Set in the Americas
The same problem exists concerning historical fiction about ancient civilizations of the Americas. Records were deliberately destroyed by conquistadors, relegating much of what we know to the areas of myth and anthropology. It’s even harder to find historical novels that have been translated into English by native authors.
Set amid the upheavals of the Maya civilization’s Late Classic period, House of the Waterlily follows Lady Winik, a young royal thrust into the rising danger and political chaos of a failing civilization.
As rival powers close in and the world she knows begins to fracture, Winik’s journey invites readers to explore the splendor and dangers of Mayan life, as seen through the lens of Kelli Carmean’s PhD in anthropology.
Centuries before Arthur and Merlin, the orphaned Celt Ainvar rises to master the druidic arts—mind, magic, healing, and war—becoming the unlikely soul-friend of the future warrior-king Vercingetorix.
Together they journey across a fractured Gaul, uniting the Celtic tribes in a defiant stand against Julius Caesar and the relentless legions of Rome.
Note: Yes, the antagonists in this are Roman – hard to avoid. But as the POV characters and culture are not, I let this slip in.
A dying stranger’s trove of gold ignites a deadly rivalry between three brothers. The eldest, Lengar, the warrior, harnesses his murderous ambition to take great power for his tribe.
Camaban becomes a feared wise man, and it is his vision that will force the youngest brother, Saban, to create a great temple where the gods will appear on earth. But when Saban falls in love with Aurenna, the sun bride destined to die for the gods, the great monument becomes a battleground.
Note: this gets into prehistory, but by the acclaimed author best known for his Saxon and Richard Sharpe stories.
Historical Fiction Set in Asia
Most novels set in ancient India are mythic retellings, taken from the delightfully massive epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata or other legends.
Chinese historical records from antiquity are apparently sparse, making accurate historical fiction difficult. I thought I’d be sure to find some fiction about the Warring States period and the first unified dynasty (Qin), or the Han dynasty’s Golden Age and the formation of the Silk Road, but almost everything (including the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms) takes place starting in early AD around the fall of the Han dynasty.
It’s even harder to find examples of historical fiction set in antiquity from the rest of Asia, though it looks like Korea has some popular options (Goguryeo by Kim Jin-myung) that haven’t been translated into English yet.
Discover the ruthless origins of the famously peaceful Emperor Ashoka the Great.
A Brahmin prophesies that a legendary ruler will be born to the Mauryan ruler Bindusara, but the child is born frail and ordinary-looking. Shunned by his father, and bullied and humiliated by his elder brother Susima, prince Ashoka learns from an early age to be the master of his own fate.
Under the determined tutelage of his mother, and inspired by a spirited young woman, he begins to dream of ruling the vast empire.
India, third century BC: a conqueror from Greece has arrived on their doorstep. Chanakya, a wily political strategist looking for vengeance against the ruthless rulers of Magadha, seeks out a hidden heir. Moriya, raised by a tribe of peacock-tamers, is oblivious to his identity until Chanakya becomes his teacher.
The tentative young man, now christened Chandragupta, makes his way across the vast plains of Bharatvarsha to meet the famed invader Alexander, build an army of his own, and right the wrongs of his fathers.
China, 184 AD: the Han dynasty is falling. Liao Hua, a young peasant boy, becomes the symbol of the Yellow Turban’s vengeful uprising. As untrained farmers face the full might of the empire, Liao Hua vows to do whatever it takes to become the greatest warrior of his time. However, when his path crosses that of the bearded warrior, he must face the fact that an iron will won’t be enough to triumph in an age of chaos.
Note: this story falls just barely at the end of antiquity, and is the only modern, well-reviewed novel about the Han dynasty that I could find in English.
If you know of other historical fiction novels set in ancient times, please leave a comment to recommend them!
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…
I love reading fantasy books influenced by a vast range of storytelling methods, mythologies, cultural traditions, and locales! It’s fascinating to encounter entirely new monsters, folk legends, turns of phrase, and psychological approaches to age-old story elements.
In this list, I’ve focused more on authors who live in each region than on members of a diaspora, as there are some great lists out there already for the latter! It can be harder to find English versions of fantasy books from international authors.
Some of these works have been written in the author’s native language and later translated into English, while others were first written in English. A number of these stories feature a world inspired by the author’s cultural mythology or land, but not all. I favor adult epic fantasy, but you’ll also find urban and young adult fantasy, plus some magic realism and mythological retellings.
I hope you enjoy this challenge to read fantasy from around the world:
When Elān traps a salmon-thieving raven, he discovers it holds the secret to stopping the shapeshifting Koosh, and must lead a strange crew of beastly allies across storm-lashed seas to recover a lost weapon of power. As giants, monsters, and crumbling alliances close in, the reluctant storyteller must decide whether he’s willing to become the hero his dying homeland needs.
Cliopher Mdang, the reserved secretary of the Sun-on-Earth, risks everything by inviting the Emperor of Astandalas to his remote Island home—an act of friendship that could either spark his execution or upend the world.
But years after the devastation wrought by a black curse, a handful of courageous men and women embark upon a dangerous crusade to overthrow their despotic conquerors and bring back the brilliance of a long-lost name… Tigana.
Carl Corey wakes up in a secluded New York hospital with amnesia. He escapes and investigates, discovering the truth, piece by piece: he is really Prince Corwin, of Amber, the one true world of which our Earth is just a shadow. He is one of nine men who might rule Amber, if he can fight his way past the armies of his older brother Eric.
Raised to survive the brutal Tournament of Heirs, siblings Acalan and Metztli Amos must outwit rival houses and deadly trials to keep their empire from falling heirless—yet the deeper they go, the more they uncover a destiny far darker than victory alone. In a contest where only two blood-bound tributes can win, the heirs of the House of Life soon learn that triumph will demand sacrifices neither ever wished to make.
When Casiopea Tun accidentally frees the Mayan god of death from a mysterious box, she must help him reclaim his throne—or die trying—sending her on a perilous journey from Yucatán’s jungles to Mexico City and deep into the shadowy Mayan underworld.
In this haunting classic of Latin American literature, a young man’s search for the father he never knew leads him into the ghost-ridden town of Comala, where the corrupt legacy of Pedro Páramo has poisoned every soul and memory lingering there.
Exiled warrior Colibrí and her son Narune must confront a corrupting curse that has plagued their world since its dawn, resisting the maddening effects of their own magic to become the champions their people desperately need.
Born conjoined, daughters of a mortal woman and a demigod, twins Makeda and Abby grew up inseparable—until Abby’s magic blossomed and Makeda was left feeling painfully ordinary. Makeda strikes out on her own, only to be drawn back into her family’s tangled supernatural world when their father disappears, forcing her to uncover her own hidden strengths—and mend the bond with her sister—to save him.
A liberating, avant-garde recreation of popular tales and characters from the Guatemalan collective unconscious—including, from the Mayan sacred text, the Popol Vuh—this book contains a riot of folklore, colonial resistance, animistic nature, and ethnic identity.
South American Fantasy
Fantasy from Latin America heavily favors magical realism. There are few examples of epic fantasy translated into English, but many highly acclaimed literary works that incorporate folk legends and hints of the spiritual world.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s translation of Angélica Gorodischer’s award-winning Kalpa Imperial brings to English a sweeping, many-voiced chronicle of a legendary empire that rises and falls across ages. Fairy tales, oral histories and political commentaries are all woven tapestry-style into Kalpa Imperial: beggars become emperors, democracies become dictatorships, and history becomes legends and stories.
With his characteristic piercing irony, inventiveness, and skepticism, Borges sends us journeying into a bizarre yet resonant realm; we enter the fearful sphere of Pascal’s abyss, the surreal and literal labyrinth of books, and the iconography of eternal return.
When omens foretell a mysterious fleet approaching the Remote Realm, the seven tribes gather in a perilous council where betrayal, prophecy, and impending doom collide as they face the terrifying question of whether salvation—or the Son of Death—has finally arrived.
Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits follows three generations of the Trueba family, blending political upheaval, forbidden love, and quiet magic into a sweeping portrait of a nation in transformation. From Esteban’s fierce ambitions to Clara’s otherworldly grace and Alba’s revolutionary destiny, this modern classic entwines the intimate and the epic into an unforgettable saga.
One Hundred Years of Solitude chronicles the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo and the Buendía family, weaving love, war, lust, and death into a dazzling saga that mirrors the history, myths, and humanity of Latin America—and, ultimately, the world.
In a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain—torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven—fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor.
This gentle story takes us to a simpler time and place where Princess Irene and her best friend Curdie must save the kingdom from a evil Goblin plot. Join them as they outwit the Goblins and save the day.
Follow Ophelia, a plainspoken young woman who can read the history of objects and slip through mirrors, as she’s forced into a political marriage that drags her from her warm home ark to the treacherous, ice-bound Pole. There, amid secretive clans, hidden agendas, and a world fractured into floating realms ruled by immortal ancestors, Ophelia must survive a dangerous game where she is both pawn and unexpected power.
Full of philosophical and allegorical themes, The Little Prince tells the story of a young prince who travels from planet to planet, meeting different inhabitants and learning important life lessons along the way.
Ahren’s miserable life changes forever when he’s chosen as apprentice to Falk, the forest guardian—learning archery, battling Dark Ones, and unexpectedly illuminating the Stone of the Gods. Joined by a prickly wizard and racing toward the elven kingdom for aid, Ahren must face a destiny that has already drawn the eye of a relentless, ancient force.
When a merciless demon wreaks havoc across human and elven realms, Northlander Jarl Mandred joins forces with the elf queen Emerelle and the legendary warriors Farodin and Nuramon to hunt it down through a series of brutal battles that span parallel universes.
Abandoned as a child and raised among humans, Tungdil the blacksmith must embrace his hidden dwarf heritage to face a threat no one has ever survived—and save Girdlegard from destruction.
When sickly Karl Lion loses his beloved brother Jonathan, he longs for the afterlife paradise of Nangiyala—only to find it threatened by a tyrant and a fearsome beast once he arrives. Reunited at last, the brothers must summon courage neither knew they possessed to defend their new world from darkness.
When fifteen-winter-old Hirka discovers she’s an “Odin’s child”—a tailless outcast from another world—she’s thrust into a brutal storm of prophecy, xenophobia, and hunted secrets that could shatter her Norse-rooted realm and ignite a war between worlds.
When a beloved friend vanishes before their annual reunion, three men return to their Puglian hometown and uncover rumors of miracles, mafia entanglements, and a mysterious “Book of Hidden Things” that suggests Art has crossed into a realm far darker, and more wondrous, than any of them imagined.
Set in modern Moscow, Night Watch blends urban fantasy with spy-thriller intrigue as Light and Dark Others—magicians, shapeshifters, and vampires bound by a fragile truce—quietly war for advantage. When mid-level Light magician Anton Gorodetsky encounters a cursed young woman whose allegiance could tip the balance, he’s drawn into a dangerous struggle where a single misstep could doom the city—or the world.
After a thousand-year exile meant to break him, Hedin—Sage of Darkness—returns armed with forbidden magic and a vengeful resolve to overthrow the mages who condemned him and even challenge the gods themselves.
Determined to rid herself of the magic she fears, Liska ventures into a demon-haunted forest to claim a mythical fern flower—only to strike a perilous bargain with its warden, the enigmatic Leszy. But in his crumbling manor, where past bargainers have vanished and something far more terrifying stalks the woods, Liska must uncover the Leszy’s secrets and confront the monster within herself if she hopes to survive.
Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have prepared him for a sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good…
Hunted by her monstrous ex (the Tsar of Monsters), and dying without the shadow that fuels her magic, witch Kosara has just twelve days to reclaim her power—forcing her into a perilous alliance with a too-honorable detective as every clue drags her back toward the one monster she fears most.
Ukraine
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko
Chosen for the enigmatic Institute of Special Technologies, Sasha Samokhina enters a nightmarishly strange school where unreadable books, surreal lessons, and brutal consequences reshape both her and her reality. A complex blend of adventure, dark magic, science, and philosophy that probes the mysteries of existence
In this sly, illustrated fairy-folk exposé, gnomes and pixies hilariously dissect the absurd rituals and baffling anatomy of humankind, turning classic folklore on its head to reveal the uncanny truths hiding inside our strangest behaviors.
Four desperate warrior heroes swash and buckle and slay across the exotic landscapes of original, Asian-inspired settings in these novella-length, action-packed tales. From serpent-goddess temples in the jungle lands tot he snowy peaks and hidden valleys of the Drokpa Mountains, Swords of the Four Winds delivers rousing sword and sorcery adventure in the classic vein, rife with cruel schemes, betrayals, grisly magic and swift, savage swordplay.
Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.
They took his daughter, so Micah comes to take their kingdom. Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, and only the janissaries can stand against them. But their living legend, Kevah, is drowning in grief over the loss of his wife – whose side will the gods choose?
Once a brilliant cultivator turned feared demonic master, Wei Wuxian is resurrected in another man’s body and thrust back into a world that still hunts the shadows of his past. As old mysteries resurface, he must confront them alongside the steadfast Lan Wangji—an ally whose loyalty, strength, and shared history may finally illuminate the darkness that once consumed them both.
Sun Wukong, the mischievous Monkey King, must redeem himself by protecting the monk Tripitaka on a perilous fourteen-year journey to India, facing dragons, demons, and gods while using every trick, transformation, and daring stunt to survive.
Rin, a war-orphaned peasant girl who surprises everyone by entering the elite Sinegard military school, must master her lethal shamanic powers and confront the vengeful god Phoenix to survive deadly rivalries at school and a looming war that could cost her her humanity.
When fifteen-year-old Saya learns she is the reincarnated Water Maiden—and heir to the very Darkness she was raised to hate—she’s thrust into the center of a generations-long holy war. Hunted by both sides as the only one who can awaken the Dragon Sword, she must choose between Light and Dark…or face the fate that doomed every Water Maiden before her.
Naruto Uzumaki, a spirited young ninja, is ostracized for housing the Nine-Tails demon who attacked their village, but he trains hard and battles formidable foes to gain acceptance and fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage, the leader of his village.
In a necromancy-driven empire where even death means servitude, a young sorceress, a chained seven-eyed dragon, and a determined swordswoman must rise against dark magic and imperial tyranny—or watch the world burn.
Sung Jin-Woo is the weakest of all hunters, until he gains the ability to grow stronger without limits, and embarks on a deadly journey against dungeons, monsters, and conspiracies to become the world’s most powerful hunter.
When a boy discovers his father’s diary, he is transported to an enchanted alpine world of talking animals, tree spirits, and fleeting magic, where friendship, loss, and the passage of time intertwine in a hauntingly beautiful fable.
Bled by war and on the brink of collapse, the Mathuran Republic is caught in a deadly web of ambition, vengeance, and prophecy. As senators, pirates, warriors, and gods maneuver for power, old scores, forbidden desires, and forgotten deities collide, setting the stage for the rise of the fabled Son of Darkness.
The illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor, and born with the blood of desert spirits, Mehr must navigate a world that both covets and persecutes her, using cunning and magic to survive the Ambhan Empire’s ruthless mystics.
Ambitious lone wolf Phi Hunter, Ex is hired by the pregnant runaway Arinya to escort her through a ghost-haunted forest to the safety of the Capital, but there’s more than men and monsters chasing her, and the secrets could unravel the whole Kingdom.
When the djinn king Melek Ahmar awakens after millennia expecting to conquer Kathmandu, he instead finds a perfectly managed techno-paradise ruled by the omniscient AI Karma—one its citizens have no desire to overthrow. Only exiled Gurkha soldier Bhan Gurung burns for vengeance, drawing Melek into a spiraling conflict that will expose buried crimes and shake the city to its core.
The Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz refashions the classic tales of Scheherazade into a novel written in his own imaginative, spellbinding style.
Ten years after Jasad’s royal family was slaughtered and magic banned, hidden Heir Sylvia’s magic is exposed, forcing her to strike a deal with enemy prince Arin. Can she keep her identity, and her growing attraction, secret as she helps him hunt rebels in exchange for her life?
Nigeria
I was delighted to discover how many fantasy books are being written by Nigerian (and Nigerian-American) authors, including Son of the Storm, Raybearer, The Rage of Dragons, Black Leopard Red Wolf, and the ones listed below!
Step into a world true to Yoruba cosmology, full of warriors, sages and kings; magical trees and snake people; spirits, Ghommids and bog-trolls. Here are the adventures of Akara-ogun—son of a brave warrior and wicked witch—as he journeys into the forest, encountering and dealing with all-too-real unforeseen forces, and engaging in terrifying spiritual and moral relationships with personifications of his fate.
A small boy wanders into a fantastical African forest filled with grotesque and terrifying beings, survives ghosts, burials, and spider webs, and faces a chance at escape when a “television-handed” ghostess appears.
They killed my mother. They took my magic. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Twelve-year-old albino Sunny discovers her latent magical powers and joins a quartet of young mages learning to bend reality—but when a cunning magic-wielding criminal strikes, she must discover if her new skills are enough to stop him.
When a woman follows a dazzling blue-headed bird to the timeless village of Sonokrom, she unwittingly sparks an invasion from the modern city of Accra, led by a young pathologist determined to explain the unexplainable. Tail of the Blue Bird is a poetic, darkly funny fable where ancestral spirits, forest magic, and the power of storytelling defy scientific logic and challenge the very boundaries of truth.
The founders of the Gĩkũyũ people set cunning challenges for the 99 suitors of their ten extraordinary daughters, “The Perfect Nine,” in this tale that blends narrative verse, folklore, mythology, adventure, and allegory.
In a crumbling apartment in the Angolan city of Luanda, the melancholic Odonato searches for his lost son, but as his hope fades and his city changes beyond all recognition, Odonato’s flesh becomes transparent and his body increasingly weightless – a captivating, experimental portrait of urban Africa quite unlike any before yet published in English.
Three gifted outsiders—a “cursed” African woman who cannot die, a runaway Virginian with incredible strength, and a half-Jamaican boy who can vanish—chase their dreams of freedom and acceptance in a fledgling Liberia.
In Itakaa, where gods and kings play a deadly game, Crown Princess Ekara Amaare faces the Prancing Ceremony and an unexpected summons to the Oracle Asylum—the trials that will choose the next ruler. With the newly risen Oracle Kazani hiding secrets that could unravel the kingdom, every choice in the trials carries stakes that will shape or destroy Itakaa.
When Sabriel’s father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, she must journey into the perilous Old Kingdom, where Free Magic and the restless Dead threaten at every turn, and only with the reluctant help of a cunning cat and a haunted young mage can she hope to face the forces of life and death.
Young Kahu, the only potential heir in a line of male chiefs, must harness her magical bond with whales to challenge tradition, win her great-grandfather’s respect, and secure the future of her Māori tribe.
Putera Mikal has spent his life seeking the Amok Strength, the divine power that his impious father somehow wields effortlessly, but when prophecy plunges him into captivity, he must win Kudus’ favor, reclaim his throne, and save his people from certain doom.
In a world where the seadragon’s egg—the dragonfruit—can erase a person’s deepest sorrow, Hanalei of Tamarind must navigate exile, ancient magic, and deadly rivals to reclaim her home and undo a terrible wrong. Alongside Prince Sam, who seeks a cure for his mother and a chance at hope, they confront not only enemies but the perilous cost of the dragonfruit itself.
Queen Talyien’s bloody rise to power nearly tore her nation apart, and her attempt at peace fails when her fiance, the son of a rival clan, disappears. Years later, he sends her a mysterious invitation, but when Talyien journeys across the sea to meet him, an assassination attempt strands her alone and untrusting in a strange land.
Sixteen-year-old Emma, long aware of a mysterious “between-worlds” hidden in the Hawaiian forests, discovers a strange boy from Hilo who has stumbled into that realm—and into the path of the ancient Menehune, the islands’ first people.
As old magic stirs and the Menehune’s purpose becomes clear, Emma and the boy must unravel their intentions before their home—and the worlds—are changed forever.
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…
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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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…
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about writing and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
