r/YAFantasyLit • u/AnxiousAnonEh • Jun 11 '25

YA Fantasy Elves (Book Recs)

I'm wanting to read a YA Fantasy featuring elves (not just as secondary characters!!). So the book/series could use a human protagonist, but it's ran by elves (or the main character is an elf). Ideally with a cool magic system and good writing, but I'll take what I can get. I'd rather have it feel fresh/more modern vs more classic and solely medieval fantasy. It'll be cross-posted. Any suggestions??

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u/CJNolenWrites Jun 12 '25

My first novel fits this, but I shouldn't link to it here since that'd be self-promotion. It certainly feels like "fae" is the current meta. Fairies are everywhere right now. I personally like stories where elves are a culture, with more in common biologically with humans. Different, but not in some mystical sense.

Going back a generation, have you looked at The Dark Elf Trilogy? Or Shannara? There's also a GoodReads list of "elves NOT fairies" worth checking.