Three 2024 YA Romantic Fantasy Novels

Dragonfruit, What Monstrous Gods, and The Hedgewitch of Foxhall: three 2024 YA romantic fantasy novels by authors we have enjoyed in the past.

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier. Clarion Books, 2024. 366 pages.  

• Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 16 and up
• Recommended For: Ages 16 and up

What is a wish worth? It’s a question that has haunted Hanalei, an exile from the island of Tamarind. In this fantasy world, inspired by Pacific Island culture and mythology, the eggs of a seadragon will grant your wishes. But, “every wish demands a price” and seadragons are scarce and ferocious, ruthlessly hunted. On Tamarind, Hanalei’s childhood friend, Sam, has grown into a young man carrying a grief that links him to Hanalei. Pursuit of a seadragon brings Sam and Hanalei together, and something kindles that might be more than friendship. But first, they have some dragonfruit to find.

Bottom Line: A lovely romantic fantasy novel with a rich focus on community and family.

Read if you like: Moana, Thorn and other novels by Intisar Khanani, and *The Carver and the Queen

Also by Makiia Lucier: Isle of Blood and Stone and Song of the Abyss

What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge. Balzer + Bray, 2024. 368 pages. 

• Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 16 and up
• Recommended For: Ages 16 and up

A dark YA fantasy inspired by Sleeping Beauty and medieval Catholic saints. Lia has been raised to break the curse that holds her kingdom’s royal family trapped in sleep. She fulfills her destiny, murdering the sorcerer Ruven. But, as the royal family regains power and the old gods awaken, Lia is haunted by the ghost of Ruven and plagued with doubt at the life that awaits her.

Bottom Line: A romantic fantasy, dark and thought-provoking.

Read if you like: Megan Whalen Turner, Joanna Ruth Meyer, and Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis 

Also by Rosamund Hodge: Cruel Beauty

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright. HarperTeen, 2024. 400 pages 

• Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 16 and up
• Recommended For: Ages 16 and up

Magic is dwindling in Wales, and the king has a vision of his death. He tasks his two sons with a challenge: restore magic to Wales and gain the throne. The catch? Only one wants to be king. Tal is determined to fulfill this quest and gain his father’s approval. Dafydd would rather stay in his smithy, but he is haunted by a dream that might never be fulfilled and fear of hurting his half-brother. Meanwhile, teenaged Ffion is eking out life as a hedgewitch, resisting the corrupt coven of Foxhall. When circumstances draw Tal and Ffion together, they set off on a quest to bring back magic to Wales. Friendship and attraction spark, but secrets and fear threaten to bring ruin to the country of Wales. Bright weaves her story between three POVs and infuses it with lyrics, riddles, and lore, as well as a plausible love-triangle.

Bottom Line: More cozy than dark, a sweet romantic fantasy with characters who grow and learn to forgive, witty banter, and ultimately, redemption.     

 Read if you like: Lloyd Alexander, R. J. Anderson, and The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones 

Also by Anna Bright: *The Song that Moves the Sun

Remember, unless a book is starred, a review is not necessarily a recommendation. Read more about our ratings here.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: *Once A Queen by a Sarah Arthur was another favorite YA fantasy from 2024
• Resource: Romantic Reads for Teens: A Book List for Girls and Guys
• Book Review: Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mysteries (Books 1 & 2) by Claudia Gray are another engaging series, great for older teens

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Dragonfruit, What Monstrous Gods, The Hedgewitch of Foxhall