Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Hi everybody and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday! Today I am straying a little bit from the official topic, which is “Authors (or books by authors) Who Live In My State/Country”. But instead I wanted to highlight 10 inclusive, diverse fantasy books to read (instead of Harry Potter).
Because I, like many others, have grown up with Harry Potter and have fond memories about the series. However, I don’t think it’s possible to separate the art from the author anymore if said author is a transphobe and uses the power and money she gets from the Harry Potter series to actively harm a marginalized group of people.
But luckily there are plenty of other options, so let’s focus on them instead! Today’s post is for readers looking for a story with the magic of that particular story – but with a more inclusive and diverse outlook. So check out this list of middle grade and YA books and graphic novels (both from my TBR and from my ‘already read and loved’ list) and feel free to share more recs in the comments!
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Akata Witch transports the reader to a magical place where nothing is quite as it seems. Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged in to the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?
Nimona by N.D. Stevenson
Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from N.D. Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens
Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.
Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.
Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.
But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon is his brilliant dressmaker, Frances―his best friend and one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect her friend?
Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
Balancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.
Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.
Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.
Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.
Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.
Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus’s birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus’s memory. But he doesn’t have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . . .
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.
Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore
Two enemy kingdoms are forced to work together to break a curse in this lush YA fantasy, featuring a transgender prince and a bigender dama/assassin in the lead roles.
Keep your enemy closer.
Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.
Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.
Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.
Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.
Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.
And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.
Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, Venom & Vow is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are – no matter the cost.
Tell Me:
Have you read and loved any of these already?
Do you have any other recommendations for inclusive, diverse fantasy books to read?
Despite not being a fantasy fiction reader (I have read so few though I do remember reading one by Jessica Cluess I think), I actually do recognize several on your list today! Must be books I did read about at one time. 🙂
I’m glad they hit your radar, even as a non-fantasy reader 🙂
Thank you for this! I think that people forget that there is more out there given the oversaturation of HP!
So true! I hope this list can inspire a bit 🙂
Great topic choice! I’ve read Cemetery Boys and Raybearer. Loved the first, struggled a bit with the second.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2025/05/06/top-ten-tuesday-books-about-world-war-ii-2/
Thanks! I haven’t read Raybearer yet, but I loved Cemetery Boys and can’t wait for the sequel 🙂
Oh, I love this idea and this list. I’m checking to see what my local library has.
Thanks! I hope your library has some of these 🙂
Akata Witch sounds interesting.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/celebrating-canadian-authors-ten-authors-from-canada/
It does sound so intriguing!
That’s a great topic Lindsey! I will have to find something too🤣
Thanks Sophie! Feel free to do this topic too if you want, would love to see your recs too!
I’m hoping to read F.T. Lukens soon. The stories sound right up my alley.
I’ve read 2 stories by F.T. Lukens so far, and they were super fun and cozy, I loved them!
Yes yes yes! I love this idea and list, Lindsey! I’ve read and loved quite a few of these books but others are still on my TBR and I can’t wait to read them. Always happy to add more to my list 😍
Thanks Dini! I’ve read a few of this list but still need to read some too, and I hope to get to them next time I’m craving a magical fantasy 🙂
Love Rick Riordan’s books!
His books are so fun indeed!
I love this Lindsey! I used to love HP too but I don’t believe in seperating the art from the artist and Rowling has done really harmful things. I haven’t read any of these but I’ve read some Rick Riordan books and he actually does things so right!!
Rick Riordan definitely seems to do everything right! He’s just spot-on and such a good example of how it can be… Thankfully we still have authors like him too!
I rarely read fantasy, so I haven’t read any of these. I’m glad there are so many inclusive, diverse choices out there. Thanks for highlighting them.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thanks!
I am not a fantasy reader, so I haven’t read these or Harry Potter. My son loves reading Rick Riordan.
Rick Riordan is a great choice, I do love his books!
I agree, there are definitely plenty of wonderful books that aren’t Harry Potter. I love that your list is inclusive and diverse!
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
Thanks so much!
Great list! I’d add in Amari and the Nightbrothers… it’s an MG series and just so much fun.
Yes, I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard so many great things about Amari and the Nightbrothers!