In the warnings section, I'm going to include the phrase "BAD STUFF" for works that include a specific type of violence. I'm going to assume that everyone who is old enough will know what I mean when I say that. If you are very young, do not read works recommended which have BAD STUFF in them.
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
-Middle grade urban fantasy
-About a twelve year-old girl who becomes the apprentice of a magical detective who just so happens to be a reanimated skeleton.
-Currently 14 books + short story collection. Will be two more books, and possibly extras.
-TW: Graphic violence, torture, gore, body horror, human experimentation, PTSD, self-loathing, drug use, self-medication
-My favourite series of all time
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6622569-skulduggery-pleasant
Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak
-YA urban fantasy
-About a boy who needs to recover lost memories and uncovers hidden family history
-Themes of death, destiny and making your own fate
-My favourite book of all time
-TW: Death, minor homophobia
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19370974-wonders-of-the-invisible-world
The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud
-YA urban fantasy
-Set in a world where magicians enslave spirits to do their bidding. Follows a spirit who is summoned by a young boy to steal a magical amulet.
-Themes of slavery, classism and corruption of power
-Three books + prequel
-First book: The Amulet of Samarkand
-TW: Classist violence, minor body horror
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59267.The_Amulet_of_Samarkand
Timekeeper by Tara Sim
-YA alternate universe steampunk historical fantasy romance
-Set in a world where time is controlled by magic clock towers. Follows a relationship between a clock mechanic and a time spirit. Also terrorists are bombing clock towers and stopping time.
-First book is super fluffy and cute. Other books are really dark.
-Three books.
-TW: PTSD, torture, some graphic violence
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25760792-timekeeper
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
-YA urban fantasy
-Follows a group of friends searching for the tomb of a sleeping Welsh king (Owain Glendower). Involves psychics, leylines, and forest magic.
SUPER misleading synopsis - more about friendship than romance
-Four books + sequel trilogy w/ bridge novella between them
-First book: The Raven Boys
-TW: Racism, possible BAD STUFF? There's like a black market where loads of disturbing stuff happens
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys
The Diviners by Libba Bray
-YA historical fantasy/supernatural horror
-Set in prohibition era New York. Follows a girl called Evie O'Neill who has a power that may be the key to stopping a ghostly serial killer.
-Themes of government corruption, eugenics, race relations, human trafficking, exploitation, etc.
-TW: BAD STUFF, human trafficking, BAD STUFF INVOLVING CHILDREN, child death, torture, depression, classist, racist and homophobic violence, domestic abuse, mutilation, gore, animal death, medical malpractice, alcoholism
-Like... superior to most anything else I've ever read. Prose, themes and characterisation are next level
-Four books. There may be a sequel series in future
-Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7728889-the-diviners
We are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
-YA contemporary-ish sci-fi
-About a boy with a really bad stuff life who has severe depression, and is regularly abducted by aliens. The aliens tell him the world will end unless he stops it. But he's not sure the world's worth saving. He has 144 days to decide
-TW: Depression, suicide, suicidal ideation, child abuse, BAD STUFF, referenced domestic abuse
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23677341-we-are-the-ants
City of Spires by Claudie Arseneault
-Adult high fantasy
-An idealistic lord attempts to drive agents of a tyrannical empire out of his city. Meanwhile a lord from ages past returns to the city after a century of being trapped in a place where time doesn't flow. He takes shelter in the slums
-Themes of race, class, gender and sexuality are masterfully worked into the plot
-One of the best found families I've ever read about
-Full LGBTQ+ (and I mean +) cast
-TW: Torture, slavery, child abuse, racism, homophobia, classism, classist violence, racist violence
-Currently two books, will be more
-First book: City of Strife
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34330728-city-of-strife
The Tarot Sequence by K. D. Edwards
-Adult urban fantasy
-Set in New Atlantis, a city ruled by atlanteans called Arcana, creatures of immense magical ability. Follows an Arcana heir who is the last remaining member of his court, who has to investigate the disappearance of another Arcana heir
-Another one of the best found families ever
-First book lacks 3D female characters, but author realised this and fixed it in book two
-TW: BAD STUFF, BAD STUFF INVOLVING CHILDREN, some gore, whipping, drug use, forced drug use, drug addiction, VILLAIN WHO DOES BAD STUFF TO CHILDREN, BAD STUFF FACILITIES, violence towards children, referenced cannibalism, referenced torture, mind control
-Currently two books, a novella + oneshots. Will be nine main books w/ possible spin-offs
-First book: The Last Sun
-The author has dmed me!!!
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36466732-the-last-sun
Warchild by Karin Lowachee
-Adult space opera
-Set in a galaxy where humanity is at war with an alien race called the strits. There are merchants stuck in the middle and pirates exploit the war for their own ends. Jos is the son of merchants whose entire crew gets slaughtered by pirates and their children are sold into slavery. The pirate captain decides to keep Jos for himself.
-Mostly about recovering from abuse
-Two more books set in this world. Each follows different characters and I haven't read them
-TW: Implied BAD STUFF INVOLVING CHILDREN, referenced BAD STUFF INVOLVING CHILDREN, referenced BAD STUFF AS A SLAVE, some gore, some graphic violence, torture, possible on-page BAD STUFF (very unclear)
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184786.Warchild
Simon VS. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
-I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain what this is about.
-TW: Homophobia, outing
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19547856-simon-vs-the-homo-sapiens-agenda
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
-YA high fantasy
-About six dangerous criminals performing a heist on the world's most impenetrable fortress
-Not a proper heist novel - mostly a character examination
-Part of the Grishaverse - may be worth reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy first, but not strictly necessary
-Currently two books but might have a third in future
-TW: Drug use, forced drug use, child death, child abuse, BAD STUFF INVOLVING CHILDREN, BAD STUFF AS A SLAVE
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23437156-six-of-crows
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
-Adult historical/mythic fantasy
-A retelling of the myth of the Iliad told from the point of view of Patroclus, focusing on the romance between him and Achilles
-TW: Homophobia, referenced BAD STUFF, attempted BAD STUFF
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36174638-the-song-of-achilles
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
-Adult urban/portal fantasy
-Follows a student who finds a story from his own childhood in a strange book in his university library and tries to solve the mystery of what it means
-ANCIENT UNDERGROUND LIBRARIES
-Metacommentary on the nature of stories and storytelling
-TW: Mutilation
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45998898-the-starless-sea
Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz
-YA urban fantasy/magical realism/fabulism
-Follows a boy called Rudy whose younger brother has cystic fibrosis, so their family moves to a remote island which supposedly holds a miracle cure - silver Enki fish - eating them is supposed to help with sickness, and increases the lifespan dramatically. On the island Rudy encounters a fish-boy.
-Genuinely the most disturbing book I've ever read
-TW: BAD STUFF (off-page, but no less disturbing), torture, some gore, mutilation
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12024430-teeth
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
-YA urban fantasy romance
-About the worst chosen one ever, who has to defeat a great evil, and his possibly-a-vampire roommate trying to solve the mystery of the ghost that appears in their room
-DON'T READ THE SECOND BOOK, IT'S AWFUL. The first book was originally a standalone and works perfectly as one.
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32768522-carry-on
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
-YA contemporary
-Follows a pair of twins, Noah before, and Jude after their mother died. In the past they were inseparable. In the present, they are practically estranged. This book explores why
-A brilliant exploration of grief
-TW: Death, grief, vague, non-specific mental illness, minor homophobia
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820994-i-ll-give-you-the-sun
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
-YA historical fiction
-Set in the 80s. Follows a boy called Aristotle who has no friends and then befriends someone called Dante. Also his dad was in the Vietnam war and they never talk about it. And his parents also never talk about his brother, who is in jail. That's it. That's the plot.
-Will eventually have a sequel
-TW: Minor animal abuse, drug use, homophobic violence
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12000020-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe
Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab
-Adult high fantasy
-Set across four parallel versions of London. Follows a man who smuggles artefacts between the worlds
-Three books + prequel comics. Will eventually have a sequel series
-First book: A Darker Shade of Magic
-I'm in love with the main protagonist
-TW: Slavery, some graphic violence, child abuse, some homophobia, sort of self harm, depression
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22055262-a-darker-shade-of-magic
Half Bad by Sally Green
-YA urban fantasy
-Set in a world with black witches and white witches - England is ruled by white witches who hate and persecute the black witches. Follows a boy who is a half-code: half-black witch, half-white witch growing up as more and more sanctions are placed on half-codes by the white witch council
-Very dark and brutal
-Three books
-Second book drags imo
-TW: Graphic violence, child abuse, torture, racist violence, cannibalism
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18621194-half-bad
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
-YA contemporary
-Follows a boy whose ex-boyfriend, who he was still in love with, drowns. The only one who can understand how the protagonist feels is his ex's last boyfriend before he died. They start to develop an uneasy friendship
-Protagonist has OCD
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25014114-history-is-all-you-left-me
The Rules by F. T. Lukens
-YA urban fantasy romance
-Follows a boy who accidentally becomes the apprentice of a wizard who mediates between the magical and non-magical worlds, whilst also dealing with a crush on his hot football player neighbour
-Two books
-First book: The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic
-Very cute and funny, but also nails the emotional beats when it needs to
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34736638-the-rules-and-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic
The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones
-High fantasy (no specific age range comes to mind)
-Set in a world which is held hostage by a businessman, whose inhabitants must perform roles to give tourists from our world a fantasy adventure. The dark lord this year is played by the bumbling, kind wizard, Derk
-Excellent satire (the sequel is too, but I don't recommend it as much) on capitalism and exploitation
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47587.Dark_Lord_of_Derkholm
Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
-Adult high fantasy
-About the son of a lord who is very flamboyant and feminine, who gets kicked out of his house by his father, and sent to stay with his aunt, a severe person who his father hopes will be able to straighten him out
-Don't read the official synopsis, it's full of spoilers
-Mostly a story about the protagonist's journey of self-acceptance
-The sequels are good, but the final book is incredibly disappointing, and this book works perfectly on its own
-TW: suicide, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation
-Other two books have even more potential triggers
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28759.Magic_s_Pawn
Release by Patrick Ness
-YA contemporary/fantasy
-About the closeted gay son of a pastor going through a terrible day. Meanwhile the ghost of a murdered girl rises from the lake her body was found in
-The two stories basically have nothing to do with each other, and imo the ghost story is really uninteresting and pretty much irrelevant. The contemporary story is incredible though
-TW: Homophobia, drug use, some gore, BAD STUFF HARRASSMENT, possible BAD STUFF? (I don't remember)
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31194576-release
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
-Adult contemporary romance
-The son of the US president falls in love with the Prince of Wales.
-Very cute, compelling romance, but also has a great political plotline
-TW: Homophobia, invasion of privacy, public outing, referenced BAD STUFF
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150487-red-white-royal-blue
Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P. Jones
-Middle grade urban fantasy/surrealist horror
-A collection of short stories that examines the mysterious happenings in the town of Larkin Mills
-Actually a philosophical and theological discussion about religion, human nature and the existence of god
-TW: Child death, other disturbing things happening to children
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27204179-death-or-ice-cream
Proxy by Alex London
-YA dystopian sci-fi
-Set in a world with proxies - people who are punished for the crimes of a rich patron. Follows a proxy who has one year left of proxying. Then his patron accidentally kills someone, and he gets sentenced to 14 years in a labour camp
-First book critiques corporatism, capitalism and consumerism, second book goes in the opposite direction and critiques communism and asceticism
-Two books + epilogue short story
-TW: Torture, slavery, moderate homophobia
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16101023-proxy
The House of Mountfathom by Nigel McDowell
-YA historical fantasy
-Set during the Irish revolution, follows the son of the most powerful wizards in Ireland, as he grows up in a world where magic is becoming less and less important.
-Ambiguous, fairly disappointing ending
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33782743-the-house-of-mountfathom
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
-YA urban fantasy
-About a community of Brujx who can commune with the dead. Brujos and Brujas do different magic. Trans protagonist wants to prove he's a Brujo to his family by summoning the ghost of his cousin after his mysterious death. Instead he accidentally summons the ghost of the high school bad boy
-Strong themes of found family and acceptance
-Latinx culture is extremely prevalent and you can feel the author's love for it
-Plot is slightly predictable
-TW: Transphobia, deadnaming (deadname is not told to the reader), referenced child physical abuse, referenced gang violence, police racism, referenced deportation
-Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52339313-cemetery-boys