Picked by A Lament Novel fans

Here are 91 books that A Lament Novel fans have personally recommended once you finish the A Lament Novel series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of The Scorpio Races

Susan Fletcher Author Of Sea Change

From my list on fantastical water creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a kid, my father bought a boat, a Boston Whaler. It wasn’t all that big, but it was enough to take our family of six out on the Pacific Ocean—to Catalina Island, and to some of the smaller and uninhabited islands off the California coast. With flashlights, we explored Channel Island sea caves, listening to the echoing barks of hidden sea lions bouncing off the cavern walls. We snorkeled in the clear waters off Catalina—past schools of fish, manta rays, and dolphins. It was magical. It’s been years since I’ve lived anywhere near the ocean, but I’ve never forgotten the adventures we had, especially the encounters with the captivating creatures of the sea. 

Susan's book list on fantastical water creatures

Susan Fletcher Why Susan loves this book

I had never heard of the capaill uisce, the malevolent water-horses of Celtic folklore, before reading The Scorpio Races.

These creatures are magnificent, but also, as I’ve said, malicious. I just think that combination is so interesting!

We love horses; we love magical creatures; but these are something else again—mythical creatures that reflect the complexity of life in this world.

Anyway, Stiefvater makes the most of this rich tradition in a stunningly beautiful young adult novel about love, about courage, about conflicting loyalties, about dreams of glory, about the challenges of survival versus the claims of integrity. And a thrilling race!

This is one of my very favorite water-creature stories. Unforgettable!

By Maggie Stiefvater ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Scorpio Races as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14.

What is this book about?

A spellbinding novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

Some race to win. Others race to survive.It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio…


Book cover of The Raven Boys

Savannah J. Goins Author Of Whisper of Weapons

From my list on multi-POV YA fantasy novels.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since discovering the Enneagram a few years ago, I’ve been absolutely fascinated by the psychology behind personalities. Each one is unique, influenced by innumerable things from both nature and nurture. And the misunderstandings that come from different types of interaction have contributed significantly to challenges in my personal life. But they also make stories more interesting to read, especially when you get to see things from the perspective of multiple different characters. Nothing is juicier to me as a reader than watching characters initially misunderstand and dislike each other, but over time grow to understand and even respect each other as close friends and/or romantic interests as the story unfolds! 

Savannah's book list on multi-POV YA fantasy novels

Savannah J. Goins Why Savannah loves this book

Told from a total of six perspectives, this book begins with the single most amazing prologue I’ve ever read. We learn that the clairvoyant family members of the FMC have predicted her whole life that one day, she will kill her true love. And it just so happens that a relative has come for a visit and immediately announces that this is the year the FMC will fall in love.

It’s so freaking good!

Of course watching that unfold from both the FMC and the MMC’s POVs kept me flipping pages fast, but I also enjoyed the other friendships, struggles, and romances happening in the other POVs. A solid multi-POV series I frequently recommend!

By Maggie Stiefvater ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Raven Boys as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

'There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve,' Neeve said. 'Either you're his true love ... or you killed him.'Every
year Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the
soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them - until this year, when a
boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.His name is Gansey,
a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy
of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only
mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a…


Book cover of Shiver

Cheree Alsop Author Of Silver

From my list on the adventure of the paranormal world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have written 68 books, most of which are in the paranormal genre. I am fascinated by the art of taking our world and twisting it with magic, creatures, and beings that are different enough to add a touch more danger, a little more romance, and much more action to the lives that are lived in our world. I love the ‘what if,’ the lure of the full moon, and answering the question, “What lives in the shadows?” I hope you enjoy this list and find yourself going on many more reading adventures.

Cheree's book list on the adventure of the paranormal world

Cheree Alsop Why Cheree loves this book

I originally picked up this book because it was about wolves and a girl who is captivated by them. I greatly enjoyed the depth of Ms. Stiefvater’s characters.

This story is a young adult paranormal romance with a twist of humor and a dash of adventure. It captivated me until the very end, and I immediately downloaded Book 2. For anyone in search of a sweet, beautiful romance, this book is for you.

By Maggie Stiefvater ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Shiver as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The #1 bestselling Shiver in the Shiver trilogy,
rejacketed for a new generation of fans.
This chilling love story will have you hooked from the
very first page.

When a local boy is killed by wolves, Grace's small town becomes
a place of fear.

But Grace is fascinated by the pack, and finds herself drawn to
a yellow-eyed wolf. There's something about him - something
almost human.

Then Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her
breath away...



Maggie Stiefvater is the #1 New York Times bestselling author
of the novels Shiver, Linger, and Forever.

Her novel The Scopio…


Book cover of Never-Contented Things

Jackie Dana Author Of The Favor Faeries

From my list on YA faerie novels.

Why am I passionate about this?

Tales of magic have captivated me since I was a small child, and I started writing fantasy stories in high school. But it was only when I discovered the YA faerie subgenre several years ago that I truly found my niche. As my book recommendations will demonstrate, there’s a delicious connection between faerie magic and teenage angst, and it’s the tension that arises that makes for fantastic worldbuilding and storytelling. I hope that you enjoy my top books in the genre and find a new favorite for yourself!

Jackie's book list on YA faerie novels

Jackie Dana Why Jackie loves this book

One thing you’ll discover as you read YA tales about the fae is that bored faeries are always causing trouble. In Porter’s novel, they tempt Ksenia’s foster brother and best friend away from her and then put her through a progression of nightmares as she tries to wrest him out of their clutches. There’s so much darkness in this book but it never quite tips into horror. It’s more of that incessant creepiness of the Twilight Zone, with scenes that keep ratcheting up the tension and impossible situations. This isn’t your average faerie tale with romance and hijinks—not by a long shot. But because of all that, it’s an absolute delight to read.

By Sarah Porter ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Never-Contented Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Sarah Porter is a genius. Her language is lush and dangerous, and her books burn with the beautiful, ferocious intensity of a bonfire in the darkest night.”―Brittany Cavallaro, New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Charlotte

From critically-acclaimed author Sarah Porter comes Never-Contented Things: a standalone surreal young adult fantasy of teenagers ensorcelled into a wicked bargain with otherworldly beings…

Every moment of the night―
Forever changing places―
And they put out the star-light
With the breath from their pale faces…
―Edgar Allan Poe, “Fairy-Land”

Bound by haunting tragedies, Ksenia Adderley and Joshua Korensky have shared a home…


Book cover of Between Two Thorns

Jackie Dana Author Of The Favor Faeries

From my list on YA faerie novels.

Why am I passionate about this?

Tales of magic have captivated me since I was a small child, and I started writing fantasy stories in high school. But it was only when I discovered the YA faerie subgenre several years ago that I truly found my niche. As my book recommendations will demonstrate, there’s a delicious connection between faerie magic and teenage angst, and it’s the tension that arises that makes for fantastic worldbuilding and storytelling. I hope that you enjoy my top books in the genre and find a new favorite for yourself!

Jackie's book list on YA faerie novels

Jackie Dana Why Jackie loves this book

Prepare to have your world turned upside down in this peculiar take on the faerie novel. We meet Cathy as a resident of modern England but learn she’s actually an escapee from “The Nether,” a faerie mirror world that’s stuck in the 19th century. As a historian, I absolutely love how Newman moves characters between the worlds—without time travel! And just imagine being in the shoes of a young woman forced to straddle the freedoms that come with modern life with a life with an arranged marriage. And above all, she must appeal to the whims of the faerie lord who controls her family’s fortunes. Come for the premise, but stick around for her deep world-building and richly-drawn characters (I mean, who doesn’t love a talking gargoyle?)

By Emma Newman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Between Two Thorns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Beautiful and nuanced as it is dangerous, the manners of Regency and Victorian England blend into a scintillating fusion of contemporary urban fantasy and court intrigue.

Between Mundanus, the world of humans, and Exilium, the world of the Fae, lies the Nether, a mirror-world where the social structure of 19th-century England is preserved by Fae-touched families who remain loyal to their ageless masters. Born into this world is Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver, who escapes it all to live a normal life in Mundanus, free from her parents and the strictures of Fae-touched society. But now she's being dragged back to face an…


Book cover of Wicked Lovely

Michele Barrow-Belisle Author Of Fire and Ice

From my list on for surviving the Faerie Realm.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author. Artist. Teacher. Faerie Changeling. My fascination with all things relating to the fantasy realms started as early as I can remember. I’ve studied in depth the lore and mythos of faeries, witches, elves, and vampires. There’s something so compelling about them, so it made sense I would grow up reading and writing about them. Now, as a full-time author, it remains my favorite subject to explore. The parallels between the world we see and the world of the unseen are enchanting. There is, after all, more to heaven and earth than meets the eye… and it’s in those unseen spaces in between that I find myself most at home.

Michele's book list on for surviving the Faerie Realm

Michele Barrow-Belisle Why Michele loves this book

Dark and delicious. Two of the most apt words to describe this thrilling story. I adore the world Melissa created and the equally dark and delicious fae who populate it. There's a certain poetry between the characters, and I love how Aislinn learns to face her greatest fears, a skill that will serve anyone well when venturing into the dark and dangerous realm of the Fae. You'll be hooked into this story in no time because it grabs your interest from the very first page, a must for me to get invested in any story because I confess, I’m a little impatient that way. I also love the ink twist on it… and the side characters you’ll fall in love with, they will eventually all get their turn in the spotlight, which is the perfect reason to keep reading through the entire series… and to date, there are a lot…

By Melissa Marr ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Wicked Lovely as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in this cool, urban 21st century faery tale.

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world, and would blind her if they knew of her Sight.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the…


Book cover of The Darkest Part of the Forest

Michele Barrow-Belisle Author Of Fire and Ice

From my list on for surviving the Faerie Realm.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author. Artist. Teacher. Faerie Changeling. My fascination with all things relating to the fantasy realms started as early as I can remember. I’ve studied in depth the lore and mythos of faeries, witches, elves, and vampires. There’s something so compelling about them, so it made sense I would grow up reading and writing about them. Now, as a full-time author, it remains my favorite subject to explore. The parallels between the world we see and the world of the unseen are enchanting. There is, after all, more to heaven and earth than meets the eye… and it’s in those unseen spaces in between that I find myself most at home.

Michele's book list on for surviving the Faerie Realm

Michele Barrow-Belisle Why Michele loves this book

Wow, it is nearly impossible to choose just one of my faves from Holly Black’s faerie stories. They are all amazing! Seriously…. Every. Last. One. But what grabbed me with this book was the way it started. This story has an eerie feel to it from the very first page. I love how Holly weaves reality into her fantasy and the way the Fae are already known and accepted in their world, but also feared (because hello, they’re Fae!). There's everything in this story, romance, adventure, and coming-of-age badassery, which again bodes well if you ever find yourself face to face with the Faire Folk.

By Holly Black ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Darkest Part of the Forest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Faeries. Knights. Princes. True love. Think you know how the story goes? Think again ... From the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles comes a dark, dangerous and utterly beautiful faerie tale, guaranteed to steal your heart.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries' seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

In the forest of Fairfold, lies a glass casket. Inside the casket lies a…


Book cover of The Brides of Rollrock Island

Susan Fletcher Author Of Sea Change

From my list on fantastical water creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a kid, my father bought a boat, a Boston Whaler. It wasn’t all that big, but it was enough to take our family of six out on the Pacific Ocean—to Catalina Island, and to some of the smaller and uninhabited islands off the California coast. With flashlights, we explored Channel Island sea caves, listening to the echoing barks of hidden sea lions bouncing off the cavern walls. We snorkeled in the clear waters off Catalina—past schools of fish, manta rays, and dolphins. It was magical. It’s been years since I’ve lived anywhere near the ocean, but I’ve never forgotten the adventures we had, especially the encounters with the captivating creatures of the sea. 

Susan's book list on fantastical water creatures

Susan Fletcher Why Susan loves this book

This young adult novel knocked me out.

It takes place on a small, rocky island, but its themes are huge: revenge; desire; love; jealousy; power; bondage, and transformation. It’s a multi-generational tale that traces an infinitesimally slow-bending arc toward compassion, catharsis, and the restoration of order.

There is a witch who can summon beautiful women out of their bodies as seals; there are the seal-women, themselves, and the men who love them; there are the children, part-selkie, part human.

I loved that, though much evil is done, none of the principal characters are purely evil or good. The prose itself is so beautiful, I sometimes had to stop and reread passages; I didn’t want to let them go. Many spells are cast within this story, and the story itself cast a spell on me. I felt larger after having read it. Maybe a bit wiser, too?

What a stunning book!

By Margo Lanagan ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Brides of Rollrock Island as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Rollrock is an isolated, windswept island; a wild and salty landscape where fishermen and their families must wring a living from the stormy seas. But Rollrock is also a place of eerie magic, and of powerful desire.

Down on the beach, the outcast witch of Rollrock casts her spells, and draws mysterious girls from the sea. These are girls with long, pale limbs and faces of haunting innocence - the most enchantingly beautiful creatures the fishermen of Rollrock have ever seen.

The island is envied, and many a man is lured to Rollrock with the promise of a sea wife.…


Book cover of The Folk Keeper

Susan Fletcher Author Of Sea Change

From my list on fantastical water creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a kid, my father bought a boat, a Boston Whaler. It wasn’t all that big, but it was enough to take our family of six out on the Pacific Ocean—to Catalina Island, and to some of the smaller and uninhabited islands off the California coast. With flashlights, we explored Channel Island sea caves, listening to the echoing barks of hidden sea lions bouncing off the cavern walls. We snorkeled in the clear waters off Catalina—past schools of fish, manta rays, and dolphins. It was magical. It’s been years since I’ve lived anywhere near the ocean, but I’ve never forgotten the adventures we had, especially the encounters with the captivating creatures of the sea. 

Susan's book list on fantastical water creatures

Susan Fletcher Why Susan loves this book

One of the things I love about this young adult novel is Billingsley’s courage in giving us a girl protagonist who is crafty, vengeful, and hungry for power. Not exactly your standard heart-of-gold fairytale princess!

And this book was published in 1999—twenty-six years ago, when girl characters in young readers’ fantasy novels were usually—though not always—quite a bit more biddable. But Corinna’s honesty is bracing. She refuses to knuckle under to those with power over her, or to the fierce, dark-dwelling cave Folk in her charge. She won me over!

Still, there’s more to Corinna than meets the eye. Her hair grows two inches a night, her skin is translucent, and she can draw off the anger of the Folk “as a lightning rod draws off lightning." I don’t want to give too much away, but in the end, we find ourselves in a tale of the sea, of hard-won…

By Franny Billingsley ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Folk Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

She doesn't really know who she is or what she wants...
Corinna is a Folk Keeper. Her job is to keep the mysterious Folk who live beneath the ground at bay. But Corinna has a secret that even she doesn't fully comprehend, until she agrees to serve as Folk Keeper at Marblehaugh Park, a wealthy family's seaside manor. There her hidden powers burst into full force, and Corinna's life changes forever...


Book cover of Keeper

Susan Fletcher Author Of Sea Change

From my list on fantastical water creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a kid, my father bought a boat, a Boston Whaler. It wasn’t all that big, but it was enough to take our family of six out on the Pacific Ocean—to Catalina Island, and to some of the smaller and uninhabited islands off the California coast. With flashlights, we explored Channel Island sea caves, listening to the echoing barks of hidden sea lions bouncing off the cavern walls. We snorkeled in the clear waters off Catalina—past schools of fish, manta rays, and dolphins. It was magical. It’s been years since I’ve lived anywhere near the ocean, but I’ve never forgotten the adventures we had, especially the encounters with the captivating creatures of the sea. 

Susan's book list on fantastical water creatures

Susan Fletcher Why Susan loves this book

The sea teems with enchanting creatures in this heartbreakingly lyrical middle-grade novel: redfish and electric eels and speckled trout, cabbage heads and jellyfish and flounders…and merfolk.

When everything goes wrong for ten-year-old Keeper on the day of a blue moon, she goes searching for her mother, who swam away and disappeared when Keeper was three. She must have been a mermaid, Keeper thinks. Why else would she have left? They say that mermaids gather at the sandbar on nights of a blue moon, and Keeper knows her mother can set things right. So she sets off in a small rowboat, late at night, to find her.   

This story is luminous. I love the sense of longing, the sense that the world of the Mer lives cheek by jowl beside the world in which floors must be swept and meals must be cooked and cleaned up after. You have a sense…

By Kathi Appelt , August Hall (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Newbery Medal Honoree Kathi Appelt enchants with a tale about mermaids, mermen, and what happens when you believe in fairy tales for too long.

Keeper was born in the ocean, and she believes she is part mermaid. So when she accidentally sets off a series of disasters, she goes out looking for her mother—an unpredictable and uncommonly gorgeous woman who swam away when Keeper was three. Keeper heads right for the ocean, right for the sandbar where mermaids are known to gather on full moon nights. But her boat is too small for the surf—and much too small for the…