Let’s be candid, real-life can stink sometimes. On those days that just don’t seem to be going your way or if the day is just too mundane, it’s not surprising that people look for an escape in anything they can find. Books are really good for this, especially science fiction and fantasy books. Whether it’s discovering secret powers that shouldn’t exist or watching a teen hacker become an instant celebrity, science fiction and fantasy books act as a portal to a world where you can forget your worries, even for a little bit.
1. The Red Queen Series
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Mare Barrow lives in a world divided by blood. Reds, like Mare, are the common folk who can barely make a living. Silvers are the elite who run Norta, gifted with godlike abilities like mind control, fire manipulation, and superhuman agility. When Mare joins the Scarlet Guard, a growing Red rebellion, she gains access to the Silver-infested royal palace. There, she discovers the impossible- she has the ability to control lightning, a power no Silver has ever exhibited. Suddenly thrust into a world that she has no place in, Mare must contend with the Silver elite staring daggers into her back, the Scarlet Guard’s growing influence, and the Silver princes that hold her heart in their hands.
2. The Thousandth Floor Trilogy
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100 years in the future, New York City is no longer the sprawling city we’re all so familiar with. Instead, it’s a tower that stretches for miles into the clouds. The richer you are, the higher you live, and the more luxurious life you can live. In this high-tech and glamorous world, five teenagers’ lives will become inexplicably intertwined. Between Leda’s perfect facade belying a secret addiction and a forbidden relationship, Eris’ picturesque life tearing apart by a tragic betrayal, Rylin’s new job on a higher floor introducing her to a world she could never imagine, Watt being hired to spy on an upper-floor girl, and Avery with her genetically perfect existence living above them all, no one is safe from the drama and intrigue that permeates the tower.
3. The Young Elites Series
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A decade ago, a blood fever swept through the nation of Kenettra, devastating the citizens. Most adults who contracted the fever died, and many of the surviving children were permanently scarred with strange markings. Thus, they were deemed malfettos– ill omens to their families. However, some of the malfettos are rumored to exhibit powerful gifts as a result of surviving the fever. The Young Elites tells the story of Adelina Amouteru, one of malfettos who was gifted with the power to weave illusions. While some of the malfettos use their powers to help, Adelina is no hero. Her own powers are fueled by both the darkness in her heart and the fears of other people, the fears she willingly creates. Unbeknownst to her and the other malfettos, their great gifts can also lead to even greater downfalls.
4. The Warcross Duology
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In this eponymous series, Warcross is the latest gaming sensation to encapture the entire world. Millions log into the game every day, seeking fame, glory, and profit. Teenage hacker Emika Chen is not one of those millions. Instead, she works as a bounty hunter, tracking down people who illegally bet on Warcross just so she can make her own ends meet. When a risky maneuver causes Emika to accidentally hack into the long-awaited opening game of the International Warcross Championships, she quickly becomes an overnight sensation. Soon enough, she is hired by Hideo Tanaka, the young creator of Warcross, to act as a spy and uncover a hacker threatening the championships. Her investigation takes a sharp turn when she discovers an even more sinister plot that threatens not just the championships, but Warcross as a whole.
5. The Shadow And Bone Trilogy
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Alina Starkov is no one. Once another orphan and now another faceless soldier, she is sent on an expedition to cross the Fold, a swath of darkness that separates a majority of Ravka from the sea. When the volcra, monsters who live in the Fold, attack their expedition, Alina suddenly exhibits a long-dormant power of summoning light. All too soon, her life is flipped upside down when she is brought to the capital of Ravka by the Darkling, the leader of the country’s Grisha army. While the Grisha can all manipulate the elements to their will, no one has seen Alina’s summoning before among the Grisha. Forced into a world she feels she doesn’t belong in, Alina must learn to use her powers while facing a threat that could bring all of Ravka to its knees.
6. The Once & Future Series
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Everyone knows the story of King Arthur, but the story of Ari Helix is just beginning. Ari is a fugitive and refugee, hunted down by the tyrannical Mercer Corporation. During an escape from Mercer, Ari crash lands on Old Earth and discovers a sword stuck in an ancient tree. When she pulls it out, she discovers that she is actually the 42nd incarnation of King Arthur himself. Upon this discovery, she also meets Merlin, the great wizard who has trained centuries worth of Arthurs. Unfortunately for him, Merlin has been cursed to age backward, threatening his very existence if his curse isn’t broken. This time, Merlin hopes that Ari will finally be the one who will both save him and the world.
