Soliciting Recommendations

[ninja_turbo]

My next writing project is going to be a YA fantasy (in the Skyworld setting, the same as The Sinking of Quloo, The Coming of the Change, Three Loves For Horue). It was originally going to use a grad school metaphor, but I decided it's probably more saleable as YA (the number of people who identify with teenagers having drama in a high-school

Comments

[swan_tower]

Ellen Kushner, The Privilege of the Sword. Also Tamora Pierce, specifically the Alanna and Keladry books -- more children's than YA, perhaps, and more heavy-weapons/knightly combat than fencing, but still potentially useful. Diana Wynne Jones, especially Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant (and to a lesser extent the other Chrestomanci books). E. Rose Sabin has a series, though I've never read them; Caroline Stevermer also has some kind of school-for-magic book(s).

[ecmyers]

I don't read a lot of secondary world YA fantasy, but that's what my next book is going to be too, so I'll be interested in your final list. Offhand, I can recommend Hunger Games, Skin Hunger (no relation), Epic (which is kind of cheating because it's really SF, but I think it's related because it largely takes place in a fantasy game world), Flora Segunda, Inkheart (again, kind of cheating, but it takes place in a fantasy novel), Racing the Dark, The Thief (the whole series by Megan Whalen Turner), the Bartimeus Trilogy (for the magic system), The Magic Thief series (middle-grade), Sabriel (check out the rest of the Abhorsen Trilogy and Garth Nix's work), The Blue Sword (and other books by Robin McKinley)... and my gf recommends A College of Magics, which I have yet to read.

Hope this helps!

[ukelelerose]

I would be shocked if you hadn't read them, but here's my recommendation. The only sci-fi/fantasy books I have ever not put aside after a few pages besides HP: Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card. There are no wizards (only kids) and no rapiers (instead lasertag). But the youth + battle strategy is most certainly there. Though I love them all, I recommend skipping the first set of sequels and skipping from Ender's Game directly to Ender's Shadow and its sequels. There's a lot less personal angst in the latter, and a lot more teenage, public where-do-I-fit-in-now-that-I've-grown-up-too-fast?

[psychopeg]

THE DEMON'S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan. Swords! Magic! Demons! There is school, but it is regular UK school and Nick, our POV character, hates it. But DANCING! And lots and lots of swords!

Also, urban fantasy in NYC: Cassandra Claire's Mortal Instruments trilogy, starting with CITY OF BONES.

[solestria]

Haven't read it yet, but Graceling does have fantasy and swords.

I feel like I should know more of them than that. I'll get back to you when I think of them.