Grishaverse creator Leigh Bardugo’s favorite books
The “Shadow and Bone” author shares her faves (many fantasies!) with us.
Published on May 10, 2023
Curated ByLeigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times-bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (coming soon to Netflix), which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology, The Language of Thorns, and The Lives of Saints— with more to come. Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Leigh grew up in Southern California and graduated from Yale University. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles.
Boy, Snow, Bird
Helen OyeyemiThis bewitching reinvention of “Snow White” may be set in the 1950s, but it speaks to our current cultural moment. Helen Oyeyemi weaves fairy tales with the wonders (and horrors) of human psychology in this imaginative story of race, identity, and family secrets.
The Thief
Megan Whalen Turner“The Thief” originally came out in 1996 and became a Newbery Honor Book. Every fantasy trope you’ve ever loved (only a mild exaggeration) is present — and turned on its head — during Eugenides’ quests. Gen, our witty and irreverent hero, accepts a shady deal from a magus to get out of prison. The job? Steal an object of legend. Follow Gen’s adventure through a magical landscape inspired by Ancient Greece. If he doesn’t steal your heart, he’ll certainly steal your breath (with laughter).
Parable of the Sower
Octavia E. ButlerA celebrated dystopian classic by a sci-fi legend. Set in the year 2024 (um, way too close for comfort), climate change has devastated Earth. As the world falls apart around her, a teenager born with hyperempathy must use her power to protect the people she loves.
Black Sun
Rebecca Roanhorse“Trail of Lightning” author Rebecca Roanhorse is back with the first book in her new epic fantasy trilogy, “Between Earth and Sky.” Drawing on indigenous pre-Columbian cultures, Roanhorse mixes in magic, revenge, and adventure as three fierce but flawed characters embark on a collision course during a fateful solar eclipse.
Legendborn
Tracy DeonnBlack Girl Magic takes on the canon of Arthurian legend in this breakout contemporary YA fantasy. After the loss of her mother in an accident, Bree Matthews goes off to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the school’s Early College program. There, she learns much more than she bargained for: She can wield magic, and this makes her a member of a secret society where she’s the only Black member. “Legendborn” is an engrossing fantasy that confronts how white knights might not be so heroic.
Cemetery Boys
Aiden ThomasA cute, queer love story between a gay trans boy and a ghost. Yadriel is determined to prove his gender identity to his Latinx family by exhibiting powers of a brujo rather than a bruja. Yadriel means to summon the ghost of his recently deceased cousin, but instead ends up with the spirit of his school’s bad boy, Julian Diaz. A stunning #OwnVoices story that is breaking down several barriers.
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale
Holly BlackBardugo has nothing but love for fellow YA fantasy hit-maker Holly Black. Back in 2019, Bardugo tweeted about the Goodreads Choice Awards; someone asked who won for best YA fantasy, and Bardugo replied “queen @hollyblack. It is an honor to lose to her!” The dedication to Black’s novel “The Queen of Nothing” reads: “For Leigh Bardugo, who never lets me get away with anything.” So it’s no surprise to find Black’s first book, the hit “Tithe,” on this list. Sixteen-year-old Kaye travels with her mom’s rock band around the country, and in New Jersey, she discovers warring faery kingdoms. And who can resist a good faery story?
Sorcerer to the Crown
Zen ChoImagine Jane Austen’s 19th century England, but with magic! Magician Zacharias Wythe heads the country’s preeminent group of sorocers, a bunch of snobby aristocrats who aren’t pleased to have a Black man and former slave as their leader. Zacharias joins forces with Prunella Gentlewoman, a powerful witch, and the unlikely pair embark on a quest to reinvigorate the weakening supply of magic in England. A charming and diverse historical fantasy.
The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel
Helene WeckerHelene Wecker’s beautiful debut novel is steeped in Jewish and Arabian folklore. The golem and jinni’s attempts to blend in with the humans surrounding them forms a refreshingly frank look at what it means to be human. Bardugo is Israeli American, so it makes sense that this Jewish-inspired work of magical realism would rank among her favorites.
Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin, Book I
Robin LaFeversAssassin nuns. That’s all we needed to hear to dive into Robin Lafevers’ YA historical fantasy brimming with intrigue in the Middle Ages, weapons and poison, and honor and slow-burning love. Well, assassin nuns, and hearing Bardugo say that Lafevers’ novels feature some of her favorite heroines. “I like heroines … who don’t start out where they need to end up, and [Lafevers’] have arcs like nobody’s business.” This one’s for readers who, like Bardugo, like their main characters best when flawed.
Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne JonesA children’s classic with a whimsical Hayao Miyazaki adaptation. While lots of people credit Studio Ghibli for making the story magical, much of the delight is directly lifted — amplified, even — in Diana Wynne Jones’ original text itself. Follow Sophie as she works to break the spell the Witch of the Waste placed on her and meets the wizard, Howl.
Labyrinth Lost
Zoraida CórdovaLike the aforementioned “Cemetery Boys,” this novel revolves around bruja and brujo — but this time, the main character, Alex, is determined to get rid of her bruja powers rather than prove she’s a witch. At the end of the day, her attempts to release herself from magic ends poorly — her entire family is banished to Los Lagos, the underworld. Get lost in a beautiful, multicultural world.
In Other Lands
Sarah Rees Brennan“[Sarah Rees] Brennan delivers witty, nervy, romantic adventure that fizzes with feeling and giddy imagination,” Bardugo wrote in an official blurb for “In Other Lands.” This work is a large undertaking with a big payoff: It starts with know-it-all 13-year-old Elliot being a very obnoxious protagonist whose snarky exterior melts away through the next four years in a fantasyland. Simply magical.