Best Fantasy Books Like Twilight for Teens To Read

1. Crave by Tracy Wolff

If you want the modern-day successor to the Twilight series, the Crave series is the first book in a series you must pick up. There are 6 books in the series, plus a novella.

• The Story: After her parents’ tragic death, main character Grace is sent to Katmere Academy, a secluded private school in the wilds of Alaska. She soon realizes she’s the only human in a school full of mythical creatures. Here she meets Jaxon Vega: a vampire novel archetype who is cold, brooding, and dangerous.
• The Vibe: It leans into the human girl in a supernatural world trope with a self-aware, witty, and independent voice.
• Key Tropes: Forbidden romance, forced proximity, and a massive love triangle that develops in later books.

2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

For those who loved the high school drama in books like Twilight series but wanted more action, the Vampire Academy series is a classic staple for young adult readers.

• The Story: Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir (half-human, half-vampire) training at St. Vladimir’s Academy to protect her best friend, Lissa, a Moroi princess. Along the way, she falls into a forbidden love with her brooding mentor, Dimitri.
• The Vibe: It has incredible character development and explores the lives of kids who are forced to grow up fast in a world of dark magic and vampire hunters.
• Key Tropes: Bodyguard romance, mentor/student tension, and dark secrets.

3. The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

If you loved the historical fiction flashbacks in the Twilight books harking back to when the Cullens became vampires, you will adore this 4 book series from atmospheric New York Times bestselling author.

• The Story: Set in 1872 New Orleans, Celine Rousseau is a new girl to the city fleeing Paris. She finds herself drawn into a world of opulence and danger led by the mysterious Sébastien Saint Germain, just as a serial killer begins haunting the city.
• The Vibe: Lush, moody, and filled with supernatural romance. It’s more of a historical vampire novel with a heavy emphasis on gothic atmosphere.
• Key Tropes: Enemies to lovers, slow-burn romance, mystery and vampires in disguise.

4. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Becca Fitzpatrick created one of the most iconic dangerous boy characters since Edward Cullen in her bestseller, Hush, Hush. I remember having this book sat on my bedside table for months as a teen as I loved the moody cover!

• The Story: Nora Grey is a typical teenage girl until she meets Patch Cipriano in biology class. Patch is a fallen angel with a dark past, and Nora finds herself at the centre of an ancient war between the fallen and the Nephilim.
• The Vibe: It captures that addictive but dangerous feeling that made the Twilight saga so popular among young adults.
• Key Tropes: Bad boy/good girl, hidden identity, and supernatural abilities.

5. Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls) by Maggie Stiefvater

For the Twilight fans who were always Team Jacob, the Mercy Falls series is essential reading for any teen girl or boy. This 4 book series is beloved among fans!

• The Story: Grace has watched the wolves in the woods her whole life, specifically one yellow-eyed wolf. When she meets a human boy named Sam, she realizes he is the wolf. But their time is limited because once the temperature drops, he will change back forever.
• The Vibe: It is a poetic, emotional depth-heavy love story that feels very grounded despite the supernatural elements.
• Key Tropes: Star-crossed lovers, small town setting, and looming fate.

6. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Starting with City of Bones, this book series is a behemoth in the young adult fantasy world, spanning multiple trilogies. It’s a bit of an undertaking to choose to read it, but one that really pays off!

• The Story: Clary Fray discovers she is a Shadowhunter (an angel-human hybrid) after her mother is kidnapped. She joins a group of Shadowhunters in New York City to fight demons and protect the mundane world.
• The Vibe: Massive world-building, a heavy love triangle, and plenty of movie adaptations and TV series to binge after you finish the books too!
• Key Tropes: Found family, hidden worlds, and forbidden love.

7. Obsidian (The Lux Series) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What if Edward Cullen was actually an alien? That is the vibe of the Lux series, which features a high-tension teen romance.

• The Story: Katy Swartz moves to a small town in West Virginia and meets her neighbor, Daemon Black. He is arrogant, infuriating, and impossibly handsome. He is also an alien with magical powers who is hiding from a galactic war.
• The Vibe: The chemistry is off the charts. It is a thrilling book that balances science fiction with teen romance novels tropes.
• Key Tropes: Enemies to lovers, aliens, and neighbourhood mystery.

8. Fallen by Lauren Kate

Another staple of the paranormal romance era, Fallen is perfect for those who want a tragic, eternal love story.

• The Story: Luce Price is sent to a boarding reform school called Sword and Cross after a mysterious fire. There, she meets Daniel Grigori, a boy she feels she has known for lifetimes.
• The Vibe: It is heavy on the forbidden romance and destiny. It feels very similar to the Twilight books in its pacing and focus on the one.
• Key Tropes: Reincarnation, angels vs. demons, and boarding school.

9. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I’m going to suggest this one with a warning – if you’re suggesting this to a teen, make sure the adult themes in it are suitable for their age. While it leans toward more mature themes and has some more explicit content, this series is a huge hit with young adults looking for high-fantasy novels. This is a five book series which I’d liken to Twilight in its popularity and the fact that it has got people into the fantasy genre where they might not have ever considered it before.

• The Story: Feyre is a human girl who kills a wolf in the woods, only to be captured by a faerie lord named Tamlin. She is taken to a magical realm where she must break an ancient curse.
• The Vibe: High stakes, high romance, and incredible character development.
• Key Tropes: Beauty and the Beast retelling, fae lore, and slow-burn romance.

​Here’s my guide to reading ACOTAR.

10. The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Before it was a hit TV series, this was a vampire novel series that actually predates the Twilight series!

• The Story: Elena Gilbert is the girl who can have anyone, but she falls for the mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore. Things get complicated when Stefan’s dangerous brother, Damon, arrives.
• The Vibe: This is considered the ultimate love triangle and has those classic brooding vampires everyone loves.
• Key Tropes: Brothers fighting over a girl, small town secrets, and vampire books staples.

11. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This is for fans who want a mix of supernatural abilities and a dystopian world like The Hunger Games too.

• The Story: Mare Barrow is a Red in a world ruled by Silvers who have god-like powers. When she discovers she has a power of her own, she is forced to play a role in the royal court.
• The Vibe: It is full of internal conflict, betrayal, and a very complex love triangle between two princes.
• Key Tropes: Hidden royalty, rebellion, and superpower fantasy.

12. The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein

This was one of my favourite books as a teen. Unlike the other books in this list, it’s a standalone novel that’s dark and brooding.

• The Story: ​Our unnamed narrator is a 16 year old girl recording her life in a diary at a boarding school where she obsesses over her best friend and a mysterious new girl who seems to be sucking the life out of her.
• The Vibe: This is a gothic tale set at a girls’ boarding school.
• Key Tropes: secret vampires, boarding school and queer romance.

13. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I saved this one until further into the list as it’s not a vampire or even a supernatural romance, but this is an epic dystopian series that anyone who loves the Twilight series will probably be obsessed with too!

• The Story: Katniss Everdeen steps in to take her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death amongst the twelve districts she lives in. This sets in place a chain of events to survive that she could never have imagined.
• The Vibe: This is a high stakes book series full of energy and action, with huge character development.
• Key Tropes​: fake relationship, chosen one and dystopian world.