by 30 Sapphic YA Sci-fi and Fantasy Books
I’m making this list to celebrate the release of my own YA magical girl fantasy, Girl Squad Volta, coming out in March. This particular list is indie-friendly, bi-friendly, and nonbinary-friendly, so there should be something here for a variety of readers. Also, if you read to the end, there’s a GIVEAWAY!
1
THE MIDNIGHT GIRLS by Alicia Jasinska
“In a snow-cloaked kingdom, two wicked rivals secretly compete for the pure heart of a prince, only to discover they might be falling for each other.”
2
IMPROBABLE MAGIC FOR CYNICAL WITCHES by Kate Scelsa
“A witchy, atmospheric lesbian contemporary romance set in Salem—from the acclaimed author of Fans of the Impossible Life. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli.”
3
SHATTER THE SKY by Rebecca Kim Wells
“A determined young woman sets out to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend by stealing a dragon from the corrupt emperor in this stunning fantasy debut that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.”
4
OF FIRE AND STARS by Audrey Coulthurst
“An atmospheric and romantic debut fantasy perfect for fans of Ash and The Winner’s Curse.”
See also: Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst
5
DAUGHTER OF FLOOD AND FURY by L.W. Jacobs
“Aletheia was born a heresy: a girl with a man’s magic, in a city where monks and witches are mortal enemies. Training in her powers only under her father’s protection, head of the monastery, she shocks everyone by becoming the best seer in generations.”
6
CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT by Claire Winn
“As darkness closes in on the city of shattered light, an heiress and an outlaw must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other.”
7
HUNTRESS by Malinda Lo
“Nature is out of balance in the human kingdom. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. And the people’s survival hangs in the balance.”
See also: Ash by Malinda Lo
8
YOUNGBLOOD by Sasha Laurens
“High school sucks. Especially for the undead. “This is the lesbian vampire boarding school story I’ve always needed, but it’s smarter, nastier, and more fun than I ever could have dreamed.” —Kylie Schachte, author of You’re Next.”
9
THE WINTER DUKE by Claire Eliza Bartlett
“She survived the curse. Now she must survive the throne… The Winter Duke is an enchanted tale of intrigue by Claire Eliza Bartlett, author of the acclaimed young adult fantasy novel We Rule the Night.”
10
RUINSONG by Julia Ember
“In Julia Ember’s dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy Ruinsong, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other.”
See also: The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember
11
LABYRINTH LOST by Zoraida Córdova
“The only way to get her family back is to travel to a land in between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland… Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic.”
12
ICE MASSACRE by Tiana Warner
“A forbidden romance in the midst of a battle to control the seas… ICE MASSACRE is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance like you’ve never seen.”
See also: The Valkyrie’s Daughter by Tiana Warner
13
CRIER’S WAR by Nina Varela
“From debut author Nina Varela comes the first book in a richly imagined epic fantasy duology about an impossible love between two girls—one human, one Made—whose romance could be the beginning of a revolution.”
14
THERE’S MAGIC BETWEEN US by Jillian Maria
“A diehard city girl, 16-year-old Lydia Barnes is reluctant to spend a week in her grandma’s small town. But hidden beneath Fairbrooke’s exterior of shoddy diners and empty farms, there’s a forest that calls to her.”
See also: Songbird’s Refrain by Jillian Maria
15
CINDERELLA IS DEAD by Kalynn Bayron
“Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that’s perfect for fans of Dhonielle Clayton and Melissa Albert.”
See also: The Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
16
THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
“In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas.”
17
MALICE by Heather Walters
“A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this “bewitching and fascinating” (Tamora Pierce) retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.”
18
MASK OF SHADOWS by Linsey Miller
“Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.”
19
GIRLS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Laura Brooke Robson
“Set in a world on the edge of an apocalyptic flood, this heart-stoppingly romantic fantasy debut is perfect for fans of Rachel Hartman and Rae Carson.”
20
GEARBREAKERS by Zoe Hana Mikuta
“Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose—and falling for each other—in Zoe Hana Mikuta’s high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.”
21
GIRL, SERPENT, THORN by Melissa Bashardoust
“Melissa Bashardoust’s Girl, Serpent, Thorn is “an alluring feminist fairy tale” (Kirkus) about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse.”
See also: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
22
THE WEIGHT OF THE STARS by K. Ancrum
“A vivid, evocative YA lesbian romance about how the universe is full of second chances.”
23
WISH OUR HEARTS AWAY by E.J. Phillips
“As high school comes to an end, Lily, Sam, Michael, and Girija secretly wish for the same thing—to escape their small town. When they stumble on a magical place called The Grove, they believe their wishes might not be so far out of reach after all.”
24
THE QUEEN OF IEFLARIA by Effie Calvin
“Princess Esofi of Rhodia and Crown Prince Albion of Ieflaria have been betrothed since they were children but have never met. At age seventeen, Esofi’s journey to Ieflaria is not for the wedding she always expected but instead to offer condolences on the death of her would-be husband. But Ieflaria is desperately in need of help from Rhodia for their dragon problem, so Esofi is offered a new betrothal to Prince Albion’s younger sister, the new Crown Princess Adale.”
25
NOT YOUR SIDEKICK by C.B. Lee
“Welcome to Andover, where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran.”
See also: A Clash of Steel by C.B. Lee
26
THE COLDEST TOUCH by Isabel Sterling
“Vampires going to high school, but make it queer. Sterling delivers a fresh, thoughtful take on beloved paranormal tropes with a delightfully bloody romance.” —Mara Fitzgerald, author of Beyond the Ruby Veil
See also: These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
27
SOFI AND THE BONE SONG by Adrienne Tooley
“A young musician sets out to expose her rival for illegal use of magic only to discover the deception goes deeper than she could have imagined.”
See also: Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley
28
QUEEN OF COIN AND WHISPERS by Helen Corcoran
“When Lia, an idealistic queen, falls for Xania, her new spymaster–who took the job to avenge her murdered father–they realise all isn’t fair in love and treason.”
29
HEIR TO THE DARKMAGE by Lisa Cassidy
“Twenty years have passed since the Darkmage was destroyed and the war between mages ended. For Lira Astor, the single living heir to the Darkmage, escaping her name is impossible. People still fear what is long dead, and they see in her the rise of another dangerous mage with deadly ambition.”
30
GIRL SQUAD VOLTA by me, Maya Lin Wang
And the last book in our list is my own upcoming portal fantasy. Girl Squad Volta is a high-energy magical girl adventure I’m pitching as “Sailor Moon meets Cobra Kai.” More info for those interested at the bottom of this page, but first…
THE GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate the March 1st release of Girl Squad Volta, I’m going to run a giveaway from the list above. Three randomly-selected winners will get to choose any book they want from the list and I’ll have it ordered to their address. To enter, all you have to do is join my Girl Squad mailing list here.
Subscribe to enter the Giveaway
(Entries close March 15th of 2023. Open internationally.)
Girl Squad Volta Pre-Order Info & Swag
If you’re into book swag, anyone who pre-orders Girl Squad Volta (or purchases before March 7th) is eligible to receive an exclusive bookmark featuring the Girl Squad cover art by Miss Vie Book Designs and a signature from me, the author. To claim your bookmark, submit your receipt for the order of Girl Squad Volta here.
Submit your pre-order receipt
Summary
For compulsive doodler, Wren, finding out that magical beings exist is a bit of a shock. Finding out that her childhood friend and unrequited crush, Laura, is one of those beings? Less of a shock. Laura has always seemed supernaturally gifted at everything from school projects, to karate, to writing epic storylines for Wren’s long-running superhero comic; her having literal magic barely seems like a stretch.
Before inter-dimensional fairies called Volta brought their rivalry to the sleepy town of Hartwood, Wren’s biggest fear was that Laura would abandon her for cooler friends when they started high school. Now, as light and dark forces converge on Laura’s burgeoning magical signature, Wren will do anything to protect her friend—magic or none.
Alongside a headstrong sonic-powered Volta named Jackie, Wren must stand up to a team of magical hunters, help Laura realize her latent powers, and maybe find her own strength along the way.
EARLY REVIEWS
“Be still my big queer heart! In a delightful debut that’s as much fun as the new She-Ra, and as kick ass as the original Karate kid, Maya Lin delivers the best combination of sparkly girl power and gritty action sequences I’ve ever had the pleasure to read!”
– Virginia McClain, author of Blade’s Edge and Victoria Marmot
“Cute likeable characters, action from the start, struggle to rekindle a waning friendship, all the nerdy references and the fast pace that kept me gripped from start to finish… I haven’t got such a joyous experience reading a book for a long time.”
– Sagronaut, ARC Reader
“This was adorable. A perfect mix of fantasy, teen-angst and great fighting sequences. Very she-ra in the best way.”
– ARC Reader
If you’re interested in receiving a Girl Squad Volta eARC, you can get in touch with me at ml@mlwangbooks.com.
So yeah, even if you don’t pick up Girl Squad Volta, I hope you found something cool to check out on the list above. I had a few genres to choose from for this launch promo list. I considered putting together a list of YA portal fantasy, YA paranormal fantasy, female-centric progression fantasy… Ultimately, Sapphic YA SFF seemed like the best fit if only because it’s the niche with which I have the most familiarity. That said, I haven’t read 100% of the books above, so this should be treated as an informative list rather than full-throated endorsement of any of the titles.
I actually couldn’t include a lot of the sapphic SFF I have read and enjoyed recently (if you were asking yourself “hey, what about The Jasmine Throne / The Unspoken Name / The Midnight Lie / Legends and Lattes / The Locked Tomb / everything by Aliette de Bodard?”) because it’s not marketed as YA. And since Girl Squad is explicitly aimed a younger audience, I wanted to limit this list to other titles in that market. One day, when I finish and formally launch Gunpowder Magnolia, I’ll get to make my equivalent adult SFF list. One day…
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