I have always read a lot of fantasy, but in recent years, I’ve discovered some of the best fantasy is in the YA section. Luckily for me, the internet makes perusing the YA section less uncomfortable. I’m still not reading much epic / sword & sorcery fantasy and a lot of urban fantasy / paranormal fantasy, but that’s okay, because I like what I like, and there’s nothing wring with that.

The YA I read is almost all fantasy, but I’ve been following a lot of book blogs that recommend YA, so I’ve picked up a few non-fantasy YA books to read. We’ll see if that trend continues next year.

Unless otherwise stated, these were published in 2012.
(Click on a book title to read my full review, click on the author’s name to see more books by that author.)

Fantasy

Death’s Rival, Raven Cursed, and Have Stakes Will Travel (Jane Yellowrock) Faith Hunter

I really like Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series. Jane is a licensed vampire hunter who has managed to get hired by the vampire master of New Orleans. Jane is also a skin walker, which is something she works to keep secret from everyone, because to the best of her knowledge, there are no other skin walkers anymore.

Although Jane has some powers from being a shifter, she primarily succeeds through her wits and intimidation. She also suffers the consequences of her actions–and since she has a violent occupations, there are almost always consequences.

Have Stakes Will Travel is a collection of Jane short stories, covering her entire career. The other two are the latest Jane Yellowrock books.
 
 
Permeable Borders by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

I love Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s writing–I’ll pick up pretty much any fantasy book she’s written.

Although many of her books have romantic elements, she writes fantasy along the lines of Charles de Lint, rather than paranormal fantasies, even though her stories contain magic.

Several of these stories appeared in anthologies, and many of those I’ve read, but others–those written upon a them mostly–I had not seen before. Of course, even the stories I’d read before, I still enjoyed.
 
 
Gunmetal Magic (The World of Kate Daniels) Ilona Andrews

Although Kate and Curran make appearances here, this book is about Andrea, Kate’s partner. I’ve read several short stories featuring Andrea, so was looking forward to an entire novel about her, and I was not disappointed.

Andrea has always been a very strong female character in Kate’s world, so she was easily able to inhabit a book on her own.
 
 
Ashes of Honor (October Daye) Seanan McGuire

There are more Toby Daye books to come (I checked) but this book ends in such a good place I’d be okay if the series ended here. Not that I don’t want to read more about Toby, it’s just that many of her problems have finally been resolved and she can actually get in on with her life now.
 
 
Garrett Investigates (Abby Irene) Elizabeth Bear

This is a collection of Abby Irene short stories/novellas.

These stories have elements of fantasy and steampunk, but I think first and foremost I’d label them as alternate history, with those other elements coming secondary, because the world in which Abby Irene lives is as important to the stories as the fantasy and steampunk elements.
 
 
The Very Best of Charles de Lint (2010) Charles de Lint

I absolutely adore Charles de Lint’s stories, so despite having many of these stories already, I couldn’t resist this collection for the stories I didn’t have.

It’s a strange thing–many of his stories deal with dark and depressing elements–sexual abuse, child abuse, loss–yet his stories leave me with a sense of hope.
 
 
Hex Appeal edited by P.N. Elrod

This is an anthology of stories about magic and boinking.

Okay, not all the stories have boinking, but most of them do. Despite that, there is some wonderful world-building and there are many fantastic stories here, which gave this anthology a very good rating despite having stories I didn’t finish.
 
 
Down These Strange Streets (2011) edited by Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin

This was a fabulous collection–I don’t think there was a single story here I hated, and most of the stories I loved. It also introduced me to several authors I had not read or heard of, but went on to search out because I so enjoyed their tales here.

 
 

YA

The Far West (Frontier Magic) Patricia C. Wrede

This is the concluding story to her Frontier Magic series, and is marvelous. This is an alternate history where magic has shaped the founding of the US, and although there are many parallels between this world and our own history, there are also many significant differences.

Although the main character is a girl (a young woman by the time of this book) I believe that boys might enjoy it as well–especially the first book in the series.

To be honest, I enjoyed this world so much I am sad to see this series end.
 
 
Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride

This is a fun series. Sam has discovered he is a powerful necromancer, so has to learn quickly how to deal with his powers.

There is an acknowledgement of teen’s sexuality in this book, though nothing descriptive.
 
 
Dark Frost (Mythos Academy) Jennifer Estep

This is another interesting series, though a little heavier on the romance than I might prefer. Gwen goes to a school for magical heroes of a sort, but her powers aren’t the sort that are good for bashing monsters, and she wasn’t told of the existence of others until she was in high school.

This is a modern setting, and there’s acknowledgement of boinking, but no details.

I’ve been enjoying this series, though I’m not quite sure I like where it’s heading.
 
 
A Conspiracy of Kings (2010) (Thief of Eddis) Megan Whalen Turner

Yeah, this is one of the books that made me bend the rules for books published in the past several years instead of just 2012. This series is so wonderful, I want to make sure everyone knows about it.
 
 
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron edited by Jonathan Strahan

This is a very good anthology–a great combination of authors I’m already reading, and authors that are new to me. I wish I knew more people who loved anthologies as much as I do.

My favorite comics and non-fiction books and my favorite mysteries and romance of the past year.

My favorite Fantasy and YA covers of 2012.