a retrospective on the Young Adult Fantasy Golden Age ✨

[@oliviakalleberg9578]

Loved the video! Just a note, Carry On isn’t the fictionalized version of Harry Potter in the Fangirl universe, it’s specifically a fanfic the main character of Fangirl wrote about that fictional Harry Potter series, so even more layers lmao

[@TheBookLeo]

that's extra meta haha love that! thank you for clarifying!!

[@lisak8492]

I dont think its even that, its more the author’s fanfiction of that fictionalized harry potter series in fangirl, not the main character’s fanfiction. Its a whole nother new thing haha

[@moose1277]

one more thing is harry potter still canonically also exists in the fangirl universe but the main character just preferred simon snow 😂

[@suzdupe]

@@TheBookLeomega meta? 🙃

[@oliviakalleberg9578]

Oh I didn't know that Rowell meant it as a different version of the fanfic than the one written by the main character! I mainly wanted to clarify that Carry On is supposed to be fanfic and not the in-universe story of Simon and Baz, but thanks for correcting me!

[@eevieee]

it was such a time to be alive. i remember my classmates, both girls and boys, lending out a copy of twilight or harry potter in circulation and wait until the next one finishes. then we'll gush about how we love or hate it. people can say YA is cringy, but teenage years can be cringy. and we were cringe and free.

[@rubiademoraes]

Cringe and free❤

[@yuristeaparty]

Cringe and free :’) those books were a bright spot in a difficult time for me. 💕

[@Mia_M]

I was the one lending out my Twilight books to like half the girls on my bus. Totally regretted afterward because not everyone had the same respect for other people's property, so my books were a bit damaged when finally returned to me.

[@maritareads5229]

@@Mia_M I just remembered bqck then someone never returned my copy of twilight and I never bought new moon so now I only have the last two books in the series and the covers changed :(

[@ladyofnoxus6733]

​@Mia_M at least you got your copies back. Lol 😆 mine works just disappear 🙃

[@claryy8]

that pause before „a kinda weird, kinda incestious romance“ ☠️ I still think the fact that the majority of the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series is spent debating whether the main couple are siblings is not nearly talked about enough

[@patax144]

If I hadn't been spoiled that they weren't siblings by the time I began reading the series, I probably wouldn't have continued it.

[@Mia_M]

it's really not. I was just having a discussion about that with my sister a few months ago because that whole thing involving Clary, Sebastian, and Jace was weird af.

[@kalinapetkova2561]

@@patax144i started reading the first book when i was 12, saw the main couple were supposedly siblings and quit reading, a few months after that my mom told me they were in fact *not* siblings but i still refuse to this day to continue reading just because of how weird of a plot line that whole thing was lmao

[@patax144]

@@kalinapetkova2561 that is fair, in my case I continued just to find out how they were not related, telenovelas got me used to that kind of plot of not really related but kinda

[@blackk_rose_]

I feel like that's actually the main thing that gets mentioned when people talk about TMI. I honestly find it weird that people focus on it so much. It was known to the reader very quickly that they weren't actually siblings, yet people are scandalised by it. It's not like readers were led to believe there was any actual incest. Also it's so funny how people always mention the main romance as incestuous when the villain made advances on his actual sister - which she was not interested in and he was portrayed as being wrong to do this. It would be a different thing if the characters were portrayed as just shrugging it off, the author left the reader in the dark about it too, or it portrayed an actual incestuous action as something good or normal. Of course nobody has to like reading something like that, but I find it strange how people still view this as something problematic.

[@HarvestLockwood]

The fact that Aveyard's response was just, "Because money" is the most relatable thing I've ever heard an author say.

[@soot9145]

I used to eat those books up so good for her

[@palettedpersona]

Not gonna lie, I interpreted it more as sarcasm. Aveyard mentions in her response that despite bringing all YA cliches into one book, it wasn't a quick/easy success and she still had to put a lot into bringing Red Queen to publication so it definitely wasn't a guaranteed money-making decision. But I do agree that "because money" is definitely relatable LMAO she succeeded regardless of what her intentions might've been

[@Mark-in8ju]

Just like Ryan George`s boss!

[@timeea.i19]

I think she was sarcastic but also, Victoria Aveyard is the most relatable person on the internet for me. I love her insta account and how chill she can be

[@chezfortine800]

Well authors also have to pay rent

[@abeth-zuppa]

I'd definitely add that the Percy Jackson series (while considered an "older" series like Harry Potter, with the first book published in 2005) really paved the way for mythology/fairy tale retellings. It holds a special place in my heart, since I wasn't really into Harry Potter or Twilight. Also that Rick Riordan helped to promote diverse authors with their own YA novels based on their culture's mythologies starting in 2018 or so (interestingly, around the time of Children of Blood and Bone).

[@TheSummerbeauty23]

Percy Jackson books were honestly the cornerstone of my childhood ❤ Annabeth and Percy had my teenage heart ahaha

[@notllikethat]

I don't understand how Leoni totally missed HoO in this review. It is still huge, and is fantasy YA

[@skinnylegend121]

@@notllikethatits glaringly middlegrade actually

[@HeidiJohnes]

Also the Septimus Heap trilogy.

[@audiobooksforfree7857]

@@skinnylegend121 YES. HOO is not YA. It’s marketed for teens but it reads like middle grade.

[@wildfire_writer]

I wonder if there’s something to be said about the rise of “badass assassin/killer main characters” as a result of the “Bellas/normal girls who need to be saved” popularity of the paranormal romance/dystopian era.

[@mariamanwar613]

Leonie did a video where she said the exact same thing!!

[@sienna367]

You might be right

[@corinneallen1991]

Does everyone get this fun little happy feeling in their chest whenever someone mentions their favorite book in a video or something like that, or is that just me?

[@madel005]

Yes, me too!!

[@lizzzz9231]

Meee!

[@sbu_englishclub]

City of Bones was so fun but like… Cassandra Clare really subjected our young minds to a lot with that romance

[@jackienolan9142]

So I guess Flowers in the Attic isn’t really popular with the teens nowadays 😂

[@xotoast]

When the incest twist was revealed I just put it down and never touch them again lmao

[@catmomchantel]

Honestly knowing that she was huge into the Harry Potter fanfiction world puts a lot of her weird choices into perspective 😅

[@marynbooks0622]

The thing I liked about the series of that time is how they at least put the number of the series on the spines more often. Now you have to look it up each time you buy a book I’m a series 🤦‍♀️

[@naginoriette7857]

I hate that, especially when you accidentally buy a book that's not the first in the series but you didn't even know it was a series 😒

[@ameliex]

frr this is why i just buy box sets

[@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme]

Yes and especially because blurbs contain spoilers

[@evilemuempire9550]

Especially when it’s a smaller bookstore and might have sold out of whatever number you’re looking for and you have no idea if it’s a start, middle or end of a series

[@Zach2003]

Sometimes that's also great. I remember reading Legend by Marie Lu and lending it to my best friend. My edition looked just like a standalone book, and she devoured it within a night and ranted about the rather open ending to me the next day at school. I had already finished the trilogy (that was out during that time) and asked her whether she wants me to bring her the second book on the next day, and she just about screamed "THERES A SECOND ONE?!" through the whole hallway

[@ribbonquest]

Being a teen fantasy fan before the "YA" shelf was established was an exciting time. You never knew if the pretty lady on the cover was going to be a magical badass or assaulted or both! The description on the back was the only context you were gonna get too. Internet? Doesn't have reviews and can't tie up the house phone line with it anyway.

[@platedlizard]

Lol that’s so true. I grew up in the 80s & 90s and half of my classmates in high school read Flowers in the Attic… the main characters were teenagers after all, it must be YA 💀 The other half read Le Miserables, or at least pretended too lol

[@ribbonquest]

@@platedlizard I read quite a few spicy books WELL before I was ready for them. Most I read anyway because I'd spent the money, better get the most *ahem* bang for my buck!

[@AMadMage]

To quote the late Sir Terry Pratchett, "Fantasy is without a shadow of a doubt the ur-literature, the spring from which all other literature has flown". Fantasy will always be the genre nobody ages out of, because no matter how old you are, you always keep the same imagination. Thank you for unlocking many of the memories I had stored away with these books!

[@vanillaplanifoliae]

i love how leonie's explanation of the premise of carry on (which i have never read) made sense the first time, but she still had to explain it a couple more times

[@hollym7878]

I'm a bit older, and I'd like to submit some entries into the "older YA fantasy" category. The Old Kingdom trilogy by Garth Nix. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (perhaps one of the greatest YA fantasy trilogies ever written?). And of course, the YA author Tamora Pierce, who is truly the queen of YA fantasy.

[@buddiesdog]

I'm also "a bit older" and came here to mention Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce. Their works definitely built my foundation for my love of fantasy. Eragon as well, but she did mention it in editing.

[@milchreis9554]

I'd like to add Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. It even had a movie adaptation.

[@aberdeen0107]

@@milchreis9554is t ink heart more middle grade though?

[@milchreis9554]

@@aberdeen0107 It's recommended for 12 and up and also gets darker as it goes on. So, I wouldn't say so.

[@rainshadow605]

Also a bit older, and Tamora Pierce had a choke hold on my teen years.

[@mauratyson9580]

Shadow and Bone also hits every single hallmark of the ya fantasy book. When you were listing the hallmarks I was screaming bc that’s literally shadow and bone

[@temporalloop]

so nice to see The Raven Cycle be included in this! it's one of the most well-written YA series i've ever read & it still holds up when i reread it a couple years back. while there is a girl among a group of boys, it's still debatable who the main character is lol

[@persona2fan]

totally agree! i read TRC for the first time when i was 15 years old and loved it, and im now rereading it at 19 years old and it holds up so well. the character writing is phenomenal and the premise is so unique, im glad to see that others still remember it fondly!!

[@straverry_tae]

i love these “analysis” type of vids✨✨

[@sadnessofwildgoats]

frfrfrfrfr i hope she does a lot more 😊

[@irreplaysable]

@@sadnessofwildgoatssameeee they are so fun :)

[@pendragon2012]

I'm a bit older so the pull that got me into fantasy was Narnia, LOTR (pre-movies), Redwall, Watership Down, The Dark Is Rising, Prydain Chronicles etc. But it's a timeless genre--still a favorite! Have a good week, Leonie!

[@hollym7878]

I loved Dark is Rising and Prydian as well! Both fantastic series.

[@roseiorillo2832]

Also for me Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey, who were writing more in the 90s although both still publishing novels now.

[@Imhrien]

All those series are on my classic favourite shelves, so glad that young me read them! The dark is rising is such a high stakes series, I'm so sad people don't know much about it these days. Other starter series for me were Bruce Coville's Into the land of the Unicorns series, Diana Wynne Jones' books (particularly the Howl's moving castle), all of Robin McKinley's works and all of Garth Nix's works, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. Also Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel duology, which I am deeply saddened no one knows about, it did enemy to lovers and court intrigue before it became a huge thing.

[@pendragon2012]

@@Imhrien Yes, so much good literature came out of the 60s and 70s.

[@hollym7878]

@@roseiorillo2832 I'm currently reading Mercedes Lackey's new Valdemar-based series!

[@klane2004]

The Cruel Prince series deserves ALL the love though. In a saturated market, this series stood out and didnt just "tick the boxes"

[@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme]

100% agree

[@iri02802]

So I have not yet read this series because a friend of mine did not like them that much. But I saw them on youtube so much these last weeks that I will definitly read them in the near future.

[@libbyf51]

@@iri02802I HIGHLY recommend, the trilogy got me out of my like 5 year reading slump😭

[@_dont_mind_me]

@@iri02802The first book didn’t really do it for me but the second and third I couldn’t put down they were really good

[@bhaveerathod2373]

I finished the third book yesterday after reading for like 7 hours straight and I’m in the worst book hangover. Given these are the first books I’ve read in a long time, I’m just afraid I won’t find anything better 😭

[@_sarathedreamer]

Graceling is SUCH an underrated series!! I’ve been a fan of these books for over ten years and it’s STILL one of my favourite ya fantasy series 😌 highly highly recommend!

[@Sirdeln]

Hard agree!!

[@saralynn22]

Fire was my fav of the series ughhhh such good memories from the graceling series

[@_sarathedreamer]

@@saralynn22 omg YES Fire is so good!! Definitely one of my faves too 🥰

[@ThatCrazyBookWyrm]

Yess I love the Graceling books so so much, I recommend them to literally everyone 💖

[@cari_iii]

same here! still a 5 star series to me, will always be one in my heart ♡

[@joelman1989]

Weirdly, I find that Graceling has held up the best for me personally. It’s surprisingly solid storytelling. It avoids a lot of the more weird or cliche tropes. Has a strong female lead that never loses agency and a romantic interest that simply just supports her and is willing to sacrifice for her. No toxicity. Just straight up healthy love interest. Also, love how she ends up using her intellect to defeat the big bad.

[@harshithaarulkumar2611]

I know, right? It’s sad that it’s not mentioned as often as some of the others

[@isafeld]

I loved Graceling so much, and reread it recently and it still hits. Such a good book.

[@Limonenmixgetraenk]

I loved it! As a redhead, I especially loved Fire and I loved the maps. I got really frustrated with the newer books, though (Winterkeep and Seasparrow), since I found that the writing has not evolved much. I still like the earlier books because I feel like my younger self reading them.

[@inge1428]

Yes! Graceling for me personally was the thing that got me back into fantasy and in some ways, back into reading. It still holds up, still one of my favorite books. Love the other books in the series as well, although Seasparrow was disappointing in a way sadly. The change of perspective took a while to get used to.

[@buchbummelant8980]

I am surprised it's so well-beloved because I didn't like it that much when I finished it. Haven't read it for ages though, so maybe I'll give it another shot.

[@WeCreateMore]

Okay... this had me feeling old lol. I'm old enough that my introduction to Cassandra Claire wasn't her published works but her Harry Potter fanfiction (which partially became the City of Bones series), and Twilight and The Hunger Games were the last big YA books I read while still in the YA demographic. But I love how the YA fantasy genre is still going strong today!

[@soot9145]

My sister is now 30 and 9 years older than me. She used to read Tolkien and Potter books when I was a kid. I used to sneak into her room, steal her books and read them in my room. I was a Hunger Games and Divergent teen

[@ESJohnson14]

When she said GoT TV series came out in 2011 I was like wait wut??? 😂

[@smaragdapapadopoulou7807]

Hey, hello, small question since you mentioned CC's fanfic; is it true The Mortal Instruments is based on a Jinni and RON romantic fanfiction..??

[@katierasburn9571]

@@smaragdapapadopoulou7807 yeah....

[@khush7779]

Carry on was experimental but really good. It's so much more than just harry potter fan fiction, it's actually pretty unique and different

[@carefreesloth]

i binged all three books without reading fangirl last year and I'm obsessed. when she was explaining the 'lore' i was lowkey rolling my eyes because it was not as confusing as she kept reexplaining it to be 💀 it's not confusing at all and i really love the universe it's set in. it's way more than just harry potter esque

[@asterismos5451]

I didn't like the sequels as much but I adore Carry On. It really stands on its own, as much as I liked Fangirl.

[@wendyjohnson7763]

Girl finds out she’s special/royalty, gets taken to a different place/castle, there’s some drama with friends and potential love interest. So the princess diaries is a ya fantasy book? I’m here for it

[@pandymandy]

You weren't kidding that tumblr response really was legendary. What a frank, level and respectful way of taking it on the chin and doling back the point without seeming rude. Woman knew what her goal was, and was even fine of falling short in its reception, simply because she tried to do what she 'wanted' to do.

[@nas10iris]

Scott Westerfeld's Uglies is never talked about but it's the books that got me back into reading. It doesn't get enough credit.

[@grimnirnacht]

I loved that series so much

[@mertenshire2202]

I WAS SO HAPPY AND SURPRISED to see Carry On. I just absolutely devoured those books for the first time! So good, so worth it!

[@gaming_mary_addict4380]

Legend my Marie Lu needs a mention in the Dystopian era... It's one of my all time favourite series! Not so popular at this time though!

[@declanmcsherry9368]

Literally is my favorite series of all time! So happy to see others who love this series

[@Lol_notme]

This is such a great deep dive! I would also add the Old kingdom series by Garth Nix and the Dark materials by Phillip Pullman which gets more mature along with Eragon as a gateway to YA fantasy! Grave mercy sounds so cool I may have to give it a read!

[@emilyb.8219]

If you like historical fiction/fantasy, then def read Grave Mercy! It's one of my favorites

[@grimnirnacht]

Oooh the old kingdom series is so underrated. I can't even find the books to buy anymore. I have my own copies, but I don't want to loan them out so I was just going to buy another set for someone. That's a series I'd like to see a TV show done of. It could be so good

[@chrissybooksandberries]

Fantasy stand-alones are really underrated. And it's so nice to read. Wish there were more.

[@victorvale1015]

Year of the reaper is a stand-alone that deserves more attention if you want a rec!

[@shanelholton6715]

The Iron King was my FAVOURITE series in high school, it basically changed my life. I'm so happy to see it in a video because I so rarely hear about it 😭

[@Savvy1718]

Me, too!! Was fully in love with those books, I even got it put on a high school “Read” poster and added to the school library, I was so obsessed 😂

[@akiko575]

Same!! I really got me into reading all these years ago. Ash is still my standard for all book boyfriends. I reread it last year and it does still hold up!

[@tiffanymoton704]

fun fact!! unlike most people who, like you, got back into reading via shadow and bone, my re-introduction to reading as well as my intro to booktube was the wrath and the dawn! that book changed my life lol

[@mietzicore]

For me it was the webtoon adaptation of TW&TD! I devoured the comic and then found out it was based on a book series so it catapulted me right back into the book world haha

[@clairebranscombe3174]

graceling will always have a special place in my heart as being the book that got me into reading

[@radrose4864]

I think Tamara Pierce deserves a huge shout out for being one of the early progenitors of YA fantasy. She wrote tons and tons of awesome books and was my favorite author at one time.

[@mystoreysofstories]

Graceling still holds up! It’s one of my favorite young adult series ever. I’ve read most of these books you’ve mentioned and that one is still my favorite. Thanks for making these in-depth analysis videos! They are very fun to watch.

[@isabellehall9217]

I read 'Carry On' without reading 'Fangirl', and I really liked it. I gathered it was inspired by Harry Potter but I didnt mind.

[@danielleoliver1734]

I love grace mercy and graceling, they still hold up really well and deserve so much more love. Grace Marcy is historical fantasy and that a hard sell for a lot of fantasy readers

[@BrittanyDexter]

Grave Mercy is an all time favorite of mine! Even though I can see how the historical aspects might be a bit heavy, it was such a cool take on the 'fated assassin' trope that it will always have a special place for me. 🙂

[@mayalewis7549]

Yea i agree because its was historical i know a lot of people turned away from it buf i really enjoyed the series

[@emilyb.8219]

I loved the historical aspect of it, but history was also my favorite class in school so that tracks. And what I really like about Grave Mercy is that despite it taking place in the medieval era, the main character has agency and it isn't just constant fear for her safety as a woman.

[@Mia_M]

I was introduced to Twilight right as I was hitting my reading peak. The girls in my girl scout troop were all reading/or had read it, and were talking about the casting of the upcoming movie. One of the girls started reading it aloud as we were driving to our campsite, and I remember sneaking the book that night and read like 10 chapters. She hid the book after that because she didn't like that I read ahead, and then my brother bought all of the books for me a month later. I even put notecards in the first book to mark my favorite passages. The series is also how I made friends with my best friend in 8th grade.

[@hallemilyj]

I first read Graceling in 2012 and the series remains one of my favorites. Fire is still one of the best books I've ever read. ❤

[@reemxahmed]

Oh my god! Fire had me CRYING IN THE SHOWER when *that* happened

[@livmachado]

Being Brazilian and watching this video is kind of strange because here the books took some time to arrive, and I remember that Twilight was famous around 2009, and City of Bones started to become famous here in 2013. Nowadays, the delay is much smaller (Fourth Wing will be published here next year), but that was one of the things that made me want to learn English to read the releases.

[@luanapires4464]

Yesss I totally agree! Although I think the most popular books remained being distopian YA series. I feel like fantasy YA has surpassed it by now, but I’m not sure when…

[@g100-w6j]

sameeee I'm not from Brazil but I remember like 10/10+ years ago how books took from 1-2 to 2+ years to get published and basically take off. also just not too many series got translated and published for us as they r now

[@vincentalvarado7058]

The Rainbow Rowell name drop gave me whiplash to my ex pulling out Carry On on a flight and reading the whole thing in five hours during the trip.

[@isabelle8284]

Thinking back, Raven Boys really was marketed to fit right into the special girl era. The first one specifically at least. Wow, did it turn out to be so much more :D

[@g100-w6j]

like those really r my boys and my girl woahhh they really r my babies

[@kkrawkxsocks]

Justice for Carry On!!! Literally my favorite book of all time! You don’t need to read fangirl to enjoy it lol, it just adds extra context

[@dvckduckgoose]

I'm so glad you discovered Grave Mercy!! It's one of my favourite series it's so freaking good. I've been raving about it for years trying to get everyone to read it

[@joydrop7]

Grave Mercy is WELL worth the read! It’s fantastic! And soooooooo dark! I loved it

[@RociosLibrary]

Was scrolling the comments for this! Thank you! I will add it to my TBR.

[@geovanawarbez5750]

Omg YES!!! One of my favs

[@ymor5087]

Graceling, Grave Mercy series, Cinder series, the Iron Fey, oh man you hit on so many books I used to love! Maggie Stievfater still one of my fave authors. And I loved those AG Howard books also.

[@thebitsnbooks]

The Mirror's Visitor is just so exceptional (and Six of Crows is amazing too) 😍 And I discovered today that I'm so more mainstream than I thought I was because I read almost all of them in the last 3 years 😂

[@mittag983]

Especially Six of Crows is mainstream

[@luiiiandmovieee]

The mortal instruments still have a special place in my heart. I read them around 2017 when I was 15 and I loved all the characters and the vibes of this fantasy concept so much (I still do). These books really got me into reading. Before I was too lazy ngl. Also Cassandra Clare's writing style really influenced my own (I'm a writer btw) and I just love the way she describes characters and their personalities. It feels very real

[@g100-w6j]

damn you're just like meeeee😩 the only difference being is that I read the mortal instruments in 2014 (after that the other books in the Shadowhunter universe lol and later on other YA books/series)

[@luiiiandmovieee]

@@g100-w6j

[@kayjmal]

These retrospective videos are making me feel so nostalgic for my teen years where I could read all day long without a care in the world! It's so rare for a book to pull me in the way they did 10+ years ago...

[@honeyfaewoman]

The Iron King series really began my love for reading. I read the whole series pretty quickly for being 14.

[@Sirdeln]

I still love the graveling books so much and feel like they've just gotten better and better as the series goes on! I also love that every book is a standalone so I can go back to whichever I'm feeling the vibe of

[@crimewizards]

god no one talks about graceling and that book was INSANE. like i remember it being good and i remember the plot twists kind of hitting, but straight up i never heard anyone talk about it past 2012. it was big enough to get a graphic novel and everything. but past then i never heard ANYTHING

[@mousegrey6747]

I also like the next book in the series, fire, but unfortunately lose interest when we get to bitterblue’s story

[@zynpkrdg]

the way i'm not even interested in this but you're making me watch a whole video about it speaks volumes, this keeps happening with your videos i can't even.

[@christina_the_reader]

I loveee Grave Mercy, book 2 following the assassin nun Sybella is 🔥🔥🔥 I honestly think it’s not as popular because it leans more historical fiction featuring paranormal powered assassin nuns. It’s also a bit slower compared to more popular fast-pace ya fantasy. Still recommend though for fans of Graceling and Kiss of Deception.

[@this_side_]

I was going to say this! Grave Mercy and the other books are political historical fiction with some romance and fantastical elements, but even then, the fantasy aspects are more spiritual. I definitely recommend!

[@Imhrien]

Its a great series, but your right, it is very slow, atmospheric and character centric than most popular YA. Even I took a long time to get through them, it isn't what I would call an attention grabbing exciting read.

[@leahharlann]

I KNEW you couldn't neglect my bestie Graceling in a video about YA fantasy!! This book remains one of my favorite fantasy books of all time and was incredibly influential on my reading preferences to this day (just like Shadow and Bone was for you). Cinda Williams Chima definitely deserves the shout out as well, so glad to see you giving them the respect!! Funny enough, I fell off reading YA right during early 2012 during the dystopian era's fade out so I missed most of this Golden Age lol.

[@Chimervera]

This made me feel ancient...I'm old enough to have had Cassie Claire fans send me death threats when I criticised her Draco trilogy back on LiveJournal 😂 When her Mortal Instruments books were first announced there was a lot of discussion along the lines of "wait, she's getting the *ron/ginny* fic published???" My intro to fantasy was the Old Kingdom series, His Dark Materials, Narnia, Redwall, The Dark Is Rising, The Hobbit, Tortall, and a little bit of Pratchett.

[@roseiorillo2832]

Not enough people have read the Old Kingdom series, in my opinion.

[@alicianichols6757]

Ron/Ginny fic???

[@Ykibmh]

​@@alicianichols6757 from other threads, I heard that she wrote a fanfic of Ron and ginny in a romantic relationship... Without changing the fact they were siblings, apparently

[@viktoriae1622]

Great summary/ analysis. Just wanted to add that 2011 brought some more things to the table. The shatter me series was insanely popular (still is due to Booktok! I actaully think this is another case of a book becoming more popular later down the line) and daughter of smoke and bone.

[@books-blackcats]

Oh my god, Grave Mercy is sooooo slept on. There’s three books and another duology, please give it a shot. Seriously one of my favorite books of all time.

[@mayalewis7549]

Yes i agree i had so much fun binging the series

[@emilyb.8219]

I'm so happy to see other people love Grave Mercy, nobody else I know has read it so I just have to enjoy it on my own 🥲 I just read the duology a few months ago too

[@calliecox4417]

I have the audiobooks on repeat in my car. They are WONDERFUL.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

Man, I was there for the first wave of this. Loved it. Before that and during and after, it was animals. Anthropomorphic or otherwise.

[@gabz49242]

Tamora Pierce really did a lot to shape my tweens and early teens with her Wild Magic series. I also am watching this like, yes, I was in high school in 2007 and totally remember all this.

[@taryndancer29]

​@@gabz49242I was also in high school in 2007. What an era that was 😅 good times though!

[@jannekewade-dejong2773]

I know that the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy was also a popular fantasy read with the first one being released in 2011. Never read it but want to give it a try. Thanks Leonie for bringing us down memory lane!

[@kendra_kat]

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a gem!

[@Imhrien]

Read it! that was such a fun and refreshing series that did some very different things with the same old tropes.

[@morganamomo]

The demon king series (seven realms) and the graceling series are both sooo good, I read them when they first came out and recently reread them and they both hold up 👍🏻

[@nonyabizness956]

I started my fantasy journey early because of my mom, she read me Narnia, Harry Potter, even Lord Of The Rings before I could read books so big myself and it motivated me to read above my grade level so I could read these amazing stories myself. Eragon was the first book series I read completely on my own and I was so excited to see it mentioned here. It will forever hold a special plce in my heart, although I reread it recently and I will say I don't know what my mom was thinking letting me read those books on my own at such a young age. I'm surprised I didn't remember much of the darker elements of the story 😅 but nonetheless I enjoyed them as an adult just as much as I did back then, they're just good fun!

[@dancer8541]

My boyfriend is currently writing a fantasy book, and as he's writing it and i keep reading the drafts, I keep saying to him "The Book Leo" would love this! You're one of the first people I want to send the book to when its finished, just love your approach to analyzing literature!

[@hereshoneybunny5830]

This video is so well researched I'm really impressed! I super recommend The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater; yes they are YA fantasy but they were my all time fave books in my early twenties, they're about ley lines and dead welsh kings and a house full of lovely eccentric mystics

[@g100-w6j]

I read the raven cycle series like 2-3 years ago after hearing about it for yearssss and I wanna say you're so right. they all r my lovable traumatized eccentric funny children who I love very very much and it truly is a more lowkey ya fantasy (??) idk how to explain it

[@madi7178]

Maggie Stiefvater’s writing style is so completely above any other fantasy writing style so it kind of upsets me when it gets lumped together with other fantasy writing that feels rather low tier. Love all her books!

[@brisur4384]

I loved your video! I remeber reading a lot of those, such good memories! I did read Graceling and it was amazing! The girl lives in a world where some people have a power, a "special grace". But the plot twist of what her really grace was is amazing! It makes you re-think all the situations that happened before in the book!

[@hanniontherun]

I really do love these types of videos! You can totally see that you put a lot of work and love into these and it brings me so much joy to think about all the things I read back in my teenage years :D

[@Teehee863]

The Throne of glass series will always hold the biggest place in my heart, being a teen during the golden age was a time to be alive

[@elskabee]

You are not alone in your Twilight opinions! as someone who has read the Twilight Saga an obscene amount of times (when I was a teen) I can say for sure that if the vampires weren't there then there's no way I would have read those books

[@tal8762]

Enjoyed this video so much! I’m not young, but fairly new to YA Fantasy. I decided to explore some you discussed & I started City of Bones (Mortal Instruments, book 1) & I’m LOVING it! Thank you!

[@andreaskaliks8664]

These retrospective/analysis videos are my favorite!!! Please keep doing them. They are so good!

[@cferg3445]

Loved this! Eragon was the book that got me into reading :)

[@milchreis9554]

I still love Hex Hall, it's a guilty pleasure I read once a year. Since the Ex Hex blew up, written by the same author, I think it's time for you all to rediscover Hex Hall.

[@elizabethc.9910]

I love these types of videos you do, and this one in particular because fantasy (both YA and adult) is my favorite! Also, I just started reading The Cruel Prince yesterday, mainly because it is one of your favorites, and so far, I really like it! I can't wait to read more of it tonight!

[@kirathompsoncarr9458]

I don't know how big it was outside of my own family because I was just a sapling, but the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix is definitely a high-fantasy coming-of-age story of a "chosen" girl. The first book was released in 1995, so maybe it came out a little too early for its own good

[@rythezooguy5866]

OMG I just stumbled across your video as I am re-reading 'Rebel of the sands'!! YA fantasy definitely has had a huge impact on my favourite books now (and I am in my mid-20s). Amazing video!!

[@Asomii]

Now i want to see the retrospective on retro paranormal romances (as a prequel to these two videos from the series), unless it is available and im simply too blind to notice.

[@connyp7979]

I love your content. I’m new to Booktube so I followed the popular girls and it’s a lot of book hauls, my TBR this month and what I read. I love that content too but yours has actually taught me alot of things. I’m happy I learned about the fantasy genre. I’m reading my first one, Fourth Wing. I think I’ll like it because I know nothing about fantasy and I’m thinking that’s who the book caters to.

[@aberdeen0107]

If you like analytical content I’d also recommend Merphy Napier! Especially her series “dear authors”

[@jmsl_910]

you found a really smart & well-read person on this channel. and she's adorable

[@retitauts186]

One of my best friends is a massive Carry on fan but she has never read or even heard of Fangirl so it also went the other way around

[@Alkron1]

As a fantasy lover/aspiring writer I loved this video, fantasy has changed my life for the better, (Redwall and warriors are the books I started with 😂, still read them,)

[@quileshawebber9185]

Your channel brings me so much joy! and i am so impressed by how much effort you put into giving us a fun presentation! ❤

[@elmeelee4109]

thank you leonie. I feel so honored to have lived through this niche part of history. 2015 was one of my best years despite having horrible stuff occurring around me because of how much YA fantasy took off. I remember autumn of 2015 being incredible for me because of the releases of Six of Crows, Carry On, An Ember in the Ashes, ACOTAR, Queen of Shadows, Twilight Life and Death. That year was a great time to be alive

[@Hvm02]

i just watched my life flash before my eyes. this was essentially a breakdown of my formative years from early middle school to high school and my addiction to booktube (which was THE SOURCE of the circulation and hype of most of the YA genre, which was usually all that was ever discussed).

[@aglae1912]

Actually, "Carry on" was the name of the fic that "Fangirl"'main character was writing. The name of the made up Harry Potter saga was "Simon Snow" (name of the hero, how Harry Potter of Rowell). So when the book Carry on is actually published it is supposedly not even the "original" simon snow series, but the fanfiction writen by Cas herself. Which makes it even more meta and also explains why it starts with the characters being already in year 7 at school :)

[@duckzilla2009]

From someone who was a bit out of the young adult age in 2007 - we went through the vampire and fantasy phases anyway, with young or just in their setting inexperiences characters - worked well, too :)

[@VideogamesWorld93]

A 38 minutes analysis video? I’m totally in :)

[@dupsy_darling]

The Grave Mercy series is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I find it sad that it is not as popular as it deserves to be.

[@cleowithmayo9359]

To make the Rainbow Rowell situation weirder, Carry On isn’t even the book from Fangirl. The fictional novels are actually called The Simon Snow series. Carry On is, in theory, the fanfic that Cath, the MC of Fangirl, writes.

[@nozomisouffle]

the Fangirl/Carry On explanation was so useful, I joined booktwt back when the 3rd book was being released and after looking at the cover I could swear it was 1D fanfiction (I don't know a thing about 1D/HS, but one of the characters wore a shirt with flowers and I said "oh so that must be the copyright free version of Harry Styles")

[@hildemaciuleviciute5842]

Don’t worry you’re not the only one who liked the vampire aspect of “Twilight” 😁 I read “Twilight” when I was around the same age and I hated the romance, but really loved the bits where the author gave us information to how different vampire families interact or how werewolve packs work.

[@matastrakova2179]

I love this type of videos, always so nostalgic. Hope you´ll make one about paranormal romances as well.

[@jazg3950]

I’m shook hex hall made it onto this list, I loved that series but I’ve never ever heard anyone else mention it

[@alyssaj6579]

Throne of glass and ACOTAR happened to come into my life when I really needed them to. Theres so much in the books surrounding over coming trauma, and believing in yourself, etc. The ACOTAR series allowed me to see a strong female character who had problems, trauma who manages to grow and become powerful in her own right. Thats why I love them so much

[@witchymary5246]

Wait, I thought Carry on (the actual book by Rainbow Rowell) was supposed to be the Fanfiction and not the normal Carry On (as in the book in Fangirl)

[@ri7031]

Yeah, it’s definitely meant to be the fan fiction Cath writes! The series in the book was just called Simon Snow, with the same title style of harry potter

[@itisjulia]

I love when you do these types of videos! Also, I think one of the reasons why The Mortal Instruments initially was marketed to YA fans of fantasy rather than fans of paranormal romance was because they wanted to capture the Harry Potter audience as they aged out of middle grade books (Cassandra Clare was originally a popular Harry Potter fanfiction writer, one of her fanfiction series was even called The Mortal Instruments). So I feel like the growing popularity of YA fantasy is due to a kind of amalgamation of the popularity of both Harry Potter and Twilight.

[@madi7178]

How is no one talking about Cinder here? Literally still obsessed with that series!

[@majap1458]

I really appreciate, that you do all this diagrams and tabels, and look for all of this information to tell us about. I know that you probably do it for yourself too, but I still appreciate your "digging" in the different sites and sources

[@irissu02]

Carry on is still one of my favorite book (and now trilogy) and I made a friend of mine read it without reading fangirl and she still loved it a looot. Indeed carry on explain a lot it’s universe and what « happened » in the earlier books of the series that doesn’t exist 😂😂 which is why some people didn’t like it as much because it felt too long to set the story (with Baz taking his time to finally appear). And like some of people said : carry on by rainbow Rowell was described by her as her own fan fiction of the fan fiction cath wrote. Fan fiction which is the character own gay version of the final book of a series which isn’t out yet, so it resolves the series plot too. (Also this fictional book serie isn’t really Harry Potter because Harry Potter also exist in fangirl, the Simon snow series is just one that has gotten as much popularity so that’s why the plot end up being verrryyy different)

[@elizabook]

Love your thorough breakdowns of genres! I feel the amount of research and effort you put into your videos and reading interest really makes you stand out from every other bookTuber I've seen. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in to share this content. I really appreciate it and watch all your videos. You have inspired me in many ways to be myself and to romanticise my life through self-expression and enjoyment. 💕 Thank you Leonie. 🥰 xx

[@rowanwhitethorn9686]

I feel like shadow and bone just had such rich, unique lore comparably to other series. It was a bit darker than the others. Throne of glass…idk.

[@zeinasherif826]

I have been binging your channel for the last day and you have the best booktube content ever!! I have never found a person with the same book taste as me until you. This series of videos about the trends of ya is my fav

[@emr2220]

loved the graceling books when i was growing up 🫶