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Quick answer: If you loved Graceling, read Kristin Cashore's Fire and Bitterblue, then Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass, then Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, and Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Rae Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns. All are fierce fantasy with strong heroines.
Kristin Cashore's 2008 debut follows Katsa, a young woman with a deadly gift. These picks offer the same blend of action and romance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Kristin Cashore | Teen | moral dilemmas |
| Bitterblue | Kristin Cashore | Teen | ruling as a heroine |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | 14+ | older teens who like fantasy romance |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | 13+ | fans of a girl chosen for a destiny |
| Eragon | Christopher Paolini | 12+ | older readers ready for long epics |
| The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Rae Carson | Teen | coming-of-age fantasy |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 14+ | readers who like court intrigue |
| Cinder | Marissa Meyer | 12+ | fairy-tale and sci-fi fans |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | 14+ | readers who like court politics |
| An Ember in the Ashes | Sabaa Tahir | 14+ | older teens who like high-stakes fantasy |
| Six of Crows | Leigh Bardugo | 14+ | readers who like heists and ensemble casts |
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Adult | readers who like fairy-tale fantasy |
| The Wrath and the Dawn | Renée Ahdieh | 14+ | readers who like romantic retellings |
| Truthwitch | Susan Dennard | Teen | friend-focused fantasy |
| Dragon Slippers | Jessica Day George | 10-14 | readers who like clever girls and fairy tales |
1. Fire by Kristin Cashore
A woman with powers of mind control in a kingdom of colorful monsters is feared and desired. A companion to Graceling.
Best for: moral dilemmas.
2. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
A young queen discovers the secrets of her father's reign. Slower, but thoughtful.
Best for: ruling as a heroine.
3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena Sardothien, an assassin, is offered freedom if she wins a competition to be the king's champion. Romance, mystery and magic.
Best for: older teens who like fantasy romance.
4. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Alina Starkov discovers a power that could free her war-torn land from the Fold, a belt of darkness. The Russian-inspired setting and the Grisha magic system give it a fresh feel.
Best for: fans of a girl chosen for a destiny.
5. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A farm boy finds a blue stone that hatches into the dragon Saphira and becomes a Dragon Rider in a war-torn land. It is longer and more serious, with a strong human-dragon bond.
Best for: older readers ready for long epics.
6. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
A princess with a hidden power marries a king. Gritty and coming-of-age.
Best for: coming-of-age fantasy.
7. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a Red girl with a Silver power, is forced into a deadly court. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, is drawn into a royal plot in a futuristic Cinderella story. Quick and inventive, with sequels.
Best for: fairy-tale and sci-fi fans.
9. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude, raised among faeries, wants a place at the High King's court even as the faeries torment her. Intrigue and betrayal.
Best for: readers who like court politics.
10. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Laia, a slave, and Elias, a soldier, face a brutal empire modeled on ancient Rome. Dark and intense, with two points of view.
Best for: older teens who like high-stakes fantasy.
11. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kaz Brekker leads a team of misfits on an impossible heist in the city of Ketterdam. It has a diverse crew, banter, danger and twisty plotting.
Best for: readers who like heists and ensemble casts.
12. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Agnieszka is taken by the Dragon, a wizard, to his tower, and discovers the Wood is a threat. A dark fairy tale with Polish roots.
Best for: readers who like fairy-tale fantasy.
13. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
A One Thousand and One Nights retelling, in which Shahrzad volunteers to marry a killer-king. Romantic and rich.
Best for: readers who like romantic retellings.
14. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Two friends with magical gifts flee a political plot. Fast, with banter and a strong friendship.
Best for: friend-focused fantasy.
15. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Creel, a poor seamstress, is sent to be a dragon's prize and ends up wearing magical slippers that change her fate. Clever heroine, fairy-tale feel and dragons with personality.
Best for: readers who like clever girls and fairy tales.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Graceling: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Graceling. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For more Cashore, read Fire or Bitterblue. For fantasy with fighters, try Throne of Glass or Shadow and Bone. For high-stakes quests, pick Eragon.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Graceling?
Kristin Cashore, in 2008.
Is it a series?
Yes, the Graceling Realm.
What age is it for?
Teens 14 and up.