Young Adult fantasy novels have long enthralled the young and old alike, so much so that publishers and booksellers have had to create a category called New Adult fantasy for the slightly spicier reads. But these books have the same things in common that make them hard to put down for readers of any age–strong female heroines, rag-tag bands of realm-saving misfits, brooding anti-heroes, magical creatures, and mystical worlds. Not to mention enough faeries, vampires, sorcerers, and winged males to poke a stick at.
What really excites fantasy readers is when the characters and worlds pictured entirely in their heads are made flesh onscreen. Is it exactly how you pictured it, or would you have expected something different? Hot on the heels of Netflix's Shadow and Bone, Amazon Prime's The Wheel of Time, and HBO's His Dark Materials comes a slew of new YA fantasy book adaptations currently in the works.
Vampire Academy
Richelle Mead's six-book series is set to become a TV show over at Peacock with the first season expected to be released in late 2022. Vampire Academy follows the lives of dhampir (that's half-human half-vampire) Rose Hathaway and her best friend, Moroi princess Lissa Dragomir. The Moroi, who are a peaceful race of vampires, are under constant threat from the Strigoi, the bloodthirsty, murderous kind. Under the guidance of the hunky Dimitri Belikov, Rose trains to become Lissa's guardian with her skills being put to the test before she even graduates.
Vampire-obsessed fans will recognize showrunner Julie Plec from another bloodsucking show–The Vampire Diaries. While the series are unrelated (TVD is based on the novels by L.J. Smith), it's safe to say Plec knows what she's doing when it comes to teen-vamp drama. Plec will be accompanied in her role by Marguerite MacIntyre, better known to TVD fans as Sheriff Forbes. Fans are hoping to see a much-improved adaptation of the Vampire Academy series after the 2014 film adaptation was met with disappointment. The main cast has been set with Sisi Stringer taking on the role of Rose, Daniela Nieves as Lissa, and Kieron Moore as Dimitri.
A Court Of Thorns And Roses
YA fantasy romance powerhouse Sarah J Maas is set to bring her A Court Of Thorns And Roses series to the screen. The story follows human huntress Feyre who accidentally kills a fae shifter when out hunting to feed her family. Feyre is subject to the ire of Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, and must go with him to make amends for her crime. But once she crosses into the world of the fae, her life irrevocably changes. Enter Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court and Tamlin's number one enemy. Which side will Feyre choose?
The news that the five-book series would be adapted for TV was leaked by the author's husband via Instagram. He posted a seemingly innocent photo of a sandwich, but eagle-eyed fans spotted a notebook in the background that read "ACOTAR TV adaptation notes." Oops! The next day, Maas officially shared the news, telling fans that she would be working with Ronald D. Moore, the creator of Outlander, to adapt the series. The project is currently still in development, but fans hope to see their favorite fae on Hulu sometime in 2023.
Children Of Blood And Bone
Tomi Adeyemi's West African mythology-inspired tale is headed to the big screen. Children Of Blood And Bone takes place in Orisha, a land once rich with magic until a vengeful king killed all the maji. Zelie's mother was one of those maji, and now she's out for revenge. With the help of rogue Princess Amari, Zelie harnesses her powers to take down the oppressive kingdom and restore magic to the land. She must go up against Crown Prince Inan with both her head and her heart.
In 2022, Paramount Pictures managed to snag the movie rights for the two-book series off Lucasfilm which had let them lapse. Adeyemi has signed on as a writer and executive producer and has also announced that the third book in the series would be released in 2023. Could fans be getting a Children Of Blood And Bone movie trilogy?
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard's four-book series is currently in development for TV at Peacock. Red Queen is set in a world where the color of your blood reflects your status. Red-blooded people are the common folk, while Silver-bloods are the elite who are imbued with supernatural powers. Mare Barrow's blood may run Red but she has the power of a Silver. Once inside the Silvers' sanctum, Mare uses her position to help the Scarlett guard, bringing down the empire from within.
Elizabeth Banks has jumped on the project as producer alongside Max Handelman, and is rumored to be starring in the series too. Aveyard will be co-writing the adaptation with Arrow writer Beth Schwartz. She announced news of the adaptation via Instagram in May 2021, so hopefully, fans won't have to wait too much longer.
Ninth House
Following on from the success of Shadow and Bone, author Leigh Bardugo is bringing another of her series to the screen. Ninth House is unique because it's an urban YA fantasy story, set in New Haven, Connecticut. It follows the story of Alex Stern who goes through a series of dark and dangerous events before ending up at Yale. Charged by Lethe House to monitor the secret magical societies of Yale, Alex must tap into some dark magic to get the job done. There are ghosts and demons too.
In 2021, Bardugo announced via Instagram that Amazon Studios would be adapting the two-book series for TV. In June 2021 she let fans know that she would be going on social media hiatus to work on adaption, serving as a writer and executive producer. If Shadow and Bone is anything to go on, fans are in for a treat.
Beasts Of Prey
Within days of her first book's release in 2021, Ayana Gray announced a movie adaptation. The East African mythology-inspired tale follows the story of Koffi, who harbors a secret power that is begging to be unleashed, and Ekon, who must prove himself an elite warrior. Koffi and Ekon enter the Greater Jungle in search of the vicious monster Shetani, who kills anyone who dares to enter. They intend to achieve their goals by slaying the monster, but they must work together.
Beasts of Prey is set to be adapted into a film by Netflix. SVU writer Melody Cooper will be working on the adaptation alongside Gray, who has been busy writing the second book in the series. Beasts of Ruin will be released in July 2022, with the first installment hopefully hitting screens not too long after.