YA fantasy has romanticized the fae so much that they're now associated with humanoid sexy beings rather than the nasty, inhuman tricksters of yore. While the fae characters in this list may also be complex beings that are sometimes smoochable, they are definitely not tender or selfless, and you can tell. Beware, as these stories have a darker tone. The YA category doesn't necessarily mean it's appropriate for young children.
As much as possible, I only included books wherein the fae are actually monstrous.
1. Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter [YA fantasy]
Josh and Ksenia are two codependent foster siblings who have nobody else in the world to rely on but each other. This is hard enough, but then they unwittingly stumble into the world of fae. Ksenia will do anything to save her brother, so she follows him into this nightmarish parallel world that's almost like a mirror of their own if not for the house that tries to eat them and the doppelgangers who try to kill them.
The only person left to save them is their mutual friend Lexi (a girl who, I might add, has forever held a torch for Ksenia). But they've got to deal with their own inner demons and each other, on top of escaping this world.
🌙
Look, this book is BRILLIANT BUT IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. Let me establish that outright. This book was marketed incorrectly. It's not a court fantasy like The Cruel Prince. It is dark, vicious, and handles some very, very heavy topics. It is a difficult but refreshing read, one that will outright horrify you. And I don't just mean the fae monsters (which are, by the way, really nightmare-inducing). I also mean Josh and Ksenia, their incestuous relationship, and how much trauma they've been through. It is not for everyone. But if you can handle that, I think you will be amazed at how this book still finds the light at the end of the tunnel of darkness.
2. Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng [Adult fantasy]
Catherine's brother is a missionary on an evangelical trip to the fae world when he vanishes. Desperate for answers, Catherine travels there to find him. This land is sinister and vicious, full of creatures that will kill her. She waits in an isolated castle, the last place her brother was located, and investigates while she's stuck inside. There, she discovers that the previous missionary had also gone missing. There are secrets about the fae, her brother, and herself that are horrific beyond imagining...
🌙
This is a gorgeous gothic novel. Slow-paced, atmospheric, and utterly lush. It really harkens back to the gothic classics with the spooky isolated castle, the heroine solving a mystery, the dark and forbidden romance, and the themes of family, religion, and madness. Ng's worldbuilding is also incredibly unique and alien. I'm amazed at her ideas!
My only complaint is that the middle half is bogged down by a sluggish pace and endless theological discussions. If you're already a classics fan, though, then this may not bother you. But if you prefer fast-paced fantasies, you should be ready.
3. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland [YA horror]
Sisters Iris, Vivi, and Grey vanished as children, only to be found a month later in the exact same spot. Their hair turned white, their eyes turned black, and they remembered nothing. They grew up into beautiful women: Grey, a world-renowned supermodel; Vivi, a punk rock musician; Iris, a seventeen-year-old with a codependent mother who wants to be the normal kid for once, who wants to go to college and become a doctor.
But they're weird. Mysterious. Other people are drawn to them in ways they don't understand.
When Iris's oldest sister Grey goes missing and Iris starts getting hunted down by a man in a deer mask, she bands with Vivi to find Grey. As they investigate, they come to realize that Grey holds too many secrets... about herself, about them, about what happened that month they disappeared.
And maybe to find her, they have to go back.
🌙
I have to admit that this was originally a cover buy, but it didn't disappoint. Sutherland's prose was utterly mesmerizing. This novel is dark, beautiful, and horrifying. It went so much farther than I expected... and I was delighted! But don't think it's all grim. It has its humor, and Grey's boyfriend Tyler always made me laugh. This one is light on the romance. It's really a story about the bonds of sisterhood, and how far we go for family.
4. The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell [Adult fantasy]
England, 1810. Loxley wakes up in the middle of a faerie ring on a remote York moor, with no recollection of the past week. He's saved by Thorncress, a lonesome Traveller with an affinity for breaking fae curses. But as Loxley heads back home to London, he's spirited away again, and both men realize whatever fae had cursed him wants him desperately, and has set its claws in deep. Soon, they realize the only way to break his curse is to return to its roots... Loxley's childhood home, and the pale monster that's been haunting his dreams...
The two men grow close, and Loxley is increasingly drawn to Thorncress' stability and soft heart. But Thorncress is a tortured man hiding his own fae curses, and Loxley might have to risk his life to save him too.
This is the only novella on this list, so it's good for when you need a quick read for a spooky autumn evening. With a soft mm romance and Powell's beautiful writing, you'll be transported into Northern England: the endless moors, the skeletal trees, the wind whispering your name... This book is heavy on the romance, rather than fantasy, but its portrayal of the ancient fae is horrific and otherworldly. Definitely more accurate to the classic folklore, compared to what you usually see in the romantic fantasy sphere nowadays.
5. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black [YA fantasy]
Jude and her siblings were spirited away into the fae world as children and were raised as the adoptive children of Madoc, a renowned fae general who was once married to Jude's mother. Being a human girl around young fae is difficult; they hate her, torture her, and bully her relentlessly. And thus, an angry seed is planted in young Jude's heart. She no longer wants to be powerless. She wants to be powerful. To be feared.
The opportunity presents itself when Jude is offered to be the king's spy. But the line to the throne is all tangled, and the fae will gladly hack off branches to reach the top. And there Jude discovers she is a shrewd woman, a warrior, an underdog. She will become a kingmaker and control the throne at all costs, even if that means switching allegiances and betraying those she loves.
🌙
Okay, some of you may think this is a cop-out. But we must give Black credit where it's due. As much as her fae are beautiful, they are also petty, vicious, and violent creatures. They gleefully torment Jude and her sister. They'd kill her if they could. They murder their own kind Game of Thrones style just to wield the crown. The delicious enemies to lovers romance aside, this trilogy has morally gray characters everywhere, brilliant political intrigue, and incredibly detailed worldbuilding. As many treasures as there are, I wouldn't want to live in Holly Black's fae world. They'd rip me apart as a joke and laugh. And that's why it deserves a place on this list.
Are there any other books with dark, vicious fae that you'd love to recommend? Drop a comment below!
🌙🌙🌙
