Step into a world where tinsel and magic collide in the most enchanting way possible! If you’re ready to ditch reality for a while and embark on a festive journey filled with fae, witches, and maybe even a mischievous snowman or two, you’ve just stumbled upon the perfect holiday reading list. Get cozy with a cup of cocoa and join us on an adventure through our list of 20 YA Christmas Fantasy Books. From snow-covered kingdoms to yuletide spells, these books are the secret ingredients to sprinkle some extra sparkle into your holiday season. So, grab your Santa hat, cue the jingle bells, and let the holiday reading marathon begin!
If You Like The Nutcracker
The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Louise Wallwork
Clara has her future perfectly planned: marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler, and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.
Midnight In Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
Marietta longs to be a ballerina but, as Christmas draws nearer, her dancing days are numbered – she must marry and take up her place in society in the New Year. But, when a mysterious toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier, purchases a neighboring townhouse, it heralds the arrival of magic and wonder in Marietta’s life.
Winterspell by Claire Legrand
After her mother is brutally murdered, seventeen-year-old Clara Stole is determined to find out what happened to her. Then her father is abducted and her little sister’s life is threatened, and Clara accidentally frees Nicholas from a statue that has been his prison for years.
If You Like A Christmas Carol
The Afterlife Of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t. And then she died. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable. But this year’s Scrooge is different. This year’s Scrooge might change everything…
If You Like The Chronicles of Narnia
A Soul As Cold As Frost by Jennifer Kropf
Helen understood tragedy better than most kids growing up. She knew what it was like to wear clothes from donation bins and be mocked in school. She thought those brutal experiences made her ready for anything, but when an encounter leaves her able to see a species of invisible people walking among us, and a young, handsome Winter guardian appears to aid her in a crisis, all the holiday legends she heard as a child begin to haunt her.
If You Like Fairytale Retellings
Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Snow has spent her life locked in the Whittaker Psychiatric Institute, but deep down, she knows she doesn’t belong there. When she meets a mysterious new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree, she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.
Girls Made Of Glass And Snow by Melissa Bashardoust
Lynet looks just like her late mother, but Lynet would rather be like her stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Lynet must decide what to do to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.
Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
Once upon a time, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left to wither and die after the Snow Queen encased it in ice. Its former citizens are now refugees. Which is why crown prince Alex and his protectors are stuck in… Arizona.
The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, and Vasya fears what this may bring. Indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed to protect her family.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Aislinn has always seen faeries. One of them, Keenan, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. And if Aislinn does not accept, she will be cursed as the Winter Queen.
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her childhood fantasies are slipping away. But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her.
The Sisters Of The Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
As dark forces close in on their village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realize the old fairy tales are true…and could save them all.
If You Like Epic ‘Winter Is Coming’ Vibes
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Barlett
Once Ekata’s brother is finally named heir to the dukedom of Kylma Above, there will be nothing to keep her at home with her murderous family. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness, and no one can find a cure.
Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
The Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.
The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen
As a hidden twin princess, born second, Meren has only one purpose―to sacrifice her life for sister’s if death comes for her. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets Meren by mistake. As Meren tries to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just her lies. The Shadowraith who took her has secrets of his own.
A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
Ophelia’s ability to read the past of objects is unmatched and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, an influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted.
The Bright And The Pale by Jessica Rubinkowski
Valeria is one of the only survivors of the freeze, a dark magical hold Knnot Mountain unleashed on her village. She finds refuge with the Thieves Guild, doing odd jobs with her best friend, Alik, until he is brutally murdered. A year later, she discovers Alik is alive and being held captive. To buy his freedom, she must lead a group of cutthroats and thieves on a perilous expedition to the very mountain that claimed her family.
Seasons Of The Storm by Elle Cosimano
One cold, crisp night, Jack Sommers was faced with a choice—live forever according to the ancient, magical rules of Gaia, or die. Jack chose to live, and in exchange, he became a Winter—an immortal physical embodiment of the season on Earth. Every year, he must hunt the Season who comes before him. Winter kills Autumn, and Spring kills Winter. Until Winter and Spring fall in love.
We hope these YA Christmas Fantasy books have transported you to realms where gingerbread houses hold secrets, and every snowfall brings with it a sprinkle of enchantment. Whether you found yourself in the company of daring protagonists, mischievous magical creatures, or simply lost in the mesmerizing landscapes of these fantastical worlds, one thing’s for sure – the holiday spirit has woven its spell through every chapter, making your holiday season a little more extraordinary. Until next time, happy reading, and may your days be merry and bright!
Legends & Lore Books 