Book picks similar to
The Heir Apparent by Lauren DeStefano


young-adult
fantasy
dystopian
science-fiction

The Meeting


Richelle Mead - 2013
    A scene from the first book of the Vampire Academy series, as told from Dimitri's point of view.

Ambition


Lee Strauss - 2012
    He’s taken up his dead father’s cause, speaking out and protesting against unfair GAP policies that are responsible for the massive social divide between wealthy GAPs and poorer naturals.If only he could keep his mind off of perfect Zoe Vanderveen, daughter of the GAP family his mother works for.And can he really fill his father’s shoes?Ambition is a free short story prequel (5K- approx. 20 pages) to Perception, capturing the beginning of Noah and Zoe’s story from Noah’s POV.

A Dance with Darkness


Courtney Allison Moulton - 2013
    Madeleine, a young but powerful warrior, is duty-bound to fight the demonic, and she lives for this pursuit above all else. Then, on a routine night of tracking, she is ambushed by a cadre of reapers and, though she defeats them all, she is left wounded and at the mercy of their lord, the notorious Bastian.Madeleine is astonished when Bastian lets her live. She goes deeper into the world of the demonic and is shocked to meet him again—this powerful reaper whose touch makes her restless and gives her a thrill unlike anything else. When they fall into a dangerous clandestine affair, her head and her heart must wage their war: can their love overcome his demonic nature? Will her dance with darkness burn her or bring Bastian into the light?

The Shattered Mountain


Rae Carson - 2013
    Mara's village has been safe--so far--but Mara decides to escape anyway. Escape from her harsh, abusive father. Escape with her first love. But when their plans fall on the same day that the animagi burn the village to the ground, Mara faces losses that could destroy her. She's a survivor, though. She is going to make it through the mountains, and she is going to protect the refugees following her. Because there's a rumored safe haven . . . and some say they have found the Chosen One. Told from Mara's point-of-view, The Shattered Mountain is an alternate perspective of the beginning of the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

Shadow Days


Andrea Cremer - 2010
    Shadow Days, told from Shay's perspective, chronicles the days before the start of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade, when Shay is taken away from the friends he loves and forced to live in his uncle Bosqu Mar's mansion, where the gargoyles seem to move, magic seems real, and nothing is as it should be.

Dark Metropolis


Jaclyn Dolamore - 2014
    Her mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club, attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, who agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets - even while he hides secrets of his own.Together, they discover a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. Soon, Thea and Freddy begin to realize nightmarish truths about the city's dark underbelly, and that time is running out for Nan. And if they're not careful, the masterminds behind the disappearances will be after them, too.Jaclyn Dolamore weaves a chilling tale with a touch of magic in this lyrical thriller, where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

Graceful Burdens


Roxane Gay - 2020
    For a woman like Hadley, deemed not acceptable to procreate, there’s only one recourse. Unlicensed for motherhood, she can alleviate her grief and frustration at a “baby library,” where a curiously endless supply of infants is available for a two-week loan. But the borrowed life that serves as a temporary balm leads to a journey of self-discovery that will forever change the direction of Hadley’s future.Roxane Gay’s Graceful Burdens is part of Out of Line, an incisive collection of funny, enraging, and hopeful stories of women’s empowerment and escape. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.

Secrets of the Time Society


Alexandra Monir - 2012
    Those who try to enter the society quickly come to realize that time is a force not to be reckoned with.  Alexandra Monir's short story exclusive ebook, Secrets of the Time Society, sheds light upon the world created in her novel Timeless and forecasts the fate that lies ahead for its protagonist, Michele Windsor. Now that Michele is gifted, there are some who will do anything to take that power away.

Legacy Lost


Anna Banks - 2012
    Grom dreads this arrangement, until he meets Nalia — both beautiful and smart, she's everything he ever wanted. But just when their connection grows deeper, tragedy strikes.Legacy Lost is a prequel story to Anna Banks' debut novel, OF POSEIDON.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160 (January 2020)


Neil Clarke - 2020
    This was published as a Clarkesworld audiobook podcast in 2020.

Night of Nyx


Karpov Kinrade - 2015
    "I thought Nyx was gone," she says. Zorin opens the ancient coffin, revealing a black cloak and white mask. "I must be him again. One last time."

The Lost Boy


Karen Mahoney - 2013
    The anthology was eventually cancelled (although I’d withdrawn my story long before that happened) leaving me with a homeless story. It’s about half-fey Xan from The Iron Witch, and is set several months before that novel – before Donna even meets him – so there are no major spoilers for the trilogy. But the story does of course give some insight into Xan himself, as it’s written from his POV and we’re in his head for the duration.

The Wedding


Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2015
    This should not be read unless you have read the Lux series."Found on Wattpad here.

Dark Side of the Rainbow


Danielle Paige - 2017
    She spends her days surfing at Indigo Beach, playing with her pet unicorn, and occasionally checking in on the tourists vacationing at Rainbow Falls, where she is—technically speaking—in charge. When Dorothy arrives, Polly is less than thrilled. She’d much rather flirt with mysterious surfer Bright than play tour guide to a spoiled wannabe princess. But Rainbow Falls won’t be paradise by the time Dorothy’s done with it. And Polly may have to leave her life of leisure behind, to become the ruler her land needs.Danielle Paige delivers a dark and compelling reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire, and follows some of literature’s most beloved characters as their lives intertwine to bring about the downfall of Oz.

The Testing Guide


Joelle Charbonneau - 2013
    He's graduated at the top of his class, and being chosen, like his father was before him, means a chance to attend The University and help lead the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. Cia is conflicted--she hopes Zeen is chosen, but dreads him leaving home. She also realizes that one day she too must set her mind on being chosen. But does she realize the deadly path she will have to take? THE TESTING GUIDE is the short story prequel to "The Testing, " the first novel in the stunning and epic Testing Trilogy.