Did you fly through your read of Oathbound? Do you now have a Bree-shaped hole in your heart? Do you need some way to fill the void in your soul? Well, luckily, there are so many other wonderful YA Urban/Contemporary Fantasy books out there that you can dive into next!

Here are 10 recommendations for books I don't see on the book internet nearly as often as I should and why you should read them:

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

Read if you want: Explorations of grief, God-inherited-power, and timely social commentary

Similar to Legendborn, Wing of Ebony features a young Black protagonist who has recently lost her mother and inherited an ancestral power. Through this she discovers a hidden world of magic wielders and an evil specifically targeting the neighborhood and community she loves.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Read if you want: More convening with ghosts, culturally diverse magic systems, and complex look at the "bad boy" trope

If you love Sel and want another story with a "bad boy" that approaches their character with nuance and heart then Cemetery Boys is your book. Thomas allows Julian to fully defy the labels put on him in a way that will pull at your heartstrings.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Read if you want: Explorations of grief and family legacy steeped in monster-based mythology

Okay, this is actually a middle grade novel, but that doesn't actually matter, so moving on. Like Bree, Tristan is also struggling to cope with grief after the loss of his best friend in a tragic accident. When he accidentally opens a rift between worlds allowing monsters into the human world–hello, Shadowborn Gates–he must become the hero he was always meant to be.

Tangleroot by Kalela Williams

Read if you want: Explorations of legacy, history, and generational trauma within a southern universtiy setting

Tangleroot is not really fantasy, but I wanted to include it anyway, because it feels connected to the Legendborn Cycle in a lot of different ways. First major similarity is the university setting and the way it confronts institutionalized racism. Moreover, the way that Williams weaves together the historical mysteries with the present day reminds me a lot of Volition and Bloodwalks.

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

Read if you want: Secret magical societies, mysterious power, and a university setting

Okay, the publisher literally comps Legendborn in the description... But truly, Blood at the Root is very similar on a lot of levels, but takes place at a magical HBCU. Without spoilers, this book also has a very similar mystery to the one Bree is wrapped up in in Oathbound with the missing rootcrafters.

Alex Wise vs. the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Read if you want: Possession-based magic systems, mythology, and Black kids saving the world

This is another incredible middle grade novel that everyone should read. Have you picked up that I love middle grade yet? Alex draws his power from a god, but like Bree, that possession can come with both good and bad. Also like Legendborn, this one plays into well-known lore–the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Oh, and the friendships in this book are top tier.

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Read if you want: Generational magic systems and secret magical societies hiding in the real world

I love this one for Legendborn because the main characters have to go through the same journey of uncovering their family's secrets that Bree encounters with her own mother. There's also a lot of emphasis on the way the magical and non-magical worlds interact (i.e. onceborns). Also, don't let the cover fool you, this is NOT a historical novel.

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea

Read if you want: Demon possessions and claiming what you're owed

This one is a crossover into the YA-horror genre, but I think it still has appeal to fantasy lovers. In this novel, Laure, a young Black ballerina decides to make a deal with a powerful demon in order to claim her rightful spot in the prestigious Parisian ballet world. Oh, and she also maybe falls in love with a demon, for those who ship Bree and Sel.

Zodiac Rising by Katie Zhao

Read if you want: Mythology-based story, academic setting, and generational magic systems

Zodiac Rising is almost one-to-one in the way the magic system works, but centers on the Chinese zodiacs rather than Arthurian Lore. The descendants of the original zodiacs attend a secret elite boarding school, but when something goes wrong, they have to break a curse.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Read if you want: An incredible young heroine claiming her place in a world that wants to exclude her

Ending with one last middle-grade suggestion! When Amari's brother goes missing, she takes his spot in tryouts for an secretive paranormal investigative unit to get answers. Amari goes up against the children of some of the world's wealthiest people and encounters a lot of the same things that Bree does during her own Kingsmage tryouts. Also, like Bree, Amari has a secret that might disrupt the entire system.