It has been almost two decades since the golden era of YA novels, and I don’t know about you, but I am fiending for a new trilogy or series that measures up to the ones released during that time. The early 2000s gave us a group of masterpiece sagas that I consider the Big Three series that have yet to be topped (in the YA category or otherwise). Although these three were considered YA, they were books that people of all ages enjoyed and fell in love with. The first of which is almost too easy to guess because it is a set of novels that will be remembered for centuries to come and will likely be read in schools on Mars in the year 2500, just as Shakespeare is read now–and that is Harry Potter. The other two that joined the YA party a few years later included The Hunger Games and Twilight.
After having read all of these series more times than I am willing to admit, I realized that we have been in an epic saga drought. Sure, there have been some recent fantasy series that have stood out, such as ACOTAR(A Court of Thorns and Roses) and Fourth Wing. But they are quite the opposite of YA, which is fine for some people, but certainly cuts out a portion of readers who prefer to stray away from extra-adult novels.
So then, all I could think of was to check up on the only people I knew that might be able to create a new lovable saga–the authors.
J.K. Rowling: The One That’s Gone Undercover
I was crossing my fingers while researching what Ms.Rowling has been up to lately–hoping that I had missed a recent release of hers…and it worked. The ultra-famous Harry Potter author has written an entirely new series titled ‘Cormoran Strike’, a detective series that already has a total of eight published books. My mouth dropped as I wondered how I didn’t realize it existed, but then I found out why–she has been writing under an alias, Robert Galbraith. It was a strategic decision by the author who wanted this new series to stand on its own and not become popular just because her name was on it. The books did fairly well and have thousands of good ratings on Goodreads. I don’t doubt that they are pristine works of art with amazing character development and story progression–my issue is just that it still doesn’t quite sate my need for a new fantasy/dystopian YA series, being that it falls into the adult detective genre. Nonetheless, I will probably still give the series a chance, simply because J.K. Rowling is a literary genius (even if her name is Robert now.)
Other than that, she released two children’s books about five years ago under her name, The Ickabog and The Christmas Pig. Both are highly rated, and they seem like great books…for children mostly. So, unfortunately, this still isn’t quite what I am searching for. But if you are looking to buy a good children’s book, these are great options.
In addition to writing, Rowling is also busy assisting in the creation of the HBO Harry Potter series as an executive producer on the project. This show is set to be released in 2027 and is planned to have seven seasons, one for each book (or year at Hogwarts). I’m excited to watch it, but I’m sure most will agree that it is going to be hard to let go of the original cast. I’m personally hoping for some easter egg-type appearances from them still.
Suzanne Collins: Still In Panem
I can’t say that any of these series or authors outshines the others because they are all outstanding–but there is one that has a special place in my heart, and it is Suzanne Collins. For me, The Hunger Games wasn’t the first book I read by Collins. The first was actually a book titled Gregor the Overlander, a middle-grade novel that follows an 11-year-old boy who discovers an otherworld in the sewers known as the Underland. The book was a part of a five-book series released from 2003 to 2007, and even though it was meant for middle schoolers, it was amazing, and I think any age would enjoy reading it.
Needless to say, after reading the last installment of the Overland series in 2007, I was excited when she released The Hunger Games in 2008, knowing it would be good. But I had no idea that it would become my absolute favorite series of all time. The characters, the ethical dilemmas and unspoken parallels, and the unbeatable love triangle…it was just superb. The movies followed and, of course, were great. But after the final Mockingjay movie hit theatres…I realized the journey in Panem was over.
Except that it wasn’t. Collins did what a lot of authors don’t: she gave the fans what they desperately wanted and continued building on this epic fantasy world with two additional books. The first was released in 2020, titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and it is a prequel about young Coriolanus Snow. The book was a-m-a-z-i-n-g, and so was the movie that was released three years later. The second prequel novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, was released in March of this year and follows Haymitch’s journey as a teen tribute in The Hunger Games. The movie is set to release on November 20, 2026
So technically, my search for a new epic YA series didn’t necessarily hit its mark here. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Collins has given us two additional opportunities to explore Panem, and although there are no official plans for another in the upcoming years, I have hope there might be more. Unfortunately, she has stated that, in regards to Katniss’ story, it had its conclusion and she doesn’t want to continue it further. As sad as it is, I can’t argue with her–Peeta and Katniss did end up living happily ever after in District 12 (well…as happy as they could be after everything).
Stephenie Meyer: The Queen Of Hints
Last but certainly not least, I had to check up on the author who somehow managed to make me fall in love with a book series about vampires–Stephanie Meyer. And no, I’m not hating on vampires, I’m just not a fan of anything even remotely scary, and immortal humans that drink blood usually fall into that category. Thankfully, Stephanie helped change that because she gave us vegan vampires…that sparkle. Which I really appreciate because it helped me focus on the emotional drama, the unique werewolf/vampire history, and of course, the epic romantic plot (love triangle included).
After giving us such a masterpiece, Stephanie moved on to release a singular YA novel titled The Host. The book was well-received and was even made into a movie in 2013, but it didn’t quite fill the spectacular series void. And then in 2016, she released an adult thriller titled The Chemist. I hadn’t heard of this and will certainly give it a shot, but still…not a fantasy/dystopian saga.
More recently, Meyer did something that many dedicated fans had hoped for since a leak in 2012–she released Midnight Sun, a rendition of the first Twilight from Edward’s point of view. This novel is currently being adapted into an animated series from Netflix, and Meyer is an executive producer on the project, but there is no prospective release date yet.
As for additional books in the Twilight universe, she appeared on Good Morning America in early September and mentioned that she has outlined two future novels. It is up in the air if she is going to write them herself, and if she does, she admits that it will be a slower process.
There hasn’t been any mention of any other writing projects by Meyer, but honestly, if she makes use of those two outlines in the upcoming years, I’ll still be happy.
An Honorable Mention
After failing on my search for a new saga amongst the big three YA authors from the golden era, I realized there was one favorite author that I forgot to mention, and that is our favorite Divergent creator–Veronica Roth.
Roth has actually been very busy in recent years! She has produced several different novels and novellas, the majority of which fall into the fantasy/sci-fi genre; however, she has strayed away from writing YA novels ever since the Divergent series concluded. The second book in her Curse Bearer series was recently mid-September of this year and follows Dymitr, part of a family of monster-hunters, and is set in a magical world under Chicago. Both books in this series are shorter, falling under 250 pages each, and there is no word if the series will continue–but these two certainly seem like they are worth a read.
But–there is one project that really sparked my interest, and the first novel is set to be released in May 2026. The title of the full-length novel, coming in at about 450 pages, is Seek the Traitor’s Son. It is said to be the first in a ‘short series’, meaning it could have two or three books, possibly all together. Roth described it as being a romantic kinda-dystopian kinda-fantasy–and that was enough for me to be ready to pre-order because that is exactly what I was looking for. What’s more is that she has spent a lot of time on this series already and says she has created a world that she could live in for a very long time. Sounds right on par with becoming a new epic series! Although it is considered an adult novel, it seems like it doesn’t cross the line into the extra-adult category and could be read by most ages.
So after the long search, it seems that Veronica came in clutch with a prospective new saga on the horizon that sounds like it might be able to fill the epic void. But also, there still seems to be hope for continuations of our OG favorite worlds, and that is just as good for me as a brand new series.
