Read These 3 Books If You LOVE YA Fantasy with Massive Betrayals and Plot Twists

OCTOBER 21ST, 2026

I’ve always loved a good fantasy story ever since I was a child and read Hans Christian Anderson or the Brothers Grimm. I went through a phase of reading The Hobbit (J.R.R Tolkien) over and over again. But there are fantasy books that I read, enjoy and move on – then there are books that have left me staring at the final page wondering what just happened!

If betrayals, hidden agendas and shocking reveals are your go-to reading lists, these three books should be at the top:

3. Three Dark Crowns (Book 1, of Three Dark Crowns Series) by Kendare Blake

I found this book fascinating. Rather than one hero fighting a villain, we have triplet sisters forced to fight each other to the death to win the crown and be queen. What a twist … especially as none of the sisters are evil! I wanted them all to live.

The first part of the novel establishes the world, the magic system, and politics. We get to know the sisters and the inevitability of Ascension Year.

But for me, the last part of the book is where the story is elevated to its cliffhanger ending. Everything changes after the Quickening festival, unleashing a chain of events, betrayals and shocking reveals.

Read Three Dark Crowns: If you like high-stakes political betrayals and magical twists.

2. Defy the Night (Book 1 of Defy the Night Series) by Brigid Kemmerer

Who doesn’t love a “Robin Hood” style story, and our hero - Tessa Cade doesn’t disappoint. She risks everything to steal rare medicine from the elite to give to the poor.

I was hooked from the start.

This book is a fast-paced bundle of rebellion, secret missions, betrayal and … a slow-burn romance. There are no obvious villains, but plenty of betrayals and conspiracies. My question would be – why does Prince Corrick have to be so cruel?

Read Defy the Night: If you like street-smart outlaws fighting injustice.

1. The Prison Healer (Book 1, of The Prison Healer Series) by Lynette Noni

I have to admit - the title drew me to this book and it didn’t let me down.

Kiva Meridan is the healer at Zalindov prison. A prison where no one escapes. It’s grim and claustrophobic. Trust is non-existent apart from Tipp, a young orphan boy she works with. A guard called Naari and a new prisoner called Jarren.   

This book is a survival story but twists and turns like the corridors of Zalindov. It also includes trials, a slow-burn romance, rebellion and a jaw-dropping end that I never saw coming! I loved Kiva’s hope – the hope her family on the outside would rescue her. She holds onto coded messages smuggled into the prison that tell her – We are coming – but … are they?

Read The Prison Healer : If you like trials and shocking reveals at the end.

Final Thoughts

These novels make you question loyalty, rethink characters, and realise that sometimes the biggest threat isn’t the enemy standing across the battlefield – it’s the person standing next to you.

What are your favourite fantasy betrayals and plot-twisted novels?

- Jane

Fiction Rebellion Heroine