Guest post written by Burn The Kingdom Down author Addie Thorley
Addie Thorley spent her childhood riding horses and scribbling stories. After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in journalism, she decided “hard news” didn’t contain nearly enough magic and kissing, so she flung herself into the land of fiction. She lives in San Diego with her family, and, when she’s not writing, she can be found walking her wolfdogs or crocheting tiny stuffed animals.
About Burn The Kingdom Down: An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge. Out April 7th 2026.
Whether best friends or rivals since birth, sisterhood is one of the most complicated, most fulfilling, and most enduring relationships we can experience. No one knows you better than your sister, so no one can hurt you more deeply. This also means no one can love and understand you more completely.
As someone who is lucky enough to have two sisters, I’ve always been drawn to exploring this fierce, chaotic, and beautiful relationship in the books I write—as well as the books I read. From loving and loyal, to down-right devious (and even murderous!), here’s a list of my all-time-favorite YA sister fantasies for when you need a good dose of family drama.
No list of sister stories would be complete without the OG sister fantasy, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. When Katniss Everdeen’s younger sister, Primrose, is selected to compete in the Hunger Games (a brutal tournament where children are forced to fight to the death in an arena) Katniss volunteers to go in Prim’s place. It’s the ultimate example of protective big-sister energy, and Katniss’s love for Prim is a big part of what carries her through the games.
One the complete opposite end of the loyalty spectrum, we have triplet sisters Mirabella, Katharine, and Arsinoe from Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. Once a generation, triplet queens are born—each with unique powers and equal rights to the throne. But only one sister can rule, and in order to wear the crown, they must kill the two who stand in their way. Sibling rivalry at its finest!
While some sisters are defined by rivalry and competition, others are almost codependent in their bond. Such is the case for Iris, Grey, and Vivi in House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland. When enigmatic, oldest sister, Grey, goes missing, Iris and Vivi must unite to find her, unraveling dark secrets along the way. The intense bond between these three is quite eerie and unsettling. At times, they almost feel like a single creature with multiple heads.
If you’re looking for large family dynamics with lots of personalities at play, look no further than Erin A. Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows. A deliciously macabre retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Annaleigh’s four older sisters have recently met tragic and untimely ends that might be related to the glittering, late-night balls her sisters have been sneaking out to attend. If Annaleigh can’t unravel the darkness plaguing her family, she might be joining her older sisters in an early grave—and condemning her younger sisters to the same fate.
Scarlett and Donatella Dragna, the sister duo in Caraval by Stephanie Garber, might seem like opposites who constantly annoy each other, but when Tella is kidnapped to use as bait in a magical, interactive game, Scarlett will stop at nothing to bring her sister safely home. Through the games’ deadly twists and turns, the sisters’ true hearts and loyalties are revealed.
Sometimes, the closeness of sisterhood can highlight their flaws and imperfections. Other times, the pedestals they’re placed on are so high, it overshadows the truth. When oldest sister, Rowenna, is sent as a captive bride to any enemy kingdom in Addie Thorley’s, Burn the Kingdom Down, younger sister, Indira, doesn’t know how to fill her sister’s perfect shoes—or function without her. And when Rowenna dies under mysterious circumstances, Indira takes her place, determined to punish Ro’s murderer and bring the entire kingdom to its knees. But when Indira arrives in enemy territory, nothing is as expected and everyone, even her sister, had secrets. Deadly ones.
