A. C. Gaughen is a standout voice in young adult fantasy, known for writing fierce heroines, emotionally grounded adventures, and inventive reworkings of familiar story traditions. Many readers discover her through Scarlet, her bold Robin Hood retelling told from the perspective of a sharp, capable young woman, while others are drawn to the elemental magic, romance, and political danger of Reign the Earth.
If what you love most about Gaughen is the mix of strong female leads, high-stakes fantasy, courtly intrigue, rebellion, romance, and retold legends with a fresh edge, the authors below are excellent next reads.
Robin McKinley is an ideal recommendation for readers who enjoy fantasy that feels classic in its roots but modern in its heroines. Like A. C. Gaughen, she has a gift for taking familiar archetypes—princesses, beasts, heroes, legends—and reshaping them into stories with emotional depth, intelligence, and memorable female agency.
Her book The Hero and the Crown follows Aerin, a princess dismissed by her own court who carves out her place through grit, courage, and dragon-slaying. If you loved the defiant spirit and self-made strength of Gaughen’s heroines, this is a strong place to start.
Tamora Pierce is one of the foundational authors of YA fantasy with girls who refuse to stay within the roles assigned to them. Her books share with Gaughen’s work a focus on determination, earned strength, loyalty, and young women navigating systems that underestimate them.
Her novel Alanna: The First Adventure tells the story of a girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to train as a knight. Readers who appreciated the resilience, danger, and identity-driven storytelling in Scarlet will likely connect with Alanna’s journey.
Marie Lu is a great match for readers who were drawn to Gaughen’s fast pacing and high emotional stakes, but want to explore those qualities in a more dystopian or science-fiction setting. Her novels often center on young people pushed into conflict by authoritarian systems, divided loyalties, and dangerous truths.
In her series starter, Legend, two teens from opposite sides of a militarized society become entangled in conspiracy, grief, and rebellion. While the setting differs from Gaughen’s fantasy worlds, the tension, momentum, and character-driven conflict will feel familiar.
Sarah J. Maas is a natural pick for readers who want more fantasy with danger, romance, court politics, and heroines who evolve through pain, power, and impossible choices. Her books are often larger in scale than Gaughen’s, but they offer a similar combination of emotional intensity and action.
Her popular book Throne of Glass introduces Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin offered a chance at freedom if she can survive a deadly royal competition. If you enjoy capable heroines, simmering tension, and stories where survival requires both nerve and strategy, this is a compelling next read.
Leigh Bardugo writes fantasy with shadowy power structures, layered world-building, and characters forced to make difficult moral choices. Fans of A. C. Gaughen may especially appreciate her ability to pair accessible YA storytelling with political tension, danger, and a strong sense of place.
In Shadow and Bone, Alina Starkov discovers she may hold the key to saving her war-torn country, only to find that power draws manipulation as quickly as hope. Readers who enjoy heroines caught between personal loyalty and larger destiny should give Bardugo a try.
Rae Carson excels at writing heroines who are not defined by perfection, but by growth, intelligence, and endurance. That makes her a particularly strong recommendation for readers who like how Gaughen builds character from the inside out, showing bravery as something hard-won rather than effortless.
Her novel The Girl of Fire and Thorns begins with Elisa, a princess underestimated by nearly everyone around her, and follows her transformation into a capable leader amid prophecy, political unrest, and war. It’s an especially good choice if you want fantasy with both personal and kingdom-level stakes.
Sabaa Tahir brings intensity to every page. Her writing is darker and more brutal than some YA fantasy, but readers who admire Gaughen’s blend of urgency, courage, and oppressive power structures may find a lot to love here. Tahir is particularly strong at showing what resistance costs.
In An Ember in the Ashes, Laia and Elias become entangled in an empire built on fear, violence, and control. With its blend of rebellion, emotional pressure, and impossible choices, it’s a gripping recommendation for readers who want something immersive and intense.
Megan Whalen Turner is perfect for readers who enjoy the strategic side of fantasy—schemes, hidden motives, shifting alliances, and plots that reveal their full brilliance only gradually. While her style is subtler than Gaughen’s, both authors reward readers who like smart protagonists and stories shaped by politics as much as action.
The Thief, the first novel in the Queen’s Thief series, follows the clever and infuriatingly talented Gen as he’s pulled into a dangerous political mission. If you like wit, deception, and stories where every detail matters, Turner is an excellent choice.
Kristin Cashore writes fantasy that combines physical danger with deeper questions about power, control, and self-determination. Like Gaughen, she often centers young women who are skilled, formidable, and unwilling to let others define their value or purpose.
Graceling introduces Katsa, a fighter whose supernatural ability has made her a weapon in the eyes of her king. What follows is part adventure, part political intrigue, and part coming-of-selfhood story—making it a strong fit for readers who want both action and substance.
Renée Ahdieh is an excellent recommendation for anyone who loved Gaughen’s talent for reimagining older stories through a YA fantasy lens. Ahdieh’s books are lush, atmospheric, and emotionally charged, often blending romance, danger, and cultural influence into vivid retellings.
In her novel The Wrath and the Dawn, Shahrzad volunteers to marry the murderous boy-king Khalid, intending to avenge her friend—and instead uncovers secrets that complicate everything she believed. If you enjoyed the reinterpretive spark of Scarlet, this is a particularly appealing follow-up.
Jodi Meadows writes lyrical YA fantasy with immersive worlds, emotional stakes, and protagonists searching for identity in systems that make them feel out of place. Readers who like the emotional core in Gaughen’s books—the feeling that the heroine’s internal struggle matters just as much as the plot—should take a look at her work.
In Incarnate, Ana is the first new soul born in a world where everyone else is endlessly reincarnated, making her a mystery and an outsider from birth. The novel offers romance, mythic atmosphere, and a strong sense of personal longing beneath the fantasy premise.
Meagan Spooner is a smart pick for readers who enjoy retellings but want them to feel eerie, textured, and emotionally sincere rather than merely familiar. Her stories often spotlight survival, inner resilience, and heroines who move from uncertainty into hard-earned confidence.
In Hunted, Spooner reimagines Beauty and the Beast with a colder, more folkloric atmosphere, following Yeva into the woods as she hunts the creature that destroyed her family’s life. The result is romantic, tense, and deeply rooted in character.
Morgan Rhodes is a good fit if your favorite part of Gaughen’s work is the blend of adventure and political conflict. Her books are faster, broader, and more ensemble-driven, but they deliver the same sense of danger, shifting loyalties, and characters struggling to survive in unstable kingdoms.
Her series opener, Falling Kingdoms, follows multiple young characters across rival realms as magic, betrayal, and ambition ignite open conflict. If you want fantasy with big stakes, lots of twists, and a steady current of royal intrigue, Rhodes delivers.
Susan Dennard writes high-energy fantasy with friendship, magic, and political upheaval at its center. Readers who appreciate that Gaughen balances action with strong interpersonal bonds may especially enjoy Dennard’s knack for pairing propulsive plots with emotionally meaningful relationships.
In Truthwitch, Safiya and Iseult are best friends trying to stay alive in a world where magical abilities can make someone valuable, feared, or hunted. With its mix of magic, alliances, pursuit, and layered world-building, it’s a strong recommendation for fans of adventurous YA fantasy.
Marissa Meyer is a terrific choice for readers who loved the retelling aspect of A. C. Gaughen’s work and want more stories that transform well-known narratives into something fresh and addictive. Meyer’s style is accessible, inventive, and packed with momentum, making her especially easy to fall into.
Check out Cinder, the first book in the Lunar Chronicles, which reimagines Cinderella as a gifted cyborg mechanic in a futuristic world shaped by plague, royalty, and interplanetary politics. It’s a fun, clever entry point for readers who enjoy familiar tales turned into page-turning adventures.
