Subject spotlight: Young Adult Fantasy

Welcome back to Subject spotlight, the blog series where we give you quarterly data-driven insights into a specific corner of the Canadian book market. In our previous post, we shared sales and library circulation data for Non-Fiction / Body, Mind & Spirit titles. This time, we’re looking at Young Adult Fantasy titles. Let’s see how these titles performed during the first quarter of 2025 with the help of our SalesData and LibraryData services!

Buying Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy

As shown in the graph below, year-over-year sales of Young Adult Fantasy titles were up 2% in January but decreased by 8% in February and by 23% in March.

In 2024, sales increased 30% from January to February, but then saw a decrease of 7% in March. Overall, sales increased by 25% during the first quarter of 2024.

In 2025, sales increased by 22% from January to February and decreased by 28% in March. Overall, sales increased by 1% during the first quarter of 2025.

These are the BISAC subcategories with the highest year-over-year increase in sales:

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary — up 53%;

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic — up 14%; and

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance — up 7%.

From January to March 2025, the most purchased Young Adult Fantasy subcategories were:

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance — 39% of all Young Adult / Fantasy sales;

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy — 18% of all Young Adult / Fantasy sales; and

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General — 15% of all Young Adult / Fantasy sales.

Borrowing Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy

Year-over-year, Young Adult Fantasy loans increased by 75% in January, were flat in February, and increased 7% in March. Overall loans increased by 31% in the first quarter of 2024 and decreased by 12% in the first quarter of 2025.

Year-over-year, renewals increased by 78% in January, 10% in February, and 21% in March. Overall, renewals increased by 24% in the first quarter of 2024 and decreased by 12% in the first quarter of 2025.

Which Young Adult Fantasy subcategories were the most popular in Canadian libraries? From January to March 2025, these subcategories saw the greatest increases in library circulation compared to 2024:

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance — loans up 46% and renewals up 88%;

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Historical — loans up 25% and renewals up 31%; and

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy — loans up 19% and renewals up 31%.

During the first quarter of 2025, the most circulated Young Adult Fantasy subcategories were:

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic — 21% of all Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy loans and 23% of all Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy renewals;

• Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy — 19% of all Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy loans and 21% of all Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy renewals; and

• Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance — 20% of all Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy loans and 15% of all Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy renewals.

Reading Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy

Here are the top selling and top borrowed Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy titles from the first quarter of 2025.

Top selling

1. Powerless by Lauren Roberts

2. Powerful by Lauren Roberts

3. Reckless by Lauren Roberts

4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

5. Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Top borrowed

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

2. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

3. Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

4. Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo

5. The Giver (Quartet) by Lois Lowry

Stay tuned for future instalments of this series or sign up to our eNews for more digestible data on the Canadian book market.

Until next time!