When I was in high school I read Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen. Recently I noticed there were more books so I reread those 3 and then read Goldenhand, Clariel, and Terciel and Elinor.
I love them. I'm 31 now and while these books are definitely accessible to a younger audience and not a difficult read – they were incredible and didn't feel "immature" or underdeveloped or any of the negative stereotypes and traps that often befall "YA Genre Books." The younger characters feel like looking back on how I was when I was 19 and I think to myself "yeah, I would do the same stupid thing in this scenario" but I never really think "this is not how an 18 year old would act" either.
I have read them all twice this week and I want something similar. I love the fantasy element and it reminds me a bit of Stardust (also enjoyed that book long ago). The talking cat and dog are vivid, well-developed and fascinating characters.
Mostly I'm looking for a vibe, though. I like that the books are about death. I like all the strong women and female protagonists. I like the creative magic system. I like the relatable characters and the funny bits. I also like "wall separates a magic kingdom from a non-magical kingdom" as a trope.
Other stuff i like, I also like A Song of Ice and Fire, I read a lot of sci-fi and horror and fantasy. I like the overlap of SFF with horror. (I don't like Stephen King historically.)
Cheers!
by sgsduke