More like The Torchbearers

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The Scorpio RacesNovel
Maggie Stiefvaterstandalone novel2011
About survival.
“Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.”
from the catalogue
CoralineSeries
series2 books2002
Portal fantasy and horror, eerie in tone, set in parallel universe.
“The Guardian ranked Coraline #82 in its list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.”
from the catalogue
Start with Coraline →
The DarkdeepSeries
series3 books2018
Fantasy, about friendship, set in contemporary and small town.
“Middle-schoolers Nico, Tyler, Ella, and Opal discover a hidden island in a forbidden cove that appears uninhabited, but something ancient has awakened knowing their wishes, dreams, and darkest secrets.”
from the catalogue
Start with The Darkdeep →
ElidorNovel
Alan Garnerstandalone novel1965
Portal fantasy, about quests, set in british isles and secondary world.
“Set primarily in modern Manchester, it features four English children who enter a fantasy world, fulfill a quest there, and return to find that the enemy has followed them into our world.”
from the catalogue
Order of the StonesSeries
series1 book2023
Adventure, about demons and madness, set in our world.
“Cameron Poole has a problem, a big problem: he's a bully magnet who struggles with anxiety.”
from the catalogue
Start with Facing the Beast Within: The Anxiety of Cameron Poole →
The Book of LoveNovel
Kelly Linkstandalone novel2024
Eerie and emotional in tone, set in north america.
“Set in a small coastal town in Massachusetts in December 2014, the fantasy novel follows four teenagers who return from the dead and must navigate magical challenges to remain among the living.”
from the catalogue