If you, like me, found annoying Eustace the most relatable character in The Chronicles of Narnia, you'll love this funny, slow-burning fantasy romance.

When Elliot is 13, he gets his lifelong wish to travel to a magical land—but disenchantment sets in as soon as the nerdy, bisexual teen realizes that his cel phone won't work, and the residents of the Borderlands care more about military prowess than diplomatic skills. In Other Lands follows Elliot through the Borderlands' version of high school as he grows up, learns how to support his best friends (Serene, a beautiful elf warrior; and Luke, who stubbornly thwarts Elliot's assumptions about blond jocks), and helps make peace with the trolls, dwarves, harpies, and mermaids who populate his new home.

Sarah Rees Brennan is the New York Times–bestselling author of Tell the Wind and Fire, the Lynburn Legacy series, and Season of the Witch (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Book 1), among others.

Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Hugo & Locus award finalist