We are looking for the best YA military themed novels, that tell an extraordinary love story. The basic story could be a thriller, science fiction or even a fantasy, but the main theme should be a training camp, military school or the story should involve soldiers.
If you have any suggestions don’t hesitate to add books to the live Goodreads list.
The Academy Saga, by CJ Daly
Kate Connelly should be careful what she wishes for. Just seventeen, she already feels like she’s suffocating. Since her mother’s death, her father’s basically checked out, so she’s stuck raising her brothers by herself out in the New Mexico scrub.
When two mysterious guys show up at the diner where she works, she thinks her wish has come true, until they start giving her a hard time. Then they appear in an alley one night to either rescue or kidnap her (she’s still not sure which) before disappearing like figments of her imagination. Kate decides to put the bizarre encounters out of her mind.
She has bigger problems to worry about: like that elite military academy that’s been pursuing her gifted little brother. When one of their cadets shows up at Clovis High School, he creates instant pandemonium. And just happens to be one of those mysterious guys. Coincidence? Mama said there’s no such thing. And to always trust her instinct. But that might be kind of hard, because every time she’s around Cadet Peter Davenport, her gut starts flip-flopping on her. And her heart.
The King’s Sorcerer, by B.T. Narro
On the anniversary of his father’s passing, Jon leaves home in search of answers. The land is full of mystery and intrigue, and Jon wants to explore it all with the dream of one day becoming a sorcerer. But when Jon receives an invite to the castle for training, he starts to believe there has to be a catch.
A long time ago, Jon’s father was once a guard near the capital city. Now Jon finds himself back where his father used to work, and he’s beginning to learn why his father had wanted to raise him away from here. He will discover that, along with certain threats to the kingdom, there are also many magical arts to learn. Some seem stronger than others, but all have their use. Jon must come to understand the complexities of sorcery as he uncovers the mysteries and threats to the kingdom. But he also must learn to deal with the other sorcerers who have come to train at the castle at the same time as him…some of whom are hard to trust.
The Black Elfstone: The Fall of Shannara, by Terry Brooks
The first book of the triumphant and epic four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.
Across the Four Lands, peace has reigned for generations. But now, in the far north, an unknown enemy is massing. More troubling than the carnage is the strange and wondrous power wielded by the attackers—a breed of magic unfamiliar even to the Druid order. Fearing the worst, the High Druid dispatches a diplomatic party under the protection of the order’s sworn guardian, Dar Leah, to confront the mysterious, encroaching force and discover its purpose.
Back to You, by Jess Mastorakos
United States Marine Spencer Hawkins doesn’t do relationships. Not even with his best friend Ellie Burton, the girl who has always been there for him, even in his darkest hour. But now that high school is over and he’s in the military, he’s starting to look at life – and his best friend – in a whole new way.
Ellie wants a stable life and a white picket fence. She definitely doesn’t want to get involved with Spencer, who has no interest in settling down. But how long is she supposed to ignore the way he looks in that uniform … or the way he’s starting to look at her?
The Return, by Nicholas Sparks
Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, North Carolina. But when a mortar blast outside the hospital where he worked sent him home from Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated cabin he’d inherited from his grandfather seemed as good a place to regroup as any.
Tending to his grandfather’s beloved beehives, Trevor isn’t prepared to fall in love with a local . . . yet, from their very first encounter, Trevor feels a connection with deputy sheriff Natalie Masterson that he can’t ignore. But even as she seems to reciprocate his feelings, she remains frustratingly distant, making Trevor wonder what she’s hiding.