If you love books with tropes done well, then you’ll want to keep on reading to view the fantasy & sci-fi books with the Chosen One trope.
So, what is the Chosen One trope?
The character(s) in the book have been chosen by a force like destiny or even a person. They’re the only ones capable of resolving the major issue of the story.
There are also certain subtypes to this trope, such as when a character wants to be the Chosen One and acts like it, but isn’t. There can also be more than one Chosen One—they can even be an entire ethnic population.
You can read more about these subtypes here.
Below you can find some of the best books with Chosen Ones!
An Overview of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books with Chosen Ones
- The Call (Storm’s Rising #1) Jason and Rose Bishop: Dark Adult Adventure Fantasy
- Quest of the Chosen: The Journey Begins by Bruce Campelia: YA Adventure Fantasy
- Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad #1) by David Eddings: YA Epic Coming-of-Age Adventure Fantasy
- Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg: Adult Historical Fantasy Romance
- Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert: Adult Adventure Sci-Fi
- Ender’s Game (Ender’s Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card: Ya Dystopian Sci-Fi
- The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins: YA Dystopian Action-Adventure Sci-Fi
- Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff: YA Space Adventure Sci-Fi
Best Fantasy Chosen Ones Books
The Call (Storm's Rising #1) Jason and Rose Bishop
The Call is a great entry in the world that Jason & Rose Bishop created for this fantasy novel. The plot revolves around the Five, chosen by the gods and called through magical amulets. This thrilling adventure is a great pick if you also want to support more indie authors.
Genre: Dark Adult Adventure Fantasy
Publisher: Self-published
When her sister, the Elven Princess, gets caught and sold to a decrepit king seeking immortality, Dia is willing to do anything to get her back. Even work together with two half-elves. Meanwhile, Lendil, a young rogue, gets his hands on the brooch that was carried by his sister. Little does he know that it’s an ancient and powerful artifact. He also didn’t expect it to draw him into an insidious web of danger. It doesn’t take long before the paths of the four are entangled, drawn together by the magical amulets that have been handed down through generations. A legacy of betrayal and loss. They have been called, and it’s their task to reunite the five, rescue the elves, and stop the king from receiving his immortality.
Quest Of The Chosen: The Journey Begins (Light Passers Chronicles Book 1) by Bruce Campelia
Quest of the Chosen is a fantasy book with multiple Chosen Ones. This YA Adventure has some great, diverse characters and will leave the reader with some wonderful life lessons.
Genre: YA Adventure Fantasy
Publisher: Now Publishing
The Quest of the Chosen is about four teenagers: Sarah Morningstar, Zack Owens, Liyah, and Kai-Li. One day, each of them is chosen by some mystical accident, transported from their normal lives into an unknown world. If they want to get back home, they need to go on a dangerous journey and gather pages of a book along the way, filled with wisdom. Will they succeed?
Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad #1) by David Eddings
The Belgariad is an epic fantasy series where you can find more tropes besides the Chosen One. So, if you love a classic epic fantasy filled with tropes and adventure, this is the book series for you.
Genre: YA Epic Coming-of-Age Adventure Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
The story of David Eddings’ Pawn of Prophecy revolves around Garion. He’s a boy raised on Faldor’s farm by his Aunt Pol. It’s a nice and easy life until something strange happens. Mister Wolf, the old storyteller, comes to the farm and tells Pol they need to leave. She refuses to leave Garion behind, so he suddenly finds himself leaving in a hurry with his aunt, Mr. Wolf, and the smith Durnik. Shortly after that, he meets Silk, a spy, and Barak, a huge warrior. Together they travel to find the man who stole the Orb of Aldur— a powerful magical object.
He quickly meets Silk, a spy, and Barak, a huge warrior, and together they go on a journey in search of a man who stole the Orb of Aldur.
Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg
In Spellbreaker, the choser isn’t a prophecy or anything like that, but rather a person. While it can be argued that it was destiny that Elsie got her powers, it was still the person who chose her to be the main character of this plot. If you love Historical Fantasy set in the Victorian times, along with romance, then Spellbreaker is your chosen book.
Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy Romance
Publisher: 47North
Spellbreaker tells the story of the orphaned Elsie Camden. She discovers she’s a Spellbreaker by accident: dispelling a rune in the workhouse, which prevents a fire from being put out. Not wanting to get caught, she aligns with an underground group she calls the Cowls. They help her use her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man, just like Robin Hood.
But as an unlicensed Spellbreaker, using her gifts is a crime. She risks possible death every time she breaks a spell cast by a Spellmaker. To cast a spell, a person with potential needs to have enough money to buy the spells, making it largely unavailable to the lower classes. So, when the Spellmaker Bacchus Kelsey catches her, Elsie isn’t impressed by him at first. However, she needs to keep her secret safe, and so they strike a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix some unruly spells around his estate, and in turn, he doesn’t turn her in.
Best Sci-Fi Chosen Ones Books
Dune (Dune #1) by by Frank Herbert
With the new movie out, Dune remains one of the most populair works of science fiction. The series plays with the Chosen One trope, showing that being that special someone is perhaps also not that great, and might not even always lead you to good outcomes. If you love sci-fi adventures, then this is a novel that can’t miss from your reading list.
Genre: Adult Adventure Sci-Fi
Publisher: Ace Books
Paul Atreides is the heir to a noble family, tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where “spice” is the only thing of value—a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. It’s a prize worth killing for.
When House Atreides is betrayed, the descrution of his family sets Paul on his destined journey. Slowly, he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, bringing humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream into fruitition.
Ender's Game (Ender's Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card
Another classic story with a strong Chosen One theme. He’s sort of a “created” Chosen One, and the only one who can save Earth. Another must-have if you’ve never read it before (and if you have, it’s also a great series to reread!).
Genre: YA Dystopian Sci-Fi
Publisher: Tor
While Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he’s playing computer simulated war games, he is, in fact, involved in a desperate attempt to safe Earth from destruction by alien enemies. He’s the result of genetic experimentation, together with his older siblings Peter and Valentine. At six years old, he and his siblings are thrown into hash training sessions—the only way to find out who’s the military genius Earth needs.
And while his siblings are also unusual, they’re either too violent or not violent enough. However, they’re driven by their jealousy of Ender and their inbred drive for power. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, those two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth—an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games doesn’t start out as a classic “Chosen One” trope book, as technically, Katniss choses herself—she volunteers, after all. However, she does show all the characteristics of a Chosen One, and she’s ultimately chosen as the face of the rebellion. If you love action and adventure, you’re in for a wild ride with these books.
Genre: YA Dystopian Action-Adventure Sci-Fi
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Panem—the remnants of a place once known as North America—is a nation with one shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. One of the harsh measurments laid down by the Capitol is the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV where one boy and one girl between 12 and 18 from each district need to participate in.
Katniss Everdeen is horrified when her younger sister is chosen for the Games. She doesn’t hesitate to volunteer in her stead, knowing it’s a death sentence. However, survival is second nature to Katniss, and she quickly becomes a contender. But to win, she needs to start making choices, weighing survival against humanity and life against love.
Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
This Sci-Fi book also has a Chosen One trope in there. One mysterious girl trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, and one Chosen Squad that is the only one who can save the galaxy. But because it’s Amie Kaufman and Jak Kristoff, you know these tropes will play out in unexpected ways, and you’re in for a real twisty adventure.
Genre: YA Space Adventure Sci-Fi
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
In the year 2380, star pupil Tyler Jones of the Aurora Academy is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams. However, his boneheaded heroism stucks him with a team of dregs…
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
And a tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him.
But the squad isn’t Ty’s biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley. He rescued her from interdimensional space, after being trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries. And she could very well be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making. And Tyler’s squad of misfits might just be the last hope to safe the galaxy.
Those were the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books with Chosen Ones!
I hope you’ve found a great pick from this book list to add to your book collection.
Have you read any of these?
Is there a book you would add to this list?
What is your favorite trope to read?
Please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below!
