Got a Young Adult in your life?

The Dante Rossetti Awards finds the best books for them!

The Dante Rossetti Awards celebrate stories that bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood. Young readers exist in a liminal space, and we are pleased to feature Young Adult Fiction in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

Join us in celebrating the previous Grand Prize Winners of the Dante Rossetti Awards!

The Realm of Gods: The Chronicles of Chaos Book 3
By Glen Dahlgren

Our review for the newest Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Winner is still upcoming. In the meantime, here is what GoodReads readers have been saying:

“I honestly cannot begin to describe how much I loved The Realm of Gods!! I’ve been so very invested over all four books and I’m so very sad it’s come to an end – but what an ending it was!

I’m not even sure what to say without spoiling it, I’m still absolutely reeling from how epic the ending was!!

 think I’ve gone through just about every emotion reading these books. I’ve laughed, I’ve grieved, I’ve whooped with joy – even nearly throwing my phone (always at those halfway points) and the ending literally gave me goosebumps it was just brilliant!!”

-Toni

“The Realm of Gods is an epic conclusion to The Chronicles of Chaos series, and I absolutely LOVED it. The story picks up right where the last book left off, diving straight into the action. The world-building is fantastic, and the characters continue to grow in ways that feel natural yet surprising. I especially appreciated how even the villains were complex and interesting, making the stakes feel higher and more intense. Listening to the audiobook added another layer of immersion, and the narration really brought the characters to life.

This final book wraps up the series beautifully, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked. The pacing is perfect, and the emotional depth of the story shines through. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy like The Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time, this is definitely a series worth diving into. Highly recommend!” -Amber

“The Realm of Gods is a perfect ending to a great series however this reader is very hopeful the author will add to the series in the future. Like with the previous books I found the story to be interesting and captivating and just an absolutely fun, thought-provoking read.” -Dwayne

Sour Flower

A Manuscript

By Maryanne Melloan Woods

Sour Flower, the unpublished feel-good coming-of-age novel by Maryanne Melloan Woods, contrasts the joys of teen friendship with the hardships of growing up in a broken family.

As a fourteen-year-old in 1970s San Francisco, Marigold (call her “M”) Hayes is fed up with her life.

M is very much aware of her role as the mature buzzkill in the family. Her parents, college dropouts and now divorced hippies, barely have it together. M often has to act as the mature adult for the sake of housing and basic necessities. With a spaced-out father who barely supports them and a mother who thinks her daughter is a square, it’s a miracle that M has kept her family afloat for so long.

When her English teacher suggests M apply to Barnum—an elite prep school offering scholarships to students in need—she dares to hope. Maybe this could give her a chance to pursue her dream of becoming a financially stable businesswoman.

Read More Here

Wages of Empire
By Michael J. Cooper

Michael J. Cooper’s latest historical fiction novel, Wages of Empire, draws readers into the perilous journey of sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair and his father into WW1. On this path, their lives will intersect with such historical figures as TE Lawrence, Gertrude Bell, the Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann, the Arab nationalist Faisal ibn Hussein, the proto-Nazi and advisor to the German kaiser Guido von List, and Kaiser Wilhelm II himself.

Set in the summer of 1914 we find Evan living in the American southwest where his father moved the family from England for his Oxford sabbatical. Evan struggles to cope with his mother’s death in childbirth and yearns to escape his father’s controlling grip. As war breaks out in Europe, Evan decides to leave home and join the fight, without telling his father.

Read More Here

Taro: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan
By Blue Spruell

Adventure, classic tales, fantasy, and exciting action combine in TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan, a well-poised debut novel by award-winning author Blue Spruell.

In the turbulent final decades of the sixteenth century, feudal Japan reeled in mayhem as the central hereditary dictatorship collapsed, and tyrannical powers fought to control the empire. TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is the story of how one man revolutionized a nation by taking its reigns and forging a new destiny through his depths of compassion and determination.

The story begins with Taro as a young boy. As an heir to the Takeda family, Taro enjoyed reading, much to his father’s disapproval, as he wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a skilled Samurai. Tragedy changes Taro’s presumed destiny when his parents are murdered in a fierce power struggle, leaving him an orphan. Shortly after, a witch saves him from drowning and begins Taro’s new life of adventure, introducing him to a world of mythical creatures. On this new journey, Taro discovers shocking secrets about his lineage, and with them, his ultimate purpose in medieval Japan.

Read More Here

The Best Week That Never Happened
By Dallas Woodburn

Dallas Woodburn’s debut novel The Best Week that Never Happened is a roller-coaster ride through Hawaii and the mysterious depths of its briny deep, sparkling with unreal magic, a poignant romance, and incessant hope.

Tegan Rossi, a freshly graduated eighteen-year-old, awakens in the secretive hideout she discovered with Kai Kapule as two eight-year-old children on her first trip to Hawaii Island. She needs to make amends with Kai as they had a major squabble over something very important that she now oddly forgets. When Tegan catches up with Kai in Hawaii, she enters her best week yet – the Best Week That Never Happened.

The first-person narrative is a fusion of Tegan’s past three years ago and ten years ago, as well as a mystified chronicling of her present with Kai on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Read More Here

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Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Dante Rossetti Winners is to enter today!

Has your book come of age?

Then it’s time to enter the Dante Rossetti Awards!

The submissions for the 2025 Awards are underway, and Dante Rossetti closes on September 30, 2025!

The Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction are named for Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), the British painter, poet, and a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Better known for his romantic paintings, Rossetti was also a prolific poet who, along with his siblings, formed one of literature’s most creative families. His sister Christina was a celebrated poet, Maria became an essayist before joining a religious order, and brother William served as a prominent editor and literary critic.

We chose Dante Rossetti to represent our Young Adult Awards because the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s core principles: having genuine ideas to express, studying nature attentively, sympathizing with what is direct and serious and heartfelt, and producing thoroughly excellent work. These mirror what the best young adult literature achieves. Like the Pre-Raphaelites who defied Victorian social conventions, exceptional YA fiction encourages young readers to question norms, observe the world carefully, and find their own authentic voices.

The Art of Writing for Hearts and Minds in Transition

Creating exceptional young adult literature means respecting the intelligence and emotional capacity of readers who are simultaneously naive and wise, hopeful and cynical, dependent and fiercely independent. YA authors walk a fascinating tightrope: addressing mature themes and complex emotions while remembering that their readers are still developing their understanding of themselves and the world.

The best YA fiction doesn’t talk down to its audience or oversimplify complex issues. Instead, it explores themes like identity, justice, love, loss, family, friendship, and social change with the nuance and respect that young adult experiences deserve. Whether it’s a dystopian rebellion that mirrors real-world social justice movements, a contemporary romance that explores healthy relationships, or an epic fantasy that examines power and corruption, exceptional YA literature helps readers process their own experiences while providing the escapism and adventure that makes reading addictive.

Young adult readers have sophisticated BS detectors that can spot condescending or inauthentic writing from a mile away. The authors who succeed in this space are those who remember what it feels like to be young while bringing adult writing skills and perspective to stories that honor the complexity of the teenage experience.

Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!

We’re excited to honor Glen Dahlgren, whose epic fantasy conclusion The Realm of Gods: The Chronicles of Chaos Book Three claimed the 2024 Dante Rossetti Grand Prize with a story that pulls no punches in its exploration of power, rebellion, and the battle between order and chaos. In this climactic volume, protagonist Galen must navigate the Dreaming – an ethereal realm where past, present, and future collide – while confronting both his nemesis Carnaubas and the horrifying truth that the exiled gods of Order still hunger for dominion.

What makes The Realm of Gods exemplary YA literature is its refusal to simplify complex themes of tyranny, rebellion, and human connection. Alongside Eve, a young girl with the ability to see the threads connecting everything, Galen embarks on a desperate quest to prevent Order’s return – a premise that resonates with young readers who understand that fighting against oppressive systems often requires extraordinary courage and unlikely alliances. The novel’s recognition as both a Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Winner and recipient of the American Fiction Award and Indies Today Best Epic Fantasy Award demonstrates how exceptional YA literature can compete on any literary stage. In addition to ongoing promotional features, The Realm of Gods will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Glen Dahlgren will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and The Realm of Gods will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.

Categories That Capture the Full YA Experience

The Dante Rossetti Awards welcome young adult fiction across every genre and emotional landscape:

• Contemporary YA – Stories grounded in today’s reality that explore authentic teen experiences, relationships, and challenges
• SFF & Paranormal – Science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal tales that use otherworldly elements to explore very real themes
• YA Adventure/Romance – Action-packed stories and love stories that acknowledge the intensity of young relationships and experiences
• YA Historical – Past-set stories that help young readers understand different eras while exploring timeless coming-of-age themes
• Dystopian/Edgy/Urban – Darker stories that don’t shy away from difficult topics or challenging social commentary
• Mystery/Thriller/Suspense – Puzzle-solving adventures and high-stakes narratives that respect young readers’ ability to handle complex plots

Each category acknowledges that young adult readers seek different types of stories depending on their mood, interests, and life experiences, from light romantic escapes to heavy social commentary and everything in between.

The Complete Youth Literature Journey

The Dante Rossetti Awards complete Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of youth literature at every developmental stage:

• Little Peeps Awards – Picture books and early readers that introduce children to the magic of storytelling
• Gertrude Warner Awards – Middle grade fiction for readers developing independence and exploring more complex themes

Together, these three divisions ensure that exceptional youth literature receives recognition at every stage of the reading journey, supporting the development of lifelong readers and critical thinkers.

Looking at Young Adult Excellence

Check out some of these outstanding YA books we’ve celebrated recently!

An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze
By David Scott Richardson

In David Scott Richardson’s YA WWII historical novel, An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze, teenager Scott Johannsen—“Scotty” to his mom and friends—leads us on an adventure through the wartime Ravenna neighborhood in Seattle, Washington.

Boeing manufactures B-17s, his grandparents and neighbors grow victory gardens, his parents build a bomb shelter in their basement, and mandatory blackouts occur every night. Scotty navigates a chaotic world filled with danger and wonder yet finds security with family and friends in this heartfelt story.

Scotty runs with his pack—James, Marty, and Burr. We witness what lengths they will go to on a search for chocolate. With Ravenna Park as a backyard and Puget Sound just a short drive away, Scotty’s life is filled with exploration of the natural world. His fishing adventures with his dad in the Sound become an exciting way to supplement his family’s food rations as he dreams about netting a fighting salmon.

Read More Here

Luna: Rhone and Stone Book 2
By Strider S.R. Klusman

A Chanticleer Dante Rossetti First Place Winner and Cover Design Grand Prize Winner!

Luna, the second book in Strider S.R. Klusman’s YA Rhone and Stone Series, follows Rhone and his alien partner Stone as they develop a ship that can sail through the air.

The two train to become agents for the Office of Public Recrimination, urged to join by their friend – and now boss – Aundrea. Rhone struggles through training with the help of his trusty partner, but a much more difficult test remains before them – their first assignment.

Aundrea sends them to Corgy, a port town, without explaining their mission. But it doesn’t take long for Rhone to encounter troubles from shore and sea alike.

He and Stone meet Mayor Dugan, who takes an instant dislike for Rhone, posing as a wealthy merchant’s son. But it’s his front, designed so by the ladies of the OPR, and commands a great deal of respect and authority from the locals, if not Bella. Sometimes it’s difficult not to forget his actual purpose for being at Corgy. As an agent of the OPR, he must solve the town’s greatest problem, a rash of pirate attacks on Corgy’s vital ocean-borne trade; if they continue, Corgy won’t survive.

Read More Here

Crossroads of Empire
By Michael J. Cooper

A Chanticleer Hemingway First Place Winner!

Crossroads of Empire by Michael J. Cooper brings readers back into sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair’s journey through the battlefields of WWI. The adventures and the war itself pick up right where the award-winning Wages of Empire left off.

As in the first book, Evan begins his part of this story by going missing, this time not just from his father’s perspective, but from his own. Severely injured during his service with the Flemish resistance, Evan is discharged from a French field hospital. He’s on his way back to England by hospital ship when it is sunk by a German U-boat. When he reaches British shores as the sole survivor in a lifeboat, he’s left with amnesia and has no memory of who he is.Evan’s search for his own identity leads him to Rosslyn Castle, the Sinclair family’s ancestral home in Scotland. There he unravels secret family histories and connections long buried. Finally, with assistance from a wise woman, Evan regains his memory. Without the protection the amnesia provided, he faces a host of painful and traumatic memories.

Read More Here

The Hidden Library, Book 2 of the Isle of Dragons Series
By L.A. Thompson

Isle of Dragons: The Hidden Library by L.A. Thompson is a breathtaking race to seize the reins of destiny and find a magical library that was once the subject of stories and lore. Jade and Kaylen, once friends, oppose each other in search of this hidden library and its world-changing secrets.

Demoted and dejected, Kaylen reels from her valiant but failed attempt to bring back the final item that King Jarrod needs to fulfill a prophecy. The iconic stone remains out of reach. Kaylen is summoned for an audience with the king. A glimmer of hope for the future flickers, but the king demands an even more ambitious mission of her. He will restore her rank and honors if she finds for him the mysterious hidden library that can open a gateway between worlds. It’s a deadly challenge that will once again pit her against an old friend.

Jade summons all her strength and courage with others who stand against the king who has made her family suffer. When she and Kaylen clash, sparks will ignite as hot as a dragon’s roar.

Read More Here

These works demonstrate how the best young adult literature combines sophisticated storytelling with authentic understanding of the teen experience.

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See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

We’re excited about all the exceptional young adult books we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!

The Dante Rossetti Awards recognize the unique challenge and responsibility of writing for young adults, readers who deserve stories as complex, authentic, and emotionally honest as their own experiences. Whether you’re exploring contemporary issues, dystopian futures, epic fantasies, or historical periods, these awards celebrate books that respect young adult intelligence while providing the emotional satisfaction and escapism that great literature offers.

Your Young Adult Story Matters

Young adult readers are at a crucial point in their relationship with literature where they’re deciding whether books will remain an important part of their adult lives. Your YA novel could be the book that helps a teenager understand they’re not alone, provides comfort during a difficult time, or simply offers the perfect escape when life feels overwhelming. These readers are passionate, loyal, and influential; when they love a book, they become its most enthusiastic ambassadors.

Speak to the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s leaders – the deadline is September 30, 2025!

Submit to the Dante Rossetti Awards today and help us celebrate literature that takes young adults seriously!