Picked by Schooled in Magic fans

Here are 4 books that Schooled in Magic fans have personally recommended once you finish the Schooled in Magic series. Shepherd is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of The Perfect Run

Jakob H. Greif Author Of Apocalypse Redux - Book One: A LitRPG Time Regression Adventure

From my list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading basically since I learned how to, and I’ve always loved fantasy stories that I could imagine myself in, with stuff going on in every corner of the world, everything fleshed out so thoroughly that the reader just understands how things work and has that world playing in their mind long after they’ve put the book down. I also love stories with well-written characters, where mistakes happen because of who they are, not because of an idiot ball, because nothing launches me out of a story faster than an idiot ball. And this kind of story is what I hope to have written myself.  

Jakob's book list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world

Jakob H. Greif Why Jakob loves this book

I love this story because it’s everything both a time-loop and a superhero story should be. It’s got fascinating powers that are both complex and internally consistent; I always go, “Oh, that makes sense.” When things are explained further, it always makes sense, and that also means that everything has a weakness. And the characters are just so much fun; I absolutely adore them.

There's all kinds and even the silly ones are never one-note jokes, they’re just being themselves and they just feel so real. I read this three-book series in less than a week, probably at the cost of getting some of my own writing done, because it’s just so damn good. 

By Maxime J. Durand ,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked The Perfect Run as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ryan "Quicksave" Romano is an eccentric adventurer with a strange power: he can create a save-point in time and redo his life whenever he dies.

Arriving in New Rome, the glitzy capital of sin of a rebuilding Europe, he finds the city torn between mega-corporations, sponsored heroes, superpowered criminals, and true monsters. It's a time of chaos, where potions can grant the power to rule the world and dangers lurk everywhere.

Ryan only sees different routes; and from Hero to Villain, he has to try them all. Only then will he achieve his perfect ending... no matter how many loops…


Book cover of Reborn: Apocalypse

Jakob H. Greif Author Of Apocalypse Redux - Book One: A LitRPG Time Regression Adventure

From my list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading basically since I learned how to, and I’ve always loved fantasy stories that I could imagine myself in, with stuff going on in every corner of the world, everything fleshed out so thoroughly that the reader just understands how things work and has that world playing in their mind long after they’ve put the book down. I also love stories with well-written characters, where mistakes happen because of who they are, not because of an idiot ball, because nothing launches me out of a story faster than an idiot ball. And this kind of story is what I hope to have written myself.  

Jakob's book list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world

Jakob H. Greif Why Jakob loves this book

I love this story because it feels so awesome to read through it. It’s a story about a single man against the world, except that man starts out at the very bottom with nothing save knowledge, training, and an unbreakable will.

No fight is ever fair not just because his enemy is stronger, but because for every plan they’ve made, Micheal has a thousand. I’ve read this series like three times, and never regretted it. 

By L. M. Kerr ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Reborn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Time-travel, LitRPG, Apocalyptic story.

If you could turn back the clock and fix all the mistakes you ever made, would you?

For Micheal Care, a swordsman that could only be considered a middling warrior in Humanity's Last Army, the answer to that question would be quite simple.

Yes. A million times yes.

Humanity has fallen, wiped out after being warped away to a new reality, the mystical 7 Layers.

Humanity's goal had been simple. Make it through all 7 Layers and reach Heaven.

Humanity failed.

Humanity died.

Micheal Care's memories have been transported back into his past self thanks…


Book cover of We Hunt Monsters

Jakob H. Greif Author Of Apocalypse Redux - Book One: A LitRPG Time Regression Adventure

From my list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading basically since I learned how to, and I’ve always loved fantasy stories that I could imagine myself in, with stuff going on in every corner of the world, everything fleshed out so thoroughly that the reader just understands how things work and has that world playing in their mind long after they’ve put the book down. I also love stories with well-written characters, where mistakes happen because of who they are, not because of an idiot ball, because nothing launches me out of a story faster than an idiot ball. And this kind of story is what I hope to have written myself.  

Jakob's book list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world

Jakob H. Greif Why Jakob loves this book

I love this story because it's awesome, simply put. You have a man who’s spent literal lifetimes in combat, marching into his last hurrah, conquering the monsters of a world more dangerous than any he’s ever been in. He’s smart, intelligent, and, above all, badass. And so are the monsters he fights. It never feels boring or slow; nothing is superfluous, just an endless wave of awesome, and the monsters are just perfect.

I mean, this series has the best “big monster fights” I’ve ever read, to the point where I’d unhesitatingly call it a masterclass in how to write them. I’d have read this series for that alone, but, you know, I read it because it’s overall amazing. 

By Aaron Oster , Richard Sashigane (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked We Hunt Monsters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Keith has died twelve times.

After making a deal with a mysterious immortal, he was sent to a new world in hopes of gaining the offered reward - a chance at a better life with his family. However, Keith failed to realize that this deal did not come with an expiration date, no matter how many times he died.

After dying for the dozenth time, Keith renegotiates with the immortal. This new deal will see him sent to the world of Raiah - a world filled with monsters, cowardly monkeys, and a system of magic very similar to the fantasy…


Book cover of The Wandering Inn

Erin Ampersand Author Of Time to Play: Apocalypse Parenting, Book One

From my list on most original characters in fantasy or scifi.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the author of an award-winning indie book series that focuses on a pretty unusual main character: a middle-aged mother actively parenting three kids in an insane situation. I love unexpected situations and fresh or unusual characters, and the books I recommend here reflect that.

Erin's book list on most original characters in fantasy or scifi

Erin Ampersand Why Erin loves this book

I am so impressed by Pirateaba’s worldbuilding. While there are some fantasy staples in the series, like dragons and dwarves, there are also plenty of lesser-seen races, like gnolls and djinni, and some that are completely unique creations, like the Antinium and the Gazers.

What’s more, all of these races feel like they have their own identities and shared culture, and then, on top of that, individuals from each race are distinct! Two gnolls won’t necessarily see eye-to-eye just because they’re gnolls.

The character work in this book is so good.

By pirateaba ,

Why should I read it?

31 authors picked The Wandering Inn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

(This novel is the e-book version of the free web serial. You may read the entire ongoing story at wanderinginn.com free of charge.)

“No killing Goblins.”

So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.

It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of…