Picked by The Shadow Campaigns fans

Here are 13 books that The Shadow Campaigns fans have personally recommended once you finish the The Shadow Campaigns series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Red Sister

By Mark Lawrence , #1 of Book of the Ancestor series

Book cover of Red Sister

Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Author Of Argren Blue

From my list on complex storylines and bad-ass female characters.

By Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Ross and I have backgrounds in academia, in the finest liberal arts tradition. Although we are currently in the fields of Information technology and public health, between us we have read extensively in military history, sociology, economics, feminist theory, Buddhist philosophy, mythology and all manner of fantasy fiction. This list of books reflects our favorites, in large part because of their focus on character and historical world-building. We are always eager to share our favorite fantasy fiction with other readers who love deeply complicated stories with unforgettable characters.

Ross' book list on complex storylines and bad-ass female characters

Book cover of Age of Myth Book cover of Red Sister Book cover of Gideon the Ninth Book cover of The City We Became Book cover of The Thousand Names

Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Why Ross loves this book

As with the previous book recommendations, I find myself drawn to a resilient female protagonist who overcomes incredible odds in an empire crumbling under the weight of forces beyond any of the characters’ control.

In this book, Nona Grey, a young girl trained by the Sisters of Sweet Mercy convent as an assassin, has to contend with both political and existential threats as the powerful rulers of Abeth squabble over resources on their dying planet. I was also drawn to the intricacy of the storyline because I loved watching Nona navigate this complex world.

Red Sister

By Mark Lawrence ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Red Sister as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's not until you're broken that you find your sharpest edge.

"I was born for killing - the gods made me to ruin."

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices' skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist.

But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don't truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought…

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She Who Became the Sun

By Shelley Parker-Chan , #1 of The Radiant Emperor Duology series

Book cover of She Who Became the Sun

Ash Howell Author Of New Year, New You

From my list on redefining your queer, magical self.

By Ash Howell Author

Why am I passionate about this?

As a queer speculative fiction writer, I often find myself drawn to themes of identity. Reckoning with identity and defining your own (and redefining, and redefining, and redefining) is a critical part of the queer experience in the cis-hetero norms of the real world. Fantasy and science fiction have always given readers a lens to see themselves through, and many queer readers have found their own definitions between the lines of a book. The protagonists and stories in these books couldn’t be more different, but each offers a unique and compelling vision of discovering—or making—a place for themself in their magical world.

Ash's book list on redefining your queer, magical self

Book cover of Harrow the Ninth Book cover of Legends & Lattes Book cover of She Who Became the Sun Book cover of The Unspoken Name Book cover of A Psalm for the Wild-Built

Ash Howell Why Ash loves this book

This is a story that challenges our understanding of identity–Zhu is a girl, and she is a male novice in a monastery. Zhu wears her dead brother’s name like armor and schemes to make his fate hers as well. Zhu is as unapologetically callous as the world that discarded her. Zhu lives as a man and never wishes to live as a woman, but her pronouns never change.

Her story forces the reader to confront the heavy hand of circumstance in our lives and our definition of self. Zhu performs gender without regret or longing, it is a tool of her survival; instead, she defines herself in her ambition. And even though the person that Zhu ultimately chooses to become isn’t one we might admire, her relationship to gender speaks to those of us who sit between the boundaries of gender, who move between, or who fill more than one…

She Who Became the Sun

By Shelley Parker-Chan ,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked She Who Became the Sun as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

British Fantasy Award Winner
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Two-time Hugo Award Finalist
Locus Award Finalist

"Magnificent in every way."—Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

"A dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal."—Zen Cho, author of Black Water Sister

She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor.

To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

“I refuse to be nothing…”

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…

In…

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Whiskey When We're Dry

By John Larison ,

Book cover of Whiskey When We're Dry

Reese Hogan Author Of Shrouded Loyalties

From my list on cross-dressing women in wartime.

By Reese Hogan Author

Why am I passionate about this?

As a nonbinary trans guy, I grew up obsessed with novels about women disguising themselves as men. I loved everything about the trope, and always felt disappointed when they had to go back to living as women. It is a trope I eagerly embraced when I wrote Shrouded Loyalties, and though I didn’t yet know the term “transgender,” I was already exploring my own gender identity through my reading and writing of this theme. The books I’ve chosen to highlight here are ones that became some of my very favorites, and also feature action-packed wartime settings like the one used in Shrouded Loyalties.

Reese's book list on cross-dressing women in wartime

Book cover of She Who Became the Sun Book cover of Whiskey When We're Dry Book cover of Leviathan Book cover of The Ventriloquists Book cover of The Thousand Names

Reese Hogan Why Reese loves this book

This is slightly outside the boundaries of a wartime novel, as it takes place in the Old West, but it’s a fantastic book for this list, and shouldn’t be overlooked if you love this trope. Jess Harney makes a name for herself as a notorious male sharpshooter and outlaw. Her first-person voice is one of the most interesting I’ve read, and I loved how she fit in as one of the guys while never sacrificing who she was. She barely even thinks about her gender as she so naturally considers herself male. Books like this really highlight the blurred lines between cross-dressing out of necessity or desire, and I’m excited to see more authors addressing this trope with the nuance of queerness which is often part of it.

Whiskey When We're Dry

By John Larison ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Whiskey When We're Dry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Named a Best Book by Entertainment Weekly, O Magazine, Goodreads, Southern Living, Outside Magazine, Oprah.com, HelloGiggles, Parade, Fodor's Travel, Sioux City Journal, Read it Forward, Medium.com, and NPR's All Things Considered.

"A thunderclap of originality, here is a fresh voice and fresh take on one of the oldest stories we tell about ourselves as Americans and Westerners. It's riveting in all the right ways -- a damn good read that stayed with me long after closing the covers." - Timothy Egan, New York Times bestselling author of The Worst Hard Time

From a blazing new voice in fiction, a gritty…

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The Ventriloquists

By E. R. Ramzipoor ,

Book cover of The Ventriloquists

Reese Hogan Author Of Shrouded Loyalties

From my list on cross-dressing women in wartime.

By Reese Hogan Author

Why am I passionate about this?

As a nonbinary trans guy, I grew up obsessed with novels about women disguising themselves as men. I loved everything about the trope, and always felt disappointed when they had to go back to living as women. It is a trope I eagerly embraced when I wrote Shrouded Loyalties, and though I didn’t yet know the term “transgender,” I was already exploring my own gender identity through my reading and writing of this theme. The books I’ve chosen to highlight here are ones that became some of my very favorites, and also feature action-packed wartime settings like the one used in Shrouded Loyalties.

Reese's book list on cross-dressing women in wartime

Book cover of She Who Became the Sun Book cover of Whiskey When We're Dry Book cover of Leviathan Book cover of The Ventriloquists Book cover of The Thousand Names

Reese Hogan Why Reese loves this book

Based on a true story, this book was a treasure of a find, detailing the rebellion of artists in Nazi-occupied Belgium in 1943. Helene, a girl disguised as a male newspaper hawker, is only a side character – a cog in the machine of the farce newspaper being published by the rebels – but her incredible voice brings the movement to life, while expertly weaving in her own questions about gender and sexuality in a world she’s not sure has a place for her. The author later came out on the nonbinary spectrum as well, which really brought home for me how many of us explore our identities through our writing before coming to terms with significant truths about ourselves.

The Ventriloquists

By E. R. Ramzipoor ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ventriloquists as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“[A] remarkable saga.... Engrossing.” —Booklist, starred review

In this triumphant debut inspired by true events, a ragtag gang of journalists and resistance fighters risk everything for an elaborate scheme to undermine the Reich.

The Nazis stole their voices. But they would not be silenced.

Brussels, 1943. Twelve-year-old street orphan Helene survives by living as a boy and selling copies of the country’s most popular newspaper, Le Soir, now turned into Nazi propaganda. Helene’s world changes when she befriends a rogue journalist, Marc Aubrion, who draws her into a secret network that publishes dissident underground newspapers.

The Nazis track down Aubrion’s…

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Leviathan

By Scott Westerfeld , Keith Thompson (illustrator) , #1 of Leviathan series

Book cover of Leviathan

Danika Dinsmore Author Of Brigitta of the White Forest

From my list on adventurous girls in fantastic worlds.

By Danika Dinsmore Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Since my first trip to Oz, Dad’s voice traveling me to sleep, I’ve been in love with fantastic worlds, from the microscopic to the intergalactic. I’m drawn to the observations of poets, astronomers, and metaphysicians, but there’s a special place in my heart for children’s authors. Someone once told me middle grade is the “sweet spot.” Readers start making independent choices, exploring stories that resonate with them. I’ve been teaching world-building to students and writers of all ages since 1998, and there is something magical about those 8-12 year-olds with their wild imaginations and eagerness to explore. I wrote my fantasy series for 10-year-old me, lost in such worlds.  

Danika's book list on adventurous girls in fantastic worlds

Book cover of The True Meaning of Smekday Book cover of Leviathan Book cover of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making Book cover of Seraphina Book cover of The Golden Compass (The Northern Lights)

Danika Dinsmore Why Danika loves this book

I’m a geek for a good undercover story because of the constant underlying tension. Place that undercover story in an alternate world, and you’ve got my attention! Leviathan takes place in Scott Westerfeld's fabulous re-imagining of the events surrounding WWI. It’s a world where the secrets of DNA were discovered far earlier and put to use as natural “machinery.”

Our star is Deryn Sharp, one of my favorite middle-grade heroines. She’s a commoner disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman, brave and fearless and clever… and living in constant fear someone will discover her secret. Even so, she faces conflict head-on and is quick on her feet.

She fights on the side of the Darwinists, using extraordinary genetically altered creatures, against the Clankers and their steampunk-style weaponry. They’re no match for Deryn, though, as she saves the day again and again with her mind…

Leviathan

By Scott Westerfeld , Keith Thompson (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Leviathan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Two opposing forces are on the brink of war. The Clankers - who put their faith in machinery - and the Darwinists - who have begun evolving living creatures into tools. Prince Aleksandar, the would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, comes from a family of Clankers, and travels the country in a walker, a heavily-fortified tank on legs. Meanwhile Deryn Sharp, a girl disguised as a boy, works for the British Empire, crewing the ultimate flying machine: an airship made of living animals. Now, as Alek flees from his own people, and Deryn crash-lands in enemy territory, their lives are…

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Age of Myth

By Michael J. Sullivan , #1 of Legends of the First Empire series

Book cover of Age of Myth

Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Author Of Argren Blue

From my list on complex storylines and bad-ass female characters.

By Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Ross and I have backgrounds in academia, in the finest liberal arts tradition. Although we are currently in the fields of Information technology and public health, between us we have read extensively in military history, sociology, economics, feminist theory, Buddhist philosophy, mythology and all manner of fantasy fiction. This list of books reflects our favorites, in large part because of their focus on character and historical world-building. We are always eager to share our favorite fantasy fiction with other readers who love deeply complicated stories with unforgettable characters.

Ross' book list on complex storylines and bad-ass female characters

Book cover of Age of Myth Book cover of Red Sister Book cover of Gideon the Ninth Book cover of The City We Became Book cover of The Thousand Names

Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Why Ross loves this book

I have read the six books in Michael J. Sullivan’s First Empire series multiple times, in part because of the sweeping storyline that spans the entire series. Although the main protagonist is male, for me, the real heroes are Persephone and Suri.

As with my other recommendations, these characters respond to extraordinary circumstances by becoming extraordinary themselves. 

Age of Myth

By Michael J. Sullivan ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Age of Myth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of fantasy’s finest next-generation storytellers continues to break new ground.

Michael J. Sullivan’s trailblazing career began with the breakout success of his Riyria series: full-bodied, spellbinding fantasy adventures whose imaginative scope and sympathetic characters won a devoted readership and comparisons to fantasy masters Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Now Age of Myth inaugurates an original five-book series.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans…

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The City We Became

By N. K. Jemisin , #1 of The Great Cities series

Book cover of The City We Became

Catherine Castellani Author Of New Year, New You

From my list on fiction about reinventing yourself.

By Catherine Castellani Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an aficionado of the fresh start. I make it a point to celebrate all the New Years—that way, I can re-up my resolutions every few weeks! Paradoxically, I’m not great at sudden change. I like stability and working systematically. I reconcile these two sides of myself by observing other people’s transformations and caterpillar-to-butterfly stories on a regular basis. Whether it’s Beyonce going country or a Nigerian god turning to crime, I’m on the ride, picking up pointers. If you are looking to make a change, I hope this list is a fun place to start gathering ideas!

Catherine's book list on fiction about reinventing yourself

Book cover of The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win Book cover of Night Soldiers Book cover of Ancillary Justice Book cover of The City We Became Book cover of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon

Catherine Castellani Why Catherine loves this book

Imagine waking up to discover you’ve become the City of New York. And meeting the avatar of São Paulo walking around trying to be a mentor. As a New Yorker, I’m all for it, and I was hooked right from the start of this urban fantasy. Aliens are trying to eat the cities of Earth, but the cities fight back by choosing champions from among their populations.

New York, being New York, has six—one for the City as a whole and one for each borough because we do things right here. I got such a kick out of every borough’s particular personality and approach to being part of the whole, when just the other day, these were all ordinary people pursuing their own aims. Sudden, magical, consequential reinvention. Love it.

The City We Became

By N. K. Jemisin ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The City We Became as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A glorious fantasy, set in that most imaginary of cities, New York' Neil Gaiman on THE CITY WE BECAME

'The most celebrated science fiction and fantasy writer of her generation. . .Jemisin seems able to do just about everything'
NEW YORK TIMES

'Jemisin is now a pillar of speculative fiction, breathtakingly imaginative and narratively bold'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Five New Yorkers must band together to defend their city in the first book of a stunning new series by Hugo award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and…

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Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir , #1 of The Locked Tomb Series series

Book cover of Gideon the Ninth

Claire Barner Author Of Moonrising

From my list on sci-fi romance that will make you think.

By Claire Barner Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been obsessed with sci-fi romance since I was a kid watching the Klingon wedding of Worf and Jadzia Dax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I love the idea of mashing these two distinct genres together. While sci-fi and romance both explore the human condition, sci-fi goes wide while romance is intimate. I think this makes the crossover of these two genres work especially well. My foremost inspiration for sci-fi romance is Lois McMaster Bujold, who offers a masterclass in how to deftly weave compelling romance into a sci-fi setting without sacrificing any action or political intrigue.

Claire's book list on sci-fi romance that will make you think

Book cover of Gideon the Ninth Book cover of The Dividing Sky Book cover of Winter's Orbit Book cover of Shards of Honor Book cover of The Ministry of Time

Claire Barner Why Claire loves this book

This book is unhinged in the best way. I love Gideon’s unique voice. Around her is a deadly-serious necromancer murder mystery with interplanetary stakes, and she cares more about cracking dirty jokes and finally eating some warm food. Her relationship with her arch-nemesis/only friend Harrow leaps off the page.

I love the scene where they get into a pool so Harrow can finally confess to Gideon her darkest secret—so hot and so disturbing all at the same time. While this book isn’t technically a romance and the genre feels more like a horror fantasy set in space, I couldn’t resist putting it on the list. As Gideon says to Harrow, “One flesh, one end, bitch.”

Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir ,

Why should I read it?

28 authors picked Gideon the Ninth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

15+ pages of new, original content, including a glossary of terms, in-universe writings, and more!

A USA Today Best-Selling Novel!

"Unlike anything I've ever read. " --V.E. Schwab

"Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!" --Charles Stross

"Brilliantly original, messy and weird straight through." --NPR

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.

Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as…

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Hard Reboot

By Django Wexler ,

Book cover of Hard Reboot

Michael J Brooks Author Of Republic Falling

From my list on delivering thought-provoking social inspection.

By Michael J Brooks Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Since childhood, I’ve been a consumer of fiction entertainment. I’m a fan of comic books, anime, television series, fiction books, movies, video games, etc. Influenced by all of these forms of storytelling, I seek to entertain people with my science fiction books and help take their minds off their troubles. At a young age, I also realized fiction can be a gateway into exploring and bringing awareness to crucial issues. With an MFA from Howard University, I’m naturally a creative person, and if I’m not creating, I’m not living. I hope readers will check out my latest book, and best so far, Republic Falling: Advent of a New Dawn.

Michael's book list on delivering thought-provoking social inspection

Book cover of Hard Reboot Book cover of E-Day Book cover of Deal with the Devil Book cover of Gun Runner Book cover of The Blood Trials

Michael J Brooks Why Michael loves this book

I love giant robots, being a fan of the Battle Tech and Gundam franchises, and Hard Reboot is a book involving giant-robot arena fights, so that alone inspired me to check it out. Good worldbuilding is important for any fiction book. And with this book being a novella, I was impressed with how much worldbuilding was done within 150 pages or so. The world within Hard Reboot has its own unique terms, technology, and environments, which made me want to learn more about this world as I read through each page. I also found the two main characters intriguing, two young women from different backgrounds. The evolution of their relationship from frenemies to significant others was totally fun to read. If you like giant-robot battles, pick this book up.

Hard Reboot

By Django Wexler ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hard Reboot as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Django Wexler's Hard Reboot features giant mech arena battles and intergalactic diplomacy. When did academia get to be so complicated?

Kas is a junior researcher on a fact-finding mission to old Earth. But when a con-artist tricks her into wagering a large sum of money belonging to her university on the outcome of a manned robot arena battle she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld of old Earth politics and state-sponsored battle-droid prizefights.

Is it time to get back to the books, yet?

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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E-Day

By Nicholas Sansbury Smith , #1 of E-Day Trilogy series

Book cover of E-Day

Michael J Brooks Author Of Republic Falling

From my list on delivering thought-provoking social inspection.

By Michael J Brooks Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Since childhood, I’ve been a consumer of fiction entertainment. I’m a fan of comic books, anime, television series, fiction books, movies, video games, etc. Influenced by all of these forms of storytelling, I seek to entertain people with my science fiction books and help take their minds off their troubles. At a young age, I also realized fiction can be a gateway into exploring and bringing awareness to crucial issues. With an MFA from Howard University, I’m naturally a creative person, and if I’m not creating, I’m not living. I hope readers will check out my latest book, and best so far, Republic Falling: Advent of a New Dawn.

Michael's book list on delivering thought-provoking social inspection

Book cover of Hard Reboot Book cover of E-Day Book cover of Deal with the Devil Book cover of Gun Runner Book cover of The Blood Trials

Michael J Brooks Why Michael loves this book

I have always loved the idea of exo-suits. As a kid, I watched the animated series Exosquad, I am a fan of Iron Man, I have watched exo-suit anime like Bubblegum Crisis, etc. So I was drawn to E-Day, a book involving warfare with the use of exo-suits. The action and the plot twists sucked me in and left me wanting to purchase the next book.

E-Day

By Nicholas Sansbury Smith ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked E-Day as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Artificial Intelligence is our last hope of saving the war-ravaged Earth in this near future science fiction thriller from the apocalyptic mind of New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith (Hell Divers, The Extinction Cycle, Orbs).

The most advanced soldiers in human history are about to become obsolete.

Engines. Genetically modified warriors that keep the great Nova Alliance war machine churning against the enemy Coalition. Most days, Engines are all that stand between salvation and chaos. Led by legendary Engine, Captain Akira Hayashi, Shadow Squad has fought on the frontlines for a decade. They are on the brink of…

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