Here are 46 books that This Present Darkness fans have personally recommended once you finish the This Present Darkness series.
Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.
An avid reader since the age of 7, I have long loved history and fantasy. As a writer, I have a passion to share those things with young readers. I try to create stories that engage imaginations and share some historical facts along the way. As a member of a book reviewing team for new kids’ publications for an online kid lit blog, I also get to read and enjoy what other authors are putting out there as well.
This is another one I have re-read because I love the fantasy aspect. I didn’t come across C.S. Lewis’ books until I was a young adult, and then it was his adult writings. Now, I’m loving catching up on his Narnia series.
Written in 1950, this classic tale lives on, never becoming out of date, and I love that it is currently a stage production.
As a Christian, I also love a classic tale of good versus evil, with the drama between the white witch and the lion hero, Aslan, who overcomes death to save Narnia from the witch’s evil spell. For me, it’s a truly inspirational allegorical tale that stands the test of time.
Lucy steps into the Professor's wardrobe - but steps out again into a snowy forest. She's stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns... and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, needs her help if the country's creatures are ever going to be free again...
At five years old, I heard my great-grandmother, a God-fearing Pentecostal wife of an evangelist, give her personal testimony of seeing a UFO when she was a child. This event brought together two very different realities for me: the Christian worldview and the existence of ETs. Since that time, I had many supernatural encounters, some demonic, others divine, and others undefined. I am a retired Chief Master Sergeant with two associates, a Bachelor, and two Master’s degrees. To reconcile my faith with the paranormal, I put my academic proclivities to task by writing fourteen books of varying genres, which I define as a unique blend of Paranormal Sci-fi/Fantasy Christianity.
I love this book because Tolkien took the fantasy genre to a new, unprecedented level, resurrecting ancient legends of old, with countless mythical creatures.
His magnificent characters defined their races, occupations, and even their languages, later inspiring the game, Dungeons and Dragons, of which I was once a Dungeon Master. Many of The Fellowship serve messianic roles. Gandalf, for example, conquers death following his battle with a demon, and Stryder, an obscure ranger, turns out to be Aragorn, heir of the fallen kingdom.
Tolkien captures keen insight into the human condition regarding the struggle against sin. He also whispers a mystery; while an evil wizard created the One Ring to rule them all, a hidden, even more powerful force is clearly behind the ring’s eventual destruction.
This brand-new unabridged audio book of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings, is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.
In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power - the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron's evil dominion.
Thus begins J. R. R. Tolkien's classic tale of adventure, which continues in…
I’m a grown-up who struggles to stay in the here and now, vastly preferring to live in the stories in my head or in the book in front of me. I grew up in New England, Spain, and now have settled in Colorado after traveling around most of the lower 48 states. I’ve been a fan of well written fantasy since I learned to read, and at 35 I started writing my own fantasy stories. Now when I need a perfect getaway escape, I read my own books!
As someone who’s moved around a LOT and lived far from family most of my life, I’m a sucker for found family of any kind.
This story is one of the best. I loved reading about all these demi-god children working together and finding their connection through loyalty and depth of friendship.
As someone very familiar with Greek mythology, I really enjoyed the fresh and enjoyably new story with familiar players.
The Lightning Thief: the First book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series.
The first bestselling book in Rick Riordan's phenomenally successful Percy Jackson series.
Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive.
I’ve always chased that child-like wonder—the intoxicating mix of passion, adventure, and discovery. Growing up, I sought books that could capture that magic, and as a writer, I now understand how rare and powerful it is to evoke those raw emotions. These books gave me that spark, inspiring me both personally and creatively. They even motivated me to create Visual Novel, a tool designed to bring stories to life and immerse readers further into their worlds. I hope this list rekindles that sense of innocent wonder and reminds you of the beauty and weight of youthful imagination.
This book hit me like a spark I didn’t know I needed. I first picked up this book because of the cover- I was expecting an action-packed series what I got was even better. Dragons are cool, yes, but the real magic is how the story weaves creativity, mystery, and emotion into everyday life.
I was hooked by the quiet, reflective moments just as much as the tension. It made me think about the hidden connections in life and how even small choices can have huge ripples.
Best-selling author, Chris d'Lacey, brings us a magical story about mysterious hand crafted clay dragons who have unusual powers.
Best-selling author Chris d'Lacey brings us a magical story about mysterious hand crafted clay dragons who have unusual powers.When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of hand crafted, clay dragons that comes to life and has magical powers. David's personalized dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future, and inspires him to write a story which reveals the truth behind an unsolved mystery close to home. The story has an unhappy ending, and when David realizes the consequences…
I chose these books for you to enjoy because they are 5 of my favorites for different reasons. You see, deep down, I am an unapologetic Bible-reading sci-fi, fantasy, and old-school monster movie-loving nerd. Books like these have helped shape my love for fiction and great storytelling as they teleported me to Narnia or Mordor. Soaring the spaceways as The Galadorian Spacekinight or the veil between flesh and spirit being revealed in This Present Darkness. These books and many like them helped shape my writing style, and I want you to share in the enjoyment of reliving them over and over again like me!
For all you fantasy and sci-fi fans like me who are aspiring or veteran writers looking for good characters of magical supernatural or beings of legend, look no further. It is full of different types of beasts of yore from mythology, monsters and beasts from the ancient world and modern fantasy characters.
It was such a good resource to have when developing a storyline with creatures that will be part of your world-building. The art and illustrations are perfect, along with the descriptions/bios of the creatures, and were an invaluable resource for me to expand my ideas for my books. I absolutely loved it. If you are doing research for your world-building that is entertaining and useful, this is it!
A Field Guide to Fantastical Beasts offers a beautiful introduction to a whole host of mythical creatures brought to life with wonderful illustrations. Come face-to-face with fairies, gremlins and gnomes, take flight with dragons, or swim with creatures of the deep. Learn the habits, habitat and history of this menagerie of 50 mythical creatures and explore their origins in literature, folklore and ancient history.
I chose these books for you to enjoy because they are 5 of my favorites for different reasons. You see, deep down, I am an unapologetic Bible-reading sci-fi, fantasy, and old-school monster movie-loving nerd. Books like these have helped shape my love for fiction and great storytelling as they teleported me to Narnia or Mordor. Soaring the spaceways as The Galadorian Spacekinight or the veil between flesh and spirit being revealed in This Present Darkness. These books and many like them helped shape my writing style, and I want you to share in the enjoyment of reliving them over and over again like me!
Truth be told. Rom is one of my all-time favorite heroic, honorable characters that I ever read in my entire life. To say that I absolutely cherish the series and my memories as a youth reading the book is an understatement. He is a tragic hero who gave up his humanity to save his world from the monstrous Dire Wraiths, an alien demonic-like race that subjugates and destroys other worlds.
I literally got emotional reading these books. I was hooked and still love Rom the Space Knight. The art of the book is superb and thrilling, as it captivates like the world of Rom is real. If you like robots, monsters, shapeshifters, sci-fi, and supernatural fantasy and love heroes with honor, you will absolutely love Rom the Space Knight!
He strikes from outer space…and nothing can stop him! Marvel Comics is proud to present the iconic early adventures of the greatest of Spaceknights - Rom! Centuries ago, Rom pledged his life to protect his planet, Galador, from the evil Dire Wraiths. Now, Rom has tracked these vile creatures across the cosmos to Earth, where they have infiltrated the highest levels of power - including S.H.I.E.L.D. itself! Armed with his energy analyzer, only Rom can see the Wraiths' true form - and with his neutralizer, he can blast them into Limbo! But what will Earth make of this armored invader?…
I’ve been fascinated by finding religious symbolism or concepts in literature since I was little. Discovering elements of your belief system in the world you are interacting with brings me much joy. From the time I was placed in foster care at age three, I sought fantasy as a tool to overcome the trials of my life. As I grew older, I gained a testimony of faith and God’s light, which had power over darkness, despair, and the adversary. I hope that you find this truth in my books and this list. God bless!
What I loved about this book was the character development of spiritual heroes. Elsa, meek and sweet, feels reluctant to be chosen for her call. This contrasts with the outgoing and funny Klein, who is quite strong-willed. How the characters remain loyal to the infinite despite society's worship of new gods creates a strong pull to keep reading.
"This tale captured me and held me hostage to the very last page. Breathlessly waiting for the next book."--Donita K. Paul, author of The Dragon Keeper Chronicles and The Chiril Chronicles
Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified and bad-tempered, and at age seventeen she's much too young. In addition, no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as Parne's elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.
I have felt a spiritual call in my life from as early as I can remember having memories as a young child. Being a life-long Christian has always drawn me to try to see God in everything around me, from people I encounter, to creation itself, to songs, to movies, etc. So, reading books which contain Christian allegory – symbols, meanings, underlying Biblical references – is very exciting for me. I enjoy trying to decipher that symbolism and try to understand the undertones that the book’s author is trying to communicate indirectly. I find that to be a personal challenge as I read, but also I find it very inspiring as well!
I am one of those people who just loves Christmas time and all things Christmas–a real Christmas “junkie”! So this book, set during the first Christmas and depicting a fictional story involving angels–wow, combines two of my favorite things into one story, angels and Christmas, that is going to be a guarantee for becoming a favorite book of mine.
Even though the story is fictional, it is one of those stories that you think “it really could have happened that way”. I can read this book every December and not get tired of it!
Spiritual beings populate the stories of Scripture. Angels singing. Demons infecting. Heavenly hosts fighting . . . Ignore the armies of God and Satan and you ignore the heart of Scripture. Ever since the snake tempted Eve in Eden, we've known: there is more to this world than meets the eye.
In this classic Christmas novella, best-selling author Max Lucado imagines the spiritual conflict that surrounded the coming of Christ. Surely there was much. If Satan could pre-empt Christ in the cradle, there'd be no Christ on the cross.
Journey back in time to the very throne of God ...…
I’ve always chased that child-like wonder—the intoxicating mix of passion, adventure, and discovery. Growing up, I sought books that could capture that magic, and as a writer, I now understand how rare and powerful it is to evoke those raw emotions. These books gave me that spark, inspiring me both personally and creatively. They even motivated me to create Visual Novel, a tool designed to bring stories to life and immerse readers further into their worlds. I hope this list rekindles that sense of innocent wonder and reminds you of the beauty and weight of youthful imagination.
Every good book recommendation list needs a twist. The nature of this list tends to lend itself to more fantasy/ fiction books, but this one is different. This book was like standing under a night sky, staring up at the stars, and feeling simultaneously insignificant and extraordinary.
I love how it made the universe feel vast and beautiful yet somehow personal. It’s not just science—it’s poetry, a reminder of how miraculous our existence is. It’s the twist on my list, but I recommend it because it showed me how the mystery of the cosmos mirrors the wonder of childhood discovery. It’s breathtaking and grounding all at once.
There's no better guide through mind-expanding questions such as what the nature of space and time is, how we fit within the universe, and how the universe fits within us than Neil deGrasse Tyson.
But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in digestible chapters consumable any time and anywhere in the busy day. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry reveals just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from…
I’ve been fascinated by finding religious symbolism or concepts in literature since I was little. Discovering elements of your belief system in the world you are interacting with brings me much joy. From the time I was placed in foster care at age three, I sought fantasy as a tool to overcome the trials of my life. As I grew older, I gained a testimony of faith and God’s light, which had power over darkness, despair, and the adversary. I hope that you find this truth in my books and this list. God bless!
I’ve read this twice and listened to the audiobook because this symbolic story is timeless. I love how the blood in the vile is the key to life, as Jesus’ sacrifice is the key to everlasting life. The co-authors do a fabulous job of illuminating how it looks and feels to experience a new emotion for the first time.
Almost 500 years have passed since civilization's brush with extinction. Perfect order reigns and humanity's gretaest threats have been silenced by the ruling totalitarian government. There is no disease. No passion. No hate. No war. There is only peace.
Until one man discovers the truth hidden in a secret journal: the human heart has been stripped of all that makes it human and exists only in a kind of living death. But when Rom exposed himself to the vial of blood contained in the journal he was filled with uncontrollable emotions. Only…
