Here are 41 books that Defy the Stars fans have personally recommended if you like
Defy the Stars.
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Though most of the books and characters I recommended are full-on assassins, I wrote King Assassin as a one-time killer because this was always a story of redemption and grief, as a lot of these assassins face. I wrote the book after losing my best friend, and the journey the main character goes through in her search for redemption, only to find it in herself, was something I needed as I grieved my loss. I see it in all of the assassins I’ve read about, and I resonate so so much with the idea that a person is not made of only their mistakes, but of so much more than that.
Now, I understand most people would consider Six of Crows a “heist book,” but can I just say… Inej is a goddess.
Her backstory is truly heartbreakingly powerful and has stuck with me even years after finishing. I loved this duology so much that I got my mother and two sisters to read it, and could rave about it for hours.
*See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with Shadow and Bone, now a Netflix original series.*
Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017, this fantasy epic from the No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Grisha trilogy is gripping, sweeping and memorable - perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Laini Taylor and Kristin Cashore.
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams - but he can't pull it off alone.
A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can't walk…
Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander
by
Christian Hurst,
When seventeen-year-old Lily Starling is found in San Francisco with no memory of who she is, her search for answers pulls her into a future she never imagined. Taken aboard the Union starship Salamander, she becomes entangled in a mission that will test the limits of identity, loyalty, and courage.
The third book in the NYT bestselling Expanse series, Abaddon's Gate opens the door to the ruins of an alien gate network, and the crew of the Rocinante may hold the key to unlocking its secrets. Now a Prime Original series.
HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIES
For generations, the solar system -- Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt -- was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus's orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark.
To me, a good story is where things happen. I like fast-paced action, grand adventures, snarky banter, and happy endings. I especially like books that don’t take themselves too seriously. Being an author of non-stop action adventure, offbeat science fiction and fantasy books, I write easy-to-read, compelling stories with just as much conflict and danger while maintaining an overarching atmosphere of levity and hope. Suburban mom by day and author by night, I love to live vicariously through my characters. They don’t have to vacuum all day long and are almost always guaranteed to survive any fantastical or thrilling incidents, no matter how treacherous I write them.
I love when stories start right where the action is! Very effective narrative, very vivid worlds–I felt like I was actually there. I was so blown away by the research that must have gone into the settings and locations in this book. The action is fast-paced, the conflict is compelling, and the dash of forbidden love was the cherry on top. I’m a total sucker for romance spanning across parallel worlds and alternate selves. I find the concept of portals and multiverses so incredibly fascinating that this element is in most of my books too.
Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a girl who must chase her father's killer through multiple dimensions. Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes-and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer-her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul-escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him. Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through…
Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander
by
Christian Hurst,
When seventeen-year-old Lily Starling is found in San Francisco with no memory of who she is, her search for answers pulls her into a future she never imagined. Taken aboard the Union starship Salamander, she becomes entangled in a mission that will test the limits of identity, loyalty, and courage.
My love of fiction began when my parents took my brother and me to see Star Wars. Somewhere between the lightsabers, giant screen, and speaker on one window, I fell in love with imaginary worlds. From there, I moved through Star Trek, mystery novels, science fiction, and many of the biggest names across multiple genres. Fantasy, though, has always held a special place in my life. I've written ten books in my epic fantasy series, with six currently published, and I have two more series in the works. I have spent years reading, writing, and getting happily lost in invented worlds. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I have.
I’m a fan of Dune because it feels larger than science fiction and more enduring than almost any genre label can contain.
I admire the depth of Frank Herbert’s worldbuilding, the strength of his prose, and the narrative weight carried by his characters and ideas. I return to books like this because they helped define what speculative fiction could become.
I also value Dune as a work of its own time. I do not want foundational novels rewritten to imitate modern language or contemporary storytelling habits. I want them preserved, studied, and experienced as they were written. To me, the best way to keep a genre alive is not to alter its past, but to let new authors build upon it with voices of their own.
Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.
Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.
Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.
I have always been fascinated with various myths, folklore, legends, and history. And I’ve always liked sharp humor and witty punchlines. Considering I have read all the Slavic fairy tales and historical books, I thought that presenting the rich and extensive history of that region through the eyes of a baker is the natural thing to do. So I tried to retell the rich folklore of the Slavic realm as an absurd baking journey through magic, empire-building, and baking the perfect loaf. It does add spice and flavor to the otherwise violent history of the region. Folklore and history should be fun and entertaining to read, not dry and academically challenging.
Last but not least, this book is a fantastic and entertaining read.
It may be classified as fantasy, but it's full of history from biblical times to contemporary England, so I’m putting this book in the “hilarious history” section.
The idea of an angel and demon working together is as absurd as it gets; the humor is sharp and sarcastic; and the book is full of quirky takes and punchlines on history and folklore.
THE BOOK BEHIND THE AMAZON PRIME/BBC SERIES STARRING DAVID TENNANT, MICHAEL SHEEN, JON HAMM AND BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
'Ridiculously inventive and gloriously funny' Guardian
What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea?
It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.
With a background in theoretical astrophysics and a life-long passion for science fiction, I am now lucky enough to have a dream job of working in one of my favorite sci-fi worlds: Star Trek. This role as science advisor for the franchise has bridged my career between hard science and fictional writing. Like many fans, I am one who simply wants to walk, live, and breathe in these fictional worlds that bring us so much joy. I always look for new ways to immerse myself, be it episode or movie rewatches, extended universe shows, comics, video games, and yes, books!
A Stitch in Time is far and beyond my favorite expanded universe book of any science-fiction property. Written by Andrew Robinson, who played the beloved character Garak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, this novel intricately weaves Garak’s mysterious past (answering many questions!) with his time on Deep Space Nine and what happens after the Dominion War. If you always wanted to learn more about Garak’s story, no one knows or tells it better than the man himself. Rare in print, but available electronically, it’s a must-read for DS9 fans.
The enigmatic Garak - Cardassian-in-exile on space station Deep Space Nine - refers to himself as "just a simple tailor", but everyone knows that there's more to him than that. Why was he banished from his home planet? And why does he choose exile on Deep Space Nine?
With a background in theoretical astrophysics and a life-long passion for science fiction, I am now lucky enough to have a dream job of working in one of my favorite sci-fi worlds: Star Trek. This role as science advisor for the franchise has bridged my career between hard science and fictional writing. Like many fans, I am one who simply wants to walk, live, and breathe in these fictional worlds that bring us so much joy. I always look for new ways to immerse myself, be it episode or movie rewatches, extended universe shows, comics, video games, and yes, books!
Leia Organa has always been my favorite character from the Star Wars universe; she’s strong, capable, and witty while being a great leader but acknowledging vulnerability. Bloodline by Claudia Grey perfectly captures the untold times in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens and Leia’s work as a senator, fending off threats to the Republic. A combination of both political intrigue and action, anyone wanting to learn more about Leia’s life and decisions should definitely pick up this book.
When the Rebellion defeated the Empire in the skies above Endor, Leia Organa believed it was the beginning to a lasting peace. But after decades of vicious infighting and partisan gridlock in the New Republic Senate, that hope seems like a distant memory.
Now a respected senator, Leia must grapple with the dangers that threaten to cripple the fledgling democracy-from both within and without. Underworld kingpins, treacherous politicians, and Imperial loyalists are sowing chaos in the galaxy. Desperate to take action, senators are calling for the election of a First…
All of the books I’ve recommended here involve various game series, or at least subseries in a larger franchise like Star Wars, that has come to influence my own writing, be it with the technology, the setting details, or just various writing quirks I’ve picked up over the years. I’m a long-standing fan of video games and strategy games or RPGs in particular, and I’ve been told in the past that my novels feel very video-game-y, though such was not my original intention. I should hope that the books I recommend here will give you some insight into what sources I draw from as I write my own novels!
Mass Effect was a very big sci-fi series for me growing up, the technology of which continues to influence my novels to this day. This novel serves as a prequel to the first game in the Mass Effect series, covering an event that was only briefly mentioned within the game itself, where Captain David Anderson works alongside the Spectre Saren, a Turian who despises humanity and believes them to be growing too quickly. Saren’s behavior and beliefs lead to him committing atrocities and then blaming Anderson to sabotage the whole reason why they were asked to team up in the first place, setting the stage for the first game.
The thrilling prequel to the award-winning video game from BioWare
Every advanced society in the galaxy relies on the technology of the Protheans, an ancient species that vanished fifty thousand years ago. After discovering a cache of Prothean technology on Mars in 2148, humanity is spreading to the stars; the newest interstellar species, struggling to carve out its place in the greater galactic community.
On the edge of colonized space, ship commander and Alliance war hero David Anderson investigates the remains of a top secret military research station; smoking ruins littered with bodies and unanswered questions. Who attacked this…
With a background in theoretical astrophysics and a life-long passion for science fiction, I am now lucky enough to have a dream job of working in one of my favorite sci-fi worlds: Star Trek. This role as science advisor for the franchise has bridged my career between hard science and fictional writing. Like many fans, I am one who simply wants to walk, live, and breathe in these fictional worlds that bring us so much joy. I always look for new ways to immerse myself, be it episode or movie rewatches, extended universe shows, comics, video games, and yes, books!
Ah, Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. A fictional character from Star Trek: Voyager who has managed to become my (and many others) mentor in life, leadership, and careers. Mosaic tells the backstory of our beloved Captain, from her home life in Indiana to her time as a science officer and eventually becoming Captain of her own starship. This story by Jeri Taylor (who served as Executive Producer on Voyager for five seasons) captures Janeway in a way rarely seen outside of Kate Mulgrew herself. As a bonus, you can listen to an abridged version read by Kate as well!
The life story of Captain Kathryn Janeway, one of personal bravery, loyalty, tragedy and triumph. From her childhood to her time at Starfleet Academy, from her first love to her first command, she has to face the challenges and conflicts that made her the woman she is today.
With a background in theoretical astrophysics and a life-long passion for science fiction, I am now lucky enough to have a dream job of working in one of my favorite sci-fi worlds: Star Trek. This role as science advisor for the franchise has bridged my career between hard science and fictional writing. Like many fans, I am one who simply wants to walk, live, and breathe in these fictional worlds that bring us so much joy. I always look for new ways to immerse myself, be it episode or movie rewatches, extended universe shows, comics, video games, and yes, books!
With only two books out (referencing Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back) the From a Certain Point of View books are brilliant. So brilliant. I can’t explain how much I love these books in one short paragraph. They are a collection of short stories written by dozens of authors who recall events in the films both big and small. Did you ever want to know who the guy is on Hoth who interrupts Han and Leia arguing? Well, now you do! With each story taking only about 20 minutes to read, they’re a perfect nighttime story that add such richness to the films we’ve all seen dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A one-of-a-kind Star Wars experience that sheds new light on the original film.
On May 25, 1977, the world was introduced to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and a galaxy full of possibilities. In honor of the fortieth anniversary, more than forty contributors lend their vision to this retelling of Star Wars. Each of the forty short stories reimagines a moment from the original film, but through the eyes of a supporting character. From a Certain Point of View features contributions by bestselling authors, trendsetting artists, and…
