100 Books Like Demons & Thieves

This book was like a fisherman with bait on the hook. I was the fish; the fantasy setting and the author’s magnificent ability with words were the bait.

Mary Stewart was, of course, the sportswoman out to snag something in my soul. I was prepared to be entertained, but the story carried a surprising amount of weight, asking questions like What do we live for? Can humanity ever be enough? Merlin came into an understanding of his place in the world — not through romance or fantasy adventures as we so typically read —  but through internal revelation.

With his journey, I was invited into soulful reflection and some uncomfortable truths of my own. In the end, I decided Mary Stewart knew very well what she was doing. The stinker.

I devoured this book with gusto. I guess we all seek a bit of magic sometimes.

When I read this book some thirty years ago, I had hit a rough patch. I wanted to escape the harsh reality surrounding me. The pages of this Celtic story transported me to a better place. You know the feeling, when fear drives you through heavy fog into the unknown? Once through, the landscape opens to excitement and promise.

Steven Lawhead used wonderful imagery to transport me to a time when warriors and kings held the future; when myths were the reality, and ordinary people became heroes. I want to live in a place where bravery and magic link hands. This is where ‘Song Of Albion’ led me. It’s my past and my future.

As someone who loves history, particularly Celtic history, this one hit me in a really special place in my heart. This little-known history of the Celtic Saints, and particularly Saint Patrick really opened my eyes. It details how Celtic monks quietly saved the written word while barbarians and Vikings burnt Roman literature—which would have made all western thought—even the bible on the threat of extinction. It dazzled me to be given a much bigger perspective on the infamous Book of Kells, and even how schools throughout the western world originated because of these men that hid behind the chaos of the times. All this history by itself was amazing to learn, but even more, the author wrote with wit and charm that made it a fun read.

Read this book if you want to get inside the heads of the two fathers of Fantasy, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. This book brilliantly ventures into what created the ‘Inklings’, and how they inspired each other to write fantastic stories of hobbits, dragons and magical worlds. This book particularly gripped me, because these two authors are my hero’s and have inspired my imagination above all others. This book even showed me how I could personally become an inkling, and join forces with other creative, and inspired writers to create a new world all our own. 

Moorcock is, of course, a legend of genre fiction, but even as I acknowledge this, I have to say my own journey with him as a reader has had its ups and downs. This book, though, finally sealed the deal for me because it is just that good.

Provocative and challenging, especially for readers of faith like myself, it succeeds because it’s so well-crafted that there’s no choice but to acknowledge its genius. I found its alternative portrayal of the life of Christ startling, but played as straight as it is, it never comes over as shocking for shock’s sake. Instead, by reframing the familiar as something totally other, it becomes a jumping off point for critical reevaluation and even reaffirmation. The Greatest Story Ever Retold?

I love novels that challenge the traditional storyline about Jesus and His disciples and dive deeper into what could have happened. In Iscariot, Judas is not an evil monster but a frail human being who overcomes a tough childhood and falls in love with Jesus and His message.

I laughed, I cried, and I took Judas to heart. I rooted for him, hoping he would make the right decision in the end, which, of course, he didn’t. This beautiful novel will stay with me for a long, long time.

The main reason I'd like to be friends with Seth Brown is, well, he's a Messiah. He can heal me if I cut myself, he can resurrect me in the event of my untimely death—though by all accounts the afterlife is rather, ahem, pleasant, so I might fight him on that—and he can turn tap water into a perfect cup of coffee. His resurrected arctic fox friend is an excellent ally, but Seth could use another human to help track down the vile bishop who's killing off his half-brothers in an effort to eliminate all but the one-and-only True Messiah. Or, on second thought, maybe I'd stay out of the line of fire by getting a job at the local Ducky Mar....

For any true Science Fiction fan, the Hyperion Cantos is a must read.

From enthralling character stories to sweeping galactic battles between humans and AI from both the past, present, and future. Usually, folks don’t choose The Rise of Endymion as their favorite from the Cantos, and would rather select Hyperion and its award-winning Canterbury Tales style writing regarding seven pilgrims and their struggle with the immortal Shrike.

But I, am a glutton for a good love story, and Raul and Rachel’s story is one that I find myself thinking of often.

If you’ve read the other 3 books of the Cantos then you know Raul is not the smartest, the strongest, or most willing protagonist. In fact, he’s pretty much the layman with basic skills and a bland history. But it doesn’t matter. He’s always there when it counts, he’s stalwart and trustworthy and he won’t let you down… show more.

This is a short, easy read. Some might even say it’s not sci-fi, but I think it fits. This was something I picked up in my teens and it helped create the framework for how I approach writing, creating, and my life. What if perception dictated reality, instead of the other way around? What would your life be like if you could change how you interacted with the world by just changing your mindset? 

Having read this as a teenager, I found the intricate plot mesmerizing and I was intrigued by the deeper themes approached in the book. I read it in my mother tongue, Romanian. Humanity, religion, good and evil, smoke and mirrors. Everything is wrapped up in a science fiction context and a multi-layered fantasy filled with spirituality and insight.

I don't want to give any spoilers, but I loved how one person, fairly regular, always becomes the Messiah, no matter how many times the experiment is repeated.