Here are 64 books that King of Ashes fans have personally recommended if you like King of Ashes. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Mongrels

Jeremy D. Baker Author Of The Guilty Sleep

From Jeremy's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jeremy's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Jeremy D. Baker Why Jeremy loves this book

Semi-epistolary, possibly unreliable narrator, as much about growing up poor and marginalized as it is a howlingly good werewolf story. SGJ is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs.

By Stephen Graham Jones ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A spellbinding and darkly humorous coming-of-age story about an unusual boy, whose family lives on the fringe of society and struggles to survive in a hostile world that shuns and fears them. He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his…


If you love King of Ashes...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon

HJ Corning Author Of Then The Trees Said Hello

From HJ's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

HJ's 3 favorite reads in 2025

HJ Corning Why HJ loves this book

I live near the Grand Canyon, and have traveled lots of miles in her beauty. But this book took me to a whole other world. The writing is exceptional. He shares the stupid decisions they made, as well as the successes. It's a book of integrity about what happens in the back country, especially if you're not prepared.

By Kevin Fedarko ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked A Walk in the Park as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two friends, zero preparation, one dream. From the author of the beloved bestseller The Emerald Mile, a rollicking and poignant account of the epic misadventure of a 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of America's most magnificent national park and the grandest wilderness on earth.

A few years after quitting his job to follow an ill-advised dream of becoming a guide on the Colorado River, Kevin Fedarko was approached by his best friend, the National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, with a vision as bold as it was harebrained. Together, they would embark on an end-to-end traverse of the Grand…


Book cover of Rat Town Blues

Paul Jantzen Author Of Sour Apples: A Novel For Those Who Hate to Read

From Paul's 3 favorite reads in 2026.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Paul's 3 favorite reads in 2026

Paul Jantzen Why Paul loves this book

Brian Kaufman once again delivers the goods in his slow burn noir, Rat Town Blues. Our charismatic hero, Slag Ferguson, is small time in a small town. He's an ex boxer, bartender, and a private investigator. This might leave you thinking Rat Town Blues is a typical detective story with the usual tropes, and maybe it is, but what Kaufman brings is a style and pace that is perfect for developing his characters and the setting for this hard boiled detective’s tale.

Slag starts with a great name, a sarcastic and gritty persona, and finishes with a cynical take on all that is around him. As much as the reader wants clues to the detectives work, perhaps thinking they are an amateur slueth themselves, the way Kaufman gives us Slag’s everyday is much more charming and brilliant.

The author has a knack for portraying the charismatic side of…

By Brian Kaufman ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Gritty, intense, and immersive; a razor-sharp noir thriller that plunges into the murky depths of corruption and moral ambiguity." -The Prairies Book Review

Mark "Slag" Ferguson (bartender, ex-boxer) adds unlicensed private investigator to his resume. Times are tough. The new side gig seems like a smart play.

Kelly Mason is a cool, enigmatic blonde whose husband has been acting strangely. She believes he's being extorted. Can Slag help? Slag is sure he knows where the case will lead. Of course, he might be wrong.

In the near future, a man needs to hustle just to tread water. And Slag is…


If you love S.A. Cosby...

Book cover of Katie’s Gamble

Katie’s Gamble by Kara O'Neal,

Katie's Gamble is an unexpected, unique story about a young woman who's trying to support her younger siblings by keeping her family's confectionery shop open.

In order to do that, she has to take on her older brother, who's a notorious gambler in Louisiana. Additionally, she has to outsmart Rowdy…

Book cover of Katabasis

Kristen Martin Author Of All We Keep Hidden

From Kristen's 3 favorite reads in 2026.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Kristen's 3 favorite reads in 2026

Kristen Martin Why Kristen loves this book

I started reading this book in the fall and, even though some people might disagree, the dark academia vibes were definitely present throughout this book. The journey into Hell kept me turning pages, along with the lore, the intellectual magic system, and the relationship between the two main characters. Their backstory was woven in so seamlessly and was revealed at the perfect point in the book. This book made me laugh, it made me tear up, and it made me think about existence far beyond the physical plane. A masterful piece of work -- I highly recommend this one if you're looking to challenge your world views while enjoying a solid plotline with relatable characters!

By R. F. Kuang ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Prepare for one hell of a journey...

'A big, bold fantasy romp' GUARDIAN

'R.F. Kuang is making magic' ELLE

'[A] truly original and spellbinding hero's-journey story' VOGUE

'I devoured it' RED

One of the BBC's 25 best books of 2025

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.

Grad student Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become the brightest mind in the field of analytic magick.

But the only person who can make her dream come true is dead and - inconveniently - in…


Book cover of King Sorrow

Patrick R. Field Author Of The Malevolent

From Patrick's 3 favorite reads in 2026.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Patrick's 3 favorite reads in 2026

Patrick R. Field Why Patrick loves this book

The question is whether there was a possibility that you could remove a person whom you feel endangers a human population without you killing them yourself- would you? A question of morality, beliefs, and faith. This theme fascinates me.

By Joe Hill ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked King Sorrow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

SOME PROMISES SHOULD NEVER BE MADE...

***A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK***

'A tour de force...King Sorrow is huge, sprawling - and absolutely fantastic' THE GUARDIAN
'Joe Hill gloriously resurrects the doorstop horror blockbuster for a startling new century' ALAN MOORE
'A soaring epic and painfully intimate. You won't be able to stop burning through the pages' PAUL TREMBLAY
'Epic, exhilarating and haunting in equal measures' DAILY EXPRESS
'A commanding, captivating read' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Epic...a multi-layered, rich response to the horrors and hopes of living today' DAILY MAIL

Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine,…


Book cover of Fiend

Jeremy D. Baker Author Of The Guilty Sleep

From Jeremy's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jeremy's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Jeremy D. Baker Why Jeremy loves this book

Succession, but with a strong (and terrifying) supernatural element? YES PLEASE.

By Alma Katsu ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Historical horror maven Alma Katsu turns her talents to the modern world for the first time, in this terrifying tale about an all-powerful family with an ancient evil under its thumb.

"If you liked Succession but think it would have been a lot more fun with a 1,000 year old demon, then Alma Katsu's Fiend has got you covered." —Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

The Berisha family runs one of the largest import-export companies in the world, and they've always…


If you love King of Ashes...

Book cover of The Delphi Agenda

The Delphi Agenda by Rob Swigart,

Papyrologist Lisa Emmer's world flips when the Sûreté detains her at her Metro station with news of the savage murder of the esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix, her friend and mentor in the study of ancient documents.

Horrified, Lisa finds clues at the crime scene left behind for her…

Book cover of Blacktop Wasteland

LeRenyae Watkins Author Of Contempt

From my list on crime novels where the system is the real villain.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write what I call civic noir, crime fiction where the real antagonist isn’t a person but an institution: a courthouse, a precinct, a city hall that already knows how the story ends. I’m drawn to these books because the most frightening thing in them is never the gun; it’s the machinery, the procedure, the quiet way a system decides who’s guilty before anyone enters a courtroom. As a writer, I’m less interested in the villain than in the architecture that produces him. These five novels taught me how to make a building feel dangerous, and how to keep ordinary people from disappearing into the gears.

LeRenyae's book list on crime novels where the system is the real villain

LeRenyae Watkins Why LeRenyae loves this book

Cosby never lets you call Bug Montage a criminal.

He’s a man doing everything right: a marriage, kids, an honest garage, while the world keeps tightening the screws until the only door left open is the wrong one. 

What I love is that the antagonist is never a person. It’s the arithmetic of being poor and Black in a place that priced you out before you were born. It reads like a heist and lands like a tragedy, a propulsive, engine-roaring thriller that’s secretly an indictment of the whole system.

By S.A. Cosby ,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Blacktop Wasteland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*GUARDIAN BEST CRIME AND THRILLERS OF 2020*
*LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER 2020*

'BLACKTOP WASTELAND may be the book of the year.' MICHAEL CONNELLY
'Sensationally good' LEE CHILD
'I loved BLACKTOP WASTELAND' STEPHEN KING
'Stunning. Can't remember the last time I read such a powerful crime novel' MARK BILLINGHAM

"Bug" Montage: honest mechanic, loving family man. He's no longer the criminal he was - the sharpest wheelman east of the Mississippi.

But when his respectable life crumbles, a shady associate comes calling with a one-time job promising a huge payout. Inexorably drawn to the driver's seat - and haunted by…


Book cover of Razorblade Tears

Rick R. Reed Author Of Silence of the Missing

From Rick's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Rick's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Rick R. Reed Why Rick loves this book

It went so far beyond being a great thriller and revenge tale, examining familial bonds, the acceptance of LGBTQ people, and how love can redeem.

By S.A. Cosby ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Razorblade Tears as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* One of Barack Obama's Recommended Reads for Summer • New York Times Notable Book • NPR’s Best Books of 2021 • Washington Post’s Best Thriller and Mystery Books of the Year • TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2021 • New York Public Library’s Best Books of the Year • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee • Book of the Month’s Book of the Year Finalist
“Provocative, violent — beautiful and moving, too.” —Washington Post
“Superb...Cuts right to the heart of the most important questions of our times.” —Michael Connelly
“A tour de force – poignant, action-packed,…


Book cover of Bluebird, Bluebird

LeRenyae Watkins Author Of Contempt

From my list on crime novels where the system is the real villain.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write what I call civic noir, crime fiction where the real antagonist isn’t a person but an institution: a courthouse, a precinct, a city hall that already knows how the story ends. I’m drawn to these books because the most frightening thing in them is never the gun; it’s the machinery, the procedure, the quiet way a system decides who’s guilty before anyone enters a courtroom. As a writer, I’m less interested in the villain than in the architecture that produces him. These five novels taught me how to make a building feel dangerous, and how to keep ordinary people from disappearing into the gears.

LeRenyae's book list on crime novels where the system is the real villain

LeRenyae Watkins Why LeRenyae loves this book

Locke does the thing I’m always chasing. 

She makes the law itself the source of suspense. Her Texas Ranger, Darren Mathews, carries a badge that protects him and endangers him in the same gesture, and every door he opens with it might be the one that gets him killed. I love that she refuses easy heroes. Everyone in that little town off Highway 59 is wired into the same old order, and justice has to be smuggled out past it. 

She taught me a murder mystery can be a way of asking who the system was built to serve, and that the quietest scene is often the most dangerous one.

By Attica Locke ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award 2018
2018 Edgar Award Winner for best novel

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules - a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger working the backwoods towns of Highway 59, knows all too well. Deeply conflicted about his home state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him back.

So when allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town…


If you love S.A. Cosby...

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

Book cover of All the Light We Cannot See

Mercedes M. Yardley Author Of Love is a Crematorium and Other Tales

From Mercedes' 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Mercedes' 3 favorite reads in 2024

Mercedes M. Yardley Why Mercedes loves this book

What an utterly charming book. It's written beautifully, has characters I cared for, and was literary while still being easy to digest and understand. It often delves into the brutality of war but the chapters are so short that you're in the darkness for a brief time before taking a breather. I enjoyed it immensely.

By Anthony Doerr ,

Why should I read it?

55 authors picked All the Light We Cannot See as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTION

A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II

Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.'

For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home.…


Book cover of Mongrels
Book cover of A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon
Book cover of Rat Town Blues

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