78 Books Like Lirael

I love how much Mercy learns about herself. I also really admire the time and space and, above all, respect Briggs's investments in Mercy's witting and unwitting explorations of her powers and heritage. And how Mercy reacts to revelations about her mother and mostly unknown father. I, at least, admire when Mercy is allowed to get cranky and try to pick and choose what she wants to keep or discard, approve or disapprove.

All this, and it's a heck of a roller coaster ride. I rode the slow build-up, increasingly bracing myself for the first big drop, and then whoop-whoop-whoop, I whirled up and down and sideways to the end.

I appreciate Dina's dedication. It makes her predictable in some ways, but this book does such a great job of showing the many facets of her dedication and endorses many of her actions while also forcing her to face the consequences and the need to rethink some things.

But I also come and stay and reread for the many wonderful, diverse secondary characters! I'd love to stay at Gertrude Hunt and listen (and shiver) over Caldenia's stories. I'd go for the chance to try Orro's cooking in an instant! There are too many other great characters for me to pick from, or I'd go on and on and on.

It's Dina's story, but I admire how multi-faceted her world is and how many secondary characters are fully realized. Not to mention Dina's skill at making guest rooms to suit guests, can she come and do my place?

I’ve read this book three times, which is rare for me. I have such a daunting TBR pile that I rarely reread books. But as one of the first urban fantasy stories I ever read, it holds a special place in my heart, and every time I read it, I wish there were more.

The amount of world-building Mckinley achieves in a single, stand-alone book is phenomenal. Within the first few pages, I fell in love with the world’s history, the characters, and the social conflicts present in this book. The depiction of vampires and other magical races was so well done. When the book ended, I was hungry for more, which is why I keep coming back to this exceptional read.

I admire so much the time, patience, and thought put into Firekeeper. She's not a human wolf; she's a wolf in a human body with human limitations, faced with frustrations in trying to shift between the body-oriented language of wolves and the verbal-focused language of humans while staying true to herself.

I'm also in awe of how Lindskold layers in so many different cultures and approaches to power and how characters see themselves.

This is a book (and a series) I reread regularly, and I always find some aspects I hadn't noticed before. All that, and great characters on top. Firekeeper, of course, but I also respect and admire Derian, Elyse, Blind Seer, Sapphire, and so many more.

Three worlds in one book! There’s the not-so-important world of the Ancelstierre, roughly Edwardian or early-20th-Century-ish, and there’s the Old Kingdom, basically medieval, where Charter Magic wars with Free Magic (and how well Nix thinks through the workings of his forms of magic).

But the third world is the one that takes the cake! An underworld of the dead, with its different levels, gates, and sills. Sabriel discovers her own special inheritance and powers—OK, that’s standard fantasy fare, except that Sabriel’s powers are those of an abhorsen. It’s the Abhorsen’s role to make sure that the dead stay dead, and journey on down into the deeper levels of death. Of course, the dead who keep coming back are the ones who drive the narrative!

This is a truly remarkable series. It made me laugh, and it only gets better as time goes on. If you’re tired of the darkness that seems to be creeping into modern fantasy, then this is the series for you. The characters are delightful, the stories are engaging, the writing style is spot on, and nothing terrible happens to anyone you like.

I love reading fantasy when it is well-written and draws me into a world unlike any we know. This book does that in spades. Who knew there was a practice called necromancy, using dark magic powers to resurrect the dead? This author demonstrates great knowledge in the use of herbs, potions, magical elixirs, and other forms of ancient magical practices throughout the story. The characters, their motives, and their insights help move the story in such a way that the reader is caught up and involved. If you’ve never read a fantasy book or think you wouldn’t like fantasy, I invite you to pick this book up and give it a chance. I highly recommend it!    

Within the lands of the True Game, humans possess specific 'talents', such as shape-shifting or telekinesis. Much like a planet-sized game of chess each player is utilised in great 'games' of war that ravage the planet. Enter Peter, a young necromancer, who must uncover the truth behind the disappearance of prominent gamesmen from the board.

Wildly clever and surprisingly touching, it's a novel I've read and re-read many times over the past 35 years.

A great story about the underdog bullied kid who rises up to become a necromancer builds up an undead nation, and rises up to contend with powerful forces against all odds. Great storytelling and compelling character, it’s a pleasure watching Jason grows up from a timid teen to a confident leader – and by using the dark arts. It's a great coming-of-age \ underdog reach the top kind of story – except the underdog does it by embracing necromancy and his tools are the undead soul-wilting powers – yet you can't stop rooting for him to win.

Prince Roland is a knight who willingly gave his birthright to his older sister.

Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. They shouldn't have feelings for each other, because their relationship could strain the stability of the kingdom as it heads for war.

The Knight and the Necromancer is a finished trilogy with a satisfying Happily-Ever-After. Something I adore in fantasy worlds is the dynamic of a power couple.

In this one, Roland is a physically strong knight and Sairis is a powerful magician able to raise the dead. Both partners bring a lot to the table and they overcome the dangers and difficulties of their war-torn world as a strong team.

And the fact that the world doesn’t want them to be together is a personal favorite spice.