Here are 100 books that Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time fans have personally recommended if you like Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Blood & Ash

E M Graham Author Of An Ignorant Witch

From my list on fantasy with flawed main characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a multi-genre writer, a passionate reader, and, like all of us, a flawed human being. The stories that truly speak to me are the ones with a main character who is imperfect. I may not like the protagonist at first, but as the author develops the story and the hero’s challenges, the character grows, we see inside them and learn to love them, as they also learn to love and accept themselves, flaws and all. They use this growth to make a better world. And that’s what fiction is all about. Of course, it helps if they’re funny too. I love humor.

E M's book list on fantasy with flawed main characters

E M Graham Why E M loves this book

A touch of romance, quite a bit of magic, and a whole lot of snark! Ashira Cohen is scarred emotionally and physically but it doesn’t stop her indomitable spirit. When her magical powers come on her suddenly, she doesn’t miss a beat as she figures her way around the unknown supernatural worlds. I laughed out loud reading this one!

By Deborah Wilde ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"This giddy, sexy series launch is a delight.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Featuring an enemies-to-lovers romance and a smart female P.I., this hilarious paranormal mystery will keep you up all night.

Missing teens. Long-lost magic. And the sexy nemesis who might drive her to murder.

Detective for hire, Ashira Cohen is having a no-good, very bad day.

When Ash was thirteen, her con artist father disappeared, leaving her with emotional scars and a limp she can't hide. But she toughened up, determined never to be played again. Is history repeating itself?

First, she’s hit on the head during a…


If you love Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time...

Book cover of Beacon of Truth

Beacon of Truth by Randy C. Dockens,

Killion is born several generations after the establishment of the Cities of Light which now sprinkle each continent of the world, places where God’s spirit produces a tangible presence felt by all who enter. Yet he is raised outside these cities, under the direction of Adar, who teaches his followers…

Book cover of The Library of the Dead

Angie Spoto Author Of The Grief Nurse

From my list on gothic set in Scotland.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I first visited Scotland, I drove north from Edinburgh, driving through much of the country to catch a ferry to Orkney. This northern archipelago is certainly one of the most magical places I’ve ever been to; the steep sea cliffs and standing stones, windblown grasses, and violent waves put me in a gothic state of mind. I moved to Scotland a few years later to live by the sea. Since that first visit to Orkney, I’ve written my own Scottish gothic novels, as well as presented research on the gothic at various academic conferences. It’s a topic that I’m certain will compel me for a long time to come. 

Angie's book list on gothic set in Scotland

Angie Spoto Why Angie loves this book

This book is such an usual book, and I love it for how strange and unexpected it is.

The story takes place in a near-future Edinburgh, where the world has dramatically changed due to an undefined apocalyptic event but has more of a gothic sensibility than a post-apocalyptic one.

There’s magic, history, and an extremely likable narrator wrapped in an almost-crime-novel package. 

By T. L. Huchu ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Library of the Dead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now a USA TODAY bestseller!

Ilube Nommo Award 2022 for Best Novel

"An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked." – Genevieve Cogman, bestselling author of The Invisible Library

Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu's The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

WHEN GHOSTS TALK
SHE WILL LISTEN

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker – and they sure do love to talk. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to those they…


Book cover of Wyrde and Wayward

E M Graham Author Of An Ignorant Witch

From my list on fantasy with flawed main characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a multi-genre writer, a passionate reader, and, like all of us, a flawed human being. The stories that truly speak to me are the ones with a main character who is imperfect. I may not like the protagonist at first, but as the author develops the story and the hero’s challenges, the character grows, we see inside them and learn to love them, as they also learn to love and accept themselves, flaws and all. They use this growth to make a better world. And that’s what fiction is all about. Of course, it helps if they’re funny too. I love humor.

E M's book list on fantasy with flawed main characters

E M Graham Why E M loves this book

A book by Charlotte English – what more needs to be said? You know it’s going to be an unputdownable, funny journey. Gussie thinks she’s the ‘normal’ one in the family, until her magical gift asserts itself. Spiky and unsociable in nature, Gussie finds her ‘wyrde’, and then begins to view herself in a new light. With this new confidence, she sets out to save her world.

By Charlotte E. English ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

‘If you had not already realised it, this is a very strange house you are come to.’

The Scions of the House of Werth are all born normal. It is what happens afterwards that sets them apart.

It is not easy being the most supernatural family in England. Nell talks to the dead; Lord Werth is too often to be found out in the churchyard at the dead of night; and the less said about Lord Bedgberry, the better.

Only Miss Gussie Werth has missed out on the family curse. She sups on chocolate, not blood; she's blissfully oblivious to…


If you love Tracy Higley...

Book cover of Death and a Crocodile

Death and a Crocodile by Lisa E. Betz,

In ancient Rome, sensible women don’t investigate murders, but Livia Aemilia’s father is dead, and her innocent brother has been accused of the crime. What’s a girl to do? Find the criminal herself, obviously.

Livia and her spunky maidservant pound the ancient Roman pavements in search of the killer, with…

Book cover of Witterkin

E M Graham Author Of An Ignorant Witch

From my list on fantasy with flawed main characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a multi-genre writer, a passionate reader, and, like all of us, a flawed human being. The stories that truly speak to me are the ones with a main character who is imperfect. I may not like the protagonist at first, but as the author develops the story and the hero’s challenges, the character grows, we see inside them and learn to love them, as they also learn to love and accept themselves, flaws and all. They use this growth to make a better world. And that’s what fiction is all about. Of course, it helps if they’re funny too. I love humor.

E M's book list on fantasy with flawed main characters

E M Graham Why E M loves this book

Nya is the town outcast and an underdog, a figure of ridicule for many. Yet when she realizes the mysterious life-giving plants the Witterkin are being harmed, she braves the world beyond in order to heal them, and in doing so, finds her own talents. I hated to see this eerie story end. Do you, like me, remember how you felt after reading Madeleine L’Engle as a child? This book brought me back to that absolute rapt sense of wonder.

By W.K. Greyling ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Lots of talent here." —best-selling author D. Fischer

The mysterious plant-like beings known as Witterkin have been attacked and begin a viral spread, destroying everything they touch. Nya, a wise woman, and Yaro, the town Windsinger, try to heal the damage and halt the spread. However, something goes awry and they both slip sideways into another world. Nya emerges alone, greeted only by Yaro’s ghostly windsinging. During her dangerous search for him she must combat the will of powerful figures who wish to hold him for their own ends. But rescuing the man she loves won’t solve the bigger problem.…


Book cover of Island Magic

Anne Holloway Author Of Korakas

From my list on lead you gently into the world of magic realism.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a house of books and storytelling, often reading books beyond my full comprehension, yet absorbing their essence, enjoying the narrative. I place my trust in authors to lead me through a narrative (without every detail spelled out, my imagination free to explore). I want my readers to bring themselves on the journey, allow their narratives to become part of mine. I've always had a sense that things may not always be what they appear, even seemingly ordinary people have secrets and powers that we know nothing of as we pass them on the street, places and objects hold memories and there is no solid explanation for that!

Anne's book list on lead you gently into the world of magic realism

Anne Holloway Why Anne loves this book

I read this book as a teenager, and it was the writing rather than the story itself which made a huge impression on me. It made me feel afraid in parts, not because the book is a scary story, but the location is so real, I can feel the presence of spirits in the paths that Rachell walks! The island itself is as much a character as Rachell, the kick-ass heroine. It is about pain and loss and love and passion and, magic. 

By Elizabeth Goudge ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Amidst the beauty of the Channel Islands in 1888, Rachell and Andre du Frocq and their five rambunctious children struggle to keep their rundown farm. Their hope is revived when they take in Ranulph, a shipwreck survivor. Is he an answer to prayer? A heartwarming story of commitment, perseverance, and family devotion!


Book cover of Sands of Time Volume 1

Wyman Wicket Author Of 23 Skiddoo: Way Back Beyond Across the Stars

From my list on magical realism for metapolitical non-fiction fans.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a free man of flesh-and-blood I trust in time-tested verities and traditions; as a spiritual entity I am a man of faith; and as a thinking being I explore in my writing the malleability of consciousness and reality. Through a broad range of experiences I offer images for the minds of readers in novels of a twisted magical realism. I seek the mysteries of God, the beauty of poetry, and the freedom to explore all and everything. I am an American State National who critiques modern society, culture, and politics as an independent scholar who will not be silenced. Awaken, oh human beans, from normative conditioning and screen-gazing complacency!

Wyman's book list on magical realism for metapolitical non-fiction fans

Wyman Wicket Why Wyman loves this book

Based on a true story, here we have an epic masterpiece detailing the so-called Secret Space Program. It is a tour de force of “the black arcane world of super-science—beyond media and beyond the government.” It is essentially a memoir “spanning forty years in the life of Dr. Ted Humphrey and his involvement with Area 51, the Development of Time Travel, the Dulce Mesa Wars, the Montauk Project, Black Ops, the Shadow Government, and his meteoric rise to become head of an all-powerful global organization engaged in a desperate and Above Top Secret race against time to save our world.” All hype aside, this tale provides a possible counter-narrative to the debilitating System and reason to be optimistic; a twisted magic realism going way above and beyond the normative.

By Sean David Morton ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Personally signed by the author! An Epic story spanning over forty years in the life of Dr. Ted Humphrey and his involvement with Area 51, The Dulce Mesa Wars, The Montauk Project, Black ops, The shadow Government, and his meteoric rise to become head of an all powerful global organization engaged in a desperate and above top secret race against time to save our world. Beginning at the age of 17 when his father, a brilliant scientist with a mysterious past, disappears. Ted makes it his life's quest to discover his father's fate. This leads to him being drafted into…


Book cover of The 13th Witch

L.W. King Author Of Carrie's Legacy

From my list on supernatural with a sprinkling of realism.

Why am I passionate about this?

From an early age, I have been fascinated with anything supernatural and occult. My Aunt would read my palm, and then, as a teenager, I would visit clairvoyants to see what the future held for me. As I grew older, I found I had an ability, a gift of seership, and after reading many books, embarked on my pagan journey, from which I have never looked back, and am now studying Druidry,which is very much nature-based. I hope you love the books on this list as much as I do!  

L.W.'s book list on supernatural with a sprinkling of realism

L.W. King Why L.W. loves this book

I was genuinely devastated when I finished the book, which took only two days to finish. It filled my thoughts constantly and was my saving grace through the beginning of the COVID lockdown. I found that absorbing myself into the story and characters was an amazing source of escapism for me.

I loved the way the author introduced the magical realism and locations of the story. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I laughed a lot along the way!

By Mark Hayden ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The 13th Witch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Did you know that the gods can use mobile phones?
They can, and Odin has a message for Conrad

Conrad Clarke, former RAF pilot and alleged gangster gets a text – and a visit – from The Allfather.
Odin has a challenge for Conrad: sign up to protect England from wild magick and get a commission in the King’s Watch.
All he has to do is find a missing witch. Simple.
Conrad never could resist a challenge. Before you can say “Ragnarok”, he’s plunged into a world of gods, mages, witches, dwarves and one very aggressive giant mole.
But the…


Book cover of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century

Sarah Rose Cavanagh Author Of Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge

From my list on help us face our monsters and embrace mental health.

Why am I passionate about this?

Three biographical facts that well equip me to write about both monsters and mental health: I am a psychologist who researches, writes, and teaches about emotions, learning, and quality of life. I am also someone who suffers from panic disorder. I am also someone who enjoys interacting with the world of the dark and spooky, in part to tame my internal fears. I think that many of us use fiction in general and horror in particular as a sandbox of sorts—a safe place where we can expose ourselves to our fears, to test out scenarios, and to explore hidden parts of our psyche.

Sarah's book list on help us face our monsters and embrace mental health

Sarah Rose Cavanagh Why Sarah loves this book

In my book I frequently draw upon monsters in fiction to understand our complicated relationship with both our own messy, unpredictable embodied minds and the uncertain, often-terrifying world that we operate these embodied minds within.

This haunting book of short stories is a great example of grappling with the complexities of our lives through a monstrous lens in order to better understand the human condition. 

By Kim Fu ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A TIME Top 10 Fiction Book of 2022

An NPR, Book Riot, Chicago Public Library, Tor.com, South China Morning Post,Ms. Magazine, and Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2022

2023 Pacific Northwest Book Prize Winner & Longlisted for the 2023 Joyce Carol Oates Prize

A BuzzFeed, WIRED, LitHub, ALTA, and PureWow Best Book of Winter

"The strange and wonderful define Kim Fu’s story collection, where the line between fantasy and reality fades in and out, elusive and beckoning." ―The New York Times Book Review

In the twelve unforgettable tales of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, the strange is made…


Book cover of Lakelore

Natalia Hernandez Author Of The Name-Bearer

From my list on queer Latin fantasy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a queer Latinx author and avid reader. Long before I became an author, I was devouring books and losing myself in fantasy worlds. When I got older, I realized how few books in the market looked like me. I didn’t feel represented in the literary world. Now, I create queer fantasy novels that feature strong women of color in sweeping Latin American-inspired settings for future generations. 

Natalia's book list on queer Latin fantasy

Natalia Hernandez Why Natalia loves this book

Lyrical prose. Nonbinary Latinx teens. A magical world underneath a lake. Neurodivergent rep. What doesn’t this book have? 

I was captivated from start to finish, watching Bastian and Lore navigate their ADHD, dyslexia, sexuality, and identity, and all while the magic world underneath their lake threatens to come up and drown their surface. Can these two teens - who haven’t seen or spoken to one another in years - learn to trust one another and work together to stop it, before it destroys everything?

I really don’t have the words for how captivating this book is, but the colors, descriptions, and magic are so vibrant they pull you right into the heart of the world and the story, and threaten not to let you go.

By Anna-Marie McLemore ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Lakelore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake - but can they keep their worlds above water intact?

Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate.


Book cover of The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller, Vol. 1

K. Van Kramer Author Of Modified

From my list on science fiction with A.I. and sweeping new worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved science fiction because it offers a hope, a dream, or a future that we just haven't seen yet. When I write my stories, I feel there is no better use of my imagination, than to contemplate a new world, a new civilization, or future technology. At the same time, I hope to entertain readers and spark young imaginations. Inside Modified, I reached into a distant future with off-world colonies that float in the clouds of Venus, while robots toil on the planet’s surface. Of course, in such a future, when advanced modifications and recursive designs are used, leads one to wonder if my robot can love too.

K.'s book list on science fiction with A.I. and sweeping new worlds

K. Van Kramer Why K. loves this book

It’s science fiction writers like Carol Emshwiller that must be mentioned here, especially when she writes about Ruthie and Joe, who own a robot whom they call the “grey-green” thing, the hound, the Rover, or sometimes just “bitch”. In order to increase their chances for a successful hunt, Joe programs the robot to track a bear, and it does so with ease. Eventually Joe commands the “grey-green thing” to actually kill it, and the robot carries out its deadly mission. At the end you shudder at the thought of the careless use of the machine, not to mention what would happen if the “grey-green thing” had been programmed to kill a human being.

By Carol Emshwiller ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller, Vol. 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Crossing the boundaries between fabulist literature, science fiction, and magical realism, the stories in this collection offer a valuable glimpse into the evolution of Carol Emshwiller’s ideas and style during her more than 50-year career. Influenced by J. G. Ballard, Steven Millhauser, Philip K. Dick, and Lydia Davis, Emshwiller has a range of works that is impressive and demonstrates her refusal to be labeled or to stick to one genre. This exhilarating new collection marks the first time many of the early stories have been published in book form and is evidence of the genius of Emshwiller, one of America’s…


Book cover of Blood & Ash
Book cover of The Library of the Dead
Book cover of Wyrde and Wayward

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