100 Books Like Orconomics

I love this book because it’s basically The Blues Brothers combined with Dungeons and Dragons. How did Nicholas Eames ever come up with that concept, and make it work so well?

In this breakneck madcap quest, retired hero Clay Cooper sets out to get his original adventuring ‘band’ back together one by one in order to go on one last mission to save his daughter. The jokes had me guffawing, the action had me riveted, and the structuring left me open-mouthed.

It reminds me of Final Fantasy because once again we have an eccentric ensemble cast going on an adventure quest with magic and monsters galore…but not only that: Eames is also on record as a Final Fantasy fan and names some of his characters after Final Fantasy characters, along with sticking in some other Easter eggs related to the franchise. 

So, first off, this is one of the best audiobooks of all time. While Scott did an amazing job spinning the tale, Michael Page elevated this work to a whole new level. There was a time around 2010 when fantasy became overly serious and dark. And I was rescued by the Gentlemen Bastards which was fast paced, fun, and fabulous. The absolute best part of this book is its humor, something that is sorely missing in fantasy these days.

Of course the stars of the show are Locke and Jean. Locke is a charismatic, cunning cutthroat and Jean is his loyal right-hand man. Together they make a great pair. Their deep, brotherly friendship and unwavering loyalty to each other is fantastic, and the reason they made my list.

I first discovered Rachel Aaron, when one of my fans recommended her. After reading her first book, I could see why. Eli is a charming roguish thief who can communicate with spirts, and Niko is a no-nonsense ghost. Their contrasting personalities makes for great reading.

Like all of my prior recommendations, humor plays an important part in this tale. But what I like the most is that the pair’s relationship isn’t just about camaraderie during adventures—it’s about mutual growth and understanding as they both learn from one another. This book isn’t as widely read as some of Rachel’s more recent stories, but it’s well worth checking out, and a great example of a bromance done well.

I have a soft spot for books where characters struggle to uphold justice in an unjust world. When you add in swashbuckling adventure, wry humor, and razor-sharp wit then I’m all in.

Sebastien de Castell’s Greatcoats is a wonderful romp with fabulous characters. While Falcio would be considered the main character, I think it’s Brasti, who steals the show. The fact that he is handsome, flirtatious, and self-assured, could become tiresome in less skilled hands, but Sebastien hits the mark (yes archery pun intended), and Brasti’s biting remarks (especially in dire situations) are the best part of this book.

I’ve always enjoyed dark stories, and the first book of The Coldfire Trilogy did not disappoint. I also read this series in high school.

It was the first fantasy series I read that felt more rooted in the dark reality of life, which gave it a familiar grittiness that I hadn’t experienced in the books I’d read.

Royce Melborn is exactly the assassin I’d expect: scowling, suspicious, irritable, prone to violence, and scarred by hard life. So, of course, he ends up forming a team with Hadrian Blackwater, the most cheerful, upbeat swordsman in the world.

The “mismatched friends” and “grumpy/sunshine” flavor of the story was immensely fun—reminiscent of all my favorite buddy cop TV shows and movies—and did a wonderful job of anchoring me to these two characters as they fought their way through a world determined to harm them.

The dynamic between the characters is mirrored by a twisty-turny plot, a fascinatingly detailed world, and an epic storyline that kept me turning the pages to find out what came next. 

It was this book that disabused me of the notion that fantasy had to be written in a specific way, often in highfalutin or profound language. It encouraged me to put my own stories into writing.

Though very much a historical fantasy novel, this book was easy to understand despite the unfamiliar terms and background details of a fantastical universe. I think it’s due to Katheryn Kurtz’s initial use of simple, down-to-earth language and a fairly straightforward story, which, looking back now, was probably aimed at teenagers or young adults. I was sometimes reminded of the first volume of JRR Tolkien’s epic novel, especially because the succeeding books got progressively darker and more complex.

In this introductory book, the world of the Deryni, a race of mortals with magical powers, is fleshed out so well that the kingdom of Gwynedd, its people, and its neighboring realms feel so real that… show more.

Life Reset follows a once-dominant player of the game NEO named Oren who is betrayed by his guildmates and ends up trapped as a goblin NPC within the game. This setup allows the story to focus on unique, goblin-specific abilities.

However, what I found most interesting about this book was its emphasis on an almost real-time strategy system of constructing and upgrading various buildings to manage his goblin tribe. While that wasn’t something I drew upon too heavily for my own story, I did love Oren’s frequent creative problem-solving, as well as the ways he tried to bend or even break the game’s systems to his advantage.

I personally feel that stories like this work best when the protagonist has limited options but the freedom to apply those options in a variety of surprising ways.

I loved this book because it is both captivating and well written with different worlds and forbidden romance. This story is based not only on enemies who become lovers but also has sizzling tension and an epic dark mystery element, all beautifully written and combined. 

This book immediately pulled me into the author's world. The tension inside was just as unique as the storyline itself. There is nothing quite like reading a book that has you on the edge of your seat but melting your heart at the same time; definitely, a surprising and unique twist combining many elements.

This book has had a profound impact on me, as a child reader, as an artist, and as a parent. (It was initially published in 1978 and was reissued more recently.) The images are stunning. Each spread is a sweeping perspective of a surreal, Edenic valley. When I first read the book as a kid in the 1980s, I was transfixed. It’s a thriller! In a tension-filled operation, seven goblins are trying to steal the colors of the rainbow.

When I read the book now, I see the story as a parable about resource exploitation and environmental stewardship. The Rainbow Goblins (I won’t spoil the ending, but it is spectacular) has nestled its way into my brain and has become a touchstone for me in thinking about the most effective ways to tell a story.