Here are 99 books that Shadow of a Dead God fans have personally recommended if you like Shadow of a Dead God. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Fated: The First Alex Verus Novel from the New Master of Magical London

Maria Schneider Author Of Tracking Magic

From my list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

There was a time when women had to use pseudonyms or otherwise pretend to be men to get published. These days, especially in the urban fantasy genre, it seems like there are more female authors and female main characters than male ones! I love dynamic main characters, male or female, and every one of these books has stellar characters with a great story. I wanted to mention so many other authors, but I have narrowed it down to these five. I hope you enjoy my list.

Maria's book list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of

Maria Schneider Why Maria loves this book

The Alex Versus series's world-building, magic, and plots are very complex and layered. This is some seriously well thought out urban fantasy. 

The main character, Alex, is basically an instant seer, able to see multiple consequences of diving left versus right, shooting someone, running, etc. He doesn’t always have time to evaluate his choices before having to make a decision. And often, there’s no out without loss or a high price to be paid. 

The back story is cleverly woven into the plot and is never boring. This series has one of my favorite side characters ever written—an arachnid with startling insight and wisdom. 

By Benedict Jacka ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The start of a compelling new urban fantasy series based in Camden, featuring Alex Verus - a mage with a dark past who can see the future . . .

***The million-copy-selling series***

'Harry Dresden would like Alex Verus tremendously - and be a little nervous around him. I just added Benedict Jacka to my must-read list. Fated is an excellent novel, a gorgeously realized world with a uniquely powerful, vulnerable protagonist. Books this good remind me why I got into the storytelling business in the first place' Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files

Camden, North London. A tangled,…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of Three Mean Streets

Maria Schneider Author Of Tracking Magic

From my list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

There was a time when women had to use pseudonyms or otherwise pretend to be men to get published. These days, especially in the urban fantasy genre, it seems like there are more female authors and female main characters than male ones! I love dynamic main characters, male or female, and every one of these books has stellar characters with a great story. I wanted to mention so many other authors, but I have narrowed it down to these five. I hope you enjoy my list.

Maria's book list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of

Maria Schneider Why Maria loves this book

At the heart of the Markhat series, there is always a mystery, and I love a good mystery. Markhat is a “Finder,” which really means he’s a private investigator set in a sort of war-torn medieval world with hints of steampunk now and then. There are some good pulp fiction aspects, lots of great fantasy, and definitely a habit of turning the trope on its head. Vampires aren’t typical; witches can be hags, but banshees, well, Tuttle does not deliver the ordinary banshee. 

One of the things I love about Tuttle’s writing is that he isn’t afraid to define his own rules, his own world, and his own characters. He does atmosphere with a touch of grim, but always with a gem waiting to be dusted off to steal the show. Fast-paced urban fantasy that I loved enough to reread.

By Frank Tuttle ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Three Mean Streets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Three Mean Streets

Welcome to Rannit, an ancient city awash in magic and mayhem. Wracked by war, but embracing the dubious wonders of steam and iron, Rannit is on the path to renewal – but old magics and older shadows won’t go easily into the light.

Markhat earns his living as a finder. On behalf of his clients, Markhat will find anyone, or anything, for a fee. In Three Mean Streets, his clients include a dead man’s ghost, a mighty Troll warrior seeking his cousin’s mounted head, and the true identity of the corpse allegedly stalking the grounds of a…


Book cover of Queen of Monsters

Maria Schneider Author Of Tracking Magic

From my list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

There was a time when women had to use pseudonyms or otherwise pretend to be men to get published. These days, especially in the urban fantasy genre, it seems like there are more female authors and female main characters than male ones! I love dynamic main characters, male or female, and every one of these books has stellar characters with a great story. I wanted to mention so many other authors, but I have narrowed it down to these five. I hope you enjoy my list.

Maria's book list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of

Maria Schneider Why Maria loves this book

Where do people go when they disappear and can’t be found? Well, maybe they end up in Jay Barnson’s world, a dangerous place full of monsters and enemies. While this has a kind of “scoring” typical of DnD, that is a background to high fantasy adventures and survival.

The main starts out not only humble but pretty powerless. He must survive on his wits and heart and never stops doing that, even as he becomes physically and magically stronger in each book. Tangled, delightful plots that kept me turning the pages and characters I greatly enjoyed spending time with.

There is a lot of good growth in each book of the series and fun shenanigans to keep things from being dismal, even as the characters fight for their lives and freedom.

By Jay Barnson ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Sometimes people vanish without a trace. Sometimes those people arrive… elsewhere.

As a teen, Aiden Holt studied stories of unexplained disappearances throughout history. He never dreamed he would become one of those disappearances.

Now trapped in an alien world, hunted for his non-functional “special abilities,” Aiden fights to survive against horrific creatures and determined enemies.

Somewhere between certain death and servitude, Aiden seeks an escape—if he can find other “vanished” who beat the odds and survived in this harsh magical world.


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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 Uncanny Collateral

Maria Schneider Author Of Tracking Magic

From my list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

There was a time when women had to use pseudonyms or otherwise pretend to be men to get published. These days, especially in the urban fantasy genre, it seems like there are more female authors and female main characters than male ones! I love dynamic main characters, male or female, and every one of these books has stellar characters with a great story. I wanted to mention so many other authors, but I have narrowed it down to these five. I hope you enjoy my list.

Maria's book list on with heroic, male leads you’ve never heard of

Maria Schneider Why Maria loves this book

There are a few good men out there who fight for the underdog. The main is bound by a powerful overlord. He’s good at his job but doesn’t have a choice. His only friend appears to live inside a ring he wears (djinn). The bad work environment doesn’t mean he doesn’t fight for what is right, even as he tries to figure out a way out of his predicament.

This is a thriller-level urban fantasy with solid plotting and lots of twists and turns. It is about as far from romantasy as you can get, and the hero has a great story to tell. McClellan is better known for his fantasy, but I absolutely love this urban fantasy series.

By Brian McClellan ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Alek Fitz is a reaper, a collection agent who works for the supernatural elements of the world, tracking down debtors and solving problems for clients as diverse as the Lords of Hell, vampires, Haitian loa, and goblins. He’s even worked for the Tooth Fairy on occasion. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, Alek is the best in the game. As a literal slave to his job, he doesn’t have a choice. When Death comes looking for someone to track down a thief, Alek is flung into a mess of vengeful undead, supernatural bureaucracy, and a fledgling imp war. As the consequences…


Book cover of The Crimson Queen

J.D.L. Rosell Author Of A King's Bargain

From my list on fantasy that makes you want to go on an adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like many people, The Lord of the Rings captivated me as a child. I read those books as well as The Hobbit half a dozen times before I was twelve, and a couple of times more since. What’s more, I was lucky enough to be nine when the first movie came out, which only furthered my childhood obsession. Though I’m less enthralled by the series now, the classic quest it represents still has a place in my heart. I’ve tried to reproduce the grandeur and adventure of that story in my writing, and I’ve found a good portion of it in the books I recommend below. May they take you on captivating new journeys!

J.D.L.'s book list on fantasy that makes you want to go on an adventure

J.D.L. Rosell Why J.D.L. loves this book

There's a lot to love in Hutson's debut. The setup of our main character is fairly familiar – a nobody from a small fishing village, yet possesses great potential magic – but the rest of the world is fresh and intriguing. From the immortal sorcerers manipulating the course of the world, to the order of self-righteous paladins, and finally to the great creatures slumbering in the Deep, there's a lot to love in The Crimson Queen.

By Alec Hutson ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

2016 Ink and Insights Competition – Judges’ Favorite
2017 Readers' Favorite Award for Epic Fantasy
2nd in the 2017 SPFBO
#1 Amazon Best Seller in Epic Fantasy

Long ago the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms. In the south the Star Towers fell, swallowed by the sea, while the black glaciers descended upon the northern holdfasts, entombing the cities of Min-Ceruth in ice and sorcery. Then from the ancient empire of Menekar the paladins of Ama came, putting every surviving sorcerer to the sword and cleansing their taint from the…


Book cover of Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book

Claudine Wolk Author Of Get Your Book Seen and Sold: The Essential Book Marketing and Publishing Guide

From my list on book marketing and book publishing how-to guides.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 2008, as an author who had a message that I was desperate to get out into the world, I had a decision to make… to continue to pitch my non-fiction book for new moms to traditional publishers or to create a publishing company and publish it myself. I chose to create a publishing company and publish it myself. I loved the publishing and book marketing process so much that I started to help other authors to market their books.

Claudine's book list on book marketing and book publishing how-to guides

Claudine Wolk Why Claudine loves this book

Whether you decide to self-publish, hybrid publish, independently publish, or traditionally publish, reading this book is a must.

Mr. Poynter covers the details of book creation and the publishing process in order, in a gentle and easy-to-understand way. Even the font of the text is large and easy on the eyes.  Poynter describes the details of self-publishing (and traditional publishing) and incudes resources and actual industry contacts so that the reader can literally create their own self-publishing company and publish, distribute and sell their book. As you know, the publishing industry changes rapidly and some of topics covered, like book distribution, has changed a bit but the overall description of publishing, the publishing timeline, and creating a book publishing company holds true. 

This bright, red book holds a special place in my heart. When I was trying to find an agent/publisher for my first book, with no luck, this is…

By Dan Poynter ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Self-Publishing Manual, more effectively and successfully than any other book, has turned writers with an idea into successful authors with books by providing solid, usable information in clear, concise, readable lanugage. This is not the stuff of theory, it is the product of hard-earned experience.


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Sell Your Book Like Wildfire: The Writer's Guide to Marketing and Publicity

Joel Stafford Author Of The First 100 Days of Your Book: Book Marketing for Self-Published Authors

From my list on marketing for self-publishing authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

A very good friend of mine wrote a great non-fiction book – I know it’s great because I read it –, and he sincerely asked for help saying “Joel you learned a bit about marketing, how can I get some traffic?”. I checked several “book promotion” websites and I was shocked how awful they were that day. I learned UI design so I decided that I can start my own book recommendation website, which will be at least user/reader friendly. Continuing my friend's story, I helped him trying the most popular promotion methods and I was surprised that there were a lot that simply don’t work and of course we found some that were nearly unknown. 

Joel's book list on marketing for self-publishing authors

Joel Stafford Why Joel loves this book

Whether this is your first book, or you are already experienced, this book will give you some great value by teaching you how to increase book sales, building a brand, and making sure your book stands out in the crowd. Everything is detailed in step-by-step instructions for easy application in real life.

Furthermore, you will learn how to come up with more speaking engagements and interviews, connect with influencers and gain more notoriety and create a solid fan base that will spread the word. Everything goes in small details, so it makes no difference how experienced you are – follow these steps and your book will skyrocket.

By Rob Eagar ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sell Your Book Like Wildfire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Note from the author: This book, published in 2012, is outdated and out of print. For my most up-to-date, expert, marketing advice for authors, please refer to my new collection of books called The Author's Guide Series.

In Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, marketing expert Rob Eagar explains how to use the best promotional methods available to get your book noticed and drive sales. You'll learn how to: Increase your book sales by driving readers to bookstores and online retailers Build a brand that makes your books stand out from the crowd Secure more media interviews and speaking engagements Connect…


Book cover of How to Market a Book

Joel Stafford Author Of The First 100 Days of Your Book: Book Marketing for Self-Published Authors

From my list on marketing for self-publishing authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

A very good friend of mine wrote a great non-fiction book – I know it’s great because I read it –, and he sincerely asked for help saying “Joel you learned a bit about marketing, how can I get some traffic?”. I checked several “book promotion” websites and I was shocked how awful they were that day. I learned UI design so I decided that I can start my own book recommendation website, which will be at least user/reader friendly. Continuing my friend's story, I helped him trying the most popular promotion methods and I was surprised that there were a lot that simply don’t work and of course we found some that were nearly unknown. 

Joel's book list on marketing for self-publishing authors

Joel Stafford Why Joel loves this book

Writing a book is not the hardest part in the process, but marketing and selling it. This is one of the best marketing books for self-published authors and you will love how clear, concise and straightforward it is – no general stuff, but straight to the point.

You will find out how to alter your mindset in order to boost sales, how to write books and turn this venture into a career, how to get Amazon to actually market the book for you, how to get potential readers on the mailing list before releasing the book and so on.

By Ricardo Fayet ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Market a Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Writing a book is hard. Marketing it can be even harder.

Marketing a book in 2022 can seem like a full-time job, what with the crazy number of things authors seem to be expected to do: social media, blog tours, advertising, price promotions, mailing lists, giveaways, you name it.

But here’s a little secret: you don’t need to do all those things to successfully set your book on the path to success. What you need is a solid plan to find the one or two tactics that will work, and start to drive sales… in a minimum amount of time.…


Book cover of Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends and Friends Into Customers

Joel Stafford Author Of The First 100 Days of Your Book: Book Marketing for Self-Published Authors

From my list on marketing for self-publishing authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

A very good friend of mine wrote a great non-fiction book – I know it’s great because I read it –, and he sincerely asked for help saying “Joel you learned a bit about marketing, how can I get some traffic?”. I checked several “book promotion” websites and I was shocked how awful they were that day. I learned UI design so I decided that I can start my own book recommendation website, which will be at least user/reader friendly. Continuing my friend's story, I helped him trying the most popular promotion methods and I was surprised that there were a lot that simply don’t work and of course we found some that were nearly unknown. 

Joel's book list on marketing for self-publishing authors

Joel Stafford Why Joel loves this book

This book shows why interruption marketing (phone calls, TV ads, or people at your door) no longer works and focuses on a new way to gain attention from potential readers. This is about giving people something for their attention.

The author will give you a completely different and modern way to advertise products. Find out how to develop healthy and long-term relationships with your readers, how to increase awareness and boost your selling chances overnight.

By Seth Godin ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

By reaching out to only those individuals who have expressed an interest in learning more about a product, permission marketing enables companies to develop lon-term relationships with customers. This text explores permission marketing.


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book

Joel Stafford Author Of The First 100 Days of Your Book: Book Marketing for Self-Published Authors

From my list on marketing for self-publishing authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

A very good friend of mine wrote a great non-fiction book – I know it’s great because I read it –, and he sincerely asked for help saying “Joel you learned a bit about marketing, how can I get some traffic?”. I checked several “book promotion” websites and I was shocked how awful they were that day. I learned UI design so I decided that I can start my own book recommendation website, which will be at least user/reader friendly. Continuing my friend's story, I helped him trying the most popular promotion methods and I was surprised that there were a lot that simply don’t work and of course we found some that were nearly unknown. 

Joel's book list on marketing for self-publishing authors

Joel Stafford Why Joel loves this book

The title is the first thing people will see, so it needs to be done right. It can make a difference or push people away. The author analyzes a few cases that show how important the title is. If you fail to draw some attention, you can call it a day – it is game over.

The book brings great marketing value and you will love it for the author's well-kept secrets. You will learn how to alter the title to boost sales, the power of alliteration and numbers, the importance of keyword research upfront, and other details to draw attention.

By Scott Lorenz ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

It’s the first thing they see…
…and if done right, can make all the difference.
Is your Title designed to sell?

George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 started out as The Last Man in Europe and Dracula was originally titled Dead/Un- Dead. Would Harper Lee’s renowned classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, have done as well as Atticus?

What will they read next?

If the title doesn’t grab them, it’s game over.

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the…


Book cover of Fated: The First Alex Verus Novel from the New Master of Magical London
Book cover of Three Mean Streets
Book cover of Queen of Monsters

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