Here are 2 books that Step 1 fans have personally recommended if you like Step 1. 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 The Blade Itself

mike13

From Mike's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Mike loves this book

The character development is phenomenal.

By Joe Abercrombie ,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked The Blade Itself as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers.

Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain, shallow, selfish and self-obsessed, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men.

And Logen Ninefingers, an infamous warrior…


If you love Step 1...

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 Between Two Fires

Rob Samborn Author Of The Swordsman of Venice

From my list on epic historical adventure novels.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated with history and adventure for as long as I can remember. Nothing thrills me more than an epic quest, particularly if the hero is flawed. As an author of historical fiction, I’ve read countless books and spent thousands of hours researching topics and places, from South America to Europe to Asia. I hope you enjoy these epic historical adventures as much as I have! If you have recommendations of your own, please share!

Rob's book list on epic historical adventure novels

Rob Samborn Why Rob loves this book

The only fantasy book on this list, Between Two Fires, is one of the most haunting and original novels I've ever read.

Set in plague-ravaged medieval France, it blends historical fiction, horror, and dark fantasy into a story that’s both epic and deeply personal. What stayed with me most was the unsettling atmosphere. Every ruined village, abandoned cathedral, and lonely stretch of road carries an almost unbearable sense of dread.

Yet amid the horrors, Christopher Buehlman crafts characters whose courage, sacrifice, and humanity shine through the darkness. The supernatural encounters are genuinely terrifying, but they're balanced by moments of hope, redemption, and surprising tenderness, all set against a backdrop of real historical events.

It's a novel that challenged, unsettled, and captivated me from beginning to end, and long after I finished the final page, I found myself still thinking about its unforgettable journey.

By Christopher Buehlman ,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Between Two Fires as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

His extraordinary debut, Those Across the River, was hailed as “genre-bending Southern horror” (California Literary Review), “graceful [and] horrific” (Patricia Briggs). Now Christopher Buehlman invites readers into an even darker age—one of temptation and corruption, of war in heaven, and of hell on earth… And Lucifer said: “Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of heaven down…” The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that…


Book cover of The Blade Itself
Book cover of Between Two Fires

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