Here are 100 books that The Hounds of the Morrigan fans have personally recommended if you like
The Hounds of the Morrigan.
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As the saying goes, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Ahem. Not actually. Breaking cover doesn't typically demand killing people. But I might lose my security clearance and my diplomatic immunity in Fairy. Which I don't want to do, so shall we say I have a lively imagination and no personal knowledge about spy craft or espionage either in this world or in Fairy? Promise. I know nothing. And anyway, you can't prove it!
This book gets both mine and my eleven-year-old daughter’s vote. My daughter doesn’t like small talk, but when we were reading this adventure, this world got her talking and also imagining fan fiction!
Jessie lives on the Indiana frontier in the 1800s when diphtheria strikes her village, but she finds her way to the modern world in search of a cure. The stakes are high and the story made us feel like we were there!
Return to the classic middle grade time-bending thriller Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, almost thirty years following its first publication, with this stunning repackage.
Clifton, Indiana, 1840. Jessie Keyser lives with her family in a small log cabin. Her father is a blacksmith and her mother cares for her and her siblings—though, at night, Jessie’s mother also secretly tends anyone who gets sick in their village.
Lately, more and more people have been falling ill. Especially the other kids in Jessie’s one-room schoolhouse. Quarantine signs appear on the local homes. And Jessie’s mother looks worried. Very worried.…
A spy school for girls amidst Jane Austen’s high society.
Daughters of the Beau Monde who don’t fit London society’s strict mold are banished to Stranje House, where the headmistress trains these unusually gifted girls to enter the dangerous world of spies in the Napoleonic wars. #1 NYT bestselling author…
As the saying goes, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Ahem. Not actually. Breaking cover doesn't typically demand killing people. But I might lose my security clearance and my diplomatic immunity in Fairy. Which I don't want to do, so shall we say I have a lively imagination and no personal knowledge about spy craft or espionage either in this world or in Fairy? Promise. I know nothing. And anyway, you can't prove it!
I listened to this book in my first interaction with it and I love authors who’s narrative doesn’t talk down to me. Hope Mirlees’ prose is incredibly fun, but subtle. Fairies are real here, with unpredictable ways and alluring fairy fruit.
I loved the exploration of a world of mystery beyond the bounds of human control. Mirlees’ tone reminds me of Susan Collins’ Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which I also loved.
A true classic - and the 'single most beautiful...and unjustifiably forgotten novel of the twentieth century' Neil Gaiman
Lud-in-the-Mist is a prosperous country town situated where two rivers meet: the Dawl and the Dapple. The Dapple springs from the land of Faerie, and is a great trial to Lud, which rejects anything 'other', preferring to believe only in what is known, what is solid.
Nathaniel Chanticleer, a dreamy, melancholy man, is deliberately ignoring a vital part of his own past; a secret he refuses even to acknowledge. But with the disappearance of his daughter, and a long-overdue desire to protect…
As the saying goes, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Ahem. Not actually. Breaking cover doesn't typically demand killing people. But I might lose my security clearance and my diplomatic immunity in Fairy. Which I don't want to do, so shall we say I have a lively imagination and no personal knowledge about spy craft or espionage either in this world or in Fairy? Promise. I know nothing. And anyway, you can't prove it!
I adored Howl’s Moving Castle but that novel probably isn’t Diana Wynne Jones’ best book. This compilation includes Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant in a fantasy world of magicians and bureaucratic management of magic. You would think in a world where magic is real it might get boring, but I trust Jones because she knows how to protect magic from becoming common, always respecting magic's economy.
Surprises abound in these stories, but it's easy to let go of my critical mind and just have fun. Bonus fact: Diana Wynne Jones was a student of JRR Tolkien’s at Oxford. I laughed my head off when I read Wynne’s descriptions of Tolkien’s lectures online. She is fascinating and also hilarious.
In this multiple parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds, only an enchanter with nine lives is powerful enough to control the rampant misuse of magic--and to hold the title Chrestomanci...
The Chants are a family strong in magic, but neither Christopher Chant nor Cat Chant can work even the simplest of spells. Who could have dreamed that both Christopher and Cat were born with nine lives--or that they could lose them so quickly?
4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…
From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…
As the saying goes, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Ahem. Not actually. Breaking cover doesn't typically demand killing people. But I might lose my security clearance and my diplomatic immunity in Fairy. Which I don't want to do, so shall we say I have a lively imagination and no personal knowledge about spy craft or espionage either in this world or in Fairy? Promise. I know nothing. And anyway, you can't prove it!
My fifth-grade teacher read this book to my class in 1987, and it lit my imagination on fire!
I would have gone to school, even if it were optional while she was reading this story about three children who learn how to “see” their way to a world of magic and adventure. They ultimately discover myriad and sundry wonderful creatures in a fantasy world where wonder abounds.
I love the understanding that magic is right under our noses, just waiting to be discovered!
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles was the second children’s novel ever written by Julie Andrews, the beloved star of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Perfect for young readers who love whimsical stories about magic!
The Whangdoodle was once the wisest, the kindest, and the most extraordinary creature in the world. Then he disappeared and created a wonderful land for himself and all the other remarkable animals—the ten-legged Sidewinders, the little furry Flukes, the friendly Whiffle Bird, and the treacherous, "oily" Prock. It was an almost perfect place where the last of the really great Whangdoodles could…
I have been an avid sci-fi/fantasy lover and tabletop gamer my whole life. Many of my best memories involve me inventing stories explaining why my buddy’s armies and mine were duking it out on the battlefield or interpreting what the dice rolls really meant for my character. Today, I write for one of my favorite game universes, Kings of War. I have made a living out of stories by writing them or teaching about them. I love making my universes believable while still maintaining integrity to their original source material. I also love making flawed, relatable characters to give readers hope as they read about them overcoming those flaws.
The late Sir Pratchett was a hero of mine. The Discworld universe is one of the most well-put-together, zany, yet relatable places. The amount of depth that he was able to achieve with a setting that others might consider a joke is astounding.
In order for a universe to connect with me, it has to have characters that I love dearly. Granny Aching and her granddaughter Tiffany are among the few literary characters that have ever brought me to tears on multiple occasions. I used to read this book to my students, and there is one scene in particular towards the end that causes me to choke up every time I read it.
It’s simple and powerful, and it speaks to me on a personal level. I lost my mom back in 2008, and the scene to which I am referring here hits on that sense of loss so well…
A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality . . .
Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men.
Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself . . .
I’m passionate about strong female protagonists in YA and middle grade lit because through example, societies can change. Power dynamics can shift as young women are shown fictional ones whose strength and voice alter their lives and others. Being born in a heavily patriarchal home, I found courage and freedom through the lives of female protagonists in books, especially in series where the journey was long. Today, there are many novels working to right the scale, but here are a few of the first that captured my heart and gave me hope. One note, these works are of a specific time, and the content will reflect that period.
The Pit Dragon Chronicles have haunted me since they were first written by Jane Yolen.
Her arid setting of Austar IV was so unfamiliar to my lived experience. Now, when I travel through deserts, her characters and dragons are easy to imagine in the hot sands. I can envision the quests of Akki and Jakkin to free the oppressed and communicate with dragons.
That drive to connect with a creature has made my own life rich, whether with a cat, a dog, or a bird. I’m sure the series’ early example of friendship working to alter societal systems encouraged my own current attempts in protesting, voting, and writing for change.
India Muerte and the Ship of the Dead
by
Set Sytes,
India Muerte and the Ship of the Dead is the first book in a pirate fantasy adventure series, featuring the thrilling exploits of India Muerte in an exotic yet dangerous world.
After a night of misadventure, a roguish street lad from Mexico Island wakes up aboard a legendary ship crewed…
I have always loved stories set in magical worlds with fascinating creatures and have read many books with these features. The mystery element to adventures set in mythical worlds is my favorite genre to read. Over the last seven years, I have worked with some talented and experienced editors and read several books on various aspects of the writing craft. This has all helped me to develop my writing skills, which I’ve found has influenced my opinion of the books I read. I now understand why I’m getting pulled out of a story and how this impacts my reading enjoyment—and the books I recommend.
I love a good mystery set in a fantasy world, and this book was certainly that.
I appreciated the concept of the shadow world with its shadow creatures called umbra. The umbra (Latin for "shadow") is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where the light source is completely blocked by the occluding body—and I love how Janelle plays on this concept with the umbra shadow animals—wild creatures on the Nightmare Plains.
I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Mia and her younger brother, why they are "the ones" who can free the "Reaper King," and why their parents have organized for an umbra tamer to protect them.
The launch of an outstanding debut fantasy series.
'A fresh, wild, gripping adventure.' Kieran Larwood, author of The Legend of Podkin One-Ear 'A thrilling, highly imaginative and action-packed fantasy.' Louie Stowell, author of Otherland and Loki 'Thrilling . . . a wonderful adventure.' L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency 'I absolutely loved it.' Tola Okogwu, author of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun 'Pulse-pounding action.' A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
Beware of the shadows, the Reaper King is coming . . .
I’m passionate about strong female protagonists in YA and middle grade lit because through example, societies can change. Power dynamics can shift as young women are shown fictional ones whose strength and voice alter their lives and others. Being born in a heavily patriarchal home, I found courage and freedom through the lives of female protagonists in books, especially in series where the journey was long. Today, there are many novels working to right the scale, but here are a few of the first that captured my heart and gave me hope. One note, these works are of a specific time, and the content will reflect that period.
As high priestess to the Nameless Ones, Tenar’s quest to rise up within a patriarchal system and question her given belief system fueled my own journey.
The epic symbol of a labyrinth of tombs below ground, where one is kept in darkness, has resonated through my life since first reading the Earthsea books. One may be born into a weaving darkness that is then embraced. An entire life may be given in service to that system, partly because the person’s been kept from any further knowledge.
Tenar’s tenacity, bravery, openness, and inquisitiveness aided me in seeing that there might be an escape for myself. She encouraged me to walk up into the light.
The second book of Earthsea in a beautiful hardback edition. Complete the collection with A Wizard of Earthsea, The Furthest Shore and Tehanu
With illustrations from Charles Vess
'[This] trilogy made me look at the world in a new way, imbued everything with a magic that was so much deeper than the magic I'd encountered before then. This was a magic of words, a magic of true speaking' Neil Gaiman
'Drink this magic up. Drown in it. Dream it' David Mitchell
In this second novel in the Earthsea series, Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless…
I have loved fantasy and history since I was a child, and a blend of the two creates a new sort of magic! In addition to reading historical fantasy, I’ve been passionate about writing in the genre and bringing new “what if?” questions to life with historical settings and mysticism and magic in my writing, some of which are inspired by ancient traditions around the world. Fantasy can be more than imaginative creation, but a delve into the mysterious side of history as well, and I find that books that delve into this aspect of fantasy really capture my interest when they’re done well.
A dive into Victorian England with magical creatures, I loved following Emily’s adventures as she comes up against the fey and learns about their secret society.
There are historical figures in the novel as well, and it was fascinating to see an alternative version of London’s history unfold. Although it is a middle-grade book, it is definitely a series that young adults and adults would enjoy too.
Some things, once glimpsed, can never be unseen. . . .
It was a morning like any other, frigid and gray, when Emily Snow took to the streets of Victorian London to earn the pennies that would keep her and her little brother alive for another day. But a chance turning took her through a dark alley, and there Emily witnessed an extraordinary battle between fierce, tiny creatures no taller than her knee.
Now Emily’s life will never be the same, for she can see the world of Faerie. And once seen, she cannot turn away; once engaged, she must…
When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she can't remember her past, is getting the cold shoulder from her best friend, and has no idea why she keeps repeating the same mistakes across her previous lives. Elliot just wants to move on, but first, she'll be forced to…
Every morning when I sit at my computer, I’m reminded by a post-it note stuck to my monitor that my self-ordained purpose is to “bring readers joy.” Like many, I escaped into books as a child, and I’ve been seeking out stories that encapsulate wonder, delight, and, most importantly, love ever since. I began my self-publishing journey in 2020 and am thrilled to have found my place in the fantasy romance genre, writing romcoms with a heaping spoonful of ridiculous magic. I’ve written a number of standalone novels as well as a (sub)urban fantasy series, Vacancy, and a traditional fantasy romance series with a satirical twist, Villains & Virtues.
I’m a sucker for any book about books, and this one features a librarian who can speak with magical tomes—how much better does it get? Well, it gets quite a lot better when you throw in a demonically indebted sorcerer who’s as flirty as he is dangerous.
I devoured this book and wish I could read it for the first time all over again. Rogerson weaves a beautiful world that’s so easy to get swept up in, complete with a sword-wielding heroine.
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer's Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery-magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. Then an act of sabotage releases the library's most dangerous grimoire, and Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy.…
