Here are 100 books that Twelve Months fans have personally recommended if you like
Twelve Months.
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This is the twenty-second book in Cherryh's Foreigner series, which I have been following for years because I love the characters. Bren Cameron is the only human allowed in the atevi part of the world and the only one fluent enough in the atevi language to translate for the leader. Over the course of the series Bren and his two bodyguards, Banichi and Jago, have gone into space to rescue humans stranded on a space station, met aliens, thwarted regime changes, and dealt with the pranks and schemes of the atevi leader's mischievous young son. There are always feuds and possible wars and political intrigues, and the reader gets to sort them out along with Bren as he becomes more deeply involved with his life among beings who have become his family. I love this series because I'm always amazed by how the author has kept this series fresh and…
The 22nd book in the beloved Foreigner saga continues the adventures of diplomat Bren Cameron as he navigates the tenuous peace he has struck between human refugees and the alien atevi.
In the east, outright warfare has tied down the Assassins' Guild, and that region is in confusion. Ready to hand is an age-old feud in the west, where the Master of Ashidama Bay has long hated the Edi people of the north shore and equally hated the Aishidi'tat for bringing the Edi to his shores-and hatred is a resource the Shadow Guild knows how to use to its advantage.
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…
As someone who reads a lot of fantasy, I'm always excited to discover a truly original novel. Jasper Fforde's books are about Thursday Next, a woman who can go into books. H.G. Parry's Charley Sutherland can read ficitional characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens into the real world. Accidentally summoning repellant Uriah Heep into modern Wellington, New Zealand, doesn't go well for Charley or his older brother Rob, who doesn't have Charley's magical ability. But this story is not only about what happens when fictional characters decide to live among us, but about the relationship between Charley and Rob and what it really means to be brothers.
'Parry knocks it out of the park . . . Just plain wonderful' Kirkus
For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can't quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob - a young lawyer with an utterly normal life - hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other.
But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world, and for once,…
Growing up in Indiana and Illinois meant that Chicago has always been, for me, the city—the place where people went to make a name for themselves and took the world by storm. From my local Carnegie Library, I read voraciously across genres—history, science, literature. They transported me out of my small town—across the universe sometimes. I learned that setting in fiction was for me a major feature of my enjoyment, and Chicago was where I set my own mystery series. These books, when I read them, explored that grand metropolis—and brought Chicago to life on and off the page. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have.
When I first encountered Harry Dresden, a professional wizard solving a double homicide in Chicago, I was instantly hooked by its noir, fantasy, and traditional mystery with dollops of humor. This novel—the first in The Dresden File series—kept me engaged the entire time with a fast-moving plot and interesting characters.
I could see in my mind’s eye Chicago’s skyscrapers and their reflection in Lake Michigan as Harry dug deeper into the crimes and the supernatural world. This was my first urban fantasy read, and Butcher’s ability to blend a private investigator story with the supernatural ensured it was not my last.
In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden’s investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of magical Chicago…
As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put…
The Strange Case of Guaritori Diolco
by
Bill Hiatt,
Guaritori awakens from a coma to find that he's lost twenty years--and his entire world.
Fiancée, family, and friends are all missing, perhaps dead. Technology has failed, and magic has risen, leaving society in ruins. Most survivors are at the mercy of anyone who has strong enough magic. Guaritori has…
I fell in love with fantasy and science fiction when I was a boy and began reading Greek and Roman mythology, DC Comics, and Tom Swift kids' books. The interest never waned. Of course, I made my way through Asimov, Tolkien, Herbert, Clarke, Heinlein, and LeGuin when I was older, and that hooked me to be a forever science fiction/fantasy reader. So when I began my own writing career, I had ample role models to fall back on in my chosen genre. It helped that I obtained a Master's degree in English. Now I have written seven books in the Patch Man series, with five already published, and a fantasy entitled Gray Riders.
I was looking for a series that caught my attention from the first page, and Jim Butcher’s Furies of Calderon did not disappoint me.
This is another series that uses the Roman Empire as a basis for the story, so I was immersed in Roman legionaries and their use of fighting techniques, but what involved me the most were Butcher’s characters.
I loved the relationship between the main character, Tavi, and the woman he connects with, Kitai, who is also a member of the horse clan and one-time enemy of the Empire. Characters are also connected with earth elements such as wind, fire, earth, and water, my favorite being a wind fury that allows characters to fly.
In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shoulders of a boy with no power to call his own...
For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies—elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to…
I have always been obsessed with stories where underdogs must enter elite institutions carrying heavy secrets and impossible odds. Growing up, I devoured military academy fantasy because I loved watching flawed characters tested to their absolute limits, where survival demanded tactical cleverness rather than brute force. As an author, I am endlessly fascinated by morally grey antiheroes who must balance internal trauma against uncompromising goals. Sharing these five masterclasses in tension, magic, and academy trials is a joy because they represent the exact books that inspired me to pick up a pen and write.
I fell in love with epic fantasy because of this book's incredible magic system and heist structure.
I was captivated by Kelsier and Vin, two deeply flawed survivors using stealth, strategy, and street smarts to challenge an immortal god king. I loved how Allomancy felt like a physical science, where push-and-pull forces dictated every combat encounter.
The academy of thief crews and rebellion planning kept me hooked on every page. It taught me how powerful a story can be when magic has strict rules and real physical consequences.
Brandon Sanderson - the international phenomenon who finished the Wheel of Time sequence - introduces a fantasy trilogy which overturns the expectations of readers and goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world.
A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash…
At five years old, I heard my great-grandmother, a God-fearing Pentecostal wife of an evangelist, give her personal testimony of seeing a UFO when she was a child. This event brought together two very different realities for me: the Christian worldview and the existence of ETs. Since that time, I had many supernatural encounters, some demonic, others divine, and others undefined. I am a retired Chief Master Sergeant with two associates, a Bachelor, and two Master’s degrees. To reconcile my faith with the paranormal, I put my academic proclivities to task by writing fourteen books of varying genres, which I define as a unique blend of Paranormal Sci-fi/Fantasy Christianity.
I love how Richard Cypher, an ordinary woods guide who discovers his profound destiny as a Seeker of Truth, has an extraordinary knack for getting out of one impossible dilemma after another.
I also enjoy how Richard’s chemistry with a beautiful woman known as the Mother Confessor intertwines with his destiny. This writer helped me improve my own writing skills, unlocking my use of more natural language and a deep appreciation for the pursuit of true love. Terry also has a way of building upon one cliffhanger and revelation after another, achieving an epic climax at the end.
While Terry makes no claim to the Christian faith, one can’t help but see many Biblical parallels, symbols, and themes in his work.
A beloved fantasy classic and the beginning of one of the most breathtaking adventure stories of all time
One man, Richard Cypher, holds the key to the fate of three nations and of humanity. But until he learns the Wizard's First Rule his chances of succeeding in his task are slim. And his biggest problem is admitting that magic exists at all ...
A novel of incomparable scope and brimming with atmospheric detail: in a world where heart hounds stalk the boundaries for unwary human prey, blood-sucking flies hunt on behalf of their underworld masters, and where artists can draw…
Like many people of my generation, I first discovered fantasy worlds through morning cartoons. Then came comics, but The Lord of the Rings changed everything for me, followed by Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and many more. I was an introverted child, often bored with ordinary life, and these worlds gave me somewhere to escape. Most importantly, I loved journeys that transformed characters, because they gave me hope that people could change too. I created fantasy realms in my head for years, but it took reaching my 40s to finally start putting them on paper. Today, I write and publish my own stories, including Chronicles of Ankhara, through AltWorld Comics.
I read this trilogy in 1998 when I had just finished high school.
Even then, I understood the book presented Frodo as the main hero, but I was always aware that without Sam, Frodo couldn't go far. He was just a gardener in the beginning, but when the books were over, he proved himself and even became the mayor of the Shire.
Seeing a regular guy carrying the main hero on his shoulders is something else. The decisions he made and his forcing himself to do more transformed him into a natural hero and a leader.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
As someone fortunate enough to have people in my life that I consider my found family, I have a strong affinity for stories of friendship and found family, particularly in my preferred genre of epic fantasy. Watching the formation of those deep bonds between characters from various backgrounds and circumstances while they are confronting challenges that would often be insurmountable if faced alone is something I never grow tired of. While I am a fan of a well-written romantic subplot, I also appreciate that these books highlight different kinds of relationships, sometimes leaving out romance altogether.
I fell in love with this book and series for several reasons. Initially, though the magic system was almost a little confusing, I enjoyed how unusual it was. I love discovering unique magic systems in fantasy that really make me think and capture my curiosity.
The complexity of the characters and how relatable they were also strongly appealed to me. They weren’t perfect, nor were they so completely flawed that I found it hard to connect to them. Nothing makes for a rich story like deep characters who feel like they could still be real outside of the fantasy world.
My favorite thing about this book (and the series), however, is the found family element. The primary protagonist, Kip, is uprooted from his less-than-perfect life in such a dramatic way. The journey we get to go on with him as he finds his place in his world and builds up…
In a world where magic is tightly controlled, the most powerful man in history must choose between his kingdom and his son - in the first book of the New York Times bestselling Lightbringer series, one of the most popular fantasy epics of the decade.
EVERY LIGHT CASTS A SHADOW.
Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.
In school, I wasn’t fond of physics. Most of my education focused on the history of human civilization and culture. I rediscovered physics partly thanks to the books mentioned here—and the strangeness of quanta. My studies, exposure to Tao and Zen philosophies, and exploration of physics have given me a unique perspective and awareness: humanity is merely a tiny particle in the universe, neither central nor the king of all creation. Nothing new, of course—Buddha, Heraclitus, and Shakespeare all knew it well.
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld hooked me from the very first pages—cliché as that may sound, it’s true. Virtually the entire book (as well as others from the Discworld) I read with a smile on my face.
Pratchett’s unique humor, his satirical take on human nature, the imaginative world of Discworld, and his reflections on reality come together in a brilliant mix that made me read… and read… and read.
On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious buy inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course The Edge of the planet...
Curiosity is certain she saw fairies at the bottom of the garden. Little does she know . . . they saw her first.
Emotionally abandoned by her mother and infatuated by a figurine of a fairy ballerina she discovers in an old toy shop, eight-year-old Curiosity Portland steals the figurine,…
I love including social issues and controversial topics in my plots. I love underdogs and the downtrodden. I enjoy unique and quirky characters with excellent, appropriate, and sometimes noir-ish voices. Twists and major reveals in genre books and movies are also very important to me. I’m not a subject matter expert in much of anything I write about (thank goodness for the internet), except for one novel yet to be published, which is a major catharsis for me.
I was overwhelmed by this crazy, lovable, frightening novel. It fit right in with my paranormal/horror bend when I read it many years ago, and it provoked my interest in writing a few titles in the genre.
It fits the unique, quirky character theme perfectly with a first person narrative by a young, charismatic fry cook-writer-memoirist named Odd (real name) Thomas with a sixth sense, able to see demons when they arrive just before tragedy occurs. Yowza. His accomplice is his girlfriend and love interest, aptly named Stormy, who is not similarly gifted and seems to have more common sense than Odd.
Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.
“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different.
A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde…
