Best coming of age fantasy books according to redditors
We found 121 Reddit comments discussing the best coming of age fantasy books. We ranked the 17 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 121 Reddit comments discussing the best coming of age fantasy books. We ranked the 17 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
My native fantasy world litRPG recommendations:
Dante's Immortality has a strong zero to hero theme for a native to his fantasy world. The MC is worse off than a beggar at the start. Has some magic academy parts. Well written. Some of book 2 is on Royal Road but the author has been re-writing book two for a long time so it may or may not ever be completed.
Threadbare is a quirky litRPG story about a stuffed bear and his attachment to his girl and the friends he makes along the way. This story is full of puns, some clever and some more on the nose but I had a good chuckle several times and had a lot of fun reading this series. As lighthearted as this story appears at first, it does have some grimdark elements and tells a good story. The series actually has a conclusion which is rare enough in this genre so it gets major points for that.
The City and the Dungeon has one of the more interesting magic systems I have seen in litRPG. The characters are all native to the fantasy world. This series is a bit different in that it is written in the form of the MC retelling past events to his sister kind of like how Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles are written as a flashback. The story itself features old school dungeon diving party mechanics which I happen to really like. The fairly original magic system and strength ranking system are very interesting. I did find myself wishing that the author would give more details on stats, character builds, etc., but the plot skips events and advances too quickly. At the same time it over-explains superfluous details like various branches of dungeon religion theory and courtroom law procedures. That was my main complaint, but overall I enjoyed the story. Not sure on status of book 2.
Arcane Ascension This one is strongly represented on the r/ProgressionFantasy subreddit but has some light litRPG elements too. No user interface and on the soft end not having many stats. The world is a native fantasy world with tall RPG like puzzle towers that people try to climb. These books feel more polished and professionally written than most books in the litRPG genre. It is a hybrid story that bounces back and forth between school life (magic academy) and dungeon (tower) diving. I really loved the focus on the Tower exploration and the puzzle solving that was required. The magic academy part of the book is cool as well but I think for specifically litRPG readers it won't be the main appeal.
The magic system is pretty deep, with over 50 different "classes" of magic ability called attunements. For example, Guardian attunements are melee fighters who can strengthen themselves, while Elementalists wield Fire, Air, and Lightning. It is also possible to gain more than one class as well and we see glimpses of characters that are god-like in power while the MC, a first year student, is incredibly weak in comparison. The MC makes the most of his attunement though and crafts clever items to help cover his weaknesses and relies on his friends to fill the other gaps. Crafting magic items is a major focus for the MC which I found entertaining and satisfying.
Amazon link for those who are lazy:
https://www.amazon.com/City-Dungeon-Those-Dwell-Within-ebook/dp/B078NXCKZ4/
I'd also second the recommendation of this book. my review on Amazon:
>This story is not like any other litrpg I have read, and that turns out to be a good thing for the book and probably the litrpg genre as a whole.
>What makes it a great story: A large cast of characters that feel real, they have their own unique motivations, and they grow throughout the story. The main character is going through some internal turmoil, trying to find his purpose in life, and how to deal with this inhuman environment of the Dungeon.
>What makes it a good litrpg: There is a system of game like stats people can get. There are raid parties, carefully thought out class builds, and a hunt for high level gear.
>What makes it different from most litrpgs:
>1. Very few tables / stat screens / item screens. There are still some, but it never feels overwhelming to see a stat screen. I find myself skipping a lot of stat screens in other litrpg books, or trying to pick through and find the important numbers that matter. That wasn't necessary for this book.
>2. No harem or badly done love story.
>3. The main character doesn't have some advantage that lets them abuse the stats system. They are leveling up like everyone else (though maybe with a bit more luck).
>4. It isn't afraid to skip through the boring parts. Some litrpgs almost insist on having every minor combat engagement cataloged or at least discussed. This story sometimes skips months at a time and just describes those months as grinding up levels. This is good, because it means the author was focusing on the things that advanced the plot, or times when the characters grew as human beings rather than all the times they grew as living video game characters.
>5. Good editing. I'm pretty oblivious to most editing mistakes, and can easily ignore them. But I will at least notice some mistakes in badly edited books. Didn't notice anything here. So take this difference with a grain of salt until some more people review the grammar and editing.
>Stylistically it just felt different from many other litrpgs I've read, and it was very refreshing. I'd recommend this book to litrpg fans, especially if they want a fresh take on the genre. But I'd recommend it to people who might have tried other litrpg books and been turned off by some of the common tropes of the genre.
You could mix smut and robots. :)
Is it gross to hawk my own book in a recommendation thread? My co-author and I point to TNotW as a great influence in pursuing our own project, and tried to emulate that same sense of 'small actors' or a diminutive thread within a larger context.
ha! Tanith Lee wrote a sci-fi novel on this very subject, "The Silver Metal Lover," in 1981. It's now a trilogy.
There's novelizations of some comics that had already been published from the 90s/2000s like Knightfall or No Man's Land, but I have no idea how they compare to just reading the actual comics they're based on. There's also The Sandman: The Dream Hunters which was originally a prose novella later adapted as a comic, that's the only one I know off the top of my head to have gone in that direction of adaptations.
This is just a few that I know of:
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Hold by Rachel Davidson Leigh
Collide by J.R. Lenk
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Teenage Rewrite by Brandon Williams
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
But you're right there aren't many books with male bisexual main characters.
Throne of the Ancients (stonehaven league 6) is out
https://www.amazon.com/Throne-Ancients-LitRPG-Adventure-Stonehaven-ebook/dp/B07W584LKQ/
Contest (stork tower 6) technically came out last month (july 25) but didn't make it into last month's list
https://www.amazon.com/Contest-Stork-Tower-Book-6-ebook/dp/B07VLMMYCY/
The Grand Tournament (Tower of Power 3) is another late release (july 30) that was missed
https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Tournament-LitRPG-Adventure-Tower-ebook/dp/B07VXCXD2V/
also you didn't include a link to the july thread
I haven't read it, but Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee has that theme.
There's a kids' book Keeper of the Isis Light by Monica Hughes that features an android in a parenting role.
Song: Have you Forgotten by Darryl Worrly. (I don't know how to spell his last name...)
Book: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Snack: Umm... does bacon count?
I don't mind used books :)
Bo Burnham always wins
Hey howdy y'all!
Yay for friendship!!
I think Knightfall and No Man's Land are the best. Here are some other novels available though:
Batman: Dead White
Batman:Inferno
Batman: Fear Itself
Batman:Rise of Sin Tzu (novelization of the game based on the animated series)
Batman: The Stone King
And here are some Justice League/ DC Universe novels that feature Batman:
Enemies and Allies
JLA: Exterminators
Helltown (Also features The Question)
Inheritance
If you prefer LitRPG that feels like a proper adventure, as opposed to pissing around building mud huts in some little village, check out The Stork Tower series.
The first 3 books consist of the protagonist travelling all over the main fantasy VR world. I found book 4 disappointing, since all the action hyped at the end of book 3 never materialised. Thankfully book 5 picked up again and I have high hopes for book 6.
​
There are a fair number of scenes that take place IRL and in other virtual worlds in this series, so if you're not interested in that you might not like it.
Overall though I find this series to be vastly more engaging than The Land, which I find offensively overrated.
When your dead father's airship flies into town, you don't refuse the offer to come aboard.
Skysail: The Apotheosis Break
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.
Contest, the 6th book in the Stork Tower series came out July.
https://www.amazon.com/Contest-Stork-Tower-Book-6-ebook/dp/B07VLMMYCY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=stork+tower&qid=1565983944&s=digital-text&sr=1-3
The July thread missed it. People! We're dropping the ball on these things!
You need to read the novel by Denny Oneil. It's amazing!
http://www.amazon.com/BATMAN-KNIGHTFALL-Bantam-Spectra-Book/dp/0553096737
https://www.amazon.com/City-Dungeon-Those-Dwell-Within-ebook/dp/B078NXCKZ4
The Giver (Lois Lowry) https://www.amazon.com/Giver-Quartet-Lois-Lowry/dp/0544336267/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663349&sr=8-1&keywords=the+giver+by+lois+lowry
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Anne Fadiman) https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Catches-You-Fall-Down/dp/0374533407/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663409&sr=8-1&keywords=the+spirit+catches+you+and+you+fall+down
Looking for Dei ( David A. Willson) https://www.amazon.com/Looking-Dei-David-Willson-ebook/dp/B078KNKC7D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663480&sr=8-1&keywords=Looking+for+dei
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See) https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Flower-Secret-Fan-Novel/dp/0812980352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663558&sr=8-1&keywords=snowflower+and+the+secret+fan
Moloka’i (Alan Brennert) https://www.amazon.com/Molokai-Novel-Alan-Brennert/dp/0312304358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663608&sr=8-1&keywords=molokai+book
I could recommend a dozen more, but these are a few of my favorites. Sorry I could not make the links pretty. Thank you for this fun contest, I love books so much!
That's what happened in the original batman novel. All the villains were in it.
Book One, Guardians of the Light, is $2.99 USD or FREE with Kindle Unlimited. Find it here.
Book Two, Clan of the Ancient Minds, is $3.99 USD or FREE with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to check it out.
​
SYNOPSIS OF BOOK ONE
Seventeen-year-old Emerin Gareth has always known that there is something unusual about her. Constantly plagued by headaches that compel her to wander away from home and into the surrounding mountains, Emerin is always a source of concern to her parents and her future husband. She knows that she will never be able to live the life that's expected of her in her small farming community.
But a chance meeting with a strange creature in need of help changes Emerin’s life forever, leading her to question everything she’s ever known. She finally understands just how very different she is and how different the world is from the sheltered life she has always known.
On the other side of the Riverlands lies Nebril City, a sprawling metropolis that is taking over the lands that surround it. But this growing city has a dark secret that threatens the security of everyone around it, and only a select few are able to right the wrongs that have been committed. And, at the height of the summer, the weather keeps mysteriously getting colder.
Now Emerin and her best friend Jalya, two naïve farm girls, must leave home for the first time and embark on an epic journey over dangerous terrain. The world outside of their village is full of fantastic creatures, diverse communities, unexpected friends, and unimaginable horrors—horrors which they have the power to stop, if only they can follow through with the quest they have been given: to restore balance to the spirit world in order to save the physical world in which they live. To complete their mission, Jalya must find her missing brother, and Emerin must find a part of herself that she never knew existed.
​
SYNOPSIS OF BOOK TWO
In a land devastated by the effects of one sprawling city, an army amasses to stop the spread of evil, and a young woman searches for the one who completes her.
The Nebril Riverlands has been increasingly tormented by Orlogs, dark, sinister beasts with the ability to paralyze their victims and drain their life force. A ghastly secret is revealed, linking these creatures with Nebril City, and only the Guardians can put an end to the spiritual corruption that threatens their home. Unfortunately, most of them have mysteriously disappeared, and those that are left are hunted down for reasons unknown to them.
In this sequel to “Guardians of the Light,” Emerin, Jalya, and Ashel continue their journey to find Emerin’s elusive bei clu va and the missing Lamorian Rock, the only substance with the ability to release their lands from darkness. On an adventure that takes them from the Beyjerones’ caves to the Riverlands’ most notorious prison, they are joined by old and new friends and allies who seek to topple the wall that stands between Emerin and her other half. The Beyjerones, the Varsak, and the other warriors of the Twelve Clans combine to make a strong fighting force, but does their small army stand a chance against the massive military of Nebril City?
In the midst of this quest, Ashel is confronted by a powerful foe who reveals the origins of the evil they fight against. In his weakened state, he must find the strength to resist the temptation that she thrusts upon him. While caring for Ashel, Emerin is conflicted between a growing attraction toward her lifelong friend and the compelling allure of a man she’s never met, a man who holds the other half of her soul, a man to whom she is profoundly drawn and needs by her side in order to do her duty and save the Riverlands.
>The City and the Dungeon has one of the more interesting magic systems I have seen in litRPG. The characters are all native to the fantasy world.
It's a bit different, since it's not a proper fantasy world. The MC is a native of Denver (yes, "our" Denver) that emigrated to the titular City to make a living for his family. The Earth is a post-apocalypse world - the Dungeon's monster spilled out in the world without high-level adventurers around, and the nations got their asses handed (we don't get to see that, just a handful of allusions here and there).
The author promised he'll get back to it after facing some major writer's block.
Sean Russell's River Into Darkness series is kind of a cross between Jonathan Strange and a Victorian travelogue. I highly recommend his writing.
Just got here from AFDStudio's thread. Thanks for doing this.
If you're interested in Science Fantasy Space Opera with Music-based magic, you could try out my Dissolutionverse series.
Tuning the Symphony
Merchants and Maji
The Seeds of Dissolution
The first two are novellas, and have 10+ reviews already, but Seeds definitely needs some love! All available on Kindle Unlimited.
Or, if none of those strike your fancy, I have two more novellas coming out in the next couple months: a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery and a Jules Verne-inspired adventure. I'd be happy to send you an ARC of either/both for review, once I get the final edits done.
Thanks again!
Thaddeus Nowak - Mother's Curse