The best adventure fantasy books that inspire my work

Why am I passionate about this?

Being of Eastern European origins, and also a child of the 80s, definitely had a say in what my likings and my character would become growing up. From the cold long winters and the white landscapes, Fantasy genre, and everything Might and Magic have shaped my childhood, my studies, my art (traditional oil painting and clay sculpting) and lingered until now (and definitely beyond).


I wrote...

Book cover of Winterhorn

What is my book about?

Delve into a world of might and magic where ancient creatures roam the earth and shape the destinies of humans.

Get to meet Lorian, a simple boy born with a leg disability, who finds himself right at the core of a timeless conflict between magic wielders and magical creatures. Without much choice, he is forced onto a wicked path of constant danger and separated without a reason from his promised love, Elmira. He befriends an Iprorim, an imp, will get to know some of the secrets of a witch called Naghnatë and will meet a Drakhahoul, Ghaeloden-Three-Horns, a dragon, who will take a peculiar interest into the boy’s fate.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Dwarves

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did I love this book?

The Dwarves series (especially the first two books) bring the readers back in time and sets them up, straight from the beginning, on a simpler way of seeing things and also a simpler way of writing, while also being able to convey the true values of the fantasy genre with class.

By Markus Heitz,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

For countless millennia, no man or beast has ever succeeded in breaching the stone gateway into Girdlegard. Until now . . .

Abandoned as a child, Tungdil the blacksmith is the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. But when he is sent out into the world to deliver a message and reacquaint himself with his people, the young foundling finds himself thrust into a battle for which he has not been trained. Not only his own safety, but the life of every man, woman and child in Girdlegard depends upon his ability to embrace his heritage.

Although he has…


Book cover of Lord of Snow and Shadows

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did I love this book?

Besides the intriguing adventure and plot, this series is the masterpiece of Sarah Ash (the first books especially – and the last chapter is still being written). You’d soon fall in love with her and her exquisite and rich way of describing her magical worlds.

By Sarah Ash,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lord of Snow and Shadows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Three kingdoms. One man.
A destiny written in blood.
An epic new fantasy series begins . . .

Seemingly always the outsider, Gavril Andar - an impoverished young painter - yearns to join the privileged circles of Muscobar polite society. However, unbeknownst to him, he does have royal blood in his veins: the dark and powerful blood of a father he never knew - the Drakhaon, ruler of the isolated northern kingdom of Azhkendir. And when the Drakhaon is brutally murdered, an unwilling Gavril is forced to take up the mantle of both his father's rule - and his power.…


Book cover of Eragon

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did I love this book?

A classic for all fantasy writers, and one of the most requested movies to be re-booted (since it hasn’t had the fair and proper representation) this book sets some guidelines for all epic-fantasy lovers. If you, like me, love stories written simply and effectively, then Paolini’s Eragon series will seem one of those reads that finishes way too soon.

By Christopher Paolini,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Eragon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The first book in The Inheritance Series

When poor farm boy Eragon finds a polished stone in the forest, he thinks it's a lucky discovery. Perhaps, he will be able to buy his family food for the winter.

But, when a baby dragon hatches out of the stone, Eragon realises he's stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

His simple life is shattered, and he's thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. To navigate this dark terrain, and survive his cruel king's evil ways, he must take up the mantle of the…


Book cover of Dragon Keeper

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did I love this book?

The Rain Wild Chronicles is masterfully written with an original interpretation of what dragons mean for the fantasy genre. Quite uniquely I would say, Robin Hobb, has a different way of seeing and setting her own fantasy worlds. This series makes for quite the adventure. It has its own way of appealing to a more contemporary audience and makes for one of the fastest, yet pleasant reads.

By Robin Hobb,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Dragon Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in this standalone adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy.

Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and impenetrable forest, it is a hard place for any to survive.

People are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is…


Book cover of The Children of Húrin

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did I love this book?

The man that needs no introduction, the mastermind behind what all of us love most; the middle earth. Although his stories are not likely to have a happy ending, and are quite dark, this book is no exception. Well written and illustrated, by his most famous sketch artist, Alan Lee, the novel has every element that I love; mystery, a strong and solid fictional world, and dragons.

By J.R.R. Tolkien,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of The Children of Hurin will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, eagles and Orcs, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.

There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings, and the story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which…


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The Nameless Throne

By Lisa Cassidy,

Book cover of The Nameless Throne

Lisa Cassidy Author Of The Nameless Throne

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Book nerd Fantasy lover Coffee snob

Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

An ambitious orphan. A ruthless warlord. An impossible destiny.

Arya Nameless is a lowly Raider posted to an isolated fort in the most dangerous place in Dunidaen. She has few prospects, and as much as she loves her fellow soldiers, she burns for more—more control, more autonomy, more power.

When her bravery during an unexpected attack leads to an offer to join the household of one of Dunidaen’s warlords, Arya finds a home and family she never expected. Yet her quicksilver temper and fierce pride put her place there at constant risk.

And as her warlord embroils them all in a dangerous political game to rule Dunidaen, over the border to the west, the Nightstalker lurks. A king who wields powerful magic, the Nightstalker’s fate is inextricably entwined with Arya’s. His relentless pursuit will force Arya into a choice she doesn’t want to make, between loyalty and love, and taking hold of the destiny she was born to fulfill.

Which will she choose?

The Nameless Throne

By Lisa Cassidy,

What is this book about?

An ambitious orphan. A ruthless warlord. An impossible destiny.

Arya Nameless is a lowly Raider posted to an isolated fort in the most dangerous place in Dunidaen. She has few prospects, and as much as she loves her fellow soldiers, she burns for more—more control, more autonomy, more power.

When her bravery during an unexpected attack leads to an offer to join the household of one of Dunidaen’s warlords, Arya finds a home and family she never expected. Yet her quicksilver temper and fierce pride put her place there at constant risk.

And as her warlord embroils them all in…


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