The best sci-fi/fantasy books to ignite your inner magic and creativity

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author, thought leader, activist, dreamer, and entrepreneur with a passion for change. I believe that creativity and imagination can lift anyone from where they are and usher them into destiny. Stories are a core part of human evolution, which means that stories have the power to change us inside and out. Growing up, I didn't see myself represented in the books and stories around me. I'm passionate about writing fantasy, sci-fi, whimsical tales, and historical action fiction because I believe that by telling our stories, we can help those who have limited opportunities see the world of possibilities and inspire them to dream and create their own magic in this world. 


I wrote...

The Sparkle Riot Crew and the Kid From Star Quad 9

By Tephra Miriam,

Book cover of The Sparkle Riot Crew and the Kid From Star Quad 9

What is my book about?

The Sparkle Riot Crew consists of the twins Virginia and Shaquille Sparkle and Ginger and Barnaby Riot. As kids of Chicago Police Detectives Bernadette Sparkle and Bruce Riot, this crew is truly about having each other's back. In book 1, the Sparkle Riot Crew find themselves in the middle of a class debacle when their teacher, Mrs. Lucas' finger lights, go missing. When the Sparkle Riot Crew blames the new kid on the block, they learn a valuable lesson about getting the facts straight and what makes Fabiano Lucchini so special. Join the riotous ride as the Sparkle Riot Crew learns about family, gratitude, getting the facts straight, friendship, and making everyone feel welcome, even if they're from another planet.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Kingdom of Souls

Tephra Miriam Why did I love this book?

The world-building in Rena Barron's brilliant tale of African magic, bloodlines, and religion is exceptional. Far from a light and fluffy read, this novel addresses some very serious topics wrapped in hope and the pursuit of good. It is action-filled with twists and turns around every corner. This book will grab you and pull you in with its thrilling mystery and challenge you with its themes of darkness, secrets, and betrayal. Her despair, as well as her sincere quest for truth and redemption, won my heart.

By Rena Barron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kingdom of Souls as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Explosive fantasy set in a West African world of magic and legend, where one girl must sacrifice her life, year by year, to gain the power necessary to live up to the expectations of the mother she has never been good enough for.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Tomi Adeyemi and Black Panther

There's magic in her blood.

Arrah is a young woman from a long line of the most powerful witch doctors in the land. But she fails at magic, fails to call upon the ancestors and can't even cast the simplest curse.

Shame and disappointment dog…


Book cover of The Rage of Dragons

Tephra Miriam Why did I love this book?

I am so happy that Time magazine named this book one of their Top 100 Fantasy Books of all Time; I could not put it down. This brilliant novel will captivate readers, and they will feel the struggles of the protagonist trying to navigate his path in a world of endless war and suffering. Thanks to beautiful character development, I became quickly invested in the hopes and dreams of young Tau as he faced an impossible quest ahead of him. Evan Winter has written an intensely imaginative and thrilling novel to captivate and enthrall any young adult fantasy reader. 

By Evan Winter,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Rage of Dragons as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this blockbuster debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people's only hope for survival.

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP 100 FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME
Winner of the Reddit/Fantasy Award for Best Debut Fantasy Novel

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger,…


Book cover of The Obelisk Gate

Tephra Miriam Why did I love this book?

After reading, The Fifth Season, the first book in this series, I was left wanting more! In The Obelisk Gate, N.K Jemisin gifts us with more of her incredible world-building talents, character, and storyline development like only a truly gifted fantasy writer can. I love how multiple plot lines and characters were woven together seamlessly, and even some topics from the first book were fleshed out. This was an impactful read, highlighting the bond of mother and daughter and many other important themes of oppression, discrimination, and prejudice.  

By N. K. Jemisin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Essun's missing daughter grows more powerful every day, and her choices may destroy the world in this "magnificent" Hugo Award winner and NYT Notable Book. (NPR)

The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold night.

Essun -- once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger -- has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead there is Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of the world, with a request. But if Essun does what he asks, it would seal the fate of the Stillness forever.

Far away, her daughter Nassun is growing in power -- and her choices will break the…


Book cover of Amari and the Great Game

Tephra Miriam Why did I love this book?

A brilliant follow-up to Amari and the Night Brothers, Amari and the Great Game is a mystical story of bravery, friendship, and perseverance wrapped up in magic. If you loved the first book in the series, this sequel does not disappoint its readers. B.B. Alston lights up the imagination and attention of readers with a tale of adventure while covering important themes of discrimination. I enjoyed how the young character, Amari, showed maturity, compassion, and humility. A clever and enchanting must-read for any young reader or adult who loves magic!

By B. B. Alston,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Amari and the Great Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!

Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.

After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.

But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate…


Book cover of Dawn

Tephra Miriam Why did I love this book?

One of Octavia Butler's true masterpieces, this post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel published in 1987 is as relevant today as it was then. This was a book I had to take my time with as there are a lot of very intense themes some readers may need extra time to chew on. These themes were even more important than the characters or the world-building, in my eyes. I loved the incredible strength, wisdom, and patience the female protagonist exhibited in a grim situation. There is no doubt that some readers may find the topics and subject matter of this story quite unpleasant; however, it is a novel that will truly challenge any reader.

By Octavia E. Butler,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Dawn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'One of the most significant literary artists of the twentieth century' JUNOT DIAZ

'Octavia Butler was playing out our very real possibilities as humans. I think she can help each of us to do the same' GLORIA STEINEM

One woman is called upon to reconstruct humanity in this hopeful, thought-provoking novel by the bestselling, award-winning author. For readers of Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and Ursula K. Le Guin.

When Lilith lyapo wakes in a small white room with no doors or windows, she remembers a devastating war, and a husband and child long lost to her.

She finds herself living…


You might also like...

A Diary in the Age of Water

By Nina Munteanu,

Book cover of A Diary in the Age of Water

Nina Munteanu Author Of Darwin's Paradox

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Writer Ecologist Mother Teacher Explorer

Nina's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

This climate fiction novel follows four generations of women and their battles against a global giant that controls and manipulates Earth’s water. Told mostly through a diary and drawing on scientific observation and personal reflection, Lynna’s story unfolds incrementally, like climate change itself. Her gritty memoir describes a near-future Toronto in the grips of severe water scarcity.

Single mother and limnologist Lynna witnesses disturbing events as she works for the powerful international utility CanadaCorp. Fearing for the welfare of her rebellious teenage daughter, Lynna sets in motion a series of events that tumble out of her control with calamitous consequence. The novel explores identity, relationship, and our concept of what is “normal”—as a nation and an individual—in a world that is rapidly and incomprehensibly changing.

A Diary in the Age of Water

By Nina Munteanu,

What is this book about?

Centuries from now, in a post-climate change dying boreal forest of what used to be northern Canada, Kyo, a young acolyte called to service in the Exodus, discovers a diary that may provide her with the answers to her yearning for Earth’s past—to the Age of Water, when the “Water Twins” destroyed humanity in hatred—events that have plagued her nightly in dreams. Looking for answers to this holocaust—and disturbed by her macabre longing for connection to the Water Twins—Kyo is led to the diary of a limnologist from the time just prior to the destruction. This gritty memoir describes a…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in good and evil, extraterrestrial life, and space horror?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about good and evil, extraterrestrial life, and space horror.

Good And Evil Explore 134 books about good and evil
Extraterrestrial Life Explore 224 books about extraterrestrial life
Space Horror Explore 22 books about space horror