The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,708 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Will of the Many

Adam Lofthouse I this book because...

This is an elegantly written, powerful story built into a Roman-inspired fantasy novel. It has characters with hidden depths, a magical school, and engraved lore etched beautifully into the background of a young man’s tale as he seeks to right the wrongs of his past.

It’s a book that never stops giving and never quite goes where you think it will, right up to an explosive ending that has you begging for a sequel. 

By James Islington,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Will of the Many as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

At the elite Catenan Academy, where students are prepared as the future leaders of the Hierarchy empire, the curriculum reveals a layered set of mysteries which turn murderous in this new fantasy by bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

Vis, the adopted son of Magnus Quintus Ulcisor, a prominent senator within the Hierarchy, is trained to enter the famed Catenan Academy to help Ulciscor learn what the hidden agenda is of the remote island academy. Secretly, he also wants Vis to discover what happed to his brother who died at the academy. He's sure the current Principalis of…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Battle Song

Adam Lofthouse I this book because...

Set in the Middle Ages, this is an historical epic for those who love facts in their fiction. Ian Ross writes with such raw authenticity; his books really are like travelling through time.

The sounds, smells, and sights of Europe a thousand years ago are brought back vividly to life. This is historical fiction as it should be written: immersive, authoritative, and compelling. Absolutely superb!

By Ian Ross,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Battle Song as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A very promising historical adventure' - THE TIMES

'A terrific novel' - HISTORIA MAGAZINE

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'There is a fury in England that none shall suppress - and when it breaks forth it will shake the throne'

1264

Storm clouds are gathering as Simon de Montfort and the barons of the realm challenge the power of Henry III. The barons demand reform; the crown demands obedience. England is on the brink of civil war.

Adam de Norton, a young squire devoted to the virtues of chivalry, longs only to be knighted, and to win back his father's lands. Then a bloody…


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Red Rising

Adam Lofthouse I this book because...

This didn’t quite go the way I thought it would. I’d not read anything into this book or the series before starting it, I just knew they were incredibly popular books, and I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about! I am delighted to say the hype is real!

A brilliantly imagined novel told through the voice of a powerful POV. I’m no sci-fi fan, but these books really are extraordinary.

By Pierce Brown,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked Red Rising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, BUZZFEED, GOODREADS AND SHELF AWARENESS

Pierce Brown's heart-pounding debut is the first book in a spectacular series that combines the drama of Game of Thrones with the epic scope of Star Wars.

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'Pierce Brown's empire-crushing debut is a sprawling vision . . . Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow' - Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Pandemic

'[A] top-notch debut novel . . . Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field' - USA Today

**********

Darrow is a Helldiver. A pioneer…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Oathbreaker

By Adam Lofthouse,

Book cover of Oathbreaker

What is my book about?

At the edge of the empire, one man stands alone. Alaric is an enemy of Rome. For too long he has thwarted the empire's attempts to gain control over the land that has long resisted them: Germania.

To the Romans he is a scourge, always evading their carefully laid traps. But to the tribes, he is much worse: outlaw, chief killer, battle turner, oathbreaker. All men know him, all men fear him. At his back is a war host, on his shoulder sits Loki, the Trickster.

Isolated and lacking in allies, will Alaric be able to break free from the noose that slowly encircles him? Or will the Sly One once more come to his rescue?