Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up and still today, I read a lot of fantasy, including reading the covers right off my copy of The Lord of the Rings boxed set. I’ve also written two major epic fantasy series each more than a million words in length. So I know a thing or two about what makes compelling epic fantasy stories. And these five books (and the series that follow) go above and beyond any measure. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed, but your REM cycle might suffer!


I wrote

Kingfall

By David Estes,

Book cover of Kingfall

What is my book about?

Be bright but do not burn. Embrace the darkness but do not live in the shadows. 

The powerful godblades…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Path of Flames

David Estes Why did I love this book?

Tucker not only creates a world you’ll get completely lost in, but his prose is next level. Countless times while reading I stopped to bask in awe of the way he weaved words together into a tapestry that not only told a beautiful story full of pain, hope, love, and triumph but also brought out emotions in a very real way. I felt what his characters felt, I yearned for what his characters yearned for, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire way. Get this book if you want to lose sleep every single night!

By Phil Tucker,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The first book in the new epic fantasy series readers are comparing to David Gemmell and Raymond E. Feist. A war fueled by the dark powers of forbidden sorcery is about to engulf the Ascendant Empire. Agerastian heretics, armed with black fire and fueled by bitter hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the empire - and in so doing destroy it. Asho--a squire with a reviled past--sees his liege, the Lady Kyferin, and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy and betrayal, demons and an approaching army, the fate of the Kyferins hangs…


Book cover of Age of Myth

David Estes Why did I love this book?

Melatonin alert! If you start reading this book, you’re going to require a sleep aid to get some shuteye. Sullivan has a way of constructing characters and plotlines that, on their surface, are simple. And yet the more you read, the more complex and three-dimensional they become, until you realize that the characters and their motivations are never what they seem to be until the moment they are revealed, leaving you breathless and satisfied. Losing a little (or a lot) of sleep to read Age of Myth is well worth it!

By Michael J. Sullivan,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Age of Myth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of fantasy’s finest next-generation storytellers continues to break new ground.

Michael J. Sullivan’s trailblazing career began with the breakout success of his Riyria series: full-bodied, spellbinding fantasy adventures whose imaginative scope and sympathetic characters won a devoted readership and comparisons to fantasy masters Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Now Age of Myth inaugurates an original five-book series.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans…


Book cover of Chasing Graves

David Estes Why did I love this book?

If you’re in the mood for a darker story to fill the moonlit hours between dusk and dawn, Chasing Graves is what you’ve been searching for. Galley’s writing is nothing short of magnificent, his creativity almost alien in its imagination. Not a second went by while reading this book that I wasn’t utterly lost between its pages, living in the world of the author’s creation, immersed in a story with one of the best twists I’ve ever read. When you begin this book, you might as well forget about sleep altogether, it’s that good. 

By Ben Galley,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Meet Caltro Basalt. He’s a master thief, a selfish bastard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.

They call it the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to own more ghosts than any other. For in Araxes, the dead do not rest in peace in the afterlife, but live on as slaves for the rich.

While Caltro struggles to survive and tries to reclaim his freedom, those around him strive for the emperor’s throne in Araxes’ cutthroat game of power. The dead…


Book cover of A Threat of Shadows

David Estes Why did I love this book?

The words I would use to describe Andrews’ writing are as follows: spirit, strength, impact. Not only does each sentence read like melted butter circling a saucepan, but they are written with purpose. Filled with characters so likable you’ll wish they were your real friends, Andrews puts them through hell and back again in a way that makes you want to cheer for them, or even fight by their sides. If you haven’t read A Threat of Shadows and the rest of The Keeper Chronicles, be prepared to count plenty of sheep to fall asleep afterward. 

By JA Andrews,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

#SPBFO Semifinalist

2nd Edition

Alaric betrayed everything he believed to save Evangeline — and failed.

His last chance to save the woman he loves lies in an ancient Wellstone, a repository of power, buried and lost long ago.


Luck—or something more troubling—leads him to a small group searching for the same stone.

A disgruntled dwarf,

a bumbling wizard,

and an elf with an unsettling amount of power.


If he can gain their trust, they might help him find the cure.

But the Wellstone holds more than he knows, and a terrible evil he’d thought defeated is stirring again, searching for…


Book cover of Six of Crows

David Estes Why did I love this book?

I have to admit, I was not a fan of Shadow and Bone, so it was with great trepidation that I picked up Six of Crows based on glowing recommendations from friends I trust. Wow. This book and its sequel had me wishing there were more hours in the day (and night) to read. The characters are an eclectic group so well-defined they continued speaking to me long after I closed the book. (I’m not insane, I swear. Well, mostly not.) And the storyline is so compelling that you must. Keep. Turning. Pages. Read at the risk of your own sleep. 

By Leigh Bardugo,

Why should I read it?

24 authors picked Six of Crows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

*See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with Shadow and Bone, now a Netflix original series.*

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017, this fantasy epic from the No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Grisha trilogy is gripping, sweeping and memorable - perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Laini Taylor and Kristin Cashore.

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams - but he can't pull it off alone.

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk…


Explore my book 😀

Kingfall

By David Estes,

Book cover of Kingfall

What is my book about?

Be bright but do not burn. Embrace the darkness but do not live in the shadows. 

The powerful godblades were believed to be lost nearly half a millennia ago, when the Godswar ended. Now, however, one has been found by the unlikeliest of wielders: Sampson Gaard, a sheltered prince who's been told he'll never rule Teravainen. As his power grows, the only question is whether he controls the blade or the blade him. With an insidious evil lurking in the shadows, the answer may very well determine the fate of all Kingfall.

Book cover of The Path of Flames
Book cover of Age of Myth
Book cover of Chasing Graves

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Why am I passionate about this?

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Shane's 3 favorite reads in 2024

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