Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been in love with reading fantasy since I first learned how to read, and I’ve been writing stories almost as long. As an adult, writing has become my hobby, my passion, my creative outlet, and my escape. Fantasy provides what no other genre does – to quote G. K. Chesterton, “Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” I hope you enjoy all of the books on this list – they are full of adventure, romance, and, most importantly, magic. 


I wrote

Wren and the Tarnished Tiger

By E. M. Leander,

Book cover of Wren and the Tarnished Tiger

What is my book about?

A girl whose magic doesn't fit the mold. A tarnished golden boy. The journey that will unite them.

Orphaned Wren…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Throne of Glass

E. M. Leander Why did I love this book?

I recommend this book to anyone looking to dive into epic fantasy with original world-building, complex characters, adventure, magic, and romance.

Sarah J. Maas’s skill is unparalleled, and should be a part of any fantasy lover’s book horde. I am drawn to books with a strong female lead, and Celaena Sardothien certainly fits the bill. 

By Sarah J. Maas,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Throne of Glass 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?

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas started a worldwide phenomenon when she published her debut novel, Throne of Glass. To date, Sarah's books have spent more than 92 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and she has hit #1 on charts around the world. Her books have sold more than seven million copies and have been translated into 36 languages. Throne of Glass alone has sold over one million copies. Now you can own this epic fantasy classic in a deluxe hardcover collector's edition. Throne of Glass begins the sweeping saga of assassin Celaena Sardothien,…


Book cover of The Cruel Prince

E. M. Leander Why did I love this book?

The Cruel Prince is a master class in world-building, and Holly Black does it with flare unlike anyone else I’ve ever read.

Her world is vibrant and unusual and bold, and her characters break with traditional norms – and yet are relatable and lovable all the same.

Cardan and Jude will forever be one of my favorite fantasy couples. 

By Holly Black,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Cruel Prince 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?

"Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating" - Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three…


Book cover of Alanna

E. M. Leander Why did I love this book?

One of my all-time favorite fantasy novels, and the one that got me hooked on fantasy as a girl – Alanna is the ultimate scrappy heroine and I dreamed of being her when I was growing up.

Alanna has a black cat companion, which may or may not have influenced me to adopt a black cat as an adult.

At the time I read it, I’d never heard of a woman wanting to be a knight before – Alanna helped me realize that all glass ceilings can be shattered, and this remains one of the most re-read novels on my shelf. 

By Tamora Pierce,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From Tamora Pierce, the first book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award.

“From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.”

In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom. Disguised as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not…


Book cover of Shadow and Bone

E. M. Leander Why did I love this book?

What I love about this novel (and series) in particular is Leigh Bardugo’s world-building.

The vast majority of fantasy novels are set in a vaguely-English or medieval setting – Ravka is inspired by Russia, and I found the change to be both brilliant and also it provided crucial background for the characters and the plot development.

Of course Ms. Bardugo’s mastery of fantasy – as well as the heroine with unknown magical powers – were simultaneously enjoyable as a reader, and brilliantly educational as a writer.

Five stars for every book in the series. 

By Leigh Bardugo,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Shadow and Bone 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 series.

Enter the Grishaverse with Book One of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue…


Book cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

E. M. Leander Why did I love this book?

Is there a fantasy novel that has been more widely read and loved than Harry Potter?

Ms. Rowling has brought the ‘coming-of-age’ story to fantasy in a way that is somehow familiar and magical, all at once. The only novel on my list without a female protagonist (though arguably Hermione qualifies!), I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend the most influential fantasy novel of our time.

Harry’s ‘Chosen One’ status and yet utter relatability make him one of my favorite characters of all time, and his magical world is one that I would love to find myself living in (I’m definitely a Ravenclaw!). 

By J.K. Rowling,

Why should I read it?

40 authors picked Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 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?

Galloping gargoyles ... 2022 is the silver anniversary of J.K. Rowling's magical classic Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone!

The boy wizard Harry Potter has been casting a spell over young readers and their families ever since 1997. Now the first book in this unmissable series celebrates 25 years in print! The paperback edition of the tale that introduced us to Harry, Ron and Hermione has been updated and dressed in silver to mark the occasion. It's time to take the magical journey of a lifetime ...

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping…


Explore my book 😀

Wren and the Tarnished Tiger

By E. M. Leander,

Book cover of Wren and the Tarnished Tiger

What is my book about?

A girl whose magic doesn't fit the mold. A tarnished golden boy. The journey that will unite them.

Orphaned Wren is contented with her life as a lighthouse keeper but when war encompasses her country, she will be thrust into a world she never imagined. Bound in an unlikely partnership, she will find the gods have bigger plans for her than she could ever have imagined. Handsome and arrogant Aris is descended from a line of Shields, animal shifters whose sole purpose is to guard their paired Mages. As the story unfolds, the influence of mercurial gods will gift Wren and Aris an incomparable journey through magic, betrayal, and love.

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Stormwalker Series Connections In Time Bain's Story Book 1

By S.G. Boudreaux,

Book cover of Stormwalker Series Connections In Time Bain's Story Book 1

S.G. Boudreaux Author Of Earth

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved fiction, fantasy, and adventure stories. Growing up in the Star Wars generation, I was seven when A New Hope was released at the theaters. Living in the hollows of West Virginia there weren’t libraries close by, and movies were a great, though seldom, treat. Suggestive material and cursing was not something that we saw in books or movies growing up in a more simple period of time. I still thoroughly enjoy many well-written, clean, books or shows. As an active member of the body of Christ, I now serve with my writing, and hope that kids of all ages can enjoy epic fantasy and adventure books from a clean and wholesome perspective.

S.G.'s book list on clean-reading fantasy with religious undertones

What is my book about?

Finding Family, Discovery, Destiny. This is what nineteen-year-old Bain Brinley is searching for.

In his homeland, far in the mountains, he stepped into what he could only describe as a time-portal and landed in a strange land known as Egypt. Then he falls through another portal during a storm, only to end up in another world known as Harilhia. Here, he soon discovers a creature he knew from home. He was back, but it wasn't Zanchier.

Can he find his family, and figure out what the Creator wanted him to do with time-travel?

Stormwalker Series Connections In Time Bain's Story Book 1

By S.G. Boudreaux,

What is this book about?

Where was he and how did he get here?

Nineteen-year-old Bain Brinley has just inadvertently stepped into a time portal and was deposited into a world like none he had ever seen before. He turned to go back through the portal and back to Zanchier to find his family, only to find the portal gone. Now, Bain must face this strange, new, world without anyone else on whom he can depend.

As he gazes out over the hot, dry, desert climate at the large pyramid shaped structures, he is unsure where to go. He is soon thrust into a strange,…


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Interested in knights, wizards, and magic-supernatural?

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Wizards 98 books
Magic-Supernatural 644 books