Why am I passionate about this?

Imagination knows no bounds. That's what I love about reading and writing fantasy. No matter what you create, a name, a monster, or a type of food, it exists because it exists in your mind. I can get lost in the authors' worlds and become part of the adventure. I wrote the duology, yep, two books, after watching Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, at the cinema. When I arrived home, I had the first book plotted in my head: the characters, the conflict. In my head, I built a fantasy world without elves, hobbits, dragons, and dwarfs. Even the names of the characters. All thanks to the inspiring storytelling of Tolkien.


I wrote

Illusional Reality

By Karina Kantas,

Book cover of Illusional Reality

What is my book about?

In Illusional Reality, my award-winning international bestseller, I take an ordinary hard-working city girl and pull the rug of…

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

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Hush, Hush

Karina Kantas Why did I love this book?

Hush, Hush is a trilogy about a romance between an angel and a human. For this fallen angel to get his wings and be allowed back in Heaven, he has to kill the human, who happens to be his soul mate and who he is madly in love with. The twists keep coming, the plot gets more intriguing and nail-biting the further we get into the book, and the love story between Patch and Nora can give Bella and Edward a run for their money in the most forbidden but hot love story contest.

The books were optioned for film, but that fell through, although Becca had other books published after Hush, Hush. The last time there were any new publications was in 2014.

I picked Hush, Hush as these books and their love story has stayed with me from the first time I opened the book. Even now, if I had the time, I would happily read it for the 100th time.

By Becca Fitzpatrick,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Hush, Hush 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?

A powerful YA romance about the forbidden love between a girl and a fallen angel, perfect for fans of the Twilight series!

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and…


Book cover of Clockwork Angel

Karina Kantas Why did I love this book?

Now you've all heard of Mortal Instruments, the set of books that was never going to end, and the flop of the movie and the T.V. series being shut down, not giving the fans a H.E.A. But I bet you haven't heard of Infernal Devices. These are three books, yes, another trilogy. Although Infernal Devices is a prequel to Mortal Instruments, there is a huge difference between the two stories. And yes, I read them in the wrong order. But Mortal Instruments never took hold of my heart and squeezed it, like Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess did. These books have all the fantasy elements you would expect from a Cassandra Claire novel, the danger, the thrills, but what was added to all this was a heart-wrenching love story that will have you crying in your tissues and screaming why! Why is life so unfair?

By Cassandra Clare,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Clockwork Angel 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?

First in Cassandra Clare's internationally bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy about the Shadowhunters.

Love is the most dangerous magic of all... First in the bestselling prequel series to The Mortal Instruments, set in Victorian London. Something terrifying is waiting for Tessa Gray in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Tessa finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends... This edition contains a map and a new foreword by Cassandra Clare. Read all the…


Book cover of The Lord of the Rings

Karina Kantas Why did I love this book?

Another trilogy. And one that rules them all. See what I did just then? *groans* any fan of Lord of The Rings would have recognised my little pun. Yes, L.O.T.R. is the one that started it all. Do you think Tolkien had any idea what a monster he had created? A monster in the sense that the books made other fantasy books, mirrored after Tolkien's work, then the next one came along and another, then the film and the merch, and it turned into the monster it is today. I admit I watched the movie first before reading the books. And then I flicked past the pages of song and poetry, wanting to get to the heart of the story. And that was what a hero Sam was. Yes, many may argue that Frodo was the hero, but if you reread the books, nothing would have happened, and nothing would have ended like it did if it wasn't for Sam.

By J.R.R. Tolkien,

Why should I read it?

53 authors picked The Lord of the Rings 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?

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of…


Book cover of Glass Houses

Karina Kantas Why did I love this book?

Nope, not a trilogy. In fact, this went on to 15 books covering three seasons. As you can tell from the title, the books are about Vampires. But something different drew me into the books rather than leaving me cold (pun). The books are so fast-paced that you end up caring for every character introduced to you, including the bad guys. I put myself in the MC Claire's shoes, and it didn't feel farfetched. And vampires are not the only thing lurking in Morganville, but when Claire is given one of the highest regards by a royal, Claire becomes untouchable unless they can kill off the royal bloodline first. Claire has to make some tough decisions in the book and remember that though she may have befriended the vamps, she has human friends she also needs to protect.

By Rachel Caine,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Glass Houses 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?

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they come out fighting when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...


Book cover of The Golden Compass

Karina Kantas Why did I love this book?

Yes, another trilogy with another terrible film adaptation, so they never made a second or third movie. It was this book that made me add seeing the Northern Lights to be put on my bucket list. This story has a talking, ready-to-battle polar bear and a young girl named Clara. Each human has a spirit animal following them around, giving their human guidance, support, and laughter when needed. These animals were part of their soul, and to rip them away from the children would be catastrophic to both parties. But someone had been kidnapping the children and experimenting on them to do just that. All three books satisfied my thirst for the fantasy element, but His Dark Materials bought something different to this trope of fantasy books. There were fascinating science elements weaved in with fantasy, such as using a knife to slice into another world.

By Philip Pullman,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked The Golden Compass 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 volume in Philip Pullman's groundbreaking
HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, now a thrilling, critically
acclaimed BBC/HBO television series. First published
in 1995, and acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, this first
book in the series won the UK's top awards for children's literature.

"Without this child, we shall all
die."

Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live
half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford.

The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands
of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight.

Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences
far beyond her own world...



This…


Explore my book 😀

Illusional Reality

By Karina Kantas,

Book cover of Illusional Reality

What is my book about?

In Illusional Reality, my award-winning international bestseller, I take an ordinary hard-working city girl and pull the rug of normality from under her feat. Her world is turned upside down. Everything she thought was true was a lie or never really existed.

In book one, we're introduced to Thya, the prophesied saviour to the land Tsinia. She's taught the life and code of the Tsinians and how to unleash and control the powers she never knew existed. And then she's told that without her permission, they've exchanged her life and happiness for peace by agreeing to the marriage of Thya and Kovon, the Dark Lord's only heir to Senx. Now she has to devise a plan for peace without bloodshed to her Kinsmen or give herself over to a tyrant.

You might also like...

The Nightmarchers

By J. Lincoln Fenn,

Book cover of The Nightmarchers

J. Lincoln Fenn Author Of The Nightmarchers

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in New England, my mother had a set of books that she kept in the living room, more for display than anything else. It was The Works of Edgar Allen Poe. I read them and instantly became hooked on horror. In the seventh grade, I entertained my friends at a sleepover by telling them the mysterious clanking noise (created by the baseboard heater) was the ghost of a woman who had once lived in the farmhouse, forced to cannibalize her ten children during a particularly bad winter. And I’ve been enjoying scaring people ever since.

J.'s book list on horror that will make you cancel your travel plans

What is my book about?

In 1939, on a remote Pacific island, botanical researcher Irene Greer plunged off a waterfall to her death, leaving behind a legacy shrouded in secrets. Her great-niece Julia, a struggling journalist recovering from a divorce, seeks answers decades later.

Tasked with retrieving Dr. Greer’s discovery–a flower that could have world-changing properties–Julia unearths a story rife with hidden agendas and a missionary community unwilling to share the truth. As she confronts the eerie legends and a fellow traveler with his own motives, Julia finds that the longer she stays, the thinner the line between reality and the fantastical becomes until she…

The Nightmarchers

By J. Lincoln Fenn,

What is this book about?

From the award-winning author of Dead Souls and Poe comes an all-new bone-chilling novel where a mysterious island holds the terrifying answers to a woman's past and future.

In 1939, on a remote Pacific island, botanical researcher Irene Greer plunges off a waterfall to her death, convinced the spirits of her dead husband and daughter had joined the nightmarchers-ghosts of ancient warriors that rise from their burial sites on moonless nights. But was it suicide, or did a strange young missionary girl, Agnes, play a role in Irene's deteriorating state of mind?

It all seems like ancient family history to…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in good and evil, vampires, and Hero's journey?

Good And Evil 143 books
Vampires 305 books
Hero's Journey 14 books