The best books that mess with reality

This is Gaiman at his best. I loved his truly original hidden world of 'London Below,’ as it is unlike anything I had ever seen before. We get such a meaningful story with characters that we care about, exploring a fascinating world that is far from safe, lurking right beneath our feet, just beyond our perception.

And I was in awe of all the great characters.

The Marquis de Carabas is just brilliant. Nothing more needs to be said.

I was truly impressed with the bantering between Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, so spot on for creepy hitmen of undetermined supernatural types.

When we get to the end and we are shown the idea of getting to decide your reality, that was just a powerful idea to me that I have always been drawn to.

I have found this to be one book that has something new to discover with every reread.

Zelazy was a master writer and nowhere is that more obvious than this fantasy series.

A royal family that can walk between worlds, knowing only Amber and Chaos to be the real worlds, with all the other countless worlds being poor reflections of them.

I found I was unable to put these books down, getting lost in reading and just wanting to learn what happens next.

I was drawn into the idea that reality for those of the royal families was just a change in perspective as you walk. All they needed to do was picture something different as they made their way and they could cross a dozen worlds with a dozen thoughts.

In these books I found it all: Mystery, family drama, fight for the throne, vengeance, curses, murder, fantastic beings of all kinds, and one of the best-written funeral precessions ever.

This series of YA novels at first felt like it was going to be another cliche series of stories, but quickly breaks away from what you would expect to give you a massive and complex hidden world with great twists and turns as to what is really going on.

I was really pulled into the intricate world that had so many new and creative areas to explore with every story.

Each book adds in incredible new elements, expanding the hidden world that is really what is holding our reality together. 

I found it to be a fun, unique YA series that left me fulfilled by the fully told story.

I thought it was perfect that the main protagonist is named Hiro Protagonist in the story to make it clear I should not overthink things as I got to enjoy the action-filled adventure.

And I learned a lot about the deadly career of a pizza delivery boy.

The story jumps between a dark future real world and the VR world of the Metaverse, keeping you guessing as it plays with your sense of reality.

Watching as Hiro makes his way through a crumbling and unfair society, ruled over by the wealthy and corrupt I felt made for a powerfully relevant narrative.

An absent-minded, modern-day scientist is pulled out of time, finding himself in a medieval England of a parallel universe. He is mistaken for a sorcerer and starts using his knowledge to make a name for himself.

I know all of that may sound cliche, the story is anything but.

I was especially drawn to the big bad of the story, who is so powerful that he can hear that narrator and start to argue with him in some great fourth-wall-breaking moments that turn out to be more than just humorous exchanges.

I found this to be a fun series that really plays around with some common fantasy concepts and has fun with it all, not taking itself too seriously.