Here are 100 books that A Few Good Elves fans have personally recommended if you like
A Few Good Elves.
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I’ve been drawn to LGBT+ characters and themes long before I knew that was a thing that a person could be—and longer still before I realized that it was something that might apply to me. Science fiction and fantasy helped me to explore identities and ways of existing within the world that were fundamentally different from my own and that instilled a love of the genre that I’ll always treasure.
I like to think I’m pretty good at guessing where a book is going to go—this is not the case with Gideon the Ninth. Every time I thought I had a grip on what was going on and where we were going, it took a turn. Every time I thought I had an idea of how I felt about a character, new lore dropped, and I fell in love (or in hate, or in a complicated love/hate thing that I have yet to figure out).
By the time I finished, I was torn between picking up the second book in the series to learn what happened next or rereading the first just to see how different it would be once I had a better understanding of the book.
15+ pages of new, original content, including a glossary of terms, in-universe writings, and more!
A USA Today Best-Selling Novel!
"Unlike anything I've ever read. " --V.E. Schwab
"Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!" --Charles Stross
"Brilliantly original, messy and weird straight through." --NPR
The Emperor needs necromancers.
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.
Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.
Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as…
One of the reasons I love my job as a Space History Curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is that I am fascinated to learn how people think about space, the cosmos, and their human connection with the universe. I am always eager to get beyond questions of what we know and how we know it and ask: Why do we ask the questions we ask in the first place? The books I’ve listed here all explore our relationship with space and how we engage personally or collectively with space exploration.
This science fiction novel, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey, was the beginning of the Expanse series (now totaling 9 novels and additional stories). It is one of the best space science fiction novels of the 21st century and became the basis for one of my favorite TV/streaming series, The Expanse.
The books dive deep into the political, social, and cultural complexities of sending humans to live on the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt, and it’s a nuanced reflection of our current ideas and ambitions when it comes to spaceflight. I am particularly drawn to the depiction of humans who, after multiple generations off Earth, consider their primary identity to be Martian.
Humanity has colonized the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond. Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the…
In writing character-driven space fantasy, heavily influenced by my training as an electromechanical engineer, I’ve realized a love for stories with a heavy emphasis on moral dilemmas and shifts in thinking. How does a character change direction after realizing much of what they always believed was a lie? When well-trained instincts pull them backward instead of propelling them forward? I love these stories, mirroring my own messy self-discovery journey through life. The settings and stakes are more fantastical, but that makes them more appealing. A way to confront my own trials without becoming burdened by them. If the characters can do it, so can I.
I adore the way Glynn Stewart writes about good people in bad situations, and this book remains one of my favorite examples. Captain Annette Bond is an upstanding woman with the unenviable assignment of doing whatever it takes to free Earth from its unexpected conquerors.
There’s no doubt she's the underdog in this fight. I admired her resilience as she fought against unreasonable odds to discover a way to regain Earth’s freedom while maintaining her crew’s morale and morals through the ever-darker options available to her.
By the end, even I wasn’t certain what path she’d take with the knowledge she’d uncovered, and I learned as much about myself as I did about her by the conclusion.
Earth is conquered. Sol is lost. One ship is tasked to free them. One Captain to save them all.
When an alien armada destroys the United Earth Space Force and takes control of the human homeworld, newly reinstated Captain Annette Bond must take her experimental hyperspace cruiser Tornado into exile as Terra's only interstellar privateer.
She has inferior technology, crude maps and no concept of her enemy, but the seedy underbelly of galactic society welcomes her so long as she has prizes to sell and money to spend.
But when your only allies are pirates and slavers, things are never…
Liam was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Taken in by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci.
In writing character-driven space fantasy, heavily influenced by my training as an electromechanical engineer, I’ve realized a love for stories with a heavy emphasis on moral dilemmas and shifts in thinking. How does a character change direction after realizing much of what they always believed was a lie? When well-trained instincts pull them backward instead of propelling them forward? I love these stories, mirroring my own messy self-discovery journey through life. The settings and stakes are more fantastical, but that makes them more appealing. A way to confront my own trials without becoming burdened by them. If the characters can do it, so can I.
I enjoy a good redemption arc, particularly ones that show more messy mistakes. In this book, Samantha Mills crafts a tight narrative detailing Zenya's fall and redemption as she navigates the complicated choices of her life. The story is told in parallels, each alternate chapter unfolding details of her present or past in complementary ways, revealing Zenya’s character in a way that emphasizes how both have led to her current situation.
It also pulls no punches. Zenya’s relationships are colored by various forms of emotional abuse, ranging from the neglect of her father to the manipulative grooming of her mother figure, in ways that struck home personally. It’s a difficult path, portrayed here with compassion and brutal honesty.
In this gripping debut novel from acclaimed Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus Award-winning author Samantha Mills, a disgraced soldier fights to make sense of her world and the gods who abandoned it. The Wings Upon Her Back is an action-packed, devastating exploration of the brutal costs of zealous loyalty.
Zenya was a teenager when she ran away to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect. She was determined to earn mechanized wings and protect the people…
I’ve loved the fantasy genre for as long as I can remember. From playing Warhammer with my father as a child to first reading The Lord of the Rings, The Magician, and countless other unforgettable novels, I was hooked. The Orc was always my favorite bad guy, with their incredible strength and bloodlust. I have spent many a long hour trying to put myself in the mindset of a being so dark, so brutal, and so lovable. Reading the books on this list, and many more, have helped me develop a foundation in the Orc race that almost makes them real.
This book really introduced me to the darker side of fantasy, and in fact, this is more grimdark. While most fantasy books have a good versus evil theme, a lot tend to water down the actions of the evil characters to make them more palatable or more accessible to a wider range of readers. This really describes the evil actions in detail so be warned it is not Harry Potter! I realized when reading this that you can bring horror aspects into fantasy, which makes sense as it’s a genre that’s full of evil, monsters, and people armed with all kinds of brutal weaponry.
Fantasy author David Dalglish begins his series of the half-orc brothers, whose struggles will soon bathe the land of Dezrel in demon fire...Five hundred years ago, brother gods devastated their world with civil war. When they were imprisoned, their conflict ended without a victor. Centuries passed while their followers secretly continued the war, a war that will soon have an end. The gods have found their paragons.
When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to the death prophet Velixar, they sought only escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army…
Storytelling is my passion. I have loved writing in the science fiction and fantasy genres since I learned to read as a kid. I’ve won multiple awards, have an optioned screenplay, and am actively working on several paid script projects. I love to swap stories with other writers and dive into new worlds.
I stole time out of math class to read this epic fantasy. It was huge and I finished it in 2 days. This is a true hero’s journey story from farmer to powerful earn, with all heavy-hitting emotional beats earned. It also presents a true crisis of faith to the main character and earning one’s courage back.
Paksenarrion wasn't planning to submit to an unwelcome marriage and a lifetime of poverty, so she left her village with a plan and her grandfather's sword. And a few weeks later, she was installed as Duke Phelan's newest recruit in a company of soldiers for hire, her arms training about to begin. But when Paks sees combat, she's stabbed with an ensorcelled knife and barely survives. Then the near-misses start mounting up, raising questions about this young fighter. Is she attracting evil because she is a danger to them all? Or is there another reason malignant forces seek her life?…
Captain Heron finds himself embroiled in a conflict that threatens to bring down the world order he is sworn to defend when a secretive Consortium seeks to undermine the World Treaty Organisation and the democracies it represents as he oversees the building and commissioning of a new starship.
I’ve known I was “special” since I was a child. I saw, felt, and heard things that others did not. Eventually I embraced my clairaudient mediumship gifts and turned it into a thriving business, allowing me to live a life of purpose: helping others find their passions and live their most joyful lives. But the journey never ends; I am always on a mission to transform. Consistently, literature has been where I turn when I am seeking wisdom on becoming the best version of myself. I also pursued certification as a Book Therapist - the first thing I’ll recommend to friends, family, or clients is the best book for their dilemma!
J.R.R. Tolkien's masterful storytelling is unmatched, and The Lord of the Rings weaves together moral dilemmas and profound philosophical ideas seamlessly, encouraging me to contemplate the nature of power, the importance of preserving the natural world, and the significance of individual choices.
The book's themes of heroism, friendship, sacrifice, and the struggle between good and evil resonate deeply. In addition, each of his characters feels like an aspect of oneself; the introspection it inspires is brilliant!
The Lord of the Rings instills a sense of wonder, ignites the imagination, and imparts timeless wisdom, which heavily transformed my perspective on life, my values, and my understanding of the human condition.
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.
As a young man who deals with issues of loneliness, depression, and melancholy, I’ve always been drawn to platonic male friendships in fiction. Seeing acts of brotherly courage and heroism on the page has always resonated with me, especially when my own friendships in the real world have felt lacking. Men aren’t the best at discussing their emotions, especially not with each other, and I’ve desperately sought out stories where even the most grizzled male heroes are, deep down, in need of a friend. In writing Stormblood, I wanted to have a strong sense of brotherhood and unity between the male cast members as they battle enemies and face their personal demons.
Did someone say a brotherhood of half-orcs? Sign me the hell up.
I’ve always loved non-human characters, whether monsters, aliens, ghouls, or whatever. I’ve always strongly identified with the “other.” When monsters do show up, they’re often depicted as just that: monsters. This is especially true of orcs.
But in The Grey Bastards, we get to see these mutts as so much more than drooling, mindless beasts. Their loyalty and brotherhood is what keeps them alive. When they’re riding out into battle, it’s not their tactics or strategy that gives them the edge, it’s knowing that whether they live or they die, their brothers will be fighting fiercely by their side. And that’s the sort of thing that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
'AN ADDICTIVELY READABLE - AND UNDENIABLY COOL - FANTASY MASTERWORK' Kirkus
BRING ON THE ORCS . . .
Jackal is proud to be a Grey Bastard, member of a sworn brotherhood of half-orcs. Unloved and unwanted in civilized society, the Bastards eke out a hard life in the desolate no-man's-land called the Lots, protecting frail and noble human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs.
But as Jackal is soon to learn, his pride may be misplaced. Because a dark secret lies at the heart of the Bastards' existence - one that reveals a horrifying truth behind humanity's tenuous…
I’ve loved the fantasy genre for as long as I can remember. From playing Warhammer with my father as a child to first reading The Lord of the Rings, The Magician, and countless other unforgettable novels, I was hooked. The Orc was always my favorite bad guy, with their incredible strength and bloodlust. I have spent many a long hour trying to put myself in the mindset of a being so dark, so brutal, and so lovable. Reading the books on this list, and many more, have helped me develop a foundation in the Orc race that almost makes them real.
For me, this book really brought a deep lore and background to the Orc race. With intrigue and plot aplenty, this story follows an Orc attempting to bring about a strong Orc kingdom with cities and trade, allies, and stability. Not every Orc is ready or wants this change and there is certainly a challenge to bringing about the kingdom. This gives a great depth to the Orc race and is one of my favorites from a great author.
The war against the orcs is far from over in this opening installment of a bold new trilogy in the Legend of Drizzt series
The end of winter is near, and it seems the uneasy peace between the dwarves of Mithral Hall and the orcs of the newly established Kingdom of Many-Arrows will not last long. The orc tribes united under Obould are splintering, with some seeking to establish an alliance with a clan of half ogres-half orcs. Drizzt, too, feels himself torn apart, unsure which of the Companions needs him most: As Catti-brie recovers from a serious injury, Wulfgar…
Constance is a wild, stubborn young girl growing up poor in a small industrial town in the late 1800's. Beneath her thread-worn exterior beats the heart of a dreamer and a wordsmith. But at age twelve, she’s orphaned. Running away to join the circus—like kids do in adventure books—seems like…
I’ve been making up characters and telling myself stories for as long as I can remember. I’m also a mood reader. I’ll read just about anything, but the stories I always yearn for are the ones that take me far away from this world, make me swoon, and devastate my soul. As a mood reader, I also have phases, and I’m in a fantasy phase right now. Magic, romance, adventure. These are just a few of my favorite things to read and write. As I read, I am inspired by the emotions that flood my senses when I read a good book.
Please take me to this planet where I can find a Scottish alien orc who will worship my body, mind, and soul. The slow burn was excruciating, but the payoff was explosive. I loved the characters, even through their flaws.
The MFC sang to my soul. I get her in every way, which may be why she sometimes makes me mad. I loved her gumption. I saw her fears and couldn’t wait for her to finally break down all her walls.
"‘I would worship you if you let me.’ And I would. Gods, I’d fall to my knees at the altar of her body and roar her holiness to the stars."
AMELIA
Grandma Ruth’s Tolkien-inspired bed-and-breakfast holds a secret, a broken interstellar gate. She tells me my grandfather wasn’t human, but an orckin who had come to Earth through the gate, and returned to his home planet through it. Getting the gate to work to find him was the easy part. Now, face-first in the dirt of his home planet, I have no plan. No way to get back, either.
