78 books like A Spark In The Cinders

By Jenny Elder Moke,

Here are 78 books that A Spark In The Cinders fans have personally recommended if you like A Spark In The Cinders. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Tangle of Dreams

D.C. Contor Author Of A Change of Tide: The Legend of the Salt of the Earth

From my list on if you’re daydreaming about being a magical teenager…again.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent all my teenage years daydreaming about being magical (cue a handful of sparkling glitter). Even as an adult, those daydreams haven’t stopped. Magic promises the ability to change the story. I revisit those teen years when I can because ultimately, what each of these stories of magic offer is a coming-of-age story. The struggle of being pulled between two different worlds has always felt familiar to me, whether those worlds are literally different worlds (magical vs non-magical) or figurative (childhood vs adulthood). I’ve felt some version of that struggle my whole life, and I think I always will, which is why these stories will always feel like home. 

D.C.'s book list on if you’re daydreaming about being a magical teenager…again

D.C. Contor Why did D.C. love this book?

I fell totally in love with this book! This is the story of Gemma and Oliver, two best friends about to be separated by the gift Gemma has been waiting for her whole life, which is also the biggest and only secret she’s ever kept from Oliver. On the night of her 17th birthday, she will be claimed by one of three branches of magic.

This story is everything that is wonderful about being seventeen, falling in love, and figuring out where you fit in the world, especially when you feel so tied to two completely different worlds. A Tangle of Dreams is part one in a duology that kept me up into the wee hours of the morning because I needed so desperately to read “one more chapter”! 

By Nicole Adair,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Tangle of Dreams as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

“Ollie, do you believe in magic?”

Gemma and Oliver have been best friends their entire lives. But no matter how well Ollie thinks he knows Gemma, there’s one secret standing between them, one secret she swore she’d never tell: magic is real. And she’s waited her whole life to have it. On their seventeenth birthday, Gemma and her twin brother, Milo, will be Claimed by one of the three branches of magic. Only then will they have access to the power they’ve always seen but been unable to touch.

Gemma’s counting down the days until she becomes one of the…


Book cover of The Ropemaker

Ian Rodgers Author Of A Princess and an Ooze

From my list on with the best world building.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I was young, books have fascinated me. They contain entire worlds, just waiting to be explored. I believe creativity is an important part of life, and there’s nothing more creative than writing your own world! World building is one of the most vital aspects of any fictional series. It’s why I got into writing; I wanted to bring to life the visions of the fantastical creatures and places I had in my head. 

Ian's book list on with the best world building

Ian Rodgers Why did Ian love this book?

When it comes to building a world the readers can get involved in, you have to be careful not to reveal too much in the beginning. You want to captivate your readers, have them invest more and more time into exploring the world, allowing it to open up. The Ropemaker shows how well a fantasy story can be written this way. The distant and frightful empire is shrouded in mystery as Tilja and the others begin their adventure, but said mystery is slowly dismantled as they progress through their journey, coming to understand their enemy by living amongst them, all while seeking out a way to protect their home from invasion. 

By Peter Dickinson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ropemaker 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?

Tilja has grown up in the peaceful Valley, which is protected from the fearsome Empire by an enchanted forest. But the forest’s power has begun to fade and the Valley is in danger. Tilja is the youngest of four brave souls who venture into the Empire together to find the mysterious magician who can save the Valley. And much to her amazement, Tilja gradually learns that only she, an ordinary girl with no magical powers, has the ability to protect her group and their quest from the Empire’s sorcerers.


Book cover of Gifts

Fiona J. R. Titchenell Author Of Pinnacle City: A Superhero Noir

From my list on superhero comic book fans.

Why am I passionate about this?

Novels are my medium and my first love, but I’m a huge fan of comic books too. Even though visual arts have never been my strength, I adore how many different things are possible in superhero stories. Sci-fi and epic fantasy and all different kinds of horror coexist in these enormous fictional universes. You’ve got comedic, child-friendly mysteries and pitch-black serial killer thrillers and deep meditations on love and family all going on at once. Comic book tropes and general disregard for genre boundaries definitely inform my writing style, and I love when I discover other novelists who incorporate comic book inspiration in various ways.

Fiona's book list on superhero comic book fans

Fiona J. R. Titchenell Why did Fiona love this book?

Superpowers are a classic allegory for coming of age, and Gifts uses them as such in an especially timeless and effective way. When the children of the Uplands reach adolescence, they develop powerful gifts that can be equal parts useful and dangerous. Most of them start off applying these gifts exactly according to their parents’ instructions. But ultimately, their gifts are their own, and part of accepting them is accepting the responsibility of choosing how to use them. It’s a wonderfully moody, atmospheric exploration of uses and abuses of power.

By Ursula K. Le Guin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Gifts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

'She's showing no signs of losing her brilliance. She is unparalleled in creating fantasy peopled by finely drawn and complex characters... GIFTS has the simplicity of fairy tale and the power of myth' GUARDIAN

'Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power' OBSERVER

Orrec, the son of the Brantor of Caspromant, and Gry, daughter of the Brantors of Barre and Rodd, have grown up together, running half-wild across the Uplands. The people there are like their land: harsh and fierce and prideful; ever at war with each other.

Only the gifts keep the fragile peace. The Barre gift is calling…


Book cover of The Shadow Queen

Serena Chase Author Of The Ryn

From my list on transporting you into a romantic fairy tale world.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a life-long lover of fairy tales, I believe the reason these timeless stories resonate so deeply is because they speak to an unquenchable desire in the center of each of our souls: the hope for a grand romantic adventure that will change our lives from the inside out. As an author, I strive to create those kinds of soul-speaking stories, crafting characters my readers relate to as friends... and respect as heroes. When my readers adventure alongside these fictional friends, I hope they are encouraged to bravely face the real-life challenges of our modern world, while being emboldened toward acts of everyday and exceptional heroism.

Serena's book list on transporting you into a romantic fairy tale world

Serena Chase Why did Serena love this book?

If you’re a fan of reimagined classic fairy tales, you’ll love C. J. Redwine’s Robin Hood-esque take on Snow White (with dragons!)

Unlike the classic Princess Snow White of old, Princess Lorelai is no simpering miss. She’s a powerful magic-wielder with a cause. As Lorelai learns to control and develop her magic, friends (and dragon-shifters!) join the quest to rid her kingdom—and the young shifter king she loves—from its menace: her wicked aunt, who used magic to take over the land.

With some imagery loosely borrowed—and creatively adjusted!—from the classic Snow White story, this new tale features a fresh heroine who doesn’t expect anyone to rescue her kingdom for her. The Shadow Queen is a romantic and epically-reimagined fairy tale with beautiful themes of sacrificial love.

By C. J. Redwine,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Shadow Queen 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?

PERFECT FOR FANS OF VICTORIA AVEYARD AND SARAH J. MAAS
Lorelai, crown princess and fugitive-at-large, has one mission: kill
the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the
life of her father. She'll have to be stronger, faster and master
more magical power than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire
has ever seen. When the queen's huntsman - a dragon-shifting
king - tracks down Lorelai, sparks fly between them. Can the king
overcome his predator side - and can Irina's dark magic be defeated?


Book cover of The Anti-Book

Jennifer A. Nielsen Author Of Words on Fire

From my list on middle-grade books about the power of words.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up on books, every page filling my mind with words. I have since written many novels, but WORDS ON FIRE is my love letter to books and the power of words. From the moment I first discovered the story of the Lithuanian Book Smugglers, I wanted to better understand why these brave people risked their lives to save their books. I came to understand that books were their way to preserve their language, their culture, even the very existence of their country. If it was so important to them, would it not be just as important for us to ensure that children – all children – have access to books.

Jennifer's book list on middle-grade books about the power of words

Jennifer A. Nielsen Why did Jennifer love this book?

Mickey is angry about nearly everything in his life, which makes the ad for the Anti-Book even more tempting. When it comes, it has only one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the book with everything he dislikes, and soon it begins to change. But is that really what he wants? This is a darkly funny book about life, struggle, and learning to accept change.

By Raphael Simon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Anti-Book 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?

Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new step-mums, both named Charlie. And so he can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: "Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed." He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blank - except for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes...

Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are…


Book cover of The Puppetmaster's Apprentice

Joanna Ruth Meyer Author Of Echo North

From my list on adult fairytale retellings.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a passionate devourer of fairytale retellings ever since I happened upon Robin McKinley’s Beauty at the library when I was eleven years old. Fairytales have such a timelessness to them that allow them to be retold over and over, reinterpreted, and reimagined in seemingly countless ways, and I’m honored to have now written a few of my own. Fairytales have shaped my own writing from the beginning.

Joanna's book list on adult fairytale retellings

Joanna Ruth Meyer Why did Joanna love this book?

This fascinating, gender-swapped Pinnochio retelling has a few hints of Frankenstein, and is gorgeously written. The main character, Pirouette, begins life as a tree and is carved into a puppet by her father, then brought to life by the magic of the blue moon. When the powerful Margrave of Tavia commissions Pirouette and her father to make one hundred wooden soldiers or risk imprisonment, they have no choice to comply. And then the Margrave makes an additional demand: he wants Pirouette to carve him a life-sized assassin—and then bring it to life. But is she making a monster or a masterpiece? And can she keep her own origins a secret?

By Lisa DeSelm,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Puppetmaster's Apprentice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Impressed by the work of the puppetmaster and his apprentice, Tavia's ruler, The Margrave, has ordered dozens of life-size marionette soldiers to be sent to Wolfspire Hall. When the orders for more soldiers come in with increasingly urgent deadlines, the puppetmaster's health suffers and Pirouette, his daughter and protege, is left to build in his stead. But there is something far more twisted brewing at Wolfspire - the Margrave's son wants Pirouette to create an assassin. And he wants her to give it life.

With Tavia teetering on the brink of war and her father dying in the dungeons, Pirouette…


Book cover of The Forests of Silence

Dean Ravenola Author Of Aether Warriors: The Hidden War Series Book 1

From my list on YA fantasy to stoke the fires of your imagination.

Why am I passionate about this?

A profound love for fantasy took hold of me at a young age, the inception being when my mother scattered a rotating collection of books around our house for me to find and devour. Several of the novels leaned against the walls of my childhood home ended up on this list, and inspired me to craft my own stories. My writing has appeared across many different mediums such as comics, trading cards, and video games. Currently working as a Lead Narrative Designer, I have the pleasure of directing narratives for several exciting video games while also continuing to pen fantasy novels and original TV pilot scripts in my spare time.

Dean's book list on YA fantasy to stoke the fires of your imagination

Dean Ravenola Why did Dean love this book?

An astoundingly creative world fashioned by Australian author Emily Rodda, the unique and thrilling creatures roaming the land of Deltora quickly captured my imagination as a young reader. From the fearsome vulture-like Ak-Baba carrying out the Shadow Lord’s will to the tyrannical lizard-esque Wennbar demanding food offerings from the Wenn, Rodda has a talent for conceiving creatures that both excite and terrify readers. These creatures are further brought to life by the vivid illustrations from the talented Marc McBride, and an anime series that I only just learned the existence of while writing this article, but am now thrilled to check out! 

By Emily Rodda,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Forests of Silence 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?

The international bestselling series returns for a new generation with a fresh look and bonus content from the legends of Deltora.The evil Shadow Lord is plotting to invade the land of Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands against him is the magic Belt of Deltora with its seven stones of great and mysterious power.In secrecy, with only a hand-drawn map to guide them, two unlikely companions set out on a dangerous quest. Determined to find the lost stones and rid their land of the Shadow Lord, they struggle toward their first goal--the sinister Forests of Silence.


Book cover of The Hazel Wood

Alison Kimble Author Of Strange Gods

From my list on fantasy that showcase the power of stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved stories. After years of observing the importance of stories, and their role in creating our reality, the determination to write my own clicked into place. Storytelling is very much at the heart of my first novel, Strange Gods. Strange Gods features a multiverse of powerful gods, but humans still stand out for their ability to tell self-defining stories. From the inciting incident where Carcass kidnaps Spooky to be his storyteller, to the decisions she makes along her journey, the stories Spooky tells others and herself determine her outcomes. I hope the books on this list inspire you to reflect on the power of any stories you tell, as they've inspired me. 

Alison's book list on fantasy that showcase the power of stories

Alison Kimble Why did Alison love this book?

I read The Hazel Wood while writing my own book, and the vibe immediately struck me as similar. It takes the protagonist, Alice, on a journey between our world and a world of dark, original fairytales, where stories are the very fabric of the universe. The more entangled the story becomes in the fairytale world, the more the book itself reads like one...it feels like a dream, with events unfolding unpredictably as we learn the rules of the new world and what the characters from it want. 

By Melissa Albert,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Hazel Wood 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?

_____

One of The Observer's Best Children's Books of 2018!

Fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and The Children of Blood and Bone have been getting lost in The Hazel Wood...

"The Hazel Wood kept me up all night. I had every light burning and the covers pulled tight around me as I fell completely into the dark and beautiful world within its pages. Terrifying, magical, and surprisingly funny, it's one of the very best books I've read in years". -Jennifer Niven, author of All The Bright Places

-----

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of…


Book cover of The Iron King

Sarah Ashwood Author Of Land Beyond the Sunset

From my list on portal fantasy adventures.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by fairytales since I was a little girl, watching Disney movies with my grandparents. As I grew older, I read fairy tales almost insatiably and was also drawn to mythology and folklore of every variety. When I discovered the fantasy genre, in my early teens, it was like coming home…a genre that combined all of the elements I’d grown up devouring: fairytales, mythology, and folklore. My love of fantasy developed my love of portal fantasy—the idea that other realms, other worlds, other dimensions exist, and we can travel between or to them. I wrote my first portal fantasy novel at eighteen and have continued writing fantasy and portal fantasy novels ever since. 

Sarah's book list on portal fantasy adventures

Sarah Ashwood Why did Sarah love this book?

This is my favorite portal fantasy series. It truly defined portal fantasy for me, on top of all of the other books/series that I’ve already mentioned. 

Meghan is your average teen…until she discovers a portal to a parallel world, the world of the Fey. This series has Meghan, and creatures from the fey realm, traveling back and forth as Meghan seeks to discover her true identity and her role in both worlds. 

I loved how this series was fantasy but intertwined traditional fairytale creatures, storylines, and elements with Kagawa’s own twist on the Fey, along with Shakespearean creatures and even Shakespearean humor. 

The Iron Fey is always my foremost recommendation for anyone who enjoys a great portal fantasy series, with one foot grounded on Earth, in reality, and the other in the fantastical.

By Julie Kagawa,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Iron King 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?

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny-one she could never have imagined

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth-that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn…


Book cover of Crown Duel

Lyra Selene Author Of Amber & Dusk

From my list on YA fantasy with magic and intrigue.

Why am I passionate about this?

Not only am I an author of fantastical, romantic, and magical novels, but I am also an incredibly passionate reader. Ever since I got my first library card I have devoured everything I could get my hands on, but I have always been drawn to novels featuring far-off lands and scheming royals, where magic was a commodity and romance appeared in the most unexpected of places. Not only have these books inspired my own writing, but they have allowed me to travel to a thousand different lands and experience a thousand different lifetimes. Reading is the true magic, and I’m thrilled to share my favorite novels featuring intrigue, romance, fantasy, and glamour. 

Lyra's book list on YA fantasy with magic and intrigue

Lyra Selene Why did Lyra love this book?

I have to recommend this book first because it is one that has stayed with me through the years and inspired my own writing. It features one of my favorite reluctant heroines, Meliara Astiar, as she battles against a tyrant king in the land of Remalna. As the countess of a backwater province, Mel has little understanding of the complicated politics of the capital. When she declares a rebellion against the tyrant king, she soon finds herself embroiled in a fast-moving game of intrigue, magic, violence, betrayal, and romance. Ultimately, Mel will have to decide whether she’s willing to live beneath an evil king—or die trying to dethrone him.

By Sherwood Smith,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crown Duel 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?

Sherwood Smith's most popular young adult fantasy begins with Meliara and her brother vowing to free Remalna from an evil king. War is tougher than it seemed. When Meliara is caught by the enemy commander, the elegant Marquis of Shevraeth, it's escape or die.

Afterward, Meliara faces a tougher challenge: the battlefield is no longer mud and steel, but palaces, the weapons manners and fans. Toughest of all is courtship, when the one who catches her heart is her personal enemy—the new king.

This beloved romantic fantasy has been in continuous print for over twenty years. The definitive edition is…


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