100 books like Babylon Rising

By Tim LaHaye, Greg Dinallo,

Here are 100 books that Babylon Rising fans have personally recommended if you like Babylon Rising. 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 Princess of Mars

Dave Buschi Author Of Reality Recoded

From my list on science fiction books with an everyman hero.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a house of books. Bookcases in almost every room. At an early age, I discovered some great ones that were usually recommended by my dad. The Odyssey. Tarzan of the Apes. Princess of Mars. It is a long, long list, and I won’t give you all my faves—but one thing about it: I was drawn to books with heroes, particularly when those heroes were clearly good. There are no shades of gray for me. I like my heroes to have honor and humility and to always strive to do the right thing.

Dave's book list on science fiction books with an everyman hero

Dave Buschi Why did Dave love this book?

This is an oldie but a goody. I read this as a kid and have read it since then many times as an adult, and it’s still great. The writing is dated, but the story absolutely rocks.

Our hero, John Carter, is a Civil War veteran. When he enters a mysterious cave, he is transported to Mars. A version of Mars where Mars is inhabited by all sorts of incredible beings.

Everything about this story is larger than life. The description of Mars. The warring tribes. The fight scenes. Our hero as he tackles the villains. How he saves a world in peril. In the end, our hero gets the girl (who is a beautiful princess). The dynamic between both of them over the course of the story is well worth the read alone.

By Edgar Rice Burroughs,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked A Princess of Mars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Rediscover the adventure-pulp classic that gave the world its first great interplanetary romance-now featuring an introduction by Junot Diaz

In the spring of 1866, John Carter, a former Confederate captain prospecting for gold in the Arizona hills, slips into a cave and is overcome by mysterious vapors. He awakes to find himself naked, alone, and forty-eight million miles from Earth-a castaway on the dying planet Mars. Taken prisoner by the Tharks, a fierce nomadic tribe of six-limbed, olive-green giants, he wins respect as a cunning and able warrior, who by grace of Mars's weak gravity possesses the agility of a…


Book cover of Balanced on the Blade's Edge

Allen Ballantine Author Of Knight of the Wood

From my list on fantasy characters that will keep you coming back.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read, and a good story is one thing. But once you’ve read the story, you know how it ends. It’s the characters in the story that determine if you want to go back and read them again. These are stories that I enjoy reading over again, (some several times) although I know how the story ends. The characters in these stories have inspired me to write my own.

Allen's book list on fantasy characters that will keep you coming back

Allen Ballantine Why did Allen love this book?

Lindsay Buroker is probably my favorite fantasy author, her books are full of fun, quirky characters who even have me reading genres I don’t normally read. In this book, Colonel Ridgewalker Zirkander, a cocky war hero pilot in a world where magic is hated and feared, meets Sardelle Terushan, a sorceress from an earlier era who was preserved in a stasis chamber. Along with her snarky sentient sword Jaxi, Sardell must help Ridge fend off an attack while hiding her magical ability. An ability that would have everyone wanting to kill her. This is the first book of a series featuring adventures of Ridge, Sardell, Jaxi, and Ridge’s squadron of young goofy pilots.

By Lindsay Buroker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Balanced on the Blade's Edge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Colonel Ridge Zirkander isn’t the model of military professionalism—he has a tendency to say exactly what’s on his mind, and his record has enough demerits to wallpaper the hull of an airship—but as the best fighter pilot in the Iskandian army, he’s used to a little leniency from his superiors. Until he punches the wrong diplomat in the nose and finds himself issued new orders: take command of a remote prison mine in the inhospitable Ice Blades Mountains. Ridge has never been in charge of anything larger than a flier squadron—what’s he supposed to do with a frozen fortress full…


Book cover of Fierce Heart

Allen Ballantine Author Of Knight of the Wood

From my list on fantasy characters that will keep you coming back.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read, and a good story is one thing. But once you’ve read the story, you know how it ends. It’s the characters in the story that determine if you want to go back and read them again. These are stories that I enjoy reading over again, (some several times) although I know how the story ends. The characters in these stories have inspired me to write my own.

Allen's book list on fantasy characters that will keep you coming back

Allen Ballantine Why did Allen love this book?

Another thing I like in stories is seeing the characters having a normal family life, other than having one terrifying adventure after another. In this book, princess Essie, and her older brother Averette, who has recently ascended to the throne are trying to establish peace with their elven neighbors. As an opening ploy in negotiations, Essie offers herself for a marriage alliance, one she and her brother are positive the elves will reject. They are surprised when the elven prince Laesornysh, whose name means Death on the Wind accepts their proposal. Now Essie has to get used to living with elves, while the reclusive prince has to get used to an outgoing wife. Both are helped by the support of their families.

By Tara Grayce,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fierce Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Essie would do anything for her kingdom…even marry an elf prince she just met that morning.

The human kingdom of Escarland and the elven kingdom of Tarenhiel have existed in an uneasy peace after their last wars ended with both kings dead. As tensions rise once again, desperate diplomacy might be the only way to avert war. If only negotiations between elves and humans were that simple.

When a diplomatic meeting goes horribly wrong, Essie, a human princess, finds herself married to the elf prince and warrior Laesornysh. Fitting in to the serene, quiet elf culture might be a little…


Book cover of A Thief In Farshore

Allen Ballantine Author Of Knight of the Wood

From my list on fantasy characters that will keep you coming back.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read, and a good story is one thing. But once you’ve read the story, you know how it ends. It’s the characters in the story that determine if you want to go back and read them again. These are stories that I enjoy reading over again, (some several times) although I know how the story ends. The characters in these stories have inspired me to write my own.

Allen's book list on fantasy characters that will keep you coming back

Allen Ballantine Why did Allen love this book?

A feisty thief, sentenced to fight in the arena at Farshore, a colony in the new world, meets races she thought were only mythical. She ends up teaming with a group of outcasts, an arrogant elf, an enigmatic orc shaman, a brawling dwarf, a reclusive and dangerous halfling and a surly guard to not only survive the arena, but save the new continent in this first book of the Farshore Chronicles series.

By Justin Fike,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Thief In Farshore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New World.
A Fight To The Death.
Her Adventure Has Only Just Begun...

"Charity is my kind of badass! She's mouthy and stubborn and gets herself into and out of a whole lotta trouble." - Amazon ★★★★★

I'm Charity, and before I saved the world I was just a common thief.

Also a drunk, rabble-rouser, harlot, and blasphemer according to the magistrate who sentenced me to ten years of forced labor in Farshore, the emperor's new colony across the great sea. You'd think that stepping off of a prison ship on the ass-end of the world was bad enough,…


Book cover of Ancient Egypt: The Great Discoveries

Joann Fletcher Author Of The Story of Egypt

From my list on ancient Egypt based on fact not fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

Having studied ancient Egypt her entire life, Professor Joann Fletcher is based in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York. As a founding member of the university’s Mummy Research Group, she is also Lead Ambassador for the Egypt Exploration Society and an advisor to museums around the UK. Her numerous publications include The Search for Nefertiti, Cleopatra the Great, and The Story of Egypt, academic papers, and regular contributions to the BBC's History magazine. She also makes frequent appearances on radio and television. Although it’s incredibly difficult to pick just 5 books that best encapsulate ‘Ancient Egypt’ in its broadest sense, it’s important to start with those which are as informative and accurate as possible when many can be quite the opposite! 

Joann's book list on ancient Egypt based on fact not fiction

Joann Fletcher Why did Joann love this book?

This book covers the great Egyptological discoveries made up to the end of the C.20th. Perfectly combining Nick Reeves’ authoritative text with lavish illustrations, it manages to create a real sense of adventure while showing how Egyptology developed as a subject, explaining why we know what we know about ancient Egypt – and what we don’t!

By Nicholas Reeves, C.N. Reeves,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ancient Egypt as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the story of Ancient Egypt as it was revealed to the world - a succession of discoveries and treasures. The book provides a trip through the golden ages of archeaology in Egypt, from the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 to the Golden Mummies in 1999. The discoveries are presented through archival images and extracts from notebooks, diaries and published accounts of excavators. Some finds are world famous, such as Nefertari's tomb and King Khufu's royal boats, others are less well known and they include the Ferlini treasure with its cache of gold and the jewels of…


Book cover of The Gray Ghost

Mary Maurice Author Of Burtrum Lee

From my list on exciting your imagination.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed the intrigue of the mystery and the constant back and forth of the twists and turns offer in a well-written novel. The tremor of my nerves at the base of my neck as I try to figure out the culprit and their intentions, has always enticed my imagination. To, me, those sensations are mind stimulating, and are only born through reading.

Mary's book list on exciting your imagination

Mary Maurice Why did Mary love this book?

Remi and Sam Fargo world-renowned crime detectives are asked to search for the truth about The Gray Ghost, a specialized prototype designed by Rolls Royce. The vehicle, stolen from Manchester, England in 1906, and then found by Detective Isaac Bell, has gone missing again one hundred years later. Sam and Remi are in for a treat with this case as they unfold the mysteries from decades ago to find the obscure Gray Ghost.  

By Clive Cussler, Robin Burcell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Gray Ghost as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The search for a legendary automobile almost puts an end to both the careers and the lives of husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo, in the thrilling new adventure from the #1 New York Times-bestselling master of adventure

In 1906, a groundbreaking Rolls-Royce prototype known as the Grey Ghost vanishes from the streets of Manchester, England, and it is only the lucky intervention of an American detective named Isaac Bell that prevents it from being lost forever. Not even he can save the good name of Jonathon Payton, however, the man wrongly blamed for the theft, and more than a…


Book cover of Schliemann of Troy: Treasure and Deceit

Felice Vinci Author Of The Baltic Origins of Homer's Epic Tales

From my list on ancient myths and European prehistory.

Why am I passionate about this?

 I've been fond of the Homeric poems since my youth. I followed classical studies in the high here in Rome, so I studied Latin and Greek before graduating in nuclear engineering. Then, in addition to my professional activity, I've devoted myself to the study of The Iliad and the Odyssey, with their huge contradictions between geography and their traditional Mediterranean setting. The book I published on this topic was translated and published into eight foreign languages (as The Baltic Origins of Homer's Epic Tales), and has given rise to many scientific discussions. I also published The Mysteries of the Megalithic Civilization, a Bestseller here in Italy.

Felice's book list on ancient myths and European prehistory

Felice Vinci Why did Felice love this book?

This book explores many important, controversial aspects of Heinrich Schliemann's Trojan searches in the second half of the 19th century. The reading is very interesting both to deepen the details of that archaeological discovery, considered one of the most important of the nineteenth century, and to better understand the controversial figure of Schliemann, who in addition to his great merits also presents some not small shadows.

By David A. Traill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Schliemann of Troy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Using correspondence and diary entries, the author recounts the personal and professional life of the archaeologist and exposes an unscrupulous individual who distorted facts and made false claims about some of his discoveries.


Book cover of Tomb of Gods

Kev Harrison Author Of Below

From my list on subterranean horrors to make you avoid your basement.

Why am I passionate about this?

At university, I studied Classical Studies, which leans heavily into archaeology. As I went on more site visits, I became much more aware of the worlds and lives which exist below our feet. Later, when working as a teacher in Poland, I had the chance to visit one of Europe’s deepest active coal mines. The experience surprised me in so many ways, not least the oppressive heat and the darkness—something you feel you can almost touch. From that moment onward—especially as a horror writer—I’ve found myself wondering about the nightmares lurking below our world, as well as above, and beyond.

Kev's book list on subterranean horrors to make you avoid your basement

Kev Harrison Why did Kev love this book?

As someone who has explored the tombs of Egypt in real life, this story dug its claws right into me.

As well as all the claustrophobia, the darkness, and the sense there’s no way out, Moreland confronts you with ancient gods and monsters so terrifying you’ll be testing the walls for a secret passage out of there every step of the way.

By Brian Moreland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tomb of Gods as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"The suspense of the story, aided by sly hints from the author, and the atmosphere of a dark, claustrophobic tomb work together to create a scary story. The characters' fear invites the reader into the world to experience the fright themselves." - Booklist Starred Review

Deep inside the tomb exists a hidden world of wonder and terror.

In 1935, British archaeologists vanished inside an Egyptian cave. A year later, one man returned covered in mysterious scars.

Egyptologist Imogen Riley desperately wants to know what happened to the ill-fated expedition led by her grandfather. On a quest for answers, she joins…


Book cover of The Compensations of Plunder: How China Lost Its Treasures

Peter Zarrow Author Of After Empire: The Conceptual Transformation of the Chinese State, 1885-1924

From my list on how imperial China became modern China.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like many Americans of my generation (boomer) who became China scholars, I witnessed the civil rights and anti-war struggles and concluded that we in the West could learn from the insights of Eastern thought and even Chinese Communism. I ended up specializing in modern political thought—I think of this field as the land of “isms”—nationalism, socialism, liberalism, and the like. I have lived in China and Japan, and spent twelve years as a historical researcher in Taiwan before returning to America to teach at the University of Connecticut. Today, I would not say China has the answers, but I still believe that the two most important world powers have a lot to learn from each other.

Peter's book list on how imperial China became modern China

Peter Zarrow Why did Peter love this book?

A good deal is known about the Westerners who dug up ancient artifacts in Central Asia (China’s Far West) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, not least because these explorers were great self-promoters. This book tells the story from the Chinese side, and it is a lot more interesting and complicated than you might expect. It is only with the birth of Chinese nationalism that the tens of thousands of artifacts now found in the museums and collections of the West came to be defined as Chinese and their loss defined as imperialist looting. By academic standards, this book is a page-turner.

By Justin M. Jacobs,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Compensations of Plunder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the 1790s until World War I, Western museums filled their shelves with art and antiquities from around the world. These objects are now widely seen as "stolen" or "plundered" from their countries of origin, and demands for their return grow louder by the day. In this pathbreaking study, Justin M. Jacobs challenges the longstanding assumption that coercion, corruption, and deceit were chiefly responsible for the exodus of cultural treasures from northwestern China. Based upon a close analysis of previously neglected archival sources in English, French, and Chinese, Jacobs finds that many local elites in China acquiesced to the removal…


Book cover of The Anomaly

Nicholas Holloway Author Of Three Houses on a Hill

From my list on mystery thrillers set in mountainous landscapes.

Why am I passionate about this?

This topic is very close to my heart, as a lot of my readers know me as “the landscape guy.” My two award-winning mystery thrillers (and the serial killer thriller I'm currently writing) feature chillingly explosive landscapes (the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Gates of the Arctic, and the Rocky Mountains). Readers and reviewers have mentioned time and again how I utilize landscape as a character in its own right, and I have very much been influenced by other authors who do the same. There is so much opportunity in these remote and high-altitude landscapes to propel the dread and isolation for these types of stories.

Nicholas' book list on mystery thrillers set in mountainous landscapes

Nicholas Holloway Why did Nicholas love this book?

This one’s a little bit of a cheat because the Grand Canyon isn’t technically a mountainous landscape—unless you’re looking at it from the bottom. But as far as landscapes go, you can’t do much better. The Anomaly follows an I’ll-do-it-myself archaeologist who discovers an ancient cave that seems to have a mind of its own. More than anything, this book is just downright freakin’ fun. It’s evident that Rutger knows this landscape better than most, and he utilizes both history and conspiracy theories to his advantage. This one’s a true mystery where the setting is a character in itself.

By Michael Rutger,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

An utterly gripping thriller perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Michael Crichton and Stephen King. The Anomaly will leave you breathless until the final page has been turned . . .

THEY SOUGHT THE TRUTH. THEY FOUND A NIGHTMARE

A team of explorers seek ancient treasures, hidden in a secret cave.

At first it seems they will return empty handed. Then their luck turns.

But the team's elation is short-lived as they become trapped there in the dark, with little possibility of escape.

Then events take an even more terrifying turn.

For not all secrets are meant to be found…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Babylon, archaeology, and the Bible?

Babylon 13 books
Archaeology 129 books
The Bible 366 books