100 books like Life Reset

Unsouled is probably the book on my this list that most directly inspired how I approached the magic system within my own story.

It follows Lindon, a boy with only limited access to magic, who sets off on a journey to power up enough to save his homeland. I loved how each of the characters developed their own set of unique skills specific to them, which they then had to figure out how to level up over time as well as apply in various situations, many of which aren’t always obvious.

Given his initially weak access to magic, Lindon is also forced to get creative in order to defeat foes much more powerful than he is. I always appreciate any book that focuses on the clever applications of its magic.

Queen in the Mud is a fun take on an Isekai story that features its protagonist, Naomi, reborn in a game-like world as a salamander.

I appreciated how unique Naomi’s magical abilities felt since they focused around her creature type. She often had to struggle to figure out how to apply her strange powers to best aid her against different threats.

I also liked how her choice of new abilities when she leveled up actually felt like a significant choice, rather than having an obvious option that most people in her situation (as well as readers) would pick. That aspect of choice was something I tried to capture in my own book’s magic system.

Awaken Online: Catharsis was actually the very first LitRPG/GameLit book I ever read, and from the opening chapters, I was hooked.

It follows the story of Jason, a player in the VRMMO Awaken Online who becomes a powerful necromancer and is positioned as the game’s villain. I think what drew me in the most was how Jason explored his various abilities, always seeking new ways he might be able to modify or use them to his advantage.

He’s also not afraid to push back against what seems to be the established order within the system, utilizing his powers in a variety of awesome and surprising ways. I definitely drew inspiration from how the magic is described here for my own story, even though my story features less overt game elements.

Gamified puts its own unique twist on Isekai stories—unlike some of the other stories on this list, rather than the main character getting drawn into the game world, the game world is drawn to the main character.

When his life starts to become more like a video game, Felix has to team up with his friends to figure out what is going on and try to stop it. This setup provides for a number of fun interactions, such as random household items transforming into game powerups and gear.

However, I also appreciated some of the clever ways the characters find to use their powers (and in particular, how they thwart their final boss).

A formative book from my childhood, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen kick-started my love of all things magic, heroic, and fantastical. Not only that, but the setting was close to where I grew up – these were locations I knew but viewed through a mythic lens. Loosely based on the legend of the Wizard of Alderley Edge, Alan Garner creates a fantasy world that feels so real as two children are pulled into an adventure where the very future of the world of men is on the line. It remains so influential on my own writing that I still return to the old dwarf caves of Fundinvale as an adult and enjoy the tale every bit as much as I did when I was a ten-year-old reading by torchlight under the duvet.

For Fantasy readers who wonder why goblins are always at war with humans.

The three books together are epic in scale and the friendship between the leader of the humans and one of the old wise ones among the goblins will be awesome for Dark Fantasy readers who recognize that goblin culture is very different from humans.

Some recognizable mythology is worked into the story and makes perfect sense, especially the purpose of changelings. Also there are dragons, especially in the second book. A strange symbiotic relationship between dragons and goblins is very original and the diversity of different types of goblins makes this Fantasy world one of a kind!

I loved this book because it is both captivating and well written with different worlds and forbidden romance. This story is based not only on enemies who become lovers but also has sizzling tension and an epic dark mystery element, all beautifully written and combined. 

This book immediately pulled me into the author's world. The tension inside was just as unique as the storyline itself. There is nothing quite like reading a book that has you on the edge of your seat but melting your heart at the same time; definitely, a surprising and unique twist combining many elements.

The world-building in this series is simply spectacular. You can tell by reading just how much effort Mr. Mancour put into understanding how a medieval world works and how magic might have fit into it. Castles, cavalry, swordsmen, wizards, goblins, building a town, sieges, all of this and more is here. There is nothing else quite like it. It’s Game of Thrones for people tired of all the misery and your favorite characters snuffing it every fifteen pages.

I first discovered George MacDonald’s work in a church library, where his books took up several shelves! The Princess and the Goblin is a great introduction to his fantasy novels. This charming story builds on familiar fairy-tale tropes and offers us ingredients that fantasy readers love: homey characters, growing peril, mysterious magic, and events that require uncommon courage and sacrifice. Follow it up with The Princess and Curdie for more delight.

In doing so you will join a great company of beloved Christian authors who appreciated George MacDonald’s genius: C S Lewis felt that Phantastes “baptized [his] imagination.” My favorite author L.M.Montgomery often reread At the Back of the North Wind. G.K. Chesterton felt "[The Princess and the Goblin] . . . has made a difference to my whole existence . . . ” And even J.R.R. Tolkien thought well of The Golden Key. And I… show more.

Lingeria is a sarcastic, humor-infused take on the portal fantasy, which forces the author of a beloved fantasy series into the world that he's written - and come to despise.

It's a solidly entertaining book that appropriately skewers a lot of the tropes of fantasy fiction and the associated fandom.

I enjoyed the world of Lingeria and it's definitely a fun read for people seeking to scratch that Discworld itch.