93 books like Messengers of Ilbeor

By T J Klapprodt,

Here are 93 books that Messengers of Ilbeor fans have personally recommended if you like Messengers of Ilbeor. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Eyes of God

Brandon Rospond Author Of The Dragon Clan: Rebirth of Courage

From my list on characters with a life of their own.

Why am I passionate about this?

One of the questions that I’m constantly asked by other authors is how do you make characters memorable in a genre that has done it all? My criteria are twofold–the characters need to be flawed and relatable; no one can truly relate to Superman. Secondly, I believe there is strength in a group. When I write with a diverse group of characters with their own personalities, the characters tell the story for me. I find that if I can emphasize and start having fun like I’m part of the group, I become enthralled with the novel. I am passionate about characters and letting them breathe and feel real.

Brandon's book list on characters with a life of their own

Brandon Rospond Why did Brandon love this book?

This is the first book in a series that I don’t think is talked about enough. There are several characters from different points of view, but the ones that stand out most are Lukien and Baron Glass. I love a redeemed villain in any media, and Baron Glass fits that mold.

Originally depicted as the villain in a warring kingdoms opening story, I loved the way that the “villain” becomes portrayed as a kindly mentor that despite age and injury can still fight. Lukien and Glass serve as perfect foils for each other, and the author uses plenty of symbolism to support that. Put together with the whole cast; you have a perfect rag-tag cast of main and supporting characters that breathe on their own with flaws and relatable goals.

By John Marco,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Eyes of God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A young king breaks with the past and makes peace with the kingdom his father has fought for years. To seal the bargain he is offered the hand of the kingdom's princess. And so begins a fast moving epic of madness, obsession, prejudice and sheer magic. John Marco has woven an intricate tale of personalities driven by love, hatred and ambition. Each character must, in the end, pay the price for their actions and THE EYES OF GOD is, at its core, an almost classical tragedy. Rich in its evocation of magical lands, detailed in its dissection of motive, compelling…


Book cover of The Cry of the Icemark

J.R. DiDomenico Author Of The Sixth Raven

From my list on high fantasy set in magical worlds with a twist of romance and adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Have you ever felt this deep, internal calling, one you can’t escape from, that even as time goes by, it remains there, whispering in your inner mind, telling you, driving you, to create things that aren’t real? To make them into words that then form adventures? For as long as I can remember I have felt this, and feel it is what I was meant to do. I love, and try to incorporate in my own stories, elements that involve magic, uncommon or new creatures, extensive worlds, flawed characters, a pinch of love, and everything else (including, possibly, a kitchen sink) that can be found in a made-up universe. 

J.R.'s book list on high fantasy set in magical worlds with a twist of romance and adventure

J.R. DiDomenico Why did J.R. love this book?

I read this book when I was younger, as the main character is fourteen, but I have recently reread it with a different view, being older. And it still had me excited to keep reading to the end, not having lost the mystique of magical components and a cute love story that it did all those years ago.

With a conquering empire invading their borders, Princess Thirrin must seek help from those she has only heard terrible tales about and gains an unlikely relationship with a witch’s son in the process. This is one of my favorite books that has me picking it up a couple times to revisit the journey Thirrin must venture, and it never lets me down. 

By Stuart Hill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cry of the Icemark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

A magnificent tale of adventure, emotion and a girl
who defies an empire set in the backdrop of sublime landscape!

'A dazzling, confident debut about power and personal discovery'
THE TIMES

'A wonderful, swashbuckling read and an exceptional debut.'
BOOKS FOR KEEPS

When her father dies nobly in battle, fourteen-year-old Thirrin
becomes Queen of the Icemark, a tiny kingdom forever caught between
dangerous neighbours.

Thirrin must raise an army to protect her people from seemingly
invincible Imperial invaders. Her search for allies takes her beyond
her northern borders, to former enemies in The-Land-of-the-Ghosts
and onwards to the frozen Hub-of-the-World.

But…


Book cover of Effigy

J.R. DiDomenico Author Of The Sixth Raven

From my list on high fantasy set in magical worlds with a twist of romance and adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Have you ever felt this deep, internal calling, one you can’t escape from, that even as time goes by, it remains there, whispering in your inner mind, telling you, driving you, to create things that aren’t real? To make them into words that then form adventures? For as long as I can remember I have felt this, and feel it is what I was meant to do. I love, and try to incorporate in my own stories, elements that involve magic, uncommon or new creatures, extensive worlds, flawed characters, a pinch of love, and everything else (including, possibly, a kitchen sink) that can be found in a made-up universe. 

J.R.'s book list on high fantasy set in magical worlds with a twist of romance and adventure

J.R. DiDomenico Why did J.R. love this book?

Nothing beats a good ol’ hero saving the princess story at the end of the day. It might be cliche and old, but I still love it when two characters fall in love, destined to be together, and the male character rises to hero status, having to do everything he can to rescue the princess.

That was just one of the things that I really loved about this book, another being the evil and sadistic prince the princess, Haleine, must marry and later try and escape from. There’s always that secret pleasure of the dark, evil antagonist that, when written right, just makes the story perfect. And that’s what I found in Effigy.

By M J Fifield,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The survival of a once-mighty kingdom rests in the hands of its young queen, Haleine Coileáin, as it slowly succumbs to an ancient evil fueled by her husband’s cruelty. A sadistic man with a talent for torture and a taste for murder, he is determined to burn the land and all souls within. Haleine is determined to save her kingdom and, after a chance encounter, joins forces with the leader of the people’s rebellion. She gives him her support, soon followed by her heart. Loving him is inadvertent but becomes as natural and necessary as breathing. She lies and steals…


Book cover of The Singer's Crown

J.R. DiDomenico Author Of The Sixth Raven

From my list on high fantasy set in magical worlds with a twist of romance and adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Have you ever felt this deep, internal calling, one you can’t escape from, that even as time goes by, it remains there, whispering in your inner mind, telling you, driving you, to create things that aren’t real? To make them into words that then form adventures? For as long as I can remember I have felt this, and feel it is what I was meant to do. I love, and try to incorporate in my own stories, elements that involve magic, uncommon or new creatures, extensive worlds, flawed characters, a pinch of love, and everything else (including, possibly, a kitchen sink) that can be found in a made-up universe. 

J.R.'s book list on high fantasy set in magical worlds with a twist of romance and adventure

J.R. DiDomenico Why did J.R. love this book?

I enjoyed this book so much, I have read it three times. I first came across The Singer’s Crown when I was much younger than I am now, but I have since then read it multiple times because the love of the main character, Prince Kattanan, was so innocent, and I just couldn’t help but fall in love with him as he held secret feelings for Princess Melisande.

The story blends betrayal, a cast-out prince, magic, and secret feelings like a perfect blend of creamy chocolate and magical peanut butter. It is one of my favorites, and it keeps pulling me back to reread the story over and over; I highly recommend it. 

By Elaine Isaak,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Prince Kattanan duRhys was in direct line to the throne—until his royal family was cruelly slaughtered by a usurping uncle who spared the life of his "favorite nephew" but left the boy mutilated and incapable of claiming his birthright.Nearly a decade on, Kattanan is a harmless wanderer—a coveted prize—serving many different masters. But now the singer's simple life is threatened by chaos and dark wizardry, by his impossible secret love for the betrothed Princess Melisande . . . and by an obligation of the blood that forces Kattanan to pursue vengeance and a crown he's not certain he wants.


Book cover of Dawnthief

Tom Lloyd Author Of Stranger of Tempest

From my list on the best mercenary bands money can hire.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been writing fantasy for two decades now and still, I can’t resist a foul-mouthed rogue with a grubby soul. They’re usually the most entertaining characters to write and in the long days of plugging away at a book, they’re often the ones that remind you what’s so fun about the job. When I started Stranger of Tempest it was (pretty much solely) with that in mind – I wanted a disparate band of crazed, badass idiots to go on an adventure with and see where it took me. Of course, as I got to know them I found there was more to their tales than that, but it was fun right to the end!

Tom's book list on the best mercenary bands money can hire

Tom Lloyd Why did Tom love this book?

The Raven is your classic band of mercs, a found-family of warriors caught up in world-ending levels of chaos. This is much more 90s style fantasy and unashamedly so – serious, sword-swinging, spell-casting stuff. As a result, you have to buy into that a bit given how the genre has changed, but at the same time, the series is all about the consequences of actions rather than any pretence about happily ever after so there’s real meat to it.

By James Barclay,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Chronicles of the Raven: One

ELITE, UNSTOPPABLE ... AND HIRED TO DO THE UNTHINKABLE

The Raven are an elite. Formed of six men and an elf, they're swords for hire in the wars that have torn their land apart. For years their only loyalty has been to themselves, and to their code.

But that time is coming to an end. The Wytch Lords have escaped and The Raven find themselves fighting for the Dark College of magic, on a mission which soon becomes a race for the secret location of Dawnthief. It's a spell - one created to end the…


Book cover of The Phoenix Unchained

M.C.A. Hogarth Author Of Mindtouch

From my list on scifi-fantasy about best friends.

Why am I passionate about this?

While I love a good romance, I was disappointed to discover how few novels are written about friendship. In so many books, friends take a backseat to the love interest, or to the plot; it’s hard, outside of fiction aimed at children, to find stories that treat friendship as pivotal to a character’s life as friendship usually is in normal life. I love stories that show us what that kind of friendship looks like, and how it can matter… which is why I write them.

M.C.A.'s book list on scifi-fantasy about best friends

M.C.A. Hogarth Why did M.C.A. love this book?

Harrier, son of a harbormaster, and Tiercel, nobleman’s son, make for exactly the kind of friendship you often see in real life, where one of the pair’s a dreamer and the other a pragmatist, and they need one another for balance. Their friendship remains central to all three books of this series, keeping them sane as they take on an impossible world-saving task.

By Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory teamed up to write The Obsidian Trilogy, set in a wondrous world filled with magical beings, competing magic systems, and a titanic struggle between good and evil.

That world proved so popular with the creators and readers alike that Lackey and Mallory have returned to it with The Phoenix Unchained, Book One of The Enduring Flame, the opening volume of a new epic fantasy trilogy.
After a thousand years of peace, much Magick has faded from the world. The Elves live far from humankind. There are no…


Book cover of Elfland

Rhonda Denise Johnson Author Of Queen of the Quantum Realm

From my list on sci-fantasy on non-human worlds that act human.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was talking to some scientifically minded people online when I came across quantum physics. When I read that there’s something scientists call the Quantum Realm, I knew I had to write a book. I took the information a German scientist who specialized in quantum theory gave me and created a science fantasy world. I have a masters in English and a bachelor's in communication. Two of the most important questions a fiction author can ask are What if? and Why not? Instead of having a regular guy fall into a magic world, I had the magician’s apprentice fall into a world of science just to see what he’d do. 

Rhonda's book list on sci-fantasy on non-human worlds that act human

Rhonda Denise Johnson Why did Rhonda love this book?

The elves in this small English town have to blend in with their human neighbors. And a good job of it they do, too. I like the tenacity of Rosie Foxx. Her brother insists that she marry a human, and going along to get along seems the best course of action. But her elven heritage will not be denied. In a way, she is like the positrons in queen of the Quantum Realm—outcasts as they are, they think it better to be transformed into something they are not. this is very human.   

By Freda Warrington,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Winner of the 2009 Romantic Times Award for BEST FANTASY NOVEL

“Even the most jaded fantasy reader will quickly fall under the spell of her characters and the warm, intimate voice Warrington uses to tell their stories. Highly recommended.” —Charles de Lint, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Rosie Fox is a daughter of Aetherials, an ancient race from the Spiral—the innermost realm of the Otherworld—who live secretly among us. Yet she and her kind are bereft of their origins, because on Earth, in a beautiful village named Cloudcroft, the Great Gates between worlds stand sealed.

Her parents, Auberon…


Book cover of Elizabeth's Legacy

D. A. Mucci Author Of Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw

From my list on to make you love the world you live in.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a 68-year-old Emergency Room Physician who deals with life and death and tremendous stress every hour at work. When I read, I want to relax and be entertained I personally like YA fantasy books. I do not want to read adult fictionized stories about the life I live every day. I want to be taken off to a new world. Emersed in it. And made to believe the unbelievable. 

D. A.'s book list on to make you love the world you live in

D. A. Mucci Why did D. A. love this book?

The Royal Institute of Magic was a story that was character driven. Victor Kloss did such a great job distinguishing each character from the other that I felt I knew them personally. At the end of each book, I found myself ordering up the next installment because I wanted to find out what happened to each character and how they grew into adults and as friends. It was pure entertainment.

By Victor Kloss,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Elizabeth's Legacy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Like most normal people, Ben hadn't the faintest idea there was an Institute of Magic...

Two years after his parents’ sudden disappearance, Ben Greenwood stumbles upon a cryptic letter that could shed some light on their whereabouts. But before he can track them down, he’ll need to find the mysterious organization that sent the letter:

The Royal Institute of Magic.

To succeed, Ben will have to navigate a land filled with fantastic creatures and Spellshooters, where magic can be bought and sold, to unravel an ancient family secret that could hold the key to defeating an evil the Institute has…


Book cover of Artemis Fowl

Sam Middleton Author Of Eluthienn: A Tale Of The Fromryr

From my list on novels that blend science fiction and fantasy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Science fantasy uniquely combines elements of science fiction (advanced technology, futuristic settings) with those of fantasy (magic, mythological creatures, and supernatural elements). This fusion creates rich and versatile storytelling that often comes with a deep sense of mystery beyond what science fiction or fantasy achieves on their own.

This blend also requires greater “buy-in” from the reader to believe in the world we’re being presented. As readers, we often accept dwarves in fantasy with little to no explanation. We do the same with spaceships in science fiction. But dwarves in spaceships require truly creative storytelling to achieve a much higher buy-in threshold. The author who can pull this off has my attention.  

Sam's book list on novels that blend science fiction and fantasy

Sam Middleton Why did Sam love this book?

The only Young Adult book on this list but firmly deserving of its place, this book is the perfect example of how to successfully blend science fiction and fantasy. 

Colfer takes a traditional fantasy fairy society and gives them advanced weaponry, surveillance gadgets, and time-stopping devices. It works incredibly well, and through convincing world-building I was immediately bought into the idea of fantasy creatures with sci-fi technology. 

A standout feature of the novel is the characters, whose backstories, motivations, and behaviours all help to build this science fantasy world. We get an elf “LEPRecon” officer with access to bionic wings, a centaur who heads the technology department of the “Lower Elements Police,” and a dwarven thief who sells stolen human property on the black market. They were all enormously fun to read.

By Eoin Colfer,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Artemis Fowl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Now an original movie on Disney+!

Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has discovered a world below ground of armed and dangerous--and extremely high-tech--fairies. He kidnaps one of them, Holly Short, and holds her for ransom in an effort to restore his family's fortune. But he may have underestimated the fairies' powers. Is he about to trigger a cross-species war?

Disney's “Artemis Fowl” is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Tamara Smart, Nonzo Anozie, with Josh Gad, and Judi Dench.


Book cover of Impossible

Jo Schaffer Layton Author Of Badlands

From my list on characters who go through hell, survive, and also find love.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love books that entertain and uplift when characters learn and overcome. As a teenager, things happened that threw me into a painful tailspin, ending in a wilderness program for troubled kids. It taught me that I can do hard things and face challenges in life. I’ve lost loved ones, have a special needs child, divorced, been broke, earned my black belt, returned to school as a single mom for a degree, and co-founded a nonprofit to support literacy for kids. None of that was easy, but it increased my compassion and hope. Stories can be powerful reminders of human resilience, and that battle scars make someone more beautiful than before.

Jo's book list on characters who go through hell, survive, and also find love

Jo Schaffer Layton Why did Jo love this book?

This paranormal fantasy follows a story about what is possible when family and friends unite against evil. I stayed up late to finish reading–it really grabbed me!

I had to know how Lucy would overcome a very dark and scary generational curse. Don’t we all want to know how to do that on some level? I love the idea of breaking chains and having hope in an unseen future. I think it’s easy to feel doomed to whatever fate has been programmed in us–but there is always hope where there is love. It was a fun read.

By Nancy Werlin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Impossible 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?

For fans of Beautiful Creatures and Wicked Lovely comes this New York Times Bestselling modern fairy tale from National Book Award Finalist Nancy Werlin.

Inspired by the classic folk ballad “Scarborough Fair,” this wonderfully riveting novel is rife with suspense, romance, and fantasy. Seventeen-year-old Lucy discovers that she is the latest recipient of a generations-old Elvin curse that requires women in her family to complete three impossible tasks or risk falling into madness and passing the curse on to the next generation. Unlike her ancestors, Lucy has the support of her fiercely protective adoptive parents, and her best friend Zach,…


Book cover of The Eyes of God
Book cover of The Cry of the Icemark
Book cover of Effigy

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