86 books like The Dwarves

By Markus Heitz,

Here are 86 books that The Dwarves fans have personally recommended if you like The Dwarves. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Dragon Keeper

A.J. Norfield Author Of Windcatcher

From my list on fantasy with dragon-human bonds in it.

Why am I passionate about this?

Fascinated by dragons at a very young age, I’ve read dozens of dragon books before I began to weave my own story with these mythical creatures. Driven by my interest in human-animal bonds, I followed wildlife management and worked with birds of preyone of the most wondrous times of my life. I want to bring dragons into the reader’s mind as a real part of the animal kingdom and the way of nature has as much a place in my books as the bonds between the characters. But there are so many dragon books out there to enjoy, with so many different approaches, that it would be silly not to share the joy. 

A.J.'s book list on fantasy with dragon-human bonds in it

A.J. Norfield Why did A.J. love this book?

In Dragon Keeper, Robin Hobb expands on her Liveship Traders universe. The (deformed) dragons that take the spotlight are less friendly and their uneasy bonds with their caretakers give a whole different experience for the readers. It is a less heroic tale to read and more of a struggle, but one that is beautifully drawn out by Hobb’s amazing skill as a writer. It’s a book as much about self-discovery, as it is about building trust. In my eyes, the slow-burn storyline remained interesting because of the strong cast of characters and my curiosity about how the dragons would evolve, both emotionally and physically. You shouldn’t expect much action, but it provides a marvelous read nonetheless.

By Robin Hobb,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Dragon Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in this standalone adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy.

Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and impenetrable forest, it is a hard place for any to survive.

People are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is…


Book cover of Lord of Snow and Shadows

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Author Of Winterhorn

From my list on adventure fantasy that inspire my work.

Why am I passionate about this?

Being of Eastern European origins, and also a child of the 80s, definitely had a say in what my likings and my character would become growing up. From the cold long winters and the white landscapes, Fantasy genre, and everything Might and Magic have shaped my childhood, my studies, my art (traditional oil painting and clay sculpting) and lingered until now (and definitely beyond).

Baiculescu's book list on adventure fantasy that inspire my work

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did Baiculescu love this book?

Besides the intriguing adventure and plot, this series is the masterpiece of Sarah Ash (the first books especially – and the last chapter is still being written). You’d soon fall in love with her and her exquisite and rich way of describing her magical worlds.

By Sarah Ash,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Three kingdoms. One man.
A destiny written in blood.
An epic new fantasy series begins . . .

Seemingly always the outsider, Gavril Andar - an impoverished young painter - yearns to join the privileged circles of Muscobar polite society. However, unbeknownst to him, he does have royal blood in his veins: the dark and powerful blood of a father he never knew - the Drakhaon, ruler of the isolated northern kingdom of Azhkendir. And when the Drakhaon is brutally murdered, an unwilling Gavril is forced to take up the mantle of both his father's rule - and his power.…


Book cover of Eragon

Melanie K. Moschella Author Of Iron-Bound Flames

From my list on bingeable book series for escapist readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been an escapist reader. From fantasy to historical fiction, my favorite books have transported me from my life—providing me with the adventure and romance that I crave. I’m a lover of series, specifically, because they offer a longer, more immersive experience. As a writer, I hope to offer my readers the same respite from reality that my favorite series have offered me, and I’m publishing my completed five-book series, The Raek Riders series all at once in an effort to do just that. They will be available March 19th, 2024, ready for escapist readers to binge from start to finish. 

Melanie's book list on bingeable book series for escapist readers

Melanie K. Moschella Why did Melanie love this book?

I first read The Inheritance Cycle in middle school. It was my introduction to high fantasy, and I relished joining Eragon on his adventures into a world of dragons, elves, and dwarves.

Fast forward quite a few years, and I listened to the audiobooks with my husband. This is a series that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages and was worth repeating. I especially recommend the audiobook for the voice of the dragon, Saphira, and the pronunciation of the dwarfish and elvish languages.

It was this series that inspired me to escape into the dragon-riding daydream that became my first series as an author. 

By Christopher Paolini,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Eragon 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?

The first book in The Inheritance Series

When poor farm boy Eragon finds a polished stone in the forest, he thinks it's a lucky discovery. Perhaps, he will be able to buy his family food for the winter.

But, when a baby dragon hatches out of the stone, Eragon realises he's stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

His simple life is shattered, and he's thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. To navigate this dark terrain, and survive his cruel king's evil ways, he must take up the mantle of the…


Book cover of The Children of Húrin

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Author Of Winterhorn

From my list on adventure fantasy that inspire my work.

Why am I passionate about this?

Being of Eastern European origins, and also a child of the 80s, definitely had a say in what my likings and my character would become growing up. From the cold long winters and the white landscapes, Fantasy genre, and everything Might and Magic have shaped my childhood, my studies, my art (traditional oil painting and clay sculpting) and lingered until now (and definitely beyond).

Baiculescu's book list on adventure fantasy that inspire my work

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicolae Why did Baiculescu love this book?

The man that needs no introduction, the mastermind behind what all of us love most; the middle earth. Although his stories are not likely to have a happy ending, and are quite dark, this book is no exception. Well written and illustrated, by his most famous sketch artist, Alan Lee, the novel has every element that I love; mystery, a strong and solid fictional world, and dragons.

By J.R.R. Tolkien,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of The Children of Hurin will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, eagles and Orcs, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.

There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings, and the story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which…


Book cover of Made in the U.S.A.

Robert Shaw Author Of Girlfriend Trouble

From my list on to grab your emotions and not let go.

Why am I passionate about this?

What can better give expertise on the books one loves than decades of reading? I’ve always had a passion for sympathetic, strong characters, especially women. At the core of all my novels, readers will find a sympathetic and strong heroine. In Girlfriend Trouble, Lian is the catalyst that changes the lives of everyone around her for the better; or, more precisely, Lian’s compassion, wisdom, and serene nature are what change things. I’m probably too idealistic, but it’s better than being a cynic. There’s an element of this in all the books I’ve recommended, and those I’ve written. I like to think there’s more of it in the real world too.

Robert's book list on to grab your emotions and not let go

Robert Shaw Why did Robert love this book?

For me, personally, this book taught me how truly lucky I was while living in my truck for 5 years in the early 2000s. 15-year-old Lutie and her 12-year-old brother, Fate, are thrown into a desperate adventure after their stepmom dies. Their odyssey across America in an attempt to find their long-lost father, and the perils of being homeless in Las Vegas and avoiding the life-threatening perils of living in a car and dodging unsavory and predatory people, is a harshly realistic depiction of...well, reality.

By Billie Letts,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Made in the U.S.A. as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Lutie McFee's history has taught her to avoid attachments...to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the god-forsaken town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father.
While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart,…


Book cover of Pieces of My Mother: A Memoir

Karen Elizabeth Lee Author Of The Full Catastrophe: A Memoir

From my list on showing human life in its reality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a great interest in personal stories, well written. My memoir, The Full Catastrophe, was published in 2016. I wanted an answer to my own question “How could a well-educated, intelligent woman marry an abusive man?” Writing allowed me to find my answers. From that time on, I have taught people to write their own memoirs, have lectured on memoir, facilitated group discussions on memoir, and written articles on memoir. I am now in the process of writing another memoir. 

Karen's book list on showing human life in its reality

Karen Elizabeth Lee Why did Karen love this book?

Both a captivating and heart-breaking memoir, this book is the story of a woman and her motherthe mother who abandoned her and her siblings and father. It moves back and forth in time from when the mother leaves and we hear stories of what happened to each of her children, to the present day as the mother lies dying. This memoir is beautifully told, with details so sharp and clear you can almost watch the action as it unfolds to finally tell you how Cistaro copes with the mother who refused to stay. This story is for all mothers and daughters, ones that stay and ones that go.

By Melissa Cistaro,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"A story that lingers in the heart long after the last page is turned." —HOPE EDELMAN, bestselling author of Motherless Daughters and The Possibility of Everything

This provocative, poignant memoir of a daughter whose mother left her behind by choice begs the question: Are we destined to make the same mistakes as our parents?

One summer, Melissa Cistaro's mother drove off without explanation Devastated, Melissa and her brothers were left to pick up the pieces, always tormented by the thought: Why did their mother abandon them?

Thirty-five years later, with children of her own, Melissa finds herself in Olympia, Washington,…


Book cover of Homecoming

Connie King Leonard Author Of Sleeping in My Jeans

From my list on teen homelessness and poverty.

Why am I passionate about this?

Teaching middle school made me painfully aware of the disparity in our students’ lives. Some kids have every advantage, while others struggle to survive without enough food, clean water, or a safe, dry place to sleep for the night. All these kids, with their diverse backgrounds, sit side-by-side in class and are expected to perform at the same academic and social levels. In my novels, I feature ordinary teens that are strong, smart, and resilient, like so many of the students who taught me as much as I taught them.

Connie's book list on teen homelessness and poverty

Connie King Leonard Why did Connie love this book?

Homecoming has been around for a long time, but it is a story I’ve never forgotten. Voigt opens her novel with Dicey Tillerman, thirteen, and her three younger siblings abandoned by their mother in the parking lot of a shopping mall. The only way Dicey can keep the family together is to get them to a great-aunt’s home, but that means a long journey with little money. This is a tale of fiction, yet it exemplifies the courage and strength that so many kids muster in the face of impossible odds. I’ve always felt that too many people underestimate the resilience of our youth.

By Cynthia Voigt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Homecoming 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 iconic start to the timeless, Newbery-winning series from Cynthia Voigt.

“It’s still true.” That’s the first thing James Tillerman says to his older sister, Dicey, every morning. It’s still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillermans in a mall parking lot somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It’s still true that they have to find their own way to Great-aunt Cilla’s house in Bridgeport. It’s still true that they need to spend as little as possible on food and seek shelter anywhere that is out of view of the authorities. It’s still true that the only way…


Book cover of Silas Marner

Rebecca Rosenblum Author Of These Days Are Numbered: Diary of a High-Rise Lockdown

From my list on community and connection.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been deeply interested in how people connect to those around them—it is something I write about constantly. My first novel, So Much Love, was about how a community reacts to terrible loss and uncertainty, and my recent book of nonfiction, These Days Are Numbered, is about how my own community—and I—reacted to the Covid-19 pandemic. I am always looking at how humans human, separately and especially together. That is one of the joys of narrative fiction for me—the way we can use it to examine our behaviour and interactions, and how we form relationships and communities. I hope these books enthrall you as much as they did me.

Rebecca's book list on community and connection

Rebecca Rosenblum Why did Rebecca love this book?

Yes, it’s a Victorian novel but it’s also the slenderest and sweetest one, by my lights.

Cast out from his narrow religious community by the acts of a dishonest friend, Silas Marner flees to a new village and resolves to live a life apart, money his only security. Then along comes a tiny child in need and Silas cannot help but help—even though this new challenge comes on the heels of a devastating robbery.

The man’s generosity has the effect of opening him up to the generosity of others until, little by little, he becomes a part of the community he has lived apart from for so long. There is never a bad time to read this lovely, hopeful little novella about the worst and best of human nature. 

By George Eliot,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Silas Marner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gold! - his own gold - brought back to him as mysteriously as it had been taken away!

Falsely accused of theft, Silas Marner is cut off from his community but finds refuge in the village of Raveloe, where he is eyed with distant suspicion. Like a spider from a fairy-tale, Silas fills fifteen monotonous years with weaving and accumulating gold. The son of the wealthy local Squire, Godfrey Cass also seeks an escape from his past. One snowy winter, two events change the course of their lives: Silas's gold is stolen and, a child crawls across his threshold.

Combining…


Book cover of The Same Stuff as Stars

Lisa Lewis Tyre Author Of Hope in the Holler

From my list on to help kids build empathy for those in need.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of two middle grade books, and I love writing about kids who may not have much materially but abound in heart and courage. I grew up in a small southern town and my childhood was just like that—low on income but full of love, hope, and friendship. I want kids to know that despite their circumstances there is hope for a better life. Like Wavie’s mom tells her in my book, Hope In The Holler, “You’ve got as much right to a good life as anybody. So go find it!”

Lisa's book list on to help kids build empathy for those in need

Lisa Lewis Tyre Why did Lisa love this book?

Life is tough for Angel—her dad is in jail, her mom is irresponsible, and she has to take care of her seven-year-old brother. Paterson doesn’t hold back in this unflinching look at family brokenness, but as sad as the circumstances are, there is hope! Angel meets some new adults and through their small kindnesses, she learns that she is stronger than she ever knew. It’s a great message for any kid who is struggling with too much responsibility. It has a redemption arc that I also loved. 

By Katherine Paterson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Angel's dad is in jail and her mum's abandoned her and her little brother at their great-grandmother's crumbling farmhouse. Grandma can't even look after herself, let alone two children, so Angel finds that it's left up to her. In a dreary and lonely world there is only one bright spot - a mysterious stranger who appears on clear nights to teach Angel all about the stars. Katherine Paterson is an internationally acclaimed author who has won the Newbery Medal (twice), the National Book Award for Children's Literature (USA) twice, and the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award.


Book cover of The Ash House

Sarah Allen Author Of The Nightmare House

From my list on where the monsters are more than monsters.

Why am I passionate about this?

In my high school creative writing class, my teacher once said that good writing was a bit like looking at a star. If you look directly at it, it gets a little fuzzy and hard to see. But if you look just off to the side, the star becomes vivid and clear. That, to me, is exactly the power of spooky stories for young readers. We all deal with monsters, to varying degrees, throughout our lives. Even kids. But if we look at it just off to the side, through the angle of a fun, spooky story, those monsters suddenly become much more comprehensible. More faceable. More beatable. 

Sarah's book list on where the monsters are more than monsters

Sarah Allen Why did Sarah love this book?

I still think about the setting of The Ash House all the time.

It is so vivid and so real. The eeriness and spookiness of this place starts from the first page, even the first sentence. We know something is off here in the ash house, and we watch as the main character starts being subsumed by the other kids here.

We worry as he starts losing his identity. But this is a powerful and haunting story about listening to yourself and remembering yourself no matter what else is going on around you, and no matter what anyone else believes.

By Angharad Walker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ash House 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?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
meets Lord of the Flies in the exciting debut from Angharad
Walker.
'A mesmerising other-worldly story that got deep under my
skin - I couldn't put it down.' JASBINDER
BILAN, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird

'Dark,
tense and intoxicating ... Seriously exciting.'
LUCY STRANGE, author of The Ghost of Gosswater

A new boy arrives at the Ash House. He can't remember his name
- or why he's been sent there.

Given the name Sol, and
troubled by a mystery pain that no medicine can cure, he joins
the gang of children living…


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