100 books like The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol. 1

By Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou, St (illustrator),

Here are 100 books that The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol. 1 fans have personally recommended if you like The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol. 1. 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 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Alice Poon Author Of The Heavenly Sword

From my list on wuxia/xianxia fantasy books with strong-willed and free-spirited female leads.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for Chinese history took root when I began reading Jin Yong’s wuxia novels, which are all steeped in Chinese historical background. My fiction writing career began with historical fiction based on Chinese history. Through my earlier research work, I discovered that Chinese historians have always given short shrift to the influence of women on cultural, political, and social developments throughout the ages. That led me to decide to center my writing around inspiring Chinese female historical figures. After publishing The Green Phoenix and Tales of Ming Courtesans, I branched out to write wuxia fantasy novels, but with the same objective of featuring admirable female historical/fictional characters.

Alice's book list on wuxia/xianxia fantasy books with strong-willed and free-spirited female leads

Alice Poon Why did Alice love this book?

I am a great fan of the sensational xianxia drama The Untamed, which is why I love this novel from which the drama is adapted.

One thing that I really like about the novel is the character Wen Qing. My heart is captured by her quiet ways of going about her practice of medicine, her deep but understated affection for her brother Wen Ning, and her unwavering loyalty to her good friend Wei Wuxian after facing adversities together with him. She actually saves him twice, the second time with her own life.

What also strikes me as outstanding is the way the novel constantly asks the thought-provoking questions: what is good and what is evil, and why are unorthodox ways deemed as evil?   

By Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, Marina Privalova (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Also known as MDZS, the blockbuster danmei/Boys' Love novels from China that inspired comics, animation, and the live-action series The Untamed! This historical fantasy tale of two powerful men who find each other through life and death is now in English, for the very first time!

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most powerful men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek more power through demonic cultivation, the world's respect for his abilities turned to fear, and his…


Book cover of Lord of the White Hell: Book One

Nicole Kimberling Author Of The Sea of Stars

From my list on LGBT fantasy to make you believe in love again.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a novelist and the editor and publisher of Blind Eye Books—a small press focused on producing LGBT genre fiction as well as a lifelong aficionado of queer media, especially BL, yaoi, and danmei. 

Nicole's book list on LGBT fantasy to make you believe in love again

Nicole Kimberling Why did Nicole love this book?

This novel is everything—a school story, a coming-of-age story, a fish-out-of-water story as well as being chock-full of swords and sorcery. It follows genius mechanist Kiram Kir-Zaki as he journeys far away from his home to attend the prestigious Sagrada Academy where he hopes to make the connections that will earn him a place in the king’s court. Instead, he finds himself shunned on account of his race and compelled to share a room with a man who is widely believed to have no soul. If two hot outcasts being forced to share a room and eventually falling so deeply in love that death itself cannot separate them, then this book is your cup of tea.

By Ginn Hale,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements.
But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions.
However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors…


Book cover of Swordspoint

David B. Coe Author Of The Chalice War: Stone

From my list on fantasy that made me say ‘wow!'.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing fantasy professionally for more than twenty-five years, and have published novels of epic fantasy, contemporary urban fantasy, supernatural thriller, and (as D.B. Jackson) historical fantasy. I have devoted my professional life to the genre because I love writing about magic and the people who wield it. I believe fantasy novels should thrill and intrigue, but also touch our emotions, and carry us through narratives with beautiful writing. That is what I try to do with my books, and that is what draws me to the novels I have listed here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

David's book list on fantasy that made me say ‘wow!'

David B. Coe Why did David love this book?

Ellen Kushner’s Swordspoint is a sort of Renaissance-era, alternate-world, urban fantasy.

Intriguing, right? Our hero, Richard St. Vier, is a skilled and successful sword-for-hire, who plies his trade in the city of Riverside, where nobles often settle their feuds with duels.

In the course of the novel, he kills the wrong man and for the first time in his professional life, finds himself reviled rather than revered. The intrigue that follows draws Richard and his lover, Alec, into the court politics of the city as never before.

The story is riveting, and, of course, the writing is gorgeous.

By Ellen Kushner,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless- until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead a of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye . . .


Book cover of To Rule in a Turbulent World

Nicole Kimberling Author Of The Sea of Stars

From my list on LGBT fantasy to make you believe in love again.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a novelist and the editor and publisher of Blind Eye Books—a small press focused on producing LGBT genre fiction as well as a lifelong aficionado of queer media, especially BL, yaoi, and danmei. 

Nicole's book list on LGBT fantasy to make you believe in love again

Nicole Kimberling Why did Nicole love this book?

When we first meet our protagonist, You Miao is a smug, lazy scholar hanging around studying for the Imperial examination, but when he saves the life of an enslaved warrior Li Zhifeng his life changes forever. Together the two of them revitalize a rundown estate, navigate court intrigue, and weather an invasion. A big, sweeping epic from a leader in the genre. I’d been writing in the mystery genre for quite some time and this book made me want to write fantasy novels again.

Book cover of Heaven Official's Blessing

R.M. Olson Author Of Redshift

From my list on restoring your faith in humanity.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a former journalist-turned-lawyer and a recovering news junky, I’ve spent much of my life watching unhappy scenarios play out. But what’s always astonished me me is how, no matter how bad things get or how difficult the situation, there’s a spark of humanity, of kindness and compassion and optimism, that comes out in people at the most unexpected of times. Now, as an author and a parent, I find myself drawn to stories that remind me of that—that no matter how bleak life may look, how cruel or arbitrary the circumstances, there’s something good and beautiful and worth fighting for, not “somewhere out there,” but inside us. 

R.M.'s book list on restoring your faith in humanity

R.M. Olson Why did R.M. love this book?

This book was my introduction to the xianxia and danmei genres, and what an introduction it was! It’s a delightful mashup of creepy horror-esque vignettes, an adorably wholesome and swoon-worthy love story, an action-adventure, and a murder-mystery, that vacillates between laugh-out-loud funny and utterly heartbreaking.

But my favorite thing about this book is the deeply compassionate exploration of trauma, love, and forgiveness, where even the “evil” characters are viewed with a type of grace that I’ve rarely seen before. 

By Mo Xiang Tong Xiu,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Heaven Official's Blessing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this final book (Volume 8), read the conclusion to this epic historical fantasy about a prince and the mysterious man by his side, in English for the very first time. Also includes bonus stories!

White No-Face's mask is off, and the final conflict has begun. Deep in the ancient caverns and lava flows of Mount Tonglu, Xie Lian must face the one whose hatred has plagued him for centuries-but this time, he won't have to do it alone. His beloved, Hua Cheng, has spent his long existence amassing the power to protect him, and now with their feelings for…


Book cover of The Book and the Sword

Alice Poon Author Of The Heavenly Sword

From my list on wuxia/xianxia fantasy books with strong-willed and free-spirited female leads.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for Chinese history took root when I began reading Jin Yong’s wuxia novels, which are all steeped in Chinese historical background. My fiction writing career began with historical fiction based on Chinese history. Through my earlier research work, I discovered that Chinese historians have always given short shrift to the influence of women on cultural, political, and social developments throughout the ages. That led me to decide to center my writing around inspiring Chinese female historical figures. After publishing The Green Phoenix and Tales of Ming Courtesans, I branched out to write wuxia fantasy novels, but with the same objective of featuring admirable female historical/fictional characters.

Alice's book list on wuxia/xianxia fantasy books with strong-willed and free-spirited female leads

Alice Poon Why did Alice love this book?

The unyielding Fragrant Princess who rejects the Emperor’s advances left an indelible mark on my mind. Although she is not portrayed as a heroine, it is her ultimate sacrificial act of defiance, made in order to alert her lover (rebel leader of the Red Flower Society) of the Emperor’s trap, that deeply moved me.

This was the first novel written by Jin Yong, the wuxia fiction icon and my literary idol. It was also the first novel that I came across and read as a child during one summer vacation. The thrilling martial arts fight scenes and the addictive plot certainly had me enthralled and would send me down the wuxia rabbit hole in ensuing summers! Recently, I re-read this novel, and I still adore it.

By Louis Cha, Graham Earnshaw (translator), Rachel May (editor) , John Minford (editor)

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A lost city in the desert, wolf packs, a book, and, of course, a sword...

The Book and the Sword was Louis Cha's first novel, published in 1955, and quickly established him as one of the new masters of the wuxia genre. The novel is panoramic in scope and includes the fantastical elements for which Cha is well-known: secret societies, kung fu masters, a lost desert city guarded by wolf packs, and the mysterious Fragrant Princess, an embellishment of an actual historical figure - although whether she actually smelled of flowers, we will never know. Further to that Cha revives…


Book cover of The Girl with No Face

Alice Poon Author Of The Heavenly Sword

From my list on wuxia/xianxia fantasy books with strong-willed and free-spirited female leads.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for Chinese history took root when I began reading Jin Yong’s wuxia novels, which are all steeped in Chinese historical background. My fiction writing career began with historical fiction based on Chinese history. Through my earlier research work, I discovered that Chinese historians have always given short shrift to the influence of women on cultural, political, and social developments throughout the ages. That led me to decide to center my writing around inspiring Chinese female historical figures. After publishing The Green Phoenix and Tales of Ming Courtesans, I branched out to write wuxia fantasy novels, but with the same objective of featuring admirable female historical/fictional characters.

Alice's book list on wuxia/xianxia fantasy books with strong-willed and free-spirited female leads

Alice Poon Why did Alice love this book?

I’m most impressed by the fact that the author, a white American, did meticulous research into Chinese mythology and Daoist practices. The kungfu fight scenes are also arresting.   

Xian Li-Lin, a plucky Daoist priestess with superior martial arts skills who is bent on forging her own way in a male-dominated world of 19th century San Francisco Chinatown, charmed me from the start of the novel (which is a sequel but can be read as a standalone). Beset with personal challenges as a lonely Chinese widow with a harsh father, she still takes it upon herself to fend helpless immigrants from the perils of ghosts, evil spirits, and gangsters.

By M. H. Boroson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Girl with No Face as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*Winner--First Prize in the Colorado Authors League Award, Science Fiction and Fantasy Category!*

The adventures of Li-lin, a Daoist priestess with the unique ability to see the spirit world, continue in the thrilling follow-up to the critically-acclaimed historical urban fantasy The Girl with Ghost Eyes.

It's the end of the Nineteenth Century. San Francisco's cobblestone streets are haunted, but Chinatown has an unlikely protector in a young Daoist priestess named Li-lin. Using only her martial arts training, spiritual magic, a sword made from peachwood, and the walking, talking spirit of a human eye, Li-lin stands alone to defend her immigrant…


Book cover of Unsouled

KrazeKode Author Of The First Law of Cultivation

From my list on get into Xianxia Cultivation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m KrazeKode; I’m a college student turned author who spent his teenage years reading a lot of web novels, and eventually, I ended up writing some. People liked them enough that I decided I wanted to do it as my job instead of writing boring code for some company, so now I do that instead. I’ve read a lot, and a good chunk of them were cultivation books. I really love this genre and find that it has a lot of potential to explore. It is generally a super fun setting and world and has a very different style and feel compared to most other Western English works, making it quite refreshing. 

KrazeKode's book list on get into Xianxia Cultivation

KrazeKode Why did KrazeKode love this book?

This book is probably my favorite cultivation novel out there, and for good reason. If you’re not aware what cultivation is, it’s a system of fantasy and magic inspired by eastern Taoist philosophies and chinese stories about reaching immortality and feature a lot of those themes.

It’s an entire genre and one I enjoy quite a bit, and Cradle, to me, is the very pinnacle of this genre. The book manages to bring a very fresh and exciting tale of cultivation that’s also still quite friendly to new readers just getting into the genre. It’s well beloved by the fans of the genre and held in extremely high regard, and I personally marvel at just how well it executed the story and just how rich and exciting the setting was for the story.

By Will Wight,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Unsouled as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world.Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan.When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.


Book cover of Unintended Cultivator: Volume One

KrazeKode Author Of The First Law of Cultivation

From my list on get into Xianxia Cultivation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m KrazeKode; I’m a college student turned author who spent his teenage years reading a lot of web novels, and eventually, I ended up writing some. People liked them enough that I decided I wanted to do it as my job instead of writing boring code for some company, so now I do that instead. I’ve read a lot, and a good chunk of them were cultivation books. I really love this genre and find that it has a lot of potential to explore. It is generally a super fun setting and world and has a very different style and feel compared to most other Western English works, making it quite refreshing. 

KrazeKode's book list on get into Xianxia Cultivation

KrazeKode Why did KrazeKode love this book?

If Cradle is a refreshing take on cultivation done faithfully and to its pinnacle while bringing a new aesthetic to it, then this book does the opposite and dives right into the heart of the xianxia aesthetic, but it does so in a phenomenal way.

It’s nothing new, per se, but that’s okay because what is there is done really well. Honestly, I don’t have too much to say about this book besides just that you should go read it—it’s great. 

By Eric Dontigney,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

He never intended to be a cultivator. The heavens have another plan…

Sen never dreamed of ascension. Such were the aspirations of the rich young nobles, not orphans like him, scraping together a meager living on the streets of Orchard’s Reach.

However, when destiny takes an unexpected turn, Sen finds himself thrust into the role of a cultivator’s disciple. Chosen over the nobles who once looked down on him, he is adopted into a makeshift family of three ancient cultivators, each with a lifetime of knowledge and insights. These old monsters will teach Sen everything they can, from the art…


Book cover of Beware of Chicken

Haylock Jobson Author Of Heretical Fishing: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself

From my list on fantasy that leaves you feeling warm and cozy.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone with ADHD, anxiety, and a brain prone to rumination, life can be turbulent. Fantasy has long been my preferred method of escapism, and when I discovered the cozy variety a few years ago, I was immediately enthralled. It gives me that warm-fuzzy feeling I so desire in troubling times, while still providing my dopamine-deficient brain the hits it needs to remain immersed. More than anything, I want to share with others the way that cozy fantasy makes me feel. Crafting such fiction is my purpose.

Haylock's book list on fantasy that leaves you feeling warm and cozy

Haylock Jobson Why did Haylock love this book?

I am not being hyperbolic when I say that discovering this fiction changed the course of my life. I found it during a dark time, and the impact it had might be the reason I’m so addicted to reading and writing cozy fantasy. Upon finishing it, I wasn’t ready to leave the world behind, so I fired up the audio and started again. 

This novel is a place of reprieve. A warm hearth I can return to when life gets difficult. And I can’t recommend it enough.

By Casualfarmer,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A laugh-out-loud, slice-of-life martial-arts fantasy about . . . farming????

Jin Rou wanted to be a cultivator. A man powerful enough to defy the heavens. A master of martial arts. A lord of spiritual power. Unfortunately for him, he died, and now I’m stuck in his body.

Arrogant Masters? Heavenly Tribulations? All that violence and bloodshed? Yeah, no thanks. I’m getting out of here.

Farm life sounds pretty great. Tilling a field by hand is fun when you’ve got the strength of ten men—though maybe I shouldn’t have fed those Spirit Herbs to my pet rooster. I’m not used to…


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