Here are 100 books that The Pomegranate Gate fans have personally recommended if you like
The Pomegranate Gate.
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Ever found yourself rooting for the bad guy? Well, you’re not alone. As a lifelong villain-advocate since witnessing Dorothy steal the Wicked Witch’s rightful property, I have found myself lured to the Dark Side of fiction. After all, a villain is the hero of their own story. They’re flawed, uninhibited, and authentic to the core. These factors make for compelling stories and even more compelling romances. It’s what drives good characters to embrace their “shadow selves,” and it forever inspires my imagination. I mean, what’s the point in world domination if there’s no one to share it with?
Action, romance, the apocalypse, all rolled into a tale of reincarnation with a Hunger Games twist. Intrigued? You should be. After The Flash (an event that rids the planet of most water and life), the remaining survivors have more to fear than starvation and thirst. As it turns out, the characters on tarot cards actually exist, and these magically gifted individuals must compete in a match to the death until only one is left standing. The story centers around Evie, who learns she is the Empress, as she’s hunted down by the game’s most lethal player, Death. Evie may not remember her past lives, but Death certainly does, especially the part where the two were once married…and she may have tried murdering him. All's fair in love and war, right?
In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.
Shocking secrets
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who've been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.
Unexpected allies
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must…
As someone who was both a funny kid and a lover of superheroes, it was
always exciting to find a book where those two things crossed paths.
In the young readers' books I’ve written for Marvel and DC Comics, I
always try to inject humor where I can. Humor can be healing. If I
couldn’t laugh, especially about things that have caused me pain, I
don’t know that I would be around today. I love books about funny,
sensitive kids with big hearts. The world is a cold place sometimes,
but whenever I see a young person making positive change and having
fun along the way, it reminds me that anything is possible.
I’m a huge fan of the rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor, so I was excited to check out this new story set during their middle school years–possibly the most dramatic time in a kid’s life.
This Clark is a little spicy, which I enjoyed. I like that he doesn’t always make good choices. In Lex, he finds a brainy outsider searching for a confidant. Brendan Reichs gives us a friendship between boys that feels honest, and Jerry Gaylord’s delightfully expressive art captures their emotions nicely.
There were laughs but also a simmering tension that kept my attention, especially as it related to a little lie that became a big problem. This story is a nice reminder that heroes and villains aren’t born; they’re made.
Being the only kid with powers is tough not being able to use them is even worse! Struggling with understanding why his parents demand he hide his amazing superpowers, Clark has no problem using a bit of super-speed or super-strength to give himself that extra edge as quarterback of the football team or while doing his chores around the farm. And when LuthorCorp holds a competition to find the best and brightest for a summer internship in Metropolis, Clark has no problem using his X-ray vision to cheat his way in if it means getting out of Smallville. Amazingly, Clark…
Masks have been fascinating to me for a long time, in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Whether by choice or not, the masks we wear say a lot about us. It’s also interesting to me how they can represent freedom or captivity, depending on context. At a masquerade, that anonymity provides a sense of freedom, a chance to act like someone you’re not, or the courage to act braver. But when forced into a role or status that comes with certain masks, you can be trapped, forced to act a certain way. The range gives us so much to work with.
Set in 1882 England, These Vicious Masks has so many tropes I love in a book. Evelyn’s dry wit and sarcasm are exactly my sense of humor and she’s an intelligent character I enjoyed following. She travels to London to find her missing sister, discovers a society of individuals with X-Men-like abilities, and must use both literal and metaphorical masks to achieve her goals. It’s these metaphorical masks that interest me, how we act differently in different situations, and how we remove them as we grow closer to one another.
Jane Austen meets X-Men in this thrilling Victorian adventure full of magic and mysticism, perfect for anyone who loves a confident, rebellious heroine, snappy dialogue, and a hint of romance.
England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they're not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be…
I fell in love the first time I ever picked up a fantasy novel. Suddenly a whole world of imagination and magic opened up in my head and I’ve been an avid reader and writer ever since. Competitions show up time and again in YA novels (from The Hunger Games to Red Rising), and I think it’s because they provide a good frame for stories about growing up, progress, or ambition. There are high stakes baked in and that makes for an exciting read. I hope you enjoy these books!
Kallia wants to be the most famous magician in the world, but she’s been kept hostage all of her life. She escapes her prison to join the competition to become the headliner for the Conquering Circus. She’s got talent, but there is magic woven into the city streets, and it’s hard to know who to trust, because her long-time mentor and captor, isn’t what he seems. He may not even be human.
Kalia is ruthlessly ambitious and I love that about her. This story is dark, decadent, and took me places I didn’t expect.
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she's the best no matter the cost.
Ever since I could read, I have found myself finding security and escape through the words on the paper. As I grew older, I no longer wanted to just read these realities, I wanted to create them for myself. Writing is the one thing in my mundane existence that has made me feel like more than just a number in the system. I laugh with my characters and love with them. My writing is a part of me that will live long after I am gone. Whether it be a novel, or a simple letter, I want my words to linger with the reader long after the page is turned.
Shatter Me is one of the most groundbreaking dystopian novels to hit the YA section of any bookstore. She created a world that spoke to my heart, through its originality as well as its diverse character arcs.
Mafi's writing skillfully weaves a gripping tale of dystopia, blending thrilling plotlines, intense romance, and a deep exploration of societal chaos. Juliette's world, painted with Mafi's poetic prose, felt like a refuge where I could truly immerse myself within Julliette’s character.
The unexpected twists left me breathless, creating a connection with the characters that lingered long after I closed the book. The romantic elements, filled with passion and vulnerability, drew me as a reader in, leaving me feeling as if I was in the relationships myself. Mafi's portrayal of a dystopian society made me reflect on power and control in our own world.
Shatter Me isn't just a must-read; it's a personal journey,…
Stranger Things meets Shadow and Bone in this first instalment of an epic and romantic YA fantasy series - perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. Now a TikTok phenomenon.
A fragile young teenage girl is held captive. Locked in a cell by The Reestablishment - a harsh dictatorship in charge of a crumbling world. This is no ordinary teenager. Juliette is a threat to The Reestablishment's power. A touch from her can kill - one touch is all it takes. But not only is she a threat, she is potentially the most powerful weapon…
As a stage combat choreographer myself, fight sequences are always important to me: they have to be believable but exciting, they have to keep up the pace so the reader is experiencing the action at the same speed as the characters—but most importantly, they have to tell a story. Action just for the sake of action always feels empty, but great fight scenes that are both exhilarating and bound to the forward momentum of the plot and emotion will stay with me for a long time. Here’s some that I still remember long after I finished the book.
This lesser-known gem was my favorite book of 2019. You take a World War II-style submarine war but throw in horrifying new supernatural powers, and then pitch it against Cthulu-style interdimensional monsters and you start to have an idea of the gloriously-insane trajectory of this book. That may sound over-the-top at a glance, but I promise this is a grounded read that’s flush with complex interweaving relationships, and an unrelenting pace that constantly throws new, bigger dangers at the characters before they’ve had a chance to catch their breath. This book is far better than it has any right to be.
Naval officer Mila Blackwood is determined to keep her country's most powerful secret - shrouding, the ability to traverse their planet in seconds through an alternate realm - out of enemy hands. But spies are everywhere: her submarine has been infiltrated by a Dhavnak agent, and her teenage brother has been seduced by an enemy soldier. When Blackwood's submarine is attacked by a monster, she and fellow sailor, Holland, are marked with special abilities, whose manifestations could end the war - but in whose favor? Forced to submit to military scientists in her paranoid and war-torn home, Blackwood soon learns…
Being a petite person, I can’t move furniture by myself or lift heavy boxes. It’s freaking annoying. I dream of having a magic wand or some sort of power that would make me stronger. If there was a potion to turn me into a Buffy the Vampire Slayer, kick-butt type of girl I’d drink it in a second. Since there is no such potion, I write and read books about supernatural girls who don’t take crap from anyone, especially the guys in their lives.
Kylie has always played by the rules. One bad decision sends her to Shadow Falls Camp, a place for troubled teams which isn’t what it seems. Kylie finds herself surrounded by vampires, werewolves, and shifters. Believing they exist is difficult enough, facing the fact that she’s one of them is impossible. Especially when they can’t figure out what she is.
Step into the world of Shadow Falls, a camp that helps teens tap into their special talents. Once you visit, you'll never forget it - and you'll never, ever be the same. One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls - a camp for troubled teens, but the kids at Shadow Falls are far from ordinary. They're supernatural-learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. And from the moment Kylie Galen arrives this world…
I’m a leader. I see things through leadership lenses. Everything rises and falls on leaders, so if we want to prosper, we must raise strong leaders. Having led for 30 years and taught leadership for 20, I know that if we want to improve our education systems, have great choices in politics, grow healthy organizations, and build strong families, we must have strong leaders. So, I wake up every day to be a better leader and help the leaders on my team grow in their leadership. For some it is easier than others, but everyone can grow their influence and their leadership capacity.
He’s the only author on this list that I know personally. And here is what I want you to know: William Vanderbloemen is the real deal. He values data. He values principles. He values you. Having watched him build his business from the ground up and provide a service to not-for-profit leaders across the United States, I can’t help but let you know that you have to pay attention to William’s message in this book.
He is the unicorn, and his book gives leaders key habits that will help separate them from everyone else around them. William does a great job making these habits accessible and achievable. Do you need to be faster, more authentic, more curious, or purpose-driven? If so, grab this resource and grow.
"This book is one of the most worthwhile and immediately usable reads I have come across in a long time." -Kiplinger
Want to stand out from the crowd? We have studied 30,000 top leaders and have discovered the 12 habits they share that make them as rare as a unicorn. Learn these habits, and you'll be one of the best at whatever you do!
How do I stand out? How do I become irreplaceable? With a crowded workforce, an unstable job landscape, and the rise of AI, these questions are the ones that everyone either is or should be asking.…
I was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and as a kid I loved to read. But I never saw myself—an Indian girl like me—represented in children’s books before. I didn’t realize how much it affected me until I began writing my first novel at age 23. When I did, I wrote the entire first draft with white characters and set it in a western country. I believed my Indian culture and my experience as an Indian kid was not worth writing about. I was so wrong! Now, with the novels I write, I’m passionate about representation, especially South Asian representation because all kids deserve to see themselves and their cultures in the books they read.
Easy. Because the protagonist, Pinki, is a fire-breathing rakkhosh a.k.a demon. Need I say more? This book was so much fun to read because you are rooting for a rakkhosh who is trying to control her fire breathing powers while she must protect the Moon Maiden and save the demon realm from snake oppressors. Apart from being an incredible adventure with witty and hilarious dialogue, Sayantani DasGupta expertly weaves in commentary about colonialism and the effects it has on a land and its people.
From New York Times bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta comes the story of a demon who must embrace her bad to serve the greater good.
Pinki hails from a long line of rakkhosh resisters, demons who have spent years building interspecies relationships, working together to achieve their goal of overthrowing the snakey oppressors and taking back their rights. But she has more important things to worry about, like maintaining her status as fiercest rakkhosh in her class and looking after her little cousins. There is also the teeny tiny detail of not yet being able to control her fire breathing and…
The library has always been my favorite place to visit. As a child, I would travel the world through books. I learned about different cultures and studied other languages. Through these experiences, I gained a deep appreciation for cultures around the world. I also learned an important lesson that inclusion is the thread that weaves together a rich multicultural tapestry. Fast forward to today, I share these lessons through my work as an author, leadership scholar, and law professor. My booklist reflects a celebration of diverse cultures, introduces learning tools for becoming an inclusive leader, and provides an invitation to join me in taking intentional action for justice and equity.
This book celebrates diversity through the
power of positive affirmations.
This is a reminder that our words have power,
something I love to embrace and encourage. I see this book as a reminder to all
that we can speak encouraging and motivating words in order to unveil the
talents of our children.
I also appreciate the way it includes not only a
joyful story but fantastic illustrations and the integration of different
languages.
Knowing you can do something makes you unstoppable! Children must grow up believing in themselves and in their potential for greatness. ”I Know I Can!” is a beautiful children’s book that strengthens the self-esteem of everyone who reads it!
”I Know I Can!” is the story of a courageous little girl named Faith who dreams big and has the courage to take action! While giving a speech at her high school graduation, Faith, the class valedictorian, shares her childhood dreams, and the lessons that served as the foundation for her courage.
