98 books like The Runes of the Earth

By Stephen R. Donaldson,

Here are 98 books that The Runes of the Earth fans have personally recommended if you like The Runes of the Earth. 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 Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Joy Ruli Domangue Author Of Janie's Prayer: and Our Lady's Message

From my list on fiction for females about coping with hardships.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Catholic wife and mother and desire to share my Catholic Faith. Growing up in the 1970's and 80's, I enjoyed reading books by Beverly Cleary. As I grew, my tastes for books grew to include true stories of the lives of saints and Catholic history, including the apparitions in Fatima. I also enjoyed reading fictional stories about time travel. Then it came to me. Why not write about a girl who, after coping with loss, finds solace after traveling back to the place and time where the apparitions took place? Bingo. Janie's Prayer was born. In my writing, I hope to inspire others and help spread the Catholic Faith.

Joy's book list on fiction for females about coping with hardships

Joy Ruli Domangue Why did Joy love this book?

A classic, this book is timeless. Lewis conveys a message of courage, hope, and triumph through a unique perspective. Young Lucy and her three older siblings are refugees staying at the home of a professor during WWII. Lucy discovers a large wardrobe that acts as a portal to a strange land where she discovers many mystical creatures. I felt for Lucy when she wasn't believed by her siblings at first and cheered when they finally discovered the truth.

In the land, the kids participate in a battle between good and evil, symbolic of the Catholic church. This was a fun book to read, as I was on the edge of my seat (the first time) cheering for Lucy, who was my favorite of the bunch.

By C. S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

35 authors picked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 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?

Lucy steps into the Professor's wardrobe - but steps out again into a snowy forest. She's stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns... and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, needs her help if the country's creatures are ever going to be free again...


Book cover of A Spell for Chameleon

Arthur Slade Author Of Dragon Assassin

From my list on fantasy to tickle your funny bone.

Why am I passionate about this?

On the back of my ragged edition of The Fellowship of the Ring is a picture of JRR Tolkien smoking a pipe. Even at a young age, I thought, “That’s what I want!” No, not the pipe. Though it would be cool to have it sans tobacco. I wanted to have my picture on the back of a book that was filled with fantasy characters, adventure, good, evil, magic, and elves. Since that time I have been writing books and chasing after my own characters and epic tales. So I’m thankful for that first inspiration.

Arthur's book list on fantasy to tickle your funny bone

Arthur Slade Why did Arthur love this book?

When I was around ten years old, I read everything I could get my hands on. This book fell into my mental lap and, though it was intended for an older audience, the puns and wit taught me how funny a fantastical world could be. I mean it has everything: a chameleon (who is actually three people), ghosts, zombies, witch battles, and more puns than you can shake a wand at. The protagonist, Bink, is born without an obvious magical talent, which is illegal in Xanth so he is exiled to Mundania where he is captured by an outcast wizard who wants to use him to invade Xanth. Written in the late 1970s, the book is a little dated but still immensely entertaining and the first of many Xanth books. It’s truly a cornucopia of wordplay.

By Piers Anthony,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked A Spell for Chameleon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

BEST NOVEL OF THE YEAR, BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY • Discover the magical beginning of Piers Anthony’s enthralling Xanth series

Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled—where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. It was a land of centaurs and dragons and basilisks.

For Bink of North Village, however, Xanth was no fairy tale. He alone had no magic. And unless he got some—and got some fast!—he would be exiled. Forever. But the Good Magician Humfrey was convinced that Bink did indeed have magic. In fact, both Beauregard the genie and the magic wall chart insisted…


Book cover of The Forgotten Door

Travis I. Sivart Author Of Beliefs & Black Magics

From my list on ripping people from this world and into another.

Why am I passionate about this?

Every new book I picked up in my teens was about going from this world to another. I didn’t seek them out, they found me. And then I began exploring the possibility of portals in the real world, studying the history and mythology of such things. As I grew, so did the science of quantum physics, which added to my interest on top of the mystery of magic doorways. This has been a passion of mine since I was a child, and I love reading about it and writing about it.

Travis' book list on ripping people from this world and into another

Travis I. Sivart Why did Travis love this book?

I didn’t realize it until I was nearly an adult, but almost every new book I picked up was about going from one world to another. Usually, from our world to a fantasy world. But this book, the first of the sort I found and read in middle school, reversed that formula. It’s about a boy who comes to our world from a place where people are peaceful. Our world is terrifying, and he wants to get home. This was an awakening for me, thinking that our reality might be the scary place, and we can be the frightening monsters. But I’ve learned, this isn’t far from the truth.

By Alexander Key,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Forgotten Door 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?

“Well written fantasy with strong character emphasis and empathy” from the author of the sci-fi classic Escape to Witch Mountain (Kirkus Reviews).

At night, Little Jon’s people go out to watch the stars. Mesmerized by a meteor shower, he forgets to watch his step and falls through a moss-covered door to another land: America. He awakes hurt, his memory gone, sure only that he does not belong here. Captured by a hunter, Jon escapes by leaping six feet over a barbed-wire fence. Hungry and alone, he staggers through the darkness and is about to be caught when he is rescued…


Book cover of The Sleeping Dragon

Travis I. Sivart Author Of Beliefs & Black Magics

From my list on ripping people from this world and into another.

Why am I passionate about this?

Every new book I picked up in my teens was about going from this world to another. I didn’t seek them out, they found me. And then I began exploring the possibility of portals in the real world, studying the history and mythology of such things. As I grew, so did the science of quantum physics, which added to my interest on top of the mystery of magic doorways. This has been a passion of mine since I was a child, and I love reading about it and writing about it.

Travis' book list on ripping people from this world and into another

Travis I. Sivart Why did Travis love this book?

Straight up, Dungeons and Dragons players pulled into the fantasy world they were playing the game in! Considering I was playing D&D multiple times a week when I found these books (and this book includes the first three of the series, The Sleeping Dragon, The Sword and Chain, and The Silver Crown), I was entranced! Then the author did a few things I’d never thought of. He brought in a guy in a wheelchair who entered a body of his character who could walk. He also later introduced gunpowder, and guns that used magic to fire bullets. The ideas were new and fresh to my teenage mind, and I was fascinated!

By Joel Rosenberg,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Seven college students meet for another night of role-playing games, where they will be cast as wizard, warrior, cleric, or thief. However, their conniving gamemaster has something entirely new planned for them. The seven gamers are cast into an alternate world of magic, fire-breathing dragons – and a quasi-medieval culture with slavery. The only way back to Earth is through a dragon-guarded Gate Between Worlds, about which little is known.

The five men and two women face tough challenges – simple survival in a harsh environment as well as finding the mysterious Gate to bring them home. Publishers Weekly praised…


Book cover of Destiny of Souls: New Case Studies of Life Between Lives

Barron Steffen Author Of The Final Gift of the Beloved: Her Disappearance-13 Days

From my list on spirituality for life's purpose and grief.

Why am I passionate about this?

Without my longtime commitment to the spiritual path of Siddha Yoga, I am quite sure that I would never have even met my wife Seana for I would not have been ready for her, let alone survived the trials along the way. And I certainly would not have been able to meet the calamity of her sudden death and come to know it as something else entirely. I have discovered the most strange and wonderful thing—that hidden within the death of a loved one may also be her final gift to us. And this is what I wish for you—in your moment of greatest need, though the world feels shattered into a thousand shards—may you remember this possibility and fully receive what the beloved longs to give you in farewell.

Barron's book list on spirituality for life's purpose and grief

Barron Steffen Why did Barron love this book?

A few years ago when my wife suddenly died, on the second day I spoke to a dear friend who also happens to be a longtime monk on my spiritual path. He mentioned a book by a psychologist who took people to see the greater arc of their soul’s journey—their ‘lives between lives’. That doctor was Dr. Michael Newton, and this is my favorite of his series.

At the time, reading it had a profound effect on my growing understanding of the greater arc of the human soul and provided an immense sense of peace. Above all, it soothed my tattered mind at a moment when life felt incomprehensible and helped me make sense of our larger purpose for being here even while still grieving. Through 70 case histories of real people who were regressed into their ‘lives between lives,’ Dr. Newton reveals life continuing on the other side, ways…

By Michael Newton,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Featuring seven case histories of real people who were regressed into their lives between lives, this text discusses the mystery of life in the herafter.


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 Five Lives Remembered

Claudia Amendola Alzraa Author Of Intuitive Tarot 101: A self-study journey through the tarot

From my list on past lives that will help you heal.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a clairaudient medium and I’ve been a professional tarot card reader for 23 years. Delving into past lives is not only something I’m fascinated with but something I do for my spiritual business, as well. The most important part for my clients is not only knowing about their past lives but understanding how the struggles and lessons learned in those lives are applicable to their present life on this planet. History repeats itself is not just a cliche; I’ve always known how important it is to process and release these karmic teachings.

Claudia's book list on past lives that will help you heal

Claudia Amendola Alzraa Why did Claudia love this book?

I couldn’t make a list on the most healing books on past lives without featuring Dolores Cannon - but picking a favourite from her large list of books on the subject matter was a challenge!

As I immersed myself in the stories of the individuals and their past lives in Five Lives Remembered, I discovered an interconnectedness that touched me deeply. Through their regressions, the power of healing past-life traumas and understanding the lessons they carried was profound.

This book provided me with a deep sense of validation, helping me make sense of my own struggles and patterns in this present life. It offered a transformative perspective on forgiveness, compassion, and personal growth.

By Dolores Cannon,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

What do you do when you discover information that is before its time? What do you do when your curiosity takes you on an adventure that is so bizarre that there is nothing normal to relate to? This is what happened to Dolores Cannon in 1968, long before she began her career as a past-life hypnotherapist and regressionist. Travel back with us to that time when the words reincarnation, past-lives, regression, walk-ins, New Age were unknown to the general population.

This is the story of two normal people, who accidentally stumbled across past-lives while working with a doctor to help…


Book cover of Fludd: A Novel

Devorah Blachor Author Of The Feminist's Guide to Raising a Little Princess: How to Raise a Girl Who's Authentic, Joyful, and Fearless--Even If She Refuses to Wear Anything but a Pink Tutu

From my list on satire that makes you laugh and cry.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer, journalist, satirist, and novelist. I’ve written humor and satire for McSweeney’s, The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, The Belladonna, and other publications, often about subjects that make me angry, sad, or both. Sometimes I write as a way to process, to vent, and to make fun of myself. I wrote a humor piece called "Turn Your Princess Toddler Into a Feminist in 8 Easy Steps." The New York Times published it, and it went viral. There was so much interest in the piece it prompted me to start researching the topic of princess obsessed girls. That research became my nonfiction book – The Feminist’s Guide to Raising a Little Princess

Devorah's book list on satire that makes you laugh and cry

Devorah Blachor Why did Devorah love this book?

No living writer rivals Hillary Mantel in terms of sheer accomplishment and talent, so it might be annoying for us mortals to learn that on top of it all, she is also very, very funny. Fludd was a wonderful surprise for me after reading her previous works. A mysterious curate joins the parish of a small, bleak British and Catholic town whose priest has lost his faith and whose parishioners are wallowing in superstition. What could possibly go wrong? Mantel elegantly satirizes the eccentricities and harsh judgments of the religious townsfolk, while giving us a thoroughly pleasurable read about faith and love.    

By Hilary Mantel,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A novel featuring Fludd who investigates what happened to Lazarus, after he was raised from the dead. To follow up his search he impersonates a Roman Catholic priest. It is not immediately apparent that he is an impostor and he receives a curiously hostile reception.


Book cover of Many Lives, Many Masters

Rande Brown

From my list on karma and reincarnation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent the last 50 years exploring the intersection of Eastern and Western thought and spirituality. Along the way, I experientially learned the details of three of my former lifetimes: as a rabbi in 3rd-century Alexandria, as a tantric yogini and follower of Achi Chokyi Nyima in China, and as the legendary courtesan Lady Mori, who became the disciple and lover of the Zen master Ikkyu in 15th-century Japan. Studying the ways my previous incarnations are interconnected has taught me much about how the principles of karma and reincarnation function in real-time in the actual world, and I treasure the opportunity to share these insights with you.

Rande's book list on karma and reincarnation

Rande Brown Why did Rande love this book?

This million-copy bestselling classic is one of the breakthrough texts in past-life regression therapy. As a traditional therapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was skeptical when one of his patients recalled past-life traumas—until she began channeling messages that contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss’ family.

This book is a wonderful introduction to the way that our past lives exert a powerful impact on our current lives and can obstruct our psycho-spiritual growth.

By Brian L. Weiss,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Many Lives, Many Masters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From author and psychotherapist Dr. Brian Weiss comes the classic New York Times bestseller on the true case of the past-life therapy that changed the lives of both the prominent psychiatrist and young patient involved-now featuring a new afterword by the author.

As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the "space between lives," which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss' family and…


Book cover of Gallows Hill

Kathryn Reiss Author Of Dreadful Sorry

From my list on reincarnation for kids and teens.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a girl, my grandmother called me an ‘old soul’ and said she thought my fascination with the 19th century meant that I’d lived then in another life. Ever since, this notion that a person might have lived before has always fascinated me! I gravitate to books that bring the past and present together in all sorts of ways–through memory, ghosts, time travel…and reincarnation. Now my own books of suspense for kids and teens deal with many of those same themes. I always write books I would want to read myself!

Kathryn's book list on reincarnation for kids and teens

Kathryn Reiss Why did Kathryn love this book?

I’ve always had an interest in the Salem Witch Trials. So Gallows Hills is a spine-tingling novel that ticks a lot of boxes for me! 17-year-old Sarah moves to a new town and is asked to be a fortune teller at a local fair. When her fortunes start coming true, people question her. Is she a witch? Then she starts having visions that link her to a time and place long ago. I love the idea that our past is always with us, and that we are doomed to repeat the past until we can deal with it!

By Lois Duncan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Gallows Hill 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?

Sarah agrees to play the fortune teller at the school fair. But as she looks into the ball, disturbing images appear and the students begin to believe that she is a witch and threaten her. As the danger increases, Sarah's mother and her friend intervene and prevent disaster.


Book cover of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Book cover of A Spell for Chameleon
Book cover of The Forgotten Door

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