90 books like Urchin of the Riding Stars

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. 

This is one book that truly qualifies as a “modern classic” of YA literature.

This is the book that launched what would go on to be a 22-book series spanning some 25 years. But really, this book is a perfectly good story all by itself. You need not read any other in the series to enjoy this tale of heroism and courage set in a richly adorned world of woodland creatures and villainous monsters.

The vivid imagery Jacques uses in his writing makes the whole world of Redwall really come to life. You might say, as Jacques himself said, that he was trying to “paint pictures with words.”

I first read this book when I was 10 years old, and from then on I was utterly devoted to the genre of fantasy series.

With its mixture of childlike wonder and rather advanced concepts, this first book in the extensive Guardians of Ga’Hoole series succeeds in making the reader think while remaining an entertaining piece of literature. And the choice of owls as the main characters proves a worthwhile gamble on the part of the author that makes the series informative as well as unique.

This is another series I found completely by accident, but was not disappointed. In this series, though they can speak and talk like humans, the animals truly are and live as animals.

While some may find this a bit slow compared to some of the more anthropomorphic stories out there, it is really a fascinating mixture of a survival tale combined with societal commentary regarding the age-old conflict of nature versus nurture, in this case asking whether a group of different animals—some carnivorous and some herbivorous—can cooperate long enough to reach the safety of a new home.

Here’s another sacrifice for the girl to improve the family fortunes story. Creel’s aunt sets her up to be sacrificed to a dragon but no one really thinks a dragon will show up. When one does everything changes. Creel is stuck with an old brown dragon who doesn’t want to be bothered with fighting a dragon. Creel offers a trade – she wants something from his hoard to bring her good fortune. Again, we have a heroine who is tired of her life and seeks out her fortune in another way. I love the strong female lead and I love how clueless she is about something. I also enjoy the way the author breaks away from the typical tropes about princes. 

This book contains everything I love in a novel—deadly magic, mistaken identities, court intrigue, female friendships, and perhaps most importantly, romance! Exiled princess Wilhelmina has a vendetta against the Indigo Kingdom which long ago invaded her homeland and murdered her family. With the help of her best friend, she infiltrates the royal court in disguise and seeks to regain her throne. But obstacles are many—Wil harbors a magical secret that just might get her killed, a masked vigilante won’t leave her alone, and a magical blight is slowly sweeping through the land and destroying everything in its path. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time as I read this captivating book, and when it ended with a cliffhanger I nearly had a heart attack! Fortunately its sequel answered all my questions and more.

I was a teenager when I read the Stone of Tymora trilogy, and I remember the agonizing wait between book releases. This is a must-read for those looking for an adventure with pirates! This adventure somewhat runs along the events of another series based on R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt Do’urden books. Sometimes those characters slip in, but our main character, Maimun, has his own journey.  

Despite being in the same universe, this trilogy is less complex to follow than the hefty lore across Drizzt’s books, but the mystery behind the stone in the title our hero has at the beginning will have you glued in your seat waiting for answers.  

Everything about this book feels exquisite for me, from the rich worldbuilding, the slow burn romance, to the intricate magic system.

I rooted for the main characters from the beginning–a village girl in possession of forbidden magic, trying to protect her grandmother, and an exiled prince looking for vengeance. They start off as reluctant allies, but as they go through hardship and danger together, their relationship develops into something beautiful and meaningful.

I love how the story focuses on their personal growth, dealing with their past and coming to terms with what the future may hold for them.

Puck is doing all she can to keep her and her brothers together after their parents die from an attack by bloodthirsty waterhorses surrounding their island home of Thisby. I admire how this one fantastical element changes a ‘normal’ life to an ‘otherworldly’ one, and makes the island a strong character in the story. Raising and racing waterhorses is Thisby’s livelihood, and dire circumstances lead to Puck competing for the annual Scorpio Race prize money as the first girl to race, against great odds by riding her beloved island pony. 

I love the feel of the small Thisby and its quaint community of characters. Some are mercenary, some tough, but, like Puck and love-interest Sean, most love the wild nature of the ocean and waterhorses, which is magic to me.

I found Edgeland after hearing an interview with the authors. Their book sounded so incredibly creative that I had to pick up a copy. The story is about an orphan, Wren, banished from the House of Aron and left to live on the streets. Wren struggles to find safety and security while her friend, Alec, both age 12, has risen from apprentice to a high-ranking position within House Aron. The comparison of their lives are in stark contrast from Alec living with safety and security, to Wren seeking to find her place with the banished and forgotten. But the really interesting thing about Edgeland is the Drain.

It is a large, circular waterfall where the dead are sent in hopes of an afterlife. The story starts to accelerate at a fever pitch when Wren and Alec end up going over the edge of the Drain. They will uncover secrets about… show more.