Love Voyage of the Damned? Readers share 100 books like Voyage of the Damned...

By Frances White,

Here are 100 books that Voyage of the Damned fans have personally recommended if you like Voyage of the Damned. 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 Six of Crows

Holly Huntress Author Of Forbidden Waves

From my list on fantasy with multiple POV's for the storytelling.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing formally since I started my first book in high school. Even then, I was writing with dual POVs. Having multiple perspectives throughout my stories has been essential to all my books. I believe it adds so much more than a single POV can, and I love the process of it. You must decide what each of the charactersā€™ motivations, and defining characteristics are and relate them back to the story. My most recent novel, below, has four POVs, each of which is as important as the others.

Holly's book list on fantasy with multiple POV's for the storytelling

Holly Huntress Why did Holly love this book?

This book will always stick with me because of the amazing thought put behind one of the main characterā€™s plotting. Kaz easily has one of the best minds in any book Iā€™ve ever read. Along with Kaz, though, there are multiple other POVs which are equally as important to the story.

It had more POVs than any book I had read previously, but the way Bardugo wrote them had me wanting more of them all and unable to pick a favorite. Each character has a unique voice and story that perfectly complements the overarching plot.

Even when I wasnā€™t sure how something would fit into the main thread of the story, it wove back in at the right moment and made perfect sense.

By Leigh Bardugo,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked Six of Crows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

*See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with Shadow and Bone, now a Netflix original series.*

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017, this fantasy epic from the No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Grisha trilogy is gripping, sweeping and memorable - perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Laini Taylor and Kristin Cashore.

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams - but he can't pull it off alone.

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walkā€¦


Book cover of So Let Them Burn

Laura R. Samotin Author Of The Sins On Their Bones

From my list on queer family fantasy give you the feels.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a trope-obsessed author who counts found family among her favorite Ao3 tags. I cannot get enough of books which read like fanfiction, and Iā€™ll recommend my favorites every chance I get. I also do my part to put more queer found family books into the worldā€”my debut adult fantasy The Sins On Their Bones is being published by Random House Canada in May 2024. When Iā€™m not writing, Iā€™m a full-time servant to my two enormous cats. 

Laura's book list on queer family fantasy give you the feels

Laura R. Samotin Why did Laura love this book?

If youā€™re looking for the best-found family in the most stunning dragon book ever, look no further than the Den in this book, a queer Jamaican-inspired book about magic-wielders and dragon-riders defending their island from colonizers.

I cheered Elara, Faron, and the rest of the cast on as the book soared to thrilling heights and completely swept me away. I came for the world, magic, and dragons and stayed for the banter, found family, touching story of love and lossā€”and dragons. I firmly believe that this one will become a classic of YA fantasy.  

By Kamilah Cole,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked So Let Them Burn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.


Book cover of A Betrayal of Storms: Realm of Fey

Laura R. Samotin Author Of The Sins On Their Bones

From my list on queer family fantasy give you the feels.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a trope-obsessed author who counts found family among her favorite Ao3 tags. I cannot get enough of books which read like fanfiction, and Iā€™ll recommend my favorites every chance I get. I also do my part to put more queer found family books into the worldā€”my debut adult fantasy The Sins On Their Bones is being published by Random House Canada in May 2024. When Iā€™m not writing, Iā€™m a full-time servant to my two enormous cats. 

Laura's book list on queer family fantasy give you the feels

Laura R. Samotin Why did Laura love this book?

As a fan of epic fantasy, swoon-worthy romance, and political intrigue, I fell so hard for this bookā€”and itā€™s the first in a series of four books, so there was more than enough to feed my desire for all the action.

The series follows Robin, a seemingly ordinary boy whose kidnapping leads him to discover that heā€™s anything but. His journey of self-discovery and selfā€”acceptance truly spoke to me as a reader, and the kick-ass family he gathers around him along the way cemented the Realm of Fey series as one of my favorite found family fantasies.  

By Ben Alderson,

Why should I read it?

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


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Book cover of This Dark Descent

Laura R. Samotin Author Of The Sins On Their Bones

From my list on queer family fantasy give you the feels.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a trope-obsessed author who counts found family among her favorite Ao3 tags. I cannot get enough of books which read like fanfiction, and Iā€™ll recommend my favorites every chance I get. I also do my part to put more queer found family books into the worldā€”my debut adult fantasy The Sins On Their Bones is being published by Random House Canada in May 2024. When Iā€™m not writing, Iā€™m a full-time servant to my two enormous cats. 

Laura's book list on queer family fantasy give you the feels

Laura R. Samotin Why did Laura love this book?

I was immediately enthralled by this queer Jewish-found fantasy book, pitched as Scorpio Races meets Peaky Blinders.

The daughter of a renowned family facing impending ruin teams up with a rogue enchanter and an ambitious heir to win a deadly horse race using forbidden magic.

As I read this book in a single sitting, my heart felt like I was the one running a race. I loved the entire gang, as well as the star of this particular found familyā€”the cat. 

By Kalyn Josephson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked This Dark Descent as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Enter the corrupt world of Veradell, where warring monarchs vie for a kingdom full of forbidden magic, illicit romance and cut-throat horse racing. Steeped in Jewish folklore, this fast-paced YA fantasy by Kalyn Josephson is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.

Mikira Rusel is out of options. With her father imprisoned and facing rising debts, there's only one way to save her family from ruin: enter the Illinir, a high-stakes, cross-country horse race known for its high death toll as much as its flashy prize money.

To have any chance of success she'll have to recruit Ari,ā€¦


Book cover of Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles

'Nathan Burgoine Author Of Upon the Midnight Queer

From my list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who struggles with the relentless ā€œFamily is everything!ā€ of the holidaysā€”a reality I share in common with a lot of queer peopleā€”Iā€™ve been a lover of queer holiday stories that work to counterbalance and center the chosen families so many of us queer people create. As a queer reader, Iā€™m always looking for more immersive stories about people like me, and during the holidays, Iā€™m all the more ready for happy stories of queer holiday joy. I also own a rescued husky, and queer holiday audiobooks help get me through those frosty Canadian winter walks.

'Nathan's book list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay

'Nathan Burgoine Why did 'Nathan love this book?

I re-listen to this one on audiobook every year while I bake my Christmas cookies and walk the dog, and every year, it helps conjure joy via the two men realizing theyā€™re right for each other despite some missteps. Thanks to some dire events, the main character, Toby, learns how to both stand up for himself and finally declare what it is he wants out of lifeā€”which happens to be Mr. Miggles, the town librarian (and also his boss).

Tristan Wright takes an already wonderful story and makes it entirely engrossing via his performance, and I have multiple ā€œYes!ā€ fist-pumping moments throughout (which, if Iā€™m walking the dog, makes people stare at me on the street). Also, Toby and his love interest, Mr. Miggles, are librarians, and this story has so much library love in it I felt like I was getting a warm hug.

By Eli Easton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Toby Kincaid loves being the junior librarian in his hometown of Sandy Lake, Ohio. He spends his days surrounded by books and chatting with the library patrons. He especially adores the head librarian, Mr. Miggles, who is kind, witty, knowledgeable about everything, and hopelessly addicted to Christmas. Sean Miggles is also pretty cuteā€”especially for an older guy who wears ties and suit pants every day. But Sean keeps himself at a distance, and thereā€™s a sadness about him that Toby canā€™t figure out. When Sean is accused of a crime he didnā€™t commit, he gives up without a fight. Tobyā€¦


Book cover of A Clash of Steel

A.E. Ross Author Of Run in the Blood

From my list on queer swashbuckling.

Why am I passionate about this?

Two things I absolutely loved growing up: fantasy novels and history. Swashbuckling pirate stories are like a fantastic combination of both, and the way that the age of sail touched all corners of the world creates an opportunity for so many different kinds of stories to be told through this lens. As a queer writer, my passion is writing the kind of stories I loved as a child. As a trans adult, I find joy in making the next generations feel comfortable in their own skin. Living in Vancouver, B.C. I write novels and animated television, and I also co-host a podcast about advertising called Ad Creeps

A.E.'s book list on queer swashbuckling

A.E. Ross Why did A.E. love this book?

Iā€™m a huge fan of queer re-tellings (as you can probably sense from this list) as well as lush, detailed historical fiction, and C.B. Lee delivers both in this vivid, adrenaline-spiking adventure. My favorite thing about this story is how Lee takes the bones of Treasure Island and reanimates them, bringing a new perspective to a classic by shifting the focus from traditional Western pirate narratives. Riding the waves with Xiang as she discovers her own identity and family history is an absolute delight, and seeing her relationship with Anh grow is a beautiful thrill. 

By C.B. Lee,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

China, 1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Red Banner Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more.

Sheltered her whole life, Xiang desperately wants to set sail and explore like her late father. Her only memento of him is a plain gold pendant. But the pendant's true nature is revealed when a mysterious girl named Anh steals it, only to return it to Xiang in exchange for her help in decoding the tiny map scroll hidden inside. Rumour has it that the legendary Dragon Queen had one last treasureā€¦


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Book cover of The Woodland Stranger: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

The Woodland Stranger by Jane Buehler,

Burneā€™s been hiding out in the forest since deserting the Kingā€™s Guard. Each time he tries to return to the village, he begins to panic. And then one day, he encounters a handsome stranger picking flowers and hides behind a tree instead of talking.

He wants to be braverā€”and heā€™sā€¦

Book cover of Unbreakable

'Nathan Burgoine Author Of Faux Ho Ho

From my list on queer audiobooks to walk your dog by.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone whoā€™s never been allowed to drive, but gets motion-sick reading in a bus or car, Iā€™ve been a lover of audiobooks since I had my Walkman and a backpack full of audiobook cassettes. As a queer man, Iā€™m always looking for more immersive stories about people like me. Finding queer voices and queer narratives is so important to me as a way to offset how queer people donā€™t have an inherited continuance of our culture as most marginalized people do; books are a way to fill that gap. I do own a rescued husky, and thereā€™s nothing like an engrossing audiobook to get me through those minus-forty Canadian winter walks with a dog.

'Nathan's book list on queer audiobooks to walk your dog by

'Nathan Burgoine Why did 'Nathan love this book?

Cari Hunter never fails to invoke Northern England with every sense, and Nicola Victoria Vincentā€™s performances continue to be among the absolute best experiences. This story starts off with an EMT, Grace, being taken hostage by a wounded woman at gunpoint, and then manages to twist and shift the entire time youā€™re listening. Hunterā€™s ability to weave in a secondary romantic plot while people are dodging bullets, outwitting villains, and desperately trying to stay alive is brilliant, and my dog always gets a longer walk while Iā€™ve got a Hunter thriller to listen to. If youā€™re a fan of thrillers and audiobooks, and have yet to bump into Hunter or Vincent, thank me later, once youā€™ve enjoyed the whole backlist.

By Cari Hunter,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Dr. Grace Kendal never stands a chance. The injured woman comes out of nowhere, bleeding heavily and holding a gun. Compelled to help her, Grace is dragged into Elin Breckenridgeā€™s nightmare. Their fight to survive will take them across the country and to the limits of their endurance. But who is Elin running from? As Grace struggles for answers, one thing becomes clearā€”Elin is somehow connected to a dead man, and Grace could be next.

For Detective Sergeant Safia Faris, the case should have been easy: one dead body, one suspect. But the deeper she digs, the more obvious itā€¦


Book cover of Under the Mistletoe

Ivy L. James Author Of Make the Yuletide Gay

From my list on queer romance capturing the magic of the holidays.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve adored holiday love stories ever since I was a kid watching Hallmark movies. Thereā€™s something about the magic of the holidays that makes two people falling in love even more special. Thatā€™s why I chose a contemporary holiday romance for my debut. And we see so much straight romance on TV and in bookstores, but I want to contribute to the queer community with my writing. I write a mix of sexualities; Make the Yuletide Gay features two lesbian women. All that to say, I just love queer holiday romances!

Ivy's book list on queer romance capturing the magic of the holidays

Ivy L. James Why did Ivy love this book?

Okay, first of all, one lead starts off hating the other. Sign me up, right? I like how theyā€™re both lesfic writers but the first two chapters immediately juxtapose where they are in their processes ā€“ one is a nobody who canā€™t write fast enough and the other is a big name with writerā€™s block. They get roomed together at a writing retreat and then snowed in, so double the forced proximity. We love to see it. For me, this book is a lovely balance of Christmassiness (let me have this word, okay?) and writerliness. It helps me remember why I enjoy writing my queer romances ā€“ for the love of storytelling, not for money or fame. (But note: I donā€™t condone most of the writing opinions put forth in this story.)

By Everly James,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Samantha Evans, popular lesbian romance author, has writerā€™s block and a book due by New Yearā€™s Eve. When she signs up for a writing retreat in an attempt to overcome her lack of creativity, she expects a single-occupancy cabin and plenty of silence for crafting her new book.

What she doesnā€™t expect is a roommate. A gorgeous, woman roommate.

Gia Torres is an aspiring novelist eager to break into the publishing world and leave her horrible day job as a barista behind. She travels to a Colorado retreat to finish her very first novel, not expecting to find beautiful Samanthaā€¦


Book cover of American Christmas

'Nathan Burgoine Author Of Upon the Midnight Queer

From my list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who struggles with the relentless ā€œFamily is everything!ā€ of the holidaysā€”a reality I share in common with a lot of queer peopleā€”Iā€™ve been a lover of queer holiday stories that work to counterbalance and center the chosen families so many of us queer people create. As a queer reader, Iā€™m always looking for more immersive stories about people like me, and during the holidays, Iā€™m all the more ready for happy stories of queer holiday joy. I also own a rescued husky, and queer holiday audiobooks help get me through those frosty Canadian winter walks.

'Nathan's book list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay

'Nathan Burgoine Why did 'Nathan love this book?

Itā€™s a queer re-telling of The Gift of the Magi, both adorable and melodramaticā€”and I loved it! Yin and Ari celebrate their own space theyā€™ve carved out with help from supportive friends and family and their own hard work, which fits Herreraā€™s Dreamers/refugee theme and is handled with trust, compassion, and loveā€”but isnā€™t sugar-coated, either.

Theyā€™ve both got instincts and baggage around things falling apart or not working out and a hesitancy to think they can do enough for each other. This brilliantly written psychology leads to a series of good (yet terrible) choices. Watching them try to do something truly special for each otherā€”even though theyā€™re breaking their own rules for the gift exchangeā€”had this wonderful bittersweet edge to it that ultimately ended on a note of joy I really loved, even if it got a little bumpy along the way.

By Adriana Herrera,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Denpo Myint ā€œYinā€ Thuta is living the dream. His dream. A good job, higher education, supportive community and, best of all, his live-in boyfriend, Ari. Yin has his happily-ever-after ā€¦ if only he and Ari could take the time to actually enjoy it. With the holidays fast approaching, Yinā€™s determined to change all that and surprise Ari with an over-the-top gift that will leave him in no doubt how much heā€™s lovedā€”even though they agreed to keep things simple this year.

Like Yin, Aristide ā€œAriā€ Douniama worked so hard to secure his future that he may have forgotten how toā€¦


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Book cover of That First Heady Burn

That First Heady Burn by George Bixley,

Donā€™t mess with the hotheadā€”or he might just mess with you. Slater IbƔƱez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side ofā€¦

Book cover of Crushing It

Caroline Huntoon Author Of Skating on Mars

From my list on best sports books that center queer youth.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m an accidental sports writer. While I played a few sports as a child and went as Sporty Spice for one ill-advised Halloween, I didnā€™t grow up on a steady diet of sports stories. I just didnā€™t get it. Sure, I heard stories of triumphant soccer seasons and rag-tag baseball teams, but they didnā€™t capture my interest. But then I grew upā€¦ and books became more diverse. I started revisiting sports novels after writing my debut novel. Seeing authors use sports as a way to explore queerness has changed my understanding of sports stories and given me a new appreciation for the genre. I canā€™t get enough!

Caroline's book list on best sports books that center queer youth

Caroline Huntoon Why did Caroline love this book?

Look, if this book had been around when I was in middle school, it would have been a game changer (pun absolutely intended). This book has it all: lesbian-enemies-to-the-middle-school-equivalent-of-lovers, heart-pounding descriptions of soccer, complex family dynamics, and fraught friendships! Yes, all of those trope-y pieces might feel like a delightful, frothy treat, but this book packs a real emotional punch.

The dual point-of-view gives readers the chance to understand the complex relationship between Mel and Toryā€”and fall in love with both characters! Becker also sprinkles in some great conversations about self-expression. Beware: this is a read-in-one-sitting kind of book!

By Erin Becker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crushing It as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

From debut author Erin Becker comes an action-packed but tender novel about first romance, queer identity, and learning how to be brave when it matters the most.

On the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She's ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can't get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst. The only place she feels like herself is in her text conversations whereā€¦


Book cover of Six of Crows
Book cover of So Let Them Burn
Book cover of A Betrayal of Storms: Realm of Fey

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