It’s time for another “if you like this, then you’ll probably enjoy this” article. Truth be told, I find most of the books I desire to read by looking up similar stories to some of my favorites. Not all of the time are they accurately depicted as being similar, although I find it interesting that people pair together certain novels based on unique vibes they share. I often do this with films as well, or even music when I try to encapsulate the feeling of a story beyond the page. For this post, I tried to stick to one well known novel and pair it with one or more lesser known stories that I feel can be considered written for the same audience. There will be some throwbacks in here, as well as a mix of genres.
First, this one is for fans of Leigh Bardugo. The Shadow and Bone trilogy, as well as the Six of Crows duology, have both re-entered the spotlight (if they’d ever left) due to the premier of the 2021 Netflix series Shadow and Bone. While I love all of Bardugo’s work, the trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart because of how impactful it was when I first read it years ago. For that reason, I’m going to suggest that if you enjoyed those books, you might want to check out Deathless by Catherynne M Valente and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Perhaps the most obvious connection between all of these stories are the Slavic (particularly Russian) folklore influence they embody. They are fantasy novels, although Deathless is an incredibly strange and somewhat hard to read story at first. I loved it, although I still cannot say with confidence that I understand 100% of what occurred in that novel.
Moving on to all of those Elven and Fae lovers, of course there is Sarah J Maas and Holly Black. I often find that it is challenging to suggest new reads to people who follow these authors because typically everyone has already read the books I recommend because we all couldn’t get enough of the former. I would say that Uprooted by Naomi Novik, An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, and The Unseelie Prince by Kathryn Ann Kindsley are all similar in woodland fantasy appeal.
For fans of dark academia and Donna Tartt, I’ve already written an extensive post on some of the best D.A. novels I’ve had the pleasure of finding, and you can read that here.
Last, for fans of A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab, I’d recommend The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and oddly enough Things in Jars by Jess Kidd. Both of these recommendations have less to do with plot and are more closely related to Schwab’s novels through the atmosphere of the story. They evoke a sense of adventure through a strange and unique writing style. The characters are all ambitious and a bit wicked, which I think is a wonderful combination for a narrator because it keeps the plot entertaining.
Anthology of V. 