Books like 'A Wizard in Absentia'
Readers who enjoyed A Wizard in Absentia by Christopher Stasheff also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy 20th century epic low-fantasy coming-of-age
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Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsOn the night Ronia was born, a thunderstorm raged over the mountain, but in Matt's castle and among his band of robbers there was only joy -- for Matt now had a spirited little black-haired daughter. Soon Ronia learns to dance and yell with the robbers, but it is alone in the forest that she feels truly at home. Then one day Ronia meets Birk, the son of Matt's arch-enemy...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book children classics -
![The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan]()
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 74 ratingsThe Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One... -
![Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce]()
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsFrom now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight.And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook boarding-school book -
![The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan]()
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 74 ratingsThe Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time... -
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![The Orphans of Ardwick by Emma Hornby]()
The Orphans of Ardwick by Emma Hornby
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter a cold, hard winter on the streets, three orphan children are about to give up hope when an unexpected turn of events brings them to the doorstep of a grand house in Ardwick, Manchester. Taken in by the firm but kind-hearted cook, the young friends can hardly believe their luck... -
![The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart]()
The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsKeeping watch over the young Arthur Pendragon, the prince and prophet Merlin Ambrosius is haunted by dreams of the magical sword Caliburn, which has been hidden for centuries. When Uther Pendragon is killed in battle, the time of destiny is at hand, and Arthur must claim the fabled sword to become the true High King of Britain... -
![The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton]()
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsJo, Bessie and Fanny take their cousin Rick on an adventure he'll never forget to the magic Faraway Tree, where he meets Moon-Face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man, and visits all the different lands at the top of the Faraway Tree...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book children children-books -
![The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges]()
The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTranslation to English of the Spanish short story "El Aleph", originally published in 1945...Categorized as:
low-fantasy fiction classics fantasy magical-realism literary-fiction 20th-century university -
![Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey]()
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsPursuing her dream to be a Harper of Pern, Menolly studies under the Masterharper learning that more is required than a facility with music and a clever way with words... -
![The Book of Fantasy by Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo]()
The Book of Fantasy by Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Book of Fantasy began one night when three friends fell to talking about fantasies and ghost stories... -
![This I Know by Eldonna Edwards]()
This I Know by Eldonna Edwards
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSet in a small Midwest town in the late 1960s and helmed by an unforgettable young protagonist—compassionate, uncannily wise Grace—This I Know is a luminous coming-of-age story from an astonishing new voice. Eleven-year-old Grace Carter has a talent for hiding things... -
![Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb]()
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsThe legend continues…Regal’s treasonous attempt to usurp the Six Duchies throne from his half-brother Verity has been foiled... -
![The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia]()
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsFrom a beguiling voice in Mexican fiction comes an astonishing novel—her first to be translated into English—about a mysterious child with the power to change a family’s history in a country on the verge of revolution.From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century 21st-century action-adventure adult animals audiobook -
![The High King by Lloyd Alexander]()
The High King by Lloyd Alexander
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsWhen the sword of Dyrnwyn, the most powerful weapon inthe kingdom of Prydain, falls into the hands of Arawn-Death-Lord, Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, and Prince Gwydion raise an army to march against Arawn's terrible cohorts. After a winter expedition filled with danger, Taran's army arrives at Mount Dragon, Arawn's stronghold... -
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![The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart]()
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsFifth century Britain is a country of chaos and division after the Roman withdrawal. This is the world of young Merlin, the illegitimate child of a South Wales princess who will not reveal to her son his father's true identity. Yet Merlin is an extraordinary child, aware at the earliest age that he possesses a great natural gift - the Sight... -
![To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams]()
To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsAs the evil minions of the undead Sithi Storm King prepare for the kingdom-shattering culmination of their dark sorceries and King Elias is drawn ever deeper into their nightmarish, spell spun world, the loyal allies of Prince Josua desperately struggle to rally their forces at the Stone of Farewell... -
![The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis]()
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 100 ratingsPeter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy find their way through an old wardrobe into the world of Narnia. There, they unite with Aslan to fight the White Witch and save Narnia from perpetual Darkness... -
![The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges, George Guidall]()
The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges, George Guidall
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"The Garden of Forking Paths" (original Spanish title: "El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan") is the title story in the collection El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan (1941), which was republished in its entirety in Ficciones (Fictions) in 1944...Categorized as:
low-fantasy fiction classics magical-realism philosophy fantasy 20th-century literary-fiction -
![Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey]()
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsIt was not Threadfall that made Menolly unhappy. It was her father who betrayed her ambition to be a Harper, who thwarted her love of music. Menolly had no choice but to run away. She came upon a group of fire lizards, wild relatives of the fire-breathing dragons. Her music swirled about them; she taught nine to sing, suddenly Menolly was no longer alone... -
![Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb]()
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsFitz is about to discover the truth about the Fool's prophecy.Having been resurected from his fatal tortures in Regal's dungeons, Fitz has once more foiled the Prince's attempts to be rid of him.Now, restored to his own body, Fitz begins the painful, slow process of learning to be a man again... -
![The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce]()
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 64 ratings"Let her prove herself worthy as a man." Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead... -
![Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede]()
Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsAlways be polite to dragons!That's what Daystar's mother taught him...and it's a very wise lesson--one that might just help him after his mom hands him a magic sword and kicks him out of the house. Especially because his house sits on the edge of the Enchanted Forest and his mother is Queen Cimorene.But the tricky part is figuring out what he's supposed to do with the magic sword... -
![The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan]()
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsThe Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again... -
![The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey]()
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsJaxom, a rebellious young aristocrat, and Ruth, his white dragon, fly into another time to retrieve the queen's stolen egg, thereby averting a dragonrider war, and find their planet threatened once again by a Threadfall... -
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![Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey]()
Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsMage-Craft—Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wants no part of such things. Nor does he seek a warrior's path, wishing instead to become a Bard. Yet such talent as his if left untrained may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well... -
![Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb]()
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsWizardwood, a sentient wood.The most precious commodity in the world.Like many other legendary wares, it comes only from the Rain River Wilds... -
![Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist]()
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 64 ratingsAn alternate cover edition of this ISBN can be found here.To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. His courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, but he was ill at ease with normal wizardry... -
![Redwall by Brian Jacques]()
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsA quest to recover a legendary lost weapon by bumbling young apprentice monk, mouse Matthias. Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is threatened by Cluny the Scourge savage bilge rat warlord and his battle-hardened horde. But the Redwall mice and their loyal woodland friends combine their courage and strength...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook book -
![Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce]()
Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThere is an alternate cover edition of this book here.Former "street rat" Briar leads a comfortable life at Winding Circle Temple, learning plant magic from Rosethorn. But street kids are still his friends, and when one of them gets sick, she turns to Briar for help. When her disease proves beyond even Rosethorn's power, Briar realizes that all of Summersea is in danger...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book children children-books -
![The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman]()
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 89 ratingsLost in a new world, Lyra finds Will—a boy on the run, a murderer—a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power... -
![Test of the Twins by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman]()
Test of the Twins by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsDefying the fate that claimed his evil predecessor, Raistlin opens the Portal to the Abyss and passes through. With Crysania at his side, he engages the Queen of Darkness in a battle for the ultimate prize-a seat among the gods.At the same time, Caramon and Tasslehoff are transported to the future...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook christian classics -
![Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville]()
Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne unicorn dwells on Earth.Hundreds fight in Luster.Their legends are recorded inThe Unicorn Chronicles.Book II: Song of the WandererCara must return to Earth to save her grandmother, the Wanderer. But to do so, Cara must first travel through the wilderness of Luster, land of the unicorns, full of unknown creatures and perilous adventure around every bend in the road... -
![Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings]()
Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 59 ratingsA magnificent epic set against a history of seven thousand years of the struggles of Gods and Kings and men - of strange lands and events - of fate and a prophecy that must be fulfilled!THE BELGARIADIt had all begun with the theft of the Orb that had so long protected the West from the evil God Torak. Before that, Garion had been a simple farm boy... -
![Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey]()
Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsFollows the adventures of Talia as she trains to become a Herald of Valdemar in the first book in the classic epic fantasy Arrows trilogyChosen by the Companion Rolan, a mystical horse-like being with powers beyond imagining, Talia, once a runaway, has now become a trainee Herald, destined to become one of the Queen's own elite guard... -
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![Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques]()
Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsFinally, the long awaited tale of Martin, the Warrior mouse of RedwallAs a child, Martin was brought to the stronghold of Badrang the Tyrant, forced into enslavement behind its massive walls. But he was strong. He was brave...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook book -
![Sabriel by Garth Nix]()
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 76 ratingsSent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him... -
![The Gandalara Cycle II by Randall Garrett, Vicki Ann Heydron]()
The Gandalara Cycle II by Randall Garrett, Vicki Ann Heydron
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsContains the novels:4. The Well of Darkness5. The Search for Ka6... -
![Destiny's Conflict by Janny Wurts]()
Destiny's Conflict by Janny Wurts
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe long-awaited second book of the fourth story arc - Sword of the Canon - in the epic fantasy series, the Wars of Light and Shadow.Lysaer’s unstable integrity lies under threat of total downfall, and as his determined protector, Daliana will face the most frightening decision of her young life... -
![The Forgotten Witch by Jessica Dodge]()
The Forgotten Witch by Jessica Dodge
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHelen Kent never dares to step outside her comfort zone. She lives a lonely mundane life in the city, grinding through her uninspiring marketing job. That is, until a spontaneous online purchase brings her to the little bay town of Oban, Scotland, where a 500-year-old cottage full of secrets and stories awaits her...Categorized as:
low-fantasy fantasy fiction witches-wizards urban-fantasy dark-fantasy horror paranormal -
![The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder]()
The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIvy Carson belonged to the notorious Carson family, which lived in a run-down house in suburban Rosewood. But Ivy was not a typical Carson. There was something wonderful about her. Ivy explained it by saying that she was a changeling, a child of supernatural parents who had been exchanged for the real Ivy Carson at birth. This classic book was first published in 1970...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy 20th-century action-adventure book children children-books classics -
![Magician's Gambit by David Eddings]()
Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 63 ratingsCe'Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tolnedra, is confused. Everyone knows the tales of the Orb protecting the West from the evil god Torak are just silly legends. But here she is, forced to join a dangerous quest to recover that stolen Orb. No one believes in sorcery, but Garion's aunt and grandfather seem to be the fabled sorcerers Polgara and Belgarath, who would have to be thousands of years old... -
![Amy's Eyes by Richard Kennedy, Richard Egielski]()
Amy's Eyes by Richard Kennedy, Richard Egielski
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA girl who has changed into a doll and a doll who has changed into a sea captain sail the pirate-ridden high seas with a crew of Mother Goose animals, in search of gold treasure... -
![The Little King December by Axel Hacke]()
The Little King December by Axel Hacke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDecember II, the little pot-bellied king, is about three inches tall and so fat that he can't button up his tiny red velvet coat. He lives in a tiny room in a hole in the wall, its shelves piled high with countless colourful boxes, full of his dreams. And when you're with him you see things your eyes won't normally see... -
![4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss]()
4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDiagnosed with a rare form of meningitis, a teenage boy is paralyzed from head to toe--trapped in his own mind. To cope with his imprisonment, he retreats to an imaginary world called his Mind Palace, but the lines between reality and time blur into wild adventures after he gets a new roommate--an old, outspoken, Jewish jazz musician with dementia... -
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![Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey]()
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsHOW CAN ONE GIRL SAVE AN ENTIRE WORLD?To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright. But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon... -
![The Moonlit Cage by Linda Holeman]()
The Moonlit Cage by Linda Holeman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDary�'s simple life in mid-nineteenth-century Afghanistan is torn apart when a hateful curse by a jealous tribeswoman leaves her an outcast in her small Muslim village...Categorized as:
coming-of-age 20th-century action-adventure adult book female-author fiction historical -
![The Circular Ruins by Jorge Luis Borges]()
The Circular Ruins by Jorge Luis Borges
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"The Circular Ruins"/"Las ruinas circulares") first published in the literary journal Sur in December 1940, it was included in the 1941 collection The Garden of Forking Paths (Spanish: El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan) and the 1944 collection Ficciones. It was first published in English in View (Series V, No. 6 1946), translated by Paul Bowles...Categorized as:
low-fantasy fiction fantasy classics magical-realism philosophy 20th-century university -
![The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin]()
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsLibrarian's Note: For an alternate cover edition of the same ISBN, click here.When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away - home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure audiobook bildungsroman book children -
![The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, Sandra Burr]()
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, Sandra Burr
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsLibrarian note: You can find an alternate cover edition here.This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love. Through Jean M...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure ancient-civilization animals audiobook book -
![Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander]()
Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsTaran is an Assistant Pig-Keeper no longer; he has become a hero. Now he dreams of winning the hand of the Princess Eilonwy. Eager to find his origins, Taran sets off with the faithful Gurgi on a quest across the marvelous land of Prydain...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic 20th-century action-adventure arthurian audiobook bildungsroman book
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