Books like 'Votan and Other Novels'
Readers who enjoyed Votan and Other Novels by John James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy alternate history action / adventure supernatural historical-fiction unreliable-narrator myths classics literary-fiction
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The King's Traitor by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAgainst all odds, Owen Kiskaddon grew from frightened boy to confident youth to trusted officer in the court of Kingfountain—and watched its regent, Severn Argentine, grow ever more ruthless and power-mad. Robbed of his beloved protector, his noble mentor, and his true love, Owen has anticipated the day when the king he fears and reviles, yet loyally serves, will be toppled...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure alternate-history arthurian audiobook book -
![The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu]()
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsA publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume.With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths retellings 21st-century action-adventure adult -
![The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by John Joseph Adams, Stephen King]()
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by John Joseph Adams, Stephen King
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe game is afoot! Night Shade Books is proud to present the fantastic adventures of the world's greatest detective — mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror, no genre can escape the esteemed detective's needle-sharp intellect and intuition... -
![Eight by Samer Rabadi]()
Eight by Samer Rabadi
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLife’s tough when you’re trapped in an eight-year-old body on another world.His name is Eight. Not really, but that’s what the System decided after a slip of the tongue. One moment, he was stepping out the office door on the way home, and the next waking up on a hillside below a town wall. Oh, and the gate guard drove him off, because he thought Eight was a monster... -
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![The Shadows over Marquette by Álex Gilbert]()
The Shadows over Marquette by Álex Gilbert
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAriane has found refuge in Illinois, and now plans her rightful return to vampire society. She must stay in control while hiding in nature, while foes old and new converge on her territory... -
![Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore]()
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 65 ratingsThe birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday... -
![Khon'Tor's Wrath by Leigh Roberts]()
Khon'Tor's Wrath by Leigh Roberts
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat If... A long time ago, in order to avoid extinction, the ancient Sasquatch interbred with the humans. What if... The community repopulated, and lived in peace and harmony with all creation for generation after generation — until the compassionate act of their Healer set it all on end...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history animals book -
![Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart]()
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction myths retellings 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud, Simon Jones]()
The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud, Simon Jones
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsIt is 950 B.C.E., and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand; a hand on which gleams a magic ring of immense and unforgiving power. Solomon has just begun work on his marvelous temple, charging Khaba, a formidable magician in his royal court, to oversee its construction. The workforce is an ill-behaved bunch of demons, a particularly unruly djinni named Bartimaeus among them... -
![Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay]()
Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe Thrilling Sequel To Sailing To SarantiumBeckoned by the Emperor Valerius, Crispin, a renowned mosaicist, has arrived in the fabled city of Sarantium. Here he seeks to fulfill his artistic ambitions and his destiny high upon a dome that will become the emerror's magnificent sanctuary and legacy.But the beauty and solitude of his work cannot protect his from Sarantium's intrigue... -
![Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler]()
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsDoro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex--or design. He fears no one--until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu has also died many times. She can absorb bullets and make medicine with a kiss, give birth to tribes, nurture and heal, and savage anyone who threatens those she loves. She fears no one--until she meets Doro... -
![The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider]()
The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWelcome to the great kingdom of Camelot. Prince Arthur’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible misunderstanding, and nothing is going according to plan... -
![The Dark by Marianne Curley]()
The Dark by Marianne Curley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEthan and Isabel, heroes from The Named, are on a more exciting journey than ever and are joined by Isabel's brother Matt, who is still getting accustomed to life in the Guard. Arkarian, their ageless mentor, has been kidnapped and sent by the Goddess of Chaos to a frighteningly dark underworld...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths action-adventure alternate-history book dark demons female-author -
![The Key by Marianne Curley]()
The Key by Marianne Curley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe battle to protect the future is coming to an end as the evil Order of Chaos launches their final attack on the Named. To defeat the Order, the Named must locate the Key to a treasury of weapons hidden somewhere in the ancient city of Atlantis. The race is on to capture the Key before a horde of undead soldiers find it...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths action-adventure alternate-history book demons female-author fiction -
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![The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud]()
The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 63 ratingsAt only fourteen, Nathaniel is a rising star: a young magician who is quickly climbing the ranks of the government. There is seemingly nothing he cannot handle, until he is asked to deal with the growing Resistance movement, which is disrupting London life with its thefts and raids...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book british-isles -
![Immortal Swordslinger 4 by Dante King]()
Immortal Swordslinger 4 by Dante King
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEthan Murphy lo Pashat has returned to Radiant Dragon, and everything seems normal until a mysterious monastery appears in Flametongue Valley. Guildmaster Xilarion sends Ethan and his friends to the monastery for a new kind of training that will unlock their most powerful forms of Augmenting so far...Categorized as:
myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book coming-of-age -
![Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead]()
Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAlthough born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish Monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book christian epic -
![The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher]()
The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsR. S. Belcher’s debut novel, The Six-Gun Tarot, was enthusiastically greeted by critics and readers, who praised its wildly inventive mixture of dark fantasy, steampunk, and the Wild West. Now Belcher returns to Golgotha, Nevada, a bustling frontier town that hides more than its fair share of unnatural secrets.1870...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history angels book -
![The First Step by Tao Wong]()
The First Step by Tao Wong
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLong Wu Ying never expected to join a Sect or become a real cultivator. His days were spent studying, planting rice on the family farm and spending time with his friends. Fate, however, has different plans for Wu Ying and when the army arrives at his village, he and many other members of the village are conscripted... -
![The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker]()
The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsChava is a golem, a woman made of clay, able to hear the thoughts and longings of the people around her and compelled by her nature to help them. Ahmad is a jinni, a perpetually restless and free-spirited creature of fire, imprisoned in the shape of a man... -
![The Hungry Dreaming by Craig Schaefer]()
The Hungry Dreaming by Craig Schaefer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe discovery of lost letters between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, describing historical events that never happened, sends shockwaves through the academic world. Meanwhile, a citywide surveillance program is coming to New York on a groundswell of dirty money and dead bodies. To hard-nosed Brooklyn reporter Nell Bluth, the two mysteries couldn't be more different...Categorized as:
myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book conspiracies -
![A Swift and Savage Tide by Chloe Neill]()
A Swift and Savage Tide by Chloe Neill
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsChloe Neill's bold, seafaring heroine Captain Kit Brightling sets sail for high seas and high sorcery in this swashbuckling fantasy series. Captain Kit Brightling is Aligned to the magic of the sea, which makes her an invaluable asset to the Saxon Isles and its monarch, Queen Charlotte... -
![The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates]()
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here and here.Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her—but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life... -
![Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay]()
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsA masterful epic of magic, politics, war, and the power of love and hate — from the renowned author of The Fionavar Tapestry and Children of Earth and Sky.Tigana is the magical story of a beleaguered land struggling to be free. It is the tale of a people so cursed by the black sorcery of a cruel despotic king that even the name of their once-beautiful homeland cannot be spoken or remembered.. -
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![Sword of the Ronin by Travis Heermann]()
Sword of the Ronin by Travis Heermann
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn 13th-Century Japan, a land of ancient spirits, shapeshifting animals, and demons, Ken'ishi is a warrior without a master. Orphaned in infancy, he has only one link to his past - Silver Crane, his father's sword. When Silver Crane is stolen, Ken'ishi must go on a quest to recover his very identity. The crime lord known as Green Tiger holds the key to Ken'ishi's past...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure alternate-history book coming-of-age epic -
![Immortal Swordslinger 2 by Dante King]()
Immortal Swordslinger 2 by Dante King
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSent to a foreign land torn apart by strife, Ethan learns more powerful techniques, discovers new combination elements, and meets a siren princess... -
![The Queen of Swords by R.S. Belcher]()
The Queen of Swords by R.S. Belcher
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings1870. Maude Stapleton, late of Golgotha, Nevada, is a respectable widow raising a daughter on her own. Few know that Maude belongs to an ancient order of assassins, the Daughters of Lilith, and is as well the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Anne Bonney, the legendary female pirate...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history book dark -
![One King's Way by Harry Harrison, John Holm]()
One King's Way by Harry Harrison, John Holm
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA craftsman, visionary, and warrior, Shef has risen from slavery to become king of a mighty Viking nation. But his growing kingdom menaces all of Europe, and he has made many powerful enemies.Chief among his enemies are the Knights of the Lance, a fanatical order of soldiers sworn to bring Shef down, no matter what the cost...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
![The Paradox by Charlie Fletcher]()
The Paradox by Charlie Fletcher
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSOMETIMES YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR – SOMETIMES IT LOOKS BACKThose who belong to the secret society called the Oversight know many things. They know cold iron will hold back the beasts in the darkness. They know it is dangerous to stand between two mirrors. And they know that, despite their dwindling numbers, it remains their duty to protect humanity from the supernatural. And vice versa...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book fae female-mc -
![Chainbreaker by Tara Sim]()
Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsClock mechanic Danny Hart knows he's being watched. But by whom, or what, remains a mystery. To make matters worse, clock towers have begun falling in India, though time hasn't Stopped yet. He'd hoped after reuniting with his father and exploring his relationship with Colton, he'd have some time to settle into his new life. Instead, he's asked to investigate the attacks...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths action-adventure alternate-history asian-mc audiobook book female-author -
![Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn]()
Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA beautiful, haunting evocation of the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, this thrilling follow-up to Grass for His Pillow and Across the Nightingale Floor delves deeper into the complex loyalties that bind its characters from birth... -
![Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn]()
Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPraised for its epic scope and descriptive detail, Across the Nightingale Floor, the first book in the Tales of the Otori series, was an international bestseller and critical success, named by the London Times as "the most compelling novel to have been published this year...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction myths action-adventure alternate-history assassins audiobook book -
![The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark]()
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe Haunting of Tram Car 015 returns to the alternate Cairo of Clark's short fiction, where humans live and work alongside otherworldly beings; the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities handles the issues that can arise between the magical and the mundane... -
![The Terror by Dan Simmons]()
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsThe men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of triumph. As part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage, they are as scientifically supported an enterprise as has ever set forth... -
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![The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard]()
The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsJohannes Cabal and his rather inexact powers of necromancy are back once more. This time, his talents are purchased by The Fear Institute as they hunt for the Phobic Animus - the embodiment of fear...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
![Declare by Tim Powers]()
Declare by Tim Powers
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAs a young double agent infiltrating the Soviet spy network in Nazi-occupied Paris, Andrew Hale finds himself caught up in a secret, even more ruthless war. Two decades later, in 1963, he will be forced to confront again the nightmare that has haunted his adult life: a lethal unfinished operation code-named Declare...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook -
![The Hound of the D'Urbervilles by Kim Newman, Tom Hodgkins]()
The Hound of the D'Urbervilles by Kim Newman, Tom Hodgkins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsImagine the twisted evil twins of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson and you have the dangerous duo of Professor James Moriarty—wily, snake-like, fiercely intelligent, terrifyingly unpredictable—and Colonel Sebastian Basher Moran—violent, politically incorrect, debauched. Together they run London crime, owning police and criminals alike... -
![Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, Steve West]()
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, Steve West
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratings[MP3CD audiobook format in vinyl case.] Another inventive novel of epic terror by the acclaimed author of Those Across the River In the darkest days of the Dark Ages, the people of France faced both the Black Plague and desperate gangs of men who wandered the depopulated countryside looting and raping. Tomas, a disgraced knight, is one of these men... -
![A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark]()
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsEgypt, 1912. In an alternate Cairo infused with the otherworldly, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history angels audiobook -
![Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart]()
Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOnce again World Fantasy Award-winner Barry Hughart blends folklore and fantasy to create a work of enchantment set in an ancient China that never was…but should have been. Master Li and Number Ten Ox—heroes of Bridge of Birds and The Story of the Stone—return to solve the mystery of how and why respected mandarins are being mysteriously murdered... -
![The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark]()
The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsCreeper, a scrappy young teen, is done living on the streets of New Orleans. Instead, she wants to soar, and her sights are set on securing passage aboard the smuggler airship Midnight Robber. Her ticket: earning Captain Ann-Marie’s trust using a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums... -
![The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey]()
The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNow in paperback, the fourteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series continues the reimagined adventures of famed detective Sherlock Holmes.While Sherlock is still officially dead, John and Mary Watson and Nan Killian and Sarah Lyon-White are taking up some of his case-load--and some work for Lord Alderscroft, the Wizard of London...Categorized as:
historical-fiction retellings action-adventure alternate-history animals audiobook book crime -
![On the Fox Roads by Nghi Vo]()
On the Fox Roads by Nghi Vo
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA new novelette from Hugo Award-winning author, Nghi Vo!While learning the ropes from a crafty Jazz Age bank robber, a young stowaway discovers their authentic self, a hidden gift, and that there are no straight lines when you run the fox roads. .Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings fantasy historical magical-realism lgbtq fiction -
![Monster Core 2 by Dante King]()
Monster Core 2 by Dante King
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Now, we become adventurers. . .” Von Dominus continues to build Zagorath into a lair worthy of an evil overlord. When a new item brings another realm to his fingertips, it’s time the dungeon did a little diving of his own...Categorized as:
myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book coming-of-age -
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![The Muse of History by Jodi Taylor]()
The Muse of History by Jodi Taylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA little background on Mrs. Partridge...Categorized as:
historical-fiction time-travel fantasy fiction humor action-adventure historical supernatural -
![The Mourning Emporium by Michelle Lovric]()
The Mourning Emporium by Michelle Lovric
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVenice is in peril. Bajamonte Tiepolo is back, and his baddened magic has spread across the globe, from the island of Hooroo in the South Pacific, all the way to London, where Queen Victoria lies dying.Now two cities need saving by Teo, the Undrowned Child, and Renzo, the Studious Son of a Venetian prophecy. Time is running out as they try to unravel the mysteries threatening London and Venice...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure alternate-history book children children-books -
![The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by Steven Sidor]()
The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by Steven Sidor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA mysterious explorer hires a team of adventurers to join him in a hunt for a monstrous beast, in this rip-roaring sequel to Fury From the Tomb. When Egyptologist Rom Hardy receives a strange letter from his old friend, the bounty-hunting sniper Rex McTroy, he finds himself drawn into a chilling mystery...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history animals -
![A Power Renewed by Robert W. Ross]()
A Power Renewed by Robert W. Ross
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLibrarian's Note: An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found hereOut of the smoldering ruins of the war in heaven Archangels Raphael and Michael cannot believe the agreement made between God and His Morning Star, Lucifer...Categorized as:
myths retellings action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book chosen-one demons -
![The Last Bogler by Catherine Jinks]()
The Last Bogler by Catherine Jinks
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith the plague of bogles in Victorian London barely contained, bogle hunter Alfred Bunce needs all the help he can get. So Ned Roach becomes a bogler’s apprentice, luring child-eating monsters from their lairs just like his friends Jem and Birdie. It’s dangerous work that takes Ned into mysterious and hidden parts of the city... -
![Elusive by Genevieve Cogman]()
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRevolutionary France is full of blood and bite as vampires plot for power.Eleanor, once a lowly English maid, is now a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, know for their daring deeds and recusing aristocrat vampires from the guillotine.This time, Eleanor and the League are investigating the disappearance of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, the notorious French statesman and diplomat...Categorized as:
historical-fiction retellings fantasy vampires fiction urban-fantasy historical magic
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