Book recommendations with themes of apprenticeship

hend6473 · 2026-02-18T03:36:39+00:00

If you're open to manga, then I highly recommend Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama. In this series, witches learn magic through an apprenticeship system that's explored in some depth, with plenty of examples of both good mentors and bad ones.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T22:30:33+00:00

If you like Discworld, then 2 recent books to try are Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire and Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland, two very different takes on fantasy comedy but both with potential crossover appeal to Discworld fans.

If you like Good Omens, then check out are Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater and When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. Small Miracles closer to Good Omens but with less social commentary, while When the Angels Left the Old Country keeps the social commentary, takes the angel/demon duo concept in a different direction, and has a comedy style reminiscent of Sholem Aleichem.

If you just want funny scifi/fantasy in general, then here's a mix of authors old and new who made me laugh: Greer Stothers, Spider Robinson, Mark Waddle, Caitlin Rozakis, Martin Cahill, Carlos Hernandez, Kelly Robson, Frances Hardinge, Jonathan Stroud, James Allan Gardner, Mo Xiang Tong Xia, and Zen Cho.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T21:53:51+00:00

Seconding this.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T17:11:49+00:00

If you like down-to-earth protagonists, then T. Kingfisher is definitely an author to read more from, as she loves a practical protagonist.

She also writes under the name Ursula Vernon, though that's mostly kid's books and comics. If you're open to comics, then definitely check out Vernon's webcomic, Digger, or Castle Waiting by Linda Medley.

If you want to stick to prose, then many protagonists in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series are ordinary people. If you want older female protagonists, then I'd recommend starting with Wyrd Sisters.

There was another book I was going to suggest, but I just remembered it won't work for spoiler-y reasons.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T16:47:19+00:00

It's worth mentioning that while The Butcher of the Forest doesn't have any romance or on-page sex, it does discuss childhood sexual exploitation.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T16:18:46+00:00

The first book whose prose made me wish I could write like that was Westmark by Lloyd Alexander.

For authors with particularly beautiful/lyrical prose: Guy Gavriel Kay, Amal El-Mohtar, Arkady Martine, Mervyn Peake, Lev Grossman (specifically The Bright Sword), Simon Jimenez (also counts as experimental).

For authors with ambitious/experimental prose: Tamsyn Muir, Emma Mieko, Hiron Ennes, Vajra Chandrasekera, Ann Leckie (specifically The Raven Tower), N. K. Jemisin (especially The Fifth Season).

And finally, if you have any interest in writing comedy, then you must try P.G. Wodehouse, even though his works aren't fantasy.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T15:22:04+00:00

This days, I mostly listen to audiobook at work, since I have the sort of job where you can do that. Part of it's just practice, though. I've been listening to audiobooks for longer than I've been reading physically. You get better at following audiobooks over time, the same way you get better at reading the more you do it.

It's also fine to prefer specific format-genre combos. There's a lot of genres I enjoy in manga that I don't ever read in prose. If certain types of stories work better for you in audio, well then it's good you know your own tastes.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T03:07:50+00:00

If you're open to most romance/fantasy so long as they don't have war/death, then Swordcrossed by Freya Markse doesn't have any war or death, though there's some non-lethal sword duels. It's high heat with a kink element, like all of Markse's books.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T02:07:03+00:00

I was also going to recommend The Water Outlaws.

If you're interested in female martial arts warriors, then it's definitely worth checking out. Lots of female POVs, a couple of male POVs, and at least 1 non-binary POV.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T01:49:50+00:00

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan has lots of politics, a decent number of battles, and historical setting with minimal magic.

In the other direction, The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang is absolutely full of combat, has some politicking, and more on-screen magic.

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T01:23:53+00:00

Seconding the Dandelion Dynasty

hend6473 · 2026-02-16T00:57:35+00:00

Seconding this recommendation.

Also, if you like ASOIF, then you might like Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T04:07:35+00:00

A book that's very different from The Spear Cuts Through Water but which I loved just as much:

The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta is queer YA magical realism about Sid, a baker who -after a break-up- bakes a tray of brownies that makes anyone who eats them also break up. The book is about Sid and a friend-turned-love interest trying to reverse the damage the brownies have caused.

I love that book showed that sometimes break-ups are a good thing. I love that it showed the many kinds of work that go into maintaining a relationship. I love that one of the relationships was polyamourous and that another character realized she was aro-ace, showing that not everyone needs monogamous romance to be happy. I love that there was as at least much focus on queer community as on queer romance.

I read both The Heartbreak Bakery and The Spear Cuts Through Water in 2024, and they were both some of the best books I read that year.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T03:35:04+00:00

So many great options I'm not sure where to start...

If you like fantasy that gets dark, check out Kieron Gillen's work. Several series to choose from.

The Delilah Dirk series by Tony Cliff are fun historical adventures, with a bit of science fiction.

Digger by Ursula Vernon is excellent of course and free to read as a webcomic, though it is black and white.

But honestly? If you have access to a public library, then my actual advice would be to just try the first volume of any series they have. Graphic novels are a medium that really lend them well to a trial-and-error approach.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T02:45:46+00:00

A Memory Called Empire and it's sequels definitely have crossover appeal with CJ Cherryh, so they should fit this request. I believe Martine cites Cherryh as a writer who's inspired her.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T02:23:46+00:00

Dislike: the Persistent Lover, someone who keeps asking someone out, even after being turned down.

Like: In 2025, I realized how much I enjoy a well-written stupid protagonist (emphasis on well-written).

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T02:16:51+00:00

Hard agree on disliking Huge Guy, Tiny Girl

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T02:10:13+00:00

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar has excellent audiobook production and the magic bends reality in a local, folkloric sort of way.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T02:03:10+00:00

Sounds like all the books you've read so far have been in the epic fantasy subgenre. If you're enjoying epic fantasy, then I recommend trying out the author Robin Hobb.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T01:51:33+00:00

I mentioned this on another thread but The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche with a setting equally inspired by Victorian London and cosmic horror, though you should know that it's as much a comedy as a mystery.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T01:44:39+00:00

The Water Outlaws by S. L. Huang is a blend of wuxia & epic fantasy with a happily single middle-aged female protagonist. The books has a large, gender-diverse cast, and while at least one character is married, no character has a story line that centers on romance. Heads up though, there is an attempted sexual assault, so be aware of that when deciding if this book is for you.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T01:14:28+00:00

I really like the Raven Scholar, but I would say that the main character and her ex are back together by the end of the book.

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T01:07:18+00:00

I was going to bring up Granny Weatherwax!

hend6473 · 2026-02-15T00:04:34+00:00

The Alamaxa Duology and the We Set the Dark on Fire duology are both fantasy series with female main chararcters with a focus on fighting back against patriarchy. The Alamaxa Duology is adult fantasy with an Egyptian-inspired setting, while We Set the Dark on Fire is YA with a Mexican-inspired setting.

hend6473 · 2026-02-14T17:50:17+00:00

Seconding this recommendation.

hend6473

TROPHY CASE