THE LOADING ZONE... Library
Books & Novels > for older teens
If you have or are a teen who loves gaming but doesn't like books then take a look below. These genres of fiction have video game-like features as an integral part of the story.
These books do contain violence but more like Avengers M-rated violence and some swearing. Many are available as audio books too.
LitRPG (Literary Role-playing Game)
LitRPG is a genre that blends role-playing game mechanics with storytelling. Characters exist in virtual reality or fantasy worlds, progressing by earning experience, leveling up, and enhancing stats like strength and intelligence. They face challenges, gain skills, and complete quests, all while the narrative weaves in gaming elements and terminology, appealing to fans of RPGs and fantasy alike.
Recommendations:
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The Primal Hunter, Zogarth
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Defiance of the Tall, TheFirstDefie, JF Brink
Progression Fantasy
Progression fantasy is a genre where characters steadily advance in power, skills, or knowledge. They start weak and improve through training and effort. The story features structured character development, increasing challenges, and often involves exploration of detailed magic systems or technologies. This genre is common in long-running series and emphasizes hard work, discovery, and the gradual overcoming of obstacles.
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Recommendations:
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Cradle Series, Will Wight
Dungeon Core Books
"Dungeon Core" books are a subset of fantasy literature where the story centers around a sentient dungeon with its own consciousness. These books explore the dungeon's growth, interactions with adventurers, resource management, conflict, and worldbuilding. They provide a unique perspective on fantasy by focusing on the dungeon's point of view
Recommendations:
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Divine Dungeon Series, Dakota Krout
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Dungeon World Series, Jonathan Brooks
Fantasy Slice of Life
Fantasy slice of life is a subgenre blending fantasy and daily life. It combines magical elements with relatable routines and emotions. Characters navigate both the extraordinary and mundane, focusing on personal growth and relationships. These stories subtly integrate magic into everyday scenarios, creating wonder and immersion.
Recommendations:
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The Wandering Inn, Pirateaba
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Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree
Other Fantasy
Other great fantasy books that have appealed to older teens.
Recommendations
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The Magician (also available as an audio book)
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Ian Irvine Books - Artemis
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The Martian - audio books, beware a few f bombs
Books & Novels > For younger tweens/teens
About:
Fantasy series about knights and rangers. Really engaging writing, grabs the reader straight away. The author uses a great range of vocabulary, but the story is still really easy to read even if you don’t understand all the words.
Why we like it
Kind of set in medieval times and mimics Europe geographically. Strangely, lots of subtle descriptions of healthy food choices, like salads.
What to look out for
Nothing really. A great series.
How To Train Your Dragon
About:
Contrary to the Movies and TV series, Cressida Cowells How to Train your Dragon is a series singling 3 main protagonists, Hiccup The horrendous Haddock III, Fishlegs No-Name, and Camicazi of the Bog-Burglar Tribe. We follow their adventure through a 12 book series of dragons and drama. Through books 2-3, 5, and 8-12 we see the trio fight a resilient foe commonly known as Alvin the Treacherous. The book series holds a perfect balance of childish content and mature undertones to keep a large variety of ages engaged. It’s a well-written expansive fantasy world written from the mind of a child.
Why we like it
The How to Train Your Dragon series holds with it a balance of childish jokes and human and captivating, thought provoking undertones and hidden meanings that mean people of most ages can sit down and enjoy. It’s easy to read and allows its audience plenty of creative freedom to view the world in their own light.
What to look out for
There are some names like “Big-Boobied-Bertha” in the book that can upset some parents.
Deltora Quest
About:
High fantasy series about 3 companions on a quest to rid their land of an invading tyrant. Aimed at upper primary kids, but with lots of details and intricate worldbuilding that can still appeal to teens and adults. Written by an Australian author, the books are short and easy to read.
Why we like it
Simple, engaging writing style, detailed worldbuilding, appeals to multiple age groups, tackles issues like depression, PTSD and perseverance in a thoughtful and subtle way.
What to look out for
Some of the monsters and topics in it may scare very young kids. If you’re worried about that, either read through a small portion first to check or have a discussion with your child about it.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
About:
Middle-grade series about the children of the Greek gods in a fun, modern setting. Uses lots of modern (although now probably slightly outdated) humour and an easy-to-read writing style to reinterpret the Greek myths, gods and monsters in a new, fun way that everyone can enjoy. Also available via Audible.
Why we like it
Highly engaging storytelling, interesting way to start learning about Greek mythology, positive representation of ADHD and dyslexia through Percy and the other demigods.
What to look out for
Nothing really
About:
In a Heartbeat is a fictional book that explores the concept of an apparent shift in personality that occurs post heart transplant. We get to view the story of two girls, Eagen and Amelia. Eagen passes away due to a half an inch mistake, and Amelia receives her heart through a transplant. The book explores how Amelia begins to adopt some of Eagen’s characteristic prior to her passing, and attempts to figure out if it is related to her recent surgery while Eagen works through her life, death, and emotions from beyond.
Why we like it
In a heartbeat explores and builds upon a very real medical phenomenon, giving its characters realistic familial and personal relationships, building an accurate and relatable emotional connection with the reader.
What to look out for
The book can border on some religious boundaries in terms of how it portrays the afterlife and can touch some nerves on difficult or tense relationships.
My Story
About:
My Story is a historical series that shows the living conditions of men and women throughout different places and era’s of history. The series includes the coverage of major historical events, as well as era and wealth-based conditions.
Why we like it
It can provide a realistic insight into our past, how people who lived before us saw the world and how the world saw them. It can help nurture an appreciation of what we have that they did not.
What to look out for
Some themes in the books can be triggering or upsetting to certain readers. This can include violence and psychological upset being detailed.
The Dragonkeeper series
About:
Historical fantasy series set in Han Dynasty China that follows the story of a slave girl named Ping who saves the life of a dragon and escapes her brutal master. The two embark on a journey across China carrying a mysterious stone connected to the dragon’s legacy while avoiding capture from dragon hunters. As the series progresses, Ping grows into her new role as a Dragonkeeper, learns about her past and deals with increasingly dangerous threats to protect the dragons from those who want to do harm to them.
Why we like it
Engaging storyline with very likeable heroes and dastardly, yet complex villains. Can create and grow interest in Chinese history and mythology in readers that may be unfamiliar with the setting.
Easy-to-read prose that is accessible for younger readers.
What to look out for
Some of the villains and scenes in the book may be frightening for very young readers.
The Forgetting
About:
The forgetting is a story set in a pre-modern civilization in which every 12 years the populus will forget everything, all relations, skill, woes and joys will be gone, the only way to cope through the forgetting is to write everything down. Our protagonist, Nadia, is exempt from this rule, and retains her memories each Forgetting. Eventually, Nadia decides to use this to her advantage, and set out with the local glassblower, Grey, to solve the mysteries of the town and the strange ritual of the forgetting.
Why we like it
The Forgetting depicts throughout its chapters what it's like to live in environments and relationships strained by trauma and the binds of lost memories. Alongside a captivating story, The Forgetting provides an insight into how important our memories and sense of self are.
What to look out for
There can be some triggering topics around violence and psychological torment/upset. This includes the emotional loss of a loved one and conflict with one's own perception of reality