The Fantasy 101 › Books Like

Books Like Manifest Delusions

Fletcher, 2015 · #62 on the Epic Fantasy 101 Booklist · 77/120

In a city where belief becomes reality, a mad priest and his hallucinated companions find that the gods are whatever people fear and want.

Mood7Theme9Structure6Further reading6Creative details8Real-world blend1Divine influence10Climax and fights7Epicness5Genre standard2Originality8

Its strongest scores: divine influence and theme. The five books below have the closest scores across all eleven criteria.

If you liked Manifest Delusions, read:

  1. The Vagrant

    Newman, 2015 · #81 on the list · 71/120

    A silent man carrying an infant and a sentient sword walks through a broken land overrun by the demonic Infernal.

    Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

  2. Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne

    Staveley, 2014 · #80 on the list · 71/120

    After their emperor father is murdered, his three heirs must face assassins, ancient beings and the secret hidden behind their faith.

    Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

  3. Raven's Mark

    McDonald, 2017 · #70 on the list · 73/120

    Ryhalt Galharrow, a bounty hunter, works for a sorcerer called Crowfoot at the edge of the Misery. The Misery is a poisoned, warped wasteland left by a weapon.

    Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

  4. Lightbringer

    Weeks, 2010 · #63 on the list · 76/120

    The Prism, who wields every color of light, hides a secret, while his newly discovered son must learn the magic and survive the war.

    Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

  5. The Blacktongue Thief

    Buehlman, 2021 · #89 on the list · 68/120

    Kinch Na Shannack, a thief in debt to the guild that trained him, is pulled into a quest against giants with a battle-scarred knight he was supposed to rob.

    Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

Featured pick

Acenes of Sparta: The Dragon Slayer

Manolis Tsongas, 2026 · #5 on the list · 101/120 · for adults and mature teens

A dragon is the real reason King Leonidas and his three hundred died at Thermopylae. Sixty-two years later the gods send a Spartan boy of the agoge to kill it. The book takes lessons from tragedy and the cost of sacrifice, as is the Greek way.

How the scores work: each book is rated 1 to 10 on eleven criteria; real-world blend and climax and fights count double, for a maximum of 120. See the full Fantasy 101.