Court of Scholars
You crave a story that will expand your mind and perspective. This court is home to stories with complex ideas for a satisfying, cerebral reading experience.
Scroll down to see which books the Book Oracle recommends for your shelf. May the reading fates guide you…
(Not what you’re seeking? Discover our other Courts for more book recommendations.)
We Shall Be Monsters
Alyssa Wees
A girl marked for death ventures into the wooded realm of the fairies to rescue her mother in this dark, lyrical fantasy about vengeful witches, beastly fathers, and the stories mothers tell to keep their daughters safe—from the author of Nocturne.
A Dark and Drowning Tide
Allison Saft
A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.
Lady Macbeth
Ava Reid
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.
“Lady Macbeth doesn’t retell Shakespeare so much as slice cleanly through it, revealing what was hidden beneath. I couldn't look away.”—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House
The Book of Elsewhere
Keanu Reeves, China Miéville
An “action-packed [and] profoundly stylish” (Los Angeles Times) epic from Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, unlike anything these two genre-bending pioneers have created before, inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “[The Book of Elsewhere is] a pulpy, adrenaline-fueled thriller, but it’s also a moody, experimental novel about mortality, the slippery nature of time, and what it means to be human.” — The New York Times
The Spear Cuts Through Water
Simon Jimenez
Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.
“A beguiling fantasy not to be missed.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, Vulture, Polygon, She Reads, Gizmodo, Kirkus Reviews, The Quill to Live
The Space Between Worlds
Micaiah Johnson
An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens the very fabric of the multiverse in this stunning debut, a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.
“Gorgeous writing, mind-bending world-building, razor-sharp social commentary, and a main character who demands your attention—and your allegiance.”—Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—NPR, Library Journal, Book Riot
The Vanished Birds
Simon Jimenez
A “highly imaginative and utterly exhilarating” (Thrillist) debut that is “the best of what science fiction can be: a thought-provoking, heartrending story about the choices that define our lives” (Kirkus Reviews, Best Debut Fiction and Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year).
A mysterious child lands in the care of a solitary woman, changing both of their lives forever.
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