One of the most popular fantasy novels out there is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It is a modern classic and a must read if you enjoy fantasy novels. We will be reocommending five books to read like American Gods so stay tuned to see our recommendations!

You might have read the book or even seen the Amazon TV show. We don’t blame you because this novel is unlike anything else. Days before Shadow is about to be released from prison, his wife dies in a car accident. Shadow meets Mr. Wednesday who claims to be a god and offers Shadow a job as his bodyguard. Together, they travel across America to prepare for an ongoing war with supernatural beings.

What makes American Gods special is that is combines fantasy and mythology elements without overwhelming readers. The writing style and the pacing make this a wonderful novel and while you won’t find another book like it, there are a bunch that you will end up enjoying.

Books to Read Like American Gods

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

A fantasy author that you have to read is and her fantasy series The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms N.K. Jemisin. Yeine Darr is an outcase but when her mohter dies under suspicious circumstances, she is summoned to the city of Sky. To everyone’s surprise, include Yeine’s, she is named an heiress to the king. But she has to fight for the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms as she is tossed into a powerful struggle that may lead to her doom.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

One of the best things to do after you finish reading a book is to check out other books by the same author. And one that comes to mind is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. This collaberation novel is about judgement day finally happening and somehow, this novel will have you laughing as doomsday is finally here. This is the perfect novel to continue the themes that American Gods conveys and make you appreciate Gaiman and Pratchett as fantastic authors.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Bear and the Nightingale book cover
The Bear and the Nightingale book review

Out of all the books on this list, the one that might feel like the odd one out is The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. It is about a girl named Vasilisa as she lives close to the Russian wilderness with her family.

But when her mother passes away, her father moves them to Russia where Vasilisa’s stepmom forbids her from honoring the household spirits. Misfortune soon follows and it is up to Vasilisa to protect everyone she cares about and truly understand her gifts as she faces a supernatural being that comes straight out of a fairytale.

The Witcher Series by Andrzej Sapkowski

Another novel that many readers including me discovered by watching the show was The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. The story follows Geralt or Rivia as he tries to navigate a world thrown into war as he tries to protects what he holds dear to him. Geralt is a Witcher which is a person with superhuman abilities that were created to kill monsters. The Sapkowski series is one of the most fun fantasy novels I have read and still think about to this day!

Library at Mt Char by Scott Hawkins

A fantasy novel that I loved is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. The book is funny yet entertaining and different than your typical fantasy novels. That is also why I have had a hard time writing a book review for it. Words don’t do this novel justice. The novel is one that I still find myself thinking about years later and recommend to anyone who enjoys a well written fantasy novel.

Conclusion

These are the five books to read that are similar to American Gods. Not only are they great fantasy novels, but they capture the same aura that American Gods is known for. And while they won’t be exactly like Neil Gaiman’s classic novel, you will enjoy them nonetheless.

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