TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

NON-AMERICAN NOVEL MENTION: LIGHT NOVELS

Specific Recommendations:

Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Naruto and more!

Start Reading [Amazon Links]:

Jujustu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Naruto

First things first: this would not be a fair list of books to read if you like anime if I didn't start by mentioning light novels as a whole.

A light novel is a style of Japanese novel targeting teenagers and young adults. These novels contain mostly illustrations in anime or manga style. They are usually published in bunkobon size (A6 – 105 x 148mm). Light novels are not very long. The length is comparable to a novella in US publishing terms.

That said, I have done my own searching for novel formatted anime-style books and Light Novels weren't the solution for me. 

I LOVE manga, but I also love reading novels, and I wanted something in between, and Light Novels were not what I was looking for. 

I have read all of the Light Novels I linked to above, and I loved some of them, but not because they were a perfect format of novel and anime - mainly because I already loved the world building that was done in the manga, anime or both and then got a deeper dive into the characters as a whole (in some ways).

That said, I have found a couple that almost hit the mark for me, but still ultimately prefer other options that I list below and would normally just grab manga if I had to choose between manga or a light novel.

Anime Workout Databases at SHJ:

Anime Workouts Database

TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

HONORABLE MENTION: IRON PRINCE

Is This A Series: Yes

# of Books In Series: Just One So Far

Series Name: Warformed: Stormreaver

Author: Bryce O'Connor

Start Reading:
Amazon

Up first on our list of the top books to read if you like anime is Iron Prince from the Warformed: Stormreaver series by Bryce O'Connor.

I pictured other books and series by O'Connor in the image above being that Iron Prince is the only book in the series (though he lists the series name so more are hopefully coming).

This one comes in as an honorable mention because a lot of people refer to this one as being a book they really enjoyed jumping into in between other series that hits the mark, but as it came out in 2020 and does not have more books just yet, we are generally looking for a series of books when thinking of anime and manga-style progression.

TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

NUMBER FIVE: THE BLACK PRISM

Is This A Series: Yes

# of Books In Series: 5

Series Name: Lightbringer

Author: Brent Weeks

Start Reading:
Amazon

Up next among the top books to read if you like anime is The Black Prism by Brent Weeks.

The Black Prism is book one of the Lightbringer series and it has all five of its books released, with the epic conclusion coming in The Burning White.

To allow Weeks to give his own sales pitch on this one, he describes it as: "a world where magic is tightly controlled, the most powerful man in history must choose between his kingdom and his son".

This one is action packed in an epic fantasy series and nearly 700 pages long right in the first book - so you'll be jumping into a ton of content to keep you entertained for a long time!

TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

NUMBER FOUR: SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED MAGIC

Is This A Series: Yes

# of Books In Series: 4

Series Name: Arcane Ascension

Author: Andrew Rowe

Start Reading:
Amazon

At number four on our list of books to read if you like anime we have Sufficiently Advanced Magic within Andrew Rowe's Arcane Ascension series.

This series has four books in it and they're ALL part of Kindle Unlimited. I repeat, all four books of the series are free with Kindle Unlimited.

Rowe started as a game designed for companies like Blizzard, Cryptic Studios and Obsidian Entertainment and now he is building worlds like the one in Arcane Ascension full time.

TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

NUMBER THREE: THE NAME OF THE WIND

Is This A Series: Yes

# of Books In Series: 2

Series Name: The Kingkiller Chronicle

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Start Reading:
Amazon

Coming in within the top three books to read if you like anime is The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss!

I first stumbled upon The Name Of The Wind while taking a course by Brandon Sanderson that he did at BYU on Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy.

If Brandon Sanderson gives you a recommendation, I will more than likely be checking out your stuff - and I was NOT disappointed. 

I have not read the follow up book [at the time of writing this], but it is definitely on my list for this year.

TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

NUMBER TWO: UNSOULED

Is This A Series: Yes

# of Books In Series: 11

Series Name: Cradle

Author: Will Wight

Start Reading:
Amazon

Coming in at number two among our top books to read if you like anime is Unsouled, book one of the Cradle series by my fellow Floridian Will Wight.

Wight's Cradle series is ALWAYS mentioned when any anime style conversion starts within novel format, and I would say it's the closest to Naruto-style progression if we needed some kind of comparison from anime/manga to Progression Fantasy (or just a good sales pitch for Will).

Another reason this one comes in at number two is because there are ELEVEN books in the series, giving you endless joy for what feels like an eternity, and they're ALL free with Kindle Unlimited.

Yes, ALL eleven books are free with Kindle Unlimited.

And, even if you don't have Kindle Unlimited, Will has some of the least expensive options among the list, with Unsouled starting at just $0.99...!

TOP FIVE BOOKS TO READ IF YOU LIKE ANIME

NUMBER ONE: MISTBORN

Is This A Series: Yes

# of Books In Series: 3

Series Name: Mistborn

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Start Reading:
Amazon

Coming in at number one among our list of the top books to read if you like anime is Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy.

The only negative about Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy is the fact that it's only a trilogy and we don't have more!

And, even that isn't a negative because Sanderson expands on the universe with more books in follow up series that continue coming (with a second trilogy first, and then more on top of that).

Sanderson is one of the bestselling fantasy writers, and for good reason, which is why Mistborn is an obvious choice for number one on this list with constant anime-like battles and distinctive characters.

Plus, not that it's an anime, but the book basically has metal benders as if they're coming straight out of Avatar: The Last Airbender...and who doesn't want that?