A List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 1)

The world is full of unsung heroes. People who do amazing things and don't get nearly enough credit for it. But they just keep doing the amazing things they do because they're not in this for the recognition. They're in it because they believe in what they're doing and enjoy doing it.

I like those kind of people. They make me happy and inspire me to follow in their footsteps.

That's why I'm such a fan of indie authors and their self-published novels. I spend time each month to hunt down self-published books to read and review. These books are often unique in a way that many traditionally published books are not: You can see the heart of the author, the messages and character quirks and experimental writing styles that sometimes get lost in the refining process of traditional publishing.

Every time I read an indie book, I have the urge to buy a ton of copies, chuck them at random people, and yell: "READ IT!!!" Unfortunately, my wallet will not allow this activity...nor, I'm afraid, would the random people.

So I'm having to dial it back a little bit and share links to good indie books here, thus rescuing my bank account and any innocent bystanders.
Below are a list of self-published books I have read and enjoyed, along with links to my full reviews (in case you want more information), their Amazon links (in case you have excellent taste and decide to buy them), and links to various places you can find the authors (in case you like following awesome social media accounts and blogs).

This list is in absolutely no order, so a book being listed first, last, or three from the middle spot has no significance. Now, go forth and discover new, amazing reads!

Champion in the Darkness by Tyrean Martinson

[image error] YA Christian fantasy with great themes of faith and second chances. It has griffins, too. Who doesn't like griffins? This one is the first in a trilogy. I have yet to read the third book, but I very much enjoyed the second one.

View on Amazon | My Amazon Review
Tyrean is a very sweet lady, so you'll want to stop by and say hello to her on her blog or one of her social medias.

Author's Blog | Twitter | Facebook 
Where the Woods Grow Wild by Nate Philbrick 

[image error] A fun, heartfelt fantasy novel with a light mood and deep underlying messages. I enjoyed this book so much that it is currently my novel of the month. Which means you'll be getting a recipe of Cabbage Cart Inn onion soup in the near future. Who's excited?

View on Amazon | My Constant Collectible Review
Nate Philbrick has a hilarious blog and a social media presence to match. If you don't already follow him, do so:

Author's Blog | Twitter | Instagram
Recovery Series by S. Alex Martin 


[image error] A character-driven sci-fi series that employs real emotions and real science, a rare combination in sci-fi novels. His fictional world is hands down one of my favorites (I just really, really want to play hologis) and his characters are amazing. Embassy is book 1 and Recovery (my favorite) is the second installation.

View Embassy on Amazon | View Resonance on Amazon | My Constant Collectible Review of Embassy | My Constant Collectible Review of Resonance
If you like cool information about space science (I know that's not the correct term, but I feel that it's a good description), you'll want to follow him here:

Author's Website | Tumblr | Twitter
Out of Darkness by E.B. Dawson 
[image error] A mix of sci-fi, thriller, futuristic, and dystopian, this novel pulls off nonlinear narrative while also including great characters and plot. That takes skill. A lot of skill. I'm dying to get my hands on book 2, but it's not out yet. *cries*

View on Amazon | My Constant Collectible Review
E.B. Dawson is awesome. I like her and you will too. Here, go say hello:

Author's Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Urban Legend: Orphan by J.P. Dailing


[image error] YA urban fantasy novella with illegal magic, classy vampires, and a badass main character. Need I say more? No. I don't think so.

View on Amazon | My Constant Collectible Review
Dailing has a cool website where you can stay up to date on news for his Urban Legend series. I always get super excited when I see a subscription email roll through my inbox:

Author's Blog | Twitter | Facebook 
Two Lives, Three Choices by K.L. + Pierce 


[image error] YA Christian sci-fi with a great message and a neat villain. I love a good villain, so I was very pleased to find one in a genre (Christian and sci-fi) that doesn't seem to have many. This book is clean, entertaining, and makes me excited to see more from this author.

View on Amazon | My Amazon Review
Pierce is a really nice person with a cool outlook on writing. She's also a college student in addition to being an indie author, which is an incredible feat. Go give her a high five:

Author's Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Ashes by Grace Crandall

[image error] Beautiful fantasy short story with majestic prose and a killer main character (pun intended. Sorry. I couldn't help myself). Crandall has a way with words that will leave you basking in the beauty of it. Also, look at how amazing that cover is. She drew it herself. Skills. So many skills.

View on Amazon | My Constant Collectible Review
Crandall has a really cool blog where she posts short stories, so if you want more of her work (you will), go follow her:

Author's Blog | Instagram | Twitter 
Empire Under Siege by Jason K. Lewis 


[image error] Fantasy novel with awesome characters and world-building moulded after the Roman empire, this was one of the first self-published books I ever read and probably the one that got me hooked. I love the setting and the characters. Also, it has swords and battles. So yes. It's awesome.

View on Amazon |  My Constant Collectible Review
Jason K. Lewis has a plethora of other books out there (many of which I've read and enjoyed), so go explore his website and social media to find more:

Author's Blog | Twitter | Facebook 
Fractured by Rae Elliott 
[image error] A sci-fi novel with steampunk elements, a writing style reminiscent of Tolkien, and underlying Christian themes, this book has one of my favorite mother characters. I feel that mothers are a severely underused character type, so Elliott's handling of Lady Darphina makes me extremely  happy. And, of course, all of the other characters are pretty cool, too.

View on Amazon | My Constant Collectible Review
Rae Elliott has a really pretty (and helpful) blog full of writing tips, so you should probably be following her:

Author's Blog | Twitter 
And that's all I have for you today. A few answers to questions you're probably asking:

What is this Constant Collectible you keep linking to? That's a geek website I write for. I do book reviews every other Monday and occasionally review comics randomly throughout the week. So if you want more geekiness than what you get here, then head on over there and watch the nerd news and reviews roll in. Also, if you are an author with a book that needs reviewing, please get in touch!

Why does it say Part 1 in the title? Because this is a series that I plan on continuing until the internet dies, self-publishing dies, or I die. Whichever happens first. I'm continually reading and reviewing self-published stories, so I'll compile a list every few months or so to share with you all. Keep an eye out.

Didn't you forget a really important self-published book? Why yes. Yes, I did. Thank you so much for pointing that out and thus allowing me to very naturally and not-at-all-annoyingly mention that I myself have self-published a short story. It's called Skies of Dripping Gold and is a YA Christian dystopian. You might like it.

If you do choose to read any of the above books, please take a few moments to drop a quick review when you've finished. It doesn't have to be a long one, but it will really help the authors out. They are all hard-working, talented, and overall very cool, so they deserve a helping hand.

Do you have any self-published books you would like to share with us? Yes, it is absolutely allowed to be your own. Don't be shy. Leave as many titles as you'd like! I'm always looking for my next read and I know a lot of people who are looking at this post are, too.

Related articles:
Lessons Learned from My Indie Publishing Journey Part 1: 7 Tips for Getting Started
Lessons Learned from My Indie Publishing Journey Part 2: 6 Tips for Novel and eBook FormattingThe 5-Star Rating System: What Book Reviewers Mean vs How Indie Authors Take It

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