To play the popular tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (DND) you need dice, rules, paper, a pencil, an adventure, an imagination, and other players. However, there are days when you can’t get the gang together or you just don’t have the bandwidth to play. How do you scratch that adventuring itch? 

You can read.

Here are five books that will make you feel like you’re in a Dungeons and Dragons adventure:

5. Homebrew (Metagamer Chronicles) by Xavier P. Hunter

Creating a character to play is a fundamental part of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, with an emphasis on fun! But how would you survive a DnD adventure with your real-life skill stats?

That’s the situation Gary finds himself in. Useless in a fight and trapped in a world he created, Gary could die in the next bar brawl. He has to prove his worth to the team if he wants to survive long enough to find a way home.

There are three books in the series.

 

4. The Stray Spirit (The Lutesong Series) by R.K. Ashwick

Leveling up can take time. It can take much longer if you have to utilize a possessed item that won’t shut up.

At least that’s Emry Karic’s experience. He’s just a bard trying to impress and gain membership into the Auric Guild. That is until an unnatural earthquake changes everything. Now Emry’s lute is possessed by the talkative forest spirit, Aspen, and she needs Emry’s help.

Book two, The Spirit Well, is out on March 18, 2024.

 

3.  Drinks and Sinkholes (The Weary Dragon Inn series) by S. Usher Evans

There’s always something going on at the local Inn, or so it seems in DnD adventures. 

That’s not the story for The Weary Dragon Inn. Or at least it wasn’t. Proprietor, Bev, has no memory of who she used to be five years ago. Now her days are filled with running the Inn and baking her famous rosemary bread. Until sinkholes start appearing and threaten to swallow up the whole town. Now Bev is putting on her sleuthing hat to find out who – or what – is responsible.

Book five, Magic and Molemen, is out on March 26, 2024

2. Sword and Thistle (Tales of Aedrea) by S.L. Rowland

There are no age restrictions on playing Dungeons and Dragons. But the real, active life of a seasoned adventurer can wreak havoc on your body. Or is that just the aging process in general?

Dobin Thornhill is all about that adventurer life, even if his aging body is less willing these days. His next quest is dangerous and can’t be done alone, but the pay is life-changing. Maybe it’s time to retire from solo adventuring and join up with some new companions. 

 

1. Tools of a Thief (A Series of Decisions of Kairas) by D. Hale Rambo

For DnD adventurers looking to retire and maybe open, say, a coffee shop (you know what I mean) there’s always one last job. At least that’s what Zizy Zaker has been promised.

Pressed into a job she can’t say no to, Gnome Rogue Zizy is resigned to her fate as a thief. But fate comes in many shapes. Following a chance meeting with bold knowledge seeker, Laysa, and an unexpected tragedy, it could be Zizy who is at risk of having something precious stolen.

The final book in the series, Routes of a Ranger, is out on April 25, 2024.

Share your Dungeons and Dragons reading recommendations and/or experiences in the comments.

For those looking to settle down to some cozy fantasy that features or is written by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and/or LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, plus other diverse gender and sexual identities) folks, this is the listicle for you.

Let’s start with the indie sensation that is

8. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Battle-weary Orc, Viv, retires to open a coffee shop. Amongst the croissants and coffee, there’s a gentle, slow-burn sapphic romance.

The prequel, Bookshops and Bonedust, is out now.

 

If coffee isn’t your thing, how about tea?

7. Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne 

Girlfriends Reyna and Kianthe want to open a bookshop that serves tea. But quitting your job feels impossible when you’re the Queen’s private guard and the world’s most powerful mage. What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous Queen.

The sequel, A Pirate’s Life for Tea, is out now.

 

If you prefer something a little stronger in both the drink and content department, check out

6. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

The Mead Mishaps series follows, well, the mishaps of characters caused, directly or indirectly, by booze.

In Book One, Cinnamon, a spice farmer, tells of her rescue of and subsequent misadventures with Fallon, a demon who frequently burns his shirt off. Spicy!

 

Feeling peckish and in need of a bite? Don’t get hangry (hungry-angry)! Instead, get 

5. A Touch of Wrath by Arizona Tape

A Lust demon with a floundering restaurant and a Glutton demon with a complaint could be a recipe for disaster – or a match made in food heaven.

The Forked Tail series is a cozy, low-stakes paranormal romance filled with demons, delicious recipes, and compelling sapphic romance.

 

When you’re not sure what you need, you need  

4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Sibling Dex, a Monk, is struggling to find their place in life. Along comes Mosscap, a robot with the task of finding the answer to “What do people need?” 

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy continues the quest of Monk and Robot.

 

If you need rest and romance, cozy up with 

3. The Fae’s Bride by R. L. Medina

A busy witch. An enamored Count. An enchanted villa filled with nosy sisters. 

Welcome to Zamerra, a gaslamp fantasy realm with Italian cottage core vibes.

Book three in the Silveri Sisters series, The Goblin’s Bride, is out on November 24, 2023.

 

If enemies to lovers romance is your sweet poison, get ready for

2. A Rival Most Vial by R. K. Ashwick

Mix together two potion shops. Add one proud half-elf, one charming newcomer, and a joint commission. Sprinkle in the tension and stir vigorously as this rivalry threatens to bubble over into something more!

This is book one in The Side Quest Row series.

 

When you’re ready for more adventure, you need

1. Tools of a Thief by D. Hale Rambo

A Gnome Thief who doesn’t want to steal anymore. A Brix Librarian who seeks the notice of distant deities. A protective Brix Speaker. A mysterious Ranger. When these four get together, is it already too late to make the changes they crave?

You’ll find out soon as book three of A Series of Decisions on Kairas, Routes of a Ranger, is out in April 2024.

Try out the series and read chapter one of Tools of a Thief for free.

Share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments.