Books like 'Arena'
Readers who enjoyed Arena by Karen Hancock also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical young adult science fiction aliens mystery dystopian christian
-
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 86 ratingsAn alternate cover edition of this ISBN can be found here.To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. His courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, but he was ill at ease with normal wizardry... -
![The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal]()
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsOn a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs...Categorized as:
dystopian science fiction historical racism 20th century young adult survival mental illness -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links -
![Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston]()
Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe highly awaited sequel to Heart of Iron, Soul of Stars is a thrilling sci-fi adventure packed with romance, shocking twists, and witty banter, perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Cinder.Once, Ana was an orphaned space outlaw. Then she was the Empress of the Iron Kingdom... -
![Touch by Olaf Olafsson]()
Touch by Olaf Olafsson
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA mesmerizing, panoramic story of one man's search to find a lover who suddenly disappeared decades beforeWhen the pandemic hits, Kristofer is forced to shutter his successful restaurant in Reykjavik, sending him into a spiral of uncertainty, even as his memory seems to be failing...Categorized as:
mystery contemporary historical science fiction suspense young adult length-short audiobook -
-
![Cold Falling White by Gabrielle S. Prendergast]()
Cold Falling White by Gabrielle S. Prendergast
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsXander Liu survived the alien invasion—just barely. For more than a year, he has outsmarted, hidden from, and otherwise avoided the ruthless intruders, the Nahx, dodging the deadly darts that have claimed so many... -
![Melophobia by James Morris]()
Melophobia by James Morris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMelophobia: fear or hatred of music. The time—now; the place—America, but in a world where the government controls all forms of art and creativity. Any music sowing the seeds of anarchy is banned—destroyed if found—its creators and listeners harshly punished...Categorized as:
dystopian science fiction historical futuristic love triangle young adult suspense other-man-woman -
![The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs]()
The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Impetuous and headstrong is Tara, Princess of Helium and daughter of John Carter. Tara meets Prince Gahan of Gathol, and is initially unimpressed, viewing him as something of a popinjay. Later she takes her flier into a storm and loses control of the craft, and the storm carries her to an unfamiliar region of Barsoom...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction 20th century young adult historical length-short glimpses-kisses audiobook -
![Arabella and the Battle of Venus by David D. Levine]()
Arabella and the Battle of Venus by David D. Levine
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Arabella embarks on another entertaining quest in an imaginative setting that combines 19th-century seafaring with pulp-style space adventure.” —Publishers Weekly Though happy to be back on her home planet of Mars, Arabella’s peace is shattered when she receives distressing news. Her long-absent fiancé Capt... -
![Cake Eater by Allyson Dahlin]()
Cake Eater by Allyson Dahlin
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 13 ratings"With a love story for the ages, this vivid tale takes the history we know and recasts it into an exciting, technicolor, future world that challenges what we know here in the present, and how we know it...Categorized as:
dystopian mystery young adult science fiction historical futuristic length-long audiobook -
![Thuvia, Maid Of Mars: by Edgar Rice Burroughs]()
Thuvia, Maid Of Mars: by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Mars has become divided by love. Not one, but two princes and a Jeddak are vying for the love of Thuvia of Ptarth. When she is mysteriously kidnapped, treachery threatens to throw Barsoom into bloody war. Now Cathoris must follow in the footsteps of his father, John Carter, and overcome phantom armies, dangerous spies and savage beasts as he attempts to save his true love and reunite Mars...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction young adult 20th century war historical length-novella glimpses-kisses -
![Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston]()
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
Rated: 3.77 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him...Categorized as:
mystery aliens dystopian futuristic historical contemporary science fiction young adult -
![Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald]()
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsIt is the French Riviera in the 1920s. Nicole and Dick Diver are a wealthy, elegant, magnetic couple. A coterie of admirers are drawn to them, none more so than the blooming young starlet Rosemary Hoyt. When Rosemary falls for Dick, the Diver's calculated perfection begins to crack. As dark truths emerge, Fitzgerald shows both the disintegration of a marriage and the failure of idealism... -
![Retro by Sofía Lapuente, Jarrod Shusterman]()
Retro by Sofía Lapuente, Jarrod Shusterman
Rated: 3.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhat starts off as a light-hearted competition to live without modern technology for a year turns into a fight for survival in this unputdownable young adult thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jarrod Shusterman and debut author Sofía Lapuente...Categorized as:
mystery young adult contemporary queer multicultural historical science fiction length-medium -
![Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine]()
Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine
Rated: 3.64 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsEver since Newton witnessed a bubble rising from his bathtub, mankind has sought the stars. When William III of England commissioned Capt. William Kidd to command the first expedition to Mars in the late 1600s, they proved that space travel was both possible and profitable. Now, one century later, a plantation in the flourishing British colony on Mars is home to Arabella Ashby...Categorized as:
aliens steampunk science fiction young adult historical regency pirates length-medium -
-
![A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs]()
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Let the adventures begin, as Captain John Carter finds himself transported to the alien landscape of Mars--where the low gravity increases his speed and strength exponentially. Taken prisoner by Martian warriors, he impresses them with his remarkable fighting skills, and quickly rises to a high-ranking chieftain...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction 20th century young adult historical length-short glimpses-kisses audiobook -
![Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson]()
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us a gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different worlds must compromise and work together to save their worlds from ruin.Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares... -
![Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 16 by Julietta Suzuki]()
Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 16 by Julietta Suzuki
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsNanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity... -
![Farilane by Michael J. Sullivan]()
Farilane by Michael J. Sullivan
Some truths are dangerous, certain secrets best concealed, and one story never should have been written at all. Being an unwanted twin in the imperial line of succession, Farilane becomes a scholar, an adventurer, and—in a time when reading is forbidden—a hunter of books. Her singular obsession is finding the mythical Book of Brin , a tome not just lost but intentionally buried...Categorized as:
mystery fantasy high fantasy historical science fiction young adult magic length-medium -
![Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence]()
Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsThe searing conclusion of the thrilling epic fantasy trilogy that saw a young girl trained by an arcane order of nuns grow into the fiercest of warriors...They came against her as a child. Now they face the woman. The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor’s armies are in retreat... -
![Nimona by Noelle Stevenson]()
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic." Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson... -
![Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong]()
Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the second book in the captivating Foul Lady Fortune duology following an immortal assassin in 1930s Shanghai as she races to save her country and her love.Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion... -
![Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks]()
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 82 ratingsKylar Stern has rejected the assassin's life. The Godking's successful coup has left Kylar's master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession... -
![Deluge by Lisa Tawn Bergren]()
Deluge by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Bettarinis and Forellis have found rich fulfillment together in medieval Italia. But after fighting off countless enemies, they now must face the worst foe of all... -
![Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren]()
Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?” Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives... -
-
![Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren]()
Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWhen Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series. Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times... -
![Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman]()
Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsCallum is a naught, a second-class citizen in a society run by the ruling Crosses. Sephy is a Cross, and daughter of the man slated to become prime minister. In their world, white naughts and black Crosses simply don't mix -- and they certainly don't fall in love. But that's exactly what they've done. When they were younger, they played together...Categorized as:
dystopian mystery young adult science fiction fantasy contemporary racism forbidden love -
![Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine]()
Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWith the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain... -
![Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin]()
Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsHer story begins on a train.The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo... -
![The Convent's Secret by C.J. Archer]()
The Convent's Secret by C.J. Archer
To find the one man who can fix the magic in Matt's watch, he and India are led to a convent where the nuns will do anything to keep their secrets private. Including murder? Matt and India must uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the mother superior and two babies given to her care many years ago. But sometimes, the truth is painful and its exposure can have deadly consequences... -
![Witch's Cauldron by Ella Summers]()
Witch's Cauldron by Ella Summers
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsSomething wicked is brewing in New York. “A month ago, I watched in horror as six of my fellow initiates died after sipping the Nectar of the gods, a heavenly drink that either grants you magical powers or kills you. I can’t believe I’m coming back for seconds.” Leda Pierce has survived the gods’ first test and gained entry into the Legion of Angels, but the fight is far from over...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
