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My TBR pile is growing but here are some hidden gems that i found.
15
items This is some of my favorite books about music. As someone that loves music irl ido love to read about it too.
Sections
3
Melodies of power
Urban Rhythms & Modern Myth
Lyrical Legends & Epic Echoes
Melodies of power
In these stories, music is a literal force of nature or a system of magic. Characters don't just play instruments; they weave spells and shift reality through song.
The series starts by following Kvothe, a world-renowned hero turned humble innkeeper, as he recounts his life. A child of traveling performers, his magic is deeply tied to his lute; he learns to "play" the emotions of a room and eventually seeks the ...
The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle #1)
Anna, a dissatisfied opera singer and music instructor from our world, is transported to the world of Erde. There, she discovers that her vocal training and lung capacity make her a "Spellsinger"—someone who can level armies or heal the sick simply b...
The Soprano Sorceress: (Spellsong Cycle Series #1)
On the planet Pern, Menolly is a gifted musician whose father forbids her from playing. She runs away and befriends tiny, melody-mimicking fire-lizards, eventually proving that her songs are vital to the survival of her society.
Dragonsong (Harper Hall Trilogy Series #1)
Maerad is a slave who discovers she is a member of the School of Pellinor. In this world, the "Speech" (magic) is practiced by Bards who use music, poetry, and ancient songs to maintain the balance of the world against an encroaching Nameless One.
The Naming (Pellinor Series #1)
Jonathan Thomas Meriweather is a quintessential 70s rock fan who finds himself in a world of talking animals. He discovers he is a Spellsinger, but there’s a catch: the magic only works when he plays Earth rock songs on his magical "duar," leading to...
Spellsinger
Urban Rhythms & Modern Myth
These books take place in versions of our own world (or close to it) where music acts as a bridge between the mundane and the magical.
Set in 1988 Mexico City, three teenagers discover they can cast spells using the vinyl records they listen to. It’s a bittersweet coming-of-age story where the "magic" of a hit song can literally change your luck, break a heart, or get revenge on a b...
Signal to Noise
Eddi McCandry is a rock musician who just quit her band, only to be stalked by a shapeshifting fey. She is forced to become the "mortal tether" in a supernatural war between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, using her guitar and her band's performances...
War for the Oaks
The Tufa are a mysterious, dark-haired people living in the Appalachian Mountains. They are descendants of faerie folk who lost their wings, and their magic is preserved through their folk music. When a Tufa soldier returns from Iraq, her song might ...
The Hum and the Shiver (Tufa Series #1)|
Though part of the larger Discworld series, this is the first book focusing on "The Band with Rocks In." It’s a brilliant parody of the rise of rock ‘n’ roll, featuring a magical guitar that possesses its player and a beat that threatens to rewrite t...
Soul Music (Discworld Series #16)|Paperback
A stereo repairman discovers he has the ability to "manifest" music that was never actually recorded. He travels back in time mentally to help legendary musicians like Jim Morrison and Brian Wilson finish their lost masterpieces, blending music histo...
Glimpses
Lyrical Legends & Epic Echoes
These titles lean into high fantasy and alternative histories where musicians serve as the keepers of memory, history, and destiny.
Inspired by high medieval Provence, this story focuses on a culture of troubadours and courtly love. It’s a lush, operatic tale where the tension between two rival nations is mirrored in the songs of the traveling bards and the religious hymns of the...
A Song for Arbonne|Paperback
Rune is a young girl who dreams of becoming a professional musician, a career mostly closed to women. She wins the favor of a Ghost King with her fiddle playing and sets out to join the prestigious Guild of Bards, navigating a world where a song can ...
The Lark and the Wren
In a dystopian London, people have lost the ability to form long-term memories. They are governed by "The Chimes"—a massive musical instrument that rings out daily, wiping minds and keeping order. The protagonist, Simon, joins a group of outcasts who...
The Chimes|eBook
After his family is murdered, Caladrius finds sanctuary on an island of musicians. He grows up to be a master of the "piping," a complex musical magic. He eventually returns to his homeland to use his music to confront the man who destroyed his life.
Song for the Basilisk|eBook
Seraphina is a talented musician in the royal court of Goredd, a kingdom where humans and dragons live in an uneasy peace. She has a secret that could destroy her, and she expresses her inner turmoil through her compositions while investigating a mur...
Seraphina (Seraphina Series #1)