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City of Bones

Martha Wells

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Similar in characterization

These books are ranked using the characterization labels extracted for City of Bones.

Characterization labels used: outsider protagonist, outcast, reluctant hero, antihero, relic dealer, historian, scholar, warder, foreign scholar, thief, rogue, male lead, female lead, smart protagonist, cynical protagonist, grumpy character, prickly characters, lovable outcasts, competent but flawed, expendable other

This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their characterization embeddings are close.

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The Children of Men

P.D. James · 2006

In a childless near-future England, a weary historian is drawn into resistance when a pregnancy changes everything.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: academic protagonist · historian protagonist · apathetic protagonist · cynical protagonist · unlikable protagonist · reluctant leader · female revolutionary · attractive outsider · tyrannical ruler · powerful cousin · dissident group · idealistic rebels · elderly population · amoral youth · cold character

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1418

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Hunted

Skye Melki-Wegner · 2023 · The Deadlands

Exiled dinosaurs must unite in a deadly wasteland to uncover a war conspiracy and save their kingdoms.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: misfits · outcasts · young protagonists · dreamer protagonist · storyteller protagonist · warrior character · spy character · genius character · optimistic character · grumpy character · heroic exile · reluctant leader · resourceful protagonist · distinct personalities

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1479

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The Grand Dark

Richard Kadrey · 2019

A bike messenger in a decadent postwar city is pulled into secrets, class intrigue, and a looming new conflict.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: naive protagonist · ambitious underclass · addict · courier · actress · ordinary hero · flawed protagonist · opportunist · drifter · wastrel · good heart · character growth · passive protagonist · class striver

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1556

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The Magos

Dan Abnett · 2018 · Eisenhorn

An aging inquisitor’s casebook of linked tales culminates in an outsider-led investigation into heresy, murder, and corruption.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant hero · morally grey · corrupted protagonist · aging protagonist · outsider protagonist · intelligent everyman · bookish scientist · loyal retinue · investigator · fanatical official · declining competence · complicated antihero

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1578

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The Fabulous Riverboat

Philip José Farmer · 1972 · Riverworld

Mark Twain fights to build a riverboat on a world of the dead, where scarce metal, rivals, and betrayals block his quest.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: flawed protagonist · obsessive protagonist · morose protagonist · prickly protagonist · insecure protagonist · cynical protagonist · ruthless leader · treacherous ruler · giant bodyguard · historical figures · male-dominated cast · engineers and scientists · warlords · antihero lead

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1599

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Empire of Silence

Christopher Ruocchio · 2018 · The Sun Eater

An exiled nobleman recounts how he became a legendary outcast, gladiator, and future destroyer of suns.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: privileged heir · reluctant hero · scholar protagonist · melodramatic protagonist · impulsive protagonist · naive protagonist · brooding hero · flawed narrator · anti-conformist · bookish · gladiator · self-justifying

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1636

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Bring the Jubilee

Ward Moore · 2001

In an alternate America where the Confederacy won, a bookish young historian is drawn toward a revelation that may reshape history.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: bookish protagonist · self-taught scholar · passive hero · dreamer · coming of age · intellectual outsider · historian protagonist · unlikely protagonist · flawed women · eccentric intellectuals · philosophical characters

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1655

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Tuf Voyaging

George R.R. Martin · 1986

A cat-loving space trader inherits a godlike seedship and uses it to solve—or worsen—problems on distant worlds.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: antihero · eccentric protagonist · aloof protagonist · brilliant protagonist · pompous protagonist · honest protagonist · pacifist protagonist · vegetarian protagonist · cat-loving protagonist · social recluse · morally ambiguous · ingenious problem-solver · eccentric trader · female foil · powerful outsider

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1658

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The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England

Brandon Sanderson · 2023

An amnesiac traveler wakes in medieval England and must piece together his identity before his pursuers catch him.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: relatable protagonist · antihero · snarky protagonist · self-deprecating · lovable fool · bumbling hero · screwup protagonist · unlikely hero · adult protagonist · character growth · redeemable lead · secondary characters

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1659

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The Liar's Key

Mark Lawrence · 2015 · The Red Queen's War

A cowardly prince and a relentless warrior trek south with a magical key that could open death’s door.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: antihero · cowardly protagonist · self-deprecating protagonist · liar · gambler · womanizer · hedonist · opportunist · comic narrator · honorable warrior · stoic companion · witch · orphan · young boy · complex female characters · ruthless ruler · hidden complexity · moral ambivalence

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1699

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The Skin Map

Stephen R. Lawhead · 2010 · Bright Empires

A London man is pulled into a ley-line quest across time and worlds after meeting his supposedly dead great-grandfather.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant hero · ordinary protagonist · flawed hero · passive protagonist · competent heroine · adaptable heroine · villainous antagonist · mentor figure · explorer · adventurer · old sage · bumbling heroes · strong female characters · secretive mentor · greedy villain · quirky characters

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1709

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In the Shadow of Lightning

Brian McClellan · 2022 · Glass Immortals

A disgraced leader returns home to solve his mother’s murder as a magical resource runs out and war closes in.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: outcast hero · disgraced leader · grifter · prodigy · tactician · investigator · glasssmith · combat engineer · bastard daughter · supportive rival · ragtag outcasts · flawed hero · competent women · strong female leads · ambitious leader

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1713

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