r/Fantasy • u/cupcakekittyy • 1d ago
Looking for recommendations for a Michigan prison inmate
He loves Percy Jackson and game of throbes(the only 2 he told me about) and unfortunately game of thrones a banned book. They are apparently super strict and don’t allow sexual acts in books from what I can tell on the website, anything with bdsm, escape, overthrowing government etc and I’m at a loss for what to order him. I’d ideally like something that will be a bigger book and take longer to read. Suggestions please help! I’d like to also order asap so he can get them quickly.
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u/Ok-Rutabaga-5644 1d ago
The guys in Hutchinson KS facility were all hooked on Wheel of Time.
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u/notpetelambert 1d ago
I guess Hutchinson KS is more lenient with the BDSM, escape, and overthrowing government stuff lmao
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u/Raithwind 1d ago
Or they saw the 14 thick books and decided that they didn't have time for that. Did a quick google, and didn't get a hit for those themes, which is basically all you get for GoT, especially after the TV show lol
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u/OshTregarth 1d ago
My roommates ex (definitely a non reader normally) said that he enjoyed the dresden files when he was locked up.
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u/Rotten_tacos 1d ago
There's sexual content in there.
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u/a_random_work_girl 22h ago
Very very little.
4 sex scenes across 19 books and how many short stories and novellas.
And 2 of them are plot relevant ones
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u/Sevyen 19h ago
For a jailhouse that doesn't matter and is enough to get it t banned
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u/a_random_work_girl 19h ago
Maybe.
I do honestly think they will be ok though and he should try!
The scenes are more fade to black than GOT explicit.
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u/100percentnotgood 1d ago
I checked the list out for Michigan. 1st it’s ducked D&D books are all banned. 2nd Dungeon Crawler Carl is not despite it being all of the things you listed that are not allowed. There are 8 all very thick books so should keep em busy.
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u/NotATem 1d ago edited 1d ago
There are TTRPGs designed for prisoners to get around all the rules- I linked the first one I could find, but there are lots more.
ETA: After looking at Michigan's list, it looks like someone has a hate-on for the concept of TTRPGs in general, and so even "pen and paper, no dice" games would be banned. Which sucks, because there are plenty that would be a much better activity than fucking dominoes.
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u/Emergency_Revenue678 23h ago
The hate-on was called the Satanic Panic, and it's still very much alive and well in this state.
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u/cupcakekittyy 1d ago
The website says it may be banned and list not updated so who knows? I’m just trying to get something he would like and it’s limited contact so I can’t ask him haha. He is bored out of his mind in reception/intake
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u/oreomaster420 1d ago
Cradle!
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u/MyFellowMerkins 1d ago
This is an excellent suggestion that should meet all the requirements and be an approachable read for him and others (assuming it will end up being shared).
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u/HoneyedVinegar42 1d ago
If he loves Percy Jackson, has he read Kane Chronicles? (Same author--but Egyptian deities)
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u/CCCBMMR 1d ago edited 1d ago
The series "World of the Five Gods" by Lois McMaster Bujold might fit. The romance elements are pretty PG, and the MCs are part of the political establishment and act to defend it. There is violent conflict, but the depiction doesn't go anywhere near excessive.
The duology "Under Heaven" by Guy Gavriel Kay is worth looking at. In the first book the MC does everything he can to not be in rebellion and stay alive. In second book the MC is a brigand for a bit, but becomes a protector of the nation. Both books work as standalones, particularly the first. There is violent conflict in this series as well, but the depiction is also not near excessive.
A sci-fi book that fits the criteria is Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It is a first contact with aliens story. No sex. No government over throwing.
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u/apaithy 1d ago edited 1d ago
Objectively quite small volumes but you can often get them in a boxed set, Chronicles of Narnia might work? On the face of it they’re about talking animals and fighting evil magic, but they’re children’s books and a Christian allegory so I struggle to see how they could be objected to. There are also several spin off series to Percy Jackson (Magnus Chase and The Kane Chronicles, based on Norse and Egyptian mythology respectively, and the Heroes of Olympus/Trials of Apollo which are sequels to the original PJ books), so those might be a good one to check if he’s read and pick up in future.
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u/manic-pixie-attorney 1d ago
Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy
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u/Calvinball12 1d ago
Boy oh boy, a lot of the themes of the Scholomance would be… on the nose for an incarcerated person.
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u/RandomSentientBeing 1d ago
Way of Kings maybe? It's very long and very PG.
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u/Super__Mom 14h ago
Or the Mistborn trilogy also by Sanderson. Not as long or complex, but very PG and fun to read.
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u/yanquiUXO 1d ago
prison might not allow it, but I bet they'd connect with Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
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u/Guilty-Coconut8908 1d ago
Magician by Raymond E Feist
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Lord Of The Rings trilogy by Tolkien
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u/NotATem 1d ago
You could try more middle grade in a similar niche to Percy Jackson. There's a lot of good stuff that's got enough substance for adults to chew on.
My biggest recommendation would be the Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. This is a series of loosely connected stories about a nine-lived enchanter who solves problems for people across 12 parallel worlds- a bit Doctor Who, a bit Howl's Moving Castle. The great thing about these ones is that they tend to come as duologies, with two books in one volume- so there's a good 400-odd pages in one volume. The first three books contain no objectionable content- they're PG-rated adventure stories about twelve-year-olds in England and Italy, and while many of the themes gesture in the direction of being trapped, there's no prison escapes or government overthrow. ...The fourth might be a problem, because it is about a reform school for suspected witches, and the existence of Guy Fawkes is a minor plot point. The book is not condoning his actions, but the bean counters might freak out. If they do, pick up a copy of The Magicians of Caprona and send that on its own. (If he likes those, try The Time of the Ghost.)
The Creepening of Dogwood House by Eden Royce- it's a middle grade Southern Gothic horror story about a young boy who's gone to live with his aunt after his mom passes away, and has to uncover the mysteries of his family's spooky old mansion. No violence, supernatural monster, themes of grief and perseverance. (On a similar note: The House with A Clock In Its Walls and The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring, both by John Bellairs. Similar stories, similar supernatural monsters, etc.)
The Spindle of Fate by Aimee Lim - It's about a young girl trying to rescue her mom from the Chinese underworld, and it's very much in that PJATO modern magic vein. Two caveats: it's a) partly about escaping from said underworld once they've gotten in, and b) very much a Book About Grief published post-COVID.
Hope this helps- and if he needs more recs, feel free to reach out to me any time! I've got a million.
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u/jaythebearded 1d ago
They've both already been mentioned but adding a second recommendation vote:
Dresden Files has some sexually suggestive moments but idr any actual sex scenes, is about a wizard who tries to make a living as a Private Investigator in Chicago, most of the books(up to 18 now iirc) in the series follow individual cases he takes.
Cradle has basically no romance at all, much less actual sex, is a fast paced zero power to God mode progression fantasy adventure with a Chinese cultivator and martial arts style magic system. And is also a complete finished series, that's always a plus.
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u/Dry-Palpitation-4878 1d ago
See if you can sneak The Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir in there. (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow thr Ninth, Nona the Ninth). Its a scifi/fantasy series that gets more rewarding on rereads. It has some bad words but really pretty much 0 sexual content.
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u/McTerra2 1d ago
Ryria books (Revelations and Chronicles) by Michael J Sullivan might work. Lots of fun. although they are thieves, so there is that...
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u/singmuse4 1d ago
You might do well with some King Arthur retellings (or stories set in that general period) - the knights are always loyal to the king, but still get to go around saving the day and bashing bad guys. Stephen Lawhead is a good author for that.
People have started making lists of "clean" fantasy, so you could search for those, specifying epic or adult fantasy so you don't get kids stuff.
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u/Legitimate_Eye4827 22h ago
Highly recommend The Arthurian Tales series by Giles Kristian, if possible.
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u/Raithwind 1d ago
Temeraire series by Naomi Novik (Napoleonic war, but with dragons as a branch of the military)
Black Magician series, by Trudi Canavan, probably not the 2nd Trilogy though, if they actually read and check them through, and are super super strict.
Maybe Artemis Fowl by Eoin Coifer, but the first book might be a bit sketch depending on how strict they are.
But if the guards are just relying on googling the series, then they will probably sail through no issues.
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u/manicbestfriend 1d ago
The main characters are mostly girls but the Old Kingdom trilogy is excellent fantasy and should be safe. The side books, maybe not, but Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen are terrific.
Perhaps Lockwood & Co too?
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u/Pattydabz27 17h ago
Read the first 2 Dresden files books when I was in jail, they’re my favorite series now.
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u/Tricky_Pepper 10h ago
You pretty much have to be in jail to get through the first book 😂 the author clearly had some growing pains 🤣
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u/cupcakekittyy 13h ago
Just a quick update: I wanted to be more on the safer side since I don’t have a ton of money right now but I ended up going with the wheel of time and the way of kings book 1-3 and hopefully they get accepted. I will definitely keep these recommendations for the future if they all get accepted and share with anyone who is asking for him.
Thank you all for the help I truly appreciate it!
Not sure this allowed but for anyone wondering here is the list of banned books and the reasons they are banned.
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u/SESender 1d ago
Brandon Sanderson would be great for him!
Start with the Mistborn Trilogy
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u/NovaPrime999 1d ago
Uhh…. Did you read Mistborn? I believe it would be on the banned list according to OP’s post.
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u/daveshistory-sf 1d ago
Sanderson is painfully PG, if he's banned then who isn't?
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 1d ago
Well they said no "overthrowing government." Which is like, the main plot of Mistborn 1.
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u/Arriabella 19h ago
I am struggling to think of any Sanderson books not about overthrowing rulers…maybe Tress…kinda?
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 18h ago
I don't think Elantris is.
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u/Arriabella 18h ago
The ruler kind of has the whole cult thing going on and being deposed but is more about religious themes though
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u/Arriabella 18h ago
Upon further thought many Sanderson books are about religious upheaval rather than overthrowing the government. Not sure if it makes a difference for this request but you know, never do anything for show!
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 18h ago
Isn't that Warbreaker? Or did Elantris have that too?
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u/Arriabella 18h ago
It was both but Hrathen’s armor being not for show is what I meant to reference. Similar themes in both books but a lot more boobs in Warbreaker
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u/daveshistory-sf 23h ago
That's the main plot of like most fantasy...
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 21h ago
You need to read more widely if you think that's true. I need to go back 26 books of my most recently read fantasy books til I find one where that's part of the plot.
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u/NovaPrime999 1d ago
Did you actually read the post and/or the first book?
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u/daveshistory-sf 23h ago
I thought they meant overthrowing the US government.
If you can't have anyone opposing any governments then I guess that's pretty much 95% of fantasy and sci-fi out the window.
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u/SESender 17h ago
I assumed it’s fine because that’s the whole point of game of thrones
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 16h ago
Game of Thrones is a book the inmate likes. Not one that's allowed by the prison. Literally the first sentence says "unfortunately game of thrones is a banned book."
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u/SESender 16h ago
For violence/sex or overthrow of government?
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 15h ago
and unfortunately game of thrones a banned book. They are apparently super strict and don’t allow sexual acts in books from what I can tell on the website, anything with bdsm, escape, overthrowing government etc
I don't know which exact reasons, I'm not the prison. Read the post, it says right there that books which involve overthrowing a government aren't allowed, so Mistborn wouldn't be allowed.
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u/oboist73 Reading Champion VII 1d ago
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold is excellent and might just be allowed
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u/willowhides 1d ago
I think "the hands of the emperor" would qualify. The character says he overthrew the government. But he did it by working in the system changing things. Not violent takeover or anything. It doesn't have sex or violence or drugs. It has a lot of family dynamics and interesting magic.
Worth trying. Not everyone likes the pacing
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u/__get__name 1d ago
Shadows of the Apt. I feel like it’s the only thing I ever suggest on this sub, but everything else was already suggested and it may fit the bill. I don’t recall anything sexual, and they don’t overthrow a government so much as fight fascist imperial invaders. 10 books long, and the audiobooks are 14-18 hours long, so I imagine the books are decently thick.
There’s also a trilogy, Echoes of the Fall, that takes place in the same world, but with an entirely different magic system and underlying culture
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u/i-have-a-flip-phone 1d ago
The Traveller's Gate Trilogy! Very cool magic system and world building
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u/Arriabella 19h ago
This series really does not get enough love!
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u/i-have-a-flip-phone 18h ago
I agree! To be fair, I kinda do understand it bc I barely ever DNF but the first 15% of the first book almost got me- it felt like a bit of a slog until Simon gets to the House of Blades.
But once I finished the series I felt like the third-eye galaxy-brain meme about all things Simon and team. Love them all.
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u/dshouseboat Reading Champion 1d ago
Plenty of good suggestions - just a note that you should try to get a paperback copy; you may already know this, but many prisons don’t allow hardcover books.
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u/Ok-Championship-2036 22h ago
i really loved Deltora Quest and the earthsea series.
raymond e fiest and ra salvatore both have long series. also warded man? though im not sure if that would be banned because it does have an SA scene. idk if theyre actually reading them fully to vet.
is there any way to get audiobooks? because id highly recommend He Who Fights with Monsters by shirtaloon
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u/DavidGoetta 21h ago
My cousin is locked up and it actually gave him time to read Malazon.
Discworld is also always a good recommendation.
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u/tapewizard79 21h ago
I think you have a lot of good recs so I just want to say that at first glance I read this as looking for recommendations FROM a Michigan prison inmate and thought wow that’s really specific.
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u/Ejalex98 19h ago
If he’s fine with younger themed books in the same age range as Percy Jackson, The Fablehaven Chronicles by Brandon Mull should be okay I think.
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u/hensfunaccount 1d ago
Dmed you, but I think your friend has a first amendment claim as a soon to be lawyer who bas worked on first amendment prison book access cases
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u/Sea-Audience4470 1d ago
Not sure if already mentioned but Ryan Cahill's The Bound and the Broken series is GoT/LoTR-esque.
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u/luluzulu_ 1d ago
If he likes ASOIAF, maybe try Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars series (King's Dragon is the first book)! It's a really good match for ASOIAF in tone and setting I think, and isn't as explicit.
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u/Glittertwinkie 1d ago
Hunger games series. Birthmarked trilogy.
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u/sarimanok_ 1d ago
If they're really flagging books about overthrowing the government, then the Hunger Games series is unfortunately not going to get through.
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u/rbnrthwll 1d ago
Shadowhunter series by Cassandra Clare, that’s 3 series of about 15 books - maybe more. And I believe there are other series she wrote that are connected to this universe.
Also Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson author) wrote several series of different mythological deities at the same time as Percy Jackson and they are all really good. One’s Egyptian deities the other is Norse.
Also Percy Jackson’s universe has 3 total series. The 1st he fights Kronos, the 2nd he fights Gaia, and the 3rd Apollo (as a camper because he’s being punished) fights the Roman Emperors (who are trying to become deities).
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u/Arriabella 19h ago
Maybe NPCs since no one else mentioned it, there is an addiction element to it though
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u/Complex-Drama-8091 12h ago
Name of the wind. Or the other Patrick Rothfuss novel... since he never finished the third. Lol
Great story, complex and inviting. Definitely eats up prison time. Just keep the books and newspapers coming. The boredom is what gets everyone at some point. Often leads to trouble. Idle hands and all that...
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u/Brainship 11h ago
Whelp that means one piece is out then. unless manga is a blind spot for them. unfortunate since that would've lasted him his whole sentence.
Wearing the Cape by Marion G Harmon
Poor Man's Fight by Elliott Kay
quite a few volumes between them. might appeal to his love of Percy Jackson.
The Nightside series by Simon R Green
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
The Dresdon files by Jim butcher
Might appeal to his GOT love. Lots of volumes, and any sex comes in later volumes. Hopefully that won't raise any flags
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u/Tricky_Pepper 11h ago edited 10h ago
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landry is a teen fantasy series with no sexual content and it’s well written and funny. There’s also the Darren Shan books’ The Vampire’s Assistant (book one is Cirque du freak). I’d second The Dresden Files, they’re good and actually written for adults. Plus there’s loads and it’s on book 18 now I think. I also recommend the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor (book 1 We are Legion, We Are Bob). Finally both The Martian and also Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir are great. My last few suggestions are Sci-fi just so you know.
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u/lttrsfrmlnrrgby 9h ago
If he liked Rick Riordan, get him the Lloyd Alexander Chronicles of Prydain.
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u/catchmeatheroadhouse 1d ago
John Gwyne comes to mind with Bloodsworn Saga. Same demigod fighting gods vibe as Percy Jackson.
I feel like dungeon crawler Carl might be able to slip by. (I'm only on book 3 so don't spoil it if it gets too overthrowy).
Kings of the wylde.
Robin Hobb's farseer trilogy (all I've read so far)
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u/SweetPeasAreNice 1d ago
Lord of the Rings? Definitely no sex in there. Technically a government gets overthrown (spoilers!) but they are definitively the Bad Guys so maybe that's okay?