It’s starting to get frosty out there and many of you are opting to stay inside cuddled up with a blanket and your favorite hot beverage. As cozy as time spent indoors can be, you might begin to crave excitement you can’t find within the confines of your living room. You long for swashbuckling adventures across the seven seas, daring escapes, and magical journeys to new worlds.
Luckily, you can find all the action and adventure you could ever want within the pages of a good book. And thanks to the wonders of technology and the Internet, your next favorite action & adventure book is just a click away. As someone who loves a good adventure novel, I’ve put together a list of novels that will scratch that itch for excitement. A huge bonus is that you can read part or all of these books for free, and you can find many of them right here on Fictionate.
Here are ten action & adventure novels you can read online for free.
1) Calliope by Kaylynx
Calliope is a witch who was created only to do her master’s evil bidding and has never known another life. She attacks a kingdom then feels remorse and decides to escape so she can start a new life for herself. She doesn’t realize she’s being hunted—both by the master she betrayed and by a kingdom eager for revenge.
This novel has it all—a well-drawn medieval setting, fantasy, romance, witches, and, of course, plenty of action and adventure. You can read the entire completed novel for free on Fictionate, as well as the book’s sequel, Calliope: The Inbetween.
2) Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville
In this novel, young Ishmael narrates how he came to work on the ship Pequod under the crew’s monomaniacal leader, Captain Ahab. Captain Ahab is obsessed with slaying Moby Dick, the great white whale who previously destroyed Ahab’s ship and took his leg. The captain carries on with his mission with no thought to the safety or wellbeing of his men.
Moby Dick is a great American classic and includes Captain Ahab, one of the most fascinating characters in all of literature. You can read this book for free on Project Gutenberg.
3) Into the Cold by Jennifer Miller
When Amelia’s plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, she’s sure she’ll freeze to death. But then Caleb, a reclusive mountain man, finds her just in the nick of time. Now he’s not sure what to do since the plane that brings him supplies won’t be back until summer.
This is a well-plotted novel with relatable characters and beautiful descriptions of the wilderness. You can read this adventure story for free on Inkitt.
4) VIEWPOINT-BLOOM by Clover2218
Chitra was born blind and has lived her life in a world of darkness. Finitum is the unique full-dive VRMMORPG that brings a new beginning to her life with meetings, partings, and adventure. It’s a game that makes light bloom in her dark world. This mysterious and magic-filled game seems too good to be true. Is it really just a simple game?
This fantasy/sci-fi novel is chock full of excitement and perfect for gamers. You can read it for free right here on Fictionate.
5) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Professor Pierre Aronnax boards an American frigate so he can investigate a series of attacks, which people believe have come from an amphibious monster. The monster turns out to be a submarine vessel called the Nautilus, which is commanded by the eccentric Captain Nemo. When the Nautilus destroys the Professor’s frigate, Captain Nemo takes him prisoner along with his servant Conseil and the ship’s harpooner Ned Land. From there the three embark on a journey of great adventure and scientific wonder.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was originally serialized between March 1869 and June 1870 and still holds the title as one of the (if not the, period) greatest underwater sea adventures of all time. You can read it for free on Project Gutenberg.
6) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Pi Patel is the son of a zookeeper and has extensive knowledge of animal behavior. When he is sixteen, his family boards a Japanese cargo ship to emigrate from India to North America, along with their zoo animals. The ship sinks and Pi is left alone on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, an enormous Bengal tiger. Soon Richard Parker has dispatched all but Pi, whose knowledge and cunning enable him to coexist with the tiger for 227 days lost at sea. When they arrive at the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker takes off into the jungle. Meanwhile, the Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi don’t believe his story. Finally, Pi reveals a second story—far less fantastical—but is it more or less true than the other?
Life of Pi is a rousing tale of survival that shows the true power of storytelling. You can read it for free on Scribd—you just need to sign up for the 30-day free trial.
7) The Magician and the Mechanical Doll AKA Tales of a Vernian Youth by Gaius J. Augustus
Octavian is a grad student at a top university who is working on an ambitious research project: the world’s first magic-powered robot, whom he calls Replika. He’s excited to activate Replika but then his advisor traps Octavian and Replika in a web of alternative universes. In order to get back, they must survive one frightening reality after another and rely on Octavian’s magic and Replika’s brainpower.
The Magician and the Mechanical Doll is an exciting fantasy/sci-fi romp featuring magic, robots, and alternate universes—what more could you ask for? This is an ongoing Fictionate story that updates every Thursday. You can read the first three chapters for free or purchase access to the entire story for $7.99.
8) The Runner by Katie Baker
It’s been 209 years since the world as we know it ended, leaving a desert wasteland and a kingdom ruled by a tyrannical king in its place. Society has been split into two classes: The Court and the Commons. A common thief could be the last hope of the oppressed population on the brink of revolution. Kay has become known as the Runner, bounding across the city’s rooftops and stealing from the courtiers. Inspired by the plight of the commoners and the unjust death of her family, she becomes a revolutionary with the help of Will, a wealthy former soldier with a dark past. Plucked from the streets and thrown into the glamorous palace court, Kay must use all her skills to blend in and get close to the enemy.
The Runner features excellent writing and plotting, and a strong female heroine in Kay. You can read this completed story for free on Wattpad.
9) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Taking place during the turbulent years of the Napoleonic era, this novel tells the story of a dashing young hero named Edmond Dantès. Edmond is betrayed by his enemies and thrown in a secret dungeon, despite being innocent of any crime. Unwilling to live out his days in a dank prison cell, he plots his daring escape and then makes a careful plan for revenge against those who wronged him.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a thrilling adventure set in a dazzling and exuberant period in French history, full of drama and duels. You can read this novel for free on Project Gutenberg.
10) Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast by Kelsey Josephson
When her father sells her to the ruthless Ringmaster, strongwoman Belle is sure she is doomed to spend the rest of her life performing cheap stunts while the Nuzaran masses gape at her ether-poisoned body. She encounters a beast by her solitary campfire and it changes her whole world. Will they find liberation or will the past consume them both?
This ongoing steampunk fairy tale retelling features an endearing relationship between Beauty and Beast and will have you racing onto the next each time you finish reading an episode. You can read the first four episodes for free and purchase access to the whole serial for just $4.99.
I hope these novels will help sate your thirst for adventure during these cold winter months. And the fact that these reads won’t make much of a dent in your wallet is just icing on the cake.
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