Welcome to Book Devourers Anonymous. Please pull up a chair. This is a safe space of no judgement.
I know we all tried our best to pace ourselves and make it last, and then This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me simply took the reins and happened to us. Intentions were noble, but a Horde can’t change its spots.
Your comments tell me we collectively have a serious case of book hangover. Whether you’ve tried rereads, continuous relistens, or have reached the point of “I tried two other books and neither of them took” confessions: you are not alone.
The cure prescribed is hair of the bookmark that bit you: another story, recommended by a fellow Devourer who understands exactly what we are missing.
Maybe it’s the intricate political games, the dangerous people making spectacular decisions, the found family, the competent heroes. Maybe it isn’t high fantasy or portal fantasy at all, and it doesn’t even have any dukes, but it has the same immersive feeling we’re yearning for as escapism.
Bring your suggestions and requests in the comments below, and let’s get each other through the w*it.
A few gentle guidelines
We’ve run enough of these threads now to know they work better with a little structure.
Please remember that the CTRL+F shortcut is your friend for checking whether your recommended author or title has already been mentioned. Here’s how to use the search on your mobile.
- Keep it recent. We have a wonderfully well-read Horde, and previous threads have given our beloved classics a thorough airing. This time, please stick to books released in the last decade. Everyone already knows of the fabulous Tamora Pierce, Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffrey. Let’s make room for discovery.
- One recommendation per person. A focused comment is so much more useful to people than an intimidating wall of text. One book, a series, or an author. If someone’s already mentioned your pick, a +1 reply is more useful than a new thread.
I have already removed 10 comments that broke this rule and the post has barely been live for half an hour. 1 book, 1 author or 1 series, please.
- Stay on topic. If someone’s asking for something specific, such as a particular feel, a genre, triggers they want to avoid, please try to match that.
The comments are yours. Help a Hungover Horde: recommend your book cure!
A little different in terms of genre (I’d describe it as a detective series with element of magical realism) but hear me out – the Dr. Siri Paiboun series by Colin Cotterill, the first book is The Coroner’s Lunch.
It’s 1978 in Laos, Dr. Siri worked his whole life as a doctor and is very ready to retire, he is over all of it, especially the Communist regime which took over after the French and was supposed to make things better. Instead, they make him the only coroner in the country and now he has to learn a new job and he is grumpy. And then he realises his clients are sometimes murder victims and, well, noone else would investigate. He happens to be the son of of Hmong shaman and has these strange visions which make things that much more interesting and confusing for him.
Overall, the books are a great read, dr. Siri is like an even grumpier Laos Hercule Poirot.
Jenny Schwartz Caldryn Parliament series new one out in June
Author Name is Delemhach. Book title is The House Witch. (not to be confused with The Burning Witch which is different) The House Witch is the first book and vital to understanding the world. The writing flows very well. The characters, the world, and the plot and sub plots are very well developed. The House Witch is a man who’s Witch power is to make people feel at home. He hides the fact he is a Witch. Goes to work in the kitchen of the King. I love it. Read it at least 4 times. He is a wonderful character! Three books in the series.
I cannot find Heather G Harris being mentioned. Other detective series (haven’t read any other series) I’ve always enjoyed a good murder mystery, be it TV or book and this series is also mixed with fantasy.
I recommend Petra Lord’s queen of faces
my kid says The primal hunter (lit rpg)
Saint Death’s Daughter by CSE Cooney, and its sequel Saint Death’s Herald! The protagonist is a necromancer, and the one kind, nice person in a family of assassins and executioners (and in general awful human beings). There are undead servants, necromantic ghosts, shapeshifters, many gods, and a variety of different peoples and cultures.
The book is funny and gory and heartbreaking, and the worldbuilding is magnificent. I also love the writing, although it can be a bit dense at times. There are many footnotes detailing the deaths and/or exploits of various historical members of the awful assassin family :))
My guilty pleasure are webnovels. Most of them are really same, so I read couple of chapters and then abandon them. But there are some that stand out. One of them is Shadow Slave by Guiltythree.
I just love dystopic worlds and heroes who really are not very heroic 🙂
Slouch Witch: Lazy girls guide to magic – Helen Harper
This makes me smile even when I’m having a miserable time
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic series was my introduction to Helen Harper. Lots of fun. 🙂
Anything by M.C.A. Hogarth. She has written many books and has a quiz on her website to help you pick a starting point that suits your tastes.
Try it!
https://studiomcah.com/
+1000
The House that walked between worlds. By Jenny Schwartz Love all of her series!
Destiny’s Crucible Series by Olan Thorensen. New books released every couple of years.
Forgot to describe. Sci-fi iseki at its very finest. Written by a scientist so a lot of factual, good scientific accuracy, compelling characters facing unimaginable odds and overcoming them through impressive human ingenuity, creativity, and cleverness. Found family, expensive plot universe and two spinoff series that are loosely connected. Everyone I have ever recommended this book to has loved it.
From me, I’d recommend L.G. Estrella’s Unconventional Heroes series is great mix of fantasy adventure, quircky loveable characters and a lot of laugh.
Audiobooks have been great so far.
https://www.audible.com/series/Unconventional-Heroes-Audiobooks/B088WZNJKL
I’m enjoying:
Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders Trilogy Book 1)
By Robin Hobb
It’s about ships made of sentient “wizard wood.” Characters “bond” with their ship — found family, interesting villain, slow burn romance, sea serpents, messy family dynamics. 😊 AI recommended it to me as a book hangover helper.
Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson. Probably the funniest series I’ve ever read. Sprawling space opera with a human and a snarky AI bromance at the heart of it. Could not recommend more highly for anyone that’s a fan of sci-fi.
HelenHarper’s Cat Lady Chronicles
Love these books. 🙂
+1
Sands of Arawiya series: We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal. I loved the world building and characters.
The Hidden World – AIR series by Amanda Booloodian
Heather G. Harris
Vanessa Nelson
Try one of Ovidia Yu’s “Crown Colony” novels for a good read that’s very different from any fantasy genre. She is a prolific Singapore-based writer, and this series is focused before, during and just after WW2.
I had a bad hangover, so needed something very light and loving.
I stumbled upon The Witches of Scotland Romance Series: Byres Road by Steven P. Aitchison, which came out last year. I then gleefully discovered two prequel series and have been devouring with pleasure.
‘When the Moon Hatched’ by Sarah A Parker came out in 2024, and book two is due next week, so you would be finding it just in time.
It has all the complex world building, dubious morality, and slow burn you are missing.
+++1! I can’t second this recommendation enough. So good!
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Laurence Dahners: the “Ell Donsaii” series (available in KU).
This is sci-fi, not fantasy. It takes place in a near future, where the genius heroine invents some breakthrough technology. It explores how the world would change (for the better), but doesn’t shy away from the less savory aspects, either. It’s become my favorite escapist series.
Some notes: The writing is a bit rough, and the series truly hits its stride around the 3rd book (however, all books are an easy, fast read). The heroine is a quintessential Mary Sue, but also very likable.
+1 Fun escape from book hangover!
Between by L.L. Starling is a really funny, unique story about a kindergarten teacher becoming the Queen of a fairy tale kingdom. Both the dialog and character development are really well done so you feel like you know (and like) the characters. I have re-read Between several times and I still laugh out loud at certain parts of the book. I highly recommend giving Between a try!
+1
I loved this book!! I just wish she would publish the sequel!
Author Linzi Day’s Midlife Recorder series, it’s set in Gretna Green, Scotland. It has a sentient house, a magical gateway leading to other realms, Kings and Queens, a talking cat that might be a goddess, Vikings, Fae and Hobs and a new Recorder thrown into an alternative job/life.
+1 I discovered it because of the sentient house
Dungeon Crawler Carl is fabulous.
Glynn Stewart- Mage Series (Mars). Or actually anything. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read of his- thus far.
K.A. Linde – The Oak and Holly Cycle – be warned however – only the first two books are done
The Nyx Fortuna series by Michelle Manus.
+1
+1
I literally just read through the entire response list up to this post’s date&time and I see ALMOST every single one of my “if there isn’t any more new Ilona Andrews and I just finished rereading Kate for the zillionth time so someone else has to fill the gap for the moment” authors mentioned – I am gobsmacked that my top runner up wasn’t recommended by anyone!
Did I miss AJ Aalto’s Marnie Baranuik? How did Jodi Taylor make it but not Aalto? Am I not up on a taboo reason for ignoring her work?
Why do I mention her? Laugh out loud snark, outrageously funny situational humor, fabulous character development, excellent twisty plots and tons of action, totally immersive – as in up all night and can’t put it down until The End – and the shorts in between full books are just as fun. Yes I found it on Amazon (we really need a new competitive dedicated all-inclusive online book sourcing and buying service including reasonable audio options for those of us with eyesight issues).
Two cautions:
1) ok it’s technically Vamp Fic but you’ll be pleasantly surprised and impressed at how untypical it is, there is nothing shiny about it as soon as our heroine gets her heart nicely tarnished a bit and boy is that funny
2) it’s graphic – even the humor is graphic- but I’m not necessarily referring to the occasional romantic adventures (yes, adventures)
For some it may get too real at moments, definitely rated R or even + but I doubt it warrants an X rating.
If you like the narrative tone that I find so wonderfully addictive about all the Ilona Andrews’ series, I feel Aalto is a very acceptable temporary substitute.
My appreciation to everyone for sharing, I am making significant additions to my active reading list today.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty! Adventure, found family, an amazing magical world sunk deep into (extremely) well researched history and mythology, plus an older FMC with some life experience. Allll the things. Plus, the second book in the series (The Tapestry of Fate) comes out TODAY, so you can avoid the book hangover I got last summer after reading it. My most recommended book of the last two years. (Plus the audio is just :::chefs kiss:::)
+1 — Loved the setting in the Arabian Sea and eastern Africa. I have not read anything else similar to this setteing.
+1
Second one out today!
+1
+1 The tension between the love of and simple domesticity of raising a child and the desire for exploration and adventure of the smugglers life at sea is beautifully realized.
also hilarious!
I love Nalini Singh’s books and her Guild Hunter series released the final book last week, so a full series without a required w@!t for the next book.
+1 love this series!
The Greta Helsing series by Vivian Shaw. The last book just came out! It’s a very fun urban fantasy series about a no-nonsense doctor that treats the supernatural community in London. There’s some mystery, adventure, and even a little bit of romance.
+1 loved them. I wish she’d written more of them
Return of the Runebound Professor by Actus- found family, morally gray mc, light romance, no spice. A man is waiting in line to be reincarnated, escapes at the last second from his memories being erased and ends up in a bad guy’s body in a fantasy world. He can’t die anymore. There are 8 books out, I read all of them, couldn’t bring myself to stop.
Nora Roberts’ The Lost Brides Trilogy. Witches, mystery, ghosts and romance all wrapped up in storyline that kept me glued to the pages. The three books are: The Inheritance, The Mirror and The Seven Rings. The Seven Rings came out last year.
I love anything by Grace Drave. Her Master of Crows has wizards and magic.
+ 1 automatic buy for me lol
I suppose Tanya Huff’s The Silvered is out of date range. (See what I did there? I followed the spirit AND the letter of the law.)
I live Lout of Count. Very different kind of books, but the main character is clever and seems competent despite himself; he just can’t help it. Very bad at louting.
Ooh! And Restarting the Apocalypse. So good! Time travel instead of portal, but otherwise pretty similar feel. Much faster pacing.
I highly recommend the “Alex Verus” series by Benedict Jacka. There are 12 books and 2 novellas.
Alex is a “Probability Mage”, in present-day London, England.
He can see possible futures (like Nicolas Cage in “Next”), has a “Spidey Sense” and Mage Sight.
His magic puts him in the category of “weak” mages, from the perspective of the Elemental Mages, and mages take what they want, especially the “Dark Mages” (though, the “Light Mages” aren’t much better, sometimes).
I tore through this series, the first time I read it. We learn about the Magical aspect of this world very organically, as Alex craftily outmanoeuvers the over-powered members of the Mage Society, who want to use his future-seeing powers for their own devices.
Though he is relatively young, Alex mentors and protects several younger mages, which brings out the Papa Bear in him.
He does it all without compromising his personal values, which is not always easy when dealing with such self-centred, ruthless people.
■ Logical Magic System
■ Selfless, Dashing hero (somewhat unwillingly)
■ Lots of magical and physical battles
■ Character development up the whazoo
■ Engaging secondary characters
■ Impressive world building
+1
I recommend almost all Jeff Wheeler books (except the Dresden Codex series).
Everything else of his is excellent fantasy and is all available on Kindle Unlimited. He’s an underrated author in my opinion.
CE Murphy – multiple series and all are awesome
+1
I started with Urban Shaman and completed that series, then went on to some of her others. She has an extensive catalog, and has also written crossover stories with Faith Hunter. CE Murphy also writes as Catie Murphy (Dublin Driver murder mystery series), Murphy Lawless, and Zoe Chant (both shifter romances). She may have more pen names, but that’s all I can remember off the top of my head. Highly recommended!
Author = Audrey Faye — particularly the Ghost Mountain Shifter 12-book series and the For the Love of Purple trilogy
Oh my god, yes! + all the 1
Seana Kelly – multiple series that link. Wonderful stories with witches, shifters and vampires.
Benedict Jacka’s new series, starting with An Inheritance of Magic. The audiobooks are great.
I should have added details. An entirely different magic system than the Verus books. The hero is a young Drucrafter whose father has disappeared and who doesn’t know his mother or her family at all — initially. We are three books in now, and, since Stephen is trying to find his place in the world and has worked on his Drucraft independently and under constant financial pressure, the series gets the reader quickly invested in him (and his cat). More or less self taught, Stephen makes his own sigls and discovers the British drucraft world at the same tiem the reader does.
Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs
Fab.
+1. She also writes Alpha and Omega shifter series, in the same world with crossover characters from the Mercyverse, as well as a host of back-catalogue novels set in different worlds. One of the few authors (along with Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher) whose hardbacks are an automatic purchase for me.
Ascendance of a bookworm by Miya Kazuki. TKWNKM brought up the word isekai. I had to look it up and found a whole “nother world of possibilities. This is the one that caught my eye because it was in my library’s hoopla and the cover was not scary for me. A whole new world ….and I got hooked! With weird cultural differences. Furthermore, the series is complete! I couldn’t believe it’s a total of 33+ “light novels”.
Unfortunate my library hoopla account only allows 5 checkouts a month. Arrghh! Oh, wait my husband has a library card…quickly logging out I logged back in with his account…whew. I got to read another five. Darn, but I was now done with my hoopla allotment by the 8th of the month.
I sat down with my husband and told him that “hmmm, I hope you didn’t want to watch any hoopla movies this month” and proceeded to ask “please don’t use your hoopla account for the next 3 months or so.” As I explained, he only laughed and gave me a hug. Best hubby of 46 years!
Unfortunately this means I have been cut off by 8th of the month. Sigh. I only have to wait until next month for another 9 books. Why only 9 when I could have ten? I have to check out the watercolor book so I have something to do for the rest of the month! 19 days till the end of the month is forever!!!
Thanks for all the recommendation, I have already got 4 books dowloaded on my Kindle to keep me going!
One more reco from me is Quicksilver by Callie Heart, book 2 already out and 3rd one should be out in November. Fantasy epic with great world building, plot twists and many layers.
I agree, wonderful read but so folks aren’t confounded searching online – authors last name doesn’t have an e in it.
John Scalzi had a new one come out in the Old Man’s War series – the Shattering Peace.
The Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz – great world building and characters. 16 full length novels! The first book was written in 1972, and the last one in 2014. One of my favorite authors.
The Matthew Corbett Series by Robert McCammon which begins with “Speaks The Nightbird” and runs ten volumes
Laaurence Dahners
I’ve really enjoyed the Valkyrie Bestiary series by Kim McDougall! The first book in the series, “Dragons Don’t Eat Meat” will have you hooked! The characters become part of your own family!
If you’re looking for a dark, slightly obsessive mystery series with some seriously messed up characters, check out the Waverly Jones series by Skyla Dawn Cameron. The main character is a private investigator. Her sister was murdered as a teenager, and now lives as a hallucination in her head. Oh, and she’s still in love/obsessed with the memory of the detective who worked her sister’s case all those years ago. 20/10, creepy/depressing/engaging main character of dubious intention who may or may not be a bit crazy. Multiple books, and the most recent was released today!
I would recommend Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson. loved it and the second book is supposed to be coming out soon.
I’ve enjoyed every book I have read by Rachel Aaron. Her Nice Dragons Finish Last series was an immediate read upon each new release and then I sought out her other books, which cover a great variety of material, something for everyone. I wasn’t sure about her latest, Death Has Joined the Party, which is LitRPG, but I just started it and was surprised that I am staying up late at night to read as much as I can. As a bonus, Rachel wrote it with her husband, Travis Bach.
+1 for Nice Dragons Finish Last – very fun series, with an unusual protagonist
The Scorched Throne duology (Jasad Heir/Jasad Crown) by Sara Hashem
Elizabeth Hunter’s The Elemental Universe series. Start with A Hidden Fire! https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0825/3610/4247/files/The_Elemental_Universe_Printable_Reading_Order.pdf?v=1754529066
It might just be be me, but House Andrews can say “I really like this book” and it’s an instant snooze for me. When one their friends has a book release???!?!! auto buy. I swear any “happy book birthday” post is worth looking into. Awesome authors with odd reading taste but, real talent for collecting other awesome authors. *cough* Jeaniene Frost*cough*
I highly recommend Seana Kelly. She has two series running, the Sam Quinn series and the Sea Wicche Chronicles. Sam Quinn has 8 books and the 9th is out in October. The Sea Wicche has 4 so far. They somewhat run parallel to each other, with characters sometimes crossing over. Great reads!
The Poet Empress, by Shen Tao
Highly recommend S.M. Anderson “Season of Man” (after the apocalypse) and “Eden Cronicles” (kinda sci-fy but way beyond that) . His world building, character development, mastery of dialogue is TOP NOTCH.
+1000 for The Eden Chronicles!
I’d recommend the Mages of the Wheel series by J.D. Evans! The first book is Reign & Ruin an arranged marriage with a strategic and politically savvy FMC and a dangerous sword wielding MMC. Each book follow a different couple but there is an overarching plot
Michelle Arzû (of the “Undercurrent” Mermen Series)has a new book just out about a vampire who just happens to be a hematologist. He is dying, because something in the food source is slowly poisoning all humankind and he has become alergic to blood.It challenges everything you knew about vampires as well as the stereotypes of who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I devoured this book in one big gulp, it was that great! It’s called “The Midnight Project”, for reasons that become immediately apparent.
Impact Winter season 1-3 (full cast) Audible audiobook series by Travis Beacham.
So many of my recommendations have already been mentioned, so I’ll leave this one:
“Vegan Vamp Mysteries” series by Cate Lawley. I picked up the first one “Adventures of a Vegan Vamp” free on Amazon Kindle. The title caught my eye and the idea of a vampire who cannot drink blood was so absurd that I had to read it! I devoured this book and immediately bought the entire series of ebooks upon finishing! (sadly only the first 3 books are available as audiobook)
They’re cozy fluffy stories sprinkled with humor and minimal spice. Magic, Witches, Vampires, and Sword Fighting, oh my! It’s a cute series IMO and a comfort read when I need to fight off a hangover, or just deal with “too much” going on in my world.
https://www.catelawley.com/cate-lawley/vegan-vamp-mysteries/
9 ebooks, 3 audiobooks.
Adventures of a Vegan Vamp
The Client’s Conundrum
The Elvis Enigma
The Nefarious Necklace
The Halloween Haunting
The Selection Shenanigans
The Cupid Caper
The Reluctant Renfield
The Hexed Hunt
Plus a 4-book spin off (Night Shift Witch Mysteries) which is adorable if I do say so myself.
Brandon Sanderson – 1st book in a series “The Way of Kings”
Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is a great series among many fantastic books (starts with TWOK). Five huge books out, five more to come….
Beneath the Dragonseye Moons series by Selkie Myth. Female protagonist, self-aware reincarnation from modern Earth into a LitRPG world. I’m on book 6 of 16 and while there are some technical editing issues (mainly spelling/wrong word used that is similar to intended word) the worldbuilding has been very solid and consistent with many well-developed characters.
I recommend The Second Death of Locke by VL Bovalino. It’s billed as a romantic epic fantasy and features a lady knight partnered with a mage she has to protect.
Knights plus mages plus battles and an interesting magic system.
People have mixed reviews of it (mostly positive!) based on what they expect from a book featuring a lady knight and warfare, but it makes for a great book 1 in a series of standalone books and has great worldbuilding.
No cliffhanger though the overarching story does continue in Book 2, which is not yet out, just a heads up
This is sitting in my TBR pile. 🙂
(Okay, it’s more than a pile.)
Hope you enjoy it (eventually) haha
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
I highly recommend anything by Shannon Mayer. Her new book is Riftborn: A Post Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy (Of Sorrows and Blades Book 1) Also available on Kindle Unlimited.
+1 love her books
Different genre, but with lots of humour, suspenseful stories, great characters: The Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell (who also writes hilarious crime fiction as Caimh McDonnell).
+1! Great fun – Slow horses meets Rivers of London with a nice helping of Pratchett.
+1
There’s a fantastic isekai webtoon titled “The Greatest Estate Developer” which is hilarious, a civil engineering student wakes up in a fantasy world and has amazing adventures with his loyal knight and several cute and powerful animal helpers, there is a huge range of fantastic characters (including orcs, elves, mermaids and dragons) and the artwork (especially the ridiculous faces the hero makes ) will have you crying with laughter!
I read my first IA book while trying to treat book hangover after reading The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon. I reread both KD and Hurricane Wars when facing book hangovers now!
yep, a good one is Dire Bound by Sable Sorenson. Read this pretty fast! There’s a sequel, Fury Bound, I’m waiting on from the library. World building is good and seems pretty unique to me.
For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn her first book working on second.
Favorite of 2025.
Turns of fate by Anne Bishop was delightful.
Helen Scheuerer The Thezmarr Series. Outstanding
Dungeon Crawler Carl, but then you’ll just have another addiction. At least there’s 8 books (of a planned 10) to get through before you run out.
The Linesman Series by S.K. Dunstall
+1 these. I think IA recommended them at one point. The audio version is one of my favourite comfort reads. I keep hoping they will release more books.
I really like D Rae Price’s “The Sundering” series. The first book can be read as a standalone sci-fi first contact book. It’s really good. It’s a different take on the future. No battles. Ships have prayer rooms. But people having to solve life-threatening problems and often the biggest obstacle is people’s egos. It gave me a refreshingly different view of the future and made me think which I like. The second and third books end on cliffhangers but are good as well. The fourth book felt abridged somehow, like the author was trying to finish the series that was originally planned to be 5 books. But I still liked it. Anyway, enjoy 🙂 and thanks for all the other recommendations.
Having just reread everything by House Andrews I went back to Patricia Briggs “Mercy Thompson” series that has installments within the timeframe. I love strong female protagonists.
The Patricia Briggs comment reminded me of another series by her with great narration, the Alpha and Omega series with narration by Holter Graham. I love both main characters.
Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd #1) by Anne Bishop. Really, anything by Anne Bishop but this is her most recent and the start of a new series.
+1
Absolutely loved it!
Her The Black Jewels trilogy is one of my top 5 series and to me it has the OG of Shadow Daddies.
If you like world building fantasy and a very large series of books (complete with some focusing on other characters besides the protagonist) then look up Terry Mancour’s Spellmonger series (on Kindle unlimited).
I’m a big fan of the Maya’s Blogs series by Lara McKenzie. Book 6 is just about to come out. First is Espresso Yourself. Written in blog format by a girl who goes to work in a coffee shop serving supernatural population, especially a supernatural quasi-police force. Slow burn romance, good character building and mix of humor and heartache.
Debut novel Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan has been pretty good. BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO TKSNKM. I’m over 60 and I’ve never loved another book more.
Here I felt so old compared to the rest of HA fandom, now I’m looking again at all these posts and wondering about the mean age point!
Charlaine Harris’ recently finished Gunnie Rose series is VERY underappreciated. Alt-history with magic. Kind of dark but a great protagonist who directly faces all sorts of horrible events with aplomb and her six-shooters, trying to protect those she loves and comes to love. Content warning: a few tragic deaths along the way. I re-read this series as often as I read Martha Wells’s and the Andrews’ work.
+1
I loved the whole series right up to the second to last book which sadly really let me down. I felt all the main characters made huge departures from their own personalities. I also got the impression she was just done with the series and wanted it to go away forever, never to be resurrected . . .
Anything by Simon Green though I’m particularly enjoying the Gideon Sable series. Graphic Audio does a full cast version
He has a ridiculously fertile imagination for weird supernatural stuff. Gideon puts together a crew to steal stuff
Leverage meets a really dark and funny supernatural world
Oh man! SRG is one of my favs! Glad he got a call out.
I recommend The Legend of Eli Monpress series. Eli is a flamboyant professional thief (he has a good heart) with unusual sidekicks – one wields an unbeatable sword and the other is a young girl that carries a demon seed inside her body that makes her have unnatural strength and speed while being dangerously unpredictable – good series.
Yes! Rachel Aaron is great. Highly recommend Eli Monpress and her newest Tear Down Heaven series.
+1 for Eli Monpress
Urban fantasy rather than portal fantasy, so consider this a sort of palate cleanser:
I recommend the Rat City Chronicles by Alina Lee. To date, there are three volumes of short stories: “The Case Files of the Five Fold Phoenix,” “Tales From the Mystic of Sage Street,” and “Stories of the Southside Sin-Eater.”
Queer-friendly, minor romance, dirty city politics, ninjas, a talking sword, and a mythology inspired by the spiritual traditions and folklore of east and south-east Asia. So not just vampires and werewolves, but lots of other fascinating beings I usually don’t see in urban fantasy. (Like, a cosmic being whose body is literally a prison for really really bad things no one wants loose in creation. And ninjas who can propel themselves between skyscrapers with sonic booms. And sin-eaters who turn demons into actual food to eat.)
And also kick-ass women protagonists. I really hope Lee takes the various minor characters who appear in these three collections and keeps spinning them off into more adventures. 🙂
Jaqueline Benson , The London Charismatics series
+1000! I also love Jacquelyn Benson’s Raiders of the Arcana series.
The Stariel books by AJ Lancaster. Definitely T rated, but funny, political, romantic. Fae-human relationships.
R rated, sorry.
I have re-read mostly old books, so this comment section may help me get out of a book hole I have not been able to get out for a while. I would recommend the newest books I have read lately were from june hur, they are not necessarily romance (there is a bit of it in some books), mostly mystery/detective in historical korea times, and the author bases her books on real Korean history events, which I find fascinating.
Raiders of the Arcana by Jacquelyn Benson
+1000! I just saw this comment after recommending the same series above! Love this series.
I know the rule was within the last decade, BUT … the only other “portal” story I’ve ever read was the Tredana Series by Joyce Ballou Gregorian (3 book series – The Broken Citadel, Castledown, and The Great Wheel). It’s haunted me all these years as it was SO GOOD, and NO ONE I know has ever read them so I never had anyone to talk to about them. They are long out of print, but I happen across them occasionally at used-book-stores.
I will check them out!
I went through the list and I don’t think anyone mentioned RJ Blain (or any of her pen names – 7 at last count). She writes several series of different genres – different pen name for most. Her books are often laugh-out-loud funny, even when the subject matter is not.
She is best known for the “Magical Rom Com (with a Body Count)” series which is hilarious, madcap and totally off the wall every now and again, but my personal favorite is her “Royal States” (pen name Susan Copperfield) series.
She has taken the “sudden appearance of magic” in a totally different direction from either of HA’s series. Rather than Houses of magic, there are families and rankings, with the country broken into (groups of) States ruled by powerful families. Generally, each royal family has a different specialty. New York has flameweavers. Illinois rulers are shape shifters, Montana has the power to command anyone with voice alone. And the King of Canada can move mountains, well, if he ever wanted to…
Find out why the “New England” states are now named “Maine” and not “Massachusetts” and why the royal family of Texas sometimes rides horses into congressional sessions…
+1 The Susan Copperfield books are reread-comfort books for me. Great group of characters.
Loved This Kingdom and Maggie. Wrote down many suggestions from the Horde and am trying Kelley Armstrong – halfway through A Rip Through Time. Excellent book and will try rest of the series.
Is Robin D. Owns too far back in time? Love the Celta Series with its fams (Familiar Animals).
I am really thrilled to pick up several new authors/series to try. Based on how much I like the recommendations in here that I’ve already read, I’m pretty sure I’ll like some of the new-to-me ones as well. And it’s so hard to find good new series.
With that said, is there any chance that if we pinky-promise to not just make a list, but provide some real background, that we could make one or two more recommendations each? Maybe after the thread has been up for a while, if no one else has already recommended?
I have two more series I’d love to recommend, so far not yet mentioned, but don’t want to violate the rules.
Recently stumbled upon Vanessa Nelson. Her 5book series was promoted by Amazon, immediately finishing the series I bought her new series: Fractured conclave. Female lead whose paternity is problematic, but even outcasts can be (made) useful. Interesting story line, romance, surprising developments in unusual settings.
In my kindle together with the books of Ilona Andrews and Jessie Mihalik.
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Chris Tullbane. The Many Travails of John Smith series. Audio version is great. Set in San Diego. I am always looking for books set in real places with paranormal twists. Like most of HA 😁
Celia Lake’s Albion books made a nice TKWNKM hangover remedy for me. Cozy mysteries with a bit of romance set in alternate magical Britain, mostly between the wars +/- 20 years. Political intrigue, found family, good range of nonstandard characters (people of color, neuro-atypical, chronic illness, disability, various colors of the rainbow flag), and very character-driven, plus a meticulously thought-out magic system. Sort of Dorothy Sayers, but with magic and broader representation. There are a couple of free novellas on her website, so you can see if you enjoy them.
I have enjoyed many of her books, having found her recommended on a previous book suggestion blog list here.
+1