We’ve heard you loud and clear: w*iting p*tiently for the next House Andrews offering would be a lot easier if the Horde had new books to devour in the meantime.
Please help your fellow bookworms, and post your book recommendations and/or requests for book suggestions in the comments. Most people seems to be looking for escapism, comfort reads, cosy fun or feel-good fiction, so you may wish to focus on that.
First, a few guidelines! I knoooow, it’s so hard to be a pagethirsty Horde these days, so many rules, such meanie strict moderators. The heart bleeds :P. But this is the 4th or 5th installment of the recommendations thread, so we’ve learned the lessons on making it more efficient and accessible for all:
- Keep it Current:
We’re looking for relatively new reads—ideally nothing published more than a decade or so ago. We know the Horde is well-read on the classics, and we’ve had hundreds of comments for the perennial favorites like Tamora Price, Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffrey etc in the previous posts. Please let us know about something you’ve read more recently.
We want to make room for fresh finds and maximize discovery!
- One Recommendation Per Person:
Whether it’s a standalone book, a series, or a beloved author, please keep your comment to just one. It’s easier for everyone to read and make up their mind if they’re not overwhelmed by a wall of text mentioning all the Urban Fantasy authors ever.
If you’ve already +1 replied to someone who recommended your preference, please don’t start another thread for the same books or author.
CTR+F is a shortcut that allows you to quickly search a webpage for key words, if you want to check for previous mentions of your favourites. Here’s how to do the same thing on your mobile phone.
- Stay on Target:
If you’re replying to someone who made a specific request, please try to keep your recommendation tailored.
Steering a fellow Horde bookdevourer who wants to read cosy, feel-good LitRPGs towards gritty miliary sci-fi won’t help, as great as your intentions are. We love all genres, but should respect everyone’s comfort preferences. If OP mentions specific triggers they wish to avoid and you can’t remember whether your book rec contains them, please err on the side of caution.
- Suggestions for Ilona
Ilona is looking for a particular type of read, something similar to Kinsmen or Jayne Castle’s St. Helen series. It can be SF or present day. If you are looking for that type of read that’s more recent, Ilona recommends Jennifer Estep and Jessie Mihalik. They are both amazing, and she has read their entire backlist. If you are an author who would like to recommend your own book to Ilona, please label your comment with Author Recommendation.
Looking forward to your suggestions!
I think Lisa Shearin could be considered still current and I honestly love her magic world in the Raine Benares series although SPI is ok as well. I highly recommend the books to read and to listen to.
+1 love her books
please delete if this question is not allowed but amazon recommended
Mackenzie Green Books by Kennedy JS to me – i am 2 chapters in and so for more annoyed then excited by how closely “inspired” it is by Kate Daniels – anyone else read these and can tell me if it is any good or a if i better stop now?
It’s good. It’s similaire but not. It’s only the second series on Kindle unlimited, that I enjoy enough to reread. The other one is Jacky Leon by KN Banet.
thanks!
Funny enough I hadn’t heard of Anne McCaffery before so I will have to check her out.
As for a recommendation, maybe this isn’t the right space as it’s not fantasy but my sometimes second, sometimes first favorite author (will trade back and forth with Ilona) is Mariana Zapata. Most of her work is contemporary but she does have a superhero book that changes things up. Her books are slow burn, spicy at the end type books. Her characters are wonderful imo and often a little broken. I reread all of her books at least once a year. Zapata’s books and Ilona’s are the only ones I have bought physical copies of. It’s hard to choose but at the moment I would say my favorite books of hers are…Kulti and Wait For It. I might say something different tomorrow lol.
I was about to hit post and I think I changed my mind. Kulti and All Rhodes Lead Here. For real this time.
+1
Janet Edwards -Hive Mind series. Young adult. Telepath
A ‘Dark Seers’ Bridge & Sword Book 1 JC Andrijeski
An Apocalyptic Psychic Warfare and Science Fantasy Romance
+1 I’ve been reading the Quentin Black series by JC Andrijeski (which is a spin-off of Bridge and Sword) and I love it!
CM Nascosta – particularly the story arc being told in Girls Weekend/Wheel of the Year (two series with interweaving events).
Yes, her books are quite smutty. For me that’s icing on stories with character development, world building, and internal consistency on par with House Andrews.
So many good recommendations. It’s such perfect timing for the super long plane flight I will be on next week.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned her, but I really love Kate Elliott. She has a number of series out. Her current, which isn’t finished, is a space opera.
My favorite and a comfort re-read (just reread it last week) is the Spiritwalker Series. Cold Magic is the first in the series.
Author Recommendation for anyone
My SF series follows a young woman as she rebuilds her life after an event that left her mutated with the ability to go invisible, which includes navigating exploitive users, paranoid fanatics, and new-found family dynamics. The prequel was released this past August.
Shattered Reality (Blurring Reality-Book 0), by R. D. Chapman
All my current reads are already listed, and I look forward to gaining new ones from the recommendations.
The Magical Midlife series by K F Breene is a lot of fun and consists of 9 books (so far–I’m hoping there may be more to come). The series is peopled with lots of magical folks, including were creatures, vampires, magicians, gargoyles and even a flying unicorn. the main story revolves around a romance between the main character, a woman who is chosen (by the house) to be the caretaker of a giant, scary mansion and the small Colorado town’s alpha were. It’s a really fun ride, but I love all K F Breene’s books.
Ok. So I don’t know if it’s been suggested before on a different post, but I searched the page, and no one has mentioned Kylie Chan!
There are three linked trilogies: Dark Heavens, Journey to Wudang, and Celestial Battles (I think?). Modern day Hong Kong, with all sorts of Chinese mythology/ magic-ish mixed in. They are reminiscent of urban fantasy with a push in of romance novel, similar to the way I perceive many of Ilona’s works.
Thoughts?
The inspector McLean books by James Oswald are great. Set in present day Edinburgh. Police procedural with supernatural elements.
Bec McMaster has released an anthology , 1900 pages . 3 stories. free on kindle, Flames and Fated Mates ..If you haven’t read her, she’s great!! anything she writes is unforgettable.
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire
Seana Kelly’s Sam Quinn and Sea Wicche series!! (They are related, so to me they count as one.) Snarky and funny main character, great secondary characters, she keeps learning and growing… lots of action and plot twists… all the good stuff. These books also are wonderful in Audible. The narrator does a beautiful job with the reading, making it sound like Sam and the others are real and speaking to you. Love them all.
Ilona might enjoy the Fire Dancer series. it’s written by Elizabeth Lowell, back when she was writing sci-fi instead of mostly contemporary romance and suspense.
If you like to go the used book route rather than ebooks, this was originally published under her real name, Ann Maxwell.
These were so good. I remember finding one in a library, being enchanted with the cover, and then having my mind blown. I didn’t know they had been re-issued!
I don’t know if Fanfic is allowed as a recommendation so please delete if this is inapropriate but recently after reading Manacled I fell down a Dramione (Draco/Hermione fanfic writing) rabbit hole.
The ‘book’ that has been living rent free in my head for the last year is Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love – it is free to download off AO3 as an epub or pdf and is just delightful. The premise from the site is as follows: “Hermione straddles the Muggle and Magical worlds as a medical researcher and Healer about to make a big discovery. Draco is an Auror assigned to protect her from forces unknown – to both of their displeasure.”
It is funny, smart, snarky and so well written the author has a book deal with a published book coming out next year. Some spicy scenes at the end but all in the context of a blossoming relationship. If you need a pick me up this is a hot cup of tea/hot chocolate with marshmallows in paper form. Link below
https://archiveofourown.org/works/34500952/chapters/85870804?view_adult=true
The Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count) series by RJ Blaine. The first one is Playing with Fire. The whole series goes through a timeline with characters from the first books appearing later on, but not always being the main focus of the stories. The magic, deities, and beings from different mythologies are real and their children walk the earth (though they don’t always know who they are descended from). Most are working to keep the balance of good/evil level, but there are always greedy asses that have to be countered.
Not super recent but the 3rd book in the series came out this year so I’m going with the Villian’s Code Series, Forging Hesphetus by Drew Hayes is the frist book in the series. This is a superhero story with the MC learning how to be a Villian in this world.
It is sad that Thea Harrison isn’t publishing so my recommendation are books by Suzanne Wright. I am currently rereading The wicked in me.
I am a few days behind so if I missed an earlier recommendation I am sorry !
Megan Bannen – The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy + the other books in the same world are so cute
urban fantasy romance -ish with grown up characters!
I just read Some Kind of Hell by Evelyn Hyde – it’s a political intrigue set at a boarding school, with a second chance romance subplot (not because one of them did something terrible, but because they got caught as combatants on opposite sides of a war.) The FMC is figuring out who she is now after a long time being one identity, and it really resonated. Also has a cool Norse-coded fantasy setting and magic system.
I highly recommend Julia Huni’s Space Janitor series! Murder and mayhem on a space station, with a little class warfare thrown in. There’s a romantic subplot, but it’s classified as humorous SF, not romance. Strong female protagonist, first person, and lots of fun!
This looks awesome. Going to give the series a try.
Pam Uphoff. Apparently been around writing for a good while, but I’d never heard of her prior to picking up the Black Goats book which I read out of order because of course there is a book 1 and 2!! Dunh. I immediately fell in love with the writing. She’s self Publishing on Amazon. 2 related series, stand alone and YA titles. She’s on LiveJournal so you can follow her ‘writings’ and sketches as she creates 🙂 https://pamuphoff.livejournal.com/calendar/ Highly recommend The Lawyers of Mars. 🙂 As per description there are Scales, brief cases and mad scientists.
I’m really enjoying Suzannah Rowntree’# Miss Dark’s Apparitions series, which is up to volume 5 now. It’s a found family, motley crew, out on adventures, solving crimes and dispensing justice. With a dash of romance and some coming of age situations thrown in for good measure.
The Legend of Oescienne series by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson. If you like prophesied hero’s, Dragon Guardians and an ancient curse.
If your looking for a good light novel D Genesis is great. Short synopsis is that the US government had an experiment gone wrong which causes dungeons to spawn all over the world. The main character is a nerd working for a new company trying to exploit resources in the dungeon. After an accident causes the MC to gain powers he and a friend decide to conquer the dungeons through the power of science. Like literally scientific experimentation to figure out the mystery of the dungeon. No real romance but the situations the MC and friend find themselves in is great comedy. At least in my opinion.
The Space Between Worlds
By Micaiah Johnson
A clever, gritty multiverse novel with interesting characters and twists.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/610612/the-space-between-worlds-by-micaiah-johnson/
DC Farmer Hipposync Series, 5 books of the Fimmigration Department.
Modern Day setting. Department of Fae Immigration personal, defending earth from the bad guys, while setting the good fae up with glamours
Heartmates by Robin D. Owens
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/robin-d-owens/
One writer I have been reading she has many series of books. Lindsay Buroker They are filled with funny characters. She has stories set in now times ones and others set in older times some are set in a sort of Airflyers and balloons kind of set in older times plus she also has modern ones with dragons elves dwarves and werewolves ,yet very humorous and some romance. She is pretty prolific. Check her out. Names of two of her books set in different worlds Sinister Magic and the other Blades Magic.
Thank you so much for providing the space for recommendations. I have been re-reading older books, or dnf-ing many newer books so I am excited to look at titles unknown to me. I would like to offer the books of C.J. Cherryh which I started reading on the 1970’s, specifically the Fortress series. The first book Fortress in the Eye of Time is one of my all time favorite books. Stolen( and edited) from the book blurb:
C.J.Cherryh’s haunting story of the wizard Mauryl, kingmaker for a thousand years of Men, and Tristen, fated to sow distrust between a prince and his father . A tale as deep as legend and as intimate as love, it tells of a battle beyond Time, in which all Destiny turns on the wheel of an old man’s ambition, a young man’s innocence, and the unkept promised of a king to come.
So I’m really late to these recommendations, but thought I’d mention a mystery I recently read — Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley. It’s a cozy mystery with a small bit of paranormal.
By Ghu, I have spent so much money in the last half hour reading through this list. Sigh.
Space opera, but super fun: Starship’s Mage series by Glynn Stewart. First book is a bit slow, as it is all setup, but after that… well, it is stil ongoing and has great characters, world building, and tension.
Another fun space opera with romance and psychic cats (!) is Valerie Valdes’ Chilling Effects series. She said she pitched it as “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” meets Mass Effect and that description works for me. There’s a more serious undertone as the MC is someone who doesn’t like who she used to be, but is finding change harder than she’d hoped.
A warning: there’s a lot of untranslated Spanish in the book.I got most of it from context, but did occasionally have to resort to a translator. I thought it added flavor, but it made a friend crazy enough that she stopped reading.
The Midlife Recorder series by Linzi Day.
I left my comment a few days ago, unknowingly on someone’s thread, so I am trying again.
This book gutted me. I still think about it and I have added it to my reread pile I do each year. Highly recommend.
The Sword of Kaigen. By M.L. Wang.
Stand alone. Has a more Asian fantasy theme. I could not put this down. The story stuck with me for months. It’s about a mom. I would even go so far as to say this is in my top 10 fantasy novels.
The Ebon Blades series by RW Krpoun; 6 so far, Grog, Grog II… Grog VI.
Dryly humorous and a unique perspective. Yes there’s romance. Excellent read!
Here’s a link to the first one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0851HYMXV?ref_=dbs_p_pwh_rwt_anx_cl_0&storeType=ebooks
Lots of good stuff in the collection above. Quite a few of these authors are among my favs.
Late to the game (was away from home), but still trying…
Check out the “Leveling Up” Series from K.F. Breene. The first book is Magical Midlife Madness. The first time I thought of this… apparently I just wasn’t in the mood. And then, months later, I started it. It’s not the same feel as House Andrews, but it is awesome in its own way.
I recommend the Pax Galactic Series by Jenny Schwartz
Check out Devin Monk’s Ordinary Magic series. I really enjoyed the cast of visitors and the rules for vacationing in Ordinary. The 3 main character sisters are quite realistic in their relationships to each other; their frustrations and enthusiasms. The mysteries are complex enough to keep you interested but the people rule!
Anything by Alessa Thorn – she has multiple series out. They are all fantastic. Modern band of magical thieves? Yep. Fae apocalypse? Sure. Ancient western gods alive in the modern world and looking for love? Again, yes.
It’s a wealth of great reading.
I might have broken my phone with all the fabulous recommendations- thank you BDH👏👏👏
Side note- used “download sample” to help save all the awesome authors for future readings 🤓
Whoever posted the Calamity by Constance Fay rec. Thank You!
I loved it and it got me through a weekend where I was feeling very down.
Lost Legacies series by Maddox Grey!!
this series has so much going on. Great world building, action,romance, mythology , swordfights, vendettas, and a kick a** female lead that fights first and take names later.
Such amazing recs on this thread! Didn’t see anyone mention J.L. Mullins’ Millenial Mage series yet. The first book is Mageling, and it’s an ongoing web serial on Royal Road, but has 8 books on KU so far. Fantasy with amazing characters and really cool worldbuilding. I love the way the main character is constantly trying to grow as a person and a magic user.
Michael G Manning
Choice of Magic.
Like, Rick ..(from Rick and Morty) is an ancient wizard forced to apprentice a kid ,in a world where magic has gone stupid and the royalty is insufferable
Django Wexler- I first read Ship of Smoke and Steel as a LGBT+ and Halloween recommendation from my local library. Pretty gory, but sometimes it’s fun to cheer the hero on as they learn, grow, find love, and scythe through their enemies with their glowing magical blades.
“The Watchmaker of Filigree Street” by Natasha Pulley and it’s second (and last part) “The lost future of Pepperharrow”. It’s a steampunk fantasy story. The first I ever read. I had many disappointments with new books since last year (excluding new books from the authorlords!), but those two caught me completely and I was seriously upset when I finished them and had nothi g to go on. A bit like a hang-over.
I hope you try them and enjoy them as much as I did 😉
Midnight’s Daughter by Karen Chance helped me Tide over time between Andrews and T A White books. Fmc is a Dampire, the oldest of her kind because Dampires have a tendency to go cray-cray, but our girl is a special badass and that’s why even old Master Vampires are scared shitless. It has found family (even tho her vamp daddy is still very much alive and he loves none more then his daughter, but he Shows it dhitty given that he is one of the most powerful Master Vampires alive his secrecy is understandable, if annyoning as fck which is why daddy dearest only sees his beloved daughter once every few decades) slow burn with E2L vibes <- he is raised with the believe Dampires should be killed and she has a big mouth. It's chaotic funny and Overall very KD like
Bit different, Azarinth Healer.
It’s litrpg, for those of us who like a our spreadsheets in novel form, and the MC has a fairly simple solution to most problems, punch it… a lot.