[updated: August 2023]
I often get asked about my favourite books/series/authors, specifically in the urban fantasy genre (which I read almost exclusively these days). And since I find myself repeating myself a lot – I’m a rather loyal reader – I thought I’d start a list here, then add to it as it becomes necessary.
To make it easier on myself, the links below lead to book one of the series on Amazon.com (simply replace the .com with .ca or .co.uk to find the book in your region). FYI these are affiliate links. I reinvest any $$ I make into paperback (etc) giveaways.
Favourite authors:
Authors who I preorder the instant I know they have a new book coming, and who I reread.
Ilona Andrews – Kate Daniels (Magic Bites), Hidden Legacy (Burn For Me), and my favourite (by a terribly slim margin), The Innkeeper Chronicles (Clean Sweep).
Patricia Briggs – Mercy Thompson (Moon Called) and Alpha & Omega (Cry Wolf).
Faith Hunter – Jane Yellowrock (Skinwalker) and Soulwood (Blood of the Earth).
Kalayna Price – Alex Craft (Grave Witch).
Kelley Armstrong – my current favourite is the Casey Duncan thrillers (City of the Lost), but also any of her Otherworld novels, including the YA offshoots, starting with Bitten. Kelley gets bonus points for being a fellow Canadian. 😀
Hailey Edwards – I loved her Foundling series (Bayou Born). Also her Beginners Guide to Necromancy (How to Save an Undead Life) and her newest series, Black Hat Bureau (Black Hat, White Witch).
Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I’m absolutely in love with her The Inheritance Games series but I have now read her entire backlist.
And new to the list: Tracy Deonn. Her Legendborn Cycle (Legendborn) is actually life-altering. I can’t wait for the next book!
Favourite series:
The Psy/Changeling Series (Slave to Sensation) by Nalini Singh. I was late picking up my first Nalini Singh book (Why? Such a terrible oversight on my part!) but I’m now all caught up and have book 21 preordered! I’ve reread Mine to Possess, Kiss of Snow, Heart of Obsidian, and Shield of Winter. And loved all of the off-shoot series. I’m also a fan of her Guild Hunter Series (Angel’s Blood).
Terry Pratchett – any Discworld book with witches in the lead POV with Wintersmith being my favourite. I own but find myself unable to read, The Shepherd’s Crown, which was published after Terry passed away. I got to a certain plot point, lost it, and had to put the book away so I could continue to function in my everyday life.
Sookie Stackhouse (Dead Until Dark) by Charlaine Harris – one of my first entry points into ‘modern’ urban fantasy. I recently picked up her Gunnie Rose Series (An Easy Death) and absolutely adored it.
The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Illuminae). Also their newest collaboration, The Aurora Cycle (Aurora Rising).
The Consortium Rebellion (Polaris Rising) by Jessie Mihalik. Also, I’m really enjoying her newest, Starlight’s Shadow (Hunt the Stars).
A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses) by Sarah J. Maas. I’m also enjoying her newer Crescent City series (House of Earth and Blood).
InCrypid Series (Discount Armageddon)[ongoing] and October Daye (Rosemary and Rue)[ongoing] by Seanan McGuire. Seanan also writes as Mira Grant, and I LOVED her Newsflesh Series (Feed).
Kingmaker Chronicles (A Promise of Fire) by Amanda Bouchet
The Firebird Chronicles (Rules of Redemption) by T.A. White [Ongoing series]. I’m obsessively in love with this space opera.
Forgotten Empires (The Orchid Throne) by Jeffe Kennedy [completed trilogy]. And Bonds of Magic (Dark Wizard) [ongoing].
The Scholomance (A Deadly Education) by Naomi Novik. Loved! I reread, bought the audiobook, and I instantly preordered book two. Then I read that and instantly preordered book three! Big fan.
The Bonds That Tie (Broken Bonds) by J Bree. This series totally sucks you in and keeps you guessing, full of sexy times (Why Choose!!), magic, enemies to lovers, and traumatic histories. I also enjoyed J Bree’s Hannaford Prep series (Just Drop Out).
The Legend of All Wolves (The Last Wolf) by Marie Vale. Love this very different take on werewolves/magic/etc. The first and the fourth book are my favs. Sexy, emotional reads.
Influential books/series/authors:
William Gibson – his sci-fi Sprawl Trilogy (Neuromancer). The character of Molly Millions has definitely influenced how I perceive/write/create my own superhero females. [Also the namesake of my chocolate Shar Pei). I’m also a big fan of Pattern Recognition (just adding that link makes me want to reread it).
Stephen King – favourites: The Talisman, The Stand, and more.
Jane Austin – Pride & Prejudice and more.
Anne Rice – all of her early books, starting with Interview with a Vampire (of course!! and probably goes without saying). But I also really enjoyed The Mummy.
More recent great reads:
Messenger Chronicles (Shoot the Messenger) by Pippa DaCosta [Complete series.]
Shadowspell Academy (The Culling Trials) [complete] by K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer
All three books in the Galactic Love series by Ann Aguirre. But the first book, Strange Love, had me in tears because I was laughing so hard. Also sexy! Sexy!
The Crownchasers duology (Crownchasers) [complete] by Rebecca Coffindaffer.
The Guild Codex: Demonized (Taming Demons for Beginners) [complete] by Annette Marie. Fellow Canadian!
Mercenary Librarians (Deal with the Devil) by Kit Rocha.
Gargoyle Queen (Capture the Crown) by Jennifer Estep. This is an offshoot of Jennifer’s Crown of Shards (Kill the Queen) series but I think it can also be read separately.
Fourth Wing (Empyrean 1) by Rebecca Yarros – definitely worth the hype and I’m looking forward to book 2 in Nov 2023.
Baby & the Late Night Howlers (Sweet Omegaverse 1) by Kathryn Moon as well as books two and three, Lola & the Millionaires (Part One). Sexy, Why Choose, with bites, knots, and a plot! Fun, Fun!
The two-volume, Pack Darling (Part One) by Lola Rock is a great omegaverse (knots, butes, Why Choose) as well.
And, if I’m listing fun Why Choose romps, I’d be seriously remiss if I didn’t mention the epic (21 books and counting) Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. Blue aliens, mating bonds, and seriously sexy times. I’ve currently tapped out at book 10, but don’t doubt I’ll pick it up again at some point.
Find my current reads on Bookbub and Goodreads.
What are some of your favourites?
Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne. The Others series by Anne Bishop. Valor series by Tanya Huff (and her older stuff). Alchemist/kingmaker/etc. by Honor Raconteur. Demon Touched series by John Conroe.
I also will get the audible version to listen to when i am driving or cleaning the house, another way to re-read.
Yes! I need to actually try an audiobook (not just listen to samples).
Well OTHER than MCD’s amazing series, I love reading Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series … enjoy the steamy bits, along with mythology thrown in the bloody battle mix.
Nice!
I love all those books by Meghan Ciana Doidge!!!!
<3
For a lighthearted and fun read I adore Katie MacAlister! A fellow Pacific Northwesterner, her dragon series is my favourite b/c of Jim the demon who likes to go about in the form of a Newfoundland dog. I know, sounds ridiculous, but it will keep you laughing from beginning to end and you will fall in love with the characters. Also really enjoying the Virals series by Kathy Reichs (the Bones author). This is her YA books and while not paranormal, they do involve the kids gaining certain ‘powers’ and are a real thrill ride. These are smart kids! Love the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward and The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness left me wanting more. Always so excited to read others lists to add more books to my must read list!
I just got the first Sookie Stackhouse book! I adore Anne Rice and all of her books. I love yours of course. I’ve read a couple of Kelley Armstrong’s series and enjoyed them I need to check out your favorite
I have been looking for more humor in my reading lately and really love the Aisling Grimlock books by Amanda Lee. I am also waiting impatiently for the next book in The Vegan Vampire series by Cate Lawley. Darynda Jones and her Charley Davidson series have taken a darker story line, so I am giving those a break for awhile. I also really like Katie MacAlister as someone mentioned earlier.
Deborah Harkness the All Souls trilogy, MCD of course, Anne Rice- everything!
I agree on most of yours and will pick up the rest for a try. Thanks for the recommendations. I’ve recently become a big fan of Shayne Silvers (obsidian son) and am now reading Orlando Sanchez (tombyards and butterflies). And I’m eagerly awaiting the third installment of Curse of the Gods, joint work by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington. They have some great snark and one liners with some romance a- brewing.
Of course your books 😉
Then, in no order:-
All Robyn Peterman Zahn.
Darynda Jones, Charley and Darklight.
J. R. Ward BDB series.
I’ve read and re read all my Terry Pratchett. I struggled with the last one too, I took months to read it as I knew I’d not have the pleasure of any more.
Charlaine Harris. Midnight Texas, Sookie and Harper series.
Kathy Reiches. Piers Anthony, Angela Roquet, James Patterson, Patrica Cornwell, Dakota Cassidy.
This is my ‘main’ go to lot, but I do read lots of others too lol.
The Kutherian Gambit series by Michael Anderle. This guy puts out a new book every other month and they are a fun read. Oh yeah, $3.99 ea. This is a vampire series that starts on Earth and ends up in space series. And he has omnibuses for the first 15 books. He also partners with other authors to expand the series in different directions. It is well worth the investment in time.
Meghan,
I really think you would like this series. Good against evil. A defined enemy. A female lead. Well written, although some of the spin off books aren’t great, they are fun.
I’ll check it out. I believe I have the sample pages for at least one book on my Kindle app already.
Everything on your fav list is on mine too!
I’ll add Kim Harrison,everything she’s written, Kevin Hearne:Iron Druid Series and his new One, Plague of Giants.
Lila Bowen’s Trilogy, Tad Wiliams, Weiss and Hickman, Elizabeth Moon ,George RR Martin, really wish he’d finish Song of Ice and Fire, Kate Elliott, Laurel K. Hamilton,Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind, Dean Koontz,Peter Orullian,You! Ofcourse,lol. Many many more,will stop here, or I’ll have written my own book,lol.
I love anything Anne Rice and Stephen King. I grew up reading them, very formative for me, also the Shanara Chronicles, Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold and etc… The Dresden Files, Discworld, any of the Charlaine Harris Series’, add in The Daughters of Dark Root by April Aasheim, anything Sherrilyn Kenyon. Honestly I just love to read. I also have to say that your series’ have made it to my top faves list as well. I love your books. I have read everything current in the dowser series, all of the Oracle Series, and am currently reading Catching Echoes. I also read most of the marvel series comics as a kid, so I am a huge marvel fan and the classics (hemmingway, dickens, Austen, and Bronte are some of my favorite classic writers) and the sherlock holmes novels.
Ilona Andrews Magic series is great
Faith Hunter Jame Yellowrock is very good
Patricia Briggs Mercy and Alpha series are really good
Elizabeth Hunter – Elemental Mysteries and follow up series are good reads
Larry Correia – Monster Hunter Series (Wrong audience?)
Jim Butcher – Dresden Files is fantastic
Steve McHugh – Helliquin Chronicles is a really good read
John Conroe – The Demon Accords is great
CE Murphy – Murphy Papers I liked
Shannon Mayer – Rylee Adamson
I really loved The Immortal Descendants series by April White and Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc series by Angela Roquet. Currently working my way through the Vesik series by Eric R Asher and the Jessie Sullivan series by Kory Shrum, both of which I’m really enjoying. And I love Old Clovenhoof series by Heide Goody and Ian Grant.
Old favorites include Terri Windling’s Bordertown, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, Robert Asprin’s MythAdventures, Raymond E Feist’s Riftwar, so many others. Plus, every now and then i still go back and re-read the series that introduced my 10-year-old self to sci-fi and fantasy, The Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher.
Most of your list – sorry, Stephen King does much too good a job for me – plus a few (!):
Anything R J Blain, aka Susan Copperfield or Bernadette Franklin – especially the Royal States series (SC)
Sherwood Smith – Inda series and surrounding books
P G Hodgell – Kencyrath series
Tanya Huff – The Keeper and Enchantment Emporium series (Canadian author, I think)
Eileen Wilkes – Lupi series
If you like mysteries, try Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series. You’ll laugh till you hurt.
Oh thank you! None of these are on my radar.
I love when you recommend authors! Following this thread so I can keep coming back! Thank you!
Your list is making my fingers tingle, I want to go download a bunch of new books. I also love all of Jeaniene Frost’s books, starting with Bones & Cat. She world builds as well as you do. Thanks for the list, gonna go spend money now, hehehehe. Enabler. ;o)
Ha. Sorry about that!
Obviously MCD! My favorite is The Amplifier series, but I’m really enjoying The Archivist series too. SO GLAD they are both continuing!
The Legend of Istavia – James Colton
Between the Light and Dark – Shannen L. Colton
Weaver’s Stone – Shannon L. Colton
The Soulkeepers series & The Soulkeepers Reborn series – G.P. Ching (YA)
The Return of the Elves series – Bethany Adams (Each book has the same worlds and characters, but centers around different characters for each one. May be an ongoing series?)
The Goth Drow series – Martha Carr & Michael Anderle (I have this series on audiobook too. I love the dual world building.)