63 books like The Book of Azrael

Run, don’t walk, to get your hands on this book! As a huge astrology nerd, I was intrigued by the title and the cover, which displayed all twelve zodiac signs. I was a huge fan of the way that Peckham uses clever foreshadowing in each character’s morning astrology readings. It is genius.

The story follows two female twins who end up finding out they are heirs to the throne in a highly corrupted, ‘fey eat fey world,’ where only the strong survive. But the throne isn’t handed over to them so easily. They are put to the test, both mentally and physically, as they enroll and start school at Zodiac Academy, learn to use their elemental magic, and prove they are strong enough and worthy enough to rule Solaria. This book hooked me from chapter one, and I followed the story of the Vega sisters throughout the nine-book series. 

Vampires, shifters, and reincarnation; I’ll read that again and again and again. It’s like if A Walk to Remember met The Mortal Instruments with a dash of Twilight. This was a fun read that I sailed through far too quickly. 

Each character had their own mini story which makes this book a well-rounded story with a main focus but also intriguing characters. With the female main character having a fatal disease, and the male main character being immortal, the desperation to hang onto each other makes for a rare romance.

Imagine if Rapunzel was kidnapped by a vampire king but then hunted the people who could kill her with one bite.

This is a fantastic book with vampires, magic, wings, and a female main character that’s realising not everything is as she was led to believe. There wasn’t a moment that I doubted it would be 5 stars. 

One of my favourite things is how she struggles to accept the truth about the people she thought were her family. She also has to ally with a vampire who has a dangerous curiosity for her, and I loved trying to work out why.

Mistaken identity, a deadly game, and confusing desires make for a fun read. This book was one of my instant favourites because of its sassy style and the female main character psycho-analysing the people around her because of her studies in psychology.

Rowan is determined to find her mother’s killer, but her plan falls apart when a demon kidnaps her and accuses her of being someone else.

I love the way she plays two roles as herself and her shadow self and how she uses that to play games with Orion, who may or may not want to kill her. It makes for a unique character and a very interesting story.

In a rather terrifying world of sentient gods, Carillon is an impulsive and short-tempered orphaned runaway who finds herself at the center of a magical plot that involves the thieves' guild, the alchemists' guild, her family, and a terrifying pantheon of gods.

Though a skilled thief, Cari rarely thinks things through and, more often than not, finds herself in trouble as a direct result of her actions. She's also one of those characters whose past comes back to haunt her precisely because she hasn’t properly confronted it. 

Yes, this is the third Middle Grade book on the list, but you can’t beat kids’ books when it comes to adventures based on mythology! Loki’s Wolves is action-packed, entertaining, and full of Norse gods and monsters. It’s an imaginative, entertaining read for Norse mythology nerds of all ages.

Since the first page, I have not been able to stop thinking about Whitten’s gorgeously immersive world.

With a main character named Red and something about a wolf, you may think that this is just another Little Red Riding Hood rewriting…but it is so much more. A magical murderous forest, prophesies, blood pacts, destiny, love—all the things I already knew I loved, but then add even more—haunted trees, a twisting sickness caused by shadow, and two sisters fighting to determine their own fate.

This last aspect lends a specialness to Whitten’s novel and reminds me of my favorite novels growing up. These are not your average princesses. For the Wolf teeters on that edge between NA and adult, and the language alone is worth the read!

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, Wilson’s debut work, is another wonder among wonders.

It feels like an epic fantasy, but instead of following more Viking-blonde heroes with their magical swords, we’re following hired mercenaries to escort a caravan through dangerous lands.

And instead of the usual fantasy worlds descended from the Western European Middle Ages, we’re in one influenced by re-colonial Africa.

There are magical jungles and magical tigers, and violence and death, and an LGBT love story between smart, dedicated men.

It’s a character study worthy of a literary novel, but the love of words, and the masterful inclusion of various dialects, particularly a kind of medieval hip-hop slang, makes this a truly fascinating read.

This entire series has my heart and soul. Paranormal world fused with Greek mythology? Hell, yes! I’d read this any day and every day. My top pick in this series is The Darkest Kiss because I love the female lead Anya. She’s just amazing. Anya is introduced as a fun loving, trouble maker but as the novel evolves we learn Anya has more layers to her character and with each layer coming off, you can’t help but fall deeply in love with her just like Death. I mean, I totally understand him. This book is such an entertaining read.

I’m drawn to fantasy stories set in modern-day analogues because I’m fascinated to see the ways that having magic and monsters as a fact of life would shape a world from the ground up. I’m particularly interested in the impact on more mundane matters like legal contracts and labor disputes. Perhaps no one dives into this topic with as much gusto as Max Gladstone. In Three Parts Dead, we meet necromantic lawyers and witness the legal and practical repercussions of a god’s death. In lesser hands, this could easily slump into tedious details, or the intricacies might be forgotten in an attempt to ramp up the action. But Gladstone finds the perfect balance, keeping abstract concepts engaging while presenting action scenes that carry true consequences. The city of Alt Coulumb is one of my favorite fantasy settings, and the entire Craft Sequence is well-worth reading.