100 books like The Call

By Peadar Ó Guilín,

Here are 100 books that The Call fans have personally recommended if you like The Call. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Mina and the Undead

Bryony Pearce Author Of Raising Hell

From my list on for Buffy lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in the nineties I was a Buffy fan, although that is probably understating things. I have all the Buffy novels, which I read over when waiting for the next series to come out (this was in the days before Netflix!). For me, Buffy had the exact right mix of humour, horror, and deeper complexity, dealing with issues that really impacted me, but in a way that made them accessible. I loved the characters, I loved Buffy herself, I loved her strength and humanity. When I decided to write Raising Hell, I was influenced by Buffy, but there are differences – Ivy is no chosen one, she chose herself.

Bryony's book list on for Buffy lovers

Bryony Pearce Why did Bryony love this book?

With an awesome nineties vibe that took me right back to my own teen years, Mina and the Undead is about a British teen girl battling vampires (obviously) in New Orleans. A great Gothic horror written by a fantastic new British writer, filled with gore and references to 90’s pop culture. A ton of fun!

By Amy McCaw,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Mina and the Undead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

'A dark and thrilling tale of the paranormal. With haunted houses, family secrets and murder galore, this delicious and gruesome tale of the macabre will ignite a whole new generation of vampire fans.' Lauren James

'Brimful of nostalgia and cinematic atmosphere. A thrilling read and a clever new twist on the vampire stories you love.' Laura Wood

New Orleans Fang Fest, 1995. Mina's having a summer to die for.

17-year-old Mina, from England, arrives in New Orleans to visit her estranged sister, Libby. After growing up in the town that inspired Dracula, Mina loves nothing more than a creepy horror…


Book cover of Slayer, 1

Bryony Pearce Author Of Raising Hell

From my list on for Buffy lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in the nineties I was a Buffy fan, although that is probably understating things. I have all the Buffy novels, which I read over when waiting for the next series to come out (this was in the days before Netflix!). For me, Buffy had the exact right mix of humour, horror, and deeper complexity, dealing with issues that really impacted me, but in a way that made them accessible. I loved the characters, I loved Buffy herself, I loved her strength and humanity. When I decided to write Raising Hell, I was influenced by Buffy, but there are differences – Ivy is no chosen one, she chose herself.

Bryony's book list on for Buffy lovers

Bryony Pearce Why did Bryony love this book?

This is literally a Buffyverse novel, set after the events of the last series, when Willow has cast her spell to make Potentials into Slayers. The main character is Nina, a British daughter of a watcher, who has some hard choices to make. I have enjoyed Kiersten White’s work since I read Paranormalcy many years ago. She has a great sense of humour and writes characters who feel very real and will stay with you for a long time.  

By Kiersten White,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Slayer, 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Will get Buffy fans up in their feels.” —Entertainment Weekly

A New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller

From bestselling author Kiersten White comes the first novel in a series set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that introduces a new Slayer as she grapples with the responsibility of managing her incredible powers that she’s just beginning to understand.

Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school.…


Book cover of Slay Book 1

Bryony Pearce Author Of Raising Hell

From my list on for Buffy lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in the nineties I was a Buffy fan, although that is probably understating things. I have all the Buffy novels, which I read over when waiting for the next series to come out (this was in the days before Netflix!). For me, Buffy had the exact right mix of humour, horror, and deeper complexity, dealing with issues that really impacted me, but in a way that made them accessible. I loved the characters, I loved Buffy herself, I loved her strength and humanity. When I decided to write Raising Hell, I was influenced by Buffy, but there are differences – Ivy is no chosen one, she chose herself.

Bryony's book list on for Buffy lovers

Bryony Pearce Why did Bryony love this book?

Kim Curran is another writer that I have enjoyed for years since I read her debut Control. She writes with great immediacy and her characters are brilliant. Slay is about the hottest boy band on the planet. But they aren’t just a boy band, in fact, this is a cover for their real gig – slaying monsters. 

By Kim Curran,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Slay Book 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 11, 12, 13, and 14.

What is this book about?

Every fangirl's daydream is about to become Milly's nightmare.

When Milly arrives home to discover that her mum has been taken over by something very evil, she finds herself in mortal danger. But the last people she expects to rescue her are the boys in the hottest band on the planet!

Enter SLAY - playing killer gigs, and slaying killer demons. Suddenly Milly's on the road with JD, Tom, Niv, Zek and Connor, helping save the world, one gig at a time...


Book cover of Devil's Kiss

Bryony Pearce Author Of Raising Hell

From my list on for Buffy lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in the nineties I was a Buffy fan, although that is probably understating things. I have all the Buffy novels, which I read over when waiting for the next series to come out (this was in the days before Netflix!). For me, Buffy had the exact right mix of humour, horror, and deeper complexity, dealing with issues that really impacted me, but in a way that made them accessible. I loved the characters, I loved Buffy herself, I loved her strength and humanity. When I decided to write Raising Hell, I was influenced by Buffy, but there are differences – Ivy is no chosen one, she chose herself.

Bryony's book list on for Buffy lovers

Bryony Pearce Why did Bryony love this book?

Sarwat is another brilliant British writer, whose debut novel Devil’s Kiss remains my favourite of his. Its teen heroine, Billi Sangreal is the last of the knight’s templar and lives her life kicking ass and killing monsters, Buffy style. There is a great level of complexity in this novel, with a bad guy that has really remained with me over the years. 

By Sarwat Chadda,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Devil's Kiss as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Grade Level: 7-9 Age Level: 12-14 Listening Level: Grades 7-9 As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilqis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn’t normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a warrior in her order’s ancient battle against the Unholy. Billi’s cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He’s ready to slide back into Billi’s life, but she’s met someone new: amber-eyed Mike, who seems to understand her like…


Book cover of The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne / The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu

Peadar Ó Guilín Author Of The Call

From my list on exploring Irish mythology.

Why am I passionate about this?

In Ireland, there’s barely a rock or a hedge that doesn’t have a story attached to it. Lots of them are dark, some are sexy and many are downright hilarious. I myself grew up near a river whose name in the Irish language means “eyeballs”. We lived a short but rocky drive from Gleann Nimhe, A.K.A., “Poisoned Glen”, and the origins of these names lie in tales that are even more twisted than you might expect. My very Catholic school relished enthralling its overcrowded classrooms with these pagan stories. We were introduced to gods and saints, famous slaughters, and tragic heroines. For some of us, it sank in. Deep.

Peadar's book list on exploring Irish mythology

Peadar Ó Guilín Why did Peadar love this book?

Irish mythological tales are usually divided into various cycles. I’ve already included the heart of the aristocratic Ulster Cycle with The Táin above. Here, with The Pursuit, A.K.A., the Tóraíocht, we have my favourite part of the Fenian Cycle, with a Dark Ages hallucinatory road trip across the island as runaway lovers try to evade capture by a jilted king. Did I mention it was funny? I should have. It’s great.

By Standish O'Grady, A.H. Leahy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne / The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For a thousand years and more audiences have delighted in these Irish tales, wondering at the elopement of the impetuous Grainne with the heroic Diarmuid and heartbroken by the fateful flight of Deirdre. Two strong women take control of their destinies and both pay grievous prices.


Book cover of Gods and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha de Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland

Peadar Ó Guilín Author Of The Call

From my list on exploring Irish mythology.

Why am I passionate about this?

In Ireland, there’s barely a rock or a hedge that doesn’t have a story attached to it. Lots of them are dark, some are sexy and many are downright hilarious. I myself grew up near a river whose name in the Irish language means “eyeballs”. We lived a short but rocky drive from Gleann Nimhe, A.K.A., “Poisoned Glen”, and the origins of these names lie in tales that are even more twisted than you might expect. My very Catholic school relished enthralling its overcrowded classrooms with these pagan stories. We were introduced to gods and saints, famous slaughters, and tragic heroines. For some of us, it sank in. Deep.

Peadar's book list on exploring Irish mythology

Peadar Ó Guilín Why did Peadar love this book?

Although we’ve never stopped telling stories on this island, there is no doubt that a huge part of our heritage would have been lost if not for those who collected it, translated it for a non-Irish-speaking audience, and published it around the world. Lady Gregory’s brilliant collection, Gods and Fighting Men is the one on which so many others are based.

By Lady Gregory,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Gods and Fighting Men as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A few months ago I was on the bare Hill of Allen, "wide Almhuin of Leinster," where Finn and the Fianna lived, according to the stories, although there are no earthen mounds there like those that mark the sites of old buildings on so many hills. A hot sun beat down upon flowering gorse and flowerless heather; and on every side except the east, where there were green trees and distant hills, one saw a level horizon and brown boglands with a few green places and here and there the glitter of water. One could imagine that had it been…


Book cover of The Tain: From the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge

Luke Eastwood Author Of Kerry Folk Tales

From my list on Celtic Mythology and Folkore.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a student of Druidry since the mid-1990s and I have also had a passion for history and mythology since I received a children’s version of “The Twelve Labours of Hercules” when I was around 7 years old. I’ve read pretty much all the major stories and texts in relation to Celtic myth and Druid lore (particularly from Ireland), sometimes in multiple versions, so I think I have a fair idea of what is useful or worth reading.

Luke's book list on Celtic Mythology and Folkore

Luke Eastwood Why did Luke love this book?

There are newer versions of this book, often described as the “Illiad/Odyssey” of Irish tradition, but this is the classic translation from 1969.

Kinsella was a poet and a Gaeilgeoir (Irish speaker) so he really understood this text due to his deep knowledge of the source language and of Irish poetic norms, plus he spent 15 years lovingly translating it into the best English facsimile possible.

This is one of (if not the most) important myths of Ireland and is an essential read for those interested in Irish mythology.

By Thomas Kinsella (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Tain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Tain Bo Cuailnge, centre-piece of the eighth-century Ulster cycle of heroic tales, is Ireland's greatest epic. It tells the story of a great cattle-raid, the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Medb and Ailill, queen and king of Connacht, and their allies, seeking to carry off the great Brown Bull of Cuailnge. The hero of the tale is Cuchulainn, the Hound of Ulster, who resists the invaders single-handed while Ulster's warriors lie sick.

Thomas Kinsella presents a complete and living version of the story. His translation is based on the partial texts in two medieval manuscripts, with elements…


Book cover of Ireland's Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth

Peadar Ó Guilín Author Of The Call

From my list on exploring Irish mythology.

Why am I passionate about this?

In Ireland, there’s barely a rock or a hedge that doesn’t have a story attached to it. Lots of them are dark, some are sexy and many are downright hilarious. I myself grew up near a river whose name in the Irish language means “eyeballs”. We lived a short but rocky drive from Gleann Nimhe, A.K.A., “Poisoned Glen”, and the origins of these names lie in tales that are even more twisted than you might expect. My very Catholic school relished enthralling its overcrowded classrooms with these pagan stories. We were introduced to gods and saints, famous slaughters, and tragic heroines. For some of us, it sank in. Deep.

Peadar's book list on exploring Irish mythology

Peadar Ó Guilín Why did Peadar love this book?

This is a fascinating look at the perceptions of Irish mythology at different points throughout our history. There’s always a lot of fuss on the internet about fantasy writers who get our mythology “wrong”, but Mark Williams shows that the legends themselves and their themes have evolved constantly to reflect the concerns and mores of the times and of the storytellers themselves. Ireland’s Immortals is almost an academic proof of the thesis laid out in Robert Holdstock’s brilliant novel, Mythago Wood, which -- it goes without saying -- I also highly recommend.

By Mark Williams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ireland's Immortals as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A sweeping history of Ireland's native gods, from Iron Age cult and medieval saga to the Celtic Revival and contemporary fiction

Ireland's Immortals tells the story of one of the world's great mythologies. The first account of the gods of Irish myth to take in the whole sweep of Irish literature in both the nation's languages, the book describes how Ireland's pagan divinities were transformed into literary characters in the medieval Christian era-and how they were recast again during the Celtic Revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A lively narrative of supernatural beings and their fascinating and…


Book cover of The Hounds of the Morrigan

Taya Okerlund Author Of Never Lore: Journey to Mt. Smolder

From my list on fantasy adventure novels you've never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

As the saying goes, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Ahem. Not actually. Breaking cover doesn't typically demand killing people. But I might lose my security clearance and my diplomatic immunity in Fairy. Which I don't want to do, so shall we say I have a lively imagination and no personal knowledge about spy craft or espionage either in this world or in Fairy? Promise. I know nothing. And anyway, you can't prove it!

Taya's book list on fantasy adventure novels you've never heard of

Taya Okerlund Why did Taya love this book?

This one is a great example of a middle-grade fantasy that deserves more attention. It pulled me right in and wouldn’t let go with its authentic Irish folklore and vivid narrative. Author Pat O’Shea is from Ireland and the sense of place is rich with history and atmosphere.

Brigit’s spunk is a perfect counterpoint to Pidge’s sober personality, and they were my friends. We were on an adventure together. 

By Pat O'Shea,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Hounds of the Morrigan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 11, 12, 13, and 14.

What is this book about?

Set in the world of Irish mythology, The Hounds of the Morrigan tells of the coming of the great queen, the Morrigan, from out of the west to free the snake Olc Glas, and to bring destruction to the world. Two children, Pidge and Brigit, are chosen to thwart the Morrigan.


Book cover of The Book of Conquests

Peadar Ó Guilín Author Of The Call

From my list on exploring Irish mythology.

Why am I passionate about this?

In Ireland, there’s barely a rock or a hedge that doesn’t have a story attached to it. Lots of them are dark, some are sexy and many are downright hilarious. I myself grew up near a river whose name in the Irish language means “eyeballs”. We lived a short but rocky drive from Gleann Nimhe, A.K.A., “Poisoned Glen”, and the origins of these names lie in tales that are even more twisted than you might expect. My very Catholic school relished enthralling its overcrowded classrooms with these pagan stories. We were introduced to gods and saints, famous slaughters, and tragic heroines. For some of us, it sank in. Deep.

Peadar's book list on exploring Irish mythology

Peadar Ó Guilín Why did Peadar love this book?

Jim Fitzpatrick’s CV may include the world’s most famous portrait of Che Guevara, but in Ireland, he is better known for his glorious depictions of our native myths and legends. If anything can be said to be his masterpiece, it is his work in The Book of Conquests. The text is a translation of a medieval manuscript, Lebor Gabála Érenn. This account of the mythical origins of Ireland was my most important inspiration for writing The Call. But as a child, it was the pulse-pounding illustrations that really made my jaw drop.

By Jim Fitzpatrick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book of Conquests as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE BOOK OF CONQUESTS, published in 1978, is the first volume of a trilogy of works, which tell the story of the ancient and magical race: the Tuatha Dé Danann. The second volume, THE SILVER ARM was published in 1981; while volume three, THE SON OF THE SUN is in preparation. THE BOOK OF CONQUESTS tells the story of Nuada, king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the First Battle of Moy Tura, one of the most important sagas in Early Irish Literature.


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