I’ve been a fan of creature features movies and the old classic horror stories since childhood. Once I discovered urban fantasy it became my new genre of choice as far as reading. I love each author’s storytelling, worldbuilding, character development, etc. I find it helps me to read the negative reviews. Readers know when a writer is being authentic in their work vs when they are phoning it in. Listening to readers and understanding what puts them off, helps me craft a better story by avoiding the pitfalls that become cliché or annoying.
Pursuing a serial killer becomes a life-altering experience for Chicago PD Homicide Detective, Veronica Sykes, when it leads to the revelation of her cambion bloodline and plunges her into the world of dragons and demons.
Demons are real. The revelation tilts Veronica’s world. Learning she is a cambion, demon born, knocks it right off its axis. Things go from bad to sideways when the demon she pursues turns the tables on her. With the help of Lachlan, a dragon liaison with the Predator Crime Unit, she uncovers the demon's purpose… break his master out of hell. To stop the demon, Veronica makes a bold move, but will her bravery force her into embracing her demon lineage or save her soul from the darkness within?
I still remember standing in line at Borders on the corner of State and Randolph at Christmas. I don’t remember the book I was buying, but I remember looking over and seeing the cover of someone who looked like me, during a time when most contemporary urban fantasy stories featured heroines of European descent. It took me one night to read this book and I instantly fell in love with Damali and Carlos. The next day I hunted down every other published novel in the series and devoured them, eagerly waiting for the next one to drop.
There is one woman who is all that stands between us and the eternal night. Here is an account of her legend....
All Damali Richards ever wanted to do was create music and bring it to the people. Now she is a Spoken Word artist and the top act for Warriors of Light Records. But come nightfall, she hunts vampires and demons—predators that people tend to dismiss as myth or fantasy. But Damali and her Guardian team cannot afford such delusions, especially now, when a group of rogue vampires have been killing the artists of Warriors of Light and their…
I identified with the female protagonist in this book. She is part Native American and she’s a mechanic, which for me was wish fulfillment since I took shop in high school but have forgotten most of what I learned save for changing oil and a tire. She’s mouthy, but she is also unsure of herself, which gives Mercy a very real feel.
The first novel in the New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson series - the major urban fantasy hit of the decade
'I love these books!' Charlaine Harris
The best new fantasy series I've read in years' Kelley Armstrong
MERCY THOMPSON: MECHANIC, SHAPESHIFTER, FIGHTER
I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first. My nose isn't at its best when surrounded by axle grease and burnt oil . . .'
Mercedes Thompson runs a garage in the Tri-Cities. She's a mechanic, and a damn good one, who spends her spare time karate training and tinkering with a VW bus that happens…
Part of me identified with the profession of Lily, the main female protagonist of this novel being an FBI agent. I admire how the author took the “fated lovers” with 100% none of the cliché tropes that usually go with this type of storyline. I loved that Lily had real problems outside of her work and has to solve cases in addition to juggling a wedding and everything else going on in her world. Ms. Wilks constructed a very real world and gave the supporting characters their own storylines and arcs which is extremely hard to do while staying true to the overall plot.
FBI agent Cynna Weaver teams up with sorcerer Cullen Seabourne to help identify elected officials who have accepted demonic pacts. But the passion simmering between them-and their investigation-spiral out of control when an ancient prophecy is fulfilled.
Ms. Murphy takes her time with the world building, in a universe where the supernatural is not known but discovered, and it is a treat to discover this world through the eyes of the protagonist. It’s also a switch that in this story at least, there is not a romance element. I also appreciate that Native American culture and folklore were not exploited in order to make a better story. I enjoyed this was not your typical werewolf, vampire, witch read and brought in something new, or at least something not often written about.
Joanne Walker has three days to learn to use her shamanic powers and save the world from the unleashed Wild Hunt.
No worries. No pressure. Never mind the lack of sleep, the perplexing new talent for healing herself from fatal wounds, or the cryptic, talking coyote who appears in her dreams.
And if all that's not bad enough, in the three years Joanne's been a cop, she's never seen a dead body—but she's just come across her second in three days.
My list would not be complete without Octavia Butler’s Kindred. Ms. Butler trailblazing the way and being the first woman of color to write in science fiction and urban fantasy is the reason I am a writer today. Time traveling Dana was my first exposure to not just urban fantasy before the genre bore the name, but to seeing myself in fiction that I enjoyed reading, and writing fiction that I enjoyed reading. I became immersed in her story, in her world, in her life. For the time while I read, Kindred, I became Dana. That to me is the mark of a truly gifted writer.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Parable of the Sower and MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Nebula, and Hugo award winner
The visionary time-travel classic whose Black female hero is pulled through time to face the horrors of American slavery and explores the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now.
“I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm.”
Dana’s torment begins when she suddenly vanishes on her 26th birthday from California, 1976, and is dragged through time to antebellum Maryland to rescue a boy named Rufus, heir to a slaveowner’s plantation. She soon…
Saving Raine is a captivating tale of resilience, redemption, and the enduring power of love, penned by the acclaimed author Marian L. Thomas.
This contemporary fiction novel chronicles the compelling journey of Raine Reynolds as she confronts heartache, betrayal, and loss. Against the vibrant backdrops of Atlanta and Paris, Raine's story unfolds as she grapples with the aftermath of her husband's infidelity and tragic passing.
Through poignant prose and compelling characters, "Saving Raine" delves into themes of forgiveness, healing, and the strength discovered in confronting life's greatest challenges. Readers will be captivated by Raine's emotional odyssey as she unearths hope, redemption, and the courage to embrace a brighter future.
Raine Reynolds stands at the crossroads of despair and opportunity.
When the life you've built crumbles and the past refuses to release its grip, sometimes you need a fresh start-a new beginning that promises hope and redemption.
Once a celebrated author, Raine's life unraveled, sending her fleeing to the picturesque streets of Paris to escape the tormenting heartache that threatened to consume her. Yet, no matter how far she traveled, the pain remained her unwelcome companion.
Returning to bustling Atlanta as a senior VP for an ad agency, Raine is forced to confront a city steeped in…
Interested in
vampires,
the paranormal,
and
police officers?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them.
Browse their picks for the best books about
vampires,
the paranormal,
and
police officers.
