32 books like Charlotte and the Demons

I love this series.

Lily Ivory, who owns a vintage clothing shop in San Francisco, wants to fit in somewhere and conceal her “witchiness”.

She is spiritual and stylish and has a charming sense of humor. Just when life seems normal, she stumbles onto a spooky murder.

This book ticks off all the boxes for a fun and mentally stimulating read. Lily’s familiar is an adorable, witty pig. There’s a sexy myth buster who is enticing. And there’s a powerful warlock who is her nemesis.

Such a fun read!

The Waverley women all possess magical abilities.

Claire, as a caterer, can alter moods by cooking with her edible flowers. Even their garden is delightfully eccentric, with an apple tree whose fruit possesses prophetic abilities. Although I adored the journeys of the major characters, my favorite character is Evanelle. This elderly relative experiences irresistible impulses to bring objects to people.

Often it's something ordinary, like a kitchen tool, though sometimes it’s more substantial. Neither Evanelle nor the recipients understand her need to share the object, but the recipients soon invariably require it; at times, it changes their lives.

I’ve read Garden Spells several times, and though I now know what will happen, I still never want the novel to end. Seeped in magic and thoroughly enchanting.

I’ve loved mysteries since Nancy Drew led me into a life of crime. Mixing in magic adds such zing to the mystery puzzle.

I especially enjoyed the charming Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye. A series of misadventures with a guy cause Abby to become entangled with the local PD, which allows her to bring some pretty bad guys to justice. I love Abby’s engaging voice and her spirited outlook. Especially appealing is that she believes herself to be different from others, someone who doesn’t fit in. Yet she also sees herself as shockingly normal compared to the oddballs who come to her for readings. Yet Abby finds humor in the irony of her situation.

If you like your magic mixed with mysteries, you’ll find this book fun.

Nazaré is a charming fable, showcasing the pursuit of justice in an authoritarian world. Kin, a young homeless boy, originally accused of sorcery and forced to flee, eventually leads a band of revolutionaries pitted against their oppressive dictator. His army is made up of delightful misfits, along with a variety of wild animals.

I love the rebels in this parable for the modern world. How could any writer or reader not appreciate revolutionaries who, while living rough in the countryside, impose a reading hour on their members. There is such beauty in the author’s language, unexpected humor throughout, and the most appealing charm.

If you believe in magic, as well as the the power of right to prevail against tyranny, despite impossible odds, this is the novel for you.

This 1988 anthology provides fifty stories, dating from the medieval period to the last century: from central and eastern Europe, the Middle East, and across northern Africa.

Although we find "possession" in several of the narratives, we do not find the ibbur. Nevertheless, some of the demons who take possession of the living are truly evil, and perhaps thus similar to the dybbuk in that regard. Many of the selections read almost like fairy tales, although not all have a "happy ending."

This is by no means a source for the ibbur, but it is a nice introduction to the Jewish supernatural. A few tales are actually rather profound, though most are quite simple. Those unfamiliar with this aspect of Jewish culture might find Schwartz’s anthology a nice place to begin.

Dante Valentine is a Necromance who works as an investigator for the police—solving murders by conjuring up the spirit of the dead person then asking, ‘Hey, who did this?’ Like Jim Butcher, Lilith blends humour and action, and she locates her stories in a unique futuristic/fantasy world in which demons wear black jeans. These books are afire with narrative energy and also brim with passion and love and eroticism. Dante Valentine is a superb kick-ass heroine and if you like a walk on the dark side, I’d warmly recommend the five volumes in this series. 

The depiction in this book is similar to what I have tried to illustrate in my book, where the demonic spirit hijacks the main character, and the center of the equilibrium could no longer hold. Ron Sutton thinks Satan is a regular church attendee. Various ills and devilish intent have taken over the church, which is supposed to be a place of holiness. 

The question is, does Satan go to church? 

I believe this bothered Ron Sutton when he said: "The devil could sit on the front row in many church services throughout America today and never experience an uncomfortable moment."  

Of course, he is right. I believe the Devil sits on the front row and within the altar. He conducts the service, counsels his disciples in high places in the church, and even performs miracles.

Every church and every leader must embrace the truths in the Bible as it's… show more.

Malkom Slaine is the archetypal hot tortured hero, as long as you’re into horns. He may not be the son of Satan but a demon from a demon world isn’t far off. He’s another blood and sex slave, who was sold into slavery by his whore demoness mother and forced to kill his best friend. When he meets his one true mate Caro, a witch, he is being set up for betrayal, yet again. Caro has to trick him into coming to the human plane, to be imprisoned and tortured some more, to save her adopted daughter. He has a lot of healing to do and Cole takes the time to make the process realistic.

Yet again, this book is part of a bigger series, where the many storylines intermingle. There’s a lot of fight scenes and action, but little actual torture, thank goodness. This was a very exciting book… show more.

Another Fine Myth is one of my most reread books.

Skeeve, the main character, just feels so darned human. He’s a nobody with no real talent thrown into a deadly magical conspiracy and reluctantly taken on as an apprentice by a grumpy demon sorcerer who’s lost his magic powers. And while the pairing seems so unlikely, the friendship that develops between them warms my heart every time.

Plus, it’s such a great blend of fast-paced adventures, and slower cozy moments to reflect and build friendships. It also contains my favorite scene in all of fantasy, when our demon talks would-be assassins not only out of killing the pair, but also out of their entire bankroll! 

This book starts with the heroine stumbling home drunk after eating a lot of cheese at her village’s harvest festival. The irreverent tone continues as she rescues a man in the forest, discovers he’s a demon from another dimension and gets swept up in his quest to take down an evil witch.

The whole story is so much fun. Even when violence and destruction happen (along the lines of “half the city was destroyed”), the goofy nature of the book helped me move past it without taking it seriously. (I wasn't thinking too hard about the destruction, but some readers might not like it.) And, of course, the demon becomes a sexy love interest.