81 books like Lasher

Discovering Diana, the reluctant witch who must rediscover herself and her supernatural talents, makes this novel a page-turner of magick and mystery. And I loved how the weave of those two powers pulled in the romance between Diana and Matthew. An added spicy balance that mixes like a brew into the witch and vampire families that are here and from the Otherworld.

I am not a vampire fan, but the magick here is irresistible. It became rather addictive because the witchcraft spells were so illusory that I felt “invited in.” The vampire scenes were a bit nerve-wracking, creating real tension for me. Diana’s journey was perfect, as it kept growing with obsessive and fantastical suspense. I was in their witch-vampire world, which was as frightening as it was compelling. 

Anne Rice is a wonderful poet disguised as a novelist who creates dreamy and eerie landscapes in this book. She paints backdrops of multiple settings and weaves those landscapes with the mood of her characters: modern and bustling San Francisco to mysterious and moody New Orleans.

The plot involves an analytical science girl who is suddenly immersed in a mysterious past that includes witches and other supernatural beings. It explores the roots of societal misogyny by recapping the history of the Mayfair clan and an unleashed demon spirit that haunts the family, all with a romance lurking in the subplot.

It is written like a dark fairy tale that weaves a contemporary world with supernatural elements. Don’t miss this!

I love that a normal human being, Ig Perrish (awesome character name), wakes up one morning and notices he is physically transforming into a supernatural being. The progressive growth of the horns (excellent anatomical descriptions of their extension from the cranium) coinciding with his gradual distaste and rejection of all things Judeo-Christian is brilliant.

I also love that Joe Hill turned the idea of what a demon is on its head, that they are not inherently evil but become that way because they can detect the hypocrisy of human thought, which drives them mad. They are so mad that they want to harm the very beings that tell them one thing but believe in another. Something I believe is responsible for all that is truly evil in the natural world. 

Poe's short stories The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat, and The Cask of Amontillado greatly influenced me when I was young. While my peers were reading The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries, I was engrossed in the beautiful and twisted world of Poe.

Although it is questionable if there are any supernatural abilities exhibited in these tales, I found that the common theme of concealing a crime within household structures like floorboards or a wall inflicted a psychological trauma on me that I never completely recovered from.

I am grateful for this impression as it ignited my interest in psychology, leading to neuropsychology and finally to my doctoral studies in neuroscience. This theme of “hiding in plain sight” inspires me when writing about supernatural abilities.

The jokey title and tagline, “adventures of a demon-hunting soccer mom,” pulled me in. I stayed for the heroine and her hilariously chaotic efforts to separate her demon-hunting life and her family life. This one is lighter on the romance, but the author adeptly explores the complexity of being in a happy second marriage while missing a loved one. The paranormal mystery was fun, but my favorite part involved Kate trying to hide a body. Enjoy this tale poolside with a glass of iced tea.

Wow! Talk about meaty and juicy with substance! I bought this book in paperback and it is the definition of a tome! When I first read it, it reminded me of a good gothic literature tale with a dash of the beautiful world-building of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire sprinkled with the language of Gabaldon’s Outlander book. It’s another book that deals with life through the paranormal characters’ lives in a human world which I can never get enough of. 

Blood Tears takes place across the centuries throughout the large world wars and other historical events that nicely tie into our real timeline. Every time I cracked open the book to read just a little bit I would find myself entranced in the story and the characters.

Kristen Ashley is known for her contemporary books with heroines that rock and commanding alphas. In this book, you have the same, but with a supernatural twist. Wildest Dreams gives you the raw emotion you’d expect from a KA book, while adding a fantastical story and some hilarity to boot.

The main male character, Jett, is descended from a supernatural race with rare powers. He’s done some horrific things in the past to save others and is now a recluse. Circumstances force him to allow an artist into his home on consignment. Romance ensues of course, but not without complications, chaos, and danger. I like that the characters aren’t “squeaky clean” even though this is from a Christian Worldview. The story always comes first and it is never blatantly preachy. We are also introduced to more supernatural “brothers” for future books in the series. 

Pia is forced to steal from a dragon hoard. She knows it’s wrong but she is stuck. Dragos is furious someone got into his hoard let alone took something from it. So I love how the two characters meet in this book. I also love how this woman is not the fainting flower. In fact, even though she’s faced with an alpha male to the Nth degree, she faces him down. This book holds humor, adventure, magic, and love. This one is definitely an adult book. 

Diane is known for her Immortal Guardians Vampire series, but this spin-off to her fang world includes two things I love, vampires and aliens. I’d be remiss when mentioning alien romance if I didn’t include Ruby Dixon. Both stories expertly combine humor, drama, a heck of spice, and the supernatural excitement that keeps me reading.