66 books like Blooded

By Naomi Lucas,

Here are 66 books that Blooded fans have personally recommended if you like Blooded. 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 Pestilence

Tracy Lauren Author Of Tamed by the Troll

From my list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an author, but first and foremost I’m a reader. I’ve been voracious about it my entire life, but it wasn’t until just a few years back that I discovered the romance genre—which sucked me in immediately. After a few books I stumbled onto Ruby Dixon and it was over. Syfy and fantasy romance had their hooks in me. These recs are the books I re-read and the authors I follow because they are consistent in telling captivating stories, with rich worlds, and vibrant characters. Book hang-over guaranteed. 

Tracy's book list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds

Tracy Lauren Why did Tracy love this book?

I just love this idea. A series starring the four horsemen as our heroes. It’s a pretty dire plot, set in a post-apocalyptic world with our heroine out there kicking ass and fending for herself, only to cross paths with a horseman. It’s tragic, and star-crossed, and basically everything you want in a romance novel. 

By Laura Thalassa,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Pestilence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They came to earth-Pestilence, War, Famine, Death-four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.


When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn's town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.


Too bad no one told her Pestilence can't be killed.


Now the horseman, very much…


Book cover of Bound to the Battle God

Tracy Lauren Author Of Tamed by the Troll

From my list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an author, but first and foremost I’m a reader. I’ve been voracious about it my entire life, but it wasn’t until just a few years back that I discovered the romance genre—which sucked me in immediately. After a few books I stumbled onto Ruby Dixon and it was over. Syfy and fantasy romance had their hooks in me. These recs are the books I re-read and the authors I follow because they are consistent in telling captivating stories, with rich worlds, and vibrant characters. Book hang-over guaranteed. 

Tracy's book list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds

Tracy Lauren Why did Tracy love this book?

Ruby Dixon is quite the goddess herself. Literally everything she writes is gold. The Ice Planet Barbarian series introduced me to Syfy romance and I’ve re-read those books more times than I can count. I particularly enjoy the Anchor and Aspect books because of the length. It’s everything I love about Ruby Dixon, but I can’t devour it in a single night. That means one, two, sometimes even three nights of a story and characters that I love. Doesn’t get much better than that. 

By Ruby Dixon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bound to the Battle God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When I went to my neighbor's apartment to investigate strange sounds, I never expected to fall through a portal into another world. Yet here I am, a stranger in an even stranger land...and I'm stranded. In this world, might makes right, men carry swords, and gods walk the earth. Within minutes of arriving, I’m enslaved.

Fun place.

How do I get home? GREAT question. Wish I had an answer.

The one person that might be able to help me is also the one person I want to throttle most. Aron, Lord of Storms, Butcher God of Battle, is my new…


Book cover of Rein: A Tidefall Novel

Tracy Lauren Author Of Tamed by the Troll

From my list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an author, but first and foremost I’m a reader. I’ve been voracious about it my entire life, but it wasn’t until just a few years back that I discovered the romance genre—which sucked me in immediately. After a few books I stumbled onto Ruby Dixon and it was over. Syfy and fantasy romance had their hooks in me. These recs are the books I re-read and the authors I follow because they are consistent in telling captivating stories, with rich worlds, and vibrant characters. Book hang-over guaranteed. 

Tracy's book list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds

Tracy Lauren Why did Tracy love this book?

I love everything Bex McLynn writes. There is depth to her stories unparalleled in the genre, on top of that: nobody writes a hero like Bex. I still swoon just thinking about the book Bane. Rein is as deep and complex as her Syfy work, but in a world of werewolves and moon Gods. 

By Bex McLynn,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The hunt no longer satisfied them. They wanted more.

Nikolas has sheathed his claws. After centuries of hunting and exterminating his own people—wolf shifters cursed with Madness—all he wants is oblivion. Fortunately, a relentless huntress has targeted him, and he gladly welcomes his end by her hand.

In truth, death has never looked so lovely.

Oliviana wants her revenge, yet immortal beings who know her deadly secret have waylaid her hunt. Forced to follow Nikolas into dangerous territory, she hears whispers about an end to Madness. A ‘too-little-too-late’ cure that hinges on Nikolas being alive and well—and mated.

The gods…


Book cover of Escaping Wonderland: Cosmic Fairy Tales

Tracy Lauren Author Of Tamed by the Troll

From my list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an author, but first and foremost I’m a reader. I’ve been voracious about it my entire life, but it wasn’t until just a few years back that I discovered the romance genre—which sucked me in immediately. After a few books I stumbled onto Ruby Dixon and it was over. Syfy and fantasy romance had their hooks in me. These recs are the books I re-read and the authors I follow because they are consistent in telling captivating stories, with rich worlds, and vibrant characters. Book hang-over guaranteed. 

Tracy's book list on fantasy romance with sexy beasts and vibrant worlds

Tracy Lauren Why did Tracy love this book?

A fantasy read by the husband-wife author team Tiffany Roberts. This is a dystopian/insane asylum twist on Alice in Wonderland, featuring some absolutely gorgeous imagery and a Cheshire Cat hero named Shadow. Shadow is a character to swoon over—charming, heroic, and mysterious—he’s the book boyfriend you’ve been waiting for.  

By Tiffany Roberts,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

He’s deadly, seductive, and completely unhinged. He’s also her only chance of escape.

Alice knows Wonderland is just a virtual world operated inside an asylum to which she’s been wrongfully committed, but she can’t find her way out—can’t find her way back to the life she lived before she woke beneath titanic trees and towering flowers. With the terrifying Red King searching for her and chaos all around, her only hope of escape lies in Shadow, a tall, mysterious being with glowing eyes, sharp claws, and a haunting grin who may be the maddest of them all.

But even if…


Book cover of Deadlines & Dryads: A Terra Haven Chronicles Prequel

Rebecca Buchanan Author Of Asphalt Gods, and Other Pagan Urban Fantasy Tales

From my list on fantasy and science fiction for Pagans.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up with a serious passion for mythology and fairy tales. By the time I reached college, I knew that would be my path in life: honoring the Old Deities, honoring the earth, and writing new myths and fairy tales. To that end, I have published numerous short stories, novellas, and poems (the majority with a Pagan focus), serve on the board of directors of a Pagan publisher and a Pagan non-profit organization, and edit a Pagan literary ezine.

Rebecca's book list on fantasy and science fiction for Pagans

Rebecca Buchanan Why did Rebecca love this book?

Chastain’s Terra Haven Chronicles currently stands at three books, with Deadlines and Dryads as the first. This is an exciting, feel-good urban fantasy series set in an alternate United States. Here, everyone practices some form of elemental magic (environmental destruction is almost unheard of and completely anathema), and humans live peacefully (mostly) alongside gargoyles, minotaurs, centaurs, dryads, and other species. I love the optimism of Chastain’s books. The world is grim enough. When I need a pick-me-up, Chastain is often my go-to read.

By Rebecca Chastain,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Getting the scoop might cost Kylie and her gargoyle companion their lives...

Dryads are a reclusive, passive species—or they used to be. Overnight, the peaceful woodland creatures have turned violent, attacking travelers with crude weapons and whipping the trees of their grove into a ferocious frenzy.

When rumors of the dryads’ bizarre behavior reaches journalist Kylie Grayson, she pounces on the story, determined to unearth the reason behind the dryads’ hostile transformation. Accompanied by Quinn, her young gargoyle friend, Kylie plunges into the heart of the malevolent grove. But nothing she’s learned prepares her for the terrifying conflict she uncovers...…


Book cover of Kaz the Minotaur

Trae Stratton Author Of Thunder Peak

From my list on with talking animals and mythological creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading/gaming and writing fantasy for over 40 years. My interest in the genre began with mythology, then spread into the now countless branches of the Tolkien tree. Along with the great quests and magic items, I was always enchanted by the non-human characters populating these magical worlds. Not just the elves, dwarves, and dragons, but the intelligent animals and mythological creatures like pegasi, minotaurs, treants, big cats, snakes, apes, eagles, gargoyles – the list is endless. Some were good, some misunderstood, and some were evil incarnate, but almost always, I found their stories the most intriguing. As a result, their stories will be a big part of my new series, The Tamm Chronicles.

Trae's book list on with talking animals and mythological creatures

Trae Stratton Why did Trae love this book?

When you’re in the mood for pure adventure-driven fantasy with a noble, troubled hero beleaguered on all sides, this is the one to pick up. Going back to when I first read about Theseus in grammar school and all the way through my Dungeons & Dragons years, I have always thought that minotaurs were cool and full of untapped potential. Herein lies the tale that proves I was right. It will evolve your feeling about minotaurs from mindless beasts in the labyrinth to courageous knights of quality and mettle. Don’t worry about the massive scope of the Dragon Lance Chronicles, this one can be read on its own.

By Richard A. Knaak,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The fourth in a series of recovers of classic Dragonlance novel tales.

This attractive new re-release of Kaz the Minotaur showcases a new look for the Heroes series. The title character was introduced by the author in The Legend of Huma, the first novel in this series. Each title in the series will reflect the new series design and feature entirely new cover art.


Book cover of The Part about the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

Bjørn Larssen Author Of Why Odin Drinks

From my list on Terry Pratchett collaborations that never happened.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a Pratchett fan since I first read The Colour of Magic in 1986. I was nine and suddenly obsessed. When he died, I cried; when I found out he left me – us – one last gift, I cried again. The best satire doesn’t just make you laugh through the tears and cry with laughter; it makes you think. Over the decades, Pratchett perfected this art. Nobody can replace him, although many authors, including myself, try to follow. Searching for them between the rock and the trying-too-hard place, sometimes I find diamonds. May they shine as brightly in your eyes as they do in mine.

Bjørn's book list on Terry Pratchett collaborations that never happened

Bjørn Larssen Why did Bjørn love this book?

Only a real genius of a bard could give justice to the heroes who saved the village city of Skendrick from Dragonia the Dragon. Due to a sudden shortage of geniuses Heloise the Bard, who’s never met a run-on sentence she didn’t like, tells you (mostly) all about herself the battles, the riddles, Heloise, the magic, pooping in swamps, Heloise, the flatulent minotaur… oh yes, the dragon! Almost forgot. And if there’s one thing she knows, it’s that facts will ruin the truth every. Single. Time.

Black’s ‘Friday’ is a song so infinitely horrible it creates a space-inverting portal that makes it an eternal classic. So is this book. Read it with your eyes closed. In hiding. With mushroom powder at hand.

By Sean Gibson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Part about the Dragon Was (Mostly) True as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 humorous fantasy bestseller!
Sure, you think you know the story of the fearsome red dragon, Dragonia. How it terrorized the village of Skendrick until a brave band of heroes answered the noble villagers' call for aid. How nothing could stop those courageous souls from facing down the dragon. How they emerged victorious and laden with treasure.  

But, even in a world filled with epic adventures and tales of derring-do, where dragons, goblins, and unlicensed prestidigitators run amok, legendary heroes don't always know what they're doing. Sometimes they're clueless. Sometimes beleaguered townsfolk are more hapless than helpless. And orcs?…


Book cover of Shadow of the Minotaur

Fiona Faith Ross Author Of Far Out

From my list on keeping people you love close.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write about aloneness and individuals, what it takes to connect to family and community, and how to hang on to the people we hold dear. This means I think a lot about points of view and personal perception. We often wonder: Have I got this right? Did they get my meaning? Does everybody feel this? And more often than not, everybody does. These interpretations are both personal and universal at the same time. We all fear loss; we all have to be brave to hold onto people we love and principles we value.

Fiona's book list on keeping people you love close

Fiona Faith Ross Why did Fiona love this book?

This book is about being brave. You know when a problem grows into a huge scary monster, right? It’s got you cornered and you don't think you'll ever get out alive, but with the right attitude, you can. Our hero Phoenix is braver than his years, but in some ways he’s more grown-up than his dad. In this retelling of the ancient Greek story of the minotaur, who crushes mortals and eats them for breakfast, we step into a monstrous virtual world created by Phoenix’s dad. I wanted to run, but most of all I wanted to stay and see what happened next. Will the minotaur eat Phoenix alive? I related to Phoenix trying to survive and trying to work out his issues with his dad, because every one of us has to face the same difficult world and be courageous about it.

By Alan Gibbons,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'Real life' or the death defying adventures of the Greek myths, with their heroes and monsters, daring deeds and narrow escapes - which would you choose?

For Phoenix it's easy. He hates his new home and the new school where he is bullied. He's embarrassed by his computer geek dad. But when he logs on to The Legendeer, the game his dad is working on, he can be a hero. He is Theseus fighting the terrifying Minotaur, or Perseus battling with snake-haired Medusa. It feels as though he's really there ? The Legendeer is more than just a game. Play…


Book cover of The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break

Maria Vale Author Of The Last Wolf

From my list on stories told by monsters.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mother was a student who divorced when I was very small. Lacking resources, we moved frequently, rarely staying anywhere for more than a few months. It has left me with an abiding sympathy for stories of outsiders trying to figure out what exactly they did to be relegated to the other side of the glass, peering in. This is why when I decided to write about werewolves, I made them wolves first and humans only very secondarily. Because my sympathy is always with the monsters.

Maria's book list on stories told by monsters

Maria Vale Why did Maria love this book?

Five thousand years after leaving the labyrinth, the Minotaur has traded in a diet of virgins for a job as a cook at a North Carolina joint called Grub’s Rib, a casually cannibalistic reference that gives a sense of Sherrill’s dark humor. His life is punctuated by problems that are both conventional (he lives in a trailer park and pines for one of Grub’s waitresses) and un- (his horns are awkward in the tight confines of kitchen and trailer, his tongue makes speech difficult, his penmanship is disastrous). What makes the Minotaur so appealing is that unlike the mortals around him who really have no excuse for cynicism, “M” clings desperately to possibility. “Even in the most tedious unending life there comes, occasionally, hope. One simply has to wait and be ready.”

By Steven Sherrill,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Five thousand years out of the labyrinth, the Minotaur finds himself in the American South, living in a trailer park and working as a line cook at a steakhouse. No longer a devourer of human flesh, the Minotaur is a socially inept, lonely creature with very human needs. But over a two-week period, as his life dissolves into chaos, this broken and alienated immortal awakens to the possibility for happiness and to the capacity for love.

Steven Sherrill is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and holds an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The recipient of a NEA…


Book cover of Ariadne

Sophia Kouidou-Giles Author Of An Unexpected Ally: A Greek Tale of Love, Revenge, and Redemption

From my list on retelling ancient Greek myths.

Why am I passionate about this?

Born and raised in Greece, I have always been fascinated by the history and mythology of my homeland. My love for reading historical fiction and Greek myths has been drawing me into stories of ancient civilizations and their timeless tales. Visiting archaeological sites and museums, where history comes to life through the remnants of the past has been a lifelong passion and Is a source of inspiration. These experiences have shaped my love for storytelling and my desire to breathe new life into Greek myths and history. In my writing, I aim to bridge the gap between the ancient and the modern.

Sophia's book list on retelling ancient Greek myths

Sophia Kouidou-Giles Why did Sophia love this book?

I was captivated by the slow and deliberate flirtation of Dionysus with Ariadne as he revealed his own story with passion and intimacy. I felt the shared sense of abandonment between him and Ariadne, one mortal, the other immortal. I found that weaving in Phaedra’s story with the lively interactions between the two sisters with such different personalities was a clever plot devise, it was intriguing and added to the complexity of the story.

The characters evolve: innocence, abandonment, depravity, and new awarenesses show in a tragic tale where Theseus, Daedalus, Icarus, Hippolytus, and Perseus support a story basically describing the differing points of view of the two sisters. A great choice for readers like me, who enjoy stories based on Greek mythology with a feminist slant.

By Jennifer Saint,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.

'ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.' - Stylist

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.

When…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Minotaur, centaurs, and nihilism?

Minotaur 11 books
Centaurs 10 books
Nihilism 30 books