10 books like The Dark Highlander

By Karen Marie Moning,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like The Dark Highlander. Shepherd is a community of 7,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Lover Awakened

By J. R. Ward,

Book cover of Lover Awakened

L.S. Bethel Author Of The King's Seer

From the list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding.

Who am I?

Give me all the supernatural and fantasy intrigue with love on the side. Sometimes this world of ours is too much to deal with and it’s nice to visit other worlds. To read and write about the justice, love, and magic of other things that may be lacking in your life can be cathartic and gives us something to look forward to and strive for. While some of the more supernatural aspects might be out of reach, the beauty of unbreakable bonds forged in love and trust, people willing to sacrifice for what they believe in, and seeing justice prevail also gives me the hope that it's not unreachable if you believe it. 

L.S.'s book list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding

Discover why each book is one of L.S.'s favorite books on romance with supernatural worldbuilding .

Why this book?

This may very well be one of my absolute favorites, not just in this series but in this genre. I love my complicated and broken heroes and this one takes the mantle. It does help to read some of the earlier books to get a better feel for the character but it can also be a really great stand-alone if you wish. The relationship is the backbone of the story but the character growth, the secret world within our own, the side characters, and side plots weave together to make such an intriguing and tense read. I’ve read this book multiple times and am thoroughly entranced each time. This is definitely a top 3 for me out of all the books I’ve read.

Lover Awakened

By J. R. Ward,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Lover Awakened as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion…


The Darkest Night

By Gena Showalter,

Book cover of The Darkest Night

L.S. Bethel Author Of The King's Seer

From the list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding.

Who am I?

Give me all the supernatural and fantasy intrigue with love on the side. Sometimes this world of ours is too much to deal with and it’s nice to visit other worlds. To read and write about the justice, love, and magic of other things that may be lacking in your life can be cathartic and gives us something to look forward to and strive for. While some of the more supernatural aspects might be out of reach, the beauty of unbreakable bonds forged in love and trust, people willing to sacrifice for what they believe in, and seeing justice prevail also gives me the hope that it's not unreachable if you believe it. 

L.S.'s book list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding

Discover why each book is one of L.S.'s favorite books on romance with supernatural worldbuilding .

Why this book?

The first and my favorite of this series that sets up a world beyond our own with interesting and multiple interesting and tortured characters all trapped in their own personal hell and I was here for it. This book focuses on one particular members of this poor group and how one person can come in change absolutely everything with love and faith. There is a setup for the multiple books in the series that do not take away from the main story or characters and will have you wanting to know more. Heavy on not just the romance but the action and violence had me flying through the pages to feed my need for more. Entertaining, fun, tense, and never giving a dull moment, I recommend this for a fun night or nights of reading. 

The Darkest Night

By Gena Showalter,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive—and unimaginably powerful… Don't miss a single book in this stunning paranormal series from New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter!

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments…and ignites an irresistible…


Tempted

By Elisabeth Naughton,

Book cover of Tempted

L.S. Bethel Author Of The King's Seer

From the list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding.

Who am I?

Give me all the supernatural and fantasy intrigue with love on the side. Sometimes this world of ours is too much to deal with and it’s nice to visit other worlds. To read and write about the justice, love, and magic of other things that may be lacking in your life can be cathartic and gives us something to look forward to and strive for. While some of the more supernatural aspects might be out of reach, the beauty of unbreakable bonds forged in love and trust, people willing to sacrifice for what they believe in, and seeing justice prevail also gives me the hope that it's not unreachable if you believe it. 

L.S.'s book list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding

Discover why each book is one of L.S.'s favorite books on romance with supernatural worldbuilding .

Why this book?

Mythology, romance, twisted villains, and a reluctant hero come together to make a book you will not want to put down. I’m a sucker for greek mythology and love it when it's brought into the modern world. The idea of a whole culture and supernatural world intertwined with ours will always catch my attention. There’s something so intriguing about the idea that there’s more going on in our world than we can imagine and this story pushes the narrative brilliantly. The main characters can irk your nerves at times but if there is no drama there’s no story in my opinion. These are realistic characters in unrealistic conditions and they’re always fun to read about.

Tempted

By Elisabeth Naughton,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Elisabeth Naughton has created a world dark, dangerous, and absolutely addicting." –Christina Dodd, New York Times bestselling author

Demitrius has done all he could to protect Isadora, his soul mate, from himself. But when she is kidnapped, he'll stop at nothing to get her back―even opening his broken heart in order to save them both.

DEMETRIUS―He's the hulking, brooding warrior even his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it's best to keep everyone at arm's length.

Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection,…


Dance with the Devil

By Sherrilyn Kenyon,

Book cover of Dance with the Devil

L.S. Bethel Author Of The King's Seer

From the list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding.

Who am I?

Give me all the supernatural and fantasy intrigue with love on the side. Sometimes this world of ours is too much to deal with and it’s nice to visit other worlds. To read and write about the justice, love, and magic of other things that may be lacking in your life can be cathartic and gives us something to look forward to and strive for. While some of the more supernatural aspects might be out of reach, the beauty of unbreakable bonds forged in love and trust, people willing to sacrifice for what they believe in, and seeing justice prevail also gives me the hope that it's not unreachable if you believe it. 

L.S.'s book list on romance with supernatural worldbuilding

Discover why each book is one of L.S.'s favorite books on romance with supernatural worldbuilding .

Why this book?

Probably one of my favorites and in my opinion best written for the series. Not surprising that my love for this book spawns because of its similarity to another book I have on this list. Once again we have cool mythology, vampire lore, an ornery hero paired with a kind-hearted but smart heroine, and moments that’ll make you want to cry, throw things into a fire, and cheer. This book spoke to my need for retribution. Throughout the book, it’s what I wanted for my mc more than anything. A need for justice, a supernatural world you want to know more about, and funny, lovable, but also broken characters that you just want to protect, I found this all and more in just this one book. 

Dance with the Devil

By Sherrilyn Kenyon,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Zarek is the most dangerous of all the Dark-Hunters. He endured a lifetime as a Roman slave and centuries as a Dark-Hunter in exile. Zarek trusts no one. Because of his steadfast denial to follow any orders, he is kept in isolation in Alaska where his activity is seriously limited and closely monitored. There are many who fear he will one day unleash his powers against humans as well as vampires. Have nine hundred years of exile made Zarek too vicious to be redeemed? The gods want Zarek dead but reluctantly agree to allow justice goddess Astrid to judge him.…


Discount Armageddon

By Seanan McGuire,

Book cover of Discount Armageddon

Kitty Shields Author Of Pillar of Heaven

From the list on monsters at work.

Who am I?

Fantasy of all kinds is my jam, but I particularly like stories that weave monsters or myths into real life. When an author manages to reinvent a familiar monster trope, like Vivian Shaw with Van Helsing, and spin it into a new, stylized story, that’s the best display of cleverness. I’ve read an embarrassing amount of these kinds of books from Terry Pratchett to Frank Herbert. I think the notion of monsters/creatures/gods is our way of examining the different layers of the human psyche and a well-written monster trope story delivers that self-examination with a spoon full of fantastical sugar.  

Kitty's book list on monsters at work

Discover why each book is one of Kitty's favorite books on monsters at work .

Why this book?

Discount Armageddon was my introduction to urban fantasy where monsters are everywhere. Seanan is also a great world-builder and the extensive variety of cryptids in her work is impressive. The tone can only be described as cheeky. We follow Verity Price, a wannabe professional dancer and secret cryptozoologist, who has a cult of talking mice living in her kitchen. I like how upfront Verity is about the difficulties in her life. She doesn’t paint a rosy picture, but she doesn’t let it hold her back either. Challenges are meant to be faced and overcome. Failures are educational. Also, the dragons in this particular story are awesome.

Discount Armageddon

By Seanan McGuire,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity - and humanity from them.

Meet Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan to pursue her dream career in professional ballroom dance. That is, until talking mice, telepathic mathematicians, and a tangle with the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George, get in her way...


Exhale

By Joel Abernathy,

Book cover of Exhale: An MM Shifter Romance

Elle Arroyo Author Of The Nine: Zane

From the list on dark fantasy enemies to lovers mm romance.

Who am I?

I am an author and avid reader of romance, especially those full of conflict in a world heavy with magic, shifters, vampires, and others. My dad was a great storyteller and sparked my interest in the paranormal. When I was a kid, he’d tell me stories about growing up in the mountains of Puerto Rico. The evil that lived there. My imagination took it from there. I wish I would’ve written down those stories. I can’t get him to talk about them anymore. It might be the reason why The Nine: Zane had started out as a contemporary romance story until Zane took over with all his paranormal drama. 

Elle's book list on dark fantasy enemies to lovers mm romance

Discover why each book is one of Elle's favorite books on dark fantasy enemies to lovers mm romance .

Why this book?

A shifter and a human come together to rescue the human’s kidnapped daughter.

The human was married to the woman who had been promised to the shifter which makes for lots of conflict between them. This is the first book in the series.

I love the worldbuilding and the questionable morality of the shifters.

Exhale

By Joel Abernathy,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Two men haunted by the same ghost… Falling for “the other man” in my marriage was never part of the plan. Then again, according to Nicolae Ursache, I am the other man, and human wedding vows don’t apply. Not to werewolves. Nicolae is a smug, arrogant alpha male stereotype--and I do mean alpha in the literal sense--but when the same people who killed my wife kidnap my teenage daughter, he’s my only chance at getting her back. The fact that Nicolae was my wife’s rightful mate means that we share a mutual interest in bringing Ellie home, but I never…


City of Ghosts

By Victoria Schwab,

Book cover of City of Ghosts

Alexandria Blaelock Author Of The Ghost and Ms Cox

From the list on ghosty best friends.

Who am I?

I was five when we moved to Australia, and soon after I discovered two things: I am the seventh child of a seventh child, with magic powers including the ability to see ghosts. My mother’s brother Dennis drowned when he was six. Naturally I started talking to him. Mind you, Mum also told me if the wind changed my face would stay like that, so the ghost thing probably wasn’t true either. Technically she only brought two of us to term. Dennis and I still talk, but we don’t have much in common anymore. With that in mind, please enjoy my ghosty best friends book recommendations.

Alexandria's book list on ghosty best friends

Discover why each book is one of Alexandria's favorite books on ghosty best friends .

Why this book?

I found out about this one via Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s monthly reading list, and it was the first version of a more modern Green Knowe book, and it was amazing!

In the meantime I’d forgotten my fascination with ghosty best friends, and this one brought all the others rushing back. And of course, Dennis. Plus it’s set in Edinburgh, a town that has some significance to my father’s family.

Good for reminding you that you can’t know or do everything on your own. 

City of Ghosts

By Victoria Schwab,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked City of Ghosts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't
like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates
the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits.
Her best friend is even a ghost.

So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much
stranger.

When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most
haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here,
graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless
phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift,"…


Sea of Ghosts

By Alan Campbell,

Book cover of Sea of Ghosts

Lilian Horn Author Of Perils of Sea and Sky

From the list on fantasy worldbuilding you don’t want to get lost in.

Who am I?

I grew up on a steady book diet of child detectives, fairy tales involving monsters in the woods, and historical fiction about the black plague. The same themes go through the books I love to read and write, transporting me with world-building set in realms or historical settings with technology so strange it could be fantasy. Characters are shaped by the world around them and the more perilous the world, the more it challenges the characters. If there are monsters, I’m in. 

Lilian's book list on fantasy worldbuilding you don’t want to get lost in

Discover why each book is one of Lilian's favorite books on fantasy worldbuilding you don’t want to get lost in .

Why this book?

Alan Campbell set the mixed steampunk science-fantasy genre for me, with his high fantasy worlds where machines and magic go hand in hand, to prison cities surrounded by poisonous waters that can turn you into permanent sea-dwellers, and telepathic abilities worth killing for.

This is a world where a trip to the beach might kill you if the telepaths don’t find you first.   

Sea of Ghosts

By Alan Campbell,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Leaving the behind the imaginings of Deepgate, Alan Campbell introduces a new world, a new cast of characters in a novel that reads like a cross between Stephen Deas and Joe Abercrombie.

With non-stop action, beautiful characterization and Alan's usual flair for imagination and lyrical writing, welcome to a world of water - where dragons are used as weapons and countries are separated by power, greed and fear...

Thrown out of the Graveyard corps by a corrupt and weak emperor, Granger has to turn to running his own prison. It's not a lucrative business but if he keeps his head…


The Ring of Five Dragons

By Eric Van Lustbader,

Book cover of The Ring of Five Dragons

Ronald A. Geobey Author Of Gods of Kiranis

From the list on sci-fi fantasy novels for immersive worldbuilding.

Who am I?

While Dune, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica (1980s), and other SF staples laid the foundation for my love of SFF, I was also reading about the universe from a young age. Along came Star Trek: The Next Generation in the ‘90s and the stage was set. Completing Bachelor’s Degrees in Ancient History & Archaeology; Religions & Theology; and a PhD in Near and Middle Eastern Studies copper-fastened my passion for the ancient world and the history of religion, and along with reading historical fiction and fantasy, everything merged into the almost allegorical universe you’ll find in Kiranis. Lovers of all the above will find something here.

Ronald's book list on sci-fi fantasy novels for immersive worldbuilding

Discover why each book is one of Ronald's favorite books on sci-fi fantasy novels for immersive worldbuilding .

Why this book?

I discovered the Pearl Saga (a trilogy) via Van Lustbader taking up the reins on Robert Ludlum’s Bourne novels. While I was reading these books, I was waiting to hear from Voyager (Harper Collins) regarding an epic fantasy novel I wrote, which featured in its climactic scenes a girl using crystals to trap a dragon in a cage-like device inside a mountain. There was a delay in the publication of the third book of the Pearl Saga, and when it came out, it featured a girl holding a ‘crystal’ before a dragon, and it was called The Cage of Nine Banestones. My heart sank, but it turned out that the delay was related to the death of Van Lustbader’s father.

The trilogy begun in ‘Ring’ is for some brooding and self-indulgent, but for me it was a triumph of worldbuilding and alien realia, with technology and sorcery vying…

The Ring of Five Dragons

By Eric Van Lustbader,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The opening volume in a huge epic fantasy in the tradition of Frank Herbert's DUNE series.

Struggling to survive an existence of enforced slavery on their home planet, the people of Kundala are slowly dying. Their oppressors, the V'ornn, a technologically advanced, alien race, have reigned over the Kundalans with unyielding power for more than one hundred years.

Only through the power of the lost, god-given Pearl can the Kundalans be saved from extinction, for within it lies a secret so potent it could tear the entire planet apart.

However, only one man is destined to find and wield the…


The A-Zs of Worldbuilding

By Rebekah Loper,

Book cover of The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World from Scratch

J Lenni Dorner Author Of Writing Book Reviews as an Author: Inspiration to Make It Easier

From the list on created from the April blogging #AtoZChallenge.

Who am I?

I have taken part in the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #atozchallenge since 2014. I volunteered on A to Z founder Arlee's group early on. I was elevated to co-host in 2017 and became the Team Captain in 2018. In 2019, I ran the "#AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!" My own book, Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier, was created because of the challenge. I used my method of writing book reviews, broken down alphabetically, to create a month of blog posts. Then compiled those posts into a book. Authors depend on book reviews, but struggle to write them for others.

J's book list on created from the April blogging #AtoZChallenge

Discover why each book is one of J's favorite books on created from the April blogging #AtoZChallenge .

Why this book?

I love that the dedication is to the A to Z Challenge bloggers of 2014. (I was one of them!) Here's a well-written and comprehensive reference guide. There's a strong author voice and a great amount of information. It covers the importance of including diverse characters. I recommend The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch to writers building a fictional world, and to writers using an unfamiliar setting. A necessary reference tool for authors.

The A-Zs of Worldbuilding

By Rebekah Loper,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Worldbuilding is the ultimate act of creation for speculative fiction writers, but how exactly do you worldbuild? You ask 'what if' and use each answer as a springboard to more questions and answers about your fictional world.

In The A-Zs of Worldbuilding, that ‘what if’ process is broken down into 26 themed chapters, covering topics ranging from architecture to zoology. Each chapter includes a corresponding set of guided exercises to help you find the ‘what if’ questions relevant to your story’s world.

Fair warning, though: worldbuilding is addictive. Once you get started, you might never put your pen down again.


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