After my 12 year reading Hiatus I am please to report well over 100 books read. Most are indie, most are by women authors, interestingly (that wasn't intentional), and there were SO MANY GOOD ONES. But I'd like to share some of my favorites here:
Author Annette Marie - Her Steel and Stone Series is intense, and so good. Urban, post apocalyptic US and 2 other worlds, it's an amazing 5 book set. Her other books are excellent also.
Author Rachel Rener - The Lightning Conjurer series is a three, (soon to be four) book series that has my favorite elemental series ever. It's really really good and book 4 is one of my favorites. She also wrote this fun timeywimey book with a little bit Eerie murder mystery book called The Girl Who Talks to Ashes.
J.A. Andrews has her Keeper Chronicles which are epics that are slower paced and full of beautiful prose.
The Bird and the Sword - by Amy Harmon was a surprise fantasy romance book that was sooooooo well written and all about the power of words.
Traitor's Masque by Kenley Davidson is my favorite Cinderella retelling of the year. Creative and somehow familiar and all unique, it was really well done.
A surprise for me was Duel of Fire by Jordan Rivet. A sports tale about fencing, locked in fantasy realm, I fell in love with the characters. I'm still finishing the rest of this 5 book series, but this was great.
Jacque Steven's Robin's Hood: a Tale of Sherwood Forest was a wonderful (slight) gender bend and a wonderful unreliable narrator. It had a vibrant voice and I never ever minded flashbacks (I often do in other books) because the stories were so interesting in their own right.
Tomb of the Queen By Joss Walker is so fun A Librarian stumbles into magic... and the CIA. What a great combo!
A Vampire in Bavaria by Suzannah Rowntree is a wonderful Victorian gas light monster romp where the royal families are actually mythical creatures. Historically consistent, it's a wonderful twist with a great cast of characters.
Finally - don't mind the naked men without shirts(it's fade to black and not too spicy) - Hollen the Soulless - by Denali Day had the best "stolen bride" tropes I've ever seen. The women don't come quietly. Hilarious, heart rending. They are great.
I make no compensation by these rec's BTW. They are honestly, just.... GOOD.
Take care,
Alora

Comments