I love reading about strong main characters stuck in lousy situations that they have to pull up their big girl panties to get out of. I want a read where no one follows the rules, come what may. Wit and clever dialog are definitely one of the things that keep me reading. And all of the books on this list have that in spades.
The characters that Kim Harrison develops in this first in series are urban fantasy at its best. They’re jaded, in need of coffee, and just want to pay the rent.
The interpersonal relationships and how the characters have each other’s backs while getting on each other’s nerves make for great dialogue and super engaging storylines.
From New York Times bestselling author, Kim Harrison, comes the first book in an exciting urban fantasy series; packed with the perfect balance of wry humour and thrilling action, which will delight fans of thrillers and fantasy alike.
Rachel Morgan is a white witch and runner working for Inderland Security, in an alternate world where a bioengineered virus wiped out a great deal of the world's human population - exposing the existence of the supernatural communities that had long lived alongside humanity.
For the last five years Rachel has been tracking down law-breaking Inderlanders in modern-day Cincinnati, but now she…
This book has all the witty dialog and situations that go awry that I love to read about. The characters are quirky, and you can absolutely imagine having a beer or cracking open a bottle of Boones’ Farm wine with any of them.
And if that isn’t enough to keep you reading, the slow-burn romance will.
Kate Daniels is about to enter a world of gritty magic and dangerous mystery! Vampires, necromancers and mages abound on the city streets, with one kickass heroine in the middle
Future Atlanta is an interesting place to live: one moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters.
Here skyscrapers topple under the onslaught of magic; the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst for knowledge and wealth, pilot…
The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.
The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.
Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…
Jim Butcher’s world of the Dresden Files is rife with politics and magical mishaps.
I love the trope of the wizard who can’t get out of his own way because of his tragic past. The side characters in this book really bring it to life and create a great foil for Harry to come into his own.
In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden’s investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of magical Chicago…
As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put…
K.F. Breene is one of those authors that once you read one of her books, you need to binge on the rest. Her heroines are strong, sassy, deeply flawed, and honestly don’t give a crap.
The dialogue in these is great, and there are laugh-out-loud moments that keep you turning pages.
The Guardian of the Palace is the first novel in a modern fantasy series set in a New York City where magic is real—but hidden, suppressed, and dangerous when exposed.
When an ancient magic begins to leak into the world, a small group of unlikely allies is forced to act…
I absolutely loved the premise of this book, where a novelist’s main character comes to life to solve a crime.
It has twists and turns, witches and paranormal characters galore, and a plot that kept me guessing to the end. I adored its irreverence and was so happy to learn it’s the first in a series.
Half-daemon Envy Starr is destined to die on Midsummer’s Eve, still a virgin, on some crappy cult’s live-stream feed. With thirty days left to live, the chance to escape her fate and get some action compels her into her absentee father’s world of beautifully cultured cruelty.
Once there, she’s the object of a deadly game, slated to alter the Fae realm’s power structure. Worse, the rules keep changing, and everyone has an ulterior motive, including her dae-licious guide, Brennan. Under a geas he’s desperate to break, she can’t trust him or herself. Stupid Stockholm syndrome… But unless she can come to terms with what lies in her heart, her unlikely survival will be a fate worse than death. For her and the rest of Fae.
The Guardian of the Palace is the first novel in a modern fantasy series set in a New York City where magic is real—but hidden, suppressed, and dangerous when exposed.
When an ancient magic begins to leak into the world, a small group of unlikely allies is forced to act…
The Strange Case of Guaritori Diolco
by
Bill Hiatt,
Guaritori awakens from a coma to find that he's lost twenty years--and his entire world.
Fiancée, family, and friends are all missing, perhaps dead. Technology has failed, and magic has risen, leaving society in ruins. Most survivors are at the mercy of anyone who has strong enough magic. Guaritori has…
