Here are 2 books that The Butterfly Women fans have personally recommended if you like The Butterfly Women. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Empire of the Vampire

E.C. Glynn Author Of Heretic Behaviour

From my list on fantasy books with torment, heresy, and forbidden romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

Hi, I’m E.C. Glynn. I love writing stories that tackle the messiness of religious societies and belief systems through a fantasy lens. What qualifies me for such an endeavour? Well, with a Master's in International Relations, a decade as a Recovering Catholic, a career as an Officer in the Army, and an unhealthy fascination with cults, I think that’s not a bad place to start for developing a nuanced and interesting perspective on the topic. I am a very picky reader and need to read books that have beautiful prose, interesting worlds, complex and convoluted concepts, and believable dialogue to enjoy my reading experience.

E.C.'s book list on fantasy books with torment, heresy, and forbidden romance

E.C. Glynn Why E.C. loves this book

This book tore me out of a reading slump and reminded me what good writing looks and viscerally feels like in my body.

It is dark, dangerous, gory, and completely bingeable. I loved the depiction of religion and faith – and the way it was used as both a weapon, shield, and prison by different characters. The romance was spicy and devastating. The stakes, impossibly high. The characters…utterly unforgettable.

One of the few books I will make time to re-read over and over, both to study to improve my own writing, and simply to just ruin myself in – over and over again. 

By Jay Kristoff , Bon Orthwick (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Empire of the Vampire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This book is bloody brilliant'
V.E. Schwab 'A ripping read'
Joe Abercrombie

The SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller from the award-winning author of the Nevernight Chronicle

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise.

Ever since, vampires have waged war against humanity building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Gabriel de Leon, half man, half monster, and last remaining silversaint - a sworn brother of the holy Silver Order dedicated to defending the realm from the creatures of the night - is all that stands between the world and its end.

Imprisoned…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Heretic Behaviour

Paula Weston Author Of The Shadow of the Eagle

From my list on fantasy books with slow-burn romance and rich world building.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved epic fantasy ever since discovering The Hobbit and David Eddings as a teenager. I’ve also always loved a good old-fashioned slow burn and/or antagonistic romance. As I’ve grown (much) older, I’ve come to understand that the sweet spot for me is a perfect blend of world-building and a complex romance that makes sense in the context of that world.

Paula's book list on fantasy books with slow-burn romance and rich world building

Paula Weston Why Paula loves this book

This book ticked all the boxes for me.

It’s well written (by a fellow Australian author!), has a strong female protagonist, a genuine slow-burn attraction, and is set in a world with a religious system and accompanying bigotry that feels all too real. I love that Mila’s strength is in her resilience and that she’s very much a product of the world in which she exists.

As for the romance, the slow-build attraction between her and Culis is genuinely believable in the context of both characters’ story arcs. And let me just say that E.C. Glynn knows how to tease!

By E.C. Glynn ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The elite are always heretics when it suits them.

Mila's time is up. After years spent hiding, she's been caught by the Church, accused of being a demon, and offered as sacrifice to the all-powerful God-King Midas.

However, her fate takes an unexpected turn when the cruel and beautiful Princess Jezebel stays Mila's execution on the condition that Mila entertains her at court with her unusual power.

The arrival of a handsome, enigmatic, and ruthless merchant prince throws Mila's efforts to escape into turmoil. Will his arrival be her undoing...or her path to freedom?

A twist on an old myth,…


Book cover of Empire of the Vampire
Book cover of Heretic Behaviour

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