Here are 70 books that Wild Knight fans have personally recommended if you like
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I am passionate about fierce female protagonists in fiction because I believe that fiction is a great way to highlight real-life issues. Before becoming an author, I was a lawyer. It was tough navigating the challenges of maternity leave and trying to have a career whilst being a mum to a young family. The reality is that there’s still plenty of gender inequality remaining in the world at large, so I made sure that I always write strong, competent female main characters to lead by example. As you can imagine, my reading tastes are the same as my writing ones, making me an excellent curator of strong female fiction.
This chart-topping writing duo can do no wrong in my eyes. Their Innkeeper Chronicles series ranks amongst my all-time favorites, but when it comes to fierce female protagonists, their Kate Daniels series truly takes the cake.
I find Kate fascinating. She has a complex backstory (no spoilers here!), and she is a masterful fighter, excelling in both physical combat and magical prowess. She consistently stands up for others, often putting herself in peril to protect those around her.
I love how her wit and humor shine through, striking the perfect balance between light and shade.
I will always remember the way she greeted a particular deadly lion shifter with a cheeky “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” For me, Kate Daniels embodies everything a fierce female protagonist should be.
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…
A witchy paranormal cozy mystery told through the eyes of a fiercely clever (and undeniably fabulous) feline familiar.
I’m Juno. Snow-white fur, sharp-witted, and currently stuck working magical animal control in the enchanted town of Crimson Cove. My witch, Zandra Crypt, and I only came here to find her missing…
I am passionate about fierce female protagonists in fiction because I believe that fiction is a great way to highlight real-life issues. Before becoming an author, I was a lawyer. It was tough navigating the challenges of maternity leave and trying to have a career whilst being a mum to a young family. The reality is that there’s still plenty of gender inequality remaining in the world at large, so I made sure that I always write strong, competent female main characters to lead by example. As you can imagine, my reading tastes are the same as my writing ones, making me an excellent curator of strong female fiction.
If I were ever to face a zombie apocalypse, I would want Mercy Thompson by my side. Mercy is a scrappy coyote shifter, and despite often being physically outmatched by the myriad supernatural creatures surrounding her, it is her intelligence, independence, and resourcefulness that truly sets her apart for me. I also just love that she is a mechanic, as Patty has taken that gender expectation and turned it on its head.
I adore that when Mercy believes in something, she stands her ground, no matter the consequences. Her unwavering moral compass and fierce loyalty make her an awesome heroine. In a world filled with chaos, Mercy Thompson is the kind of fierce female companion every reader would be fortunate to have. And as I said, I totally call dibs on her for the apocalypse.
The first novel in the New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson series - the major urban fantasy hit of the decade
'I love these books!' Charlaine Harris
The best new fantasy series I've read in years' Kelley Armstrong
MERCY THOMPSON: MECHANIC, SHAPESHIFTER, FIGHTER
I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first. My nose isn't at its best when surrounded by axle grease and burnt oil . . .'
Mercedes Thompson runs a garage in the Tri-Cities. She's a mechanic, and a damn good one, who spends her spare time karate training and tinkering with a VW bus that happens…
I am passionate about fierce female protagonists in fiction because I believe that fiction is a great way to highlight real-life issues. Before becoming an author, I was a lawyer. It was tough navigating the challenges of maternity leave and trying to have a career whilst being a mum to a young family. The reality is that there’s still plenty of gender inequality remaining in the world at large, so I made sure that I always write strong, competent female main characters to lead by example. As you can imagine, my reading tastes are the same as my writing ones, making me an excellent curator of strong female fiction.
I have adored everything Helen Harper has ever written (and I mean EVERYTHING), but this series, beginning with Bloodfire, holds a special place in my heart. This series was my gateway into urban fantasy—a genre that has magic in our contemporary world. It was the book that sneakily drew me away from my first love, epic fantasy, with humor, magic, and the promise of lighthearted escapism.
Let me introduce you to my girl, Mac. Mackenzie Smith is an ordinary human raised among werewolves. Although she seems woefully underpowered, Mackenzie relies on her wits and self-reliance to navigate treacherous paths with aplomb. I love Mac’s tenacity; she never laments her lack of power; instead, she dives headfirst into challenges, determined to save the day. Her unwavering spirit makes her an inspiring and totally relatable heroine, and I cheered her on loudly as she came into her own (much to the vexation…
A witchy paranormal cozy mystery told through the eyes of a fiercely clever (and undeniably fabulous) feline familiar.
I’m Juno. Snow-white fur, sharp-witted, and currently stuck working magical animal control in the enchanted town of Crimson Cove. My witch, Zandra Crypt, and I only came here to find her missing…
I am passionate about fierce female protagonists in fiction because I believe that fiction is a great way to highlight real-life issues. Before becoming an author, I was a lawyer. It was tough navigating the challenges of maternity leave and trying to have a career whilst being a mum to a young family. The reality is that there’s still plenty of gender inequality remaining in the world at large, so I made sure that I always write strong, competent female main characters to lead by example. As you can imagine, my reading tastes are the same as my writing ones, making me an excellent curator of strong female fiction.
Imogen is an absolute hoot, and I can’t wait for you to meet her. This is one of my all-time comfort reads. Fresh, fun, and fast-paced, it masterfully weaves feminism and pressing real-world issues into the narrative, a hallmark of Hignett’s writing that I thoroughly enjoy. It is also low-key hilarious—like, wear a panty-liner funny.
Imogen is just slightly on the wrong side of crazy, but who can blame her? She’s an immortal woman who has lived for millennia, and I’m pretty crazy after only thirty-seven years of revolving on this earth. With all that time behind her, you’d expect her to be channeling Hermione Granger know-it-all vibes, but instead, you’ve got this somewhat jaded screwball driven by a singular mission: to hunt down the monster that kills her repeatedly.
I love Imogen because she stands up for the underdog, often against her better judgment. Without a doubt, she is…
Just ask Imogen Gray – over two-hundred thousand years old and teetering on the edge of total insanity.
All throughout history, she’s been hunted by an ancient creature who finds her and rips her to pieces every time she dares to access her deepest powers. But Imogen always regenerates. Slowly. Painfully.
She’s on a mission to find answers. She’s almost found them.
Unfortunately for her, there’s a delinquent psychic kid, a dangerously hot Vampire King, and a power-crazed blood witch hell-bent on bringing about the apocalypse standing in her way.
As an autistic person, I was a deeply unhappy and anxious child, so naturally I grew up to be a goth, with scary stories becoming a way for me to manage my constant fear. The Gothic became one of my special interests, and something I’ve always enjoyed studying. Additionally, I’ve always loved imaginative, fantastical tales that helped me feel like I was escaping from the real world I hated (and honestly, still hate) so much. As a result, there’s a special place in my heart for books that combine the weird Gothic trappings I hold so dear with the action and magic of a fantastical adventure novel.
This is an American Gothic road novel that takes us across not just multiple state lines, but also multiple generations.
We see the entire life of main protagonist Vic McQueen, and how the trauma of her abuse-ridden childhood causes her to become an abusive parent herself—only to find herself racing across America to save her son from an innocence-sucking vampire.
NOS4A2 may lack bats and crumbling castles, but the villainous Charlie Manx is a perfectly creepy supernatural monster, and the book’s focus on psychological trauma feels right in line with the Gothic tradition. I loved NOS4A2 from the moment I started reading it, and it has stuck with me ever since. Not only is the book a thrilling, spooky, action-packed ride; it’s also full of characters I genuinely cared about.
Hot take, but I think I like Joe Hill’s books even more than his dad’s.
An old Silver Wraith with a frightening history. A story about one serial killer and his lingering, unfinished business.
Anyone could be next.
We're going to Christmasland ...
NOS4R2 is an old-fashioned horror novel in the best sense. Claustrophobic, gripping and terrifying, this is a story that will have you on the edge of the seat while you read, and leaving the lights on while you sleep. With the horrific tale of Charles Manx and his Silver Wraith, Joe Hill has established himself as the premiere horror and supernatural thriller writer of his generation.
I love urban fantasy and all the associated genres, like paranormal and horror. I love the question of “what if” and exploring how things would work if certain rules of magic or the supernatural were real. I love the variety and scope of world building that can be done parallel to and within our world through urban fantasy. That “what if” question is at the center of my own writing, and especially when I read non-fiction on topics like parallel universes and aliens and demons, I get so much inspiration for stories and worlds and what might be happening just beyond our view.
I’ve always been a fan of vampire stories and the related lore. From Dracula to Buffy to Anne Rice, I love all the different takes on vampire mythology, so The Incurables was a really neat book to discover. It takes a different approach to vampire lore, making it a viral disease that affects certain people based on their biology. The main character, Eveleen, contracts the disease and is put in an underground bunker with other infected, as the government tries to cure them, but there are much darker forces at play, and conspiracies to uncover and escapes to plan. The story was dark and twisty with threads of romance and really high stakes, and basically everything I love about vampire stories.
Eveleen Spellman has a good job, a good boyfriend-a good life. Until she starts showing symptoms of the deadly Cava-V20 virus. A new strain of the virus has the medical community baffled, and at the first sign of symptoms, Eveleen is shipped to the Hollow, a treatment facility, to be quarantined.
But there is more to the virus than anyone knows, and Eveleen soon learns the horrifying truth of her condition-she's turning into a vampire. Eveleen struggles to accept the fate the doctors tell her is inevitable, and with other patients in the Hollow, forms a plan to fight back…
As a kid, I used to pretend I had unique powers, and I always wished it was real. So, stories including magic/powers give me a little taste of that. When the main character is in a learning setting, I get to see that magic is used more often, and I learn about the magic system and the world alongside the MC. Plus, I am a teacher by day, and it is cool to see how the education differs in those stories. Lastly, I have always been fascinated by mythical creatures and the cultures they come from, and I enjoy any story with them included.
I liked this story because of its inclusion of a main character drawn into a new world of magic and elemental powers. It is situated in an academy, but the story takes the character elsewhere, too, letting us see more of the world.
It includes vampires and other mythical creatures and leads the reader on a journey to solve a whodunit and the mystery of the MC herself. The dialogue she has with others is funny at times, and I like how the academy is to train agents for this magical world. I enjoyed listening to this on Audible and have listened to the series twice.
I live by one simple rule: no magic. Not too hard in the human world, plus it keeps me hidden from my evil sorcerer father. Safe.
When I'm forced into using magic to save an innocent family, the jig is up. Or so I believe. Instead, I'm whisked off to an academy of magic in a place I never knew existed. The problem is - my power is completely raw, which means I don't know my butt from a broomstick. At first, it's all wands, witches, and a new wardrobe...until I get caught in a restricted area with a dead…
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.
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.
I’m a writer of all genres that’s found a lot of love, particularly in fantasy and thrillers. My love for epic fantasies first began when I was young, and like all young readers, was introduced to Harry Potter and the Magic Tree House series. The idea of being whisked away to a magical world captivated me, and so, I started to create my own stories to keep that magic alive.
In Grey, Gabrian doesn’t believe in magic. She’s a psychologist, and proud to be one. She bases her life on logic, but when things start to happen that she can’t explain, she finds herself in a whirlwind of magic. The way that Gabrian slowly comes to the truth is probably my favorite part of this book. As a Borrower, she’s considered not just a magical being, but a dangerous one. At first, she doesn’t handle this well and takes on the role of an anti-hero, nearly villain which was an interesting way to not only build Gabrian’s character but to introduce the truth of the magical world as well.
And skeletons—all dressed in their finest secrets—will come out to dance.
Raised in urban downtown New York, Gabrian holds no grand illusions of how life really works. And legends of magic and vampires, nothing more than a bunch of hocus pocus stuffed within book pages or painted on the big screen.
But when a woman, no one else can see, enters her office and delivers a riddle filled warning about her intended fate, Gabrian's grip on sanity takes a big hit—terrified she is falling into madness.
Since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the supernatural. I’ve always been especially captivated by vampires. My love for vampires and many of the books I’ve read about them contributed to the inspiration that led me to write my own stories. My passion for the series I created drives me. Building my own fantasy world and creating the characters within it has been an amazing experience. Most days, I feel like I’m just a spectator in their world, and they’re writing the story themselves. I hope you, too, will find enjoyment and possibly inspiration in the books from this list, just as I have.
I loved the innocence of this series, and of the main character Raven. I loved her fascination with vampires and desire to become one. I loved Raven’s wit and sarcasm, and her relationship with her family and friends. I also love the way Raven’s story is told, not to mention how fun but also how dark the books got.
My favorite parts are those between Raven and Alexander, the new mysterious guy in town, and I’d being lying if I said I didn’t love the rollercoaster their relationship took me on at times.
The bonus to this series is a collection of Vampire Kisses manga, which gave me more glimpses into Raven and Alexander’s world.
The mansion on top of Benson Hill has been empty and boarded up for years. But a new family has moved in. A family that never ventures out during the day. Who are these creepy people –– especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town gossip actually be true? Are they vampires?
Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.
