Here be Magic: 99 Books

I’ve read ninety-nine books so far this year. My policy is to not finish books I don’t enjoy so I can recommend everything on the list.

Rereads:

Goblin Emperor, Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison -character driven fantasy, so good!

Buying Trouble, Shadow’s Bane, Fury’s Kiss by Karen Chance

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher

Rock Hard, Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Fugitive Telemetry, Network Effect by Martha Wells – I love the entire Murderbot series and probably reread it once a year

Fantasy, Epic or Secondary World

Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes – collection includes an Asil story by Patricia Briggs!

Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick -book one of The Rook and the Rose

Untold Story by Genevieve Cogman -latest invisible Library book

Spirit Gate, Shadow Gate, Traitor’s Gate by Kate Elliott -the entire Crossroads trilogy, excellent word-building

The Bloody Throne by S.C. Emmett (pseudonym for Lilith Saintcrow) -conclusion to Hostage of Empire series

Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep -epic setting, first person POV

Bee Sting Cake, Whiskey Jack by Victoria Goddard -Greenwing & Dart series has a Regency vibe

Becoming Crone by Lydia M. Hawke -nice to see an older heroine

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemison -conclusion to the award-winning Fifth Season trilogy

Warrior of Altai by Robert Jordan -standalone fantasy

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher -not a specific retelling, but has a fairytale feel

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske -Regency fantasy, excited for book two in the fall!

Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin -written as a history, which is too bad because I think I would have liked the longer version better

The Return of the Sorceress (novella) by Silvia Moreno-Garcia -revenge and redemption in fantasy Mexico

Winter of Ice and Iron, The Year’s Midnight, Of Absence Darkness, As Shadow Light by Rachel Neumeier -If you like broody, intense heroes struggling against the darkness try Winter of Ice and Iron

Cast in Wisdom, Cast in Conflict, Sword and Shadow by Michelle Sagara -latest in her Elantra series

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso -book one of Chronicles of the Bitch Queen

Or What You Will by Jo Walton -an odd and very meta premise of an author and the character who lives in her head trying to escape into one of her fantasy worlds, one based on a Shakespeare comedy

Fantasy, Urban

Book of night by Holly Black -her first adult novel! Got this for my birthday and devoured it

Yampellec’s Idol, Bloodlines, Hunter by Skyla Dawn Cameron

-I discovered her Livi Talbot series (ex-debutante, single mother, treasure hunter) last year and am now caught up. Book one Solomon’s Seal is available as part of a 99 cent collection.

Ignite the Fire: Inferno by Karen Chance -latest in her Cassandra Palmer series

Home for the Howlidays edited by Margaret Cureles -Christmas and werewolves/canids

Heart Stings (novella) by Jennifer Estep -in her Elemental Magic series but with a different heroine

Putting the Chic in Psychic by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison -latest in her restarted Hollows series

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne -spinoff series with a cameo by the Iron Druid

Unkindness of Magician by Kat Howard -duelling magicians!

Charming by Elliott James -excited to dive into the rest of this series!

Haunted Heroine by Sarah Kuhn -Asian chick superheroes!

Where the Drowned Girls Go (novella), Spelunking Through Hell by Seanan McGuire -latest in her Wayward and InCryptid series

Runaway Cupid (novella) by R.L. Naquin -so glad to have a new book from Rachel!

Beast of Wonder (novella), The Marked, Selene by Lilith Saintcrow -The Marked is my favourite of these but be warned it’s rather harrowing

Harbinger by Wen Spencer -finally a new Tinker book but be warned that this is part one, the book ran too long and had to be divided in two. She’s hard at work on the sequel Storm Furies.

Historical

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett -probably everyone but me has already read this but it's a wonderful historical centered around the building of a cathedral in medieval England during the civil war between Stephen and Maude

Horror

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton -delightfully different zombie story from the POV of a crow

Dweller on the Threshold by Skyla Dawn Cameron -the premise grabbed me: a woman who split up with her boyfriend during the early days of the pandemic is forced to move into a haunted house, and I loved the ending!

Gwendy’s Button Box (novella) by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar -buttons like on a machine, not a shirt

A Broken Darkness by Premee Mohamed -second in her Cthulhu-ish trilogy about a friendship gone wrong

Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction

The Kingdom of the Wicked by Derek Landy

The Supervillain’s Guide to Being a Fat Kid by Matt Wallace -nice to see some fat representation!

Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson -very cool world-building

Mystery/thriller

The Deepest of Secrets, A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstrong

-latest and last in her Rockton series though she’s announced there will be a sequel series with the same characters

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

-Historical mystery. I caught up on Veronica Speedwell so am trying Lady Julia.

Romance, Contemporary

Desire and the Deep Blue Sea by Olivia Dade

Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh -latest and last I think in her Hard Play series, set in New Zealand with a rugby hero and Paralympics runner heroine

Romance, Historical

If I Only had a Duke by Lenora Bell

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller -ghosts and a delightful scientist hero

An Unsuitable Heir by K.J. Charles -third in the Sins of the City trilogy

Perils of Pleasure, Like No Other Lover by Julie Ann Long -first two in the Pennyroyal Green series, I’m hooked!

Once a Laird by Mary Jo Putney -latest and I think last in the Rogues Redeemed series

Romance, Fantasy and Paranormal

Shamrocked by Joely Sue Burkhart -new poly series

The Other Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost -retelling of the first Night Huntress book from Bones’ POV

Grey Magic by Jeffe Kennedy -conclusion of the Bonds of Magic fantasy romance series

Shadow Touch, Marjorie M. Liu -second in her Dirk & Steele, paranormal detective agency series

Thunder & Roses, Damage, Dark Watcher, Storm Watcher, Sons of Ymre: Erik by Lilith Saintcrow -my favourite of these was the newest one Sons of Ymre: Erik

Lover Unveiled by J.R. Ward -latest in the Black Dagger Brotherhood.One of those books where the subplot held my attention more than the main story.

Romance, SFR

Renegade Love by Ann Aguirre -sunshine human/grumpy alien pairing

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik -first book of Starlight’s Shadow with psychic powers and found family

Science Fiction

Outskirter’s Secret by Rosemary Kirstein -an oldie but a goodie, what seems at first to be fantasy is gradually revealed to be SF, book two of the Steerswomen series

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed (novella) -post-apocalyptic/climate fiction

Cormorant Run by Lilith Saintcrow