Novel series like the Dresden Files? Showing 551-600 of 1,083

[Ben Fiore]

After having just read Butcher's Molly short in Dangerous Women, what I'd really like to read is something genre-similar that features a female protagonist that isn't a PNR - something with a compelling female lead that is confident and relatable. I tried out the Weather Warden series and while I really enjoyed the mythos built in the series, the romantic elements soured me to branching into any of the other series' by that author.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I'd like that to. Many that "most" of our members don't think of as PNR still strike me as said PNR. I keep looking.

[Kat]

PNR books are basically based around the relationship plus it has more sex scenes with other story lines thrown in. I haven't found anything out there that doesn't have some romantic under tones in it, even the Dresden Files. A book with a female lead who has relationships and/or sex in a book or series does not always equate to PNR, as some people like to think.

[Alison]

@ Ben I felt like that about Fated too, but I found it was definitely worthwhile to read the rest - I was partially swayed by the opinions on here. On the other hand, I knew very quickly that MHI was not for me, but The Iron Druid Chronicles was right up my street. In fact, the dog in The Iron Druid Chronicles is one of my favourite UF characters and makes me laugh! BUT occasionally the stuff about mythical lore and the various Gods, does make me glaze over!

Some series I have read quite a few books before I realised I didn't care about the characters to bother reading any more (Sandman Slim). It depends on what else I can find to read!

I can't remember whether I read a book found through this site, so thanks guys - I don't mind reading duplicate recommendations!

PS @ Forney_bill Kim Harrison's latest book in The Hollows series has a high level of PNR, so maybe it has been increasing book by book and I never noticed. LOL!

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I wasn't trying to argue the definition Kat. It's just that some of us are looking for books that are not quite as dominated by the relationship than others whether they actually fall under the genre title PNR or not.

I've tried Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, Kim Harrison, Rachel Caine and others. These all to one extent or another I found too "close to" PNR, even though they may not fall under that genre to others. My point is I agree with Ben's comment or action that I keep looking for a female protagonist book more oriented on the plot and characters themselves than the romantic relationships. As you mentioned the romance is in the Dresden books but it doesn't dominate the books nearly so much.

I've noted before it's a matter of taste. I'm not criticizing the books you like just looking for something a little different.

[Alison]

@ Mike I definitely agree that The PNR element is higher in the books by the authors you listed and the common denominator is the male or female POV. That's why I look at the PNR votes on the right hand side when choosing books to read.

Interestingly, I would like a PRN element in the Alex Verus series because I keep waiting for something to happen!

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

(view spoiler)[ so far the possibilities have sort of dead ended. I don't know if he'll do anything with the apprentice relationship or not. Aside from the curse she seems to be quite a bit younger. (hide spoiler)]

[Kat]

Oh no, it's cool! Many people feel that way, its hard for most to see past the romance part when the lead character is female. There's always sexual tension/frustration built into a storyline, question is whether it's the main arc or just another part of events that happen along the way.

Some of the authors you mentioned are definitely PNR while the others fall into UF category. People have asked what makes them different from each other and my usual response is the amount of sex written into the book or series.

As for The Hollows, Rachel's HEA has become an integral part of the series but I think its because we are so invested in her character and how the series will end. I believe many people want to see the same for Harry (or any beloved character they follow) if and when the series ends.

[Alison]

@ Mike Yep. (view spoiler)[I thought Anne was going to fill the romance gap, but it wasn't to be. She disappointed me in the end, but I guess that was intentional by the author. I still have hopes in one direction though. When Alex praised Luna with "Good girl", she's always said to him that she wasn't a 'good girl' and I can see them eventually ending up with each other. The age gap isn't that big. (hide spoiler)]

@ Kat I agree it's all about the amount of sex LOL! Well, maybe with a bit of lusting too! ;-) I hope Rachel does have her HEA, but then I do love a happy ending. (view spoiler)[Kisten dying was a big shock to me and I've wanted Rachel to find someone else since then. All of the men in the frame were flawed in some way and you just knew it wasn't going to last. I hope Rachel and Trent finally getting it together will be the first serious step to ending the enmity between Demons and Elves. See what I mean about a happy ending? LOL! (hide spoiler)]

[Sharon]

Have you ever checked out Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series? Dark UF, but I don't recall romance being much of a factor in it. It reminded me a lot of the Dresden Files. It's been a few years since I read them, though, so maybe my memory is faulty.

Vicki Pettersen's Zodiac series is another one that comes to mind. I stopped reading them when they started getting really really dark and I don't remember a romance line in them at all.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I tried Petterson's Zodiac books. Not as romancy as a lot but it still didn't really draw me in. I've looked at Dante Valentine but haven't tried them yet.

Alison (view spoiler)[ He seems to be expanding Alex in a direction Anne couldn't or wouldn't go. That said there's something ambivalent about Anne and I'm not sure she's what we think she is. Guess we'll see. (hide spoiler)]

[Bob]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "We tend to forget to. Also we're always getting new people who don't read through the entire thread so they don't realize they're bringing up books that have been recommended several times..or they..."
Mike,

I brought up the Steve McHugh series last year. Amazon had sent an email saying Crimes Against Magic was similar to other books I had purchased on my kindle. The beauty of the kindle is that you can try the novel for free before you buy it. Crimes Against Magic started off with a big bang opening ( like Dresden) and I was hooked.

So far the series has been good, I like how the author mixes the past with the present. Not on pare with Jacka or Butcher but still a good read.

[Bob]

Alison wrote: "@ Mike I definitely agree that The PNR element is higher in the books by the authors you listed and the common denominator is the male or female POV. That's why I look at the PNR votes on the righ..."

Alison stay tuned for Novel 5 in the Alex Verus series, I believe you will get your PNR between Alex and Ann. Mike is right Luna and Alex straightened out their relationship in Cursed.... Master and Apprentice only friends as you will see in Chosen.

[Bob]

Alison wrote: "Just finished Chosen, the 4th (latest) Alex Verus book - and what a stonking read (well 'listen', because I do audiobooks)! Best thing I've read in a while and can't wait for book 5 in September. ..."

Ben,

Do not give up on the Alex Verus series. The series improves with every novel. You will not be disappointed!

[Damian]

Kat wrote: "Hi all! I'm fairly new to the group and to UF in general. I'm an old school scifi/fantasy girl, growing up on series like Dragonlance, The Rift War Saga, Elfquest etc. I just recently started the D..."

welcome to the group of nerds, I hope you enjoy our stay. We had cookies, but I got hungry. I reccommend reading The Secret Histories series, along with the Cal Leandros series, to get your start on UF.

[Gianluca]

The Nightside series (Something from the Nightside, first book) uses a similar formula (first person view, paranormal investigations, etc..), though it's not nearly as good. I made it up to the 5th novel before I gave in to my urges and started re-reading The Dresden Files.
I'll probably pick the series up again later, since there are 12 books in total, but I'm not particularly excited about it. It's very over the top, especially after the first novel, and the writing style is quite repetitive. The main storyline also lacks a certain dept. But the author offers some really interesting ideas and character designs, and the books are a quick read, so I recommend it.

[Damian]

Gianluca wrote: "The Nightside series (Something from the Nightside, first book) uses a similar formula (first person view, paranormal investigations, etc..), though it's not nearly as good. I made it..."

I would half recommend the Nightside series. For those who do not have as much money to spend on books, I'd say to read the Secret Histories, as the books are just too small to recommend to those of us without enough money to buy a lot of books. For those of us who like third person books better, I'd recommend the Ghost Finders series.

[Gianluca]

Damian wrote: "I would half recommend the Nightside series. For those who do not have as much money to spend on books, I'd say to read the Secret Histories, as the books are just too small to recommend..."

I didn't take the money factor into consideration. I guess half recommend would be a fair enough assessment, all things considered.
I have yet to try the Secret Histories, but it's high on my to-read list.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

There are a couple of series called "The Secret Histories". I believe Damian is talking about the series by Simon R. Green. The first one is The Man With the Golden Torc.

[Alison]

@ Mike re Alex, Luna and Anne. (view spoiler)[ My problem with Alex and Luna is that in one book Alex tells Luna there are rules about the relationship between a master and apprentice, suggesting that it was a discussion they needed to have later (paraphrasing here). Then in the next book Luna is already his apprentice. I waited for an explanation of how that situation came about i.e. the discussion between Alex and Luna where she actually decided to become his apprentice. But it didn't come and that disappointed me because I would have liked to understand why Luna made the decision, especially as she seemed to have romantic leanings for Alex early on (probably still does).

Anne on the other hand, has in essence walked away from Alex because of his actions (killings). I know the next book revolves around Anne and I'm not sure how I feel about her still being around. At the moment it feels like the author will lead us down the road where he wants us to believe Alex and Anne can help each other to move on from their long past lives. I can't wait to read the next book to see where the characters go. If I was Luna, I would resent Anne for not accepting Alex for who he is (just like Arachne does). I also think Sondar has/had romantic feelings for Luna (up until he found out about Alex and his past life). Could be interesting. (hide spoiler)].

After finishing Kim Harrison's latest book in The Hollows series (5 stars from me), I've started Lilith Saintcrowe's Dante Valentine series and I'm about half way through the first book. Not too keen at the moment because I'm not liking the main character much tbh. Apart from one character (view spoiler)[ who I know dies because some twit wrote about it in their review without spoiler tags (hide spoiler)], the characters are not that well written. I get what the author is trying to do though, which is why I will probably finish the book before deciding whether to read any more. There are too many other series I want to try to waste time!

[Kat]

Dante Valentine series was kind of a hard read for me, mainly I think because there wasn't references or descriptions concerning some of the futuristic aspects (at least not that I'm aware of anyway). And yeah the main character was pretty annoying lol I'm the type of person who will finish out the entire series even if I'm not too fond of it, it just takes me a lot longer and some motivation to do it. I did like her YA series Strange Angels though, it was pretty good. Haven't read the Jill Kizmet series yet, maybe sometime in the future after some of the other series I'm working through right now.

Love TUP and The Hollows! :)

[Bob]

Alison wrote: "@ Mike re Alex, Luna and Anne. My problem with Alex and Luna is that in one book Alex tells Luna there are rules about the relationship between a master and apprentice, suggesting that it was a di..."

Alison: At the end of Cursed, I thought Luna and Alex had reached an understanding as to their relationship as Master and Apprentice.

[Damian]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "There are a couple of series called "The Secret Histories". I believe Damian is talking about the series by Simon R. Green. The first one is The Man With the Golden Torc."

Yes I was. I was not aware of that there were multiple series with that name. Thank you.

[Jason]

Benedict Jacka is a good read

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Cool. There's A Secret History series, The Secret Historyand and some others. If you just put in Secret History you get several books pop up. LOL

[wayword_witch]

Jason wrote: "Benedict Jacka is a good read"

I liked him too!

[Brad]

The Droods..excellent series. Sorry, for those that have not read them. That is the family name with the main character being Harry Drood. The Secret History series.

[Damian]

Brad wrote: "The Droods..excellent series. Sorry, for those that have not read them. That is the family name with the main character being Harry Drood. The Secret History series."

EDWIN DROOD, philistine!

[Brad]

Dammit. Sorry. Been awhile since I read it. Thanks for catching that one. Yikes! Do I have to turn in my literacy card now?

[Damian]

Brad wrote: "Dammit. Sorry. Been awhile since I read it. Thanks for catching that one. Yikes! Do I have to turn in my literacy card now?"

yes

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Wait, wait...if it's his first time he gets a "do-over".

[Damian]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Wait, wait...if it's his first time he gets a "do-over"."

No, he must now join the ranks of illiterate people. He's got a passport and is now moving to the deep south in America.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Them's fighten words pilgrim... I'll have you know I'm a southerner and I can read writen as good as anybody and can count way beyond 20!

[Brad]

Harsh Damien. I think I'll hold onto my card for a bit and see if the literacy police come and take it. Heh.

[Meredith]

Brad wrote: "Harsh Damien. I think I'll hold onto my card for a bit and see if the literacy police come and take it. Heh."

Shoot fire, I'm a southerner too, and I say give him another chance not - everybody can get past the sixth grade and read books that big.

[Damian]

I'll consult the council. Maybe we can make an exception. And Mike, if them's were fitin words, I'll hook ya one before you even know it.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

....you know boy, there's only one thing you really know about a fat old man.

And that's that he survived to get to be a fat old man.

[Damian]

And there's something you know about a fat young man. The fat old man feeds the fat young man for days.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

"be careful when starting a fight with an old man. If he's too old to fight he may just shoot you."

I have a patch that says that...

[Damian]

hopefully the old man's eyes are still sharp, or else the one shot he'll get will miss.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I never miss. My wife and son both had poker chips I shot the center out of.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.thepala...

[Ben Fiore]

Who could have predicted a semi-anonymous Internet forum could become so contentious and inflammatory. ;)

As a neutral third (fourth actually) with absolutely no authority, I deem that Brad gets off with a warning on this one (given the specific forum, dropping the name Harry inappropriately in such a manner is hardly unexpected). And the rest of you ask yourself What Would Harry Do?

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Harry Dresden or Harry Potter? Our Dresden would go scorched Earth...

[Ben Fiore]

Fair point. Potter isn't exactly a poster-child for good judgment either. For the chosen one he kind of Forrest Gumped his way through things.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Sometimes... I always did think that he showed some real problems with his emotions in some of those situations.

[wayword_witch]

*sighs* Ahh, men. That was awesome. :)

[Jeremy]

In my humble opinion Harry Potter was an idiot, but then I usually think all kids in most novels are.

That's why I love the House of Cards TV series...Frank is the opposite of clueless idiot.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Well...(view spoiler)[HP did let Ron snatch Hermione. (hide spoiler)]

Oops I almost left a major spoiler.

[Damian]

Natasha wrote: "*sighs* Ahh, men. That was awesome. :)"

hue

[Damian]

I recommend The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card. I picked it up because I am a fan of the Ender's game series and the style of magic is very cool. The story is great as well.