Novel series like the Dresden Files? Showing 101-150 of 1,083

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

I really, really liked Iron Druid- probably even more than October Daye, but there are only 3 books out so far Hounded, Hexed, and Hammered... next is Tricked I think...

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Oh- and in his world, the more people believe in different gods, goddesses, religious deities... the stronger they are- they can actually become real with abilities that the followers think them to have...
he interacts with Loki, and Jesus, and Mary, and Morrigan...

he "found" Jesus... it's funny, really it is

[Jeremy]

Actually...I read the Iron Druid series almost as soon as they came out. :P Quite good.

Though I would dislike being a druid in real life, because to access his power he needs to be in contact with nature (grass mostly). And since he lives in a city or urban area...large amounts are sometimes limited. I wonder why he never seems to think about the times when he could be in contact with earth almost all the time. :)

[Rich]

I enjoyed The Chronicles of Elantra series by Michelle Sagara. It is the first series that came to mind when I read the original question. Cast in Shadow, Cast In Courtlight, etc.

First person narration, magic, can be funny (not as funny as Dresden, etc. There are six or seven of them so far and still being written.

[Jeremy]

Rich wrote: "I enjoyed The Chronicles of Elantra series by Michelle Sagara. It is the first series that came to mind when I read the original question. Cast in Shadow, [book:Cast In Courtlight|301..."

They sound interesting, but I had checked out the series before and apparently a few reviewers noted that the main character was almost never told anything (and kept in the dark).

BTW, could you tell me what magical things she can do? :)

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I've looked at them but couldn't get enthused. I looked over a few reviews here and came away with a "lukewarm" feel. I'll see if any more reviews show up though.

[Jeremy]

Ok, I've read about 95% of October Daye and will finish it tonight. Here are my thoughts:

My worries about October Daye's fighting abilities were kind of legit. First, she basically has no magical fighting skills, which makes me sad. She also has no way of taking down an enemy besides jumping at him. Lame. The one knife she got at the end was borrowed from a friend.

You might think she would learn after the murder of her "worst friend/best enemy", but no, she didn't pick up any weapons. She didn't learn to shoot and maintain a pistol (or one with a silencer). She didn't use the gun she picked up from an attacker (or get more iron bullets). Like typical female UF, she talks about how "pissed off" she is getting and how she isn't going to fool around, then jumps on a friend (not being able to do much besides stick her elbow in his solar plexus and even then hurting herself), then flees off a cliff from the real bad guy.

This is my main gripe with female UF. Often they don't know how to kill the bad guys, while Dresden does. :P

Other than that, the book was fine (better than I expected). I'll probably give 3 stars.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

(view spoiler)[ and she did the thing so many "protagonists" do...stood "dithering" till the bad guy (whom OF COURSE she still can't bring herself to believe is as evil as Voldemort) manages to kill someone, almost kill her and so on. She stands and talks when she should have shot the guy. Everybody, I repeat everybody reading the book had figured out what was what a hundred pages ago! (hide spoiler)]

[Jeremy]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

I know. (view spoiler)[I was like, go ahead and kill him already. First, she turned her back on a potential threat, his kid henchmen. Second, she just stood there blabbing, and ending up not doing anything useful. (hide spoiler)]

That is a main reason I don't read much UF and stick with military fiction and sci-fi: the characters often are not professional about what they have to do. They need to prepare themselves before confronting the bad guy.

However, I'll probably still read the books...I need a break from Clancy for a while. ;)

[Quick ben]

LaserWraith wrote: "Ok, I've read about 95% of October Daye and will finish it tonight. Here are my thoughts:

My worries about October Daye's fighting abilities were kind of legit. First, she basically has no magica..."

It gets better as the series progresses.there are many female UF where they are like their male counterparts like Kate Daniels and Jane Yellowrock etc.military scifi gets really repetitive for me.there is always some deus ex machina,it becomes boring fast.i like space opera better.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Well, Krishna, to each...but there isn't "always" a deus ex machina answer, though I'm sure this happens sometimes. It happens in most genres from time to time. I plan to follow up the first book, not sure when.

LaserWraith, I know. (view spoiler)[ the way the boy was acting when she came in flagged him for the reader. It's a situation I've seen in other books. (hide spoiler)]


I assume you've read Dresden, have you tried Green's Secret History books? They're not bad either.

I'm planning (and have been for some time) to get to
Magic Bites. I have it on my shelf.

[Quick ben]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Well, Krishna, to each...but the isn't "always" a deus ex machina answer, though I'm sure this happens sometimes. It happens in most genres from time to time. I plan to follow up the first book, no..."

I like it when the protagonist is out of their depth and has to get out by the skin of their teeth.Green's books are great, not much of a plot but full of extremely weird characters. I don't know how he dreams them up on such a regular basis.

[Jeremy]

Krishna wrote: "It gets better as the series progresses.there are many female UF where they are like their male counterparts like Kate Daniels and Jane Yellowrock etc.military scifi gets really repetitive for me.there is always some deus ex machina,it becomes boring fast.i like space opera better. "


First, I see some of the reviews are worse for the next few October Daye books. According to multiple detailed reviews the author is horrible at writing mysteries (which doesn't surprise me), but that is what we get for the next book. There is also lots of repetition, including the main character continually getting hurt (as in the first book).

:-/

Second...I'm not sure what military books you read, but I don't come across deus ex machina scenes much. Often what happens is that a plan set in motion before starts yielding results, occasionally blind luck helps either side, or some good detective work. It isn't always implausible.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I assume you've read Dresden, have you tried Green's Secret History books? They're not bad either. "

Oh yes, I've read most of Green's fantasy (didn't like the scifi series, Deathstalker, though). The Secret History series and the Nightside one are favorites. One minor problem is the confusing magic system...basically anything goes. All these strange weapons and powers, things that can "turn off" the Drood's armor... But I still like those books.

Krishna wrote: "I like it when the protagonist is out of their depth and has to get out by the skin of their teeth.Green's books are great, not much of a plot but full of extremely weird characters. I don't know how he dreams them up on such a regular basis. "

I actually prefer books where the main character doesn't get too out of his depth, since when he solves the problem it can feel too fake. If October was a little more smart about fighting and defending herself, she wouldn't have been out of her depth.

And I agree about Green's books...the characters are usually entertaining.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I agree, I have to rate Green's books as "something to read between Dresden". You're also right about the magic systems. Of the two series (Nightside and Secret Histories) I like the Secret Histories best, but they are a little hazy around the edges when it comes to the outlines of how things happen.

I have some Deathstalker books on my shelves, but haven't gotten to them yet. LOL

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Laser, I'm glad you gave the books (October Daye) a try. Sorry you didn't really enjoy it, but I do appreciate you giving them a "shake". I love alot of PNR, and being a girl I think lends me to like some female protagonists more than a guy would.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I didn't dislike it. I will probably get to another later. It's more a case of didn't like or dislike all that much...

[Darkcain11, Merlin]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I agree, I have to rate Green's books as "something to read between Dresden". You're also right about the magic systems. Of the two series (Nightside and Secret Histories) I like the Secret Histori..."

I agree with you i'm through serpents tooth and the series is nowhere near dresden's level but better than most Urban Fantasy novels.

[Jeremy]

Alana wrote: "Laser, I'm glad you gave the books (October Daye) a try. Sorry you didn't really enjoy it, but I do appreciate you giving them a "shake". I love alot of PNR, and being a girl I think lends me to ..."

Ah, they are fine for reading in between my favorite series. I'm afraid I'm just a little too particular in choosing my books...I got spoiled too early on the good stuff. :P

Probably has something to do with my fascination of protagonists needing the ability to defend themselves. :)

[Al]

Also, Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer. Action, humor, and a first-person point of view with which it's easy for me to be sympathetic. I loved it! And if you look around a bit on the internet you can still find Penny Dreadful by Kevin Andrew Murphy. It's a wonderful book, and for those of us who were adults in the 90's, I can't recommend it highly enough (if you're younger you might not get the cultural references).

Edit - found the link! The book is still available for free from the author himself! http://www.sff.net/people/Kevin.A.Mur...

[Affably]

I reccomend Sword of Truth cuz Richard is epic, i second the Nightside cuz Taylor is funny and Sandman Slim simply because the protagonist is an extreme badass(but stupid)

Im also loking for a good book at the moment. Something with a funny, sarcastic, witty and powerful protagonist(like Dresden or Atticus) that does not hesitate to kill his foes.

[Quick ben]

Eyzi wrote: "I reccomend Sword of Truth cuz Richard is epic, i second the Nightside cuz Taylor is funny and Sandman Slim simply because the protagonist is an extreme badass(but stupid)

Im also loking for a goo..."

sandman is great, he is near invincible and extremely sarcastic. you can also try Cal Leandros by Rob Thurman although I felt he was a bit whiny in the first novel.

[Jeremy]

Eyzi wrote: "I reccomend Sword of Truth cuz Richard is epic, i second the Nightside cuz Taylor is funny and Sandman Slim simply because the protagonist is an extreme badass(but stupid)

Im also loking for a good book at the moment. Something with a funny, sarcastic, witty and powerful protagonist(like Dresden or Atticus) that does not hesitate to kill his foes. "

I've read all of those but the Sword of Truth series...I'll probably need to go over that sometime.

But, I might recommend a book for you. I loved The Blacksmith's Son. It is about a boy, adopted by a blacksmith when his parents were killed, who found he had certain powers. He confided in his friend, a nobleman's son, and the noble decided the main character should go to the castle and its library to learn more about magic.

I liked this book because the main character actively researched and learned more about magic himself. So many coming of age books feature a protagonist with new powers...and he doesn't push himself or learn quickly. But not in this book.

However, for the negatives: This is a self-published author. The only editors are himself, his wife, and some friends. Basically, there are quite a few problems, including some scenes where modern English is mixed with a medieval time frame. But I still loved the books anyway, and the next one was a bit better with the editing. And for the unreleased third book, apparently he is getting help from a more professional editor.

Because of this, the price for the Blacksmith's Son is about $1 for the Kindle version, and maybe a bit more for other ebook versions (more, of course, for the paperback).

[Rimsha]

Brad wrote: "There is a series by Simon R Green "The Secret Histories." The first book is called "The Man with the Golden Torc." Great series, well written, and lot's of humor and actiion. I can highly recomend..."

i LOOOOVEE Secret Histories i'd recommend them too

[Affably]

Krishna wrote: "sandman is great, he is near invincible and extremely sarcastic. you can also try Cal Leandros by Rob Thurman although I felt he was a bit whiny in the first novel."

Yeah he was great and i also like Cal, sure he is a little whiny about his Auphe heritage (view spoiler)[When he lets go of it all and kills everything in sight without hesitation thats the time when he truly shines(the only flaw being him also trying to kill Nico, Robin and other friends) (hide spoiler)]

[Affably]

LaserWraith wrote: "Eyzi wrote: "I reccomend Sword of Truth cuz Richard is epic, i second the Nightside cuz Taylor is funny and Sandman Slim simply because the protagonist is an extreme badass(but stupid)

Im also lok..." Well I've just finished reading those books and I have to say that they are insanely good. Im looking forward to the next release. The protagonist is an extremely talented and inventive mage that actually actively researches what he does. I would appreciate if you have anymore gems to share

[Darkcain11, Merlin]

Eysi if your looking for a supreme badass character try anniliase from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13... shes like a skinny terminator.

[Affably]

Darkcain11 wrote: "Eysi if your looking for a supreme badass character try anniliase from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13... shes like a skinny terminator."

Yeah she is a badass that eats raw meat

[Darkcain11, Merlin]

I bring somber news. Today I heard Twenty Places series was dropped by the publisher due to Poor sales can anyone add to this?

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I don't know, but I do know that I can't get hold of it. If this is the case it's as much that the publisher didn't get behind it and support it as anything else. I'll have to order it I suppose as that's the only way I can get it.

[Darkcain11, Merlin]

Hmm is there anyway Harry can continue it alone by releasing it through only kindle?

[Quick ben]

Darkcain11 wrote: "Hmm is there anyway Harry can continue it alone by releasing it through only kindle?"

He released Twenty Places a prequel on kindle,i hope there will be more .

[Darkcain11, Merlin]

lets hope

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~, White Council]

I hope he releases it thru Barnes and Noble too.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~, White Council]

Just started reading Iron Druid Chronciles: Hounded today.

[Brad]

The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, which starts with Hounded is very Dresden-like and VERY enjoyable. A quick, fun read.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~, White Council]

I finished reading Hounded the other day and loved it. I'm waiting to get next book which is Hexed in about a week.

[Brad]

Weird I hadn't even noticed your post when I made mine Angie.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~, White Council]

That's okay Brad it happens.

[Brad]

Funny though that we both happened to post that at damn near the same time. Lol

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~, White Council]

Yeah that's true too!

[Tim (Mole) The Gunslinger]

Simon greenes nightside killer and his drood series also badass

[Affably]

Darkcain11 wrote: "I bring somber news. Today I heard Twenty Places series was dropped by the publisher due to Poor sales can anyone add to this?"

Wait what??? How is that possible?? ITS AWESOME THEY CANT DROP IT.

Edit: Yeah lets all hope.

[Rimsha]

Eyzi wrote: "Darkcain11 wrote: "I bring somber news. Today I heard Twenty Places series was dropped by the publisher due to Poor sales can anyone add to this?"

Wait what??? How is that possible?? ITS AWESOME T..."

OMG! i loooove twenty palaces novels how can they drop them i'm on the third book now and i wan't more!

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~, White Council]

Rimsha wrote: "Eyzi wrote: "Darkcain11 wrote: "I bring somber news. Today I heard Twenty Places series was dropped by the publisher due to Poor sales can anyone add to this?"

Wait what??? How is that possible?? ..."

That is horrible news. I love this series! I hope the author can find another publisher or even self publish.

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

I'd suggest someone write the publisher. I haven't heard. I'd also suggest a hard copy as well as an Email.

[James]

I just want to add that Mike Carey is killing me by not giving out any updates on the next Felix Castor series.

[Affably]

Any good new books published this year?

[Mike (the Paladin), White Council]

Have you read The Alloy of Law? It's placed in the Mistborn world with the magic like talents but placed in a time period when this world roughly correspond to late 19th early 20th century. So you get a sort of urban fantasy. The magic-like talents along with firearms, trains etc.

[Quick ben]

Last UF book I liked was Aloha from Hell by Richard Kadrey.It was a fun book.

[Affably]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Have you read The Alloy of Law? It's placed in the Mistborn world with the magic like talents but placed in a time period when this world roughly correspond to late 19th early 20th ..."

eah I intend to check it out but I am going to finish Hero of the Ages first.