This year was a strange reading year for me. Because of buying into either Kobo Plus or KU most of the year, I ended up binge reading series instead of taking a break from one series and coming back to them later. So instead of top ten reads, I have top ten series mixed with top ten books, mixed with top ten authors of all time. Or something like that. Maybe it’s just my way of recommending more than ten books?? Could be. I’m sneaky that way.

My favorite series of the year kept changing because I found some really, really great books this year. There’s a few books (very few) that were free when I posted this list; also check author websites because some of them have freebies for signing up to their newsletters. If you’d like a free story from me, sign up between now and the end of the year and I’ll send you a copy of Ghost Town (or you can read it for free in KU since I just put it and a 3 other novels in there for the next three months!)

Cozy Fantasy Paranormal Mysteries

[image error]Tesha Geddes – Magus Rising (the whole series – also at Kobo and in Kobo Plus). These are cozy reads, and they were just so fabulous. I love the characters, the playfulness and the growth as the characters learned about their world and themselves. There’s murder and mayhem, kidnappings, rescues, and lots of family nuances. Because they are cozy, you can trust that the characters won’t die and won’t be subjected to too much agony before being rescued, but there are definitely some situations that will have you biting your nails and they are more harrowing than your average cozy. For me it was just the right amount of harrowing and fun. I love the way the last book focuses on a couple of side characters and really gives them their chance to shine. Don’t miss this series; it’s wonderful. Also at Kobo and in Kobo Plus. Her other series, The Pocket Dragon series (at kobo) is also good. A little more on the silly side at times, but cozy, fun and very much worth a read.

[image error]T.M Baumgartner All Gremlins Great and Small (at kobo) followed by the great All Rocs Wise and Wonderful and the fabulous All Basilisks Wild and Sparking – Just about anyone can enjoy these adventures–every single book in the series. The premise here is that there are portals that have opened up to other realms. That lets in creatures and other almost-human-types. The portals are dangerous and create a lot of problems. For our intrepid main, she’s a veterinarian and one of the only ones willing to try and treat some of the injured creatures that fall into our world. It doesn’t matter to her if they are gremlins, unknowns, part pig, pets or not. She’ll try to treat any injured creature. Shenanigans ensue. There are villains who engage in nefarious plots trying to make money off the portals, and our main must solve those mysteries. I love how she cares about and for the animals in her life.

[image error]From T.M. Baumgartner’s sci/fi (at kobo) to the paranormal vet series mentioned above, to the fantastic fantasy Dragon Freehold (I’ve already read it twice!) (at Kobo) and the shifter books, you are bound to find more than one book you love. T.M. writes a wide range of stories that are all very character driven, full of heart, friends, family and high impact shenanigans that keep you turning pages long into the night.

[image error] Layla Lawlor – Keeley and Associations I’ve long been a fan of this series and this year’s book was terrific. Sleuth and Psychic added in some family elements. Keeley’s mom is in this one and she’s a real piece of work. So is the unicorn for that matter. Sleuth and Psychics still had all of our old side-character friends. Talk about changing! Several of these side-characters have really morphed through the books as they got to know Keeley and his partners. These are cozy in nature, but the drama and danger will have you on the edge of your seat hoping for the best. There’s a lot of unusual shifters in this series, zany capers, and a lot of heart.

Science Fiction and/or Space Opera

[image error]Jennifer Estep – A Sense of Danger (also at kobo and in Kobo Plus!) I’ve read Estep books through the years, but the ones she’s writing lately are my favorites. Space Opera isn’t necessarily one of my go-to genres, but Estep writes it with her usual fast-paced, intense style, complex plots, complex characters and no easy solutions!
I’m not sure if I loved Only Bad Options (at kobo) or A Sense of Danger (Section 47) – at kobo— the best. I guess if I had to pick, I’d go with A Sense of Danger because it is less known than the Only Bad Options series, but both are fabulous reads. Don’t miss either one. The mains in both of these series are smart.

[image error]In Only Bad Options, we get an inventor–savvy, creative and ready to think her way out of any situation. Definitely one of my favorite “careers” for a main. This is not a woman who sits around waiting to be rescued. The world building is top-notch, detailed, nuanced and interesting enough that my attention never wavered. In A Sense of Danger, the main is a spy with extras. She’s also caught the attention of one of the company assassins. Does anyone EVER want to be noticed by an assassin? I think not! If you like any kind of urban fantasy, give either series a try. If you are the type who wants to grab a book and read it in one sitting, these are for you!

[image error] Martha Wells Murderbot! (System Collapse at kobo). Yup, there was a new Murderbot out this year. I loved it. Murderbot was a bit more introspective this round and it’s possible his heart is getting bigger (although in truth there is no he/she as Murderbot is only part human and mostly machine). Murderbot’s introspection confused me for the first quarter of the book, but Murderbot is not all that easy to understand anyway! The truth comes out somewhere around the middle of the book. These books require more of my concentration to read than some of the fluffier stuff I read. The plots are multi-layered and Murderbot is devious. There’s always an important mystery to be solved in each book, political intrigue, and mad-capped rescues. Love the whole series.

Urban Fantasy

[image error]Paige Ewing – Precise Oaths and Explosive Chemistry Her books in the Liliana series easily make my top ten books of the year! Both books are available at multiple retailers and both books are in Kobo’s subscription service (Kobo Plus). This is an ongoing urban fantasy series that has some unique twists and characters. The main is a seer, but she’s also spiderkin. So basically she’s a spider shifter. While a spider shifter is more likely to be a villain in most books, this series makes it quite clear that she’s the heroine. There’s a lot of that kind of theme in the stories. You can’t really assume the good guys and bad guys based on your typical stereotype. Liliana has also been somewhat isolated from other shifter types and normal humans because of her nature. This leads her to take things quite literally and provides humor and an endearing vulnerability. Don’t be afraid of the spidery aspects of these novels; like some of the characters within, you’ll learn all about how important it is to judge actions and heart–not the notion that all spiders are scary and bad.

[image error]Jami Gray – Arcane Transporter series (also at Kobo) This is one of those series that works for me over several books because each book manages to have a great mystery plot. It doesn’t hurt my feelings that the magic is unique across a few characters. The politics, which are powerful families, are similar to royalty and are a pain in the ass, but add a lot to how Rory makes decisions. She’s sneaky from the very start and I’ve been pleased to see she doesn’t lose that, especially in the latest installment (Blind Spot and at kobo). She has unusual hobbies too (not necessarily for her magical skills) in that she loves racing cars. I like when main characters step outside the norm–be it the main guy or the main gal. There is a romance to the series, but it takes several books to develop. Both mains have jobs and completely different skills–another plus. It’s boring when the men are all muscle and no brains or no real personality. Gray does a good job with all her characters. High octane fun!!!

[image error]Lindsay Buroker A prolific writer, you always know you will get an adventure and good entertainment. You’ll also get plenty of action, a romance and great plotting. Lindsay Buroker is a go-to author for me because I can count on being ported to another world full of engrossing stories and someone else getting their ass kicked. Some of her books are edgier than others and many of them are in the genre of swashbuckling Indian Jones caper (especially the Dragon Blood Series) (Also at Kobo). From this year, it would be difficult to pick a favorite, but if you haven’t tried her books, check out Junkyard (also at Kobo). It’s free and full of heart as well as a solid plot. Some of her series I read and enjoyed this year: Death Before Dragons, and Hammered. I’m also invested in the next series in this same world, Marked by Magic (in ku). The third book in this latest series comes out in Jan. Some of her books are in KU and some are in Kobo Plus.

Epic Fantasy

[image error]Patrick Samphire – Shadow of a Dead God (at kobo and in kobo plus) – I read his series and also a few of his young adult books (his YA at amazon). All of the books I’ve read by Samphire are good and well written. The Dead God series is not cozy, but there are some great family nuances. The series is mostly epic fantasy, but the world building reminds me of urban fantasy for some reason. In the Dead gods series, he puts his main (Nik) through the wringer–again and again. No romance, but not for lack of hopeless wishing on Nik’s part. Well plotted, lots of side avenues explored, fun world building, family issues and in the last book, he might be saddled with a pet so there might be pet shenanigans too. The humor carries any dark and dire situations. I hope there’s at least one more book in the series where Nik maybe gets a date or two (some hope of a date?) and even learns a bit more about his magic. One of my favorite things about this series is that the gods are literally dead. You don’t have to worry about some all powerful being showing up and saving the day–or coercing our main to take certain actions. No, Nik gets into trouble all on his own and generally speaking, he’s the only one standing around that can get himself out too! The magic is unique, well-explained and consistent.

[image error]Sarah Chislon – Whispers in the Waters (her books are also at kobo and in Kobo Plus) While the covers suggest these are cozy, they are not. These are epic fantasy in a high Regency setting (medieval settings are far more common for epic fantasy although that tradition is changing because of self-publishing). The stories are edgy without much humor to lighten those areas, but the plots never fall into dark fantasy. The entire series is compelling. A lot of thought has gone into the world building. There are multiple plots, threads and subplots. There are many characters, each with their own agenda. Each book contains a complete tale, but there are overarching plots, characters that change as they age and become less or more important. The main tends to grow slowly and internalize a lot so there are sections that can drag a page or two, but this improves with each book. The stakes go up with each book too. Normally this would be a huge recommendation for historical romance readers who like paranormal (magic/fae), but the romance, if there turns out to be one, progresses very slowly. These are wonderful, unique, heartfelt tales that cross a few genres. I recommend them for readers who want something a little different in setting, magic and characters. I loved every book. Check her website also. She had at least one novella for free if you sign up for her newsletter. I am signed up and she has put out about 3 other free short stories via her newsletter.

[image error]Jay Barnson – Queen of Monsters (the whole series) – I don’t usually read gamer books, but Jay has a nice flair for prose and storytelling. There’s enough humor, action and real-life consequences to each of the books in the series to draw you in and compel you to keep turning the pages. The characters are nicely fleshed out. They are not invincible. There’s a great tie-in to reality with some of the characters like D.B. Cooper, the guy who hijacked a plane, jumped off with a bunch of money and disappeared. These fantasy novels suggest where he and others might have disappeared to! The gaming side of the novels is less D&D and more ‘someone, somewhere knows more about what is going on than I do and I don’t appreciate being used as a game piece.’ Definitely a sense of a soldier conscripted to a war not of his making–and the characters are not necessarily pawns who will play along without devising their own plans and choices as they see fit. Jay creates very sympathetic characters and an intriguing world for them to explore and survive. The whole series is in KU.

If you have any questions about possible trigger warnings, other series I don’t mention, anything about the books really, just ask! I’m going to have to do another list of honorable mentions because just to do this list I had to leave off several fabulous books/authors and I don’t want you to miss out. So keep an eye out for the honorable mentions!