Book Series and Favorite Authors

There are a lot of really good book series out there in just about any genre you could hope for. I really love a good series partially because I can sometimes be overly attached to characters. I enjoy reading about their growth as they overcome adversity and relationship building tends to be more developed in series simply because there is more time.

Here are some of the series that I am currently reading/have read, followed by a few authors that I think you should give a shot.

Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files and the Codex Alera
I've written up about the most recent Dresden Files novel, Skin Game, but I wanted to address the series as a whole. If you've never read any of them, and haven't looked at that particular entry, the Dresden Files is centered around Harry Dresden, a wizard who lives in Chicago. There are currently 15 books, and I've read that Jim Butcher has books planned all the way into the mid twenties, so if you like binge-reading, this is a good place to start! The characters are so well developed and Butcher is wonderful about tracking different plot lines against a huge cast of support characters. Harry Dresden usually has a lovely sense of snarky (but sometimes a little lame) humor and one of the things that I love most about him is that he isn't perfect. He does make mistakes but always does his best to deal with the fallout and make sure that no one gets hurt. The first novel in the series is Storm Front, so if you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend starting there.

Butcher has a second series, the Codex Alera, which is more high fantasy than Dresden. There are six books (it is complete!) and has a really interesting world history. The famous missing IX Roman legion stumbled into another world, providing the basis for the dominant human culture in the Codex Alera. The series itself doesn't take place anywhere near that point in time, but there is a lot of Roman influence that is a joy if you happen to like the classics. The books focus on a boy named Tavi, who is 15 (I think) in the first novel and in his early twenties by the end. There's action, adventure, political intrigue, romance, and magic, making for a really exciting read.

Kim Harrison - The Hollows
This is another one of my favorite series that I've been reading for a while. The most recent book, The Undead Pool, just came out in February (and is on my waiting list for a full entry) and is the 12th, and penultimate, in the series. The very last book is set to be released in September, which is bittersweet news to me. I'm not quite ready to give up the series yet, but I always enjoy a definite ending so the series doesn't get drawn out and lose its appeal. The main character is a witch named Rachel Morgan who works (and lives) with a living vampire, Ivy Tamwood, and a pixy, Jenks (and his extensive family). They are "runners" which basically means they do jobs like bodyguarding, retrieving stolen/lost items, etc. in the supernatural community. There are elves and demons and were-creatures, fairies and plain vanilla humans. A lot of good character development and very interesting plots.

Kelley Armstrong - Women of the Otherworld
This series is complete as of Thirteen, published in 2012 as the 13th novel. This one doesn't revolve around any single character but rather several connected women who make frequent appearances in each other's books. The first couple focus on Elena Michels, a werewolf, and then shift to Paige Winterborne, a witch who first appeared in the second novel. Some other characters are Eve, a half-demon witch, and Savannah, her daughter, who was taken in by Paige as a pre-teen. One of my favorite things about this series are the strong female characters. Like the name of the series indicates, Kelley Armstrong really develops her leading ladies, but doesn't slack off on the men either. The supporting cast are dynamic and interesting with fully developed back stories. (I'll admit it, Jeremy, the alpha werewolf is my favorite character!) It's difficult to describe any of the plot, considering that the books don't focus on one single character like Butcher and Harrison's series, but they are all fantastic, so you should read them!

Elizabeth Peters - Amelia Peabody
Sadly, Elizabeth Peters passed away last year, so this series is definitely finished. There are 19 books, including a compendium/guide to the series, which revolves around Amelia Peabody Emerson and her family. The first book takes place in the 1880s and goes through the 1920s, splitting its time between England and Egypt. Amelia and her family are archaeologists working in Egypt alongside notable people such as Howard Carter. Elizabeth Peters herself had a Ph.D. in Egyptology, lending a really credible feeling to the series. At its core, the books are mysteries, as Amelia fancies herself a bit of a detective and the Emersons happen to wind up in quite a few scrapes. The novels are written in first person and are published sort of as journals. They don't feel like diaries or anything, but are meant to come from Amelia's personal journals. Amelia herself has a wonderful voice and any of the books are a joy to read.

It looks like I may have to do a Series Part 2, because I definitely have more to talk about and this post is getting a little long. To wrap things up, here are some more authors that are definitely worth checking out.

• Brandon Sanderson (seriously... read everything this guy puts out. You won't regret it. Some of the most imaginative and unique magic systems I have ever read.)
• Neil Gaimon (do I really need to say more?)
• Rachel Aaron (Eli Monpress is just lovely)
• Rob Thurman (the Cal Leandros series is awesome)