This-Then-That: Fantasy Book Recommendations for Fans of the Wicked Conjuring series

Word of mouth remains the most effective means of getting a good book recommendation. Despite how much we are bombarded with information these days, we will always trust a recommendation from a good friend above all else. That's not to say you're guaranteed to like the book your friend recommends, but you are more likely to pick it up if it's between that and a more random title.

Now the BEST recommendations comes from friends who know how to choose books based off what your enjoyed in your last read, or what you're specifically looking for in a book. The "I liked this so you should try it" recommendations may be good at filling our TBR (to-be-read) piles, but the "if you liked this then read that" approach is going to be much more effective at narrowing down the daunting task of choosing your next read.

So if you enjoyed any of these...

Then here are some other fantasy book recommendations that may interest you:

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

This fantasy title is more than a bit spicier than Demons at the Doorstep, but if you enjoyed the dynamic between Jessica and Damien you'll get a kick out of the sarcastic cinnamon bun-loving Lou LeBlanc taunting the tight-laced Chasseur Reid Diggory, who's been raised by the church to kill witches like Lou. Add in some deadly witch covens and you've got an enemies-lovers-adventure to sink your teeth into.

This book had my skin crawling as much as I was laughing at Lou's merciless taunting of Reid while they get to know each other through the unfortunate situation they've been forced into. And the twists at the end captured my curiosity enough that I bought book 2 and 3 in the trilogy. Though, a trigger warning for blood and anyone with mother issues.

Read for: Enemies-to-lovers trope, twisted and sometimes creepy magic, strong female characters

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Enriched by its Japanese mythology inspiration, this quest-based high fantasy features Yumeko, a kitsune who must hide her identify from the legendary sword-wielding samurai Tatsumi as they work together to deliver a sacred scroll to a temple across the land. I finished this trilogy faster than any other series I have read and I still think about it to this day.

The mythology and world building was lush and juicy. Not all of the characters are good by any means, but those who make a bad first impression grow on you while those who start off good have their beliefs challenged at several terms. I was cheering for every character in this crew by the end.

Read for: misfit crew of magic-savy individuals, found family, epic quest, mythology intertwined into the world.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

For those open to reading middle grade fiction I will always recommend anything in the Rick Riordan universe. This book not only helped me find my love for stories when I was younger, but also inspired my own writing style as I discovered it around the same time I was really getting into writing. The style of setting and humour are similar, and I personally loved the coming of age journey for the outcasted characters. Plus I'm a sucker for a good prophecy-driven quest.

If any of that sounds interest to you, definitely give it a try. While the target audience is middle So if any of those parallels sound interesting to you, don't let the younger target audience hold you back from giving this middle grade joy a try.

Read for: Epic quests, deceptive prophecies, lovable characters in a coming of age, sarcastic teenagers challenging the system, mythology infused into the real world, quick-witted humour

The Grendel Affair (SPI Files No.1) by Lisa Shearin

An urban fantasy series about a secret detective agency based (with a dragon for the Director, by the way) featuring a witty female protagonist who's partnered with the gritty hardened ex-cop to hunt the things that go bump in the night... sign me up! I had so much fun reading this series. Makenna Fraser moves leaves behind her small town upcoming to try and become a journalist in Manhatten, only to discover the weird things she saw growing up were real and she is a seer - a human able to see through magical spells, wards and disguises. This sets her on a new path of undercover agent, hunting down magical threats so her partner Ian Byrne can use his deadly skills to take them out.

I love Makenna's humour and how the author made a magical police force feel "real". And the best part? She does NOT get together with her partner. I know that's a bit of a spoiler but personally I am sick of the obvious, if you know what I mean. This is far more a buddy cop story rather than enemies to lovers. But that doesn't mean there aren't any romantic prospects for Makenna, oh nay nay. But you'll have to read the series for yourself to see what I mean, and then tell me what you think about that pairing.

Read for: urban fantasy fun, buddy cop/police stories, small town girl in the big city, banter and sharp-tongued humour

So there are four fantasy books, with the option to dive into the full series, I'd recommend if you enjoyed the Wicked Conjuring Series. As you can probably tell I am a big fan of good humours and easy-to-read adventures with characters you can fall in love with. That's the kind of book I set out to right and if you enjoyed that, I hope you'll enjoy one of these recommendations as well.

Happy reading.