58 books like Protection of the Pack

The heroine in Legend & Lattes is a big orc lady, nothing like little Bilbo, but she’s done with violence.

She wants to build a settled business selling drinks and pastries. The giant heroine and the succubus behind the counter get constantly misjudged because of their appearances. As a woman carving her path in the tech industry, I know how that feels.

This book also taught me, right along with the heroine, that solving problems without violence can be even more heroic. A good story doesn’t require fight scenes. The wins were all kinds of satisfying, from the successful business to the happy gay romance.

Cozy fantasy is a sub-genre I love now. Characters and their relationships are the point, not just the hands to wield the magic swords.

Nothing about the Warhammer 40,000 universe says ‘funny’. The fact that it’s fans call it the ‘grimdark’ is a proud testament to this. I’ve read a lot of Warhammer books, but was surprised when I came across this series. It follows Ciaphas Cain, a Commissar who is trying to survive and find the cushiest job for himself in a universe of constant war, yet somehow, he constantly ends up being the hero.

This book really opened my eyes to the fact that you can humor even in the grittiest settings, and that just because a book is funny, it doesn’t mean it can’t be action-packed and have high stakes. Much of the humor comes from Cain’s futile attempts to avoid any sort of combat and save his own skin.

I picked up this book when I was much younger. Until this point all the fantasy I read had been serious and gritty. This book showed me that fantasy could be amusing too, but still have high stakes. It follows the ongoing story of Thraxas, a down-on-his-luck and disreputable private investigator with some magical skill whose city is now besieged by orcs. He has to try and survive the siege, which mainly comprises of finding some decent food and drink, whilst searching for an artifact that could change the outcome of the war.

A fun read with some quirky characters and an engaging story.

Did you know that your carpet was home to various tribes of people? Terry Pratchett did. This is the story of two brothers who live in said carpet. They must leave their village before it is destroyed by the Fray. It’s Terry Pratchett, need I say more?

This was Terry Pratchett’s first novel and is a fun read with plenty of humor. Again this is a book from my youth, and whilst I don’t own a copy now, it’s one of those covers I always look fondly on whenever I see it.

Patricia Briggs is a true weaver of stories, whose complex characters and intriguing world-building make it easy to get lost in her books.

Cry Wolf, the first in her Alpha and Omega series is no different. As someone who loves female characters with a core of grit, Anna, an Omega wolf who’s survived a brutal attack that threw her into a world of monsters, is one such heroine. When she and her new mate, Charles, stumble upon a wicked witch, it’s Anna’s strength that gives the nascent couple the edge they need to triumph over evil.

Fair warning, Anna’s history is painful and could be triggering for some, but what rises from the ashes is stunning to behold and gives testament to the strength of survivors.

If any contemporary detective writer is the heir to Dorothy L. Sayers, it has to be Fred Vargas.

Trained as a historian and archaelogist, she writes well-plotted mysteries with complex, flawed characters. But most of all, her books are bristling with fascinating, arcane facts. In this novel, the inhabitants of a rural, mountainous region of France are being terrorized by what seems to be a huge wolf – or is it a werewolf?

The resolution is entertaining, but what I really loved was learning about everything from medieval legends to the contemporary politics of reintroducing wild wolves in Europe – not to mention sheep-farming, wildlife photography, and plumbing.

For anyone who loved Sayers’ deep dives on bell-ringing or the advertising business, Vargas is for you.

This book is a little different in the sense that I feel like it’s somewhat darker, but it’s still a favorite of mine. I loved Vivian. She wants what she wants and knows how to get it. And, unlike some, I really liked her with Gabriel. I know lots of readers thought he was a bit much, but to me, he was a bad boy with layers which I enjoyed. 

Lea hunts werewolves to protect her village, and Henrik is…yep, you guessed it. But he’s also literally the boy from her dreams. The magnetic attraction between these two is unforgettable! My eyes were glued to the page through the last quarter, when war escalates and Lea finds allies—and new enemies—she never would’ve expected. 

I read this book way back in 2011 when it first came out. It still comes to mind when I think of creating a list of werewolf books I loved. There’s a bit of a love triangle but I thought it was done really well. I loved Alex. He was the new boy in town with a secret, but he was funny and caring. I was so invested in the romance of this story and the story itself. Also, I still think the first line of this book is hilarious! 

Elena Michaels is walking through life with one foot in the human world and the other in a shifter world.

Clayton Danvers is the reason for that. So she left her pack to forge a life among the humans. But when the pack calls her back to solve problems only she can, reluctantly she returns…to the life of a shifter within a pack…and in close quarters with Clay.

You don’t have to be a paranormal reader to get sucked in to this book. I like when I lose track of time, and this book achieved that for me. Kelley Armstrong brings the world of wolf shifters right into your face. The pages fly by and you’ll become immersed in the story. Her wolf pack is filled with sexy, hunky werewolves, but no one can top wild-hearted Clayton.

I enjoyed the moments of fierce passion and couldn’t wait to read the… show more.