u/Glittering-Oil-6252

this isn’t meant as hate toward anyone, but i genuinely don’t understand how people can look at the idea of a group of female warriors fighting together and saving their world and think “meh, i’m not interested.”
like… how is that not exciting?

as women, most of us have experienced how meaningful female friendship and having other women support you can be. personally, the friendship and support i’ve received from other women have gotten me through some of the hardest moments of my life, so seeing that kind of bond represented in fantasy is something i genuinely love.

that’s why i’m actually really excited about the possibility of the valkyries being such an important part of the story. i love the idea of a group of women training together, fighting together, protecting each other, and potentially being central to the main plot.

we’ve seen plenty of stories where the women are important because of their romantic relationships, but i’m always excited to see female friendships and female camaraderie being treated as something powerful in their own right.
maybe i’m just especially biased toward stories about women supporting women, but honestly… give me the warrior women. i’m seated.

I’m looking for urban fantasy recommendations, particularly authors or series that might appeal to someone who loved Patricia Briggs.

I’ve read all of Briggs’ books and absolutely loved them. What I enjoy most about her writing is the combination of strong characterization, engaging supernatural plots, well-developed secondary characters, and romance that feels like an important part of the story without completely overshadowing everything else.
I especially loved the Alpha & Omega series. I really enjoy following one central couple and watching their relationship develop over time, particularly the way Charles and Anna gradually understand their bond and navigate all of its complications. I also love the pack dynamics and the sense that the larger supernatural community is an important part of the story rather than simply background.

So I’m particularly interested in:

• supernatural/urban fantasy with strong character development
• pack or group dynamics and a sense of community
• werewolves or shifters, although I’m absolutely open to other supernatural creatures
• a well-developed central romance, preferably one that develops over multiple books
• a strong overarching plot and worldbuilding

I’ve already read Ilona Andrews, so I’d love recommendations from other authors.

I’m also completely fine with darker or more complex storylines. In fact, I tend to prefer urban fantasy that leans darker, more emotionally intense, or explores heavier themes. I don’t mind violence, morally gray characters, or darker aspects of the supernatural world as long as the characters and story are well written.

Any recommendations?

HELP, I loved Patricia Briggs’ books so much. Are there any other authors who are just as good?
I’ve read pretty much everything by Patricia Briggs and I absolutely loved it. I loved the characters (literally ALL of them, both the main and secondary characters), the plots, the writing, and especially the ROMANCE.

I particularly loved the Alpha & Omega series because I really enjoy having one main couple and watching them slowly discover their relationship and what their bond means for them. I loved all the ups and downs of their relationship, but I also really loved the pack dynamics and how much the group itself matters to the story.

So I’m looking for recommendations with a similar vibe! I love pack/group dynamics and werewolves, but I’m definitely open to other types of supernatural creatures too.

I’ve already read Ilona Andrews, so I’d really appreciate recommendations from other authors!
Basically, I want great characters, a good plot, a romance I can get emotionally invested in, and a group/pack that feels like an actual part of the story.

Do books this good even exist or did Patricia Briggs completely ruin me? lol

Okay, so I just thought of this, and I’m sure a lot of people have already had the same thought, but anyway.

I came across an old video of SJM from what I believe was a Zoom interview, sometime after CC2 came out while she was writing CC3. Someone asked her about Elain, specifically whether she could confirm if Elain would be the protagonist of the next book or if we’d get an Elain POV. Sarah said she couldn’t confirm anything. At least that’s how I interpreted it, but I’ll leave the video here so you guys can judge for yourselves based on how she worded it.
Anyway, this is going to be a little long lol.

I’m not an Elain hater AT ALL. I’d actually love an Elain POV. But maybe this is an unpopular opinion: I genuinely don’t think Sarah is as attached to Elain as a character as she is to Nesta or Feyre. Obviously, I can’t know what Sarah thinks, but based on some interviews and the way she talks about them, I’ve always gotten the impression that she has a stronger attachment to Nesta and Feyre.
And that’s why I’ve started wondering if we might actually NOT get an Elain POV in ACOTAR 6.

My theory is that the book could instead focus on Nesta and Azriel, revisiting/expanding on the events surrounding CC3, with maybe some additional POVs from Cassian, Rhysand, or Feyre. I could even see Elain and Lucien having no POVs until ACOTAR 7.

I know everyone basically assumes ACOTAR 6 is going to be Elain’s book. It’s the obvious expectation at this point. But what if that’s exactly why Sarah hasn’t confirmed anything?
If Elain were definitely the protagonist, wouldn’t Sarah have been able to confirm it during CHD, especially when that’s literally what everyone expects? Instead, she kept things vague.
Maybe that’s also why we still haven’t gotten the title or cover. Perhaps the POV structure is going to surprise everyone, and they’re deliberately keeping it under wraps. And if ACOTAR 6 turns out NOT to be Elain’s book, there are definitely going to be some very angry fans 😭
Maybe Elain’s POV is still coming, just in ACOTAR 7 instead.

This also makes me think about what Sarah said during CHD about the POVs surprising her while she was writing and ultimately feeling like the right story to tell. It makes me think we really shouldn’t assume we already know who the POVs are going to be.

Anyway, this is just my theory and I could obviously be completely wrong. I’d genuinely love an Elain POV, but for some reason I just don’t think ACOTAR 6 is going to be what everyone expects.
What do you guys think? 👀

This honestly isn’t something I’ve seen discussed that much, so I’m curious what everyone thinks. Obviously, this is all speculation since we have no idea what Sarah is planning, but what role do you think Gwyn will have in the overall plot?
I’m especially curious about what you think could happen with her powers and her role as both a priestess and a Valkyrie. Do you think either of those will become important to the main storyline, or do you see her having a different kind of role?
This is assuming it’s going to be a multi-POV book (which I personally think it will be 👀).
I’d love to hear your theories!

I don’t want this to come across as ungrateful because I’m genuinely excited that ACOTAR 6 is finally almost here. But if we don’t even get a title this week, I think I’m officially done waiting for updates until release day.
Maybe I’m just frustrated, but it’s hard not to compare this rollout to other authors. Rebecca Yarros, for example, keeps her readers engaged. We already had the title for her next book months in advance. Meanwhile, we’re only a few months away from ACOTAR 6 and we still don’t even have that.
And honestly… what’s the point of keeping everything a secret for this long? The ship discourse is going to end eventually no matter what happens. Even if my preferred ship doesn’t end up together, I think it would honestly be easier to process if we weren’t kept in suspense until the very last minute.
At this point it feels like one of two things is happening: either the fans just aren’t a priority, or there’s some kind of issue behind the scenes between SJM and Bloomsbury. Obviously none of us know what’s actually going on, but it’s hard not to wonder.
And don’t even get me started on that AI-generated promo video. This fandom is full of unbelievably talented artists, and that was the direction they chose to go? That honestly bothered me more than anything else.
Again, I’m incredibly grateful that we’re finally getting another ACOTAR book. This should have been such an exciting time for the fandom. Instead, the rollout has left a lot of people feeling frustrated, anxious, and exhausted. Then I look at other book fandoms getting title reveals, covers, teasers, and regular updates, and I can’t help but feel a little jealous.
Maybe I’m overreacting, but I can’t be the only one who feels like this.

Just a heads-up: English isn’t my first language, so I’m sorry if I didn’t express myself very well in some of my comments.

I’m looking for some good romantasy recommendations because lately I can’t seem to find anything I actually enjoy. Everything I’ve picked up recently feels really formulaic.
I’ve already read most of the popular/newer romantasy books, so I’m hoping there are some hidden gems I might have missed.
Here are some of my favorites:
Anything by Sarah J. Maas
Anything by Liv Zander
Direbound
Crowns of Nyaxia (and honestly anything by Carissa Broadbent)
Zodiac Academy
We Who Will Die

Books that didn’t really work for me:
Fourth Wing
When the Moon Hatched
The Ascended
Spark of the Everflame
The Wolf King

Based on my taste, does anyone have any recommendations? I’d love to find something new that’s well written, with great romance and a story that doesn’t feel like the same formula over and over again. 😭💘

Side note: I also love dystopian books and dark fantasy romance.