Jen's Top 5 Reads of 2024

Jen’s Top 5 Reads of 2024

Keeping with traditions, we will post our separate top 10 reads of 2024 lists throughout January. This year we’ll have 4 such posts for you: Arina’s, Jen’s, Bjorn’s, and Timy’s. Some of these will be only top 5 lists, however, as sadly not all of us had a great reading year, but it happens.

Our only rule was that any book on these lists has to be read during 2024, regardless of when they were published and by whom. And we had to love them, obviously. Maybe. I mean, when you keep shouting at the author in private for things they did, it’s surely a sign of love, right? Even if you call said author names… *ahem* Anyway. Second up is Jen’s Top 5 Reads of 2024!

Jen's Picks

Well here we are another year if you can believe it. It was not a productive reading year for me – a combination of company, travelling, and many family obligations really cut into my reading time this last year.

Let me be the one to tell you that having your in-laws right next door, is sometimes tough (but way better than when they were in the same house) and always way more time-consuming than you’d ever imagine – I mean goodness we’re talking full-grown people here that have more of a social life than I do, so I’m not too sure where all that time went.

Anyway, for 2024 I only managed to read 26 books altogether, and of those, a little over half were for SPFBO and the rest were ARCs or other books I picked up along the way. I was surprised because it certainly didn’t feel like I had even read that many.

This year I’ve narrowed this list down to just five. It was hard because there were others that also deserved some love but in the interest of making this more of a list about fabulous books that made me want to shout from the rooftops, I decided to keep it at five. The top two will look very familiar – both are authors who have grabbed top spots with me over the years.

Here it goes, Jen’s top 5 reads for 2024!

In fifth place – Merewif: the Mermaid Witch by Amanda Adam

This was one book that I really hoped would gain some attention through SPFBO because I enjoyed the hell out of this story. It’s a blast! Amanda Adam has great use of atmosphere and knows how to build tension. Her character, Madge, is loveable and memorable, and the story went to places that were quite unexpected. I found this to be just a stand-out story in the YA genre. I hope more people discover this incredibly fun story.

Merewif: The Mermaid Witch by Amanda Adam

When Madge receives a moonstone necklace on her sixteenth birthday, she discovers she is not only a mermaid, but also, a witch.

Problem is, she never knew either existed in the first place.

As if wrapping her head around the fact that she’s a mermaid-witch isn’t enough, it also turns out her parents were royalty to her kind and didn’t die as she’s been told her entire life. Instead, they were murdered by her estranged aunt Viviane, who is now after her.

If Madge is to prove herself fit to lead her kind, she’ll have to hone her newfound Vala and unravel clues from her mother’s tome. But when Madge uncovers the dark power her murderous aunt wields, will she have what it takes to save them all?

Merewif does a decent job of feeding information within the context of the story and plays with stuff we know like Camelot/Greek mythology in creative ways… using it to fill-out the in-world stuff while making it into something new.”

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In fourth place – Wolf of Withervale by Joaquin Baldwin

There’s no way I could have this list without a couple of SPFBO books and especially not without Wolf of Withervale. Wolf of Withervale was the most incredible and impressive bit of epic storytelling I’ve read in a while. The world in it is so rich and full of life – the images (especially the dome interior) that Joaquín Baldwin built with his words live in my head to this day. The characters – their friendships and trials and even their voices, I still hear and feel like they were real life people that I met. I had some mixed thoughts about pacing but there is no denying the skill involved in this beautifully told story.

Wolf of Whitervale by Joaquín Baldwin

Lago was only a child when the shapeshifter entrusted the wolf-like mask to his care—an artifact so powerful that it could come to shape the entire world of Noss.

Now that he is coming of age, Lago is becoming ever more fearful of the ominous relic’s influence, of the empire who has scented its trail and is coming after it. Coming after him.

Aided by his best friend, an enigmatic scout, and his trusty dog, Lago seeks refuge in the vastness of the Heartpine Dome. The eighty-mile-wide structure had remained sealed for centuries, safeguarding more than mere secrets. Now that the dome’s entrails are stirring, the mysteries of the long-vanished Miscam tribes are coming to light, and the shapeshifting animal spirits are making their return.

Powers untold hide behind the blinkless eyeholes of the canid mask, powers that could tip the balance in the war. Lago is barely beginning to learn how to wield the dark visage, but he can already feel its potential.

… And he can feel a different change coming, deep in his marrow.

Riveting in scope and worldbuilding, and exquisitely illustrated by the author, this tale of transformation and self-discovery is filled with unabashed wonder and a lust for places unknown. A profoundly queer adventure that explores sexuality, our connections to other species, unconventional kinds of love, and the very nature of consciousness.

“Despite my complaints about length, I enjoyed the hell out of this story and I’m positive I could go on about this book for another three pages because it was pretty damned amazing.”

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In third place – Hell for Hire by Rachel Aaron

I have seen Rachel Aaron’s books around for ages and was pretty excited to give her work a shot with Hell for Hire and let me tell you this was just pure, addictive fun. In the beginning, ii felt like any other sort of urban fantasy but by midway, I had fallen in love with its characters, and the story went in places I never expected, making it one of the most unputdownable reads I had in 2024.

Hell For Hire by Rachel Aaron

The Crew
A hulked-out wrath demon who eats gamer rage and loves cats, a shapeshifting lust demon who enjoys their food a bit too much, and a void demon who doesn’t see the point of any of this. They’re not the sort of mercenaries you’d hire on purpose, but Bex wouldn’t trust her life to anyone else.

Ever since the ancient Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh decided death wasn’t for him, killed the gods, and conquered the afterlife, times have been rough for a free demon. But the denizens of the Nine Hells aren’t the quitting sort, and Bex and her team have been choking a living out of the Eternal King’s lackeys for years. It’s not honest work, but when Heaven itself declares you a non-person, you smash-and-grab what you can get.

This next gig looks like more of the same…until Bex meets the client.

The Job
Adrian Blackwood is a witch with a problem. His family has skirted the edges of King Gilgamesh’s ire for centuries, but thanks to a decision he made as a child, Adrian is personally responsible for putting his entire coven in Heaven’s crosshairs.

Determined to set things right, Adrian drags his broom, caldron, and talking cat thousands of miles across the country to Seattle where he can fight the Eternal King’s warlocks without bringing the rest of his family into the fray. But witchcraft–like all crafts–takes time, and if the warlocks catch him before his spells are ready, he’s dead. So Adrian does what any professional witch would do and hires a team of mercenaries to keep the warlocks off his back. He didn’t expect to get demons, but when you’re already on the killing-edge of Heaven’s bad side, what’s a bit more fuel on the fire?

Sometimes you get more than you paid for.
Neither Adrian nor Bex knew what to expect when they signed their contract, but witch-plus-demon turns out to be a match made in the Hells. With this much chaos at their fingertips, even impossible dreams can come back into reach, because Bex wasn’t always a mercenary. She used to be the Eternal King’s biggest nightmare, and now that she’s got a witch in her corner, it’s time to put the old magics back on the field and show Adrian Blackwood just how much Hell he’s hired.

Hell for Hire is smart, fun, and addicting. My first Rachel Aaron book and definitely won’t be my last!

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In second place – Sundered Souls by Tim Hardie

I’ve been working on finishing up this series that I’ve started over the years and Sundered Souls, the second entry into the Brotherhood of the Eagle was one that I’d been looking forward to returning to this last year.

I first read Tim Hardie‘s Hall of Bones, years ago for SPFBO and couldn’t quit thinking about it for ages. Sundered Souls was just everything I hoped – it takes all those little threads in HoB and runs with them. Tim Hardie has a talent for giving us this massive feeling world while still keeping the stakes feeling up close and personal to the characters we are following.

I still think that mind walking Rothgar does here is one of the best used ideas for rounding out the world viewpoint without having to have a pile more dedicated characters for just that purpose. I’m really looking forward to getting to book three.

Sundered Souls by Tim Hardie

Led by Johan Jokellsward, the Brotherhood of the Eagle fights to free the land of Reavesburg from its occupiers the Vorund Clan and avenge the murder of their chief. Only Johan’s inner circle understand their true calling, sworn to defeat an old evil that has risen once more.

Gautarr Falrufson, one of Reavesburg’s few surviving leaders, still defies the occupying forces and the Brotherhood’s small army must lift the siege of his fortress if they are to survive. However, Reavesburg is a divided land and the old clan loyalties no longer hold true. What reception can Johan expect if he clears the way to Gautarr’s gates?

With their fate hanging in the balance, Johan sets aside the accepted ways of his people and appoints Rothgar Kolfinnarson as his advisor, someone who has his own personal reasons to hate the Vorund Clan. Together, they must call upon mistrusted magic to gain the advantage over their enemies.

The second book in The Brotherhood of the Eagle series, Sundered Souls continues the epic fantasy tale involving magic, capricious politics and war. Who will choose the right side in the coming battle?

Sundered Souls is a worthy follow-up. The character-work, world, plotting, magic… all of it feels epic in every sense of the word. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out over the course of this series!”

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And in first place – Drown Deep by Phil Williams

This really should come as no surprise to anyone. The follow-up to However Many Must Die was my most anticipated read of the year. And it didn’t disappoint – if anything I am more excited at the possibility of future books!

The series features a dark and gritty war setting, but being in the war zone isn’t even the most dangerous thing out there.

These books won me over with how fantastical the world can be, while still being very grounded. The relatable, lovable characters are a huge draw too.

Drown Deep by Phil Williams

Where armies won’t go, the Blood Scouts must…

Wild Wish has reluctantly left the front line behind. No more fighting. No more friends. But she’s about to get an invitation to a fight no one else dares touch.

There’s trouble in the Saints Mire, a strictly neutral land with deep religious history. Here, the secrets of the Prophets are preserved by the foreboding Ten Priories – isolated for centuries, steeped in myth, and now under attack.

A rogue Drail army of veterans, criminals and goblins has invaded, and a reckless company of Comity partisans are itching to stop them. The top brass want nothing to do with it, so it’s up to Wild Wish and her new band of ragged misfits to keep things from escalating.

She must brave the heart of a nightmare land harbouring great, hidden power – and even greater hidden threats. Secrets millennia in the making may be exposed – with the potential to change the very shape of the war.

But if Wish can find an opportunity to rebuild The Blood Scouts, maybe it’ll be worth it?

Drown Deep is a breakneck return to the Rocc and its epic global get ready for more heart-pumping action and enthralling characters from this unforgettably unsettling world.

Drown Deep is a solidly entertaining follow-up. It’s just pure fun! I love the characters, I love the setting and world, and I can’t wait to see what upcoming adventures Phil Williams has to offer us in The Blood Scouts series.”

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And that concludes Jen’s Top 5 Reads of 2024.

Thanks for reading and I hope I’ve piqued your interest in one (or all) of these fabulous books. Let us know which of these books you’ve read or would like to read and what you think about them!

You can also check out the others’ favorite reads of 2024: Timy’s top 10

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