Books like 'A Neon Darkness'
Readers who enjoyed A Neon Darkness by Lauren Shippen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy mystery urban fantasy supernatural lgbtq super-powered paranormal found-family poc-mc
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The Magnus Archives: Season 2 by NOT A BOOK
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe Magnus Archives is a horror audiobook written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrates the stories in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly-appointed head archivist of the fictional Magnus Institute; an institution based in London centred on research into the paranormal... -
The Magnus Archives: Season 1 by Jonathan Sims
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Magnus Archives is a horror audiobook written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrates the stories in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly-appointed head archivist of the fictional Magnus Institute; an institution based in London centred on research into the paranormal... -
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsYadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free...Categorized as:
coming-of-age found-family lgbtq magical-realism mlm paranormal poc-mc action-adventure -
Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom the authors of the New York Times bestselling novel Welcome to Night Vale and the creators of the #1 international podcast of the same name, comes a collection of episodes from Season One of their hit podcast, featuring an introduction by the authors, behind-the-scenes commentary, and original illustrations... -
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Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 75 ratingsThe third installment in the all-new series from the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs...Categorized as:
coming-of-age found-family lgbtq magical-realism mlm paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 79 ratingsNow that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age found-family lgbtq magical-realism mlm paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
Jon and Mack's Terrifying Tree Troubles by A.J. Sherwood
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIt’s like a bad game of Telephone.Grant locates a murdered teen in McMinnville. He calls Jon.Jon locates the girl’s ghost. He calls Mack.Mack talks to the ghost who leads them to more ghosts. Who lead them to even more ghosts.And why are all the murder victims buried under trees?The boys are ready for this game to end, please. (Donovan especially... -
Hunters by Robert J. Crane
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsExiled from her home, Sienna Nealon finds herself among the windswept fields of Scotland, stalking a dangerous murderer who has more in common with her than any other foe she's ever faced. But when the killer changes the game, Sienna will be forced to into a contest with a quarry more canny than she's been tested against before - and led into a confrontation that will change her life forever...Categorized as:
found-family paranormal super-powered action-adventure book contemporary dystopia fiction -
Dead Serious Case #2: Mrs Delores Abernathy by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the business of unfinished business...It’s been over six months since a freak accident left pathologist Tristan Everett able to see ghosts, something he has yet to confess to his boyfriend... -
Alan's Utterly Accidental Dream-Cute by A.J. Sherwood
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat happens when a Havili researcher meets a psychic dreamwalker? A dreamy meet-cute, that’s what. (In more ways than one... -
Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAfter escaping her kidnappers and destroying the black market where she was held captive, all Nita wants is to find a way to live her life without looking over her shoulder. But with a video of her ability to self-heal all over the dark web, Nita knows she’s still a prime target on the black market.There’s only one way to keep herself safe...Categorized as:
dark found-family lgbtq magical-realism paranormal poc-mc action-adventure anti-hero -
A Mage's Guide to Wicky by A.J. Sherwood
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWicky’s never been magically stalked before.He kinda likes it, to be honest.For some reason, it’s upsetting everyone else though... -
When Villains Rise by Rebecca Schaeffer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDexter meets Victoria Schwab in this dark and compelling fantasy about a girl who is determined to take down the black market once and for all in the conclusion to the trilogy that started with the critically acclaimed Not Even Bones.Nita finally has Fabricio, the boy who betrayed her to the black market, within her grasp...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dark found-family lgbtq paranormal poc-mc super-powered action-adventure -
Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThe dreamers walk among us . . . and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming – they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives – they will sleep forever if their dreamers die.And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all.Ronan Lynch is a dreamer... -
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Twelve Bones by Rosie Talbot
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPrepare for more spooky, swoony YA from BookTok star @Merrowchild! Charlie Frith and his new love, Sam, have just saved the dead from the living! Now it's time to focus on being a normal couple - if such a thing exists?But when a new threat lurks in the shadows, this time to the living, and all who Charlie and Sam hold near, they must put everything on the line - including their lives - to work... -
The Good Troll Detective by Ramy Vance, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHalf-troll. Half-human. All badass.Maine doesn’t like her father. It doesn’t help that he’s a troll. As in a literal, lives-under-a-bridge troll.When her father is killed, Maine returns home to settle his estate and learns that he wasn’t any ordinary troll, but the town hero.Seems trolls can be superheroes, too...Categorized as:
coming-of-age magical-realism paranormal super-powered action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
Dead Serious Just the Extras Vol.1: MM Paranormal Romance & Dark Humor by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDead Serious, Just the Extras Vol. 1 includes the following bonus Made in HeavenDusty’s time on earth is done, but she’s not ready to let go. Settling into heaven is nothing like expected and she finds she has a very important choice to make... -
Runaway Magic by Zile Elliven
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFreak. Disaster. Mistake. Cym had heard it all.His family wasn’t content to lock him away ‘for the greater good’ anymore. No. Now they wanted him dead.Protection? What was that? Cym had never known anyone who wanted to keep him safe. Either he relied on himself or he was toast. So when he landed in the lap of an assassin, Cym thought his luck was up... -
The Boy in the Locked Room by K.M. Avery
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSometimes dreams aren’t just dreams…The boy begging for help in my nightmares is very real. He’s trapped, and it’s up to me and Mason to get him out. The trouble is, we have to find him first.It would be a lot easier if we weren’t also trying to solve a series of magical murders and deal with my horrible ex-boyfriend at the same time... -
Charlie Foxtrot 101 by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIdina Moorfield is officially a soldier in the army – with a little extra firepower. Her dark and magical little secret.Can she keep the new powers under control?Jump School may be her undoing.It takes focus, determination, and steely courage to face her fears and jump out of a C-130 aircraft from 1,200 feet. That’s exactly what brings Idina’s abilities forward at inconvenient moments...Categorized as:
coming-of-age magical-realism paranormal super-powered action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
Taken by a Vampire by Joey W. Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJoey W. Hill’s Vampire Queen novels keep the pages turning, your imagination running, [and] your dreams carnally vivid” (Bitten by Books)... -
Lost in the Mind by Alice Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter the last incident—which involved a serial killer—Chevy and Seneca are considering puppy wrangling as a new, safer profession than psychic detective work. Honestly, Seneca would prefer to focus on his new relationship with Chevy, even if he’s worried about the menacing countdown calendar leading to Chevy’s birthday... -
Sink or Swim by Maz Maddox
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTrapped on a cruise ship with a man I absolutely hate is not how I wanted to spend this fake honeymoon. Especially when my “fiancé” has a deadly ex on the same boat.Jackson is everything I’m not: brash, careless and a former fossil thief. But he’s my ticket to getting what I want -- the original Spinosaurus fossils that have been lost for decades... -
Dead & Buried by T.K. Eldridge
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDetectives Kennedy and Donovan were partners for years. Then one of them died. And yet, they're still partners. Kennedy has to solve Donovan's death while his partner's ghost helps him. Sort of... -
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Every Gift a Curse by Caroline O'Donoghue
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA spellbinding supernatural teen drama and final book in the Gifts series from a New York Times bestselling author.With the return of the Housekeeper on the cards, Maeve must find out everything she can about the vengeful tarot spirit in order to finally defeat her...Categorized as:
lgbtq paranormal magical-realism dark coming-of-age fantasy young-adult contemporary -
Imajica by Clive Barker
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsImajica is an epic beyond compare: vast in conception, obsessively detailed in execution, and apocalyptic in its resolution. At its heart lies the sensualist and master art forger, Gentle, whose life unravels when he encounters Judith Odell, whose power to influence the destinies of men is vaster than she knows, and Pie 'oh' pah, an alien assassin who comes from a hidden dimension... -
Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsIn Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong.In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward...Categorized as:
coming-of-age found-family lgbtq magical-realism mlm paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
Shadowshaper Legacy by Daniel José Older
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe epic conclusion to the acclaimed Shadowshaper Cypher series!A house dividedSierra and the shadowshapers have been split apart. Juan, Anthony, and Izzy are in jail, anxiously waiting to find out what will become of them...Categorized as:
coming-of-age lgbtq magical-realism paranormal poc-mc action-adventure audiobook book -
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Raven Boys, a mesmerizing story of dreams and desires, death and destiny.Something is happening to the source of the dreamers' power. It is blocked. Diminished. Weak. If it goes away entirely, what will happen to the dreamers and those who depend on them?Ronan Lynch isn't planning to wait and find out... -
Dark Nebula by W.J. May
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNothing is as it seems anymore. Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon, the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness turn into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus...Categorized as:
coming-of-age magical-realism paranormal super-powered action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWelcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you've already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again. It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. And it isn't as safe...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dark found-family lgbtq magical-realism paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsMeet Quentin Sollys. Squire. Hockey fan. Canadian. And Crown Prince to the entire continent of North America, known as “the Westlands” to the fae, currently ruled by his parents, High King Aethlin and High Queen Maida. Not that most people know that, since he’s a blind foster squired to a changeling—not exactly something that screams “hidden royalty... -
Opal by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsAn enchanting story from Maggie Stiefvater featuring Opal, Ronan, and Adam from her bestselling Raven Cycle, taking place after the events of The Raven King...Categorized as:
dark found-family lgbtq magical-realism mlm paranormal 21st-century action-adventure -
Light by 'Nathan Burgoine
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKieran Quinn is a bit telepathic, a little psychokinetic, and very gay—three things that have gotten him through life perfectly well so far—but when self-styled prophet Wyatt Jackson arrives during Pride Week, things take a violent turn.Kieran’s powers are somewhat underwhelming but do have a habit of refracting light into spectacular rainbows for him to hide behind... -
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Flame and Ash by Morgan Brice
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe third novel in the Witchbane series. One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal... -
Omega's Shadow by Claire Cullen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOrdinary guy by day and protector of the city by night, Chris hides his true self from everyone. Even the omega he’s fallen for. But when Julian becomes the target of a dangerous shifter, Chris must risk it all to save him.Being an omega should define Julian’s life. In truth, it’s barely a footnote. He’s long abandoned his dream of being swept off his feet by an alpha... -
Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA tightly woven blend of myth, magic, and the ties of a found family.Ghosts that speak in smoke. Spirits with teeth like glass. A parasitic, soul-eating spirit worm has gone into a feeding frenzy, but all the Jong-ro Police Department’s violent crimes unit sees is a string of suicides. Except for Kim Han-gil, Seoul’s only spirit detective. He’s seen this before... -
Fool Me Twice by A.M. Rose
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Be a calm wave in the ocean of chaos.”Hart, perhaps, took that quote a bit too much to heart. In the midst of drama and the constant restlessness of his family, he chose to present himself as unwavering. Poised. Controlled. Even when inside, he’s anything but. There are layers to him underneath the perfection. Layers he’s desperately craving for someone to peel away... -
Adder and Willow by Sam Burns
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFletcher Lane has a problem. His boyfriend’s parents are coming for a visit, and they want to meet up... -
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Am I dead?”Mebuyen sighs. She was hoping the girl would not ask.Spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales: the magic in Isabel Yap’s debut collection jumps right off the page, from the joy in her new novella, 'A Spell for Foolish Hearts' to the terrifying tension of the urban legend 'Have You Heard the One About Anamaria Marquez'... -
Derivation by Lyn Gala
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDarren and Kavon have committed to each other, but magical rules are changing and that tests the strength of their bond. The death of a prominent Egyptian shaman and the shadowy remains of O'Brien's conspiracy to kill adepts and steal their magic also pressure the new couple... -
The Enforcer Enigma by G.L. Carriger, Gail Carriger
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA werewolf without rank or hope and an enforcer who has lived too long go up against the selkie mob.Charming urban fantasy from New York Times bestselling comedy author Gail Carriger.ENFORCERJudd has wandered from pack to pack his whole life, searching for wolves who will accept him for who he is and who he loves. Now he believes that he’s finally found the right pack and the right man... -
Elemental Thief by Rachel Morgan
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA young thief. Outlawed magic. A heist that’s about to change everything. In a near-future city shielded from the destructive elemental magic that rages through the wastelands, seventeen-year-old Ridley steals from the wealthy and secretly gives to those in need—which is far less of a crime than the other thing she spends her free time doing: using magic...Categorized as:
coming-of-age magical-realism mlm paranormal action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F.T. Lukens
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDesperate to pay for college, Bridger Whitt is willing to overlook the peculiarities of his new job—entering via the roof, the weird stacks of old books and even older scrolls, the seemingly incorporeal voices he hears from time to time—but it’s pretty hard to ignore being pulled under Lake Michigan by… mermaids? Worse yet, this happens in front of his new crush, Leo, the dreamy football star...Categorized as:
coming-of-age found-family lgbtq magical-realism mlm paranormal action-adventure bisexuality -
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Temptation in Shadows by Gena Showalter
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsOriginally released as part of THE BODYGUARD anthology, fall under the spell of Gena Showalter's paranormal romantic suspense novella "Temptation in Shadows." Every day he puts his life on the line, what will happen when it's his heart in jeopardy? Tall, lean, muscular—and definitely rough around the edges—Sean Walker is not your typical nightclub bodyguard... -
Ghost Girl in the Corner by Daniel José Older
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsH E L PTrying to shake off the strange malaise that separates her from even her girlfriend Izzy, Tee decides to take over the Bed-Stuy Searchlight for the summer. But then she finds an alluring violet dress in the newspaper office, and a cute ghost girl no one else can see...Categorized as:
lgbtq magical-realism paranormal poc-mc action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
The Thread That Binds the Bones by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTom Renfield, janitor-cum-taxi driver, has always had some weird abilities - seeing ghosts, perceiving other 'currents' of energy... but he's always tried to ignore them. Running from himself seems to be a large part of how he ended up in the tiny town of Arcadia... -
Midnight Taxi Tango by Daniel José Older
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe author of Half-Resurrection Blues returns in a new Bone Street Rumba Novel—a knife-edge, noir-shaded urban fantasy of crime after death.The streets of New York are hungry tonight... Carlos Delacruz straddles the line between the living and the not-so alive. As an agent for the Council of the Dead, he eliminates New York’s ghostlier problems... -
Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror & Delight by Ryan Douglass, Kalynn Bayron
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNight of the Living Queers is a YA horror anthology that explores a night when anything is possible, exclusively featuring queer authors of color putting fresh spins on classic horror tropes and tales.No matter its name or occasion, Halloween is more than a Hallmark holiday, it’s a symbol of transformation... -
Secrets by Jourdan Lane
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPeter's life gets more complicated with every passing day. His relationship with his vampire lover Lucien is on the rocks, he can't seem to get enough of his friend and confidant, Nicholas, and events going on inside the coven are making him wonder when everything is going to blow up in his face...
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