Books like 'Subversive'
Readers who enjoyed Subversive by Colleen Cowley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance alternate history urban fantasy supernatural historical-fiction paranormal magic enemies-to-lovers
-
Draakenwood by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSomeone is killing members of the old families…and the evidence points to Whyborne. Widdershins has been unusually quiet for months. But now a mysterious creature from the Outside is on the loose, assassinating members of the town’s old families by draining their blood... -
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever...Categorized as:
gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards alternate-history -
The Shadows over Marquette by Álex Gilbert
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAriane has found refuge in Illinois, and now plans her rightful return to vampire society. She must stay in control while hiding in nature, while foes old and new converge on her territory...Categorized as:
witches-wizards female-mc industrial-era paranormal myths gaslamp fantasy urban-fantasy -
Necropolis by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsan alternate cover edition can be found hereIntroverted scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne has spent the last few months watching his lover, Griffin Flaherty, come to terms with the rejection of his adoptive family. So when an urgent telegram from Christine summons them to Egypt, Whyborne is reluctant to risk the fragile peace they’ve established...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
-
The Echo Trilogy Collection by Lindsey Sparks
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAll three novels and both Echo Trilogy novellas bundled together!Their love is destined to shatter the boundaries of time...Archaeology grad student Alexandra Larson's world is turned upside down when her mother shares her deepest, darkest secret--that she doesn't know the true identity of Lex's father. The revelation sparks a change within Lex, and her dreams become far too real...Categorized as:
female-mc paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history book fiction historical -
Hexslayer by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHorse shifter Nick has one rule: never trust a witch.Nick has devoted his life to making his saloon a safe haven for the feral familiars of New York. So when a brutal killer slaughters a feral under his protection, Nick has no choice but to try and catch the murderer. Even if that means bonding with a handsome Irish witch... -
The Convent's Secret by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTo find the one man who can fix the magic in Matt’s watch, he and India are led to a convent where the nuns will do anything to keep their secrets private. Including murder? Matt and India must uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the mother superior and two babies given to her care many years ago. But sometimes, the truth is painful and its exposure can have deadly consequences... -
The Shadow of Water by Jacquelyn Benson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLily Albright can see the future, and it looks like hell. In an England on the brink of war, Lily is plagued by visions of the cataclysmic destruction of London. An ancient prophecy is coming to fruition, and it starts with the gruesome discovery of a corpse in the sewers.To save her city, Lily must untangle a web of conspiracy and violence... -
Tempting Fate by April White
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Clocker, Saira Elian is back on the run and being hunted by Mongers. The Descendants of War are amassing power in the 21st century, bent on controlling all the Immortal Descendants. Their attempt to kidnap Saira, a rare Descendant of Time and Nature, reveals just how brazen they’ve become...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book fiction -
Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDead wizards, stolen enchantments, and broken promises force a young spellbreaker out of the shadows in the next thrilling installment of the Spellbreaker series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden...Categorized as:
female-mc gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards -
The Fire in the Glass by Jacquelyn Benson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLondon, 1914. Lily’s visions could stop a killer… if she’ll trust a reclusive aristocrat with her darkest secret.A monster stalks the gaslit streets of Edwardian London, draining the blood of the city’s mediums. Lily Albright knows who’s next.Lily is plagued by visions of the future she can never change...Categorized as:
gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal alternate-history book fiction -
Angel Fury by Ella Summers
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCadence Lightbringer, daughter of a legendary archangel, has always known her gods-endowed magic comes with a price. As an angel in the Legion of Angels, she lives where the Legion commands her to live, trains how the Legion tells her to train, and marries whom the Legion instructs her to marry. Somehow it all sounded simpler in her head...Categorized as:
dystopia female-mc industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDon’t miss this spin-off from Allie Therin's acclaimed Magic in Manhattan universe! Their scandalous pasts have left them wounded and unworthy—and hopelessly perfect together. London, 1925Sebastian de Leon is adjusting to life after three years spent enthralled by blood magic... -
Angel Fire by Ella Summers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCadence Lightbringer, daughter of an archangel, has trained from birth to one day drink the Nectar of the gods and ascend to the angels’ ranks. She’s always been the perfect soldier. She’s always known exactly where her life is headed. Until she is assigned to a mission with Damiel Dragonsire, Master Interrogator of the Legion of Angels...Categorized as:
female-mc industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
-
Vow of Deception by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith the wedding only days away, the Ministry is thrown into turmoil when another murder is committed by a shape-shifter. But this time the newspapers make the connection to werewolves – and the Ministry. Suddenly the attention is focused on Lichfield Towers and its residents as the police investigate and parliament wants to shut the organization down...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal alternate-history audiobook book crime -
Hexmaker by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA straight-laced policeman. A lighthearted thief. A murdered millionaire.Fox shifter Malachi steals for one of the biggest crime rings in New York City. But when he witnesses the murder of a millionaire, the only person who can keep him safe is Dr. Owen Yates, forensic hexman for the Metropolitan Witch Police—and Malachi’s witch.Owen is horrified to discover his familiar is an uneducated thief... -
The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe hotly anticipated third book in the bestselling Bone Season series – a ground-breaking, dystopian fantasy of extraordinary imaginationFollowing a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal 21st-century action-adventure aliens -
The Magician's Diary by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPRAISE FOR C.J. ARCHER'S GLASS AND STEELE SERIES: "Part romance, part mystery, part magic; all of which a joy to read." - Dreamer J's Book Reviews "This story has everything I look for in a quality, entertaining piece of fiction. 1) A strong female lead, 2) a dark and mysterious male character (I admit, they are my weakness), 3) eloquent writing, and 4) lots of quirky humor and banter... -
Marking Time by April White
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSeventeen-year-old tagger Saira Elian can handle anything... a mother who mysteriously disappears, a stranger who stalks her around London, and even the noble English Grandmother who kicked Saira and her mother out of the family...Categorized as:
female-mc gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc -
The Dark by Marianne Curley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEthan and Isabel, heroes from The Named, are on a more exciting journey than ever and are joined by Isabel's brother Matt, who is still getting accustomed to life in the Guard. Arkarian, their ageless mentor, has been kidnapped and sent by the Goddess of Chaos to a frighteningly dark underworld...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure alternate-history book dark -
The Key by Marianne Curley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe battle to protect the future is coming to an end as the evil Order of Chaos launches their final attack on the Named. To defeat the Order, the Named must locate the Key to a treasury of weapons hidden somewhere in the ancient city of Atlantis. The race is on to capture the Key before a horde of undead soldiers find it...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure alternate-history book demons -
The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratings#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris is at her best in this alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this third installment of the Gunnie Rose series...Categorized as:
dystopia female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal politics witches-wizards -
Hessians and Hellhounds by Tilly Wallace
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFire erases all… even the undead.... One of London’s most recognisable Afflicted is erased from the earth in a fiery way. Whispers spread that a hellhound prowls the streets, snatching the lost souls who have escaped the afterworld...Categorized as:
gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
Firestarter by Tara Sim
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe crew of the Prometheus is intent on taking down the world’s clock towers so that time can run freely. Now captives, Colton, Daphne, and the others have a stark choice: join the Prometheus’s cause, or fight back in any small way they can and face the consequences. But Zavier, leader of the terrorists, has a bigger plan—to bring back the lost god of time...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era magic myths paranormal alternate-history audiobook book -
-
Hexhunter by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDetective Bill Quigley fell in love with the familiar Isaac the night they met. But after more than two years, it’s time to admit to himself that Isaac doesn’t return his feelings. Isaac knows he’s too broken by his experiences for anyone to fall in love with. Especially someone like Bill, who deserves a partner unplagued by Isaac’s nightmares and doubts...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal witches-wizards abuse adult alternate-history angst -
The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic myths paranormal witches-wizards alternate-history audiobook book -
Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWill a dark history doom their future together?New York copper Tom Halloran is a man with a past. If anyone finds out he once ran with the notorious O'Connell tunnel gang, he'll spend the rest of his life doing hard time behind bars. But Tom's secret is threatened when a horrible murder on his beat seems to have been caused by the same ancient magic that killed his gang... -
The Apothecary's Poison by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen a newspaper report of a medical miracle catches Matt's eye, he and India go in search of Dr. Hale in the hope he is more magical doctor than miracle worker and can lead them to Chronos. But Hale turns out to be an apothecary magician keen to educate the public about magic. Their disappointment at not finding Chronos is soon forgotten when Hale is murdered, and Matt becomes a suspect... -
The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEverything she loved is gone.Trapped. Aileana Kameron, the Falconer, disappeared through the fae portal she was trying to close forever. Now she wakes in an alien world of mirrors, magic, and deception—a prisoner of the evil fae Lonnrach, who has a desperate and deadly plan for his new captive.Tortured...Categorized as:
dystopia female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc -
Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves... -
The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA curated collection of magic…and murder.When a set of bound manuscripts written on magician-made paper is brought to the Glass Library, Sylvia and the professor send the owner away. After all, the library collects books about magic, not containing it.But the murder of the bookbinder who bound them sees the books returned to the library, along with Gabe in his role as consultant for Scotland Yard...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal industrial-era romance fantasy mystery audiobook -
The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsJune 1812. Just weeks after her catastrophic coming-out ball, Lady Helen Wrexhall—now disowned by her uncle—is a full member of the demon-hunting Dark Days Club. Her mentor, Lord Carlston, has arranged for Helen to spend the summer season in Brighton so that he can train her new Reclaimer powers... -
The Warrior God by Eliza Raine, Rose Wilson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAnger management isn’t so bad when your shrink is gorgeous. It’s less great when you turn up to find him dead on the floor, and an armored giant dressed like a freaking ancient warrior standing over his body though. Ares, the God of War, has lost his power and the only way for him to get it back? Me. Apparently, I’m a goddess. One with the power of war. I mean, it does explain a lot...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers female-mc magic myths paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history -
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsRed White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light, featuring an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies. Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses... -
-
Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe final book of the acclaimed Glamourist Histories is the magical adventure that might result if Jane Austen walked on the darker side of the Regency...Jane and Vincent have finally gotten some much-needed rest after their adventures in Italy when Vincent receives word that his estranged father has passed away on one of his properties in the West Indies...Categorized as:
female-mc gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century -
Angel Fever by Ella Summers
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCadence Lightbringer has everything. The prestige and power that comes with being the Angel of Storm Castle. Her archangel husband and soulmate, Damiel Dragonsire, Master Interrogator in the Legion of Angels. And their son Nero, a miracle of magic, the first and only child of two angels.But the Legion’s mission to exterminate dark magic brings trouble to Cadence’s door...Categorized as:
female-mc industrial-era magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott, Amy Griswold
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the sequel to Lambda Literary Award-winning Death by Silver, metaphysician Ned Mathey and private detective Julian Lynes again challenge magical and murderous threats in a Victorian London not quite the city in our history books. Mathey is recruited by Scotland Yard to assist the new Metaphysical Crimes Squad in the case of a literally heartless corpse...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal adult alternate-history audiobook book -
Blind Tiger by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings1924, Chicago. Prohibition is in full swing and gang bosses rule the city with might—and magic.When Sam Cunningham flees his small-town life to try his luck in the big city of Chicago, he quickly finds himself in over his head in a world of gangs, glitz, and glamour. Fortunately, he has his cousin Eldon to teach him the trade of hex-making...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal witches-wizards abuse action-adventure adult alternate-history -
Galvanism and Ghouls by Tilly Wallace
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTogether beyond death... A new unnatural horror is about to rattle Hannah Miles' quiet existence, and it's not the short-tempered viscount prowling the hallways. Someone is creating a monster by stitching together pieces of different people. When a limb makes an escape attempt, Viscount Wycliff is called to investigate...Categorized as:
paranormal historical-fiction magic industrial-era gaslamp witches-wizards romance fantasy -
Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsClock mechanic Danny Hart knows he's being watched. But by whom, or what, remains a mystery. To make matters worse, clock towers have begun falling in India, though time hasn't Stopped yet. He'd hoped after reuniting with his father and exploring his relationship with Colton, he'd have some time to settle into his new life. Instead, he's asked to investigate the attacks... -
The Ink Master's Silence by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt should be a happy time for India and Matt, but forces beyond their control conspire to ruin their future. A distraction from their troubles comes in the form of murder. When the editor of The Weekly Gazette is killed, controversial journalist and ink magician Oscar Barratt asks India and Matt to investigate... -
Her Majesty's Necromancer by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen bodies go missing from the cemetery, Lincoln and the Ministry of Curiosities investigate. But not Charlie. As a housemaid at Lichfield Towers, she doesn't get involved in Ministry business.Instead, she conducts investigations of her own. She searches for details about her real mother, and makes inquiries into Lincoln's background... -
Spectred Isle by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsArchaeologist Saul Lazenby has been all but unemployable since his disgrace during the War. Now he scrapes a living working for a rich eccentric who believes in magic. Saul knows it’s a lot of nonsense...except that he begins to find himself in increasingly strange and frightening situations. And at every turn he runs into the sardonic, mysterious Randolph Glyde...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult alternate-history -
All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratings#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author returns with the fifth installment in the bestselling Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brother Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates... -
-
A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the second of the Gunnie Rose series, in which Lizbeth is hired onto a new crew, transporting a crate into Dixie, the self-exiled southeast territory of the former United States. What the crate contains is something so powerful, that forces from across three territories want to possess it...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
Starcrossed by Allie Therin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen everything they’ve built is threatened, only their bond remains…New York, 1925Psychometric Rory Brodigan’s life hasn’t been the same since the day he met Arthur Kenzie. Arthur’s continued quest to contain supernatural relics that pose a threat to the world has captured Rory’s imagination—and his heart...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal 20th-century action-adventure adult age-gap alternate-history -
The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsA story too secret, too terrifying—and too shockingly intimate—for Victorian eyes. A note to the Editor Dear Henry, I have been Simon Feximal’s companion, assistant and chronicler for twenty years now, and during that time my Casebooks of Feximal the Ghost-Hunter have spread the reputation of this most accomplished of ghost-hunters far and wide...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal abuse action-adventure adult alternate-history -
Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsA world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them...Categorized as:
female-mc gaslamp historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century -
The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg returns to the enchanting world of The Paper Magician.Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking—the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery... -
The Mapmaker's Apprentice by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen an apprentice from the Mapmakers' Guild goes missing, Matt and India are employed to find him. Going undercover as a married couple, they discover that not everyone at the guild is what they seem, and the lad's unearthly maps caused jealousy, suspicion and fear...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.