DarkSide DownUnder: Darklight On... DarkSider Reading for 2021!

First of all, it's Christmas Day and we wish everyone a fantastic day and holiday season!

Here at the DarkSide, we are not only authors but readers as well. We love reading like you do. Here's is what some of our DarkSiders read in 2021.

Melody Beckett

I am a prolific reader across many romance sub-genres, but some particular stand outs this year were:

Little Fire by Hollee Mands

The Jock by Tal Bauer

Strange Love by Ann Aguirre

Taken to Kor by Elizabeth Stephens

The Alpha Awakens by Anna Fury

I thoroughly enjoyed these books! They range from fantasy romance (Little Fire) to MM sports romance (The Jock), and even delve into inter-species love with beautifully heart-felt, and yet hilarious, writing (Strange Love). Then there’s an omegaverse first in series (The Alpha Awakens) and my absolute favourite for the year (Taken to Kor).

I am consciously diversifying my own reading to support authors of colour, authors from the LGBTQI+ community, and independently published authors. I post what I’m reading regularly on my Instagram, and love hearing what other are reading so please get in touch! @mel.beckett.author

melodybeckett.com

Marie Dry

I read so many good books this year, too many to mention them all. But here are a few highlights.

With the release of the new Foundation series I went back and read the Robot, Empire and Foundation books again. Asimov is just amazing. After all these decades he still had me reading when I should've been writing. I read the books in the order he recommended.

I, Robot.

The Caves of Steel.

The Naked Sun.
The Robots of Dawn.

Robots and Empire.

The Stars, Like Dust.

The Currents of Space.

Pebble in the Sky.

I am not a big fan of mafia books, but I saw a few suggestions on Facebook that looked good and I discovered Serena Akeroyd (check out her Amazon page). The characters in her mafia and mc series totally drew me in.

I also read Operation Nemesis by Eric Bogosian. I've had the book for a while but only read it this year. It was really good but heart wrenching to read about the plight of the Armenians.

I also read the Babylon 5 scripts. It is excellent reading. I'm very excited about the new series reboot, but I will always go back to the original series and give it another watch through each year.

One of my favourite reads this year was Becoming A Writer, Staying a Writer by J Michael Straczynski.

I have to mention the latest dust bunny book by Jayne Castle, Guild Boss. It was excellent and I loved going back to that world. I hope she writes more books set behind the curtain.

I read the latest books by Christine Feehan, Jayne Castle, Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, Rebecca Zanetti, Nalini Singh, Shelly Laurentson, Jeaniene Frost, Ruby Dixon, Laurann Dohner, Sherrilyn Kenyon.

As always I re-read The last hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith.

mariedry.com

Helen Walton

My book year kicked off with a dip back into Jeaniene Frost’s world of vampires with Wicked All Night. This series will forever be one of my favourites because vampires, do I need to say more?

Sprinkled throughout the year were more favourites by Lana Pecherczyk her Fae Guardians series The Dreams of Broken Kings, The Secrets in Shadow and Blood, and A Labyrinth of Fangs and Thorns. Then there was Pride from her Deadly Seven series, which I can’t wait for the last book while dreading the fact it will end.

Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland really tugged at my heartstrings and Sierra Simone’s New Camelot Trilogy was smoking hot. I love reading a variety of romance from contemporary to paranormal and plenty in between, so long as I get a happily ever after.

If you want to see the rest of my 2021 reads, follow me on Goodreads at Helen Walton.

helenwaltonauthor.com

Shelley Russell Nolan

My favourite reads for 2021:

Asylum by Lindsay Buroker - This stand-alone sci fi book is set in her Star Kingdom universe and I got to catch up with favourite characters after all their adventures in the series. I want more as I really loved these characters and all their quirks.

Entropy (Atrophy #4) and Final Dawn (Atrophy #5) by Jess Anastasi - The last two books in this sci fi series were a wild ride that I did not want to end. Loved getting to dive deep into Rian and Ella’s story in the last book. Did not want it to end.

Queen of the Shining Sea (Blade and Rose #4) by Miranda Honfleur - A fantasy romance that is epic in scale with magic and dragons and elves and so many twists and turns it kept me engrossed. Looking forward to reading the next book.

shelleyrussellnolan.com

Eleni Konstantine

This year I've been mainly concentrating on series I've started and making more of an effort to read more than one book of the series in the year, especially by authors I know (I like to take a little break between books to saviour them). I tend to read series as they were released but have started to mix it up so I can read newer and older series.

The series I read most of was Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews (urban fantasy/paranormal romance) I got hooked on this series a few years ago. However, I remember finding the first book confusing as we were thrust into the world with little explanation.

Subsequent books didn't have this and I fell in love with the Kate and the way she went into the post-Shift world head first with lots of wit and lots of action. Her and Curran's relationship was also a big draw as the books went on.

I finally finished off the Kate Daniels series with Magic Triumphs but I'll still get my fix of that world with two spin off series featuring Julie (Aurelia Ryder) and Hugh (Iron Covenant). Speaking of Hugh, who would have thought I'd like him but he makes a change and we understand him more in Iron and Magic.

I also read the first in The Innkeeper Chronicles, Clean Sweep. Completely different world building with aliens secretly on Earth. Another 5 star read.

I have enjoyed is Night Huntress series in recent years and the spin-offs, the Night Rebel series being the one I read this year. These books feature Ian getting his just deserts by falling in love with Veritas. There's lots of action as any good urban fantasy/paranormal romance should have but there's also lots of fun and wit in them. Another big draw card is the developing relationship between the couple. I listened to these in audio format and the narrator Tavia Gilbert does a fantastic job.

Now onto my favourites from people I know.

Hell Squad series by Anna Hackett (Sci-Fi Romance)

I started reading this series last year and continued to read more from Reed (Book 4) to Holmes (Book 8). I've got plenty to go and looking forward to seeing how this series turns out. It has action, adventure, sex and love, and Anna writes it in a natural way that draws you into the characters and their plight to fight off alien invaders.

A change of genre now and we're onto historical romance. My favourite author in this genre is Australia's Anne Gracie. I have loved every book I've ever read of hers. She creates beautiful series with enticing characters you can't help but fall in love with. I'm currently reading her Marriage of Convenience series and read Marry in Scandal (Book 2) and Marry in Secret (Book 3) this year. I would have read Book 4 but I realised it wasn't on my TBR shelf. It's just been delivered and I'm looking forward to reading it soon.

Another favourite author is Keri Arthur. I'm currently reading two of her urban fantasy series - Dark Angels (Books 4 & 5 in 2021) and Lizzie Grace (Books 3 to 5 in 2021). I've enjoyed both these series more as they go on and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in each series. Both lead characters are strong women who go out of their way to help others. The world building in both series is alluring - I love finding something new in each book - and the heroes are yummy. I'm cheering that these two get their HEA at the end of the series but for the moment, there's a whole lot of trouble and heartache ahead.

There are more books I have enjoyed by fellow DarkSiders this year. All but one were in a series, and those with an asterisk being books that finished off the series. Yay!

Circus Games by Lilliana Rose *
Be Mine Forever (Detectives Kane and Alton #11) by D.K. Hood
Dark Child (Bloodsworn): Episode 1 by Adina West
Every Breath You Take by Christina Phillips
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior (Shadowlands #3) by Shona Husk *
My Highland Lover: Forbidden Fantasy (Highlander Romance #4) by Cathleen Ross
Night of the Dark Horse (Allegra Fairweather Mystery #5) by Janni Nell *
Tainted (The Druid Chronicles #4) by Christina Phillips *
Unforgotten (The Fallen Guardians #2) by Cassie Laelyn
The Virgin Hunt Games (The Virgin Hunt Games #1) by Mel Teshco