Books like 'Babel, or the Necessity of Violence'
Readers who enjoyed Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Three Charms for Murder by Honor Raconteur
It takes more than three charms to commit murder.When an old childhood friend comes to Henri asking for help in solving his parents’ murders, Henri agrees immediately. He knows this case is not going to be easy. Mr. and Mrs. Atwood’s bodies had been found magically posed to mimic a statue, and the investigator in charge ruled it a murder-suicide... -
Death Over the Garden Wall by Honor Raconteur
Three modus operandi to die. Four employees, six house guests, and not a single witness.Confusing clues and no helpful leads cloud the death of Countess Giada Barese, who washed up on shore two weeks after her mysterious disappearance. Henri and Jamie have no idea if her death is a homicide, suicide, or accidental death, for nothing adds up... -
Diamonds and Blood by B.R. Kingsolver
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSixty million in diamonds and a dead billionaire. Sometimes even a successful heist has its problems. Bags of diamonds and breathtaking jewelry are the only clues to a chain of puzzling murders. When Libby’s questions draw the attention of Montreal’s organized crime bosses, she finds herself a target... -
Grimoires and Where to Find Them by Honor Raconteur
How do you catch an elusive thief?There is nothing more delightful than a bookfaire with his lady love. At least, until Henri learns that a grimoire belonging to the dangerous Reaper’s Set has been stolen without its protective box. When Henri and Jamie go looking for answers, they are horrified to discover more than one volume has been stolen without its protective box... -
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Magic Outside the Box by Honor Raconteur
Henri is quite accustomed to dangerous and unusual cases landing in his lap. Being partnered to the Shinigami Detective likely has something to do with it. What he is NOT accustomed to is the queen herself marching into his lab and handing them such a case. Former Royal Mage Joseph Burtchell was found dead in his home, all signs pointing to murder... -
Breaking and Entering 101 by Honor Raconteur
Since Jamie and Henri agreed to be Kingsmen consultants, they’d not had much call to actually consult. Which is a fortuitous thing, as Henri is up to his neck in labwork and interviews for a new Magical Examiner due to Sanderson’s departing. He is hardly in any position to add more tasks onto his shoulders.Which, naturally, means two disasters strike at once... -
Miss Percy's Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons by Quenby Olson
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFirst, there was a trunk. Inside the trunk was an egg, and inside the egg was…Well, it certainly was not a chicken.Miss Mildred Percy, former wallflower and current adventurer, is now in charge of a dragon. Along with Mr. Wiggan and Mrs... -
Black Soul, White Heart by Hailey Edwards
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsVonda Winterbourne is, sadly, a lady. Much to her regret. And her parents expect her to act like one. That includes marrying a nice white witch who can provide her safety, companionship, and all the comforts one could desire in their gilded cage.Hiram Nádasdy is no gentleman. He’s a black witch with a reputation that strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies. But not in the girl... -
The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 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... -
Marking Time by April White
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 30 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... -
A Matter of Secrets and Spies by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHow many ways can a marriage proposal go wrong?One: the ring gets stolenTwo: a storm destroys the beachThree: a dead body, seriously?Four: A THEFT RING?!Come hell or highwater, he WILL propose before leaving this benighted island... -
A Haunting Touch by Ward Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNightmare on memory lane.I’m Darla. I’m a psychometrist. I can read thoughts and emotions left upon objects. Some people call my ability a “gift.” Some people are idiots.You see, my ability isn’t providing easy answers when I try to learn who killed one of my inn’s guests, a developer about to cover a scenic meadow with condos.The dead developer created another problem... -
A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott, Amy Griswold
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs
The Traveler Seraph must use all her cunning and ability as a Raven mage to track down an unimaginable force of destruction known as the Shadowed... -
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City of Dawn by Kat Ross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeven keys and seven gates, forged by a god’s rebellious seventh son.They lead to the fabled City of Dawn.But is it a treasure trove… or a gilded prison?Hurled halfway across the world, Malach and Alexei must join forces to stop the body-snatching alchemist Balaur from stealing an elixir of immortality—assuming they don’t end up killing each other first... -
Heartless by Gail Carriger
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsLady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past... -
Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsMysteries abound in Spindle Manor.For Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the countryside inn is the last stop in a deadly hunt. Armed with gaslamp and guns, she tracks an insidious beast that wears the skin of its victims, mimicking them perfectly. Ten guests reside within Spindle Manor tonight, and the creature could be any one of them... -
Ferromancer by Becca Andre
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSolutions aren’t always black and white—sometimes they come in shades of iron gray.Captain Bridget “Briar” Rose wants for nothing. Each day is a new adventure, living the life she loves, running cargo on the Ohio & Erie Canal. That is, until her cousin decides to sell the family boat to finance a new business venture... -
Bedeviled by Nicole McKeon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMonsters couldn’t have chosen a worse time to invade New London. Lady Gwen is busy with headstrong teenagers, a confusing love triangle, and a sister who refuses to speak to her. She has no time for vampires and werewolves. ButWorse, no one will believe her warnings about the impending faerie invasion… not even the fae refugees hiding in the city... -
Quicksilver by Amanda Quick
In the New York Times-bestselling author's latest Arcane Society novel, a paranormal killer pushes an unlikely duo's powers and passions to the limit. Virginia Dean wakes at midnight beside a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand and no memory of the evening's events. Dark energy, emanating from the mirrors lining the room, overpowers her senses... -
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAn Indie Next PickNow in paperback, Natasha Pulley's "witty, entrancing novel . . . burnishes her reputation as a gifted storyteller" (Publishers Weekly, starred review).In 1859, ex–East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne is trapped at home in Cornwall with an injury that almost cost him his leg... -
Tall & Dark by Suzannah Rowntree
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGhosts, grifters…and a missing heir in 1890s Europe.It’s easier to conduct a séance when the dead aren’t trying to contact you. As Molly Dark knows all too well, the problem with being able to see ghosts is that they never tell you what you wish to know. For instance, how a proper young lady like Miss Dark is supposed to support an impoverished family after her father has died a ruined man... -
The Bandalore by D.K. Girl
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings1885 London, England Silas Mercer died once. He'd rather not do it again.On his return to the world of the living, Silas finds himself in the hands of the mysterious Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Order has London society clamouring for their services, with tarot readings, seances and exorcisms among their arcane specialities. Now they seem intent on making Silas their newest recruit... -
A Golden Grave: A Rose Gallagher Mystery by Erin Lindsey
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe follow-up to Murder on Millionaires' Row , Erin Lindsey's second historical mystery follows Rose Gallagher as she tracks a killer with shocking abilities through Gilded Age Manhattan.Rose Gallagher always dreamed of finding adventure, so her new life as a freshly-minted Pinkerton agent ought to be everything she ever wanted... -
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The Shores of Spain by J. Kathleen Cheney
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA brilliant new chapter in the Novels of the Golden City. Even as the branches of peace are being offered, there are some who still believe those who are not human should be used as chattel. And they are willing to go to great lengths to retain their power... -
The Train by Cari Z.
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAnton Seiber, journeyman thaumaturge, has finally escaped his dead-end job identifying bodies in the morgues of London. He’s off to seek a brighter future…or he would be, if he hadn’t just been robbed, mugged, and turned away from the only train that will help him reach that future on time... -
The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA girl visits a bazaar in Cairo, seeking a favor from a mysterious angelic being.This story first appeared in the anthology Clockwork Cairo: Steampunk Tales of Egypt... -
Pawn of the Phoenix by Jamie McLachlan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsBraxton, 1903.The serial killer known only as the Phoenix continues to roam the streets and a new victim falls prey. For Moira and Detective Keenan Edwards, still on the hunt for the Phoenix, the rules have changed. The killer remains beyond their grasp. Moira is willing to give into her fierce attraction to Keenan...Categorized as:
mystery new adult suspense fantasy historical urban fantasy paranormal length-medium -
The Clockwork Menace by Bec McMaster
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFriends, partners, and professionals. So just why is this case coming between them? In a Victorian London ruled by the blood-drinking elite, Perry Lowell is a logical and accomplished Nighthawk: a rogue blue blood who tracks murderers and thieves for the Guild... -
A Pendant for Trouble by Rosalie Oaks
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA mysterious pendant, a distracting earl, an unfolding scandal...Miss Elinor Avely can’t resist the call of a large jewel mysteriously concealed at a ducal garden party. After all, if the Earl of Beresford isn’t attending, what else is Elinor to do with herself? Her talent for divining jewels can be an intriguing distraction for once, instead of a carefully guarded family secret... -
The Seer by Jordan Reece
Detective Laeric Scoth is good at his job, but he’s also an ass. And Jesco Currane has just gotten stuck with him on the most frustrating case of their careers.When the body of a courier is discovered in an alley, Jesco is called in to assist with his seer skills. All he has to do is touch the clothing of the deceased to identify the killer... -
The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick
Beatrice Lockwood, one of the intrepid ladies of Lantern Street, is in the middle of a case when her past comes back to haunt her. Joshua North, a former spy for the Crown, has come out of a self-imposed retirement after a disastrous case that left him scarred and forced to use a cane. He is hunting the villain who is blackmailing his sister... -
The Courtship of Julian St. Albans by Amy Crook
Alexander Benedict is a misanthropic thirtysomething magical consultant, working with the Agency's top homicide detective, and perfectly content with his life, thank you very much.Julian St. Albans is the youthful heir to his family's fortune and affiancéd to his beloved Cecil Mandeville, a family friend as well as Julian's lover... -
The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess by Leanna Renee Hieber
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Goddess: In the beginning, there were lovers: a winged deity of power and light, and a queen of grace and beauty. Phoenix was murdered, his beloved stolen away to the Whisper-world. But their passion inspired the Muses. Through great sacrifice, it could live again. The Guard: There are always six, mortal hosts for the divine... -
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Heart's Blood by Gail Dayton
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMaster conjurer Grey Carteret regains consciousness in a London gutter next to a concerned street urchin and not far from the body of a man murdered by magic. Some fool is hoping to use murder to raise a demon. Arrested for the crime, Grey must rely on the street urchin for help. But the lad turns out to be a comely lass, and she wants something in exchange... -
Carnivorous Cupid by Stephanie Rose
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEros. Also known as Cupid. Greek god of love and sexual desire.Sometimes depicted as an adorable, chubby little boy with wings, carrying a bow and arrows, flying around merrily, making everyone fall in love.That's not Eros. Not anymore.Eros is mad. He's all grown up now. And he's on a mission to provoke chaos, starting with humans.Instead of producing love, his arrows now produce hunger... -
A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by Beth Cato
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA world on the brink of war and a mother and daughter on the run, in a thrilling novel of swashbuckling adventure, culinary magic, and just desserts.Adamantine “Ada” Garland has an empathic connection to food and wine, a magical perception of aromas, flavors, and ingredients... -
A Sanctuary of Spirits by Leanna Renee Hieber
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsNew York, 1899, and the police department’s best ally is the secret Ghost Precinct, where spirits and psychics help solve the city’s most perplexing crimes . . . There’s more than one way to catch a killer—though the methods employed by the NYPD’s Ghost Precinct, an all-female team of psychics and spiritualists led by gifted young medium Eve Whitby, are unconventional to say the least... -
Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsEvangeline Ames has rented a country cottage far from the London streets where she was recently attacked. Fascinated by the paranormal energy of nearby CrystalGardens, she finds pleasure in sneaking past the wall to explore the grounds. And when her life is threatened again, she instinctively goes to the gardens for safety... -
Winter of the Gods by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Rated: 3.87 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMyth and reality collide in this sequel to The Immortals that sets Greek Gods against a modern Manhattan backdrop.Manhattan has many secrets. Some are older than the city itself.Winter in New York: snow falls, lights twinkle, and a very disgruntled Selene DiSilva prowls the streets looking for prey... -
Mark of the Witch by Maggie Shayne
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Maggie Shayne comes the first novel in her thrilling new trilogy, THE PORTAL She was born to save what he is sworn to destroy... A lapsed Wiccan, Indira Simon doesn't believe in magic anymore... -
The Moonstone and Miss Jones by Jillian Stone
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen he is hired by Professor Lovecraft, who has been tinkering with the secrets of life and death, to find the fabled Moonstone, Phaeton Black brings his lady friend Miss America Jones, the daughter of a Cajun witch, along on an adventure that leads them Title: The Moonstone and Miss Jones Author: Stone, Jillian Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Publication Date: 2012/09/25 Number of... -
Jaguar Night by Doranna Durgin
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsImagine a world where a sleek, dark jaguar wanders after twilight, seeking his mate, offering her protection from harm and the most sensual nights her heart could ever desire….At dusk he prowled the Southwest, a huge, sleek black jaguar with startling blue eyes and a man's thoughts. A shape-shifting Sentinel, Dolan Treviño projected an intensely animalistic aura that hid the scars of his past... -
The Dastardly Miss Lizzie by Viola Carr
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDr. Eliza Jekyll must turn to her dark side, Miss Lizzie Hyde, to stop a madman targeting London’s most important scientists and sorcerers terrorizing the city with dark magic in this third Electric Empire novel—a dazzlingly original steampunk fantasy set in the gritty world of alternate Victorian London, with echoes of H G. Wells classic, The Time MachineBeing two people in one body isn’t easy... -
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Gilded by Karina Cooper
The second book in Karina Cooper's stunning steampunk series featuring fearless heroine Cherry St. Croix, in which she is faced with two men after her heart—and one killer out for her blood. In the gleaming heights of Victorian London, a world of deception awaits an unconventional Society lady whose taste for adventure makes her a most formidable adversary . . -
New Blood by Gail Dayton
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn 1636, the last blood sorceress was burned at the stake. More than two hundred years later, her blood servant Jax has found her successor. Amanusa at first turns down the opportunity to learn what she perceives as an evil art. But she craves justice, and innocent blood cries out for justice... -
Forever (Montgomery/Taggert (Publication order) #24) by Jude Deveraux
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom A Knight in Shining Armor to The Mulberry Tree, Jude Deveraux's bestsellers sparkle with stunning originality, heartfelt wit, and adventurous passion. Now, this superb storyteller mixes the flavor of a classic fairy tale with a very modern love story -- set in a town locked in the shadows of an abiding evil -- in this imaginative new novel. Forever.. -
The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose
Rated: 3.74 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsBook three of The Reincarnationist series.Haunted by his inability to stop the murder of a beautiful young painter twenty years ago, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work with the FBI's Art Crime Team... -
The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
The first book in a wildly inventive and mesmerizing new fantasy series from acclaimed author Josiah Bancroft where magical mysteries abound and only one team can solve The Hexologists. The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life... -
The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
Rated: 3.68 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLearning the truth of her mythic past and that of the reincarnated souls called The Guard is only the beginning, for young Percy Parker’s destiny is to defend both the world and true love from the gathering undead minions of Darkness...
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