Hello friends! Today, I’m listing my top five favorite authors and why they are my favorites. These authors span quite a few genres from Young Adult Fantasy to Adult Supernatural. All of the authors on this list have written books that are near and dear to my heart to this day. Without further ado, here they are!
1. Leigh Bardugo
I love Leigh Bardugo because each and every one of her books portrays well-rounded, realistic characters in intricate and vivid settings. I was first introduced to her books with the iconic Six of Crows duology. When I tell you this is by far one of the best series I have ever read, I truly mean it. It’s a heist book with some of the most clever characters, scenarios, and plot lines and it sucked me in from page one. I highly recommend it if you enjoy fantasy, magic, heists, and intricate plotlines. The most recent book I read by Leigh Bardugo is Ninth House. Ninth House, unlike the rest of her books, is an adult supernatural book that takes place in Yale. It has a gripping storyline that delves into the secret societies of the prestigious university, adding a supernatural layer to them that grips the audience immediately.
Leigh Bardugo herself is an absolute icon, with a witchy goth aesthetic and a killer personality. I had the honor to meet her last January at an event in Miami and that was really the first time I’d ever been starstruck in the presence of an author. She was super humble and an absolute delight, which quite frankly only added to my admiration of her books.
My Favorite Books by this Author:
- Six of Crows
- Crooked Kingdom
- Ninth House
- King of Scars
2. VE Schwab / Victoria Schwab
If I were to pinpoint a single author on this list that is my absolute, number one favorite, it would be Victoria Schwab. I have fallen in love with every single book she has ever published. In her novels, which span from Adult to Middle Grade, Victoria Schwab plays around with ideas of good and evil, messing with those tropes and challenging traditional ideas of good v. bad. I was first introduced to VE Schwab’s books with her adult fiction novel, Vicious. This book, the first in her Villains series, comprises a series of truly villainous characters. Still, even as these characters strive for revenge or worse, you cannot help but pick favorites and root for some of them. The best way I can describe this book is by calling it a novel built of only slytherins (except for one hufflepuff).
I got to meet VE Schwab at BookCon a couple of times, and each and every single one, she has been courteous and humble about her books, even as her popularity rose. She is truly one of the kindest authors I have ever met and she is by far one of the most talented individuals I have ever laid eyes on. I cannot recommend her or her books enough.
My Favorites by this Author:
- Vicious
- Vengeful
- A Darker Shade of Magic (Series)
- The Monsters of Verity (Series)
- City of Ghosts
3. Maggie Stiefvater
Maggie Stiefvater primarily writes magical realism books. Her books are packed full of magic, with stunning descriptions and vivid settings that draw in the audience. My favorite series by her is definitely The Raven Cycle. It follows a group of friends as they search for a dead welsh king. As weird as that sounds, this book is full of beautiful trees, well-written characters, and friend groups you could only wish to aspire to. Her books generally have elements of romance, magic, nature, and the supernatural. If you want to read an author that is primarily in the real world but adds a taste of magic, this is definitely the author for you.
My Favorite Books by this Author:
- The Raven Cycle (Series)
- Call Down the Hawk
- All the Crooked Saints
4. Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor’s books are stunning works of literature that use classic tropes and turn them into something unique and interesting. Her books are full of seraphs, demons, and gods, capturing the readers’ imaginations with her tales of false monsters and fallen cities. The first book I read by her is called Strange the Dreamer. This is a book filled with vivid myths and stories. It is almost lyrical in nature. I will admit that the first fifty pages took a while for me to finish, but once I got past them, I could not put the book down. It was a fantasy with middle-eastern mythological vibes that was simply unlike anything else I had ever read. I highly recommend her books if you are interested in fantasy, the power of books, and mystical wars.
My Favorite Books by this Author:
- Strange the Dreamer
- Muse of Nightmares
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Series)
5. Jay Kristoff
Last but certainly not least is the most vulgar and gritty author of the list: Jay Kristoff. Just for the record, a lot of my favorite books by Jay Kristoff are co-written by Amie Kaufman, but the reason he is included in the list and she isn’t is that I have read some of his solo books and I haven’t read hers yet.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, Jay Kristoff has written just about everything from YA Sci-Fi to Adult Fantasy. My favorite series by him is definitely The Nevernight Chronicle. As a warning, this book is not for young audiences. Even then, this is by far one of the best books of all time. The main character is a cold-blooded badass that I cannot help but emulate as she brings a society to its knees. Furthermore, the Rome-esque empire in the book is incredibly well-written, with footnotes and everything. I highly recommend it if you like books on assassins, empires, and a whole lot of gore and cursing.
Although I have never met Mr. Kristoff in person, I have watched some of his instagram stories and he is absolutely hilarious. Prior to the release of one of his and Amie Kaufman’s new books, they did a read along and, since they live in Australia, I listened to their discussions early in the morning and they always started my day on a fantastic note.
My favorite books by this Author:
- The Nevernight Chronicle
- The Illuminae Files
- The Aurora Cycle
- LifeL1k3
Awkwardly Vain 