If you’ve ever looked at an author’s substantial backlist and wondered where to start, we’re here to help with “Which One First?” This month: Shelly Laurenston/GA Aiken!
There are a LOT of books under the Laurenston/Aiken name, and her series include interconnected packs of shifters of varying types, plus retellings of mythology and fantasy, too. The series include:
- The Magnus Pack
- The Pride Series
- The Honey Badger Chronicles, including Hot and Badgered, and In a Badger Way (In case you were curious, no, they don’t give a shit)
- The Gathering
- The Call of Crows trilogy (related to The Gathering series) including The Unleashing, The Undoing, and The Unyielding.
- The Long Island Coven series
- The Dragon Kin and the Blacksmith Queen series, both by GA Aiken
There are some stylistic differences between Laurenston books and Aiken books. Aiken titles tend to be fantasy stories that take place in a very different world, while the Laurenston books are paranormal shifter stories that take place in a setting much like or alongside our own.
All of them feature incredibly fierce characters, inclusive communities, found families, dry humor, and mid to high levels of in-world asskicking. Here are our picks as to which Laurenston/Aiken book we think is a great place to start.
Sarah:
I am sure there are no surprises that I think a great starting place with Laurenston-verse would be The Unleashing, Call of Crows book 1. It’s a superb example of what Laurenston can do when she dives deep into an existing mythology and rebuilds it from an inclusive, nuanced, and ferocious perspective.
Elyse: I second The Unleashing. It’s so so good and it has a doggo!
Sarah: It’s also a good intro to her style, and – YES I was just about to say, plus there’s Brodie Hawaii, super doggo.
Amanda: Aiken works better for me because the over the top-ness meshes better with a fantasy setting than contemporary. Of course, I have to go with Dragon Actually. Nothing but respect for my queen, Annwyl!
Sarah: Annwyl the Bloody! What’s not to love about her.
Amanda: Maria Vale might have discovered a connection between the two. Let me find the tweet!
https://twitter.com/MariaValeAuthor/status/1266892088089739270
Sarah: EEEEEEE I didn’t know that!
Aarya: As someone who’s read only one Aiken/Laurenston book, this isn’t my area of expertise. That being said, I really enjoyed The Blacksmith Queen so that can’t be a terrible place to start.
What about you? Do you have a Magnus pack favorite, or do you second some of our recs? For a reader new to the Laurenston/Aiken-verse, which book do you recommend readers start with?
Ever since my fanfiction reading days there’s been a big, werewolf shaped hole in my heart. I’m very interested in the Laurenston books but always put off by the covers and some of the titles (this is my problem with most paranormal/shifter romances though). Maybe I should just buy a book sleeve and get over myself. I also have “The Blacksmith Queen” on my wishlist since it was recommended on here a while ago.
The Mane Event containing Christmas Pride and Shaw’s tail is a great staring place. While timeline(and writing wise ) the Magnus Pack books come first, you don’t need them to enjoy the Pride series. They are filled with snarky comments and lots of humor. There is a scene with a chocolate desert in a restaurant that is just read out loud funny.
I started in the middle of the Pride Series, and I don’t think you need to read them in order. Maybe start with the best ones, Beast Behaving Badly and Bear Meets Girl.
The Unleashing is also a good place to start.
*cracks knuckles*
I actually stumbled on Shelly Laurenston a number of years ago, with PACK CHALLENGE (Magnus Pack #1). Loved it. Dove into the rest of that trilogy right away. I love, love, love the three F MC characters’ friendship. These should be read in order, most likely; these are also the rawest/earliest of her work.
You don’t need to read them to get into the Pride Series, though the three women will show up occasionally.
The Pride Series works well in order, particularly after the first 4 (or whatever it is once you hit Gwen/Locke’s book).
And the Pride Series sets up the Honey Badger Series, Which is *chef’s kiss* if you like Laurenston’s style.
The CALL OF CROWS is fabulous, too, and has an overall series arc.
You can read her Aiken series out of order, though it also does have an overall series plot arc and the books build on each other.
I agree with Maria Vale—I’m positive THE BLACKSMITH QUEEN is referring you Annwyl.
One of the many things I love about Laurenston is that her characters find the matches that are right FOR THEM. No character changes; even Blayne, in her quest to make Bo nicer, doesn’t genuinely expect him to change. She thinks he’s awesome and misunderstood; she just wishes others would see him this way, too. Often times a character is reviled by some in the series but is adored by a different cadre.
Finally, slightly off-topic, BIRDS OF PREY felt like watching a Laurenston novel. <3
While I’m a big fan of reading in order, I find the shifter books can be read out of order -at least until she introduces the overarching kidnapping/fight club plot. But why would you want to do that? WHY???
That being said, Here Kitty Kitty is a guaranteed mood changer for me and may be the funniest of her books. All props to Blayne, and the honeybadgers, but the OEG!! Claws! Cletus. Brawling in the dress department. THE ZOO!!!! I’ve read it a dozen times and makes me laugh every single time. I’m smiling just thinking about it. I just finished a book this morning, so I think I’ll have me a reread.
And, seriously, no one besides Marie Vale and I caught that reference? Really? My brain clicked and I thought, “ahhhhh, I know where we are. There had better be a dragon alliance coming in a future book.”
Also Brodie Hawaii? Best book dog ever.
My first intro to Shelly Laurenston was her novella “The Wolf, The Witch and her Lack of Wardrobe” in the BELONG TO THE NIGHT anthology. It was one of the first books I read with a black heroine in paranormal (it was 2009, but they were still thin on the ground) and she was fierce and snarky and a little mean (I would later learn a total Laurenston heroine trait).
Then I discovered her Magnus Pack series with Sara, Mikki and Angelina and became a super fan. It felt like she was writing female characters very differently from anyone else at the time. I enjoyed how unbothered and unfiltered they were.
I agree with MegS about starting with PACK CHALLENGE (Magnus Pack #1). If you have Kindle Unlimited the Magnus Pack books can be read free. There does seem to be an overall arc to the books and mentions or popup appearances in later books. You could however start with the Pride series but should reach each of these series in order. Read Pride before you start the Honeybadger series.
I read (and adored) CALL OF CROWS #1 & #2. ( Saw “two bloodthirsty bookworms in love” and that was it.) I tried to read the Pride series, but found THE MANE EVENT something I could put down. (which is not what I read laurenstone for)
Devoured “DRAGON KIN” series though. (think I read each book in a day and a half?).
Did read the Honey Badger Chronicles without reading any other Pride books, so I know I’m missing a lot of backstory, but it can be done.
And yes, shifters show up in CoC, and there’s a reference to Crows in HBC #2.
Just like, yes, they totally mean Annwyl in that line in The Blacksmith Queen. Still astounded as to how the Dragon Kin world accidentally gained so much world building.
Call of Crows (particularly The Undoing) and The Blacksmith Queen are my faves, but I found the Honey Badger series a lot of fun, too. Especially the third one, with Max and her cat. He’s too funny as he figures out how much he is very much a cat.
I love listening to any Laurenston/Aiken book – especially the Aiken book that had the female horse warriors with the long, long names. I felt so sorry for the narrator but it was so funny when they would say their names over and over again. The narrators for the books are the absolute best.
Any Laurenston book is a good start bez you will end up reading them all!
That said, Marcella and Crush are my favorite couple so maybe Bear Meets Girl.
But I want to read a book about Kat (Vig’s sister) so much! Valkyries are the best!
You missed the 3rd honey badger book that just came out recently: Badger to the Bone. Meanest heroine ever!!!
But I have to say I love the Crows series best. I’m not sure what it is about it, but its mythology really came alive for me. Someday I’ll probably get to her other shifter books about the tigers and wolves and so on, but for now, I’m hoping for at least one more Crows book.
I love Laurenston. What I found interesting about the Badger Chronicles is that the theme, sisterhood and family, was more front and center, and the romance was further back. To me, they read more like women’s fiction rather than romance. But they’re Laurenston! It’s this weird juxtaposition. Love the books, just find it odd.
@De, this has actually been commented on quite a bit with her more recent books. The romance has developed into a subplot. A sort of paranormal with romantic elements, if you will. But when you’re having so much freakin fun reading a book, who cares?