5 Books Like Bayou Moon (By Ilona Andrews)

Bayou Moon was written by Ilona Andrews, which is the pseudonym of a husband-wife writing team, Ilona and Gordon.

They have been a number 1 USA Today and New York Times best-selling authors.

Books Like Bayou Moon

Their Kate Daniels, Kate Daniels World novels, as well as their ‘The Edge’ and ‘Hidden Legacy’ Series, have made them very popular.

About Bayou Moon

Bayou Moon is the second book in the ‘The Edge’ series by the husband and wife writing duo.

The book falls under the genre of Urban Fantasy and is about Cerise Mar and her clan, who are poor in cash but rich in land.

Cerise Mar loses her parents, they vanish, and the clan automatically suspects the clan’s long-term rivals, however, not everything is quite as it seems.

As 2 nations wage a Cold War and the conflict starts to spill over into Cerise’s life and into the Edge.

It is a thrilling fantasy read for anyone with a hunger for something a little different. However, if you loved this book and want to find something else similar, we have exactly what you need.

Of course, do not forget to read the rest of the series before you move on to something new!

If you have enjoyed Bayou Moon then we think you will enjoy books such as Moon Called, Written in Red, and Tempting Danger.

We have a full selection of just what you should be picking up at the bookstore after finishing Bayou Moon.

Themes In Bayou Moon

Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2)

Paranormal romance is not for everyone, but this is the basic theme of the ‘The Edge’ series (If you liked this, also check out Books Like Moonglow). Bayou Moon is a great addition to the series, and it is packed with themes of what the rich and poor are.

While Cerise’s clan is poor in terms of finances, they are rich in other ways, which helps the reader consider the true meaning of what wealth actually is.

Another uniqueness in this book is that the narrative fluidly flows between Cerise and William, so we see different viewpoints each conveying different messages and themes.

There is also a lot of combat in the book, with the technique described, so you could say that survival and mortality are certainly a theme in this regard.

Interestingly the world in which this tale is based has some weird politics between the countries and their respective spy agencies.

It does bring up politics as a theme, but only in a minor regard, as it is included in the tale in a rather awkward way since our two protagonists are rather apolitical.

A great deal of the final chapters of the book is rather heavy in magic, romance, and politics. These are the three primary themes of the book as they gradually build up to this point in the final parts of the novel.

The magic is not heavily prominent at the beginning, but it does manage to grow as we continue throughout the book.

The politics remain awkward but become more of a focal point later on, and the romance grows through the story, although there are no cliché twists and turns, which many readers find to be very pleasing.

Themes: Romance, Politics, Magic, Mortality

Books Like Bayou Moon

If you enjoyed Bayou Moon, you will probably be seeking something similar to fill the void in which it left. If you have also finished the whole ‘The Edge’ series, we have a few recommendations for you.

Moon Called By Patricia Briggs

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)

This book is the first novel in the bestselling series Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs.

Mercy runs a garage, and one of her hobbies is tinkering with a VW bus that belongs to a vampire, while her neighbor is an alpha werewolf.

Mercy is a shape-shifter, and sister to coyotes, she is tolerated by the wolves, but she keeps her head down to avoid trouble. The catching line for this novel is “I didn’t realize he was a werewolf at first”.

This novel is filled with twists and turns and is sure to keep you entertained.

Its beginning is deceptively innocent, but its end will have you hooked until the last page. It has a powerful female lead as well, which is an invigorating aspect of the novel.

While this book lacks the aversion from cliché twists and turns in the romantic aspect, it does share the themes of survival, politics, and magic (to a degree).

Pros

  • Action-packed.
  • Adventurous.
  • Multi-dimensional characters.
  • First-person narrative.
  • Fantasy storyline basis.

Cons

  • Cliché twists and turns (not for everyone).
  • Hardcover editions are extremely expensive.

Themes: Adventure, romance, magic, politics, shape-shifting

Written In Red By Anne Bishop

Written in Red: A Novel of the Others

Written in Red is set in America, but a different version of America where other powers are in charge and survival is key.

The protagonist grew up in inhuman conditions but is fighting for the life she deserves.

Here humans are not Apex, vampires, shape-shifters, and so on rule the earth, and humanity is the prey.

Meg Corbyn is able to see the future when her skin gets cut. It is a great gift but for her, it feels like a curse.

She is kept a slave for her visions, but when she escapes, she can only go to a business district ruled by ‘the Others’.

A shape-shifter encounters her and knows she is keeping a secret, but she does not smell like usual human prey, he eventually learns the truth and has to decide if she is worth fighting for.

Out of all these books, this is definitely the darkest and most graphic of them all, however, if you can face the blood it makes for a thrilling read.

The protagonist is a strong but innocent young woman, and the wolves are unique and real, but unlike most representations.

It has a sci-fi feel which makes this unique and interesting. Although there is a touch of romance in this book, the primary themes we found are magic and politics.

However, these two themes are more prominent in ‘Written In Red’ than they are in ‘Bayou Moon’. If you like these themes, it is certain to be quite the treat for you.

Pros

  • Brilliant world-building.
  • Action but not action-heavy.
  • A unique version of typical supernatural beings.
  • Dark & Gory in places.

Cons

  • Dark & Gory in places (not for everyone).
  • The protagonist needs to cut herself to have her visions – This could be triggering for some people.

Themes: Supernatural, shapeshifting, politics, survival

Tempting Danger By Eileen Wilks

Tempting Danger [Dramatized Adaptation]: World of the Lupi, Book 1

Strongly considered as being one of the most overlooked werewolf classic novels with a heroine cop, a unique werewolf pack, and even a Chinese dragon (If you like stories with dragons in it, check out Books Like Wings Of Fire). It goes even further into mysticism and thrills.

To fully appreciate this tale you do need to read the whole series, however, as books 1 and 2 are like the frame that builds up the series to where the series peaks from books 3 onwards.

In this series, the mundane and magical co-exist in an unstable alliance, and a cop who has their own struggle is the last hope against a ruthless killer.

This book is unique and tells a fascinating story, while it does take some time to really kick off, when it does, it is well worth it. A different view on classic mythical creatures.

The themes most prominent in this book series are politics and magic, although not to the degree of some of these other books.

We also have another strong female lead role in this tale which is the cherry on top.

Pros

  • A unique version of mystical/ magical classic creatures.
  • Strong female lead.
  • Thriller-fantasy strong-line.

Cons

  • You need to read the whole series to appreciate it fully.

Themes: Strong female characters, politics, magic, mythical creatures

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are plenty of options if you enjoyed Bayou Moon and the ‘The Edge’ series, and are looking for something to fill the hole it left in your heart.

Our top choice of all of these would probably be ‘Written In Red’. However, all of these books have a romantic aspect, with a great deal of magic, mysticism, politics, and action.

Try them all out and see which is best for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ilona Andrews Still Writing?

Ilona and Andrew Gordon are still writing novels, and are active as a husband-wife writing duo.

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Anna Davis