Pagan Fiction

[Lokabrenna]

There was a thread for this on the old board, but I thought this board could use one too. So, what are some of your favourite reads that are written by Pagans, about Pagans, or have Pagan-y themes?

Here's what's on my list:



The Black Jewels Trilogy (and spinoffs/supplements) by Anne Bishop
Chalion series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Kushiel's Legacy and the Naamah trilogy by Jacqueline Carey
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

That's just a small sampling of my favourites. I'm currently reading through the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and it has a more "traditional" take on faeries (ie. definitely not cutesy cherubic beings of the Victorian variety).

[Juni]

There's the Juniper trilogy by Monica Furlong of which I am particularly fond, which is pretty pagan in nature. I also find the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix pretty pagan-y. Oh, and The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea features several Irish deities.

[victoreia]

There's the Juniper trilogy by Monica Furlong of which I am particularly fond, which is pretty pagan in nature. I also find the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix pretty pagan-y. Oh, and The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea features several Irish deities.

Don't forget The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk. I think she wrote a follow-up called .... I think the title is Walking to Mercury.

I have the first, and I think I borrowed the second from the library.

[Morag]

There was a thread for this on the old board, but I thought this board could use one too. So, what are some of your favourite reads that are written by Pagans, about Pagans, or have Pagan-y themes?

There's also the Tir Alainn Trilogy by Anne Bishop.

If I'm allowed to do a shameless plug for my mom's book, La Chiripa definitely has some strong Pagan elements in the story. (Also, it's a fantastic read and I don't say that just because I'm her daughter. I think it's really really good, and that's saying something because it's outside my usual genre.)

I'm not sure if I'd call the Dark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon pagan but she does have the gods appear a lot in the stories. She doesn't always get Their personalities quite right, but eh, it's fluffy romance. Whatevs.

Don't forget The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk. I think she wrote a follow-up called .... I think the title is Walking to Mercury.

You are correct. (I can't wait to read it.)

[SkySamuelle]

There was a thread for this on the old board, but I thought this board could use one too. So, what are some of your favourite reads that are written by Pagans, about Pagans, or have Pagan-y themes?

Here's what's on my list:

The Black Jewels Trilogy (and spinoffs/supplements) by Anne Bishop
Chalion series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Kushiel's Legacy and the Naamah trilogy by Jacqueline Carey
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

That's just a small sampling of my favourites. I'm currently reading through the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and it has a more "traditional" take on faeries (ie. definitely not cutesy cherubic beings of the Victorian variety).

The Heir by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Sweep series by Cate Tiernan
The Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction by Llewellyn Publications : 13 Tales by 13 authors and different styles of awesomeness. In fact, just mentioning the book put me in a mood to go and brush it over to reread a few of those wonderful stories. I wish there were more anthologies like that.

[Pain and Light]

There was a thread for this on the old board, but I thought this board could use one too. So, what are some of your favourite reads that are written by Pagans, about Pagans, or have Pagan-y themes?

I can't really say they're among my favorite, but I suspect a lot of folks would probably enjoy Trudi Canavan's books. I've only ever read Priestess of the White so far.

Elizabeth Hand is another author that I recommend- I found her book Waking the Moon to be quite addicting and was sad when it ended.

Kristen Britain's Green Rider series

[MadZealot]

Pagan-y themes?

Ooo, book geek here. l'll add some to the list.

I'd recommend some books by Stephen Lawhead.
His Song of Albion trilogy was absolutely amazing. It involves a man walking into a cairn and emerging into the 'otherworld,' where both magic and the ancient Celts are alive and well. One of the best series I've ever read.
He also did a decent retelling of Arthurian myth, playing heavily with both pagan and Christian elements of the source material. His Merlin is a powerful druid who experiences a road-to-Damascus type of conversion. His Arthur, a devout Christian, takes the battlefield wearing nothing but whorls of blue paint, hair spiked with woad, wielding Caledfwlch and driving a Roman chariot. Part of his quest to unite and save Britain involves a 'return to the old ways.'
His King Raven trilogy takes the Robin Hood legend, places it in Wales, and reimagines Rhi Bran y Hud as a Welsh freedom fighter. The spiritual leader of his warband is, I suppose, some kind of druidess.

Also look up Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. The author admits to Welsh mythology as being a huge influence on his stories. You'll find them in the children's section of the bookstore, but the books are surprisingly dark and powerful, especially The Black Cauldron. The Disney version of the story misses the mark.

[cigfran]

So, what are some of your favourite reads that are written by Pagans, about Pagans, or have Pagan-y themes?

Just about anything by Ursula K LeGuin qualifies as 'pagan' in its themes and outlook she's one of the best - and few - modern mythmakers we have. I think Always Coming Home may be her most fully realized vision of a pagan worldview.

While not necessarily my favorite, Susan Mayse's Awen had a pretty significant effect on my current self-image and path.

And of course when I was younger, Mary Stewart's books were sort of a gateway drug to this whole thing.

[Erratic Charmer]

There's the Juniper trilogy by Monica Furlong of which I am particularly fond, which is pretty pagan in nature.

Beat me to it! I read those when I was a very little girl. I think they're what made me aspire to be a Witch in the first place

Elizabeth Hand is another author that I recommend- I found her book Waking the Moon to be quite addicting and was sad when it ended.

Yeah, me too. That is one of the few books that I've read more than once. (The others were Lolita and the Weetzie Bat books by Francesca Lia Block.)

I've recommended this book elsewhere on the forum already (in the Rhiannon thread under Gods, Goddesses, & Mythology), but the Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton deserves all the promoting it can get. That is a truly amazing series.

Has anyone read Mythago Wood? I haven't read it yet (have a copy of it on the other side of the world) but I think it's relevant to Celtic mythology interests.

[Rhyshadow]

There was a thread for this on the old board, but I thought this board could use one too. So, what are some of your favourite reads that are written by Pagans, about Pagans, or have Pagan-y themes?

Here's what's on my list:

The Black Jewels Trilogy (and spinoffs/supplements) by Anne Bishop
Chalion series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Kushiel's Legacy and the Naamah trilogy by Jacqueline Carey
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

That's just a small sampling of my favourites. I'm currently reading through the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and it has a more "traditional" take on faeries (ie. definitely not cutesy cherubic beings of the Victorian variety).

Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne - I've read through #3, #4 is now out, waiting for e-book copy
Sisters of the Moon series by Jasmine Galanorn - I have #1-#11 and the prequel in e-book - reading #4 now