Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (Recommendations similar to Dresden and/or Codex Alera)

[JHerzog01]

I found the Felix Castor series to be pretty disappointing. I only read the first one but it was kind of like a poor man's Jim Butcher series. Dean Koontz Odd thomas series is absolutely fantastic though

 

[Arrgh]

I'm a big fan of The Dresden Files and would recommend T.A. Pratt's Marla Mason novels as a series in a similar vein, although the protagonist is a woman. I reviewed the first two books in the series for SFFWorld:
Blood Engines
Poison Sleep

Furthermore, you should really browse through the following topic, which will give you many recommendations for books in this vein:
Supernatural Fantasy: Ghosts, Vampires, Werefolk and Wizards

How many times does she have sex in each book?

 

[Rob B]

How many times does she have sex in each book?

If by she, you mean Marla Mason, I don't know. Why does that matter at all? I didn't exactly keep tabs on that aspect of it in either book. Oral Sex? Standard Sex? Sex with another woman? Really?

Would you also like to know how many gallons of blood were spilled, how many brutal beatings took place?

 

[Arrgh]

If by she, you mean Marla Mason, I don't know. Why does that matter at all? I didn't exactly keep tabs on that aspect of it in either book. Oral Sex? Standard Sex? Sex with another woman? Really?

Would you also like to know how many gallons of blood were spilled, how many brutal beatings took place?

No, I want to know if she's a Laura Hamilton wannabe.

 

[Rob B]

Oh, then that's a fair question. T.A. Pratt is actually Tim Pratt, but the Marla Mason series (at least 2 books into the series) isn't the pseudo-erotic series that (from what I've heard) the Anita Blake novels are. Granted, in one of the books, Mason encounters a sorcerer who derives his powers from sexual energy, but that's more to show the variations on deriving magical power rather than blatant sex. Mason also encounters a character who is very charismatic, but again, not quite like what you've probably seen in Anita Blake.

Put simply, sex is a part of the stories, just like anything else and it isn't the only driving aspect of the stories.

I stopped reading the Anita Blake novels at about the 4th or 5th book and so far, I'm not seeing any signs of me stopping the Marla Mason novels, the third of which (Dead Reign) is due out in October.

 

[Blackwing]

If the modern setting isn't a must for you, I'll recommend the Vlad Taltos-series by Steven Brust. Vlad is an assassin and runs a thieves guild. He's sarcastic and witty, and so is his familiar.