If you have wandered through the wild and wondrous adventures of Atticus O’Sullivan—that ancient druid with his loyal hound Oberon and his terrible fondness for getting into scrapes with deities—you know the particular ache of finishing a beloved series.
Fear not, dear reader. There exist other marvellous tales where magic walks among us, where gods meddle in mortal affairs, and where clever heroes trade quips with the supernatural whilst saving the world. Let us explore them together, shall we?
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
In Chicago there lives a wizard—the only one with an advertisement in the telephone directory, if you can imagine such a thing. Harry Dresden is his name, and like our beloved Atticus, he possesses both tremendous power and a mouth that frequently writes cheques his magic must cash.
Harry consults for the police on matters too strange for ordinary investigation, and his cases invariably spiral into catastrophes involving vampires, faeries, and forces most terrible. The wit is sharp as an Irish blade, the action splendid, and the ensemble of peculiar friends—including a spirit of intellect residing in a skull—quite unforgettable.
If you loved Atticus’s sardonic observations, Harry Dresden shall feel like meeting a long-lost cousin.
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Across the Atlantic, in that great grey city of London, young Peter Grant discovers magic exists whilst attempting to take a witness statement from a ghost. One simply cannot make these things up.
Peter becomes apprentice to Detective Chief Inspector Nightingale—the last officially sanctioned wizard in England—and learns that the rivers of London have goddesses, that magic follows peculiar scientific rules, and that police work becomes considerably more complicated when supernatural entities are involved. The dry British wit complements Hearne’s American humour beautifully, and the world-building is nothing short of extraordinary.
Alex Verus Series by Benedict Jacka
Alex Verus runs a magic shop in Camden Town—a diviner who can see the short-term consequences of any action he might take. Not so impressive as throwing fireballs, perhaps, but tremendously useful when navigating the dangerous politics of London’s magical community.
Like Atticus, Alex survives on cleverness rather than raw power. The magical world here divides into Light and Dark councils, though—and this is important—Light does not necessarily mean good. Alex’s past holds shadows, and watching him outmanoeuvre more powerful mages through sheer cunning is delightful indeed.
Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews
Imagine Atlanta, but in a world where magic and technology take turns functioning. When magic rises, cars fail and spells work splendidly. When technology returns, your enchantments fizzle whilst your mobile telephone works again. Most inconvenient for everyone involved.
Kate Daniels navigates this chaos as a mercenary with a mysterious past and a very sharp sword. She encounters shapeshifters organized into a military-like Pack, necromancers who control vampires like puppets, and ancient powers that take particular interest in her bloodline. The romance develops wonderfully, the action never disappoints, and Kate’s sharp tongue rivals Atticus’s own.
October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire
Toby Daye is a changeling—half human, half fae—and a knight-errant in service to the faerie courts hidden within San Francisco. She solves mysteries, battles ancient evils, and navigates the treacherous politics of Faerie whilst trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life.
For those who treasured Hearne’s Celtic mythology, McGuire’s deep dive into faerie lore will feel like coming home. The world-building spans nearly twenty books now, each layer more intricate than the last. The series has earned multiple Hugo Award nominations, and rightfully so.
Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson—Mercy to her friends—works as a mechanic in Washington State. She also transforms into a coyote, was raised by werewolves, and has a knack for stumbling into supernatural troubles. Rather like Atticus, really, though with considerably more grease under her fingernails.
Mercy is a walker, not a werewolf, and her Native American heritage connects her to ancient magics the European supernaturals barely understand. Her neighbour happens to be a werewolf pack Alpha, which complicates her life in ways romantic and dangerous. The relationships develop beautifully across the series, and Mercy’s practical problem-solving proves most satisfying.
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
James Stark spent eleven years fighting as a gladiator in Hell—actual, literal Hell—before escaping back to Los Angeles. Now he’s hunting the magicians who murdered his girlfriend and sent him Downtown in the first place.
This is darker than the Iron Druid Chronicles, let us be clear. The language is saltier, the violence grittier, and the noir sensibility pervasive. But the wit is wicked sharp, the plotting clever, and if you ever wished Atticus would simply stop being polite to his enemies, Sandman Slim delivers that satisfaction in abundance.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
When immigrants came to America, they brought their gods with them. Those old gods now wander the country, diminished and nearly forgotten, scraping by on whatever belief they can find. A storm approaches—a war between the old gods and the new gods of technology, media, and modernity.
Shadow Moon becomes entangled in this conflict after his release from prison, travelling with the mysterious Mr. Wednesday across the American landscape. For those who loved Hearne’s treatment of mythology—the way gods from various pantheons interact and scheme—this Hugo and Nebula Award winner is essential reading.
Felix Castor Series by Mike Carey
Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist in a London where ghosts began rising around the year 2000. He plays music to banish spirits—a peculiar talent that proves useful when the dead refuse to stay dead and demons walk the earth.
This is harder-boiled than Hearne’s work, with noir sensibilities and moral complexity throughout. Felix’s London feels genuinely haunted, the supernatural threats genuinely threatening. His allies include a succubus and a paranoid zombie, which gives you some sense of the flavour. If you appreciated the Iron Druid’s darker moments, you shall find much to admire here.
I Bring the Fire Series by C. Gockel
What happens when a veterinary student from the American Midwest encounters Loki—not the Marvel version, but a trickster god based more closely on Norse mythology? Chaos, naturally, but the most delightful sort.
Amy Lewis and Loki make for an unlikely partnership as they navigate troubles involving gods, elves, and magic-sniffing cats. The humour reminds one of both Dresden and Iron Druid, and the Norse mythology receives wonderfully creative treatment. If you loved Atticus’s encounters with various pantheons, this series offers similar pleasures with a distinctly Lokean twist.
Demon Squad Series by Tim Marquitz
God and the Devil have made peace and departed Earth, which upsets their respective followers tremendously. Angels and demons prepared for Armageddon, and now nobody knows quite what to do with themselves.
Frank Trigg—the Devil’s nephew—works with an organization called DRAC to keep the peace and prevent the apocalypse that various fanatics still desire. This is darker and more irreverent than Iron Druid, with no hint of romance to soften the edges. If you appreciated Hearne’s treatment of religious mythology but wanted something grittier, the Demon Squad awaits.
Jane Yellowrock Series by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellowrock is a Cherokee skinwalker who shares her body with the soul of a mountain lion called Beast. She hunts rogue vampires for hire, rides motorcycles, and possesses social skills best described as works-in-progress.
The series is set primarily in New Orleans, where Jane works for the Master of the City and becomes entangled in vampire politics most Byzantine. The Native American mythology provides wonderful freshness, and Jane’s relationship with Beast offers internal dialogue as entertaining as Atticus’s conversations with Oberon. For those who loved that human-animal bond, this series delivers similar joys.
The Laundry Files by Charles Stross
Bob Howard was once an IT consultant before accidentally discovering that mathematics, performed correctly, can open gates to Lovecraftian dimensions. Now he works for the Laundry—the British government agency tasked with preventing elder horrors from devouring reality.
This series brilliantly combines spy thriller, cosmic horror, and workplace comedy. The magic system treats sorcery as applied computation, which appeals greatly to those who appreciated Hearne’s logical approach to druidic power. If you ever wondered what would happen if James Bond had to fight Cthulhu whilst also dealing with performance reviews, wonder no more.
Finding Your Next Favourite
Each of these series offers something that made the Iron Druid Chronicles so beloved: clever protagonists who survive by wit as much as power, mythology treated with creativity and respect, supernatural worlds hidden beneath our ordinary reality, and humour that makes the darkness bearable.
For Celtic and faerie mythology specifically, October Daye and Rivers of London satisfy wonderfully. For those seeking something darker, Sandman Slim and Felix Castor deliver shadows with style.
Whatever path you choose through these enchanted woods, may you find adventures worthy of the Iron Druid himself.
