Urban Fantasy - Page 2 of 2

August 2, 2014 Sci-fi, Urban Fantasy Post a Comment

GRIMM v. SUPERNATURAL

Showdown No. 2

Movie stars have fans. These fans tend to attach themselves to the actor, not the movie. They support their chosen star from joint to joint, regardless of the quality of their work.

Sci-fi or fantasy TV geeks, fans, fangirls, fanboys, superfans or however you want to label yourself buy into the characters of a show. We might have a favorite, but we understand the series is the product of a group effort. Their looks and style are not unimportant, but a pretty face alone will not sway us.

Alas, we do tend to get a little obsessed. As a perfect outlet, I will on a semi-regular basis arrange little head-to-heads between two of my favorite shows.

This week, my guest contestants are Grimm and Supernatural.

Grimm

Grimm is a relative newcomer to our screens, but perhaps also one of the most intriguing ones. Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) is a cop, with a trusted partner and in a committed relationship. One day, he discovers he’s a Grimm. He has the ability to see creatures known only from fairytales and the duty to police them. Being a genuinely nice person, he doesn’t accept that every Wesen (correctly spelled, badly pronounced German word for “being”) is evil, so he only kills when he has to. He even befriends a Wesen, a now vegetarian Blutbad (=blood bath), that can turn into a wolf-like creature. It’s quirky, beautifully shot, and utterly original. And doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Supernatural

Supernatural is an altogether grittier offering, and as it is entering its tenth season, a veteran to the young Grimm. The Winchester brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) were raised to be hunters. Hunting the creatures from lore. They’ve gone up against vampires, wendigos, demons, angels — and they’re still standing. But along the way, the body count has been high. Many friends and associates are gone, and both Sam and Dean have been to Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Despite the darkness in their lives, there have been plenty of jokes and fun episodes to keep us interested, from the Winchester’s version of Groundhog Day to a suicidal teddy bear.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This has been a fiercely fought battle. Both series are original, with a great blend of humor and suspense. So the winner is — *drum roll* — Supernatural. Why? Supernatural is simply *more*. It’s funnier, darker, quirkier, more tense and still surprises us after nine years. Grimm is still in its infancy, but I’ll be there to watch it grow.
Case closed.

PS: Disagree? Leave your arguments in the comment section, and if the demand is there, I may schedule a rematch. Meanwhile, let me know if you have any suggestions for further head-to-heads.

July 30, 2014 Books, Reviews, Urban Fantasy Post a Comment

AGAINST THE DAWN by AMANDA BONILLA – Review

The Shaede Assassin series continues

Amanda Bonilla

Book 4 of the Shaede Assassin series shows no sign of fatigue. After the emotional turmoil in book 3, the first few pages of Against the Dawn act as sort of an intensive care ward for Darian’s wounded soul. She takes stock and reconnects with Xander and Ty. While she’s hesitant to give any sure-fire indication as to which way her heart beats, the Shaede king and the jinn grab the opportunity to prove themselves.

Along the way the author serves up a number of road blocks and surprises. The resulting zigzag is also reflected in the characters’ journeys. Not only do we dig deeper into the people in Darian’s life, Darian herself reveals her true mettle.

And like any good book, this isn’t all about who’s making out with whom. Plenty of action and plot-twisting awaits us, including the appearance of an unwelcome face from Darian’s past. After the introspective start, the pace doesn’t as much gallop as hurtle head-over-feet-over-head to the ending, providing just enough respite to let us catch our breaths.

A word about the ending. I prefer it if the author wraps everything up into a lovely, tidy parcel. Cliffhangers and loose threads get you all hot for the next instalment, then leave you hanging for many months as you wait for the conclusion.

That said, biting into a pillow while grunting your impatience is a lot of fun, too. And this truly is the mother of all cliffhangers. Either way, I will sit by my Kindle app, on the look-out for book 5.

tl;dr
Should you read it? Hell yeah.

Reviews

July 27, 2014 Books, Reviews, Urban Fantasy 5 Comments

INVISIBLE ALLIES by Mary Buckham – Review

Invisible Recruits Novella

I’ve talked a lot about Mary Buckham’s ability to put you slap bang in the middle of the scene. Writers have a term for it. Hell, they have many terms for it. Deep Point of View. Show don’t tell. Active settings and descriptions. As a reader, I don’t care. Because I’m right there, letting “the bird songs of a Missouri afternoon” swell around me, standing next to Kelly as she confides in Alex.

In short, Mary Buckham is an expert in 3D writing. Of course, the plot of Invisible Allies is everything you expect it to be, too. It’s fast, tense and twisty. Too many authors neglect the plot, especially a few books into a series. No short-cuts here.

But what stood out most were the characters, notably Alex and Kelly. They might have a lot on their plate tracking down a young witch, but their friendship is so tight, it glues the two together through tough revelations, were attacks and yes, a right old dressing down by their Agency Director.

Interestingly, this didn’t feel like a novella. Sure, it was a quick read, but that’s what happens when you can’t put a book down. This outing by our favorite Invisible Recruits is equal to a book in every respect, from storyline to character development.
Reviews

July 9, 2014 Books, Divide and Conquer, Urban Fantasy 2 Comments

DO-IT-YOURSELF BOOK COLLAGE FOR facebook

NEW facebook PICTURE UNVEILED

Just wanted to quickly share my new facebook picture for my new facebook page with you (pop in for a chat or simply to ‘like’ me any time). I tried to combine as many elements of my book Divide and Conquer as I could. The atomic model represents Lea’s interest in physics, the Seattle Space Needle indicates the setting, Nieve’s hanbo (fighting stick) and Lea’s dagger hint at the action-packed nature of the story, with the constant threat from their opponents, the Shades, in the form of a dark, billowing fog pulling in from the left.

Sure, at some point I will receive my real book cover. Trust me, there’s going to be a party. A big party. There may even be hats. Until then, my homemade little collage will do.

How would you represent your own book or your favorite book as a collage? Come on, there are no silly answers, I promise.

July 6, 2014 Books, Urban Fantasy, Writing craft 4 Comments

GEEKS AND FICTION – A MATCH MADE IN STO-VO-KOR*?

MEET MY INNER GEEK. SHE’S CALLED LEA.

I have never been into cosplay, am only slightly obsessed with characters from my favorite sci-fi or fantasy shows, I read a few comics every week, keep myself updated on some branches of particle and optical physics, and play and invent tabletop games. So I’m not what you might call a big-time geek. But those areas where the fangirl in me does peek out are precious to me. They run side-by-side with my other hobby, writing books.

Many writers start out writing fanfiction, short or long stories playing out in the fiction universe of their choice. I wish I’d started like that. Fanfiction readers are plentiful and highly observant, interested more in the made-up world and the characters than in literary devices and comma placement. Outside of fanfiction, authors must rely on their fellow writers, who will examine their manuscript with the eagle eye of a grammar enforcer or a proponent of so-and-so’s layering technique. They will throw words at you like “filter,” “echo word,” and “deep POV.” Useful advice designed to smooth the reading experience, but often as removed from the plot and the joy of writing as the deep-sea jellyfish is from dry land.

The two sides of me were destined to remain apart. Until I met Lea, that is. Lea is a character in my book Divide and Conquer. She’s a physicist looking for…something. Her career isn’t going as she’s hoped. She wants to work in a lab and unravel the mysteries of the universe. You know, do something that truly matters. Instead, the only jobs available to her since graduation have been barista at Starbucks and technical translator. She meets Nieve, a straight-talking, straight-thinking female warrior from a different world who makes all sorts of weird claims about Lea’s heritage and her fate. Before she knows it, Lea’s life changes. Being on the geeky side has always set her apart from friends, and even with the promise of a glowing destiny to bolster her confidence, it’s hard for her to relate to people who’ve never watched Stargate or delighted in playing World of Warcraft.

As depressing and lonely Lea might seem, she’s actually one of the funniest people around. Her wit and her smarts make me smile. I get her. Many of my readers prefer Nieve’s no-nonsensitude and her budding romance, but I relate particularly to Lea’s search for meaning and belonging. And to the joy she gets from immersing herself in an alien world, where adventures are exciting and uplifting and the hero ALWAYS wins.

Over the months, I’ve met quite a few fellow geek authors and readers. It’s gratifying to know I’m not the only one. We might be a minority, but we share the one strength that distinguishes geeks from the rest of the population. We’re dedicated to our particular object of geekdom.

That’s not to say I don’t identify with Nieve. She’s the person I wish I were, someone with discipline and a deep sense of loyalty and honor.

What I’m wondering is how you communicate with those that don’t share your particular obsession with a particular author or character or universe or hobby? Are you able to compartmentalize? Or do you force your geek on others, secure in the knowledge that once they understand just how wonderful and rich your chosen area is, they are sure to fall in love with it the way you did?

*Sto-vo-Kor = Klingon afterlife/heaven

June 30, 2014 Books, Urban Fantasy Post a Comment

15 URBAN FANTASY AUTHORS YOU SHOULD READ

15 Urban Fantasy Authors I Love

I prefer Urban Fantasy to Paranormal Romance, although Urban Fantasy typically also contains a generous helping of romance. In fact, the line between the two genres is so smudgy, writers, aka me, get confused about where to place themselves. Since my focus is on the ‘fantasy’ plot rather than the ‘boy-meets-girl’ plot, I declared myself an Urban Fantasy Author years ago, and I’ve stuck with it since. This is the definition on which I based this article.

Last month, I published a short list of my five favorite urban fantasy authors. Of course I realized my mistake quickly. How can you possibly distil a whole world of exciting plots and delicious characters to five lousy entries? It just won’t do. So in full awareness that this collection is not complete either, here a more exhaustive attempt at introducing some of my favorite writers, in no particular order, together with my favorite series. Among them you will find some of the most popular Urban Fantasy writers, and hopefully a few names you haven’t yet read, but are eager to check out.

Patricia Briggs Her Mercy Thompson series is an exercise in smart, interesting urban fantasy. She has also published other series, but Mercy Thompson was the first of hers that got me hooked. You can’t beat werewolves, can you?

Kim Harrison Kim’s series The Hollows got me started in Urban Fantasy. Her quirky characters, intricate relationships and heart-pounding plots make her books a real joy. Witches, vampires, demons, werewolves — there’s no need to choose just one. To date, The Hollows is still one of my favorites.

Darynda Jones When Darynda came on the scene, I was stunned. Here was finally someone who wrote like me. An immodest thought, but one borne out of deep admiration. In all fairness I should say I want to write like her. Her main character, Charley Davidson, can see ghosts and helps them cross over. It’s fun, original, and with plots that keep you interested.

Jim Butcher Jim Butcher’s wizard Harry Dresden is a flawed and therefore all too likeable character. The plots are highly imaginative, and the characters as quirky as can be. What’s not to love?

Jennifer Rardin’s Jaz Parks series is a winner. Yeah, I know, some people like their Urban Fantasy sexy and serious, but if you’re after sexy and snarky, you’re at the right address. Sadly, Jennifer Rardin passed away in 2010, but her books are as readable as ever.

Laurell K. Hamilton Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, at least the earlier books, are must-buy reads. Anita Blake raises the dead and is a licensed vampire executioner. She’s tough, funny, and very sexy. Halfway through the series, Laurell changed the genre from Urban Fantasy to, I guess, Erotic Paranormal. I don’t mind sex in books, but plots always come first, and hers were getting a little thin in that department. That said, anyone who likes Urban Fantasy should give her books a go.

Amanda Bonilla Amanda’s Shaede Assassin series is a breath of fresh air. I was hooked from book one. Here we have fantasy that didn’t involve werewolves or vampires or any other creatures from lore. Nope, Amanda made up a whole new world for us, with the main character being an assassin. Hey, a girl’s gotta eat, right?

Jennifer Estep Jennifer’s Elemental Assassin series features Gin Blanco, the feared ‘Spider,’ an assassin not to be trifled with. As a rule I never trifle with assassins, but Gin Blanco knows her stuff, that is to say her elements, which makes her all the more dangerous. Really fun read.

Rachel Caine Another writer who steps away from the more traditional mythologies. Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden who always seems to be running from or toward things. There’s never a dull moment when she’s around.

Jaye Wells Jaye Wells gave the old witches and vampires genre a fresh twist with her Sabina Kane series, and although I adore the main character, her mischief demon Gigul steals the show every time.

Mary Buckham Mary’s Invisible Recruits series took me unawares. I’m an avid reader and my favorite authors simply couldn’t keep up with my demand. I was always looking for new stuff. Mary’s a great teacher, so out of curiosity, I gave her books a try. Well, I love, love, love her character, Alex Noziak. Talk about kick-butt. With twisted plots that keep you guessing, Mary’s books make her another author to add to my must-read list.

Kate Griffin Kate Griffin’s book A Madness of Angels stole my breath from the very first paragraph. Matt Griffin is a 21st century sorcerer of urban magic. I don’t want to give too much away, but it is one of the most stunningly beautiful Urban Fantasy books I’ve ever read. And as I mentioned, I read a lot.

Keri Arthur Keri Arthur’s Guardian series with Riley Jenson is fresh and littered with three-dimensional characters. Riley is no prude, thanks to her werewolf genes. The same genes that make her such a powerful investigator. With each book, Riley’s personal circumstances get more complicated, and the plots more twisty and turny. Isn’t Urban Fantasy great?

Faith Hunter Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock is a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who makes her living hunting vampires. Something about Jane, and her alter ego Beast makes her an incredibly compelling character. Perhaps it’s her wit, or her no-nonsensitude. Definitely worth reading.

S.J. Day Sylvia Day’s Marked novels immediately sucked me in. Eve Hollis is Marked, which means she can identify infernals (demons) and, if need be, eliminate them. She’s constantly torn between Abel and his brother (your guessed it) Cain, and there’s enough intrigue and mystery to keep me interested. Sadly the series is quite short.

I’ve also read some fantastic new authors recently, but the above is a compilation of the crème de la crème IMHO. Clearly I’ve missed out authors whose books I devour, some because they’re outside what I call the Urban Fantasy genre, some because their names escape me for the moment (I apologize). All of them have helped shape my writing, in terms of plot, style and humor. More than that, through their delicate relationships, vivid characters and solid plots, they still make me read as a reader and not as a writer. I hope I’ll never lose that ability.

June 29, 2014 Books, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy Post a Comment

TOO MUCH URBAN FANTASY? TOO MUCH PARANORMAL ROMANCE?

Is Urban Fantasy turning you into an outcast?

Reading one old article from 2010 written by Damien Walter, writer and columnist for the Guardian, you might be forgiven for thinking so. Because in it, Urban Fantasy readers get quite the beat-down.

Walter writes, “I can believe that before television[…], many more people had a need for cheap books in copious supply that did no more than entertain. But there are now so many competing ways for people to invest their leisure time that the mass market paperback or even the e-book are surely struggling for market share?”

One commenter informed us with authority that Urban Fantasy is read only by emos and teenage girls. Another commenter said about UF readers, “It is quite hard to describe what they are like without being pointlessly mean since I too tend to drift in what I’m reading, and find such specialization unfathomable.”

I bet Walter’s quip about the e-book is one he regrets now, four years later. But let me ask this. What if I expect nothing more from books than to be entertained? Reading is something I do when I’m not watching TV, and I have no further ambitions than to be transported to a universe that is not filled with my kind of problems or world problems. In fact, I don’t need books to make me think. My mind is always on the go, figuring out how CSS works when my HTML knowledge is obsolete, or how to define “depth of field” and “depth of focus” eloquently and simply so that even people who are not versed in optics may understand the difference, or how to use my newest SEO plugin to best effect. Hell, now and again I need a time-out.

Let’s not forget most of UF comes serialized, and you’re not going to abandon the series halfway through, are you? And what about the authors? Authors tend to write in the same genre, and once I’ve come to enjoy an author’s voice, I’ll be back for more.

Which brings me neatly to the thing that puzzles me most. Why single out Urban Fantasy? What about those who only read crime or only historical romance?

I used to read four to five books a week, of which at least three were Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. The “spare one” was usually a work of literary fiction and/or crime or sci-fi. If anything, there wasn’t enough Urban Fantasy around to keep me going.

Because I like what I like. Incidentally, I also like watching shows that might be classified as belonging to only three or four genres. I like Indian takeout more than Chinese. For books, it’s the same.

How about you? Do you flit from one to the other, or do you, too, have your fall-back genre?

My literary consumption has gone down because I got busier, but for those spare moments when I do whip out a book, I want it to be exciting, wonderful, alien and fun. Give me Mary Buckham, Darynda Jones or Kim Harrison, and I’ll be able to finally have some Me time.

Please don’t spoil it for me.

June 13, 2014 Books, Urban Fantasy Post a Comment

Urban Fantasy Heroes – To Kiss, Kick Or Kill?

Check your weapons at the door and welcome today’s urban fantasy heroes.

Horror books and films used to portray vampires, werewolves and the like as bloodthirsty and violent monsters. In the good ol’ days, mythical beasts were truly scary.

How times have changed. Across the Urban Fantasy genre, the mystery of their existence has been romanticised. Century-old lore is being gutted for wisps of a truth that serves to present to you, the reader, civilized monsters and misunderstood bad boys with a heart of gold. A heart of gold, provided they meet the right girl. How wonderful that in literature, at least, the search for redemption is still alive. Men want to change for their chosen gal, and the worthy woman will turn the disaffected monster into a dreamboat through the medium of love.

Aww.

These “monsters” must of course retain the traits that characterize them as a member of their species, and it helps to throw in a few acts of shocking violence to reinforce their dastardly nature and to provide sufficient reason to let them wallow in that oh-so-sexy misery. Urban fantasy writers know, the worse his reputation, the greater the love that transforms him.

Let’s dissect the Twilight Saga.

Or let’s not. Filled with typical teenage angst, Edward & Co are too soppy for my taste. I simply can’t take Stephenie Meyer’s vampires and werewolves seriously. That’s fine, since I’m not her intended readership. However, if I’d come across her in my youth, I’d probably covered my notebooks with ‘Jacob’ and my name, enclosed by pink hearts, like a thousand other girls.

Oh yes. Despite my scathing tone, I love my heroes to be rugged, tough, and just a little bad. My heroines sassy, kick-butt, and…just a little bad. And why not? If my fantasy world were populated by humdrum dweebs, it would hardly qualify as “fantasy.” Certainly not my fantasy. And while the teen heart throbs of Young Adult fiction don’t do it for me, Urban Fantasy has plenty to offer for a variety of tastes.

I adore the hard edge of Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series, whose resident vampire Ivy constantly struggles with her inner monster, never allows the reader to completely relax around her, and yet makes the best friend a girl could have. Ivy isn’t the only house-trained monster I enjoy reading about or watching on TV. To think back, who didn’t crush on Buffy’s Spike? Urban fantasy at its best.

Basically, turning monsters into heroes is one of the hallmarks of Urban Fantasy. Witches are hip and sexy, vamps are tortured hotties, and werewolves become a woman’s best friend. It’s what UF does so well. We take elements from genres like fantasy and horror and transport them into a world we know. Magical amulets are available side by side with knock-off Prada bags from street vendors, and a flick of the digital-watch-wearing wrist may change weather patterns.

“Soft vampires are not believable,” I’ve been told. Seriously? Their gentleness tips the scales from everyday normalcy to Nah, I don’t buy it? Not the existence of vampires in the first place? Once you suspend disbelief, everything becomes a measure of subjective likes and dislikes. So stop being down on toothless vamps and puppy-eyed werewolves and enjoy the madness.

Even if you don’t love the genre yet, the right evil-to-seduction ratio for you may still be waiting to be discovered.

May 21, 2014 Books, Urban Fantasy Post a Comment

Angel Fiction Needs Overhaul

According to a survey by the ICM, and an earlier survey by Yougov, roughly 40% of Brits believe in angels. In the US, an AP-GfK survey reported nearly 80% of people believe in angels. Oh yes, even among non-Christians the notion angels exist is widespread. Heck, even some who do not believe in some form of god trust in angels.

Wha-at?

I’m flabbergasted the numbers are so high.

Could this be why there is so little variation on the theme in fantasy or urban fantasy books? Angels are typically portrayed as warriors locked in eternal battle with demons, and humankind might become a casualty of war. Until an angel falls in love with a human and comes to understand how wonderful we are. Even outside the romance genre the angel as warrior theme persists. At best, you’ll get guardian angels, who are a specific type of angel with their own given traits.

I’m not dissing the genre. I love angel books. Different plots, different characters, different writing styles keep the genre fresh. Ish. But where is the overhaul?

Vampires, werewolves/shifters etc. are continuously being reinvented. The way they die, the way they are made, how they survive, how they love, their jobs, their living situations, … I can’t count the variations I’ve encountered over the years.

What about angels as supernatural detectives investigating infractions of the ten commandments, especially murder? Or how about angels as bureaucrats who once a millennium descend onto Earth to ensure humankind’s morals haven’t become too corrupted?

Feel free to steal these ideas. I’d really love to read about an angelic Veronica Mars.

Hey, I look forward to being proven wrong. Seriously. If you’ve read or written a book that explodes the traditional angel mold, please, please, please let me know.

May 9, 2014 Books, Urban Fantasy 3 Comments

My top five urban fantasy writers

I hate lists. Okay, I love lists. Hate them because I keep adding items or change my mind, and love them because they bring some cohesion to my fan-girl rants, especially when it comes to recommending authors.

But first, my history as a reader.

As a kid, I read all sorts. But as I got older, there weren’t many books that caught my interest. I was too old for the fantasy books of my youth, and the only thing I could stomach were crime books, typically “soft” crime like Agatha Christie or Martha Grimes.

It wasn’t until the advent of Harry Potter that I rediscovered the joy of reading. I joined at the second book, and soon had my entire workplace, let alone family hooked. Well, the women anyway. Thinking about it, Ms Rowling owes me a hell of a commission. Suddenly I remembered why I used to love books. So I read children’s fantasy books.

And then something marvellous happened. I discovered there were fantasy books for adults. But with the job and everything, wading through six hundred plus pages took commitment. Besides, most were a bit dry.

Finally, I discovered Kim Harrison. Her The Hollows series knocked me for six. She’s therefore number one in my list.

Then I discovered Keri Arthur and Laurell K. Hamilton. The latter was really good, but after a while, the sex took over and the plot became thin, at which point I lost interest. Keri Arthur is an author I read regularly, but she, too, missed out on a spot in my top five.

To make a lo-ong story short, I found Jim Butcher (number 2), Patricia Briggs (no. 3), Jennifer Rardin (number 4) and most recently, Darynda Jones. With Darynda Jones, here was finally someone who wrote the way I myself tried to write. Quite a revelation, and I’ve been a fan since her first book. I even named one of the characters in my book after her, but since she’s a rather nasty character (the one in my book, not the author), I changed the spelling to Derinda.

There are many more excellent urban fantasy writers out there. Amanda Bonilla, for example, who hasn’t yet received the recognition she deserves. Who knows? A couple of more books, and she’ll be in my top five. Another near miss was Mary Buckham, an excellent teacher AND an excellent writer, as I only recently discovered.

Anyway, to recap. My top five, in no particular order, are:

1) Kim Harrison

2) Jim Butcher

3) Patricia Briggs

4) Jennifer Rardin

5) Darynda Jones.

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Category: Urban Fantasy