Confessions of an Urban Fantasy-aholic
August 02, 2012
Six years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to force or bribe me to read anything that involved vampires, werewolves, witches, etc. Friends tried desperately to convert me, offering me all kinds of reading suggestions, none of which broke my resolve. Then, I gave in and read Twilight (I know, I know), and my interest in the paranormal was officially piqued. I started out with paranormal romances, but wanting a little more than just romance, I quickly moved to urban fantasy.
If you’re not familiar, urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy fiction that is set more or less in a contemporary city area (though some have historical or futuristic settings.) One of my favorites is the Jim Butcher Dresden Files series. The first book is Storm Front, and it centers on Private Detective Harry Dresden, who just happens to be a wizard. If you’re a fan of audiobooks, I’d definitely suggest this one. James Marsters is the reader, and he does a fabulous job. If you don’t know who he is, ask a Buffy the Vampire Slayer aficionado, and they will tell you why you should be appropriately impressed!
Another series I have discovered recently is the Iron Druid Chronicles series by Kevin Hearne. This series focuses on a 1,000 year old druid named Atticus O’Sullivan, who lives in Phoenix, AZ and his dealings with different gods and goddesses, as well as the witches, vampires, werewolves, and others mythical beings on earth. His lawyers also just happen to be a werewolf and a vampire. I think my favorite character though is the dog Oberon and his hilarious "talks" with Atticus. The first book in the series is Hounded. This is another audiobook with a reader who does an excellent job bringing the characters to life.
If any of this sounds like it might be up your alley, here’s a list of titles and authors that I think you might enjoy:
Ilona Andrews: Magic Bites, Kate Daniels series
Patricia Briggs: Moon Called, Mercy Thompson series
Mike Carey: The Devil You Know, Felix Castor series
Harry Connolly: Child of Fire, Twenty Palaces series
Mark Del Franco: Unshapely Things, Connor Grey series
Jennifer Estep: Spider's Bite, Elemental Assassin series
Simon R. Green: Something from the Nightside, Nightside series
Laurell K. Hamilton: Guilty Pleasures, Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series
Kim Harrison: Dead Witch Walking, The Hollows series
Darynda Jones: First Grave on the Right, Charley Davidson series
Richard Kadrey: Sandman Slim, Sandman Slim series
Chloe Neill: Some Girls Bite, Chicagoland Vampire series
Kat Richardson: Greywalker, Greywalker series
I’m always on the hunt for new authors and series, so if you have one you think I should be reading (or listening to), please comment below so I can add them to my growing list of must-reads.
Amy J. Fisher
Information and Reader Services Manager
Comments
Thank You!
Thank you for all of the great suggestions you have given me to read. I will be adding them to my list.
Amy Fisher
Information and Reader Services Manager
Author Lilith Saintcrow
writes the amazing Dante Valentine series. Awesome books that you can't put down! Best of all you can request the complete series (5 books) from the library in one 1280 page book!
Well Written
I am not a fan of this genre but I found your article to be a well written and concise introduction to the genre. It is always nice to see good writing these days.
That is such a great list!
That is such a great list! One I would recommend that is on the romance side is C.E. Murphy's Margrit Knight trilogy: Heart of Stone, Hands of Flame, and House of Cards.
But anything by her is good. I highly recommend her. I am glad to see Mercy Thompson on your list, I think that is a very overlooked series.
Suggestions
Personally, I believe it a sin to omit from lists of urban fantasy, and strongly recommend to those who appreciate the genre: the Sookie Stackhouse novels and short story collection by Charlaine Harris, in which vampires, werewolves, witches, and various forms of fae run amok in the form of a first-person mystery narrative set in the south (notable as the books HBO's True Blood is based on, but read the books, they're a lot more fun); the novels and short story collections set in the fictitious city of Newford by Charles de Lint in which recurring characters drift in and out of each others' stories, having encounters with elements of Celtic and Native American mythology and the denizens of an expansive Otherworld (a good place to start is the novel The Onion Girl and its follow-up Widdershins); and the novels of Neil Gaiman, particularly his epics Neverwhere and American Gods.Neverwhere follows a man who slips through society's cracks into a magical realm that exists above and below, and often just to the side, of modern London. American Gods is the tale of gods, myths, and legends that hitched a ride with the various immigrants that have created the melting pot of the U.S. and now face battle with the emerging gods of convenience and commerce. Hope this leads people to enjoying to great stories!
Sookie
I have read the Sookie Stackhouse series and it is a series that is hard to put into any one genre. This series has elements of several genres including mystery, romance, fantasy so sometimes it is included and sometimes it is not in this sub-genre. I was torn on whether to add it or not. Thanks for mentioning it though.
Amy Fisher
Information and Reader Services Manager
Jim Butcher: Storm Front,
Jim Butcher: Storm Front, Harry Dresden series.
He is a fantastic author, and local as well! It's based around a Chicago P.I. who also happens to be a wizard. If you liked the Nightside series then you will love this.
Happy Reading!
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