Gypsy
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2005
- Messages
- 40,225
Hi Guys, I've been getting into Urban Fantasy and am now in the middle of like 7 pretty decent series.
Here are my thoughts on them, take with a grain of salt) as everyone has different pet peeves (and I've listed those that occur to me here), expectations and tolerances
I thought I was burned out on Vampires, and I am, but on BAD vampires and erotica disguised as urban fantasy. But surprisingly enough there is one vampire series here, and it's pretty darned good.
Chloe Neill- Chicagoland vampires series. The characters are mid-twenties so the series has a bit of a youthful feel but is a slightly different take on vampires and I adore the heroine so much I just ripped through these. The two titles in the series so far as: Some Girls Bite and Friday Night Bites. There is romance, but fortunately it's still developing over the books and no one just jumps into bed and mentally vanishes their clothes for a meaningless romp. In fact, to date, no sex for main character. Whew!
Seanan McGuire-- this one is the first and only book in the series. The main character is just a woman you really feel sorry for after the prologue and is guilty of some bad judgement (but slightly understandable, given her past), but the world building is really nice and I think the herione becomes a character I really liked by the end of the book, because she gets some of her own back, and finds herself again. Good read, looking forward to following books. If you like Harry Desden you will like this books, if you don't-- don't bother.
Patricia Briggs-- Mercy Thompson Series. Really liked this series a lot through the first three books and into the first chapter of the 4th. I recommend stoping there though (and not finishing the fourth book, just go read the first chapter in the book store) as the characters got really inconsistent in the 4th book and it bugged the crud out of me. The first three books can be read a great trilogy though, IMO. This series has werewolves so there is a LOT about werewolf 'psychology' and there is a rape at the very end, though (if such a thing can be said) it is avenged to the extent it can be. The author does a spin off of this series in her 'new' series-- the Alpha and Omega series, but it is much heavier on the romance and IMO, the herione is just not as interesting at all.
Iiona Andrews-- Kate Daniels Series. This was one recommended by Amazon for people who liked the Mercy Thompson series. The characters aren't as charismatic and compelling at the start IMO as the Mercy Thompson books, but I actually prefered the world, the way magic works and the 'psychology' of the books, once I got into them further to the series. Mercy grabs you at the start and pulls you in. With Kate, it wasn't till half way through the second book I realized that I was pretty hooked. The pacing is VERY different than the Mercy books. And it feels at once richer, and less fleshed out than the Mercy Series. I would try to avoid reading the two back to back though, as it is hard not to compare the two if you do. And I think each has merits and drawbacks on it's own.
The rest of the books I've been reading are urban fantasy, but more romance heavy and not as good as these, IMO. Although I did find one author in an anthology that has some promise. But her books are romance/urban fantasy. Instead of urban fantasy with a slight romantic thread (which the above are), which I prefer.
The next series I am thinking about reading is Richelle Mead's Georgina Kincaid series (starts with Succubus Blues) but I'm afraid that it would be too sex heavy so I haven't started it. Let me know if anyone's read it, and what they think of the series though.
Also any recommendations would be appreciated!
I'm also in the middle of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, which gets raves, but that I am tiring of (I've been reading this one for a few years and wish it would end soon). I did love the first few books in this series. But it's dragging a bit for me now and I want some final closure.
Here are my thoughts on them, take with a grain of salt) as everyone has different pet peeves (and I've listed those that occur to me here), expectations and tolerances
I thought I was burned out on Vampires, and I am, but on BAD vampires and erotica disguised as urban fantasy. But surprisingly enough there is one vampire series here, and it's pretty darned good.
Chloe Neill- Chicagoland vampires series. The characters are mid-twenties so the series has a bit of a youthful feel but is a slightly different take on vampires and I adore the heroine so much I just ripped through these. The two titles in the series so far as: Some Girls Bite and Friday Night Bites. There is romance, but fortunately it's still developing over the books and no one just jumps into bed and mentally vanishes their clothes for a meaningless romp. In fact, to date, no sex for main character. Whew!
Seanan McGuire-- this one is the first and only book in the series. The main character is just a woman you really feel sorry for after the prologue and is guilty of some bad judgement (but slightly understandable, given her past), but the world building is really nice and I think the herione becomes a character I really liked by the end of the book, because she gets some of her own back, and finds herself again. Good read, looking forward to following books. If you like Harry Desden you will like this books, if you don't-- don't bother.
Patricia Briggs-- Mercy Thompson Series. Really liked this series a lot through the first three books and into the first chapter of the 4th. I recommend stoping there though (and not finishing the fourth book, just go read the first chapter in the book store) as the characters got really inconsistent in the 4th book and it bugged the crud out of me. The first three books can be read a great trilogy though, IMO. This series has werewolves so there is a LOT about werewolf 'psychology' and there is a rape at the very end, though (if such a thing can be said) it is avenged to the extent it can be. The author does a spin off of this series in her 'new' series-- the Alpha and Omega series, but it is much heavier on the romance and IMO, the herione is just not as interesting at all.
Iiona Andrews-- Kate Daniels Series. This was one recommended by Amazon for people who liked the Mercy Thompson series. The characters aren't as charismatic and compelling at the start IMO as the Mercy Thompson books, but I actually prefered the world, the way magic works and the 'psychology' of the books, once I got into them further to the series. Mercy grabs you at the start and pulls you in. With Kate, it wasn't till half way through the second book I realized that I was pretty hooked. The pacing is VERY different than the Mercy books. And it feels at once richer, and less fleshed out than the Mercy Series. I would try to avoid reading the two back to back though, as it is hard not to compare the two if you do. And I think each has merits and drawbacks on it's own.
The rest of the books I've been reading are urban fantasy, but more romance heavy and not as good as these, IMO. Although I did find one author in an anthology that has some promise. But her books are romance/urban fantasy. Instead of urban fantasy with a slight romantic thread (which the above are), which I prefer.
The next series I am thinking about reading is Richelle Mead's Georgina Kincaid series (starts with Succubus Blues) but I'm afraid that it would be too sex heavy so I haven't started it. Let me know if anyone's read it, and what they think of the series though.
Also any recommendations would be appreciated!
I'm also in the middle of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, which gets raves, but that I am tiring of (I've been reading this one for a few years and wish it would end soon). I did love the first few books in this series. But it's dragging a bit for me now and I want some final closure.
I''m psyched for the next installment!
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