11 urban fantasies.: seanan

11 urban fantasies.

We are now eleven days from the release of Late Eclipses [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy]. I like to read almost as much as I like to write, and I like to read urban fantasy. So here are eleven urban fantasies you should check out.

11. Dead to Me, Anton Strout. The first of the Simon Canderous adventures, Dead to Me is sort of like a big transcription of the most awesome Bureau 13 book you never got to play in. Simon has actually met Toby in comic strip form, which tells you just how cool I think he is. The fourth (and currently final) book in the series, Dead Waters, comes out real soon now, so this is your chance to catch up!

10. Spellbent, Lucy Snyder. Jessie Shimmer is to most of the lipsticked, high-heeled girls of urban fantasy as Bruce Campbell's Ash is to the movie star leading men of most horror movies. She laughs in their faces, and then she blows the living shit out of something, just to show how awesome she is. I could not love this book (and series) more if it came to my house and baked me cookies.

9. Death Most Definite, Trent Jamieson. I sometimes feel like way too much urban fantasy is set in the United States, when there's this whole huge amazing world out there in need of some shit randomly exploding. Trent Jamieson's Death Works series addresses this gaping hole in my life with style, elan, and yes, massive property damage, which is something I like in a good Australia urban fantasy.

8. Spiral Hunt, Margaret Roland. The Evie Scelan books use aspects of deep Celtic mythology that just blow me away, because they're the sort of thing that shows loving, passionate research. The fact that they are combined with a loving, passionate story about the world's most paranormally gifted bike messenger (who is a total bad-ass) is basically just icing on the cake. The cake of awesome.

7. Staked, J.F. Lewis. Maybe I'm pushing the definition of "urban fantasy" a little by including this hard-rock vampires and demons and extensive property damage oh my delight, but I really don't care. My post, my genre, my rules...and my stars, do I love this book. It's fun, it's frantic, and it's a whole new take on vampires. Including a main character who regularly bursts into flames.

6. Carousel Tides, Sharon Lee. This isn't urban fantasy in the "bright lights, big city" sense. It's urban fantasy in the "magic leaking in around the edges of the world, all the things you never noticed, but somehow always knew had to be there" sense, and it's brilliant. It's a sweet, brilliant book, and the fact that the scope of the setting is small makes the story that much bigger.

5. Night Shift, Lilith Saintcrow. I liked Dante Valentine; I love Jill Kismet. But more, I love where this series goes. Seriously, even if the first two books were shit (which they're not; they're good, and get better with each volume), it would be worth reading just to get to book five, which contains some of the bravest, ballsiest writing I have seen in this genre. Seriously awesome.

4. Summon the Keeper, Tanya Huff. Out of everything Tanya has written, I think I love the Keeper books the very best of all. I went through three copies of this book before I stopped reading them to death, and I only stopped because I developed a large enough "to be read" shelf that I don't have time for that sort of literary abuse anymore. This series remains fascinating and unique.

3. War for the Oaks, Emma Bull. This was one of the foundational works of modern urban fantasy. Without Eddy and the Fae, your bookshelf might look very different. I know mine would. If you haven't read War for the Oaks, and you like urban fantasy, you really should, if only so you can see where some of our modern tropes and traditions came from. Also, the book kicks ass.

2. Bitten, Kelley Armstrong. This is not my favorite volume in Kelley's Women of the Otherworld series, but it's the first, and it's brilliant in its own right. Plus, if you like it, you've just unlocked a multi-volume series that persists in getting better and better with every page she writes. I am in awe of this world.

1. Welcome to Bordertown, edited by Holly Black and Ellen Kushner. You can't read this yet. It's not out yet. But just you wait; it'll blow you away.

textileowl

February 18 2011, 15:59:53 UTC 6 years ago

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Some of these are already on my shelf waiting to be read! The rest will just have to go on my goodreads shelf for future reading.

The Simon Canderous books keep getting better, so I'm sticking with him for a while longer. Besides anyone who fights magic bookshelves is an automatic winner.

seanan_mcguire

February 18 2011, 16:18:19 UTC 6 years ago

Word.

keristor

February 18 2011, 16:08:32 UTC 6 years ago

#2: Out of interest, which is your favourite? Or is it, like mine, "the one I'm reading"? (And thanks for the recommendation of that series, BTW, you book-pusher *g*.)

Going back a long time, and stretching the definition of 'urban' (because they're in the Outback), have you read Patricia Wrightson's series set in Australia and using native mythology, starting with "The Ice is Coming"? She wrote several non-series books also set around native Australian magic as well.

#1 gets you a "you bastard" *g*. I've ordered it, due out in May according to Amazon UK...

February 18 2011, 16:19:09 UTC 6 years ago

Either Dimestore Magic or No Humans Involved. I haven't read the Wrightson books.

Welcome to Bordertown is brilliant. You'll be pleased.

mrs_norris_mous

6 years ago

silvertwi

February 18 2011, 16:14:21 UTC 6 years ago

The only one on that list that I've read is Summon the Keeper. I should see about acquiring a copy, because I too love that book (and the sequels; I'm sad there won't be any more) and I don't have time to go to the public library all that often anymore. Academic libraries just don't have extensive contemporary* fiction collections, and those are the only ones I spend any time in (work at one, currently sitting in another).

*contemporary/modern/published-in-the-last-20-years... Just in case there's a "contemporary fiction" genre I don't know about.

I'm going to bookmark this page too, for when I have time to add books to my tbr pile. Thanks for the rec's!

February 18 2011, 16:19:18 UTC 6 years ago

No problem!

ladymurmur

tibicina

Deleted comment

February 18 2011, 16:34:33 UTC 6 years ago

As long as you pick up Late Eclipses, slack away!

February 18 2011, 17:07:24 UTC 6 years ago

Crossed was fantastic.

spectralbovine

February 18 2011, 16:41:28 UTC 6 years ago

10. Ha, I had that book on my List for a while because I came across it clicking around on Amazon, but then I realized I would never actually get around to reading it since there are so many other books in the world.

February 18 2011, 17:07:34 UTC 6 years ago

Sad but true.

winters_queen

February 18 2011, 17:04:47 UTC 6 years ago

Oooo, thanks for the list. There are some books I haven't heard of. :D

February 18 2011, 17:07:41 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

alicetheowl

February 18 2011, 17:17:29 UTC 6 years ago

I really hope you don't get a Goodreads notification about people adding stuff to their to-read, because I think this would get you flooded.

I just added a good chunk of these. Because I absolutely needed MORE on my list of 370 books I plan on reading in this lifetime.

Ah, well. It'll get me through until One Salt Sea.

February 18 2011, 17:28:33 UTC 6 years ago

I do not! Thankfully.

tikiera

February 18 2011, 17:29:48 UTC 6 years ago

Somehow I have only read 2-4.

You seriously and utterly rock. I was just thinking that my kindle was lonely without any new books, and nothing was due to come out until March...

I cannot wait for the Bordertown book. I own two copies of one of the bordertown books because I deluded myself into thinking a new cover was a new book... that's how much I wanted there to be one.

February 18 2011, 18:54:37 UTC 6 years ago

besanderson

February 18 2011, 17:41:19 UTC 6 years ago

Wow, thanks for the list. There are so many great urban fantasies out, but I've only read Stroud off your list. I'll definitely be checking out the others. And to pay you back a little, I'll suggest Laura Bickle (Embers and the sequel Sparks) and Carolyn Crane (Mind Games). =o)

dark_towhead

February 18 2011, 18:01:42 UTC 6 years ago

Laura Bickle's Detroit set urban fantasies are great! She also writes a series under pseudonym: Alayna Williams (Dark Oracle)...

February 18 2011, 17:59:29 UTC 6 years ago

Total agreement on Lucy Snyder's books. This series rawks my world!

February 18 2011, 18:54:55 UTC 6 years ago

I'm so excited for book three!

February 18 2011, 18:55:10 UTC 6 years ago

More, if you like them; most of these are the first in a series.

arielstarshadow

February 18 2011, 18:22:36 UTC 6 years ago

Ooooh - new books to read! I've only read 4 of these, favorites all, so can't wait to taste the rest of the list.

Since you enjoyed Summon the Keeper, have you read her Enchantment Emporium, yet?

War for the Oaks is a yearly read for me - there is something incredibly delightful about reading urban fantasy set in a familiar place.

February 18 2011, 18:55:20 UTC 6 years ago

I have! I loved it.

admnaismith

February 18 2011, 18:27:48 UTC 6 years ago

Amazing--I've never heard of any of those. In fact, I'm only familiar with two of the writers' names. But that won't bee the case for much longer. Well, not tooooo much longer...I'm still picking out selections from that "100 books that rocked my world" list you posted several months back.

February 18 2011, 18:55:29 UTC 6 years ago

Hee. I am a water hazard.

evaleastaristev

February 18 2011, 18:31:42 UTC 6 years ago

Will you leave my poor wishlists alone! They're big enough without you throwing interesting books my way!

The bibliophile in me thanks you, though. *runs off to gleefully read new books*

February 18 2011, 18:55:42 UTC 6 years ago

You're welcome, and I'm sorry.

qnofhrt

February 18 2011, 18:47:35 UTC 6 years ago

4. Summon the Keeper, Tanya Huff. Out of everything Tanya has written, I think I love the Keeper books the very best of all.

I agree, although I've read "Sing the Four Quarters" more times. I just found my copy of Summon the Keeper so I'll be rereading it again soon.

February 18 2011, 18:55:57 UTC 6 years ago

Awesome!

rosefox

February 18 2011, 18:49:23 UTC 6 years ago

Have you read Harry Connolly's Child of Fire? It's Lovecraftian urban fantasy without the urban, very well done.

February 18 2011, 18:56:06 UTC 6 years ago

It's in my ENORMOUS STACK.

dormouse_in_tea

aedifica

February 18 2011, 18:49:47 UTC 6 years ago

There's a new Bordertown anthology? Sweet! Thanks for mentioning it!

February 18 2011, 18:56:15 UTC 6 years ago

Yes! In May!

murphy73

February 18 2011, 19:04:48 UTC 6 years ago

I've read:

Spellbent and its' sequel
Spiral Hunt and its' sequel
Carousel Tides (I read everything and anything by Lee & Miller)
Summon the Keeper (Ditto for Huff)
War for the Oaks (Again a ditto---I'm still looking for a Brownie to rescue.)
Bitten (all of Armstrong's books)

And Late Eclipses will arrive at my house late Monday (2/21) afternoon.

February 18 2011, 19:05:11 UTC 6 years ago

...are you a reviewer?

February 18 2011, 19:56:46 UTC 6 years ago

Mmmm, books. I've not read a number of these, and my Amazon cart just grew. <3

February 18 2011, 21:00:43 UTC 6 years ago

drcpunk

February 18 2011, 20:04:49 UTC 6 years ago

#1 -- So, I have time to reread 'em. Well, eleven days, at least.

February 18 2011, 21:00:50 UTC 6 years ago

Woo!

calico_reaction

February 18 2011, 22:36:20 UTC 6 years ago

I've grown quite fond of the Evie Scelan books, so I'm glad to see them on your list. Staked was good for me, but I've never been compelled to read more in the series. Are you caught up?

Woot for War for the Oaks and Bitten!

February 19 2011, 04:13:54 UTC 6 years ago

I am! I find it fascinating, because it's breaking every. Single. Rule. And yet somehow manages to be awesome. Eric isn't a nice guy; Tabitha is a strong female character almost despite herself; Greta is a psychopath. And yet the series rules.

ironed_orchid

February 18 2011, 22:56:29 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

Book recs are awesome things.

February 19 2011, 04:14:07 UTC 6 years ago

I think so, too.

mariadkins

February 18 2011, 23:03:50 UTC 6 years ago

7. Staked, J.F. Lewis.

i love jeremy! in fact, i'm sitting here in my welcome to the void t-shirt right now!

February 19 2011, 04:14:18 UTC 6 years ago

las

February 18 2011, 23:12:04 UTC 6 years ago

I could not love this book (and series) more if it came to my house and baked me cookies.

Can I quote you on that? :)

Seriously, thanks for the props, and I'm really glad you're enjoying the series.

February 19 2011, 04:15:34 UTC 6 years ago

Absolutely. I've considered submitting "Jessie Shimmer is to the high-heeled pretty girls of urban fantasy as Bruce Campbell's Ash is to the pretty boys of horror cinema. She'll kick your ass, and she'll take no prisoners doing it," as a blurb, but I think it's too geeky, even for me.

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