Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
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Happiness is a good book: some of Seanan's favorite urban fantasy and paranormal romance reads.

I was asked recently if I would be willing to make a list of some of my favorite urban fantasies and paranormal romances. Because I am an amiable blonde, I am doing so. In the case of series, I will list the series name and first book, so you know where I at least think you should start. Format is as follows:

The Toby Daye Series, Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire.
Half-fae private investigator-slash-knight errant October Daye tries to solve magical murders and prevent more than the usual amount of chaos in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ongoing series, sequential, told in the first person. Five books currently available, two more confirmed.

Genre: Pretty unadulterated urban fantasy.
Recommended for: People who like my books, since I wrote them.
Romance level: Low so far. Sex not shown onscreen. Safe for teenagers and your mother.

For this list, "favorite" is defined as "I enjoy reading them, and am actively pleased to see another book in the series or by the same author," rather than "this is the highest quality that the genre has to offer." My books, my biases. This is by no means a comprehensive list, since my attention span is not that great right now.

With me? Awesome. Let's rock.

***

Women of the Otherworld, Bitten, Kelley Armstrong.
With its multiple narrators, ongoing plot threads, and complicated setting, Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld has grown into one of the most awesome series in urban fantasy. There are thirteen books planned, eleven currently available, but don't let that scare you off; they're pretty self-contained, and you can start anywhere, although I recommend the beginning.

Genre: Mostly urban fantasy.
Recommended for: Fans of Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Tanya Huff, me.
Romance level: High, with at least one major romance plot per book. Sex is smoking hot and onscreen, but generally plot-relevant.

Jessie Shimmer Series, Spellbent, Lucy Snyder.
These books are insane. Like, seriously deranged, somebody's been smoking something, there's a giant spider-ferret stomping around giving snotty advice, insane. I call these the Evil Dead movies of the urban fantasy world, and they have the same sort of crazy gonzo approach to damn near everything. I absolutely adore them. So much fun, so much gore, so many really crazy people.

Genre: Urban fantasy with a side order of nutbar horror.
Recommended for: People who think Bruce Campbell should be canonized.
Romance level: Romance, not so much, although Jessie has a steady lover. Sex, or at least sexy thoughts, lots and lots. Lucy Snyder is not afraid of the raunch, and she knows how to make it work for her. Sometimes in disturbing ways.

The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff.
Up until this book came out, Summon the Keeper was my favorite book of Tanya's. The Gale women, who are this huge, crazy, magical family who could probably hang out with my Price girls (from InCryptid) without anyone getting stabbed, make magic and pie in Canada. I think I like this better than anything else she's done in years...except for the sequel, which I got to read for blurbing purposes, and trust me. This series is just getting better.

Genre: Urban fantasy. With pie.
Recommended for: Fans of early urban fantasy (Emma Bull, Bordertown), Jim Hines, Mercedes Lackey's urban elves, or the Toby books.
Romance level: Some romance that works almost seamlessly with the rest of the plot, rather than being the plot; basically no onscreen sex.

Jill Kismet series, Night Shift, Lilith Saintcrow.
I liked Lilith Saintcrow's first urban fantasy series, following a psionic necromancer named Dante Valentine. I was sad to hear that she was moving on to a new series...and then I actually started reading them, found myself knocked onto my ass by awesome, and totally fell in love. Seriously. You need to read these in order if you read them at all, because she builds from book to book, and the ending of the most recent one was a ballsy kick in the gut. Totally recommended.

Genre: Urban fantasy with horror elements.
Recommended for: Fans of Lucy Snyder, Kelley Armstrong, early Laurel K. Hamilton.
Romance level: Sex and romance both feature, but they're a relatively small part of the book, and they are driven by the plot, rather than taking the wheel.

Matthew Swift, A Madness of Angels, Kate Griffin.
The Matthew Swift books are like a magical stew of London folklore, modern magic, and all the best things about Neverwhere and Hellblazer. Matthew Swift was dead. But he got better. Oh, and also, he's now the blue electric angels, which is a bit of a problem for all the people who'd like to make him dead again. The tense switches in the first book can be jarring, but once you embrace them, it's incredible.

Genre: Truly urban fantasy. The city is life.
Recommended for: Fans of Neil Gaiman, Richard Kadrey, Paul Cornell.
Romance level: Not really a factor. Matthew doesn't have the time.

Death Works, Death Most Definite, Trent Jamieson.
An awful lot of urban fantasy is set in North America. Death Works is set in Melbourne, Australia. An awful lot of urban fantasy focuses on a female lead. Death Works centers on Steven de Selby, a psychopomp ("pomp" for short) working for the organization which, well, makes sure death happens. An awful lot of urban fantasy is vampires and werewolves and faeries, oh, my. Death works is, well...death. I happen to love, and write, all those things that fall under "an awful lot of urban fantasy." But it's nice to mix it up, and this series is awesome.

Genre: Urban fantasy with dead stuff.
Recommended for: Fans of Anton Strout, Kevin Smith (yes, the filmmaker), Hellblazer.
Romance level: Moderate to high, but the love interest spends a lot of time dead, which cuts down on the sex.

Death's Daughter, Death's Daughter, Amber Benson.
Let's stick, briefly, with the dead stuff theme: allow me to introduce Calliope Reaper-Jones, daughter of Death, possible heir to his position, unwilling immortal, and oh, right, New York fashionista in training. These are fluffy, antic romps through the lands of the dead, and they very rarely let up for even a second. Calliope is frothy and fun, and the books improve steadily, making each new installment a pleasure.

Genre: Urban fantasy with dead stuff and shoes.
Recommended for: Fans of Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Romance level: Relatively low; Calliope's too busy trying not to die or break a nail.

Weather Wardens, Ill Wind, Rachel Caine.
Djinns. Elementalists. Earth-shattering kabooms. And some of the most unexpected twists, turns, and inversions in the entire genre, all building up to a climax that must be earned through the previous volumes to be believed. Seriously, I chewed through these like they were a gingerbread house and I was a starving Girl Scout lost in a fairy tale forest. They're creative, they're inventive, and they have a body count that is not to be missed. Check them out.

Genre: Weather Channel wish-fulfillment urban fantasy.
Recommended for: Fans of Kelley Armstrong, Linda Robinson, Lilith Saintcrow.
Romance level: High, with lots of smokin'-hot sex, and an ongoing relationship that doesn't need UST to sizzle.
Tags: book review, contemplation, geekiness, reading things
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There's a sequel to Enchantment Emporium? Title???? Date????

Tell me! Tell me now!!!

:)
The Wild Ways, out from DAW later this year.

jslinder

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

branna

5 years ago

keristor

5 years ago

reedrover

5 years ago

herewiss13

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

I don't know why I'm always surprised when an author I'm a fan of is also a fan of other authors I am a fan of. But it's like literary justification or something.

In other words that make slightly more sense, I fully agree with this list. And I miss early Laurel K. Hamilton.
I read a lot. Overlap is inevitable.

ext_209138

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

spectralbovine

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

spectralbovine

5 years ago

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jadis17

5 years ago

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Word.

firebluespinel

5 years ago

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Hee!
Wow ... no Thomas Sniegoski ... no John Levitt ... no Cherie Priest.
*takes notes*
Patricia Briggs. Just for the people that will troll the comments for more authors.

galdrin

5 years ago

sfogarty

5 years ago

silvertwi

5 years ago

sfogarty

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

sfogarty

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

galdrin

5 years ago

Thank you SO MUCH for listing the first books in these series! So many of them elect not to put numbers on them, or give any indication of which comes first, which for those of us (like me) who follow the rule of Thou Shalt Not Read A Series Out Of Order, is maddening.

So seriously--thank you!

I really loved Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series, so I've got Weather Wardens on my "Books to read Next" list. (It's quite a long list.)
Very welcome.
I was interested in the Snyder and Caine books before, and these recs continue my interest, but, man, so many books! My reading list is a million books long! Perhaps their time will come one day. The Griffin and Jamieson books also look cool!
I think you'll adore Matthew Swift.
I would groan over how you've just expanded my Amazon wishlist, but I'm too grateful for the new recs! ♥
Very welcome, darlin'.
LOVED the Weather Wardens! And Death Most Definite and A Madness of Angels were both definitely worth reading.

I'm curious, do you consider The Dresden Files to be urban fantasy?

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

firebluespinel

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

firebluespinel

5 years ago

taldragon

5 years ago

beable

5 years ago

kyrielle

5 years ago

What, no one has mentioned Charles De Lint and his Canadian urban fantasies??
For this list, "favorite" is defined as "I enjoy reading them, and am actively pleased to see another book in the series or by the same author," rather than "this is the highest quality that the genre has to offer." My books, my biases.

I loved De Lint in high school, and have basically burned out on him since then. So no, he would not make my list of current favorites.
No one has mentioned Alice Hoffman. Is it cause she does not write series? She has many books other than Practical Magic that are filled with the supernatural.
For this list, "favorite" is defined as "I enjoy reading them, and am actively pleased to see another book in the series or by the same author," rather than "this is the highest quality that the genre has to offer." My books, my biases.

I don't dislike her books, but they don't ring my bells. Also, they may have fantasy aspects, but they tend to fall more into literary fantasy or magical realism than straight-up UF/PR.
I love all of Kelley Armstrong's books (including YA), I always recommend these and the Toby Daye series, of course:) Besides those series I recommend the Kate Daniels series and Mercy Thompson series too :D
Awesome.
In the same vein as #1, MY favorite book is "I'll Tell You No Lies" by Tristan A. Arts. :-D Available at Amazon.com and PublishAmerica.com
Rock on.
Thanks for the list & the dialogue it's created :)

I think I'll be needing some mind!crack (or the more PC version from my mother, mental bubble-gum) shortly and I give most things a go.

I chewed through these like they were a gingerbread house and I was a starving Girl Scout lost in a fairy tale forest.

For someone who gets accused of devouring books, I nearly snorted tea giggling at that. Nothing is better a day where you should be doing things and instead you find a spot to read, have a cat join you and don't move for 8 hours.
have you read the Mercy Thompson series (blanking on the author name, sorry)? and the Rachel Morgan series (same)?

what did you think of them?
No, and no. The first runs into topic collision with a series I'm writing, and are hence off-limits; the second sadly didn't interest me when I had time to read it.
One of the first I read and still one of my favourite UF series was Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde books. A crying shame she only wrote 3 of those.
yes this!

I was sad she didn't do more of those, also I loved the car. *is total dork*

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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I've heard of her, but haven't read her.
I'd like to chime in with a thumbs up for the Death's Daughter series by Amber Benson. I haven't had a chance to pick up the whole series, I just got a free copy of the second book, but I really enjoyed the writing and the characters. :)
Yay!
Thank you for this! Some friends have been asking for book recommendations, so I will link them here from my Facebook (as per your periodic welcome post's blanket permission).
That works for me. :)
For this list, "favorite" is defined as "I enjoy reading them, and am actively pleased to see another book in the series or by the same author," rather than "this is the highest quality that the genre has to offer." My books, my biases.

Great disclaimer.

And YOU ROCK for making this list! Thanks so much!
I get a little tired of every list of this type being held up as "and if it's not on this list IT ISN'T ANY GOOD." Dude, none of us can read absolutely everything. Our heads would explode. So I just gotta go with what I know I like. :)

You're totally welcome.
Hmm...the Matthew Swift books sound interesting. I get the impression from your description that they are the kind of books where the city itself is almost a character? If so, SOLD.

The Weather Warden books are on my steal-from-the_sheryl-bookcases list. After I polish off a few other authors.
Er, sorry to tell you this dear, but the Weather Warden books have been purged from the shelves.(Whether they are in the boxes on the library floor I don't remember.) One too many cliffhanger endings(and a few other plot points that bugged me) caused me to stop reading them.

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

Eeeeeeee you like Kelly Armstrong! <3<3 I love love love the WOTO series. :D

Her YA series is really well done and in the same universe (though not using any of the WOTO characters) too.
Seanan is the person who introduced me to the KA books (I can blame her for introducing me to Jim Hines' books as well as some others, she's a 'book-pusher' *g*).

Thanks for the info about the YA series, I hadn't gotten round to reading those yet, I didn't know that they were same universe.

nightfalltwen

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

Awesome list! Somehow I've managed to not read any of these, so I've added almost all of them to my wishlist for future consumption. I've got a beach trip coming up next month. Bet some of these would be perfect ignore-the-sand-and-waves-for-a-few-hours fare!

Do you read a lot in other genres? I'd love to see what you find interesting across the board sometime.
I do, but I don't have time for another list right this minute. Maybe soon.
I found the first Weather Warden book very disappointing, and haven't read the rest of the series.

I love the Kitty Norville books, in the "great fun to read" sense. Also Julie Kenner's Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series. Shanna Swendson's Enchantment, Inc. series was also really good -- kind of like Mary Janice Davidson, only way better, for my taste. (No unrealistic expensive-shoe fetishes, for one thing.)
Excellent.
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