Fantasy Books for Men

I sometimes get asked to recommend fantasy books for certain age groups, i.e., (which fantasy books are appropriate for teenagers?). Because I read so many fantasy books it’s not difficult to answer those questions – it just takes time to compile the listings.

Yesterday I got 2 inquiries about fantasy books for men. This gave me pause: would guys like to read about Sookie Stackhouse and her adventures? Would they be interested in reading about Bella and Edward’s relationship in the Twilight books? My gut says no. So I decided to provide a listing of fantasy books that have strong male leading characters which I think will appeal to the Y-chromosome readers out there:

Something from the Nightside (Nightside, Book 1) by Simon R. Green.
John Taylor has a talent for finding things. When he’s asked to find a missing girl (by the missing girl’s mother) he both reluctantly and optimistically looks forward to descending into the Nightside, the dark and dangerous world beneath the city of London where evil and strange creatures reside. John actually feels somewhat at home there. In the Nightside you know what you’re dealing with – there aren’t too many surprises. However many of the creatures are deadly and live by their own moral code so staying alert (and on their good side) is mandatory for survival.

John is a wise-cracking, tough as nails guy who doesn’t mince words and can see through bullshit from 10 yards away. Simon R. Green’s world building techniques are impressive; the Nightside world is brought to life from the very beginning of this book. If you like books full of adventure and all things magical, these are for you.

Staked (Void City, Book 1) by J.F. Lewis.
Eric is a vampire with memory issues – he sometimes can’t remember the simplest things. He’s also got a business partner with a dark hidden agenda, a girlfriend that wants him to bite her, a homicidal daughter, and a murder on his hands. Actually, he’s got a dead werewolf head in his hands but he can’t remember when or why he killed it.

Eric is a no-holds barred, blood and guts, take no prisoners vampire who lives each day to the fullest and makes no excuses for his supernatural tendencies. If this book was to be taken to the big screen I’d see someone like Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, or Jason Patric in the role. You know, the strong, silent and incredibly gorgeous type that happens to have “issues.”

Mr. Lewis does a fantastic job with character building and keeping the storyline appropriately paced. This is one of those books that you’ll find hard to put down. The second book in the series, ReVamped (Void City, Book 2) is now available in bookstores.

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher.
Harry Dresden is a wizard by nature and a detective by trade. He investigates the more, let’s say, “special” cases that the police can’t solve. In this book he’s called in to give his opinion of a gruesome double-murder that points to the use of black magic. Although the pay for this case is significant it comes at a high price: the dark mage responsible for the murders has Harry in his cross hairs.

In my opinion Jim Butcher writes some of the best dialogue you’ll ever find in the fantasy book genre. His words jump off the page. And the character building for Harry is top notch. What I really like about Harry’s character is that he’s smart and a realist. You won’t find him going after a bad guy in a dark alley, with no weapons, and his foot in a cast. No, Harry understands his limitations. Sure, he has a soft spot for children and women-in-need, but he’s no pushover. He’s got street smarts and knows how to survive. I have every one of the Harry Dresden books and love them all. The latest in the fantasy book series,
Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) will be released in April.

If you know of a good fantasy book that would appeal to men please feel free to add it to the comments section below so I can research it and add it to the list.