Archive for urban fantasy books

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.

Categories : New Fantasy Books
Comments (3)

Because of entries by Simon R. Green, Michael Boatman, Charles Stross, Marcus Pelegrimas, Christopher Golden & Tim Lebbon, Mark Del Franco, Raven Hart, and Kelley Armstrong, more than half of the contemporary/urban fantasy books released this month contain stories with male lead characters!

     
     
Jan. 2, 2009 image

Ghosts by Randy Cribbs
by Randy Cribbs

In his new novel, multiple award winning author Randy Cribbs, interweaves the fabric of Old St Augustine and its ghost-filled landscape with the sleepy modern town of today, building a mystery that forces three courageous young people on a mission to confront powerful spiritual forces they don’t understand. In a race against time, they discover the secret that can release spirits trapped ‘in between’. Ghosts is a most intriguing brew of apparitions, poltergeists and young romance.

     
     
Jan. 6, 2009 image

Host by Faith Hunter
by Faith Hunter

In a post-apocalyptic ice age, neomage Thorn St. Croix was nearly driven insane by her powers. She lived as a fugitive, disguised as a human, channeling her gifts for war into stone-magery. When she was discovered, her friends and neighbors accepted her, but warily. Not so the mage who arrives from the Council of Seraphs, who could be her greatest ally—or her most dangerous foe. And when her long-gone sister, Rose, is revealed to still be alive, Thorn must make a choice—and risk her own life in the process.

     
     
Jan. 6, 2009 image

Just Another Judgement Day, Nightside Book 9
by Simon R. Green

There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s got the Nightside’s rich and powerful quaking in their boots. He’s The Walking Man, and it’s his mission to exorcise sinners—with extreme prejudice. Problem is, the Nightside was built on sin and corruption, and The Walking Man makes no distinction between evildoers and those simply indulging themselves. He’ll leave the place a wasteland unless someone stops him, and P.I. John Taylor has been handed the job. No known magic or science can affect The Walking Man, and if John can’t discover his weakness, he’ll be facing the very Wrath of God…

     
     
Jan. 6, 2009 image

One More Bite
by Jennifer Rardin

I’ve already smoked the guy who was the pain in the CIA’s you-know-what for the past few years. But now, in the power vacuum left by Edward’s death, a struggle for supremacy has begun between his former allies.

The CIA feels the balance must be maintained. So when an agent planted among the Weres discovers a plot to assassinate the Coven’s leader, I and my vampire hottie (and boss), Vayl, are brought in to take out the woman hired to do the deed, a killer who might be as wily and Gifted as ourselves.

     
     
Jan. 6, 2009 image

Mean Streets
with stories by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson, Thomas E. Sniegoski

The best paranormal private investigators have been brought together in a single volume—and cases don’t come any harder than this.  New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher delivers a hard-boiled tale in which Harry Dresden’s latest case may be his last.  Nightside dweller John Taylor is hired by a woman to find something she lost—her memory—in a thrilling noir tale from New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green.
National bestselling author Kat Richardson’s Greywalker finds herself in too deep when a “simple job” goes bad and Harper Blaine is enmeshed in a tangle of dark secrets and revenge from beyond the grave.  For centuries, the being that we know as Noah lived among us. Now he is dead, and fallen-angel-turned-detective Remy Chandler has been hired to find out who killed him in a whodunit by national bestselling author Thomas E. Sniegoski.

     
     
Jan. 15, 2009 image

The Revenant Road
by Michael Boatman

Obadiah Grudge’s father is dead and it’s time for the family funeral. Turns out Obadiah has inherited his father’s monster-killing business, his lunatic of a partner, and his pet Raven. It’s too bad he didn’t inherit his father’s skill. It seems Dad’s death has put Obadiah’s feet on The Revenant Road, and there’s no escape from that.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

The Vampire’s Revenge
by Raven Hart

Tourists are heading to Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day–and Jack is racing through tunnels below the city to the edge of Hell itself to hold off a plot posed by the double-dead and demented. But Jack must also hold off his own desire for Connie Jones, the beautiful cop he turned into a vampire slayer. Connie, her blood running hotter than she can handle, can’t imagine the games that Jack is playing with her body and her mind, or that the other monster she’s falling in love with is all part of his devious plan.  Welcome to the world of Jack McShane, a blue-eyed vampire who knows how crazy things can get–once you get a little taste for blood.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

The Map of Moments
by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

What if you were given a map to a magic that could change the worst moment of your life…for a price?
From two all-stars of dark fantasy, Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, coauthors of Mind the Gap, comes this terrifying new thriller of magic and dangerous passions, where an ordinary man searches the magical landscape of an extraordinary city for the chance of a lifetime.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

Men of the Otherworld
by Kelley Armstrong

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has captivated readers with her spellbinding Women of the Otherworld series. Now, for the first time, in this collection of four tales she gives center stage to the men who love these sexy, supernatural women—the men who live on the other side of humanity…the wild side.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

Seraph of Sorrow
by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi

Slowly coming into her own, Jennifer Scales just may be the bridge to bring the two warring sides of her family together—provided she can survive learning the most ancient skills of dragonkind.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

Blood Blade
by Marcus Pelegrimas

Welcome to the nightmare.  There is a world you don’t know about, inhabited by supernatural creatures of darkness—vampires, werewolves, and all manner of savage, impossible beasts that live for terror and slaughter and blood. They are all around us but you cannot see them, for knowledge of their presence—so close and so hungry—would surely drive any ordinary human insane. But for centuries a special breed of hunter has kept the monsters at bay, preventing them from breaking through the increasingly fragile barriers protecting our mortal realm. These guardians are called skinners. But beware . . . for there are very few of them left.

This one just got added to my Amazon shopping cart.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

Unfallen Dead
by Mark Del Franco

For a century the door between the land of Faerie and modern reality has been closed.  But now signs point to the chance that the veil may lift again.  Boston Police consultant Connor Grey is working to solve a string of murders that seem to point to the occult, in particular, the Fae Guild.  With the return of his old Guild partner Connor is surrounded by events that just may kill him.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

Kitty and The Dead Man’s Hand
by Carrie Vaughan

Already the alpha pair of Denver’s werewolf pack, Kitty and Ben now plan to tie the knot human-style by eloping to Vegas. Kitty is looking forward to sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool and doing her popular radio show on live TV, but her hotel is stocked with werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Elsewhere on the Strip an old-school magician might be wielding the real thing; the vampire community is harboring a dark secret; and the irresistible star of a suspicious animal act is determined to seduce Kitty. Sin City has never been so wild, and this werewolf has never had to fight harder to save not only her wedding, but her very life.

     
     
Jan. 27, 2009 image

Spiral Hunt
by Margaret Ronald

They call her “Hound,” and with her unique supernatural sense Evie can track nearly anything—lost keys, vanished family heirlooms, even missing people. And though she knows to stay out of the magical undercurrent that runs beneath Boston’s historic streets, a midnight phone call from a long-vanished lover will destroy the careful boundaries she has drawn. Now, to pay a years-old debt, Evie must venture into the shadowy world that lies between myth and reality, where she will find betrayal, conspiracies, and revelations that will shatter all she believes about herself and the city she claims as home.  When the Hunt is on, the Hound must run.

     

See also:

New Fantasy Books for December 2008

New Fantasy Books for February 2009

Categories : New Fantasy Books
Comments (7)

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Cry Wolf is the first installment in a new urban fantasy book series by Patricia Briggs.

Anna Latham, attacked by a werewolf, spent 3 years barely existing in a male dominated pack led by a cruel and abusive pack leader. Anna was frequently the target of his sadistic treatment; it was only after his death (caused by Anna) that she learned the reason for his cruelty. Turns out Anna is an Omega, a special werewolf possessing the power to heal and calm those around her. Omegas are rare; Anna’s former pack leader mistreated her because he feared her power.

Soon after her pack leader’s demise Anna is approached by Charles Cornick, the son of the North American Marrok, the top dog (sorry) amongst werewolves. Charles met Anna before and is convinced that she is his life mate. Because Anna didn’t feel safe with her remaining pack members she agrees to accompany Charles to his homestead in Montana.

Anna and Charles are soon alerted by Charles’ father Bran about a recent brutal mauling of a human in Bran’s territory. All evidence indicates that the killer is a rogue werewolf. Although Charles is still physically recovering from a recent fight to defend Anna, Bran needs Charles, his best enforcer, to personally handle this problem. Bran also suggests that Anna accompany Charles on this mission because of her special powers.

Patricia Briggs is renowned for her ability to develop believable characterizations; Cry Wolf is no exception. The awkwardness that exists between two people who are attracted to one another but not fully trusting of one another is accurately depicted in Charles and Anna’s relationship. Placing them alone in the harsh snow-ridden wilderness forces them to depend on one another’s strengths.

The suspense leading up to the showdown with the creature responsible for the killings is thoroughly engrossing and unpredictable, making for a great read. This book will cause your emotions to run the gamut from sadness to jubilation and from fear to relief. I was so focused on finishing the book that I almost missed an important doctor’s appointment. This is a well written book which effectively blends adventure, suspense, and romance. It receives a “Best Fantasy Book” recommendation.

See also:

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Comments (1)

Here are the urban fantasy books that will be released this month, November 2008.  There are titles here from Nina Harper, Jenna Black, Maria Lima, and Jim Butcher.  And you’ve got to check out the new Sookie Stackhouse box set.  The Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire books by Charlaine Harris form the basis for the new HBO True Blood series.  The box set is currently on sale for 40% off the regular price.


Nov. 1, 2008 GravePerilbyJimButcher
Check Prices
Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
New Hardcover Release

Asked to deal with an enraged ghost, Harry Dresden, Chicago’s resident wizard, is puzzled and disturbed not by the ghost’s wrath but by the fact that someone had cast a torture spell on it, goading it into action. Harry’s disturbance increases when he discovers that the same spell has been cast on one of his friends. Harry begins to realize that he and his friends may be targets of a vengeful spirit, and as he desperately tries to discover which of his many enemies has it in for him, his friends are attacked one by one. The spirit, whom Harry refers to as the Nightmare, continues to torment Harry’s friends until he manages to cast a spell preventing it from harming anyone else until it kills him, which leads to a showdown that Harry might not survive.

Fantasy Girl: I love all of the Harry Dresden urban fantasy books. Jim Butcher is a fantastic writer and his books are chock full of action, adventure, and humor.


Nov. 1, 2008 Hunter's Moon by David Devereux
Check Prices
Hunter’s Moon by David Devereux

“My name is unimportant, but you can call me Jack. I’m a musician by choice, a magician by profession, and a bastard by disposition. I’d been doing the magic thing for about five years when they found me. They said I had a talent, that I was smart enough and fit enough and enough of a shit that I could serve my country in a way most people never even get to hear about. And I did want to serve my country, didn’t I? I didn’t really want to contemplate what might happen if I said no.”

And so Jack found himself on the front line of a secret war that most people simply wouldn’t believe was possible, working for a secret organization tasked with defending England from whatever supernatural threat faces it. MI5 know nothing about it and would laugh if they found out—but they wouldn’t laugh for long. Whether wiping out a group of demon summoners, infiltrating a coven determined to assassinate the prime minister, or rooting out a neo-Nazi sect who are trying to bring back Hitler from the dead, Jack is a very modern sort of magician—trained in a variety of the dark arts but also handy with firearms and skilled in unarmed combat and electronic surveillance. David Devereux has combined lightning action with dark supernatural thrills and produced a blistering new breed of supernatural thriller.


Nov. 4, 2008 MagicToTheBonebyDevonMonk
Check Prices
Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

Using magic means it uses you back, and every spell exacts a price from its user. But some people get out of it by “offloading” the cost of magic onto an innocent. Then it’s Allison Beckstrom’s job to identify the spell-caster.

Allie would rather live a hand-to-mouth existence than accept the family fortune—and the strings that come with it. But when she finds a boy dying from a magical offload that has her father’s signature all over it, Allie is thrown back into his world of black magic. And the forces she calls on in her quest for the truth will make her capable of things that some will do anything to control…

Fantasy Girl: I just added Magic to the Bone to my shopping list. It sounds like a good urban fantasy read.


Nov. 4, 2008 BetterOffUndeadbyMartinGreenberg
Check Prices
Better Off Undead by Martin H. Greenberg

From vampires to mummy con artists, this lively collection explores the many forms the undead can take in stories that range from the chilling to the hysterical. There are those who people the Afterlife, others who wander the lands of the living in ghostly form, and even those who walk about in the flesh.

For anyone who’s ever wondered if the grass is greener on the other side of this mortal coil, this collection will provide a wide range of intriguing answers from those who are undead…and loving it!


Nov. 4, 2008 BloodringbyFaithHunter
Check Prices
Bloodring by Faith Hunter

Thorn St. Croix is a neomage, people that can use leftover creation energy. When an attractive policeman appears at her door and tells her she is suspected of abducting her former husband, Thorn has to use her powers to hunt for him. Of course, any official who watches her long enough will figure out what she is, which means madness or death for her.


Nov. 4, 2008 ThirteenOrphansbyJaneLindskold
Check Prices
Thirteen Orphans by Jane Lindskold

As far as college freshman Brenda Morris knows, there is only one Earth and magic exists only in fairy tales.

Brenda is wrong.

A father-daughter weekend turns into a nightmare when Brenda’s father is magically attacked before her eyes. Brenda soon learns that her ancestors once lived in world of smoke and shadows, of magic and secrets . . .


Nov. 12, 2008 sookiestackhouseboxset-medium1
Check Prices
Sookie Stackhouse Box Set (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris

If you love True Blood you’ll love the entire collection in paperback. This box set contains Books 1 - 7 (Book 8 is currently only available in hardcover).

Amazon is running a great sale on this box set now. Get all 7 books for only $33.56. This is a savings of $22.37 (40% off).


Nov. 15, 2008 newtricksbyjohnlevitt1
Check Prices
New Tricks by John Levitt

Former enforcer Mason would normally be concerned with finding ghosts and vampires stalking the Castro section of San Francisco. Fortunately, Halloween provides the perfect explanation for the abundance of ghouls. But someone is trying to possess his old flame, Sarah. Now, with the help of his magical dog Louie, Mason must uncover the black magician responsible.


Nov. 25, 2008 succubustakesmanhattanbyninaharper1
Check Prices
Succubus Takes Manhattan by Nina Harper


Nov. 25, 2008 thedevilsduebyjennablack1
Check Prices
The Devil’s Due (Morgan Kingsley Book 3) by Jenna Black

Trust me or die…That’s the choice Morgan Kingsley, exorcist, is given by the gorgeous rogue demon who’s gotten inside her. The truth is, Morgan has dozens of reasons not to trust anyone, from the violence that torched her house and killed her father to a love life that’s left her questioning her relationship with her erstwhile boyfriend, Brian. But Lugh, a king among demons, won’t take no for an answer. He’s prying into her body, her mind, even her sex life. And he’s just pulled Morgan into a power struggle that could have devastating consequences for both the human and demon worlds.


Nov. 25, 2008 demonshungerbyevesilver1
Check Prices
Demon’s Hunger by Eve Silver

The Compact of Sorcerers, a brotherhood sworn to protect the wall between the human and demon realms, is thrust into battle with an unseen evil that threatens to destroy them all…

Forensic anthropologist Vivien Cairn fears she’s losing her mind. Her libido has kicked into overdrive, and she’s blacking out, leaving hours of her life unaccounted for and no memory of where she’s been or what she’s done. But when a sexy stranger rescues her from a demon attack, Vivien realizes there’s more than just her sanity at stake.


Nov. 29, 2008 bloodbargainbymarialima1
Check Prices
Blood Bargain by Maria Lima

Keira Kelly is coming into her unexpected and unexpectedly awesome powers… and Rio Seco, Texas ain’t ever gonna be the same! Keira just wants to be left alone without many responsibilities to her supernatural clan and, lately, spend some time with sexy Adam Walker - a vampire trying to get his brethren to give up human blood - on his luxurious Wild Moon ranch. But trouble and her paranormal family keep intruding - Gigi, Keira’s great-great-grandmother and the chief of the clan has sent Tucker, Keira’s 1,200-year-old shapeshifter brother to keep an eye on her!

See also:

New Urban Fantasy Books for September 2008

New Fantasy Books for December 2008

Best Selling Fantasy Books for 2008

Categories : New Fantasy Books
Comments (2)

As stated previously, I have quite a few duplicate copies of urban fantasy books. Why? Because I purchase so many books I forget what I’ve already bought!

This can work to your advantage.

I just finished reading the Patricia Briggs new book Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) which is fantastic. It’s about a modern-day female werewolf who teams up with her mate to track down a rogue werewolf responsible for killing several humans.  Put your cursor over the book title to get more information about Cry Wolf.

After reading Cry Wolf I noticed a brand new copy of the same book sitting on my bookshelf! So, I’ve decided to give it away to one of my loyal 50 49 readers!

It’s Easy to Enter the Contest

1. In the Comments section, tell me which True Blood character you like best. Then write at least 10 words on WHY that character is your favorite.

That’s it!

The contest ends Sunday, November 16th at 12:00 midnight (EST). The winner will be randomly chosen Monday, November 17th using the Random Integer Generator software program.

To read the books that started the True Blood series check out the entire listing of Charlaine Harris’ True Blood books

Here’s a review of Iron Kissed, the latest Mercy Thompson books (also by Patricia Briggs). This series is about a kick butt female mechanic who also happens to be a shape shifter. Her books have lots of great action scenes, a bit of romance, and are extremely well written.

Categories : Contests, True Blood
Comments (3)

Miscellaneous

Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions

 

Copyright © Best Fantasy Stories
All Rights Reserved