Archive for urban fantasy
Your Urban Fantasy Book Collection: Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong
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As promised I’m writing short reviews or “quickies” of the contemporary and urban fantasy books that I believe every urban fantasy reader should have in their collection. My goal is to publish one of these every few days. I have quite a few books to cover so this will keep me busy for a while.
First up is Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong. Kelley Armstrong writes the Women of the Otherworld series that I love so much. One series deals with witches, the second series focuses on werewolves. This review takes a look at the first book from the series about witches.
Key Points
The heroine, Paige Winterbourne, is a witch who inherits the title of Leader of the American Coven of Witches when her mother dies. Paige is looking for hidden grimoires, books filled with powerful spells that she hopes will help witches regain their place in the supernatural world. By only practicing white magic, witches have become weaker than sorcerers, their male counterparts. Paige wants the witches to regain their power and use it not for profit, like the cabals, but for the purpose of doing good.
Paige also inherits the responsibility of looking after Savannah Levine, a rebellious 13-year-old who’s mother (also dead) practiced black magic, something taboo to the witches in the coven.
Savannah, like her mother, is also interested in black magic and is an extremely powerful, but untrained, witch. This makes her attractive to the leader of a cabal, a sorcerer-owned high-powered corporation that uses witches and clairvoyants against their competition. Savannah’s long lost father wants to use her for this purpose and plans to fight Paige for custody.
Paige meets a lawyer who happens to be heir to the most powerful cabal in the world. Although he’s a sorcerer he’s not interested in his father’s cabal business. When Paige gets into trouble he comes to the rescue. Although witches and sorcerers have hated one another for centuries, Paige forms a friendship with the lawyer.
There’s lots of action in this book; most of it is linked to Paige’s attempts to keep Savannah in check (you try dealing with a powerful untrained 13 year old witch), her efforts to fight off Savannah’s deadbeat dad for custody, and her attempts to keep both of them safe from a female half-demon that seems to be holding a grudge against Paige. After reading this book, the first in the Paige Winterbourne urban fantasy series, I was hooked.
If you don’t have this book you should get Dime Store Magic while it’s on sale.
Why Britney Spears Should Read Urban Fantasy
Posted by: | CommentsIt saddens me to see people with so much potential neglect their responsibilities. I look at Britney Spears and her senseless mishaps and wonder “what can be done for her?”
Remember when the Harry Potter books were first published and as a result, millions of kids who didn’t like to read suddenly developed an interest in doing just that? Those books, although criticized by some for the magical element in them, had a definite positive impact on countless kids, teenagers, and adults around the world.
I think I’ve found such a book for Britney Spears - actually it’s a book genre. In particular, urban and contemporary fantasy. These books have action, adventure, a little romance, intrigue, and drama - things Britney appears to want in her life.
The fantasy books that I read the most usually have a female main character or heroine. In many cases the heroine has some sort of power(s) that allow her to defend herself against others that seek to do her harm. I find a lot of the main characters to be (at times) headstrong and a little stubborn. Sound familiar? But here’s the thing: although they frequently get into trouble or are engaged in activities that have a potential to be life-threatening,
Their Support Base Is Always There to Help Them
The contemporary fantasy books that I review rarely have heroines that succeed by doing everything themselves. There’s always a supporting cast to help them “save the day.” And although the main character may be plenty stubborn they’re usually not too proud to accept help when needed.
Yes, I know we’re talking about fictional characters but isn’t Britney’s life like a chapter from a fantasy story?
Here are some main plot points from the Dead Witch Walking series by Kim Harrison. Tell me if Britney couldn’t learn a few things from these characters:
- The main character Rachel Morgan, lives with her friend Ivy, a female vampire. Ivy is estranged from her parents but regularly sets her feelings aside to visit them and check on their well being.
- Ivy’s young sister is headed down a wayward path. She’s hanging out with peers that Ivy believes are a bad influence on her. She’s afraid that her sister, who’s very young, impulsive, and impressionable, is headed for trouble. As such Ivy is always quick to provide guidance to her sister. She wants to ensure she doesn’t get into trouble. Three words: Jamie Lynn Spears.
- Zac isn’t without his own faults but one thing he’s steadfast in is his dedication to his children. He puts them before everything else in his life. I look at Britney’s life and I don’t see her parents in this role but she definitely needs someone to provide this level of loyalty and trust.
- Rachel doesn’t surround herself with “yes” people that tell her what she wants to hear. Quite the contrary, her friends can be brutally honest at times and as such, they help keep Rachel focused and on track. They have no qualms about point out her failings if warranted.
All in all it’s because of Rachel’s support network that she’s even alive.
Achieving quick wealth and fame at an early age without having a solid support base can be a recipe for disaster. It’s in times of chaos and turmoil that the support is needed most.
Here’s hoping Britney receives the care and assistance needed to return some balance and stability to her life.
Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy
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C.E. Murphy has written a remarkable fantasy story that combines love, heartbreak, self-imposed exile, revenge, and redemption. If you think this describes a soap opera or a romance novel you’re wrong. It’s far from it. C.E. Murphy spins a tale that firmly places the book in the paranormal fantasy genre, but does it in such a way that the human side of the “monsters” is so believable, I found myself sympathizing with even the most deadly of their kind.
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Margrit “Grit” Knight, a young female attorney, literally “runs into” the midst of a murder investigation: someone is killing young women in New York’s Central Park. As the person discovering the latest victim, she’s soon placed under surveillance by the police department. Not because they suspect her, but because she was approached by a mysterious stranger in the park upon finding the body who fits the description of their primary suspect and has been seen in his presence several times since.
The stranger, Alban Korund, introduces Grit to the underworld, something she has a hard time understanding and accepting at first. But after meeting individuals from four of the Five Races (the races of supernatural beings that existed since the dawn of time) and witnessing their powers she’s hard pressed to deny their existence.
Grit soon ends up working for not only Alban (she’s not quite sure of his innocence in the killings) but is also forced to perform investigatory work for one of the vampires. This places her in direct contact (and conflict) with Janks, a member of one of the most violent of the Five Races. Her trial attorney experience, specifically, her negotiation skills, serve her well during these encounters; surprisingly enough, Janks develops an admiration for her. He’s still evil, but he’s impressed by her unwillingness to back down.
In the end, Grit learns the identity of the killer but ends up on the killer’s Potential Victim’s List. Again, she’s forced to use her legal experience when attempting to rationalize with the killer during the climax of the book. C.E. Murphy pulls this off well and does something that I greatly applaud her for: she doesn’t drag out the ending. It’s quick, surprising, and believable.
What I find interesting about this book is that C.E. Murphy writes about aspects of the supernatural world that you don’t come across too often. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember reading any books that reference one of the races discussed in this book. That’s one of the reasons this book works: it’s not a rehash of books written about the more popular supernatural beings, i.e., vampires and werewolves. Although vampires make up one of the races, I won’t tell you about the others because I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you; you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn about the other cultures. Although some of them are killers, they all have a moral code that they live by.
C.E. Murphy moves the story along by interspersing the mythologies of the Five Races with modern day New York City.
There’s romantic tension between the 3 main characters but C.E. Murphy makes sure it doesn’t detract from the main storyline. Overall this is a great read. At 448 pages you probably won’t read it in an afternoon, but that’s a good thing. There’s a lot to learn here and if it takes a few days to digest some of the information presented, all the better.
This is Book 1 in a trilogy. Book 2 (called “House of Cards”) just came out. I suggest you get started by purchasing Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1) - it’s well worth it.
Here are all of the books in the trilogy, as listed at Amazon:
Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1)
House of Cards (The Negotiator, Book 2)
Hands of Flame (The Negotiator, Book 3)
See also:
Demons Are Forever by Julie Kenner
