2009 Reading #73: Moon Called

[snurri]

Books 1-10.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
Books 31-40.
Books 41-50.
Books 51-60.
Books 61-70.
71. The Elephant's Secret Sense by Caitlin O'Connell.
72. Bloom County Babylon: Five Years of Basic Naughtiness by Berke Breathed.

73. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. I'm trying to grok the contemporary urban fantasy phenomenon, which seems to be on the verge of taking over the genre, at least in terms of sales. I don't know that this book helped much. I like Mercy as a character pretty well, but she too often feels like a minor player in her own book, and there's a lack of urgency to the story despite the kidnappings and near-deaths. I can't decide if I'll be trying more urban fantasy soon or not, though I'm open to recommendations. (Preferably books without werewolves and/or vampires, if possible. I particularly don't grok the appeal of the werewolf thing.)

Comments

[mastadge.livejournal.com]

My favorite in the genre is Mike Carey's Felix Castor novels, starting with THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, followed by VICIOUS CIRCLE, DEAD MEN'S BOOTS and THE NAMING OF THE BEASTS. I think there are two more coming. Truly ass-kicking, well-written and fun, and each is a complete story that still builds on what's gone before, moving toward what is looking to be an epic, intimate confrontation at the end of the series.

I've heard good things about Daniel Abraham's entries in the genre (under the name M.L.N. Hanover).

I enjoyed the first Dresden File okay but never read any subsequent volumes, though I'm assured that they get really good starting at #3 or 4 and only get better after that.

And now I feel bad for naming three male authors from a genre dominated by female writers. Hmm. Marjorie M. Liu's books look promising, and I've heard good things about Rob Thurman, Mark Teppo, Tim Pratt, Caitlin Kittredge, none of whom have done vampires yet, I think.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Thanks; I had some of those authors in mind, but I'll make note of the others. I'm thinking of making a trip to Uncle Hugo's to pick up a few prospects.

[nballingrud.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the Mike Carey books, but I liked his run on Hellblazer, and I'm curious. Maybe I'll pick one up now.

[rsheslin.livejournal.com]

I've liked the two Mercy books I've read because Mercy actually talks to people. There is (relatively speaking) very little "I'm going to go battle this Big Bad on my own!" -- even if she does do that, for the most part, she makes sure she's left messages and notes telling people what she's up to and why. She's big on involving allies in general, which is good.

And yes, the Jim Butcher books are awesome. Even though werewolves and vampires make the occasional appearance, it's a very different take than the "romantic" angsty stuff that seems to be flooding the field.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I agree that Mercy is good at asking for help/communicating; interestingly, though, I don't think this book passed the Bechdel test, which I found odd. I was also bothered by the fact that for most of the book there was a sixteen-year-old girl kidnapped and missing, and no one--including her father--seemed to have any particular emotional response to that.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

If you're avoiding vampires and werewolves, you risk angels and devils.

I've liked Rachel Caine's Weather Warden novels, though I think some of the energy's gone out of the series. Still, try it from the beginning and see if you like it.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec; I'll take a glance at the first book to see if it grabs me.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Also, if you're just looking for good fantasy, I recommend Patricia Brigg's pre-Mercy Thompson novels.

[rachelmcg.livejournal.com]

I'll add to the bandwagon on the Dresden Files; they're funny, snarky, violent, magical and good fun. As for other urban fantasy stuff, hm. I've liked Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books okay. They get a little romancey, but she has a good cast of vampires that are more than cardboard. "BENIGHTED," by Kit Whitfield, is a pretty good werewolf novel, in a world where most people are werewolves. The HOUSE of NIGHT series for "young adults" by PC and Kristin Cast are interesting, in a "growing up vampire" kind of way. I don't like how each book leaves off with major threads untied, though.

Yikes!

[rachelmcg.livejournal.com]

Sorry! I read your comment as wanting titles with vampires or werewolves if possible. Thus, my suggestions are all sucky and wrong. Mea culpa.

Re: Yikes!

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Heh; I wouldn't say they are "sucky and wrong." I'm just hoping to find something with a different angle on this stuff. I appreciate the recs nonetheless.

Re: Yikes!

[rachelmcg.livejournal.com]

No problem. I thought of another series, though, that I've read the first couple of, and they're okay. The series contains vampires and weres, but not as main characters. It's Kim Harrison's Hallows series. The protag is a witch and the titles are take offs on the occult theme, like "Every Witch Way But Dead" and "Dead Witch Walking," and "The Good, the Bad and the Undead." The first one is Dead Witch Walking, and I enjoyed the first four or five in the series.

Oh, also, I'll second the rec' for Sarah Rees Brennan's "Demon Lexicon." I just finished it, and it's seriously "couldn't put it down" material. And Nina Kiniki Hoffman often writes urban fantasy sorts of things, although some of her stuff is YA, not all of it is.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

I kind of felt the same when I picked up the first Mercy Thompson book in an airport, but now I read them immediately. Which isn't to say I think they're perfect or anything, but I get it. And her world is far less generic than many of the werewolvey ones. I really like the things she does with fae and vampire magic.

Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books are still my faves, though, so maybe try those? I have a feeling you would like the story/world to romance ratio in those better. Or just try some YA examples--Cassie Clare's Mortal Instruments books I heart the most and while they do have werewolves and vampires, I don't think you would mind them.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Some of the world-building was interesting, but I'm not sure I can talk myself into trying the second book.

Thanks for the Kate Daniels rec. I didn't know Cassie's books were considered urban fantasy; I know Meghan likes them too. Putting those on the list.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon is another excellent YA UF. The YA versions tend to have a different feel to them than the adult UF, but there's starting to be more overlap.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

Oh and Marjorie Liu's books. Those are excellent.

[blackaire.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be a tool and rec one of my own--STREET MAGIC. Largely human cast, ghosts, no werevamps.

And to be slightly less of a tool, I will second the rec for Mike Carey and add Simon Green's Nightside novels. The first is SOMETHING FROM THE NIGHTSIDE.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to read one of your books, actually :-) Although I thought I read you saying that Street Magic isn't actually urban fantasy?

Thanks for the Green rec.

[blackaire.livejournal.com]

Well, I call it dark modern fantasy, but it's "urban" in setting. It's shelved with all of that stuff, so my publisher and I differ there. :)

[wheatland-press.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Devon Monk's Magic to the Bone and Magic in the Blood? I'm too tired to dig up links, but they're available everywhere.

She has a completely cool take on magic use and its cost. (disclaimer: Devon is my pal and we were in workshop together for several years) I liked these books a whole lot and I would like them even if Devon weren't my pal.

Bonus: Books are set in Portland!

[snurri.livejournal.com]

No worry on the lack of links; thanks for the rec!

[timakers.livejournal.com]

I must recommend Norse Code by Greg Van Eekhout. I've misspelled that, and I have the internet right here so I could look it up, but I'm a rebel. And I make this recommendation to you as someone who has tried to like a lot of the traditionally popular authors in this genre, and who has often ended up throwing them across the room because the plotting is so awful, or the characters are shit, or because the language is lazy and/or overwrought. But this is a good book.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Heh.

I'm not sure if Greg's book qualifies as urban fantasy, though. I guess it's arguable.

[mastadge.livejournal.com]

The content might argue that it's not, but the cover states unequivocally that it is!

[(Anonymous)]

Two points. First, it's being marketed like urban fantasy, from the ad copy to the cover, they're target market is pretty clear. Second, this is one of those things where we don't like to put a work into a certain genre category just because it happens to be written very, very well. Without knowing it, we've become those people who say Well, that's not science fiction because...

I have a kind of broad understanding of the sub-genre, anyway. I think the main market for that will branch out into works lilke Norse Code and American Gods with relative ease, in the same way that hard core epic fantasy readers can branch into Joe Abercrombie's stuff without much trouble. It's a spectrum, yo.

[timakers.livejournal.com]

Gah, stupid explorer. That's me.

[czakbar.livejournal.com]

No recommendations. This sub-genre has failed to capture me at nearly every turn, unfortunately. So I'm with you in your original feelings to this post. :(

I'm not sure why it is that urban fantasy, at least in its current incarnation, doesn't do anything for me. It may be that the books felt like they've been written for television, which some of them have gone on to become, like the Sookie Stackhouse mystery/romances, and I don't really care for a lot of tv shows either. Except I am really looking forward to Glee(!) which is not urban fantasy, woe is me.

I do like books that take place in the recognizable, contemporary "real" world with magical or fantastical spins on things, but most of those books aren't the sort that fall under the "urban fantasy" label, because they really do seem to be a different quality of writing, going for very different effects than the specifically labeled "urban fantasy" book. What I find "urban fantasy" novelists focus on is plot; and the sorts of books I enjoy, that fall into this same kind of definition but with different emphasis, are books more oriented to characters who don't feel like silly mockups of people; chintzy cardboard folk who would look good on the screen often don't look so good on the page, at least to me.

My two cents, and probably not going to get me far with anyone. ;-)

[nballingrud.livejournal.com]

I entirely agree.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I guess my angle on it is, Buffy wasn't really my thing, if not for Joss; without the vision and tone that he brought to the show, it's just vampires and monsters, and that in itself doesn't do it for me. So I'm trying to find the Josses of urban fantasy, if they exist. If not, then I really don't get it.

[nballingrud.livejournal.com]

Dude. Werewolves are cool. Full stop.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Heh; as soon as I'd posted this I thought of three or four werewolf things that I liked or was looking forward to. But the concept in itself feels like it's been stretched way too thin, at least for me. One of the things I loved about your story was that the monster was there and then gone--a terrifying and unexplained intrusion with lasting consequences. A lot of the current werewolf fiction appears to be more concerned with developing an anthropology of werewolves, and I'm sorry to say that I am bored to tears by it.