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

[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.