Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance #2

[Mars447]

 
I admit I'm inclined to check out Daniel Faust solely because I'm interested in seeing what sort of character she was. I'd love to hear more about her.
 
When I wrote Shannon for Esoterrorism, I made her a succubus for the fact it was a great way of metaphorically tackling the Femme Fatale. A monster intimately deeply associated with sex as a means of destroying a person's soul as well as corrupting them to the Dark Side--the ultimate honey pot monster. Then I wanted to examine, "Okay, but what if you don't WANT to be that person and are skilled in many-many other ways?"

Yeah... Caitlin's not like that.
 
Caitlin is a demon from the Hells, and that's the only life she's lived.  She's not a tragic figure, that's just who she is.  This makes her, to borrow from a certain popular RPG, quite a bit Lawful Evil.  She's totally pragmatic about it, which means that she's mostly concerned with keeping the status quo in the mortal world intact so that life can go on and business can continue as usual.  She's not in the habit of torturing innocents and if she drags a soul to Hell to suffer in eternal torment you can be sure that the guy did something to deserve that and then more.  That said, this is a series where one of only two truly morally good characters is a recurring low level antagonist (who is basically a more typical urban fantasy heroine).
 
I'd also read a "Succubus Blues" that was a noirish private eye series featuring somebody like Esoterrorism's Shannon.
 
Come to think of it, characters like Caitlin (or Suzume from the sadly ended Generation V series) don't make particularly good urban fantasy protagonists because they're so confident, competent, and self-assured.  They kind of go against the grain of the typical urban fantasy protagonist who has angst issues for days.
 

[Richard Writhen]

Well I think Bloodlines is gonna be different because it has that Alchemist angle. There wouldn't be much point in writing an identical second VA series.

[peterbound]

 

I admit I'm inclined to check out Daniel Faust solely because I'm interested in seeing what sort of character she was. I'd love to hear more about her.

 

When I wrote Shannon for Esoterrorism, I made her a succubus for the fact it was a great way of metaphorically tackling the Femme Fatale. A monster intimately deeply associated with sex as a means of destroying a person's soul as well as corrupting them to the Dark Side--the ultimate honey pot monster. Then I wanted to examine, "Okay, but what if you don't WANT to be that person and are skilled in many-many other ways?"

 

As for Georgina Kincaid (star of Succubus Blues), the best way to describe her is basically a romantic-comedy sort of character who just so happens to be a succubus. She works in a bookstore, technically has allegiance to Hell but only rarely does any actual seduction to people for hell with the opening of the book series being a gigantic send-up of how nerds fetishize women and demons in comic books as well as mythology. The majority of the book series is her pining over a goofy author she's in love with (a no-no for succubi) and her desire to be human.

Ugh.. Nothing you've ever said about your books makes me want to read them.  

[ants]

Huh. I think I'm well and tired of sexy vampire UF.

 

That's what I like about Pax Arcana (that and the rest of the supernatural creature diversity). Vampires are gaunt, dessicated walking corpses who only project a glamor that makes them looks sexy. Plus the charismatic, burly werewolf alpha is a mass murdering rapist villain while the actual good alpha is more of the diplomatic sort.

 

But then I'd probably only be down to read something called "Succubus Blues" if it starred someone like Caitlin from the Daniel Faust series.

That should probable be behind a spoiler alert.

Succubus Blues is a book version of a Rom Com, with a little bit of mystery added in. Approaching it from that perspective its a reasonable amount of fun.

[ants]

Well, I've read a few UF recently, but time has been against me.

Based on the recommendations here I read the Generation V books. I liked the first two, but thought the last two were very weak. The murder mystery in the third book could have been better handled by anyone who watches a lot of the detective genre TV, they were that poor as investigators. And book four was terrible. No real plot beyond what is happening with their lives, and a main character who doesn't have the faintest concept of planning, negotiation, foresight, and I could go on. His complete lack of any knowledge of what he was doing beyond "democracy and morals is right" seemed so short sighted.

But at the end of the day, any series which is about a character who struggles to have the capacity to hold down rubbish jobs and is comfortable with that life is probably going to struggle versus other books.

 

Read Cast in Honour, just didn't seem to get me like others did, which is a shame as West is my favourite author. The series needs to go in a little bit of a new direction. We got that with the trip to the Barrani homelands, but since then its been a little bit of sameness.

Currently reading the new Hellequin, enjoying it so far.

[Mars447]

I thought book 3 of Generation V was alright, and if it seemed amateurish it's because Fort and Suze are, well, amateurs.  Still, the A plot of #4 was maybe a B plot of a whole book.  Personally I think it's a shame that it's also the last one.

I've seen Hellequin around, but it's very much a case of judging a book by it's cover where I take a look at the amateurish cover design and laugh a little.  It's not the worst example of "Amazon self-published chic", but it's out there. You need to invest to make your product look good!

End of the year is pretty dry for UF.  At least it's a long way to February 1 for Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer (think Faustian black ops X-Files).  Speaking of self published on Amazon...

[peterbound]

Bummer about Gen V. I quite liked those books.

[Lyanna Stark]

Bummer about Gen V. I quite liked those books.

Yeah same. We agree again Peterbound! It must be a sign of the apocalypse.

[lady narcissa]

Well I am kind of sad that with the board reboot we lost Lyanna's post opening to the third UF/PR thread and we are back in the near end of thread two again.  But it now seems safe to post again and hopefully not loose any more posts so...

I've posted before in these threads about how much I enjoyed the first (Justice) and second books (Galilee Rising) in Jennifer Harlow's Galilee Falls trilogy.  Well the third book (Fall of Heroes) came out this fall and I enjoyed that one very much too.  It's rare these days to get a series that comes to a complete and satisfactory conclusion with only three books but that is what this one accomplishes.  And this is a series where the author clearly plotted things out from the beginning so after reading the third book you go back to reread the first book and notice how things were sprinkled in there from the beginning.

The first book is very much an urban fantasy set in an American city in a world where superheroes (and villains) are real and active participants in the story.  The heroine is a police detective.  She is very capable and does her fair share of saving...she is no damsel in distress.  But she is no Mary Sue either because she has a lot of (realistic) flaws.  In the way you know what is going to happen in any superhero movie but you still go watch it and enjoy it, you can predict things in this book ahead of the reveals but this in no way takes away from the story because it goes along with the superhero genre.

The second book adds romance to the mix and a relationship takes center stage in the story but it still maintains its urban fantasy elements with the city and the crime along with the superheroes and the villain.  The third book brings it all together and like I said above brings it to a completely satisfactory ending.

One of the things I like best about this series is how it explores the affect of superheroes not only on the people close to them but the people in their cities and the infrastructure of those cities.  How many times have you watched a superhero movie and seen those big fight scenes where buildings, bridges, and roads are utterly destroyed?  But in the movies, it hardly ever matters as its all in the name of the superhero victory.  But in this series, there are consequences to those actions. Buildings, such as City Hall, are completely destroyed.  Due to vast destruction and the constant need for rebuilding, property taxes increase as a result and become the highest in the nation.  Children get caught in the line of fire as the "good" superhero battles the bad one and die as a result.  There is a lot of suffering in the name of a superhero victory and this series addresses the bitter consequences of this.

[Deedles]

Oh excellent! I enjoyed the first and bought (but haven't read) the second. Must get on that asap. 

 

[Puntificator]

Just received (on my Kindle) my first 2016-published book, and it's urban fantasy—Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer:

"Harmony Black is much more than your average FBI special agent. In addition to being a practicing witch, she’s also an operative for Vigilant Lock, an off-the-books program created to battle occult threats—by any means necessary. Despite her dedication to fighting the monsters threatening society, Harmony has become deeply conflicted about her job. Her last investigation resulted in a pile of dead bodies, and she suspects the wrong people are being punished for it. While on a much-needed vacation, Harmony gets pulled back into action. This time, though, she’s gone from solo work to being part of a team. Their target: the Bogeyman, a vicious and elusive figure…and the creature that destroyed Harmony’s childhood. Surrounded by quirky, fascinating characters as dedicated to one another as they are to their new partner, Harmony must learn to trust her team—and a new romantic interest—on a dangerous and deadly mission that conjures up memories she’d much rather forget."

[Mars447]

Just received (on my Kindle) my first 2016-published book, and it's urban fantasy—Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer:

"Harmony Black is much more than your average FBI special agent. In addition to being a practicing witch, she’s also an operative for Vigilant Lock, an off-the-books program created to battle occult threats—by any means necessary. Despite her dedication to fighting the monsters threatening society, Harmony has become deeply conflicted about her job. Her last investigation resulted in a pile of dead bodies, and she suspects the wrong people are being punished for it. While on a much-needed vacation, Harmony gets pulled back into action. This time, though, she’s gone from solo work to being part of a team. Their target: the Bogeyman, a vicious and elusive figure…and the creature that destroyed Harmony’s childhood. Surrounded by quirky, fascinating characters as dedicated to one another as they are to their new partner, Harmony must learn to trust her team—and a new romantic interest—on a dangerous and deadly mission that conjures up memories she’d much rather forget."

I got this recently too.  It was a nice surprise (thank you Kindle First) since I was expecting it to come out in February.  Schaefer's UF is really great (he also writes the Daniel Faust series, currently 6 books long, where Harmony was introduced as a recurring ally and antagonist).  Currently 6% through and the set up is strong, but I'm saving the rest of it for a long plane flight I have coming up.

[Puntificator]

he also writes the Daniel Faust series, currently 6 books long

I thought it was only five books: The Long Way Down; Redemption Song; The Living End; A Plain-Dealing Villain; and The Killing Floor Blues. What am I missing?

[Mars447]

I thought it was only five books: The Long Way Down; Redemption Song; The Living End; A Plain-Dealing Villain; and The Killing Floor Blues. What am I missing?

You're right, I can't count.

[lady narcissa]

I'm looking forward to March when both the new Others book by Anne Bishop and the Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs come out.  Of course on the same day.  And then I noticed the new Alex Craft by Kalayna Price comes out at the beginning of February.  So a few new ones will be coming soon.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Mandy -- Dresden Files is fucking awful IMHO. I couldn't even finish the first one when bedridden and that was the only thing available. So don't torture yourself trying to get through them if they're not speaking to you.

 

[Deedles]

If Harry bugs you in book 1, stay well away. He gets way worse! I find them enjoyable, but more for the world now.

[Darth Richard II]

Mandy -- Dresden Files is fucking awful IMHO. I couldn't even finish the first one when bedridden and that was the only thing available. So don't torture yourself trying to get through them if they're not speaking to you.

 

+1000 points. I made it half way through book 2 and had to stop. Their popularity on these forums baffle me. Not so much the people who read them for shits and giggles but the people who think they are the best books ever written and some kind of higher art form. Also see feminists who read Outlander.

ahem.

[RedEyedGhost]

+1000 points. I made it half way through book 2 and had to stop. Their popularity on these forums baffle me. Not so much the people who read them for shits and giggles but the people who think they are the best books ever written and some kind of higher art form. Also see feminists who read Outlander.

ahem.

Haha, you've only read a book and a half??  They way you piss all over them here is now reminiscent of Gormenghast's orgasming over Malazan.  That's fucking hilarious. 

[Darth Richard II]

Well. yes. If i hate something i stop reading it? Did you read all of Goodkinds books?