Who else do you read?

[Hagelrat]

My urban fantasy faves are obviously Kat, Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Richelle Mead, Jim Butcher and Rob Thurman, Patricia Briggs and Lilith Saintcrow. by no means exhaustive but those would all have to be in the top ten. I liked the early Anita Blakes, and the one with Edward as a lead, otherwise they became increasingly disapointing.
What about everyone else?

[BlueNinja]

Anita Blake 1-9.
Dresden Files. (The Calderon series isn't urban, but it's still pretty good.)
Greywalker (obviously!)
Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter world. (yeah, they still have graphic sex - my big complaint with Anita - but at least Kenyon doesn't use sex to replace the plot)
Brigg's series with the were-coyote. (can't remember the name right now)
not fantasy, but I like J D Robb's In Death series.

There's others I'm forgetting since I'm far away from my library at the moment.

[Origen]

Anita Blake novels up through and including Obsidian Butterfly, the Dresden files, and Vicki Pettersson's Sign of the Zodiac novels.

Interesting. I haven't seen a lot of these names before.

I initially wondered about this fan forum, BN, but I think this could actually turn out to be a cool discussion.

[Magnus Bergqvist]

Neil Gaiman's book Neverwhere is one of my favourites.

/Magnus

[Detritus]

I must admit that despite several years' worth of running three different incarnations of my GURPS V:tM chronicle, I've never read any of the stuff that would be considered source material for the game, or anything else that might even remotely qualify as urban fantasy. I really should change that one of these days.

[Hagelrat]

lots of the same stuff and a few new ones to try excellent.
I love Neil Gaiman MB and NEverwhere is one of my faves, also love Clive Barkers "Abarat" books whihc I think are Young Adult but are typically dark and bizarre.
Are you guys library thingers? I'd love to check out the rest of your reads and feed my addiction! :sasmokin:
http://www.librarything.com/profile/hagelrat

[Archaelos]

I liked Gaiman's Neverwhere, and to a lesser extent, American Gods. Butcher's Dresden Files are good. Haven't seen anyone mention Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series. Also thought Terry Brooks's Knight of the Word series was worth reading.

A lot of my own writing is at least on the borderline of urban fantasy, if I ever get published I'll come back and list myself. ;)

[Hagelrat]

i've read Nightwatch and enjoyed it although I haven't made it to the others yet, also agree that the Knight of the Word books re pretty cool, they are the only terry brooks books i kept during my big clearout.

[BlueNinja]

I forgot Mercedes Lackey's SERRAted Edge and Bedlam's Bard series, which I think were the first real 'urban fantasy' books I ever read. Elves driving racecars really cracked me up as a premise.

[Harper]

Hey, I remember those! I really enjoyed the SERRAted Edge books. Urban Fantasy owes a lot to Mercedes Lackey between that and the Diana Tregard novels.

[Hagelrat]

I've never come across Mercedes Lackey...hmmm... can't wait for pay day. :)

[Chimaera]

I've read a bunch of books in this genre, including most mentioned here. To be honest, with a few notable exceptions, I find the genre in danger of parodying itself to be imminent. I have not read Graywalker and I will be picking up the first book to check out. On the basis of what's been said here, I'm curious to check it out.

[Hagelrat]

Chimaera, I will be interested to hear what you think!

[Harper]

I've never come across Mercedes Lackey...hmmm... can't wait for pay day. :)

She's really prolific, so you have to pick and choose with her. Most of her work is straight fantasy. As far as I know the only forays she's made into UF are the Tregards, beginning with Burning Water and the SERRAted Edge books which she did with a collaborator whose name is slipping my mind. Elves with racing cars! :spring_blau:

[Morden]

Just finished the Dante Valentine series now.

I'm still not sure I liked it, but at least I've never wanted one main character to just kill another main character so badly :angry:

[Valdier]

I think my favorite book I have read in a long time has been:

World War Z

Not sure what genre it falls into... Post-apocalyptic-modern-zombie-horror-war-memoirs?

[Haze]

I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's books.

[Hagelrat]

Haze I think Kelley Armstrong is excellent. Are you reading her YA series as well?

[Haze]

Haze I think Kelley Armstrong is excellent. Are you reading her YA series as well?I've actually just started The Summoning. ;)

Kelley has set up a separate website (http://www.chloesaunders.com/)for that series which is quite a good intro.

[Zayda]

I'm enjoying Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series thus far. Book One, Cast in Shadow (http://www.shelfari.com/books/402369/Cast-in-Shadow-(The-Chronicles-of-Elantra-Book-1)), really keeps you guessing.

[Thing One]

That is one hell of a series. I love every book so far and can't wait for the next one!
I wish they would come out on audio book.

I love Elantra and the Leonides, the Aerians and all the rest. Awesome.

[Sakutian]

Has anyone else ever read a book title Wraith by Phaedra Weldon? It's sort of a poor man's Greywalker since the main character isn't nearly as good as Harper.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

I picked up Wraith and Greywalker on the same purchase last May or June. I started Wraith but put it down. I didn't like the main character. I might try it again eventually just to give it a chance.

[Sakutian]

Neat someone else has actually heard of the book, I managed to finish it just to see how it ended up. Gotta say though I probably should have just put it down too.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

So you won't be reading Spectre I take it.

[Sakutian]

Oh gosh there's going to be another book for that series? No I'll probably be skipping that one unless I hear some really good things about it from someone.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

Spectre is already out. She's working on the third book, Phantasm, now.

I'd love to hear from someone who's enjoyed her books. I'd like to know what it was they liked about them.

[Sakutian]

The beginning of Wraith was good and I actually enjoyed it when I read it, that's what made me buy the book to begin with. So it does have some good elements in it to be built on.

[Hagelrat]

At the moment I have about half a dozern books that i've started, know I will like but am not in the mood for right now, so they are bookmarked and back on the shelf till the mood hits. Do the rest of you do this or do you tend to finish them?

[Sakutian]

Usually I try to finish a book before movin gon to the next one, I don't like to have another story and it's characters filling distratcing me from a new book. Usually if I put down a book before it's finished it's because I've decided to stop reading it but those are pretty etxreme cases.

I do have two books that are sitting on the to be read shelf at the moment though, they both got held up during vacation.

[BlueNinja]

Is Blood Noir worth reading, or is it still "Anita shags everything in sight"?

[Hagelrat]

I' ve not bothered with Blood Noir, the reviews i've read suggests it's another hump fest.

[Harper]

I'm getting tougher on books and putting more down if they don't really catch and hold my attention early. I don't have time for lukewarm feelings about a book since my reading time is constrained now by other demands. Unfortunately that means I am missing books that start weak but improve later. I suppose if they are really fab someone will tell me so and then I'll take another shot at them, but when you can only manage a book a month sometimes, you have to be choosier.

Right now I'm trying to make up for lost time and read an ARC for an editor at Tor, as well as reading a couple of books I simply wanted to read: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch and American Lightning by Howard Blum.

[Sakutian]

Would the Cirqu Du Freak series by Darren Shan be considered an urban fantasy? I mean I'd put them in since a great deal of the story takes place in modern realistic settings but there are good sized chunks that are also removed to more fantastic regions so I'm not quite sure. It was a good series either way though a very cool take on vampires and some other unique creatures.

[Harper]

I'd call it UF, but, I have a pretty broad definition.

[Maryd_2_explosives]

I like alot of the classics as a kid C.S. Lewis alot like that. I really liked Decipher, though I cant remember who wrote it, I read it two years ago in Iraq. I also really liked Phillip Pulmans Dark Materials.

[BlueNinja]

I finished Daemons Are Forever, by Simon R. Green.

I am now pissed at him. Somehow, I just knew that the Drood set would have been better as a lone novel.

[Empress Che]

Wow, so many authors is common with the lot of you....and many more titles to add to my wish list at Chapters.
How about:
Charlaine Harris with her Sookie Stackhouse series?
Michelle Sagara with her Elantra Chronicles
C.E. Murphy with the Walker Papers
Laura Anne Gilman with her Retrievers novels

Oh, and Karen Chance, Lisa Shearin, Carrie Vaughn, Toni Andrews, Barb Hendee, Candace Havens, Shanna Swendson, Jeanne Stein....well, the list could go on.
I love urban fantasy, though I started with epic fantasy.
Pretty much anything paranormal, supernatural...and just plain wierd will catch my interest.

Oh...and Hello to y'all...hope you don't mind me jumping in.....

[Hagelrat]

I read a fair few of those too. :)

[Sakutian]

Ha anyone read anything by John Levitt by any chance?

[Harper]

My husband has read New Tricks, but he didn't like it. No, I don't know why. I started it, but it didn't hook me. But I'm still busy as the proverbial one-armed-paperhanger in an earthquake so my opinion is nil right now.

[BlueNinja]

Has anyone read anything by Eoin Colfer? I ask, because he got picked by Douglas Adams' widow to write the next Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (http://www.criticalfumble.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18162) novel.

[Sakutian]

I think I've read all of the Artemis Fowl books except the most recent one. Sort of a weird pick to take up for Douglas Adams but he's entertaining if nothing else.

[Sakutian]

I just bought a copy of Thomas E. Sniegoski's A kiss Before the Apocalypse, thank Mean Streets because it made me want to see more of what he's capable of. It will be interesting to see how the charcters play out in a longer book this time around, I only got a little taste last time. Novella tease. Sadly I can't read it until next week.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

I really enjoyed A Kiss Before the Apocalypse. I'm looking forward to the April release of his second book in the series, Dancing on the Head of a Pin.

Right now I'm reading the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. I wasn't sure what to expect after the Twilight series but this is enjoyable. Not to mention I'm not wanting to smack some character up along side the head ever damn page like I did with Twilight.

[Sakutian]

Twilight is such a guilty pleasure series haha.

[Harper]

My buddy Richelle Mead has a friendly rivalry with the Casts since she thinks their vampire series is much more like her VAMPIRE ACADEMY books than Twilight is. I haven't had time to, or really interest in, reading most of the YA vampire books out there, so I don't have much to say. (Well, except for Richelle's that is--I like 'em and not just because I know Richelle.)

[Sakutian]

I really should read that Vampire Academy book I bought, it's been sitting on my to read pile for so long now.

[Harper]

I have to admit that she hooked me at Book 2 (it's dedicated to me) and I can't stop reading them!

[Sakutian]

Hmm interesting. So do all of the urban fantasy writers live in Washington and just hang out?

Well I WAS all geared up to read Rob Thurman's new book but stupid Barnes and Noble didn't have any copies. In fact they only had one copy of one of her books. It's a travesty!

[BlueNinja]

Well, I was going to read Mean Streets. But apparently Sci-Fi Book Club rab out of copies and refunded my money.

I read the first two Artemis Fowl books this weekend. They're interesting fluff.

[Sakutian]

The Artemis Fowl series has one of the best takes on dwarves ever.

[Harper]

"Ran out"...? WTF? They print their own!

*boggle*

[Hagelrat]

I really enjoyed Mean Streets and will definately be looking for another Remy story at some point (obv already a Harper & Dresden fan).

Presently reading The Unfallen Dead by Marco Del Franco (slowish start but enjoying it), an ARC of The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Rief Larson (only just received it but it's just about the cutesdt thing i've seen in a while just to look at) and am about to start the Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton for book group (not lef tmyself long the meeting is in two weeks. I haven't read The House at Riverton and would never normally have looked at this one so it's a library visit for that.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

The next Remy Chandler book is coming out in April. I have a B&N gift card that has been purposed for that book specifically.

I picked up Mean Streets the day it came out in the stores. I finally read The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog yesterday. I loved it. Today I'll get the Remy Chandler story in. Then I'll go back to the beginning and read Dresden and Taylor.

[Sakutian]

While I was on vacation I satrted and finished reading A Kiss Before the Apocalypse. Overall it was a pretty good introduction to the story and the charcters but it was awfully sad. I sort of like the Mean Srets short Noah's Children more because the author seems more comfrotable with the characters there which is probably only natural since it isn't the first go.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

While I was on vacation I satrted and finished reading A Kiss Before the Apocalypse. Overall it was a pretty good introduction to the story and the charcters but it was awfully sad. I sort of like the Mean Srets short Noah's Children more because the author seems more comfrotable with the characters there which is probably only natural since it isn't the first go.


I've got about 70 pages left in Dancing on the Head of a Pin. I'm enjoying the series a lot. I think you'll find this book to be sad too.

Did you read Noah's Orphans before Kiss? If so, do you think you missed anything having read them out of order? Or were things explained well enough that you didn't feel you missed anything?

[Sakutian]

I've got about 70 pages left in Dancing on the Head of a Pin. I'm enjoying the series a lot. I think you'll find this book to be sad too.

Did you read Noah's Orphans before Kiss? If so, do you think you missed anything having read them out of order? Or were things explained well enough that you didn't feel you missed anything?

I did read Noah's Orphans before Kiss but I wouldn't say I missed out on anything by reading them out of order. Most of the time I end up reading series out of order, I tend to just nab whatever sounds interesting on the shelf and if there is a series I tear through it from there. First Dresden Files book I read was Dead Beat just as an example. But yeah things were explained well enough for me to follow and understand what was going on.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

Good to know. Thanks for your input.

[Sakutian]

Not a problem in the least. Any thoughts about Dancing on the Head of a Pin aside from enjoying it? I'm sort of torn between getting that when int becomes possible or the new Dresden Files book.

[Hagelrat]

I have no where near enough time for reading at the moment. I am reduced to turning up early for meetings to squeeze a few pages in.

[BlueNinja]

"Ran out"...? WTF? They print their own!

*boggle* You should have used the :wtf: smiley. :grin: I don't know how they 'ran out' but I'm sure I"ll get a copy later.

I read Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron a few days ago. While good, that character has recently started to annoy me. To wit: you have the power to over-rule the Fates. Yet you don't do this. You could save literally millions of lives with some careful thought and a properly worded prophecy. Grr. :th_thumbsdownsmiley

After that, I moved on to David Brin's Uplift series. The first book is pretty good, the second and third are freaking awesome, and the fourth book has me going "wha?" Mostly because the first three are fairly human-centric, and the fourth book has seen a very small handful of humans. Still, I'll try to get further in it before I condemn.

My wife is trying to get me to read Blood Noir by LKH, and got upset when I told her I was tired of reading "strangers porn" instead of a good urban fantasy thriller. I'm not touching LKH again until someone convinces me she's gone back to writing books without porn scenes.

[Sakutian]

I really miss old Anita Blake...or even just the one who didn't have sex all the time.

[ImzadiDragonfly]

Not a problem in the least. Any thoughts about Dancing on the Head of a Pin aside from enjoying it? I'm sort of torn between getting that when int becomes possible or the new Dresden Files book.

Sorry for my delay in replying. I still haven't read any Butcher so I won't be able to compare the two. I will recommend it. The battle between good and evil is just getting ready to start. However it ends with some happiness for Remy and Marlowe. Since I'm a pathetic sucker for Marlowe I'd recommend the book just for his sake.

Really, I'm a pathetic marshmallow when animals are involved.

[Sakutian]

*Chuckles* I have to say Marlowe is probably my favorite thing about the Remy world. He's just fun and adorable. Guess I'm a marshmellow too.

[Sakutian]

Has anyone read anything be C.E. Murphy? IF so what are your thoughts? if you don't mind sharing that is.

[Sakutian]

I got my own copy of Jim Butcher's new book Turn Coat today! Hooray! It's been out for a while but I didn't have any money till now and the people at the bookstore were immune to me whimpering.

[BlueNinja]

The ending of Turn Coat came as quite a surprise to me.

I'm also starting to miss Tony Marcone in the action.

[Sakutian]

I was really surprised by the whole Harry and Captain Luccio thing from Small Favor. It's nice to see Harry with somebody again after such a long time.

[Sakutian]

I just finished Turn Coat and really enjoyed it overall, I won't give away any plot details or anything since I know there are more than few people who will probably want to read that one themselves. I will however say hurrah for that moment on the docks. See no spoiler.

[Sakutian]

I've been reading E.E. Knight's The Age of Fire books the last day or two, I'm only on the second book at the moment. They're entertaining or at least I think so. Anyone else read any of them?

[Archemedes]

Aside from the Greywalker series, I've been reading the Vampire Huntress Legend by L.A. Banks. I really dug the first novel 'Minion', but the second novel has just been kinda 'meh'. I've tried reading Anita Blake, but there's something about her writing that really turns me off.

I also enjoy American Gods by Neil Gaiman, the Harry Potter series. When pay day rolls around, I think I'm going to have to go to Borders or Barnes & Noble to check out some of the series suggested here.

[scorsone]

Right now I'm reading, or trying to, "The Summoning" by Kelley Armstrong (female). It's not a very good book. I bought it cause the front cover looked really good and the blurb on the back made me believe it's a good book. But it's so slow. I'm halfway through the book and like one thing has happened. When I was reading Greywalker, things happened in quick succession. I don't think I'll be reading any other books in the series, this was the first.

I'm waiting until I get through with this book, then I want to read "Strange Angels" by Lillith St. Crow. Again the front cover looks really good and blurb on the back is really good to. Criques at BN and Borders say the book really moves (which is what they also said about The Summoning...)

Waiting for "Underground" to come out in paper back!!!

KB

[whitetrash]

I've been reading E.E. Knight's The Age of Fire books the last day or two, I'm only on the second book at the moment. They're entertaining or at least I think so. Anyone else read any of them?



yup I love them and his vampire earth series rocks also

terry brooks
clive cussler
jim butcher
russell kirkpatrick
and so many more

[Mist]

Has anyone read anything be C.E. Murphy? IF so what are your thoughts? if you don't mind sharing that is.

I've read all of the Walker Papers and the Negotiator trilogy. I haven't read the Inheritor's books yet.

I like the Walker Papers. Joanna is a reluctant shaman who doesn't really accept her powers at first, then realizes she needs to learn more about what she can do.

The Negotiator trilogy deals with a human who finds out about the Old Races. Gargoyles, vampires, selkies, djinn and dragons. It's been a while since I read them, but basically it's what happens when the human world collides with one of the Old Races.

[rse2412]

I am currently reading my way through the Smoke and Shadows series by Tanya Huff. Good fun and an easy read.

Rae