Contemporary Fantasy/Fantasy Romance
Jan. 4th, 2007 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deannawolIs it just me or are there a lot more contemporary fantasy books out there in the past two years than there used to be? Are they just higher profile now as opposed to hidden away at the back of the store or on the bottom shelf that you always ignore because it involves dropping your bag and hunkering down and causing an obstruction in the aisles? As a personal thing, I've spent the past year reading contemporary fantasy or fantasy romance - because the genre's seem to overlap rather a lot. Yes, you've probably read the rants on my journal before but this isn't a rant, it's more of a pointing out of information and opening your eyes to different series of books that are out there.
Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley McGregor
Sherri is responsible for two separate series' of contemporary fantasy/fantasy romance books. The first is the Dark Hunter series, that seems to be pulling itself together nicely in recent books, which revolves around a series of hunters who chase down daimons in a contemporary New Orleans setting. She includes events like Katrina without focusing on the actual events of the hurricane but rather the effect of the hurricane on the hunters and squires who had been posted there but had been evacuated. Most of the heroines in this are a bit simpering but aren't too bad. The heroes are hunters who have lived for hundreds or thousands of years, tracking down the daimons who prey on humans and dispatching them to one of the hell dimensions. Each has had a rough life and has issues to overcome, but despite this, it's a relatively good series of books to read. Not too deep, but entertaining.
The second series is the Lord of Avalon books, set in the middle ages after the fall of Arthur and Camelot. Basically to seal Morgan le Fey in, the forces of good blocked Camelot and Avalon off from the real world. The series also includes some of the mythic characters but rewritten slightly to make them more believable. Most of the heroes in this are aligned partially or completely with evil and its the love of a good woman that brings them back. Some of the Knights have the ability to jump through time but it isn't very commonly used. Again, a good read if you are looking for something entertaining and lightweight.
Alexis Morgan
Alexis is responsible for one series of contemporary fantasy/fantasy romance books. The Paladin series, made up of Dark Defender and Dark Protector, is centered around a modern government installation. The Paladin's are a branch of humanity with a different genetic structure that helps them regenerate from fatal wounds and heal at a quickened rate, while aging at a reduced rate. They fight against a foe, called the Others, who keep trying to get into our dimension and make it their home. They are believed to be a terrible race who will cause untold mayhem and destruction. However, as the Paladins keep dying and coming back to life, they gradually become more and more wild until they eventually change into the Others and have to be put down. The series was published as romance novels but they do manage to cross the boundary into fantasy. This is a heartfelt series which has real reactions from the heroines and heroes and some very good ideas. Again, entertaining and light.
Karen Marie Moning
The Highlander series is her current series which seems to broach both contempory and historic fantasy barriers. It incorporates the fae and their tendency to meddle in matters that don't concern them, bringing women back in time at their whim where they fall in love with some rather interesting Scotsmen. The faery in question is called Adam, but has been known to be called Puck at various points through history. The heroines in this series are possibly the most real of the four series so far, having totally modern minds and a tendency not to fall straight into bed with the heroes. The series is set in medieval Scotland and at times you have to sound out the sentences that the hero says just to make sure that it is what you think it is. Again, it's rather romantic but is a nice, easy read that has a great feel good factor.
Kelley Armstrong
Her main series at the moment is the Women of the Otherworld series which was the first of the contemporary fantasy books that I read. While there are a couple of romances in the series, it tends towards keeping the hardcore intimacies off screen. Werewolves, witches, sorcerers, and other various fantasy type beings are introduced and played with but in a very believable way. This is a great example of a book to read if you're not sure about the genre but would like to get into it. The characters are very human and believable, and the settings and story lines are not so far-fetched that they are outside the realm of possibility. I.E. The storyline tends towards the mundane but the solution to problems and the investigation tends toward the magical. As a personal thing, I prefer the werewolf centric books in the series but all are equally strong.
Charlaine Harris
I've only read one of the series' written by her, the Sookie Stackhouse books. This centers around a small town gal, Sookie, who just happens to be a bit of a mind reader. She meets and falls in love with a vampire and gets drawn into a sordid set of vampire politics and events that leaves her head spinning. Set in the south, she has to deal with real life issues like prejudice and small town minds. The series unfolds nicely and moves nicely from one book to the next. Well written and entertaining, they are one of the better vampire books out there at the moment. These are also quite light on the romance/mating side of it.
Kim Harrison
Kim writes the Rachel Morgan books. These center around an ex-Interlands investigator, like the FBI but only for supernatural types, who leaves the government job to start her own detective agency. She must deal with werewolves, faeries, elves, and of course Vampires. She herself is a witch who gets a little too involved in ley-line magic. It's entertaining and is almost more like what Anita Blake wants to be when she wakes up and smells the dropping sales figures. The danger, the mystery, etc is how the AB books were at the start but doesn't fall into the same pitfalls. These are also quite light on the physical side of things.
Laurell K Hamilton
As everyone knows, she has two series - Anita Blake and Merry Gentry. Merry Gentry is just bad pr0n with a couple of plots woven through and Anita Blake should not be read past book 10 really. There are more than enough opinions about these books out there without me adding to them. They started off as nice readable books but then fell off rapidly. They are worth a mention, and book 1 - 10 are entertaining but are extremely lightweight.
I have the distinct feeling that I've read more authors than that... but I can't think of more off the top of my head. Anyway, those are the reviews and my opinions.
Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley McGregor
Sherri is responsible for two separate series' of contemporary fantasy/fantasy romance books. The first is the Dark Hunter series, that seems to be pulling itself together nicely in recent books, which revolves around a series of hunters who chase down daimons in a contemporary New Orleans setting. She includes events like Katrina without focusing on the actual events of the hurricane but rather the effect of the hurricane on the hunters and squires who had been posted there but had been evacuated. Most of the heroines in this are a bit simpering but aren't too bad. The heroes are hunters who have lived for hundreds or thousands of years, tracking down the daimons who prey on humans and dispatching them to one of the hell dimensions. Each has had a rough life and has issues to overcome, but despite this, it's a relatively good series of books to read. Not too deep, but entertaining.
The second series is the Lord of Avalon books, set in the middle ages after the fall of Arthur and Camelot. Basically to seal Morgan le Fey in, the forces of good blocked Camelot and Avalon off from the real world. The series also includes some of the mythic characters but rewritten slightly to make them more believable. Most of the heroes in this are aligned partially or completely with evil and its the love of a good woman that brings them back. Some of the Knights have the ability to jump through time but it isn't very commonly used. Again, a good read if you are looking for something entertaining and lightweight.
Alexis Morgan
Alexis is responsible for one series of contemporary fantasy/fantasy romance books. The Paladin series, made up of Dark Defender and Dark Protector, is centered around a modern government installation. The Paladin's are a branch of humanity with a different genetic structure that helps them regenerate from fatal wounds and heal at a quickened rate, while aging at a reduced rate. They fight against a foe, called the Others, who keep trying to get into our dimension and make it their home. They are believed to be a terrible race who will cause untold mayhem and destruction. However, as the Paladins keep dying and coming back to life, they gradually become more and more wild until they eventually change into the Others and have to be put down. The series was published as romance novels but they do manage to cross the boundary into fantasy. This is a heartfelt series which has real reactions from the heroines and heroes and some very good ideas. Again, entertaining and light.
Karen Marie Moning
The Highlander series is her current series which seems to broach both contempory and historic fantasy barriers. It incorporates the fae and their tendency to meddle in matters that don't concern them, bringing women back in time at their whim where they fall in love with some rather interesting Scotsmen. The faery in question is called Adam, but has been known to be called Puck at various points through history. The heroines in this series are possibly the most real of the four series so far, having totally modern minds and a tendency not to fall straight into bed with the heroes. The series is set in medieval Scotland and at times you have to sound out the sentences that the hero says just to make sure that it is what you think it is. Again, it's rather romantic but is a nice, easy read that has a great feel good factor.
Kelley Armstrong
Her main series at the moment is the Women of the Otherworld series which was the first of the contemporary fantasy books that I read. While there are a couple of romances in the series, it tends towards keeping the hardcore intimacies off screen. Werewolves, witches, sorcerers, and other various fantasy type beings are introduced and played with but in a very believable way. This is a great example of a book to read if you're not sure about the genre but would like to get into it. The characters are very human and believable, and the settings and story lines are not so far-fetched that they are outside the realm of possibility. I.E. The storyline tends towards the mundane but the solution to problems and the investigation tends toward the magical. As a personal thing, I prefer the werewolf centric books in the series but all are equally strong.
Charlaine Harris
I've only read one of the series' written by her, the Sookie Stackhouse books. This centers around a small town gal, Sookie, who just happens to be a bit of a mind reader. She meets and falls in love with a vampire and gets drawn into a sordid set of vampire politics and events that leaves her head spinning. Set in the south, she has to deal with real life issues like prejudice and small town minds. The series unfolds nicely and moves nicely from one book to the next. Well written and entertaining, they are one of the better vampire books out there at the moment. These are also quite light on the romance/mating side of it.
Kim Harrison
Kim writes the Rachel Morgan books. These center around an ex-Interlands investigator, like the FBI but only for supernatural types, who leaves the government job to start her own detective agency. She must deal with werewolves, faeries, elves, and of course Vampires. She herself is a witch who gets a little too involved in ley-line magic. It's entertaining and is almost more like what Anita Blake wants to be when she wakes up and smells the dropping sales figures. The danger, the mystery, etc is how the AB books were at the start but doesn't fall into the same pitfalls. These are also quite light on the physical side of things.
Laurell K Hamilton
As everyone knows, she has two series - Anita Blake and Merry Gentry. Merry Gentry is just bad pr0n with a couple of plots woven through and Anita Blake should not be read past book 10 really. There are more than enough opinions about these books out there without me adding to them. They started off as nice readable books but then fell off rapidly. They are worth a mention, and book 1 - 10 are entertaining but are extremely lightweight.
I have the distinct feeling that I've read more authors than that... but I can't think of more off the top of my head. Anyway, those are the reviews and my opinions.
