Why I love Urban Fantasy...+ GIVEAWAY

As part of my two-year blogging anniversary I want to highlight some of genres I love reading the most. I like a lot of different genres which I have to mix up regularly to stop myself (and hopefully you!) getting bored, but a brief look at my quick links shows one genre that crops up most frequently...Urban Fantasy. Any regular reader of my blog knows I love the genre. While there are many different definitions, I like to stick to simplicity. For me Urban Fantasy is magic and supernatural in a modern setting – whether that setting is on the city, in the country or in the suburbs doesn’t matter to me. My definition of modern can also include the near future or slightly alternate worlds – so it can be quite a big genre!

The first Urban Fantasy book I read that is now considered traditional Urban Fantasy was Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten, the first in the Otherworld series. It had been recommended to me by Amazon based on the fact that I loved Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. It introduced me to werewolves and a strong heroine who was struggling to come to terms with who she was and what had happened to her.  Since then I’ve numerous other UF and one element I love in all in the extraordinary in a normal world. Whether the supernaturals are out and proud as they are in Sookie Stackhouse and Mercy Thompson books, or still in hiding such as the Otherworld and Corrine Solomon I love the conflict between the normal and the paranormal. I love the strong heroines and heroes who do the right thing no matter what it costs them and I love the morally ambiguous characters who live in shades of grey. I also adore that in most cases Urban Fantasy is written as an ongoing series and pretty much every UF series has gotten stronger the more books you read. If there is a spark or any potential you see in the first book, then carry on with the series because the chances are the best books are still to come!  

This isn’t a literature paper on Urban Fantasy so I’m going to list some of my favourite UF tropes and some I’m not so keen on...

 

I love UF because...

• There are kick-ass strong women who can hold their own in a fight and they have a brain!
• There are some truly hot men who let women be themselves
• Vampire! Werewolves! Shifters! Mental Powers! Magic powers are real...
• Not all ‘bad’ people are evil, and not all ‘good’ people do the right thing
• Characters change and evolve over series – and often so does the world
• The world is recognisable with mobile phones, internet and fast cars
• The heroes  & heroines never give up!
• Snarky humour is so much fun!
• The surrounding characters are just as real and fun as the main characters

 

 

 I’m bored of UF with...

• Women who are surrounded by men all the time and never meet or interact with other women (Come on! That’s just not normal!)
• All the men fall for one woman
• The mysterious stranger who may or may not be trusted ends up being trustworthy...
• The heroine/hero manages to defeat the big bad despite having been shot/burned/seriously injured two pages earlier

What do you love about Urban Fantasy? Do you disagree with me in either list?

In order to celebrate I’m offering one person their choice of Urban Fantasy book from my list of favourite series starring strong women:

Deadtown - Nancy Holzner

Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews

Embers – Laura Bickle

Bitten – Kelley Armstrong

Red-Headed Stepchild – Jaye Wells

Moon Called – Patricia Briggs

Kitty and the Midnight Hour – Carrie Vaughn

Blue Diablo – Ann Aguirre

Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris

Tempest Rising – Nicole Peeler

Just fill in the form below before 8^th September 2012! Open Internationally...

And don’t forget to check out my first Bloggoversarygiveaway here – open until 30^th August