urban fantasy

Battleground by Jim Butcher

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Started: 4/3/21
Finished: 4/9/21

Book 17 in The Dresden Files, which I have been re-reading via audiobook for the last year or so. I probably should have been listing the last several as new books for me, but I’ve been lazy about it. Anyway, I’m enjoying these books more than ever, particularly the later ones, at least partly because he really dialed back the low-key sexist descriptions of women THANK GOD.

Also, something in this latest book made me cry, and there was a bonus short story at the end that made me SOB. Jim Butcher has made me yell in annoyance, shout at unexpected events, laugh many times, but he’s never made me cry before.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

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Started: 5/6/20
Finished: 5/16/20

A young adult book probably about vampires where the protagonist is only 15….yeah, we’ll see.

Update: it was NOT about vampires (whew), but it was about a special group of people who hunt them (and other supernatural beings), only when they break the law.  I called two major plot points early on.  I was 100% right about one, inconclusive but probably wrong about the second (it’s a series – I could still turn out to be right), and a little surprised by something at the end that I think will turn out to be a misdirect.

I don’t mind guessing plot points, but I HATE when they’re SO OBVIOUS and not a single character has a clue about it.  But I will probably continue reading these.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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Started: 4/12/20
Finished: 4/19/20

I’ve read a couple of this author’s YA books and liked them a lot -they were a pair of heist stories, and I always like a good heist.  This one…I’m not quite halfway and seriously considering quitting.  Premise: the secret societies at Yale are all real and do real magic, and a young woman who can see ghosts is recruited to the watchdog society.  It was a little slow to start, but it was going fine once I got into it, and then there was a really horrifying scene made so much worse for the fantasy elements, and shortly after that there was a really gross scene, and I’m just not sure.  It’s on the horror side of fantasy – not creepy-scary, but maybe a bit body-horror scary.  Maybe I’ll see how I feel about it in the morning.

Update: I kept reading and found I couldn’t put it down.  Nothing else as horrifying or gross happened and the action picked up.  It ended with a setup for the next book, but it’s not a cliffhanger and could work as a standalone.

Update 6 months later: I was reminded of the horrifying scene, and I am horrified all over again and NOT in a good way.  I wish I hadn’t remembered it.  I don’t feel good about this book.  Definitely not for me.

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

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Started: 6/17/18
Finished: 6/23/18

First book in the October Daye series.  I love all things Seanan McGuire, so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this.  There are at least 10 books in the series already, and I’m looking forward to reading them all.  Fairies, detectives, alliances, set in the present day.  My cup of tea.

The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff

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Started: 5/13/18
Finished: 5/17/18

First in the Enchantment Emporium series.  Intro to the family who takes care of the world, largely with a lot of infighting, power grabs, and squicky incest.  That last bit was a surprise and a pretty big departure from other Tanya Huff novels.  The story was good – one of the family is trying to carve her own path (and find her grandmother, who is missing) – but this series isn’t my favorite by this author.

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

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Started: 4/20/18
Gave up: 4/20/18

It’s urban fantasy, or maybe paranormal romance, or maybe both.  I like that genre (duh), but I just didn’t care about this one.  Couldn’t get into it.  There’s one series like this that I heard was really good starting with the second book, but I can’t remember if it was this one, and Twitter wasn’t able to help me when I asked.  So I gave it up.  There are lots of other books in the sea.