[Books] Looking for Urban Fantasy with male protagonists.

[Allandaros]

Originally Posted by Sundancer

I on the other hand think that everyone should worship at the altar of Steven Erikson and those who don't should be whipped to death with...something you can whip someone to death with.
(translation: of course there is debate)

Steven Erikson rocks on toast. So does Lies of Locke Lamora. SO DAMN GOOD. Besides, both authors share an M.O. of taking characters you like, dumping a crapload of lousy stuff on them - and then, just when you think it can't get worse - they dump even more.

And the resulting work is phenomenal.

[Sundancer]

Originally Posted by Allandaros

Steven Erikson rocks on toast. So does Lies of Locke Lamora. SO DAMN GOOD. Besides, both authors share an M.O. of taking characters you like, dumping a crapload of lousy stuff on them - and then, just when you think it can't get worse - they dump even more.

And the resulting work is phenomenal.

On of the amazon reviewers wrote this little tidbit in his review of the sequel to Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, pertaining to your post:

Originally Posted by James Carlson "Literary Architect"

3. Heroes who survive on the might of strawmen and divine fate to carry them through the plot. In life sometimes you are saved by dumb luck, but no one has the winning streak of Jean and Locke. After three or four times everything becomes contrived and the reader loses all suspense of what may come. When ill befalls our heroes, we know their salvation is only five pages away.

You say that Erikson and Lynch put their characters in hard situations, but Erikson has demonstrated over several books that his characters don't always make it out of these situations.

Now, I admit that I can't judge the accuracy of that review, or even if this applies to the first book, but this is something that can quickly take the fun out of reading for me.

[Kirayoshi]

I stumbled upon an entertaining trilogy of novels set in contemporary times that mix vampires with Arthurian legend; Keeper of the King, His Father's Son and Siege Perilous, written by Canadian actor Nigel Bennett(LaCroix from Forever Knight) and P. N. Elrod. The story: the former Lancelot of the Round Table is still alive in present-day Montreal as a vampire named Richard Dun. He now works to protect the innocent while dealing with his own bloodlust. Sort of a Forever Knight/Highlander vibe throughout, and surprisingly fun.

[Allandaros]

Originally Posted by Sundancer

On of the amazon reviewers wrote this little tidbit in his review of the sequel to Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, pertaining to your post:

You say that Erikson and Lynch put their characters in hard situations, but Erikson has demonstrated over several books that his characters don't always make it out of these situations.

Now, I admit that I can't judge the accuracy of that review, or even if this applies to the first book, but this is something that can quickly take the fun out of reading for me.

It definitely applies more to the second book than to the first. I think by most if not all accounts, the second book is "meh" to "decent," but the first book is phenomenal. There are a few excellent scenes, but the book as a whole is not compelling.

Which is why RSuRS leaves a bad taste in so many peoples' mouths, since the first installment of the series was ridiculously good. Stay-awake-'til-three-reading-it good.

[tashkal]

Originally Posted by Sundancer

Are the dwarf and the artifacts the only magical elements in the setting ? Is the fact that he's a dwarf relevant or is it just an a bit more exotic fish-out-of-water scenario ?

Those are the main magical elements, yes, although there are implications on other things he brought with him. The characterization definitely works from his perspective (the books are written first-person) as a dwarf from a fantasy realm, but it's not strictly speaking fish-out-of-water -- when we pick up the story, Billi is most definitely canny about the world he's in. I suppose he could have been some other race, when it comes to it, but there are parts of the character that make the dwarf work, and it does reflect on how he deals with his surroundings.

So yeah, you could look at it as a mystery with magical elements, but to me, it works either way.

[Kredoc]

Kat Richardson's Greywalker series has a female lead, but I found them quite readable. No porn so far.

Brust's Phoenix Guard and 500 Years After maybe?

[phoenixgod2000]

Originally Posted by Kirayoshi

I stumbled upon an entertaining trilogy of novels set in contemporary times that mix vampires with Arthurian legend; Keeper of the King, His Father's Son and Siege Perilous, written by Canadian actor Nigel Bennett(LaCroix from Forever Knight) and P. N. Elrod. The story: the former Lancelot of the Round Table is still alive in present-day Montreal as a vampire named Richard Dun. He now works to protect the innocent while dealing with his own bloodlust. Sort of a Forever Knight/Highlander vibe throughout, and surprisingly fun.

This was the recomendation that I was going to make. I would also recomend PN Elrods Vampire Files. Noir Detective Fiction set in 30's Chicago with a vampire as the protagonist.

[Sundancer]

Originally Posted by phoenixgod2000

This was the recomendation that I was going to make. I would also recomend PN Elrods Vampire Files. Noir Detective Fiction set in 30's Chicago with a vampire as the protagonist.

I gave Bloodlist, the first Vampire Files book a try a few weeks ago and ran into the same problem I often do, when it comes to vampire fiction.

Namely when it's too easy being a vampire, when there are few drawbacks. The protagonist can survive on animal blood, doesn't even need to kill the respective animal to get enough blood and he has most of the mythical vampire powers: speed, strength, mind control/domination, can turn into mist.
There was never a time when I felt real suspense. It's like watching Superman punch out drugdealers armed with baseball bats.

I confess, I only made it half or two thirds through the book, so it may well be that things change after that. But the time where I was willing to give a book the benefit of the doubt for more than half it's length is unfortunately gone.

It also may be the case that I'm tired of vampire fiction...that possibility is not to be discounted...

[Sundancer]

So I finally gave in and read two of the three stories that make up Night Watch. Sad to say, if those stories are representative of the rest of the series, the Night Watch books are not for me.

I found the bleak atmosphere depressing, the constant acceptance of lesser evils to preserve the miserable status quo.
And considering the author seems intent on presenting everything in shades of gray (nothing bad in that), I found it strange that there would be only two sides identifying themselves as Good/Light and Evil/Darkness instead of a whole slew of factions fighting among each other. The whole Light/Dark selection process, even. Is there a mention of a possibility/method to switch sides later on ?

Also I didn't like this games within games within more games thing that both sides have going on, where most people, including the protagonist, are just pawns strung along for some purpose. The ending of the second story really drove that point home for me.

So unless things change in later books, I guess that Night Watch is just not for me.

[Sethra007]

The incomparable Walter Mosely, I'm pleased to report, has in the past few years decided to try his hand at SF&F, with very nice results. Check out The Tempest Tales, The Wave, and Blue Light. All feature male, African-American protagonists--a viewpoint woefully underrepresented in urban fantasy.


American Gods, Neverwhere, and Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Declare, by Tim Powers (one of my absolute favorites).

Mark del Franco's Connor Grey books.

Mike Carey's Felix Castor series


Charlie Huston's Already Dead (there are other books in the Joe Pitt series; it's very gritty and noir and hard-boiled)

Have not read any Quincey Morris books, but I've been meaning to check them out.