[Books] Looking for Urban Fantasy with male protagonists.

[rrr]

Originally Posted by Sundancer

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

Ok. They're really not for you.

[theCimmerian]

Sundancer,

My tastes align with yours with respect to Jim Butcher (my favorite), China Mieville (I made several attempts at Perdido Street Station and likewise liked the setting but wasn't impressed with the story), Neil Gaiman (like), Steven Brust (like), Scott Lynch (burned out because of the deus ex machina - although the first half of The Lies of Locke Lamora had a lot of potential), and Fred Saberhagen's The Dracula Tape (didn't like it).

For modern urban fantasy, then, I think you may like Charles de Lint. His tales involve plenty of unusual and fascinating magic, but far less violence than most others. If you like, try Someplace To Be Flying.

For modern urban fantasy with female protagonists, I had read one or more books by most of the big names in the field currently: Laurell Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Sherilyn Kenyon, Shana Abe, Lilith Saintcrow, etc... etc... and there's only one writer in the field recently I truly enjoyed, Kim Harrison. She has a romance element to the series, but no more so than Jim Butcher. If you can stand a female protagonist, I would give her books my wholehearted recommendation.

[Myth]

Tanya Huff is another Urban Fantacist. Circle of Light, Gate of Darkness features a male protagonist, though a very un-noirish one. As a single book, it has pretty low buy-in.

Her Books of Blood are non-porn, but feature a female protagonist and some romatic complications (two male rivals for her affections, etc). Probably not what you're looking for. One of the side characters int hat series now has his own (Smoke and Shadows, Smoke and Mirrors, Smoke and Ashes) that do not link strongly back to the first series.

I've only just started the second of Sarah Monette's series (Melisine, Virtu, and Mirador), but they are classic fantasy with a strong urban element.

[litlfrog]

Another vote for The Last Hot Time. It's well-written, compact, interesting, and just . . . different, in a really good way.

[Senex]

Originally Posted by 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.

Without trying to push you into reading the other books against your will, part of the thrill is seeing Anton go from "somewhat clueless office guy" to "canny field agent" over the course of the books. Things do become clearer. And while no-one stops being a Dark or Light Other, it is made clearer that Dark Others can be good guys, and Light Others can be bad guys.

Oh, and the scheming? It's so complex even the Watches have computers to work it out for them.

[Bradford C. Walker]

It's Russian. Expecting a Happy Ending is so totally setting yourself up for disappointment.

[AusJeb]

The Wizard of Pigeons, contemporary urban fantasy set in Seattle.

[Sundancer]

Originally Posted by theCimmerian

...Charles de Lint...

de Lint's name always comes up in Urban Fantasy threads sooner or later. Probably for good reason. However, the four short stories of his that I know (Valley of the Troll, Cold Blows The Wind, The Weeping Oak & Into the Green from the Sword & Sorceress anthologies by Marion Zimmer Bradley, a series whose gimmick is ironically opposite to this thread) didn't really fill me with a burning desire to read more of his books. Can someone compare them to some of the rest of his writing, comment if style and pacing are similar ?
I do confess that I prefer a bit more Action in my Urban Fantasy, a la Dresden.

Originally Posted by litlfrog

Another vote for The Last Hot Time.

Guess I will see if I can get my hands on this one, the description sounds neat.

Originally Posted by Senex

Oh, and the scheming? It's so complex even the Watches have computers to work it out for them.

It's good to hear that Anton grows and develops, but I really don't like the scheming. Xanatos Roulettes are one story device I have absolutely no stomach for. And here we have a double helping of them.

Originally Posted by Bradford C. Walker

It's Russian. Expecting a Happy Ending is so totally setting yourself up for disappointment.

I'm well aware of the idea that russians aren't happy unless they're depressed. I don't blame the author for that, and I certainly didn't expect flowers and sunshine, it's just a bit too bleak for my liking.

Originally Posted by AusJeb

The Wizard of Pigeons, contemporary urban fantasy set in Seattle.

Unfortunately it's written by Robin Hobb, an author I absolutely loathe. But the point is an academic one. It's not available in Germany right now, so I don't have to look for a more rational excuse.

[theCimmerian]

Originally Posted by Sundancer

de Lint's name always comes up in Urban Fantasy threads sooner or later. Probably for good reason. However, the four short stories of his that I know (Valley of the Troll, Cold Blows The Wind, The Weeping Oak & Into the Green from the Sword & Sorceress anthologies by Marion Zimmer Bradley, a series whose gimmick is ironically opposite to this thread) didn't really fill me with a burning desire to read more of his books. Can someone compare them to some of the rest of his writing, comment if style and pacing are similar ?
I do confess that I prefer a bit more Action in my Urban Fantasy, a la Dresden.

Well, I've read two of his books, Someplace To Be Flying and Trader. Trader was enjoyable, but there's almost no action in it at all. Someplace To Be Flying has some mortal and supernatural combat, but not a lot.

Unfortunately, I haven't read any of the short stories you listed so I can't compare them.

[EDIT] What I like about Someplace To Be Flying is that it does not rely upon fantasy tropes from The Lord of the Rings, Conan, The Dying Earth, traditional European fantasy lore, and the like. So when some unusual being comes on to the scene, you have absolutely no idea what it is, what it can do, and what it will do.

[Seroster]

Originally Posted by Sundancer

de Lint's name always comes up in Urban Fantasy threads sooner or later. Probably for good reason. However, the four short stories of his that I know (Valley of the Troll, Cold Blows The Wind, The Weeping Oak & Into the Green from the Sword & Sorceress anthologies by Marion Zimmer Bradley, a series whose gimmick is ironically opposite to this thread) didn't really fill me with a burning desire to read more of his books. Can someone compare them to some of the rest of his writing, comment if style and pacing are similar ?

If you want action, I think you'd have to read some of his earlier books, because his later ones are I think less action-oriented. Jack of Kinrowan, which is made up of the two novels Jack the Giant Killer, and Drink Down the Moon, is really good.

He has written one or two things in a more traditional fantasy vein and I don't think they were that good. Most of those were early, possibly earlier than even his first urban fantasy novels. Not sure.