Dresden Files discussion
Novel series like the Dresden Files?
I keep hoping the series will be done as audiobooks.
Here are four series we haven't talked that much about.Patricia Briggs, Mercy Thompson Series.
Jennifer Estep, The Elemental Assassin Series.
Faith Hunter, Jane Yellowrock Series
Shea MacLeod, The Sunwalker Saga
All four series have multiple books available and have been successful enough to crack the three plus novel threshold. I have read most of these novels as fill in between Butcher, Jacka, Hearne, and Aaronovitch.
They do include more "romance" than my favorite "male" authors listed above employ. Perhaps this is a "gender specific" trait of female vs. male authors.
Maybe our friends at Geek and Sundry could examine this at one of Pat Rothfuss discussion groups
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I have to say that my favorite series after Dresden is the Alex Verus series by Jacka. Then again I really "dislike" the Sandman Slim books which many like a lot. It's just a matter of taste I suppose and "Harry" manages to transcend our differences.
Kelly, I read the first 2 October Daye books and was lukewarm about them. Could you expand a little on how they get better? I found them too much PNR for me. Does that continue?
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I've noted this. We're all Dresden fans here but beyond that we seem to...vigorously disagree...on other UF series. I have to say that my favorite series after Dresden is the Alex Verus series by..."
Mike, our tastes are pretty similar. I agree with you on Dresden and Verus and Sandman Slim ( read three books but didn't enjoy them much). The four female authors do have a lot more romance which I tend to skim but do have pretty good action as well.
I love the Dresden Files but really disliked the sandman slim books and the twenty palace books. But I'm a guy and I can truley say I enjoyed the Kate Daniel series, Mercy Thompson series, and the Fever series.
Love Patricia Briggs and her Mercy Thompson Series (mentioned a lot on here earlier on), the others I'm not familiar with (which is good news for me!). Sandman Slim I can take or leave, as it's a bit too comic book for me (like Monsters Int). I'm female, but as a few of us have said before romance is fine as long as it doesn't dominate the storyline!
Just found out that the first four Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus books are out or about to come out in audiobook format!
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They are being released in the US first and the narrator is Gildart Jackson, who is American, but speaks with a British accent for the books (not familiar with him tbh).
Alison wrote: "They are being released in the US first and the narrator is Gildart Jackson, who is American, but speaks with a British accent for the books (not familiar with him tbh)."You can listen to Mr. Jackson on a free preview on Amazon.com. He reads the opening of Fated. Not being British, It is difficult for me to ascertain if the accent is any good. Amazingly many British and Australian actors speak with great American accents and only when I have seen them on talk shows did I discover they are not American by birth!
I've recommended
on another thread. It's part of a series by Kelley Armstrong that focuses on Clay, a werewolf and his origins. I think men and women would enjoy this. Not focused on romance but very readworthy and Charles Leggett the narrator of the audiobook is quite good.
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Thanks. I watched an interview with Gildart Jackson on YT and I think he'll be fine as a narrator.
Well, I gave Seanan McGuire another chance and gave up on Book 3 of her October Daye series. The problem with this series is the all characters except the main one are great and the whole fantasy world the author has created is great too - but the writing is just awful. The plots are FULL of holes and the 'heroine' is just hopeless at her job, the books are wordy and so repetitive. I don't write about the books I read very often, but this was bad enough for me to want to say here, if it were better written, the October Daye series could have been a good alternative to The Dresden Files, along side Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn, etc. But the writing is just not tight enough. :-(
I agree with Allison. I made it to about page 100 of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire and just gave up on the author and the series.
Agreed - I hated October the whole first book, and couldn't stand to continue.
Looks like I lasted then because I made it to book 3 before deciding it wasn't going to pull together - the author really needs a better editor!
Random comment: I really like Kim Harrison's The Hollows. It was her list of reccommended authors that lead me to The Dresden Files...which I think I might like just as much, maybe, ever so slightly more ...
The Hollows is probably my favourite UF series - and sadly it is nearly finished.
Alison wrote: "The Hollows is probably my favourite UF series - and sadly it is nearly finished."*sobs*
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To each I suppose.
Definitely Mike. I think The Hollows is more likely to be enjoyed by females, but it's not chick lit by any means. It also makes me laugh out loud sometimes! I'd compare it with the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris (also sadly finished now).At the moment I'm trying Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series again. I know there is a lot of 'lusting' by the main character at the beginning of the first book, but I'm trying the series again because there is a understandable reason for it, but if it turns out to be a feature of the series, that will be a deal breaker for me.
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Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "There seems to be a "moving line" or "variable scale" as to how much romance readers of UF want in their books and what type character they enjoy. I held on through the first few October books but ..."I actually used a Giveaway to poll urban fantasy readers on the need for romance in urban fantasy novels, and the difference in taste is pretty clear. On a scale of one to ten about 25% rated it as 9, 10 or 10+. Another twenty five was below 3 and everyone else was in the 4 to 6 range. Perhaps not surprisingly women tended to find romance more necessary than men.
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I like my urban fantasy any way I can get it, I don't need romance to make a story interesting. What I do need is a good storyline and great characters, romance is not always necessary.
I don't need romance in my UF, but I do want relationships in my long-running UF series. I don't enjoy the loner rides into town, kicks ass and rides off type of scenarios. I want to get to know the characters, and not just be told about them by an omniscient narrator but be shown them interacting with other characters. For loner type heroes, I watch Clint Eastwood movies. I want something else in my reading.
Bungluna wrote: "I don't need romance in my UF, but I do want relationships in my long-running UF series. I don't enjoy the loner rides into town, kicks ass and rides off type of scenarios. I want to get to know ..."I agree. The characters need to develop ties and have some sentimental attachments over time, but so far I haven't read any UF series that doesn't do that to some extent. What I am having trouble finding are series not written in the first person. Briggs' Alpha and Omega series is the only one I have read like that so far.
Marc wrote: "Bungluna wrote: "I don't need romance in my UF, but I do want relationships in my long-running UF series. I don't enjoy the loner rides into town, kicks ass and rides off type of scenarios. I wan..."Read the ghost finders series from Simon R. Green. I prefer first person, but you might like it, since it's in third.
Damian wrote: "Marc wrote: "Bungluna wrote: "I don't need romance in my UF, but I do want relationships in my long-running UF series. I don't enjoy the loner rides into town, kicks ass and rides off type of scen..."Thanks for the tip. I read Simon Green's Deathstalker series a few years ago (space opera not UF), and I enjoyed it a lot, at least the first few books.
I enjoy first person novels, but to me this style of writing somewhat limits the amount of twists possible in the story line.
Funny how things are different for different people. I don't think there's too much romance in The Hollows, lately, Harry's gotten laid more than Rachel but I guess that's about to change.I also like Kelly Armstrong's books...
Hey, is the Anita Blake series worth getting into?
The Anita Blake series starts off really good and then after a few books its just sex, one book is set over 24 hrs and its sex from start to finish.
The Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow is quite good
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I suppose it's just how it hits each reader. I thought it kept messing up any pacing of the plot. each time I started to get interested the book suddenly had to have another "confrontation. I'm glad you liked them, just not books I care for.
@ Natasha At first I loved the Anita Blake series, but as far as I'm concerned it changed and started going downhill about book 8 or 9. The series does have a lot of sex in it, but it fits in with the power plays that develop and overall storylines. But we're not alone in thinking the books turned into 'sex fests' (!) because she's lost a lot of fans over this - her fan forum is a very interesting place.@ Julie Just checked out the Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow and it does look good - thanks for the recommendation!
@ Mike (the Paladin)Well, when you put it like that...It really makes me laugh. :) I see your point.
@ everyone else, thank you. Maybe Anita Blake isn't for me. I prefer lots of ass-kicking action. Just like we read in The Dresden Files. So hard to wait for Skin Game.
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Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "You might try Crimes Against Magic if you haven't. I just found that series and liked it. Lots of action. Not sure if you'll like it or not. I like Dresden also (as being here sort ..."I haven't checked those out but I sure will, thanks.
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Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I compared our books. In spite of love struck vampires we seem to agree more than we disagree. :)"One of the additional reasons I like the Alex Verus books, is that it is a Vampire free zone. Seems the mages both black and white got together in the past and wiped out all the vampires. Might be a good historical story for Jacka to write sometime not unlike Kevin Hearne does with his little novellas between books. Really serves to keep me satisfied while I wait for the next Hearne novel. If you like an intense vampire series check out the Jane Yellowrock series, by Faith Hunter for non stop vampire action
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In the Verus books I keep waiting for it to turn out that some vampires survived in hiding and have been building their strength. I like the Rob Thurman books pretty well, (the Leandros books) but we do have the vampire lover in the series. It always strikes me as less than wise to sleep with a vampire...
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "That's another series I wanted to like but couldn't get passed [spoilers removed]In the Verus books I keep waiting for it to turn out that some vampires survived in hiding and have been building ..."
Exactly, what I meant for the difference between female vs. male authors. The female authors have a lot more sex or panting over sex than the male authors!
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I compared our books. In spite of love struck vampires we seem to agree more than we disagree. :)"Checked you out too, *wink, wink.* I forgot we could do that to each other on here. I think I'll check out Alex Verus.
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Rulers of Darkness by Stephen Spruill is a good book with 2 sequels. I've only read the first of the series, however. The main characters are very well developed, and the author offers an explanation to the existence of vampires. This thread is getting pretty long so this might have been mentioned before...
Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne, The Remy Chandler books, Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman. I love the Dresden Files and the series I mentioned all help fill the void nicely until the next Dresden book comes out.
Jimmy wrote: "Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne, The Remy Chandler books, Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman. I love the Dresden Files and the series I mentioned all help fill the void nicely until the next Dres..."I think those series have each been mentioned dozens of times in this thread. ;)
Cal Leandros was too dull for me and Remy Chandler too hopeless and depressing. Just my take.
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So Im late to this discussion. And I do see someone else mentioned this. But I would also like to emphasize that The Iron Druid Chronicles is very similar to Dresden Files. Its also an urban fantasy. The cast is very similar, though they do have different personalities. And they do have a lot of the same magical items as well.Dresden Iron Druid
Harry Atticus
Molly Granuaile
Mouse Oberon
Bob The local elemental
Billy Hal
Thomas Leif
Fidalacchius Fragarach
Amorachius Moraltach
Dresden Files
Books mentioned in this topic
Trail of Lightning (other topics)Rivers of London (other topics)
Rotherweird (other topics)
Dead Things (other topics)
The Legacy of Gird Omnibus: Surrender None/Liar's Oath (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ben Aaronovitch (other topics)Stephen Blackmoore (other topics)
Andrew Caldecott (other topics)
Brian McClellan (other topics)
Charles de Lint (other topics)
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Depends on the game. Works great for blackjack and poker..."
Benedict have you thought about maybe enhancing Alex's ability by having him acquire more control? Like Luna's enhanced ability using the wand made by Arachne and Sonder's stasis field. No reason why Alex couldn't become slightly enhanced as well.