With the paranormal market producing such large qualities of material right now, we’re starting to see a lot of different paranormal creatures popping up in stories.
Dance Chica: My favorite paranormal creature is definitely vampires--fangs, blood, seduction...bring it on. Honestly, I don’t know what it is, exactly, about vampires that make them so appealing to me. I think it may have something to do with the fact that they’re so versatile. Regardless of all the stereotypes and clichés, there’s really a lot a creator can do with vampires and so many myths that can shape the characters. For example, vampires can be evil or they can be good; they can be powerful and sexy and dangerous or they can be completely indifferent. Not to mention all the various powers and politics that can shape the society of a vampire. Also, I think some vampires just have "tortured bad boy" stamped all over them which make them nearly impossible for me to resist. But I think the best thing about a vampire story is that it can really be a story about humanity and human nature rather than just a cold blooded monster. On the flip side, I’m not really into shifters but if an author crafts them right I can bite (no pun intended), such as Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten. That book made me see shifters in a whole new light simply by creating a mythology for them that I never even thought possible. One paranormal creature I don’t think I could ever really get into, though, is gargoyles. I’ve noticed a lot of them popping up in paranormals lately and they’ve just never intrigued me enough to read one.
Mailyn: I am so with you on this. Vampires are hella cools and they have been my favorites for as long as I can remember. Unlike many people, however, I like my vamps both good and evil. The sexual tension is always supposed to be there because that's how they attract their pray. But that's the more romantic vampire. In the olden days vamps were icky looking, kind of like Nosferatu. Remember that movie? Yikes! Still, I like them all the same. They have a lot of abilities that makes reading about them fun. They, unlike say ghouls or werewolves, are in control of their senses all the time. My least favorite monster has GOT to be werewolves. In most of the books surrounding them they pretty much lose themselves when it comes time to turn. How dumb is that?! I like my monsters to know what's going on all the time and to be able to control themselves, even if it's just to kill people. LOL. My other favorites are necromancers. Even their name is cool! LOL. It's really too bad that there aren't more good quality series or books with them. I think they have a lot of potential, just like vamps. In fact, I can see a good series focusing on the adventures of a good necromancer. He could even be battling a wizard or a very bad necromancer. Somebody needs to come up with this soon! Oh and archangels are always hella cools. Archangels with black wings!!! Sadly this hasn't caught on yet. I can see a series about a fallen archangel trying to fight evil or something. Hey, maybe he can even have a necromancer and a vampire sidekick. I would so buy that series! LOL.
Kailana: I have to admit, I don't really read fantasy novels for a certain type of paranormal creature. While I like things like vampires, wizards, witches, etc, I don't necessarily buy a book for them. I read more by recommendations or what I see at the store that looks interesting. So, in an attempt to add to this, I will talk about my favourite types of fantasy novels. I took a university course on fairy tales, and it has reinterested me in that particular genre. I have always liked fairy tale retellings, but after that course, I started paying more attention to different authors that write that sort of stuff. Fairy tale retellings can take in any amount of different paranormal creatures, so I read a wide range as a result. I also enjoy Arthurian and Troy retellings. Arthurian novels vary, with sometimes having a lot of fantasy present and other times they are just novels about Roman society and Arthur. The level of fantasy mainly relies on whether you believe that Arthur really existed. Not to mention Troy, if you believe the Homer version of the story, then you might think that other novels are pure fantasy. It is all about interpretation. After those three main things, I am not very picky about what fantasy novels I read. I get recommendations from other people that read fantasy novels, which is important, and I also pick up books at the store on a whim to see if they are any good. So, if I read more about any particular fantasy novel it is more by the luck of the draw than any preference.
Nath: Hmmm, this is a pretty tough topic... We're talking about paranormal creatures right? So I guess that psychics don't really count? I like psychics the best because they are exactly like us, as in normal, but yet at the same time they're not. They either accept what they are or deny it and I think that makes a good storyline. Also, psychic powers are pretty cool, but there's always a limitation :) Okay, so back to the topic.... Paranormal creatures. Vampires and werewolves are pretty much tied for me... I mean, it really depends on the world the author created and the characterization. I don't care much for werewolves in Angela Knight's novels, but give me Clay or Jeremy or even Karl from Kelley Armstrong and yummy :P As for least favorite, I think it's witch and sorcerer... I think they're pretty boring ^^; and you never know what's the limits of their powers... in addition, potions and incantations? They don't do anything for me. Then again, really, most important is characterization and storyline... What I'd like to read more about are demons and like Mailyn, necromancer.
So, what’s your favorite paranormal creature? Which are your least favorite? What creatures would you like to see more of? Which creatures have you had enough of?
The Genre
Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, FaeriesThe Plot
From the book:
Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!
Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death.
Mailyn Says:
The Review
First of all let me start by saying that I was pleasantly impressed by this book but, even before we get into that, let me warn you all: do not be fooled by the title. This book pays homage to the REAL faerie tales, not the watered-down Disney versions of today. If you've ever had the pleasure of reading the true collected works of the Grimm bothers, unabridged mind you, then you know what I am talking about.Consider the fact that most faerie tales back in the days were used to explain the unexplainable; the things that went bump in the night and those that could bump you off. They were also used to pretty much scare the children into not doing things they weren't supposed to do like, say, wander off in the woods alone.
This is THAT kind of faerie tale. Black isn't afraid to portray the Fae as they were known back when the Grimm’s were around. These are mean, bloodthirsty faeries and they have way too much fun being evil.
My kind of book. Mehehe.
OK, seriously now, you do have good and bad faeries but the bad seem to outnumber the good ones by a mile and then some. Black doesn't squirm when it comes to portraying the evilness that they are capable of and this is always good in setting up a believable adversary for the heroes. After all, wimpy evilness never scared anyone.
Although I did love this book a lot and am now officially obsessed with this series, I do have to admit that Black's writing does tend to reflect what her target audience is: Young Adults. That does not mean that the book is boring or that she doesn't paint her pictures well. It simply means that Black doesn't seem to be as thorough in her language, her prose and the minute details of her every page unlike say Garth Nix and his Abhorsen trilogy, Rowlings and her Harry Potter or Meyers and her Twilight.
To be sure, don't read this expecting another Bella and Edward or you will be sourly disappointed. Kaye is as far from Bella as werewolves are from vampires. Her world is not pretty. Trailer trash is the only way to describe her friends and family. I should know because I had plenty of friends back when I was in high school that were, for lack of better words, white trash. The way they talk, the things they do, I don't know if Black did much research but I'm willing to bet she did. I can almost see some of my friends in the manner these kids interact with adults and with each other. It brought back a lot of memories. But let’s keep with the review, shall we?
The mood of the book is also darker and more somber since, as I explained, Black isn't afraid to "go there". People die in this book. People you wished hadn't die but this keeps you on your toes wondering who is going to make it to the end unharmed. I have read many an urban fantasy and, as this was young adult, didn't expect much in the usually dark department that represents most urban fantasy novels. I am glad to say I was wrong and this fits into the genre perfectly, young adult label be damned.
Another thing I loved in the book were the characters themselves. Kaye is far from being the usual heroine we are all used to. Even in fantasy it's hard to find a heroine that is just so, well, trashy. She dropped out of school, she drinks, she smokes, she comes and goes whenever she wants, and she is all of 16 years old. Of course she is the product of her flighty mother's lifestyle but still, it was also a pleasant surprise not to have a little Miss Perfect, as it would have ruined the urban fantasy aspect
As far as heroes go, Roiben the Black Knight is great. I won't say he is the best I've ever read but he is very, very good. Reminded me somewhat of Daemon and Lucivar of Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy. He has suffered much because of the jobs he is forced to do as he is a slave to the evil Queen, which by the way, reminds me a lot of Dorothea the evil
The Verdict
I say this book begs to be read. true to the Urban Fantasy genre, it’s not afraid to show you the darker side of life and it’s just all around entertaining. You will be hooked from the get go and, indeed, I am on my way to Amazon to order the next book in the series: Valiant.A solid 4.5 out of 5
Kailana Says:
I am going to try and add on to what Mailyn said without repeating too much, so bear with me. I was drawn to this book from both reviews that I have read and from the fact that it was a fairy tale. I just seem to REALLY enjoy fairy tales. And this was no exception. It takes you no time at all to read, but it is so rewarding while you are doing it. For a young adult book, it was well-written. I agree with Mailyn, she seems to get a bit more childish with her writing than other young adult authors, but it doesn't take away from the book at all.
The first thing I must do is say that I liked Kaye more than Bella from Twilight. Mailyn compares, so I must do so too. I found Bella annoying, Kaye was more hardcore. I have been reading New Moon by Meyer, but have not got into it yet. Black's book draws you in from the very first page! I really enjoyed reading it. Robiben is also an interesting character. I would say this was totally his development stage, I think he will just improve with every novel you read by him. He is just coming into his own in this book, getting the chance to stand on his own two feet, so I think he will be a very interesting character to watch in future novels. I can see the comparisions with Anne Bishop, though.
Anyways, I strongly recommend this book to anyone that doesn't mind fantasy. It is a modern fantasy novel, and it is written very well. I look forward to reading the sequel.
I also give it a 4.5/5.
plotwise 3.5/5
enjoyment: 2.5/5
So this book gets 2 grades... why? because I'm afraid of being unfair ^^;
Genre: paranormal - vampire, psychic, shapeshifter
Kane Winter is a bounty-hunter, turned vampire-hunter after the day he saw his partner, Duke - a shapeshifter, getting killed by vampires. He doesn't have much memories of that night, except for this woman... Turns out that Duke is not dead - don't worry, he's not a bad guy either. He became a "hunter" as in, he hunts everything and everyone that prey on the weak and innocent. His coach of the moment is Kendall, the woman that Kane can't forget. After meeting Kendall, Kane lusts for Kendall; however, he misunderstood the situation and thought Kendall and Duke was a couple. So one year later, after having dreams of Duke being tortured, Kane sets off to find Kendall and Duke. He arrives just in time to have sex with Kendall and to help with Duke's disappearance. Turns out the "evil" in Cincinnati is an old acquaintance of Kendall...
All right, so my thoughts? First, I like the idea that the Hunters, plural, are after everything that prey on the weaks - drug dealers, rapists, serial killers, ect. It makes it a bit different than a vampire hunter among the vampires. Aside from that, I thought that the plot had real good potential and the intrigue was a good one... However, it was not well presented to the readers. I thought the story was all over the place, that it didn't have a pace. Btw the night Duke is believed dead and Kane finds Duke again, that's 2 years... then, 1 year for the dreams to bring Kane back in the story... and then, you have a story that probably spanned on 3-5 days, interrupted by sex. I have nothing against sex, but in this one, it seems to occur at wrong moment. Also, reading "pussy" a few times a page does something to my enjoyment level, as in bring it down. My other problems are not enough of characters development/background - again, you get pieces and bits here and there, but not enough to get a good understanding of them, esp. Kane... and also, not enough world building. The author introduces witches, vampires, psychics, werewolves and shapeshifters and also, the Hunters academy, Excelsior; however, she doesn't put any boundaries. All you know is that humans are different from Others, but what about Others among each other? Agnes, who is a witch is 500 y.o., Vax, another witch must be 150-200 y.o. and Kendall is 300 y.o. So yeah, no idea about this world... or maybe, maybe that the world building explanation was done in a previous book since I read that the author had some books from the same world as e-books from Ellora's Cave. Still, she could have given some more clues.
I read this book for the last of my R.I.P books, a fall reading challenge that has been making the rounds of the blogging world. With this review, I have completed my challenge.
From the back of the book:
Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart - and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed - a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city - a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known...
The interesting thing about this book is that the Minneapolis Star Tribune says on the back: "A dark contemporary 'Alice in Wonderland'... imaginative, well-crafted [and] highly visual." I never noticed that until after I was about halfway through the book, so when I did see it, I had to stop and think for a moment. I never made the direction comparision myself, but I might have by the end. It really is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. And we all know how much I like fairy tale retellings.
How is it like Alice, people may be wondering. For starters, it takes place below ground. The characters in this underground world have fallen through the cracks in society, much like how Alice fell through the rabbit hole. Who is Alice in this novel can be looked at several ways. If we were going with a same sex character, than Door would be Alice on her adventures through the underground. The only problem with that is Door never lived above ground, her life has always taken place in the underground. That means, that the most likely character to be "Alice" in this tale is Richard Mayhew. He is used to a life above ground, but when he saves Door, that is in essence him falling from the above world to the underground one.
There are also elements from Alice of Wonderland found in this tale. Alice, in her tale, meets lots of crazy critters in her adventures through Wonderland. Richard does the same. At first he, like Alice, questions what he sees in front of him, but by the end of the novel he is just learning to accept whatever comes along. There are also many doors in the novel, as Alice battles with in the beginning of Alice in Wonderland. It is a very interesting fantasy novel, and I must admit, I like it better than Lewis Carroll's original tale. Alice annoys me in that novel.
I must admit, I am gaining a strong liking for Gaiman. I own all of his novels, now, so I will be sure to post on the three I haven't read yet in the next few months.
4/5
