Friday, April 13, 2012

Want werewolves? Move over, Twilight

Meredith is a fan of paranormal stories. As she puts it:

"As a librarian, my sisters hound me to death to always be looking out for good books to read. We all love different things, but we all agree we love paranormal fantasy novels. There are many types of “fantasy." Traditional fantasy fiction combines use of magic with other supernatural or paranormal phenomena, often in imaginary worlds. Paranormal fantasy, or urban fantasy fiction, are typically set in contemporary times that just happen to contain supernatural elements. Some urban fantasy novels are set in historical or future periods of time, but most of the novels are set in a city. Usually the main characters of urban fiction have had tragic pasts that tie into the plot development and have strong ethics with self-esteem issues. The narrative is usually expressed through first-person, so it feels like a friend is telling you a story. There are stories with clear cut “good guys” and “bad guys,” but sometimes, the story is not so clear cut."

What I like most about Meredith's feelings about paranormal stories:

"Real life is often depressing enough, so I like delving into the paranormal world where “good guys” kick butt, usually with a few laughs and feel-good moments thrown into the mix."

Paranormal fiction has been booming. I keep a toe in, but Meredith is the expert. As Meredith says, "wolves are noble, majestic animals. They are sociable and extremely loyal to their pack. There are many werewolf myths, but I enjoy the stories where the wolf still retains his humanity." 

Want more than Jacob and his pack? Here are Meredith's werewolf recommended reads.

The Mercy Thompson series: Mercy is a shifter (Coyote) that was raised by werewolves and flees her pack to be a teacher-turned-mechanic when she runs into a new pack, faes, and vamps. The focus is on the werewolves, with vampire/fae politics thrown into the fray. Also by Patricia Briggs: Alpha and Omega series

The next is the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Meredith says: 
"Kate has been raised and trained to fight evil and lives in a world where magic isn't constant. It comes and goes in waves and when it is on, technology doesn't work. She gets involved with a Were pack (different animals, not all wolves) and some necromancers who control these evil, creepy version of vamps."  

Request them here

Meredith will be featured in a few more posts regarding paranormal fiction. I'll be sure to pass along your comments. 

No comments:

Post a Comment