(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best paranormal & urban fantasy books

Hey guys! Is it Friday again?

Reminder: I have a couple of free book giveaways going on. DEAD WEIGHT: The Tombs and apparently Amazon decided to make Halloween Jack and the Devil's Gate free too. Which is cool, but since we're in December, Halloween Jack and the Curse of Frost might have been more appropriate, seeing as it's the Christmas story. Ah well.

First audio book when live yesterday. Second is in production, hoping to have it out by Christmas.

Going to bite the bullet and start applying for MFA programs. One of my old teachers is retiring in five years, and he wants to groom me to take his place. That's flattering and exciting. Maybe after my MFA, I'll get a Ph.D. and y'all can call me DOCTOR Gallowglas.

Now I'm agonizing over my entry submission. Even more freaked out about this than I am on a book's launch day. It's weird though, because really it's me convincing people that my writing is good enough for them to allow me to pay them thousands and thousands of dollars to become a better writer.

Looks like I'm almost certainly going to Confusion next month. My mommy is taking care of my airfare. Now, all I have to do is figure out childcare for her highness.... and.... get my wife on board. Shouldn't be too hard since my mom is taking her and the 14 year old to Peru and the Galapagos this spring.

That's about all I have for now. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Cheers!

Free for three days:

In Ghosts and Villagers, 14-year-old Leo Taurino doesn't know what made him capable of talking to the ghosts trapped in the art museum. None of his friends could. However, they lead them to an alternate Earth, where plants and creatures evolved much differently over millions of years. The Village lays hidden in a cave, unburdened by the dangerous animals, weather, and plant-life scattering the diverse planet, Terra. The Villagers might have the answers to the crystals, which teleport them between worlds, but Leo and his friends uncover layers to them far greater than any locals have discovered. As they unravel the objects' mysteries and aim to save the ghosts who have been trapped for nearly one hundred years, there is a peculiar animal smarter than humans, but caged by them, called the prows. Their chief might have the answers Leo needs to unlock the crystals' full potential.

Ghosts and Villagers is free ONLY for the next three days (exclusively on Amazon for e-book). It would be fantastic to receive feedback or questions as well!

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Entromancy: A Cyberpunk Fantasy RPG is a tabletop roleplaying game set in San Francisco in the late 21st century and based on the fiction of Entromancy: Book One of the Nightpath Trilogy. In our world, a quarter of the earth's power now runs on ceridium, a newly discovered element that has had the unintended consequence of spawning a new race of people, and several forms of magic that were once thought to have been forgotten.

In Entromancy, you’ll take the role of a character in a futuristic, technology-driven, magic-rich world complete with espionage, spellcasting, hacking, and engaging action sequences.

• Cyberpunk Fantasy Roleplaying. Enter a futuristic, magic-rich world where technology is ever-present and several forms of forgotten magics have resurfaced -- for better and worse. 
  
• Unique Characters. Choose from five diverse races and five unique classes to create your character and begin your story. Progress your character by taking on challenging missions and eventually embracing one of five brutally powerful destinies. 
  
• d20 Mechanics. Experience a streamlined gameplay system based on the Fifth Edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game, simultaneously allowing for exciting action and storytelling while providing for a great deal of depth. 
  
• Action Gameplay. Get into the game quickly with easy onboarding for new players and engage in action-packed gameplay with spellcasting, hacking, cybernetics, and much more. 
  
• Faction-Based Espionage. Increase your standing with Entromancy’s three competing factions, while attempting to make your mark on a world that has become fractured after years of population explosion, socio-economic tension, and magic-based warfare.

Anyone in need of fantasy that gives them a good laugh? Alright, it's urban fantasy, but surely that counts right?

Brian Helsing: The World's Unlikeliest Vampire Hunter. A six-foot-seven geek extraordinaire with no social skills and a backbone of jelly, somehow finds himself becoming the latest in the thousand-year line of esteemed Vampire Hunters.

Currently three books out (soon to be four) and the first one is permafree. I would be ecstatic if you'd check it out.



Cheers guys.

Gaz

I really enjoyed

• Spells and Chrome: Anthology 1
  
• World of Shadows: Anthology 2
  
• Neat
  
• Shaken
  
• Secrets of Power series, start here
  
  And in general I like Nigel D. Findley, Nyx Smith, and Mel Odom's novels - search Amazon and eBay.
  
  As to order? Not really. It's academically interesting to try to read them in order and see how the timeline evolves - as well as how different authors write about the universe - but unless it's a series like Secrets of Power or Dragon Heart Saga then they stand alone. I'm a big fan of the pulpy, more noir stories - ex. Zimmerman's - than the "tactical military hardware porn" ones.

Neil Gaiman is great in that he writes good one offs. Two authors that I've discovered simply because his blurb was on the cover are Martin Millar, and Cory Doctorow. Millar's work is steeped in the 80's punk scene. The Good Faeries of New York is a nice introduction to him. Cory Doctorow is a godfather of the internet. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom predicted Google Glass, and will satisfy your need for something light.

Congrats on getting your work up on Amazon, SCVannevar. I'm quite wary of Jeff Bezos (also known as Lex Luthor), so hopefully my success can pave a way for others who don't want to be part of anyone else's soul-crushing, world-eating retail machine.

You mentioned The Hunger Games. I wonder if young-adult novels have more of a "young" sensibility -- meaning inclined toward hopefulness about the future, in order to appeal to younger readers with somewhat less-developed moral intuition (and for the sake of not being too "scary" or dark). As a side note, it's a bit troubling that so many adults seem to relish books written for the "aging child" demographic rather than more "serious" works like 1984, although YA books themselves can be quite good stories. If more adults gave authors like Orwell his due, humanity might have created a very different kind of world between then and now.

Link Neither story is finished, but it fits your bill and the writing is superb.

Link Elliot Kay is amazing too, can find him on Amazon or a number of digital stores.

I've looked over the rules of this subreddit to make sure this isn't looked down upon, and since you asked: I'd recommend Seven Devils - the first book in my urban fantasy series. It's my own take on the genre, set in South Texas and exploring the superstitions and organized crime of the area.
The Dresden Files was certainly a big inspiration and I think any fan of it would enjoy my attempt. Hope you check it out!

Hey all.
I recently remade all my covers for my Dystopian Sci-Fi series. I'm in the process of moving them to Kindle Unlimited, but for now, book one remains free on Amazon until the end of the month.
https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Buryd-Dystopian-Action-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00FLVRWYU
I also have a Paranormal Thriller series, Teeth, and book one is also currently free on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Teeth-First-Bite-Paranormal-Vampire-ebook/dp/B00QHK4UBW

She's one of those authors who's always 10 years ahead of the curve and likes to skip between subgenres. She wrote a mythic urban fantasy that's now considered one of the seminal works of the genre (War for the Oaks), a weird western way before that got popular (Territory), a gender-neutral/androgynous protagonist decades before Ann Leckie (Bone Dance), etc. Not to mention a straight SF novel (Falcon), the aforementioned historical fantasy novel with Steven Brust, and she's one of the creators/writers of Shadow Unit, a group author project that's told in episodes like a TV show. Plus a bunch of other stuff, and absolutely all of it is excellent.

It would help to know which country you live in to find a site for you. I found several offers on amazon.com though, as well as amazon.de:

http://www.amazon.com/Metro-2033-Dmitry-Glukhovsky/dp/5170785070/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1409645218&sr=8-6&keywords=metro+2033+russian

http://www.amazon.com/Metro-2033-Glukhovskii-Dmitrii/dp/5903396038/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1409645218&sr=8-9&keywords=metro+2033+russian

http://www.amazon.com/Metro-2033-in-Russian/dp/5170596782/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1409645218&sr=8-5&keywords=metro+2033+russian

Some imports are quite pricey at $68, but some others sell it starting from $19.

Harry Potter:
http://www.amazon.com/Potter-filosofskii-Philosophers-Russian-Edition/dp/535300308X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409645388&sr=8-1&keywords=harry+potter+russian

Hint and fun fact: In Russian there's no H like we know it, so when translating names it's often/sometimes replaced with G. So the book it russian is actually called Garri Potter. Maybe that helps with your search.

EDIT: Formatting

A good friend of mine wrote a sort of urban fantasy novel called Blessed and Cursed Alike. She's heavily involved in numerous esoteric disciplines, so the occult parts of the book are hella accurate. She even designed a sigil for the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Blessed-Cursed-Alike-Kiarna-Boyd/dp/0988537095

Zero Sight by Justin Shier
http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Sight-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B004UB2WME/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331727297&sr=1-2

e-book only though. I read the first and it's great, only 2 books out for the series and it's like 250 pages

Another great book: Talion Revenant http://www.amazon.com/Talion-Revenant-Michael-Stackpole/dp/0553576569/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1331727432&sr=1-1
about 450 pages

Oh man... that's such a hard question. While it's not one I've read in a while, and I'm not sure if I'd still like it, I really love War for the Oaks by Emma Bull. I read that book so many times it fell apart!


Edit: Yeeaah I just read the description and I'm not sure if I'd still like it, but it has a lot of sentimental value!

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

Well, the best I can offer that hasn't already been said would be Zero Sight. It's an urban fantasy with university-aged students. However, it doesn't seem to be on audible yet.

Oh yeah, I've also heard The Blinding Knife has a lot of this trope in it. And this one is on audible. I haven't gotten around to reading it personally, though I can confirm that The Black Prism had a couple scenes involving the magic school trope.

This link is just МЕТРО 2033, and this one is the Trilogy. I think any source of Russian reading will improve language learning, but having at least a beginner understanding will help more so you can at least get an idea of what is going on. And then you can learn new words to expand the details.

Aha. If it's not too big a burden, do Future You a favor and get the first three as an omnibus: the first two books are enjoyable, but in the context of the series as a whole they're more of a setup and introduction to the world and some characters, and it's not till book 3 that things really take off :)

Here is the first 3 in an omnibus edition HB is like $25 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0739451936?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0739451936&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG

Good Luck

You might enjoy Blessed and Cursed Alike. http://www.amazon.com/Blessed-Cursed-Alike-Kiarna-Boyd/dp/0988537095

Visit the romance section of your local book store. Here's a good start.

See? It's possible!

Awesome. I am keen to read it. For those you you in oz here is the Australian link

Shaken, is my favorite. Jimmy Kincaid is a fantastic character

> some element of humor & lightheartedness, and if possible, a degree of magic

The Good Fairies of New York fits this.

There is a short story collection I've been reading that you might like called The Bread We Eat in Dreams.

My Blue Night series has some dystopian elements, and it's definitely about hope and defiance, although there are a couple of cautionary tales weaved in. The first fatalism/cautionary tale dystopia story that comes to mind on any list is probably 1984, and for me it's the end of the list as well. It was (and is) compelling because of its uniqueness. Today lots of people try to emulate it, mostly to push an agenda, but the focus seems more to be on hope and defiance (cf. "The Hunger Games").

This is the book that some say originated Urban Fantasy: War Of The Oaks.

http://www.amazon.com/War-Oaks-Novel-Emma-Bull/dp/0765300346

Whether it did or not, it is a great read; particularly if you like rock.


Of Urban Fantasy series, I like the first four True Blood, the first five Anita Blake, the first few books of the Rachael Morgan series, the first two books in the Mercy Thompson series.

If you notice a pattern above, it is: these series almost always decline in quality. In the end they sink into formula and incoherence, where everyone has slept with everyone and gone evil and returned to good and found their inner power and has been facing bigger and bigger opponents till now they are only easily matched by Olympian-level super bad guys.

I except the Harry Dresden series. They improve as they go. I have no idea how he is doing that.

That's a link to the $10 paperback, but the ebook does seem to be free at https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01AO34GSY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Just FYI this is the link for UK purchase

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Men-Naked-Dario-Cannizzaro-ebook/dp/B071DP6G9T/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539267983&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dead+men+naked

I look forward to reading it 😀

There is a new series starting by M Todd Gallowglas, Dead Weight. It has Faeries in it although the main character was human. I totally enjoyed it. I believe it will have 6 parts in the end.

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Weight-Tombs-Tale-Faerie-ebook/dp/B00I6UB1P4/ref=la_B004YXN326_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395057808&sr=1-8

Hey guys. Long time poster here. I just self-published my first novel on Amazon! It's an urban fantasy story about a conflicted teenage necromancer. Available in print and digital on Amazon.

I've taken and given a number of tips on here, and I'm excited to share this with you!

Here's a blurb:

Thana Ayers may seem like any other girl her age, struggling to balance schoolwork, drama club activities, and her religious parents. But at night, she battles unholy monstrosities with her own astonishing abilities to control the dead. Thana’s never lost a battle. That is, until a mysterious creature appears unlike any she has faced before.

This strange presence threatens to unravel Thana’s carefully balanced life and reveal her powers to the world. It also promises to show her the secrets of the lichgate and unlock her true power, but all power comes with a cost.

One I enjoyed recently was The Flaw in All Magic by Ben Dobson.

If you find another book like NOTW, let me know!

Here are a couple that have similar elements. Mainly male protagonist, magic school, coming of age etc. Harry Potter goes to college sort of thing.

Magicians

Zero Sight

Not LitRPG, but otherwise fits your request extremely well:

Tesser: A Dragon Among Us

Just buy these three.

Emma Bull did it first and better.

Emma Bull - War for the Oaks

https://www.amazon.com/Metro-2033-Russian-Gluhovskij-Dmitrij/dp/5170596782

missy the werecat ?

Dead Weight: The Tombs by M Todd Gallowglas

Methinks you need to read a bit more widely.

From a random perusal of my paperback shelves (somewhere over 600 books...):

• "What if..." colonists on a planet were abandoned, cannot use technology for fear of reprisal from aliens... and what would that society evolve into?
  
  
• "What if..." an invasion of parasitic creatures causes unusually good behavior in their hosts?
  
  
• There's a faerie war in Minneapolis, and a rock-and-roll musician is caught up in it?
  
  Or if that requires too much original thought... there's always dragons.