In Publisher’s Weekly, as I linked yesterday, there’s an article about paranormal romance, and how, to quote the title, the love affair with the supernatural continues. Trouble is, it doesn’t so much continue with me. I’m vampire exhausted. Were’d out. Utterly overwhelmed by the number of books released in a given month and not willing to invest time and mental energy embarking on yet another series with no visible end in sight. So, since Heather Osborn of Tor both (a) sounded smart as crap in the interview and (b) is a friend of mine, I asked her: can you bring me back to the paranormal?
Sarah: Convince me, oh paranormal editor, to give paranormal another chance.
Heather: Listen, the thing is, a well written book is well written despite the sub-genre and even if the heroine is a unicorn shifter from the land of Sparklasia she should have problems, emotions, concerns, etc, that we all can relate to or else, why bother, you know?
Unrealistic and disappointing resolutions happen in all sub genres of romance and fiction—it’s just in paranormals they are a little more crack-riddled aka soulmated were-fins!
Sarah: I’m tired of perfect warrior heroes who know everything, and all the emotional tension between the couple being based on who is or who isn’t paranormal and how to resolve the divide between the species.
Heather: I hear ya honestly, whenever I am burned out on paranormal romance soulmated-itis, I grab a really good fantasy novel and remember why I like the hybrid stuff.
It can be urban fantasy, trad fantasy, science fiction, etc—it shows me what is capable within the genre, and that I shouldn’t settle for less in paranormal romance. Lois McMaster Bujold and Sharon Shinn have saved my sanity on more than one occasion!
Sarah: To continue my whining, I’m finding the glut of material daunting and find many have the internal conflict of old lettuce from a fridge with no crisper. Limp and wrinkly, and holds no interest.
Heather: Yeah, or else they set up tons of juicy conflict and resolve it with a magical wang or hoohaw. DO NOT WANT.
Sarah: There has to be a way to create paranormal characters who have internal conflict that isn’t based on their otherworldly-ness and how they aren’t human and are doomed to immortality woe woe woe, or who don’t instantly adjust to their new toothsome life and feel the need to depilate more frequently due to were-dom.
Heather: The whole “I woke up in a coffin…how AWESOME!” syndrome. It’s often the equivalent of the barren heroine magically getting pregnant due to the hero Duke’s powerful sperminating. Only he’s a werewolf.
I think you would really like Robin D. Owens. She is a master at using real life issues in paranormals and making them legitimate problems. I am honestly baffled that she isn’t more popular.
Sarah: So what other books would you put in the “bring her back to the paranormal awesome” care package? What books speak louder than argument?
Heather: Off the top of my head—authors who write intelligent, interesting, and readable paranormal romances that deal with real issues in real ways—aka no Deus ex Monstera are Nalini Singh, Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega series), Meljean Brook, C.L. Wilson, although hers are distinctly fairy tale-esque. There are plenty of other authors I enjoy in paranormal romance, but in this case, I am trying to stay with the ones who are not purely escapist, but also bring strong elements of realism to their novels.
Sarah: Dude. What about Tor authors? Spread the love, fool.
Heather: Cathy Clamp and C.T. Adams aka Cat Adams write amazingly well-rounded paranormals. Gail Dayton, naturally, and Patti O’Shea is amazing as well. Stop me before I pimp them all!
Thank you, Heather.
So, am I the only one who is para-worn? Do you have books that you absolutely adore in the paranormal genre that you wish more people would read? And if I were to embark upon the Robin D. Owens series (*eep!*) which one should I start with?
Amy Lane, little goddess series – it’s urban fantasy magic-by-lots-of-sex, but a bit different. Refreshing.
Nalini Singh.
And I want to de-vote on Robin Owens. Her world building is fun, but in the same way taking a picture of any major city and adding 1) an expensive jeweled necklace and 2) a funny looking cat makes the picture fun.
I think my problem with paranormal romance that gives me the feeling “omg there are too many of these!” is because there aren’t enough of them. Hear me out…. I don’t go historical crazy, or contemporary crazy. I would never try to read every single historical released in the last year. I stick to looking for recommendations, and getting the pick of the crop over the last 20 years. But for paranormals, I realized I’m reading all of it, often as its released, before there are many reviews. There’s no room for the bad and mediocre books to be forgotten by time, which would act as a filter to save my sanity.
As a reader, I hardly ever read paranormals. As an author, I’m burned out on writing them.
It’s getting harder and harder to compete in a market where you can’t just tell the damned story and wrap it up, because publishers and readers are expecting fifteen or sixteen books about the same character. And it’s a freaking race these days, trying to fit a million different creatures into one story (or one character!) so that you can be “new” and “fresh.” “I’m a vampire-fairy crossbreed demon slayer who is fated to hunt down werewolves and kill them but OH NOES my SOULMATE is a werewolf whateva shall I do?”
Ugh. Whoever’s book that is that I just described (and I know SOMEONE has to have written it), I swear, I am not picking on you specifically.
Until a week or two ago I had never read a paranormal. There was a free copy of a Laura Adrian book for the kindle and I downloaded that one. Then the next one… and the next one… and I finished them all, even the one that was just released two days ago. I liked them because they were still pretty grounded but had enough paranormal to be really interesting. I don’t know that I am going to start buying into the whole genre, but I am at least a little more willing to check it out now.
Anne Bishop’s work! The BLACK JEWELS trilogy is fantastic, and though she doesn’t, perhaps, fit exactly in paranormal romance (more on the dark fantasy side), she does some amazing world building and writes fabulous characters.
Also, Robin McKinley’s SUNSHINE. Oh yes. Amazing vampire hero. I reread the first half of that book 3 times before letting myself go on to finish it. Savor the goodness.
I just wanted to mention that I agree with a lot of these recommendations. I didn’t mention a lot of the authors being pimped in the comments (like Ilona Andrews—love!—and Anne Bishop, etc.) because Sarah was specifically asking for Paranormal Romance recommendations—and recommendations for more realistic, character-driven books, at that.
I am an avid urban fantasy reader as well, and my list of faves would explode this comment thread, so I will refrain. I did want to reiterate my recommendation of Robin D. Owens, however. I love her “Heart” series, and two books in particular—HEART CHOICE and HEART THIEF—deal with issues that have nothing to do with the futuristic setting, and everything to do with the human condition.
HEART CHOICE deals with the ideas of infertility, blood ties, and family in an emotional and realistic manner. It is honestly one of the few romances I’ve read where the infertile heroine REMAINS infertile. There is no miracle baby epilogue. And the book is all the stronger for it.
HEART THIEF tackles social outcasts. People who have been rejected by society for reasons beyond their control. Again, there are no magical solutions to these problems—the characters must deal with them themselves. SO REFRESHING.
I highly recommend the entire “Heart” series, but feel that the books stand reasonably well on their own, should you want to try either of these books out.
Some observations:
Laura Ann Gilman’s “Retrievers” series is not necessarily true/pure paranormal romance; the Luna imprint is kind of a hybrid, and the Wren/Sergei cycle is more fantasy-with-romance than it is romance-with-fantasy. (OTOH, under her “Anna Leonard” hat, she’s written what I thought was a very good stand-alone Nocturne book (#48: The Night Serpent.)
Now the Robin D. Owens “Summoned” books (of which I’ve read the first two or three), also from Luna, look to me more like romance-with-fantasy in a plot-structural sense—but then, Owens comes to Luna from the romance side of the genre fence, whereas LAG comes to it from the SF/F side (and was one of SF/F’s leading editors for awhile, at that). My general sense, from having sidled into romance largely—though not entirely—via Luna is that the imprint’s SF/F writers by and large have done a better job of adapting to romance-genre conventions than its romance writers have done at adapting to SF/F conventions. But that may be just me….
As an example, I’d point to Doranna Durgin, who’d done a number of excellent fantasy novels before publishing several (very good, I thought) books under the ill-fated Silhouette Bombshell imprint, and who’s just had her first Nocturne title (#xx, Sentinels: Jaguar Night) out. Interestingly, both LAG/“Anna Leonard” and Durgin are writing shapeshifters, not vampires, under the Nocturne umbrella, with significantly different takes on the concept.
As for me, I’m actually contemplating a paranormal-romance idea at the moment, but if it comes to fruition it won’t be either vampires or shapeshifters, it will be a stand-alone, and it’s going to be as angst-free as I can possibly make it. (Now snark, on the other hand….)
I’m pretty much over the paranormals too. I’ve been finding a lot of poorly plotted, nearly identical, unlikeable/predictable characters. Plus, anything with weres, witches, demons, or angels is not at all interesting to me. I do like vampires.
I do really like Illona Andrews “Magic Bites” series. The story line is not unusual, but the characterization is superb, I think. That’s what does it for me.
McKinley’s “Sunshine” is one of my all-time favorites. And I LOVE Lois McMaster Bujold and Sharon Shinn as well.
I still read/buy Lynsay Sands series, and read Christine Feehan’s (although more and more annoyedly). I also like Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris.
What about Kage Baker? Has anyone else glommed on to her “The Company” series? It’s sci-fi, not paranormal though.
I really like Marjorie Liu’s Dirk and Steele series. She has a poetic but realistic writing style, if that makes any sense, and her characters seem real to me. The couple usually does fall in love in a very quick, intense way due to psychic connections and other such mojo; but that kind of intensity that is part of why I enjoy paranormals and historicals in the first place.
I’d like to suggest a trilogy for you:
THE OUTBACK STARS, THE STARS DOWN UNDER, and THE STARS BLUE YONDER by Sandra McDonald. On its surface, it’s military SF/romance, but as the adventures progress it becomes more fantastical/paranormal.
While the first book can stand alone, the romance becomes a raging force by book three (BLUE YONDER comes out in July and I was lucky enough to receive a galley). The author includes lots of Australian aboriginal mythology elements along with time travel fun and it is all so freakin’ awesome.
I really enjoyed the Cathy Clamp and C.T. Adams books. The first one, Touch of Evil, was a free Tor download last year, the romance is very strong, and it’s only a trilogy, not a never-ending series. So yes, story arcs FINISH. Whew.
Robin McKinley’s Sunshine is one of my favorite books ever. Not part of a series, either. I just bought the new trade paper edition, because my worn old MMP went missing, and I’m very much looking forward to re-reading it. Again.
I also recommend Carolyn Jewel’s My Wicked Enemy. I’ve only skimmed it, but it looks very good, and the sequel was just released. She’s a smart writer, focused on the characters, and as Heather Osborn suggests, that transcends sub-genre.
I’m also burned out on the paranormal books, at least as far as vampires and werecreatures are concerned. I’m sort of sad thinking about the series I don’t read anymore when I used to eagerly anticipate the next release. Right now, the only paranormal series release I’m counting the days for is the next installment of Karen Marie Moning’s “Fever”.
The other day I actually found myself thinking, “I really love (insert author’s name) writing. I just wish she’d write something other than vampires.”
I’m sure it’s me and not the authors or genre.
I only discovered ‘paranormal romance’ last fall. I went off romance almost entirely, except romantic suspense, which has gotten rather stale at times now too. I admit I am at heart a mystery/suspense reader with a sense of humor and prefer my romance with less angst, more laughs and some mystery or other in it. My favorite recent romance read (the last 12 months) was a shifter book, Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston. The next two were by Anne Douglas, both ebook novellas, Accidentally Were? and Witch, Vamp, Were? and both paranormals.
I spent many years reading fantasy (back when Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars was exciting) and authors like Lois McMaster Bujold were favorites when she was writing the Vorkosigan saga, not paranormal romance. Same for several other cross overs from the fantasy/si-fi world.
What bothers me with paranormal romance is the lack of creativity in world-building and the sameness of characters and storylines. Vampires wore me out – with a few exceptions, but weres are still ok from some authors. Magic users – hummmmmm, mixed feelings and alternate worlds are still OK so far, though too often poorly defined.
Unfortunately, this pandemic of cloning, that started for me in romance with Regencies, is not new. How many Lord of the Rings knock-offs are out there? Dan Brown clones? Or the interchangeable intrigue/spy/military thriller authors – Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, et al? As long as people buy it, it will be published.
I haven’t read a paranormal or urban fantasy romance yet (not counting Sunshine). I want to, but I’ve been daunted by not knowing where to start. This thread is definitely helping me narrow it down some! Question, though: are most paranormal/urban fantasy romance books part of a series? And is the series about one pair of characters or different sets of related characters (like happens in historicals a lot with series about a set of brothers or friends or something)? I’m a little afraid to commit to a series with a billion books in it—I’ll never get anything else done!
I’m not worn out with the genre, I’m grumpy that I was never able to get into it. Urban fantasy sounds great in theory, and I liked what Charles DeLint did with it from time to time, and the comic Promethia is amazing, but I suppose my issue is that when it comes to vampires or were-anythings, I just don’t care.
I’ll love me some Buffy, and I’ve been persuaded to give Nightwatch a shot, but for the most part when someone says “vampire” I tune out, and same goes for werewolves and, yes, zombies. They’ve exploded into pop culture to the point that I’m suffering from over exposure.
So are there any romances worth reading in the genre that DON’T involve vampires/werestuff/zombies/demon hunters? If there are, I haven’t been able to browse long enough to find them.
megalith, Bear and Monette have just started working on the sequel to A Companion to Wolves. It’ll be a while before it gets to the shelves, but it’s coming. (Yay!)
Definately try Jeaniene Frost. Threre are three books out in her Cat & Bones series, with the fourth due out this year. I am hooked on them!
Believe it or not, I’m just getting started on reading paranormals. I’ve missed the Anita Blake series, haven’t touched Sookie and have just ordered the first books in series by JR Ward, Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole. So I’m not burned out on them but in other sub genres, I am. Somewhat. For me, I don’t pick up a book based on what genre. Does the back cover grab my attention. Does the first page? I’m in Iraq, so I’ve got time to read more this year than I’ll have for the next decade. Maybe I’ll have changed my mind about burn out on a particular genre after this year is up.
I’m not sick of paranormals and urban fantasy at all, but I am sick of the bad books being published in it. I’ve always been a romance/fantasy/Sci-Fi aisle cross-polinator, and the fact that I’m finding my favorite genres all mashed-up into single books (even if those books span series) is freakin’ awesome. Most of the pet peeves Sarah names are not that irritating to me, aside from the Deus ex Monstera, and Black Dagger Brotherhood, I’m looking at you.
There are some great recommendations in this comments thread, but Heather is right – most of those are urban fantasy and can be found in your fantasy section. I love Kresley Cole, and I know Sarah has found that crack already. Gena Showalter is good, but spotty – I like her Lords of the Underworld series, but the alien huntress ones aren’t as great. One thing both of those authors do that I like is to move on to a new couple each book, but continue worldbuilding and keeping a lot of the same secondary characters. I like that, you get resolution and familiarity at the same time.
Karen Chance’s Cassandra Palmer series is fun, but hits every one of Sarah’s pet peeves, especially the strung-out plot resolution. I still loved it, but the first book in her second series is wonderful and avoids those pet peeves – “Midnight’s Daughter” about Dracula’s half-human niece. It’s excellent and it’s non-stop action, so if you’re a skimmer you might get a little lost.
I’m not going to talk about Briggs or Butcher or the Illona Andrews series, because they’ve all gotten enough press, but I agree that they’re excellent. The first in the Magic Burns series is a little shaky, but each book is better than the last and the most recent one was just excellent.
I’ll probably be back later to comment more. There’s so much good stuff out there.
It was very early when I posted this morning and I hadn’t had enough tea.
I wholeheartedly agree with the recommendation of Briggs! Love her, love her, LOVE HER.
Also agree with The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. I re-read the entire thing at least once a year!
And someone mentioned being interested in Bloody Good by Georgia Evans. It was very enjoyable. I love the time period and the story was unique. Made me feel nostalgic for Bednobs and Broomsticks.
The Dag and Fawn books by Bujold are also very good IMHO.
Hope all the rec’s help.
Hey Leslee! That was me who commented on Bloody Good. I love that period as well. Very hard to find truly good paranormals or fantasies set during that time. I think I can count them on one hand. LOL.
I may just have to try my own hand at writing one. Goodness knows my mum has been urging me to write her memoirs. Of course, that would need to be reclassified as paranormal/surreal non-fiction if I did. rofl.
I love Robin D Owens Celta books! And I agree with the people who said to start at the beginning with Heart Mate. Nalini Singh and the others mentioned are very good, too. You know you want to try them all. 🙂
Also, my verification word is showed69. o.0 ORLY??
Hi Sarah,
If you’re looking for good paranormals, you might read off the list of RITA nominees in the paranormal category. I’ve just about finished the pile of them. I highly recommend SEDUCING MR. DARCY and MOONSTRUCK. I also recommend THUNDER MOON. I haven’t read DRAGON WYTCH or THE HEALER yet, but I’m looking forward to them.
Best,
Lucinda
Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn
Penguin Group USA, Berkley
ISBN: 9780425222393
Kate Seaver, editor
Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-22016-0
Cindy Hwang, editor
Moonstruck by Susan Grant
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN
ISBN: 0373772599
Tara Parsons, editor
Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
Simon & Schuster, Pocket
ISBN: 978-1416541165
Megan McKeever, editor
The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN
ISBN: 0373772467
Tracy Farrell and Margo Lipschultz, editors
The Healer by Sharon Sala
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN
ISBN: 978-0-778-2544-4
Leslie Wainger, editor
The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-111845-6
Erika Tsang, editor
Thunder Moon by Lori Handeland
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 0-312-94918-9
Jennifer Enderlin, editor
I hear people say they’re tired of vampires, werewolves, etc and it just trips me out. I can safely say that will never happen to me. From the time I got my first library card I’ve been reading about vampires, werewolves, etc. I’ve been a fan of all things supernatural and sci-fi since I was a 7 year old insomniac with nothing to do in the middle of the night but watch old black and white movies. This also explains my ever enduring love of Fred Astair.
See, now I thought Undead Next Door was OK, but certainly not a great story. I wonder what parameters are used when making nominations? I see books nominated by the Mystery Writers and I sometimes wonder about those as well. Guess it’s a good thing we all have different tastes.
After years of reading Rice and LKH, I took a break from paranormals only to find it explode when I wasn’t looking. I know there are a LOT of Twilight naysayers here, but it was one of the reasons why I started to pick up the paranormals again and why my bookshelves are exploding and I don’t know where to start because it seems like everything is a series. So I would actually love some direction on who to start with…I’ve got Charlaine Harris, Jeaniene Frost, Jacquelyn Frank, Kim Harrison, and Colleen Gleason, and have the first of Briggs’ Mercy series.
First, thank you all, and a little about the HeartMate series, I sold JUST before the paranormal genre took off, published in December 2001.
HeartMate won the RITA(c) in 2002.
T’Ash (hero of HeartMate) is clumsy in his wooing, and though I do deal with soulmates, and there may be instant attraction, I try very hard to show each couple has problems to overcome. It’s been a challenge 😉
The latest, Heart Fate, has two people who are damaged by past relationships and don’t want to fall in love.
Now, for my own favs, I like Briggs but I like EILEEN WILKS more, because she is romantic. Yes, it’s weres, but they are my favorite books. Not kidding.
Linnea Sinclair and Susan Grant do wonderful sf romances. I like Charlaine Harris and the plot arc that’s been happening with Sookie, but am a little tired of every male falling at Sookie’s feet. She must smell incredible to them.
My Heart books are different couples each book, though I bring back previous ones if there’s a need for…a Healer, a jeweler, a prophet, etc. I’m also known for my animal companions.
The Summoning books by Luna are an overarching fantasy plot/quest with different couples in each book. The focus for Luna is the heroine’s character growth, then the fantasy, then the romance. Since Luna pulled from the sf and the romance communities, there’s a wide variety out there. Of the Luna books, Protector of the Flight is the most romantic.
Thanks again for all the lovely words. It’s wonderful since I’m struggling to put a proposal together for a new Luna world….
Robin
Are most paranormal/urban fantasy romance books part of a series?
Not necessarily. A warning here: “urban fantasy” as SF/F genre geeks define it is not the same animal as “urban fantasy” as I’m seeing that phrase used by paranormal-romance readers and commentators. They’re related, but they’re not the same thing.
“Urban fantasy” as we know it on the SF/F side of the genre fence dates from the mid-1980s; the two books that more or less kickstarted the category are Moonheart by Charles de Lint and War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, both appearing in the mid-1980s. Neither of these is particularly romance-driven (although the Bull does feature a romantic plotline involving its protagonist). The category’s third tent-pole writer is Mercedes Lackey, who in several interlocking series (“SERRAted Edge”, “Bedlam’s Bard”, the Diana Tregarde books) established a template for a modern world in which a great variety of supernatural beings live among, but largely hidden from, ordinary humankind. See also the “Bordertown” anthologies and novels overseen by Terri Windling, to which de Lint and Bull both contributed, for a slightly different but equally influential template.
As I’m seeing “urban fantasy” used in romance-based discussions, the phrase also appears to refer to works in which there are many and varied supernatural entities living hidden among humankind —but it’s being used specifically to distinguish paranormal romance singles and series titles with such settings from paranormals specifically dominated by a single species or flavor of magical entity (vampires, werewolves, angels, witches, etc.).
Thus there are “urban fantasy” series which are not, or are not strictly, paranormal romances (Butcher’s Dresden Files, Gilman’s “Retrievers” novels)]; I’ll leave it to better-read paranormal-mavens than I to list examples from the romance side of the fence.
Back to the original question: there certainly are stand-alone paranormals. The LAG Nocturne mentioned above (The Night Serpent) is a stand-alone; another example would be Salt and Silver, just out from Tor under the byline “Anna Katherine” (a nom de plume for a partnership with impeccable genre credentials from both romance and SF/F camps).
One other quick comment (yes, I can write short posts!):
At least based on my own reading, “were-creature” and “shapeshifter” are not one-to-one synonyms. Most werebeings do shape-shift, but not all shape-shifters are products of “were-creature” mythology.
I’m a big fan of all paranormal fiction, whether it’s urban fantasy or paranormal romance, but it does all get to be very same-same after awhile. I second the recommendations of Ann Aguirre’s Blue Diablo (its heroine is easy to relate to, even with her magical powers) and Jeri Smith-Ready’s Wicked Game, Bad to the Bone, and Requiem for the Devil (for both authors, I like everything they’ve written but am focusing on the urban fantasy novels). One less well-known paranormal romance I think people would like is Tarbaby Trouble by Phoebe Matthews. It was first published as an ebook, but is now out in trade, and combines elements of urban fantasy and sword and sorcery, with a “Too Alpha to Live” hero straight out of traditional romance. Best of all, the heroine has special abilities (she’s an astrologer with uncannily accurate predictions) but she really combines them with her brains to get herself out of trouble.
I must second the suggestion of Amy Lane. She publishes through iUniverse but her books are better than most of the stuff that comes from “real” publishers. I recommend you give her a read, I don’t think you’ll regret it!
I am so over the paranormals, except for Charlaine Harris, The Queen Betsy series, JR Ward (crack) but my favourites are Jordan Castillo Price’s Psycop series and her Channeling Morpheus/Sweet Oblivion series. These books are so entertaining, snarky and sexy as hell. They are m/m and the writing is tight, the storylines fascinating and did I mention sexy as hell? 😉
I finally abandoned Anita Blake last year after finally giving up all hope of the series returning to something other than, as one amazon poster called it, ‘deux ex vagina’.
I am loyal to the three series above, but except for these, JCP and J L Langley, am pretty much burnt out on paranormal romance.
I actually think I’m more burnt out on paranormal romance covers and blurbs than the stories inside ‘em.
If you can find them, Nancy A. Collins did a couple of books featuring Sonja Blue back in the late 80’s? early 90’s? They’re not romance, but I remember them being sharp and witty and adventurous.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Eileen Wilks’ series with World of the Lupi books. Strong world building, a slightly different take on werewolves and magic, and even a weretiger. The first is Tempting Danger.
used54 – yes, I just got a Robin D. Owens at the used bookstore, but I didn’t get 53 other books as well
I’m a huge fan of werewolf romances, but only when done right. I’m not one of those people who’ll pick up anything with a wolf on the cover. I want plot development, characters who accept who they are and aren’t more likely to become serial killers than normal humans, and female leads that remind us the alpha male is looking for an alpha female; not necessarily the kick-ass or feisty type, but one with the strength of spirit to take on anything that comes their way.
Avoid Susan Krinard; I made the mistake of picking her up when I first got into weres, and . . . look, the hero using mind control on the heroine to make her stay with him is not romantic.
Not exactly in the romance genre, but Holly Black’s Tithe is paranormal and definitely has a hot troubled romance. It’s followed by a sequel and another in the same universe.
I have never been a big vampire fan. I didn’t much like Interview With The Vampire and it has to be a pretty special vampire book for me to get “hooked” on them. The vamp stories I like are mostly ones with a unique “mythology,” rather than the Bram Stoker version (Viehl, Ward—maybe one other).
On the other hand, I like weres and shifters of whatever variety. Wilks is a favorite, as are Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty the Werewolf books, and Clamp & Adams’s Sazi stories. (Their ‘Touch of Evil’ series was too scary for me. Yes, I am a wimp.)
I came into ‘paranormal’ romance from the SF/Fantasy side. Yes, I love romance, but I’ve been reading SF/F since I still thought kissing was icky. So it’s taken me a while to jump into reading all the vampire/werewolf/demon things. And my books tend to come out of the more traditional “epic” fantasy vein. The current few are Steampunk. (Victorian era, only with magic—not really in any “tradition.” I made it up—but there are of course, influences.)
I fell for Robin’s Celta books when they first came out. (We were both finalists for the RITA for best first book. She won the paranormal category. I didn’t win. We’ve been friends since.) I also love Bujold and Sinclair and Grant and Sharon Shinn—Have y’all read any of her “Thirteenth House” books? Some are more romantic than others, but they’re all good. So are her Angelica series books. I think one of the reasons I love Nalini Singh’s books is that they’re in a unique universe. They don’t follow any mythology that I can figure. (even if her winged beings are called angels, they’re not, really.)
Nina Bangs does something Really Unique with shapeshifters in her Eternal Pleasure and Eternal Cravings books. I really got a kick out of Pleasure. Haven’t caught up with Cravings yet.
There was someone else I was going to recommend, and it has totally escaped my mind… Spit.
Anne McCaffrey is a classic SF romance author. Some of her endings are bittersweet (The Ship Who Sang is one of those, but a Wonderful book), others are happy. Her early Dragon books were very romantic, very interesting, and her first SF romance was RESTOREE, which is a classic “Kidnapped by hunky aliens who want to breed with Earth Women to save their planet” story. I remember loving it when I read it, but it was so long ago, I don’t know if I still would, or if my consciousness has been sufficiently raised that it would bother me. I hope I still have it in a box somewhere. But she’s not who I was trying to remember…
Darn
Hi Gail D.,
Saw your response. I adore McCaffrey’s books. When I saw and met her decades ago at a conference, I felt like I was about to speak to a literary goddess. So very tongue tied. She was wonderful and gracious, of course.
Could you be thinking of Elizabeth Moon? Or Tara K. Harper? Ursula K. LeGuin? Marion Zimmer Bradley? Melanie Rawn? So many brilliant fantasy authors out there.
Another I would recommend is Jennifer Roberson. Loved her Chronicles of the Cheysuli series.
I kind of hate to say this, especially since the author was just here, but…I just could not finish Robin Owen’s Heart Mate. A dear coworker recommended it to me, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I found it unintentionally hilarious. The hero comes home after a tough day and relaxes by changing into a loincloth to do a bit of welding! Also, there are too many darn apostrophes. Everyone’s T’Something, or D’Something…I believe at one point someone even drinks tea out of a t’pot.
Not okay.
I love me some fantasy, but for some reason I don’t really enjoy the fantasy that romance writers/publishers produce. There are wonderful fantasies with love stories in them but I find that romance authors always go over the top when they start doing fantasy elements. It’s just like y’all said—they end up depending on the supernatural elements to do all the plot work. For me, a big part of the appeal of fantasy is meticulous world-building, and I find that lacking in a lot of fantasy romances.
I don’t really consider Kelley Armstrong to be romance, because she doesn’t tend to do one couple HEA stories (her books are great, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t work for me as romances).
Yes, I wondered how many readers would pause at that scene. The answer, of course, is that T’Ash has a personal shield, but I don’t think that I actually said that. I’ve done more with personal shields lately in Heart Fate…and T’Ash is pretty much known for having occasional lapses in judgment.
In any event, I think you would like Catherine Asaro and Lois McMaster Bujold.
May you enjoy all the worlds you visit today.
Robin
May you