Some light reading.

[FilthyMcNasty]

So here i am again after a long half year or so asking you guys for some reference.

I just finished the 3 books available in the Iron Druid Chronicles and i'm ready for more.

As you would guess i'm looking for some urban fantasy, i'd prefer but not entirely necesary, with a pleasant male character that's pretty powerful from the begining or at least midway through the first book.

The fewer points of view of the story the better. No angst please, i can deal with some drama but i cannot deal with excessive tragedy like ASOIAF. Some comedy as well and romance if possible but not a must.

Note that if there's romance i would like it to develope during the story and not how it happens allot of type when the protagonists are friends the whole story and at the end in the epilogue, bang they're together.

The Sword Dancer series had romance for my taste or The Circle Trilogy.. INDA was ok and The Magicia- Feist, took.

Ideas?

[thirstyVan]

Have you read the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher? It fits the bill. Urban Fantasy, powerful main character, lots of humor... Very Pulp-ish.

[Contrarius]

Have you read the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher? It fits the bill. Urban Fantasy, powerful main character, lots of humor... Very Pulp-ish.

Except that he/she doesn't want angst.

You might try a lesser known series that I've been recommending to folks, the Jesse James Dawson series by KA Stewart. The hero is an unabashedly Good Guy with no seriously tragic past, so less angst than many UF stories. He's already married with a daughter, which also leads to less romantic angst but adds that family-man dynamic. IMHO it's a pleasant read. There's only two books in the series so far, but the third should be out before long.

[algernoninc]

after The Iron Druid, I would suggest Rivers of London and Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovich. The protagonist is not so powerful, he is no slouch but he uses his brain more. What connects the two stories is the humorrous, scarcastic first person narrative. There's also a dog companion in both books, but the one in the London setting is inarticulate.

[Rob B]

The series I'm reading right now, The Legend of Eli Monpress, is something I would characterize as light fantasy. The books are fun, entertaining and quite high on the magic. You've got a thief, a Spiritualist (i.e. Magician) Guild, storm lords, living swords all set in what feels like a fantasized France and Ital.

Alternatively, you can check out this thread which last received a post EXACTLY a year ago:

Recommendations on a light fantasy read?

[Ornery Wyvern]

61 Nails by Mike Shevdon sounds like pretty much what you are looking for. The main character is male, he's powerful by half way through the book, there's romance which happens during the book and isn't cloying, and its a fairly light quick read. Still eagerly awaiting for my copy of the 2nd book to be delivered which I'm told is also great.

[nposecznick]

I have a recommendation that's a fun light read. It's not UF, but it is light and pulpy.

The Doomsday Brunette by John Zakour and Lawrence Ganem. From 2004.

SF site review (which is a good summary from my memory) -

Zachary Nixon Johnson, the last freelance private investigator on Earth, is called upon to unravel yet another bizarre case in The Doomsday Brunette, his second outing. This time, he and his AI partner are summoned to the estate of Ona Thompson, one of the world's four most perfect woman, in order to investigate the murder of her sister, Foraa. It seems that the Thompson Quads, four genetically-enhanced clones, have finally had the falling out people have been predicting for years. So who killed Foraa? Was it Twoa (the would-be superhero)? Was it Threa (the fairy princess)? Was it W, the ancient butler? Sturm and Drang, the identical cousin security consultants? Opie, the intelligent gorilla? Or was it indeed Ona, who inherited everything from her father/creator, leaving nothing for her sisters? Once Zachary starts digging, it becomes clear that everyone had a reason for wanting Foraa dead... including the murder victim herself.

Naturally, this means everyone wants Zachary dead, also. Luckily, he's a hard man to kill. He's had plenty of practice at surviving ridiculous odds. He'll risk his life, his reputation, and his career to see justice done properly and earn that fat paycheck at the end of the case. Now if only he wasn't caught between disgruntled aliens, and a doomsday device....

The Doomsday Brunette, like its predecessor, The Plutonium Blonde, is a wild and crazy adventure that blends noir detective fiction and far-out future SF to create a tongue-in-cheek, thoroughly enjoyable story. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which is one of its best features, allowing it to stand out from all the other humorous science fiction murder mysteries out there. I know it's a relatively small field, and all the better. Give this one a shot if you want some amusement.


Copyright © 2005 Michael M Jones


http://www.sfsite.com/01a/db191.htm


Amazon link - http://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Brune.../dp/0756400902

[thirstyVan]

Well, I owe you some thanks at least. After reading this post I picked up the Iron Druid books. They're very good (halfway through book 2). Very similar to Dresden (which I also love), but different enough to be unique and enjoyable. But it has a very similar humorous sarcastic bent, and the setting could actually be the same world as Dresden (so far).

So thanks!

[ArtNJ]

Does no one else see irony in someone with the handle "FilthyMcNasty" wanting a romance?

I mean, I once picked the handle "Demonbarf" after my cat threw up all over the place, so I know handles dont really signify anything, am sure FilthyMcNasty is a gentle soul and true gentleman, but I found it amusing nonetheless

[kissmequick]

Have you tried Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch? (Midnight Riot in the US). Amusing first person POV, a touch of romance, some fab characters and the protag is getting more powerful as the book progresses (maybe not exactly proficient at the start, but well worth a read all the same)

ETA: Ha, I thought I'd read all the replies, but I obviously missed the one that recced exactly that! lol.

How about Mike Carey's Felix Castor books? Starts with The Devil You Know.

[HeclaBull]

I just started Monster Hunter International by Larry Corriea and so far it seems like it fits what you're looking for. It's light-hearted and humorous urban fantasy and the first in a series. I haven't gotten far enough into it yet to know if it gets angsty or fits your romance criteria though.