Book Talk

Urban Fantasy With (Almost) No Sex

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If you are anything like, then you don’t read books because they are “steamy” or “spicy.” In fact, if you are here, you probably don’t like sex scenes in your books much at all. With the line between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance being blurred, I present to you a list of Urban Fantasy books with (Almost) no sex.

GreyWalker Series by Kat Richardson

This series has literally no sex scenes. It’s mentioned and there are sort of “fade to black” type scenes where you know what is going to happen, but it isn’t described at all. The series itself also has an interesting premise and the main character has a ferret, which is adorable.

Walker Papers by C.E. Murphy

This series is relatively sex-free. It’s not as “clean” as the Greywalker series, but there are no long descriptive sex scenes. This one also has a great premise, with the main character being a (very reluctant) Shaman.

Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

This one falls more into the “almost” category, where there are a few descriptive sex scenes but overall not a lot. Especially considering the number of books in the series, the “steam” is pretty low comparatively.

Cal Leandros by Rob Thurman

Similar to the Dresden Files, there’s more mention of sex in these books than the Greywalker or Walker Papers series. With this one though, I have to put a disclaimer that if you decide to read this series stop at book 9, Downfall. The last book in the series, Everwar was never published and book 10, Nevermore, ends on a huge cliffhanger.

Kitty Norville by Carrie Vaughn

This series does have a bit of sex in it but nothing crazy. What scenes there are, are fairly brief.

Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs

Here is where we start getting into more iffy territory. The series starts out relatively sex free. It isn’t until later books, when the main character is in a relationship, that the sex scenes start to happen. Still, if memory serves correctly, the scenes weren’t long or overly explicit.

Kate Daniels by Illona Andrews

This one I’m going to call more of an “honorable mention” because, like the Mercy Thompson series, it starts out relatively sex-free. However, in the later books, when the main character is in a relationship, the sex scenes can be quite descriptive and a bit long. I still think the series is worth reading, the books are fantastic just know that it does get to a point where it crosses more into Paranormal Romance territory than Urban Fantasy.

And that is my list! Please know that this list is pulling only from what I have read so far. I hope to update this list as I continue to read more books. So, if there is a book or series that you think belongs on this list, please recommend it to me as I’m always on the hunt for more books to read. (even if I don’t need more.)

If you’re interested, please also check out my list of Fantasy Novels with (Almost) No Sex in Them.

Thanks for reading!

5 Ways to Maximize Your Reading Time

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We all want to read more, right? There’s so many books out there just waiting for our attention. So, how do we get more words into the day? Here’s 5 way to maximize your reading time!

  1. Keep a book with you wherever you go. You never know when you’ll have some time to kill. If you find yourself waiting for any reason, instead of pulling out your phone, pull out your book and read.
  2. Audiobooks can be a good way to absorb a book. Listening while exercising, doing chores or driving can really increase the amount of books you get through.
  3. Replace TV time with reading time. It’s very easy to get home after a long day and just flop on the couch and watch random youtube videos. Grab a book instead and devour the written word!
  4. Forgo socialization. No need to spend time with your friends or family. They are only distracting you from more reading. Ignore those messages asking you to go out and have fun and bury your nose in a book instead.
  5. Don’t have children! Kids are the ultimate time consuming thing on this planet. They demand constant attention and supervision. Remain childfree and your reading time will never be cut short. Already have them? Well, they’re probably old enough to fend for themselves, right?

Have you tried any of these steps? How did they work for you? Were you able to maximize your reading time? Do you have any tips for cramming in more reading time in your day? Share them in the comments.

Note: this list is meant as satire and should be read as such

The Official Spooky Season Book Tag

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Hello! I wasn’t tagged on this but I’m stealing it anyway because I think it sounds fun. I found it on Books Are 42′s blog.

This fun and spooky tag was created by Noly. 

The Rules

Tag the original creator (The Artsy Reader)
Use the official banner
Answer the prompts and questions
Tag 5 people
Have fun and get spooky!!!

Question 1: You hear a strange noise in the night – the monsters got inside! Which book character would you choose to protect you from harm? No questions, Cal Leandros. It’s basically his job to kill monsters and he’s pretty good at it.

Question 2: You go on vacation and your hotel is located right next to a cemetery. Which book character do you really hope is not hiding in the shadows? The Blade from Banshee Cries by C.E. Murphy. It’s a Banshee type creature that is all sharp angles and sounds scary as hell!

Question 3: It’s a particularly cold night and you decide to stay inside. Which three book characters would you like to spend a trivia quiz and board game night with? Hmm, let’s go with Harry Dresden, Mercy Thompson and Joanne Walker. No particular reason other than they came to mind lol.

Question 4: Time for a big adventure! The scary book you pick transports you into its world. Where do you end up? I don’t read a lot of scary books, so I can’t really pick one of those. However, I think living in the world of Game of Thrones would be pretty traumatic.

Question 5: No Halloween without Trick or Treat-ing! Which book character do you think has the sweetest tooth? Oh wow, I never thought about this. Um, I’m going to say Joanne Walker because she likes hot chocolate with a shot of mint and pastries.

Question 6: The fairies are angry and want a sacrifice from your bookshelf. Which scary book has to go and why? I think the only scary book I have is Rose Madder by Stephen King, so that would be the one to go.

Question 7: You decide you feel more autumnal rather than halloween-y today. Which book setting would you choose for a more cosy and less scary vibe? Hmm maybe somewhere real, like Chicago or Seattle in the fall.

Question 8: The witch is cooking up a spell in her cauldron and you have to add one magic ingredient. Which item from a book are you adding to the mixture? This is a really hard question! I can’t actually think of any kind of special plant or magic ingredient from a book.

Question 9: You get to decide which bookish place to visit for Halloween. Which book setting is the scariest – and gets crossed off the list? The Other World from Coraline. That place just seems horrid!

Question 10: The big day is finally here: it’s Halloween! Which book character do you dress up as, and what would be part of your outfit? Ya know what, I’m going to say Harry Dresden, even though I’m a woman. I would wear a long trench coat and carry around a wand of some kind.

I’m not tagging anyone but if you see this post and want to do this tag, please do so and let me know in the comments so I can read your answers too!

First Line Friday – October 6, 2023

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Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

“Princess Danielle Whiteshore of Lorindar clung to the rail at the front of the ship, staring out at the waves. If this wind kept up, she might become the first princess in history to welcome the undine back from their winter migration by vomiting into their waters. The weather had been mild for most of the morning, but the skies had changed as the sun passed its peak. It was as if the sea now took a perverse glee in tormenting her.”

Do you know what it is?

Figured it out yet?

What could it be?

Here it is!

Did you guess it? Link me your First Line Friday too!

Fantasy Novels with Unique Magic Systems

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Are you looking for some new fantasy novels with unique magic systems to read? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Fantasy novels go hand in hand with magic. What kind of fantasy would it be if there weren’t magic? I don’t know about you, but I like uniqueness in my books. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a few tropes. They are tropes for a reason and there are many that I enjoy. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. I’d like to share with you a list of fantasy series I have read that have the most unique magic systems.

The Wheel of Time is probably one of the most well known fantasy series of all time, after the Lord of the Rings of course. In this world, the Source of magic is divided in two, female and male. Long ago, the male half was tainted, causing any man who used to go insane. Since that time, only women used the Source and have become a powerful organization in the world. The magic is only visible to those who can use it and is handled in a sort of weaving way. I’m not sure how else to describe it. In the books it’s often described as threads being woven into a pattern to achieve a desired outcome.

The Sword of Truth series divided it’s magic into positive and negative. Positive magic is considered to be from the Creator and is the most commonly used type. Negative magic is from the Dark One and therefore considered evil. Positive magic creates things or changes them, while negative magic removes or destroys. As an example, there is a scene in the first book where the wizard, Zedd, uses magic to grow his beard, but then requires a razor to shave it off as removing it would be Negative magic, which he doesn’t possess.

Anne Bishop’s world of the Black Jewels has witches and warlocks who receive a specific colour of jewel during a ceremony called The Offering to the Darkness, around the time of puberty. The colour of the jewel determines the strength of their magic with Black being the strongest and white being the weakest.

The Death Gate Cycle has the use of runes to channel magic. Those who use the runes have them etched into their skin for various purposes, such as protection. While this magic isn’t widely used, except by a select few people, I did find it quite unique in comparison to many other magic systems.

In the Codex Alera series, magic exists through elemental being called Furies. People are naturally affiliated towards a specific element and will form a bond with a fury of that element type. Everyone has some ability and therefore furies are used everywhere in every day life. Most people have only one fury but stronger magic users can have two or more.

Initially, the Cloud Mages might seem similar to the Black Jewels in that magic is channeled through stones. However, in this trilogy, each stone has only one specific purpose and can only be used once before it needs to be recharged. At night, magic comes down from the clouds and recharges the stones.

 

The Realm of the Elderlings series has a few different types of magic, but the one I want to focus on here is the Skill. The Skill is a bit difficult to describe. It’s like a mix of telepathy and empathy that allows the user to influence others and sometimes even physical surroundings.

What are some fantasy novels with unique magic systems that you’ve read? Let me know in the comments and as always, thanks for reading!

Clear the Shelf Reading Challenge 2023 Update #2

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What have I read so far this year?

So far this year, for this reading challenge, the above books are what I have read from the list.

What am I reading now?

I started The Rose of the World a few days ago and it will conclude the Fool’s Gold trilogy by Jude Fisher.

What am I reading next?

I haven’t decided what I will be reading after I finish the Rose of the World. I have a few review requests that I accepted and I feel like I should probably read those.

Unfortunately, the list has actually expanded. i was recently going through and rearranging books and discovered some complete trilogies that were on my shelf but not on the Goodreads list, so it is now at 51 instead of being under 50.

I’m fairly satisfied with how my reading challenge is going this year! How are your reading goals for this year going?

If you are interested, you can check out my previous update here.

Gender Roles in Fantasy Books

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I’ve been reading fantasy books for well over two decades now. As evident by this blog, it is my favorite genre to read and likely always will be. Like any genre of books, fantasy has it’s own tropes. Generally, the setting is similar to the middle ages in Europe. Horses and wagons are the main form of transportation, swords, daggers and bows and the main type of weaponry, and gender roles are clearly defined.

This is what I want to talk about today.

It seems to me that gender and gender roles are very much the topic of discussion on social media recently or maybe that I personally am just seeing more of it but it made me realize how often women are treated and portrayed as inferior in fantasy books. Granted, the books I’m currently reading are ones that have been sitting on my shelf for quite some time so they were published years ago. I’m not up to date on the newer releases because I’m catching up on so many older reads.

Still, it very common for the women in fantasy novels to be portrayed in a certain way. They obsess over finding a husband so they can get married and have children. They are expected to be beautiful and desirable and also fertile, because, of course, their main function is to produce babies. They are expected to have domestic skills like sewing, cleaning, cooking and child rearing. Any woman who lacks these skills will “never find a good marriage” or something along those lines.

When books do try to portray strong women they often have a bad temper that gets them into trouble, are stubborn and arrogant and end up needing to be saved by a man.

All too often, women are raped and assaulted casually. In some cases, the woman is to blame for this as she is now “damaged goods” and won’t be able to find a good husband since she is no longer a virgin. The women aren’t allowed to learn to fight so they have no idea how to protect themselves when inevitably they come across a man or men looking to assault them.

These men who assault women never even face any consequences for their actions either. True, some may die after the assault occurs but it is rarely as a punishment for the assault or a direct result of it.

The Wheel of Time is actually a good example where these types of gender roles are not as prevalent. Women have the ability to use the One Power and they basically oversee all governments and countries. But even they have been waiting thousands of years for a man to be born who will save the world. There is a culture that has warrior women, but if those women decide to get married they have to give up the warrior life and settle into a domestic one. Some people might say that the Wheel of Time has amazingly strong and powerful female characters, but honestly, I found them all to be haughty, arrogant, and think way too highly of themselves. They were more annoying than strong.

I couldn’t find an actual statistic to see how many women vs men read fantasy, but from what I have seen on social media like Bookstagram, more readers are women than men and a lot more books seemed to be marketed towards women. So why are women portrayed as so inferior in fantasy? As I said before, I’m reading books that were published a decade or so ago so maybe this trend has changed. Have women in fantasy begun to evolve as women’s roles in society have evolved?

This is something I’d be really interested in discussing so if you read this please do leave a comment. Perhaps some recommendations of fantasy books with actually strong and prominent female characters?

Thank you so much for reading and I hope to have a meaningful conversation about this!

Top Five Urban Fantasy Series

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Urban Fantasy is something I’ve only gotten into in recent years. Previously, I was kind of a fantasy snob.

Anyway, here are the top five Urban Fantasy series that I have read (so far)

The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews is by far one of the best series I have read. Kate is a kick ass character who doesn’t take shit from anyone, even if it get her in trouble.

The series features all the fun stuff you’d expect from an urban fantasy, including shapeshifters, vampires and magic users. The vampires aren’t like in some others series though. No sexy vamps here.

Probably one of the more well known urban fantasy series, the Dresden Files features Harry Dresden, wizard and private investigator. This series is fast paced and darkly comedic. You’ve got all the typical players like vampires, werewolves, witches and fae. Each book is an adventure and you never know what is going to happen next.

I think the Mercy Thompson series was what really got me into Urban Fantasy. Mercy is a coyote shifter who was raised among werewolves. She isn’t exactly kick ass like Kate Daniels but she can hold her own and will go toe to toe with the Alpha of the local pack. Mercy goes through a lot in her life and there’s still more to come!

To date, the Kitty Norville series is by far the best werewolf series I’ve read. Kitty was turned into a werewolf against her will and has to learn to adapt to her new life. I found her growth as a character to be amazing. She starts out as a rather timid person, at the bottom of her pack and rises up out of her shell and become Alpha of her own pack. Her journey is fun and exciting. The series is finished as far as I know, which is a little too bad but I think that Carrie Vaughn did an amazing job of wrapping up such a long series.

I’m slightly iffy about including the Cal Leandros series as one of my Top Five, but only because the author had some controversy on the internet some years back and she is no longer being published.

That being said, Rob Thurman is a really good writer. I’ve read just about everything she has published and loved it all.

Cal is half human half…something else. Along with his older brother Niko, the two act as a kind of supernatural bounty hunters.

Cal is a smart ass and sarcastic. He is one of my favorite characters and it makes me sad that the series wasn’t finished. If you do choose to read this series, avoid the last book, Nevermore, as it ends on a cliffhanger and the next book, Everwar, was never published.

So, what do you think of my top five urban fantasy series? Do you agree with my picks? Are there ones that you add or replace. Remember, this is only my top five out of what I have read so far. This list could easily change in the future.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Clear the Shelf Reading Challenge 2023 – Update #1

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Books I’ve finished since last update:

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier, Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier and the Hippopotamus March by Pauline Gedge.

Were these books on the list? YES!

What am I reading now?

The Executioner of Yrecep Forest by Laura DiNivos Berry.

Is this book on the list? No

Why am I reading it? I was offered a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What do I plan to read next?

The Oasis by Pauline Gedge

Is it on the list? Yes, it is.

The list is down to 50, which is great but I’m feeling impatient and want the number to go down faster!