POLL: Which Do You Feel…
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Should Be?
Totally stealing this idea from a member of my message board (thanks, DK!), as it’s gaining some interesting insights as the convo builds.
So, folks, what genre do you think the BDB belongs under? There’s been much ado about it on my message board. I think it definitely began as romance series, but it seems to be evolving, morphing and mutating into urban fantasy. With Lover Unbound, we saw a definite turn in terms of the romance, which many believed took a backseat to the worldbuilding and overall plot arc. Take a minute to think about it and feel free to cast your vote over on the left panel poll I installed (prays to the lawd poll works right). Feel free also to leave some comments too.
As a romance reader probably first and foremost I’d hate to see the romance fall any more by the wayside than it did in Lover Unbound, and as some initial reviews for Lover Enshrined say this is so with LEn too, I admit to a bit of dismay. But then I absolutely love urban fantasy too and feel the BDB could find a good home in that genre’s umbrella as well. At first, the series was obviously paranormal romance, but (and I’ll hold final opinions till LEn’s release) if it heads any further into paranormal territory, should it be reclassified as urban fantasy or striaght paranormal fiction? What are your opinions on this as it would be changing mid-series? Or should it just stay as paranormal romance and to heck with the romance taking a backseat?
ETA: The Poll was taken down July 18, 2008, results follow.
November 2009
October 2009
September 22, 2009
December 1, 2009
July 28, 2009
May 26, 2009
May 5, 2009
August 2009
August 25, 2009
October 13, 2009
November 3, 2009
August 4, 2009
July 28, 2009
September 1, 2009
November 3, 2009
May 2009
August 4, 2009
October 28, 2008
I hate to see a good series change genre midway. I have nothing about straight paranormals and urban fantasy. Had the BDB been only that from the start, I’d probably love it almost as much, since the characters are fantastic, the writing gritty and the rhythm fast-paced. But I started reading and loving the BDB because of the strong romances it contained. It’s an important element for me and I don’t want it going away. The series would lose one of its great strenghts if the romance is short-changed and I think LU proved that, although there were many other problems with tha book as well.
I agree Mary. Yes, Ward writes great characters, does good worldbuilding and all, but it would be a shame if the romance – her strongest and most well-developed apect so far in the series IMHO – became secondary throughout the rest of the books.
I probably read more urban fantasy than anything else. And I’m not sure that the BDB could be classed as UF.
What I think of the UF staples are – gritty, realistic – I think the BDB had this in the beginning. I think if DL had maybe been written a little harder, it would have pushed into UF. But LR and LU for me are moving away from the realism and more into fantasy. (Dark Lover I think was the closest to UF).
LOL – am I explaining this well? For me UF is more tightly constrained by rules, the BDB is not. Example – Ilona Andrews excellent UF. Kate is beset by rules wherever she goes – paperwork, social etiquette, hierarchy. Penalties for breaking the rules in UF are high.
If the BDB were UF, Lover Unbound would not have had the ending it did – because you can’t break the rules in UF and win. If someone dies in UF, they die, because those are the rules.
Take other UF characteristics – first person POV, and if not 1st person, then very tight third. I think the BDB is moving more into multiple points of view. Becoming more epic in scale.
I’d say paranormal fiction is a better label. But I think if there’s a genre change and I know LU was the first BDB novel to not have paranormal romance on the spine. Then it needs to change and be consistent.
It’s quarter to midnight so I hope that made sense.
Yes, it made great sense! Wonderful insights, thanks so much for sharing.
I think it’s interesting too that you say UF is more tightly constrained by rules, because, lol, romance readers say the same thing about romance books! It seems they both have their strict rules, but romance writers can sure find some interesting loopholes sometimes.
And I’ve got Illona Andrews down on my wish list. Her books sound too good to resist.
I was thinking about this today.
Maybe – paranormal family saga.
LOL–think I should add that one to the poll, Lesley? *grin*
Hi kmont!
I voted for urban fantasy in your poll, but I probably should have read these comments first! I think Sarah makes a very good point in that although the BDB is straying from romance rules, it still isn’t following the rules of UF either. I happen to be reading LEn right now (I’m a lucky Ward fan with an even luckier Ward fan who got a hold of an ARC at RT and mailed it to me to read… and its not Katie(babs)! Anyway, LEn is reading more like a straight paranormal or urban fantasy off shoot so far. There’s so much going on in the world with so many characters that its not really all about Phury and Cormia. It seems their story is just a side dish of this meal–not the main course. I am only 140 pages in, though, so maybe that will change.
I actually don’t mind the direction this series is going, but the first three books were true paranormal romances so I will always love those the most, I think. For the future of the BDB, I do want each couple to have their HEA at the end of the book. And consistency to world rules is important to me, and there have been a few shortcomings there in past books and in this one. More to discuss in June when everyone has read it! :)
Sorry this was such a long comment. Great topic!
No problem, comment as much as you want, lol! Your impressions of LEn seem to be pretty much on course with most of the reviews I’ve read so far, the part about Phury and Cormia’s romance and all. Which is a bummer for the romance fan in me, but I’m trying to keep some optimism open for the book itself too.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it! Ooo, and for voting too. ;)
Well, what really attracted me to these books was the world that she described, the world of the Brotherhood. The Romance part was creme for me. And it was very good creme! However, I really can’t tell where she’s going with this series… if by the comments I’ve read here the rules for UF are so tight, and the rules for Romances are pretty tight as well, then… well maybe Ward is just breaking the rules. Dark Fantasy Romance??? With the Romance placed at the end. It might just be hard to classify it after she’s done with it. If it’s good, I’ll keep drinking the creme. I’ll wait to read LeN before making a final decision as to where I think she’s going.
Personally, I don’t mind that the series is taking a turn mid-way. To me it just seems to be gaining momentum. As long as it doesn’t stall, I’ll be okay with it.
And that’s the key, isn’t it? “If it doesn’t stall”. I think I agree, Hilcia. If it can GAIN momentum and not lose it, I’m likely to still be entertained and would keep on reading too.
I think ‘Dark Fantasy Romance’ is a great genre label. And you’re right about the genre rule breaker… Ward isn’t following the romance cookie cutter and she’s not following urban fantasy rules, either. If there’s an author out there who can sort of “make her own genre” successfully…. its Ward. Her world and writing is terribly addictive and I’ll keep reading as long as it doesn’t stall, too. Gaining momentum is an even better option, feel me? ;) (LOL I couldn’t resist)