I’m Soldiering On…Dammit
May 14, 2008 by kmont
So, I’m reading Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews ATM ( Ilona, Ilona…beautiful name) and I just hate this block with a passion, but so far, three chapters in, it’s not grabbing me. I had hoped to be done with it by now, to be gripped so tightly by its unique urban fantasy world and reviewed the thing already.
Uh yeah, that’d be a big NO.
So far, our first person main gal, Kate Daniels, is about as interesting to me as a bagel without the cream cheese. Or whatever condiment floats your bagel boat. And this bit of a mental block I’m having with Magic Bites made me think…would this one benefit from a 3rd POV perspective as opposed to its 1st? Because if a 1st POV hero/heroine isn’t very interesting, the rest of the story likely won’t be either.
And I do realize that this is just my (crappy, bitchy, whiny even?) perspective and maybe things will pick up after chapter three. She’s finally met the Beast Lord, and I’ve a feeling he’s a mover and a shaker. But really now, after seeing a lot of points made that all urban fantasy is or must be 1st POV (which I normally dearly love and gorge on with a passion)…is that really the case?
MUST urban fantasy really be 1st POV all the time?
Thinking back on what’s lining my shelves, uh yeah, pretty much every urban fantasy/paranormal fiction book I’ve got is 1st POV, and heroine driven. Looking around on the net for some of the top dogs (in fantasy/scifi publishing) submission guidelines, and I found that DAW (Mercedes Lackey, Melanie Rawn) doesn’t seem to require 1st POV up front. Neither does ACE (Charlaine Harris), or Roc (Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine) for that matter either, although the latter two do urge potential authors looking to submit to them to be “familiar with the kinds of books” they publish. But I know for a fact that not all their books are 1st POV. For that matter and to top it all off, TOR doesn’t list 1st POV a a prerequisite for submission to them either. Huh.
So why the thought that all urban fantasy is or has to be in 1st POV?
But my biggest Q is, are there any urban fantasy books out there, told in the 3rd POV? Because I would love to read one, if only to glean the differences in one as opposed to the more often seen 1st POV ones.
In the meantime, I’m soldiering on with Magic Bites. Dammit. It’s too good a concept to do otherwise.
Hi kmont.
I, too, would be interested in some book suggestions for urban fantasy written in 3rd POV.
I do suggest you plow on in Magic Bites. You will need that info for Magic Burns, which is really very good. There were some parts of Magic Bites that dragged a bit for me, too. Maybe some of the world building descriptions and such… but I did like the complexity and diversity of the world enough to continue on because it sounded like an awesome basis for a series. I also went to Ilona Andrew’s website and read a bunch of background information on the people and the world, so that helped me a lot. I hope the read picks up for you.
Yes. I have just read one.
Personal Demons by Stacia Kane is in third person (published by Juno).
I did have a couple of problems with it, but overall enjoyed it very much. Should have my review up in the next couple of days.
So sorry you’re not enjoying Magic Bites as I love Kate Daniels. Maybe you’re just not in the mood at the moment.
Trying to think of more third person UF….hmmm…Wen Spencer writes in third, so Ukiah Oregon? Lynn Viehl writes the Darkyn in third, for all that it has PNR on the spine I think it’s much closer to UF.
I too have wondered why most urban fantasy is first POV. The first series I ever read in ubran fantasy I guess you could say was LKH’s Anita Blake which had first person POV.
Perhaps the urban genre allows more freedom that third person POV? Eh I think I am talking out of my butt. LOL
Andrews is next on my TBR pile and how can you not love a heroine named Kate? Woot!!
Christine, good idea on that background info! I think I need to do that too. Thanks so much for the suggestion. The worldbuilding is what’s keeping me hanging on at the moment, and I’m heaping up questions about it, so maybe looking at her site will make a big difference for me too.
Lesley, no worries about the book not doing it for me ATM. :D I think my mood’s OK, but the limited time to read this week might have something to do with it. Still, not the most gripping first three chapters I’ve read. Thank you much for the reading suggestions! Stacia Kane’s actually jumped out at me, so I might start with that one.
Kmont–I totally feel you on Magic Bites. I couldn’t get into it for the first half or so of the book, mostly because Kate just didn’t connect for me. Buuut, like Christine, I’d suggest you truck through it, because the action and characters do pick up in the latter portion of the book. And Magic Burns (book 2) is SIGNIFICANTLY better than this one. In my opinion, of course :)
And interesting note on the 1st vs 3rd person narration for Urban Fantasy. All of the books I have read in the genre use the 1st person POV–I think because there is this sort of noir-ish element to them? Also, since these books are usually turned into series’, there’s a need to identify with the hero, so the 1st person helps I suppose…The closest example I can think of is the Kitty Norville books, when she is in her ‘wolf’ form the narration switches from 1st to 3rd. I likey.
I’ll have to give Stacia Kane a try :)
Thea, it’s actually good to know that others have had a bit of trouble getting into Magic Bites as well. I appreciate your perspective because I really don’t want to put it down. Strange, huh?
I have read one Kitty Norville book and loved it! But it was the second or third, where she spends the entire book in some cabin in the woods, and the surrounding rural area so it didn’t strike me at the time as UF. I guess the series technically is though.
Katiebabs, I love the name Kate too! It’s my daughter’s middle name and so the heroine in Magic Bites jived with me name-wise. Can’t wait to see hat you think of the series!
perhaps I should mention (seeing as how you’re having problems getting into Magic Bites) that one of my problems with Personal Demons was getting into it.
If you start PD and have problems, hang on until MM&S turn up. The book really takes off from there.
Good to know, Lesley. Thank you!
I also had problems with the first bit of Magic Bites. But it turned out to be one of my favorite books of “2007″. Once I got past the first couple of chapters it really picked up and I loved it.
I also have to agree Magic Burns was much better and didn’t have the rough patches that Magic Bites did. Its turned out to be one of my favorite series.
Sweet, that is great news to my ears. Tonight is the night, the night where it picks up for me and I am so invested in the storyline that there’s no going back! Or so I’m telling myself. :D
Dude, why force yourself? If it’s not grabbing you past three chapters, you should’ve tossed the thing at the wall by now.
If you don’t mind reading on PC, email me (ilona at ilonaland) and I’ll send you a pdf of Magic Burns. Or if you can’t stomach the e-reading, email me your address and I’ll send you a copy. You don’t really have to struggle through the first one to figure out how the second one works. If you won’t like the second one, then you’ll know that something about my crap is just not working out.
But if you’ll like the second one, you’ll owe me a cookie.
:insert evil laugh:
Re 1st person v 3rd person.
A lot of U are hybrids of the lone detective genre a la Parker’s Spencer and V.I. Warshavski. The constraints of the detective genre often demand first person narrative because the main character is unraveling the mystery.
But one can do 3rd person just as well. Stacia is a great example.
I’m working on a wal-Mart related UF (oy) right now and it’s in the third person.
First of all, thanks for stopping by, Ms. Andrews. ;)
But I hate to toss books at walls. I really do. And I’ve been wanting to read this one for a long time. At this point, I’m putting a lot of weight on the fact that my reading time has been very limited this week and I’ve had an ongoing headache the likes of which could’ve felled Goliath.
Too, I think I’ve given up on books in the past that were probably pretty damn good and I don’t want to miss out on this one, if it turns out to be the case for me.
But all that drama aside, your offer is very, very generous. I’ll tell you the rest in that email. :D
The Wal-Mart related piece sounds frightful.
[...] Ms. Andrews, ain’t it grand that I was determined to keep soldiering on? Dammits and all? [...]