Urban Fantasy Rant
I love, love, love good urban fantasy novels. However there is a big but there. I want to see new worlds, fantastic magic, case files etc. but virtually every urban fantasy I've read by a woman author contains (most times almost immediately) the "sexy, powerful, mysterious" man that the main character cannot stay away from and "swoons" whenever he's near. Don't get me wrong having relationships in urban fantasy is not bad but it definitely should not be the primary focus. Every time I see the "mysterious" so and so who attracts the female character i want to grind my teeth. Is this about the creation of a new magic world or just another paranormal romance? if you spend 50% of your time writing about the relationship in the book I'll throw it in the trash. Now, I'll be honest and say I have a preference for gen but if you're going to spend a ton of time waxing poetic about his eyes, his six-pack etc and her attraction (it never fails that she cannot help but fall for him) then correctly label it. What about a strictly m\f friendship? Or a lesbian relationship (or authors too hesitant to bring that forward?) or how about no romantic relationships in the book or series? Male authors I have read have no problem in doing so. Not that they are better but their focus is by and large not fueled by romantic relationships. And to add to the rant some things besides the common romance we crop up time and time again we also have elements I never want to see again as they've been done to death. The beautiful heroine that swings a sword. Good lord get rid of the swords. The vampire/werewolf lover. Throw that one out the window too it's been done to death. The physically fit and gorgeous heroine. Seriously? Is there no heroine who could be a bit dumpy, less beautiful, clumsy (like Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter) because very few women fit that image of a gorgeous, powerful and totally fit woman. And hey where is there room for something like "I don't want to get involved in this shit type of attitude?" because every heroine in the common urban fantasy automatically makes a vow to save the world and dives right in. The creation of a magical world can be a wonderful, involving book but the way most (not all because I have read some women authors who don't go down the usual pathway when writing urban fantasy) have made a template and just keep writing that same template over and over again. Ugh. Rant done now.