I LOVE urban fantasy, which is funny because I really don't care much (with a few exceptions) for "regular" fantasy. You know, elves, warlocks and all kinds of magical creatures gallivanting over a strange landscape. But with urban fantasy, something about those magical creatures in a familiar setting, a city, (hence the term urban) hits that sweet spot of real meets surreal that I just adore. The guy in the expensive but tattered business suit on the bus, muttering to himself, might be a homeless person who happened to score an unusual clothing find at the shelter, or it might be a powerful shapeshifter who just had a really bad day. Urban fantasy makes you look at your everyday world and see it differently. That's what I like about it.
Now Ann Aguirre, author of the fabulous SF books Grimspace and Wanderlust, has started a new urban fantasy series with Blue Diablo. I was lucky enough to be able to read portions of it in advance, and it is AWESOME! Want to win a copy? It's easy! Just post a comment below. I'll draw a winner on Monday, April 6.
Here's the descrip from her website:
Right now, I'm a redhead. I've been blonde and brunette as the situation requires, though an unscheduled color change usually means relocating in the middle of the night. So far, I'm doing well here. Nobody knows what I'm running from. And I'd like to keep it that way…
Eighteen months ago, Corine Solomon crossed the border to Mexico City, fleeing her past, her lover, and her "gift". Corine, a handler, can touch something and know its history—and sometimes, its future. Using her ability, she can find the missing—and that's why people never stop trying to find her. People like her ex, Chance…
Chance, whose uncanny luck has led him to her doorstep, needs her help. Someone dear to them both has gone missing in Laredo, Texas, and the only hope of finding her is through Corine's gift. But their search may prove dangerous as the trail leads them into a strange dark world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies—and black magic…
