Jul 28th 2008 12:36 pm Odd Thomas, Stephanie Plum, Rachel Morgan
Have you ever started a series and then couldn’t start a new series until you finished all the published books in the series you were reading? (Does that sound convoluted?) That happened with each of these characters’ stories. Odd Thomas, a story about a fry cook who can see the dead and helps them find their way “to the other side”, is an average likeable fellow who always finds himself in situations that require great courage and the ability to do or say what needs to be done whether or not he looks a fool. I am currently reading Odd Hours, the fourth book in this series and am enjoying it, but Koontz seems to have lost a little of the rhythm that he had in the first three. In other words, I’m not reading through it as fast because it’s not quite as good as the first three. I just finished Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich’s latest addition to her Stephanie Plum saga. In this book, as in the last several, Stephanie finds herself in the middle of serious business but finds herself distracted by unusual sometimes hilarious characters that somehow end up helping in the end, not to mention Joe Morelli and Ranger, the mysterious bounty hunter. I read through this book fast, mainly because it contained the usual banter between the characters, so that I could get to the end. I wanted to see if she chose Joe for good. Alas, I am going to have to wait for number 15. I like these books, but the last few have felt like the same story, but with different details. Then there is Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, a witch who is also a bounty hunter. Rachel seems similar to Stephanie in that she is surrounded by hunky men, although they are not always human, and has two partners, a pixie and a living vamp, who aide her in her missions. Lots of verbal sparring and hot sex and interesting characters later, we get to book 6. However, unlike the first two series, this book kept pace with the others and actually brought in new characters and ideas. I hope there will be a 7th. So, after all this rambling, what am I getting at? I love series because once I get attached to a character or characters I like to continue a relationship with them. And, as in real life, sometimes you are surprised by what happens and, at times, disappointed, but you can’t wait to see what happens next.
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Posted by Hooty / Bookstore Commentary
Shawn on 21 Aug 2008 at 8:26 am #
I really do like the Rachel Morgan series. Her character is real enough that I actually get irritated with some of her actions. That’s a good sign that the character has depth, and a sense of being really ‘real’.
I think it is very interesting to see all the series coming out about werewolves and vampires. Although I get into that sort of stuff, too, it seems kinda funny to me.
Are we that bored with our daily existence that we need to read about werewolves and vampires, or is it that these books are basically fantasy books, but set in a world that most people relate to?
One could argue that the traditional fantasy book has a limited audience, because you have to go for the other worldly settings, which may have different rules, different look, different feel. Plus, they usually never have anything related to technology.
In these books, they have definite fantasy elements, but they are set in the real world - it’s ‘easier’ for the author, because the rules and trappings of the setting are already defined, and it is comforting to the reader, because the reader knows what to expect, and doesn’t have to not only slog through paragraphs of world-building, but can feel more apart of the actual story, and be able to relate to the story more closely.