Off the Shelf: Genre Busting
By Sharon Saye on July 16, 2014 from Off the Shelf
Lots of readers prefer to keep their reading within certain genres; they only read mysteries or fantasies. Yet genre busting has become increasingly popular. For instance, take the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. Harris initially wrote mysteries, but decided to add a twist when she started her series starring a small town barmaid who could read minds. And to complicate matters she set it in Bon Temps, Louisiana, at a time when vampires have revealed their existence on television. Soon Sookie was dealing with vampire politics, shape shifters, werewolves, fairies, etc., in a format that was much more than your ordinary mystery and paved the way for HBO’s hit series, “True Blood.”
Now we have a very popular genre called Urban Fantasy. It almost always stars someone with supernatural powers or someone caught up in the supernatural world. And they are usually set in cities. This permits a dark, grittier tone to the novel while combining elements of fantasy with crime novels, mysteries and thrillers.
One of the most popular authors in the genre is Jim Butcher who has been writing 
a series of books about a Chicago wizard who is also a private investigator, Harry Dresden. It is often described as “Harry Potter” for adults. The first novel in the series is “Storm Front” in which the usually down-on-his-luck Dresden is called in to investigate a series of murders that just might be linked to werewolves.
a series of books about a Chicago wizard who is also a private investigator, Harry Dresden. It is often described as “Harry Potter” for adults. The first novel in the series is “Storm Front” in which the usually down-on-his-luck Dresden is called in to investigate a series of murders that just might be linked to werewolves.
His latest novel is “Skin Game” in which Harry is hiding out until he is forced into a job as the Winter Knight to Queen Mab. As Harry knows, nothing is simple when dealing with Mab and now he has to co-operate with his enemies to steal the Holy Grail from Hades. Harry brings in his own team members while he deals with a bunch of evil, but fun supernatural criminals. “Skin Game” soon requires every back-stabbing, conniving skill, Harry has ever developed if he is even going to survive much less steal from Hades.
Readers who love Harry Dresden will also enjoy another popular author in the genre Kevin Hearne who has written seven books in the “Iron Druid Chronicles.” Atticus O’Sullivan is the last of the Druids living peacefully with his bookshop in Arizona. He likes to tell people that he is 21, but doesn’t bother to tell them it is 21 centuries. Nor does he reveal that he is sort of hiding out from a vengeful Celtic god who wants his magical sword back. Along with his trusty Irish wolfhound, Oberon, Atticus finds staying out of trouble just a little less than impossible even though his lawyers are a vampire and a werewolf, and his girlfriend is the Goddess of Death. His enemies range from Celtic gods, witches, demons, and quite a few of the pantheon of gods from the Roman Bacchus to the Norse Thor.
The first book in the series is “Hounded,” and in the midst of the high-speed action, be prepared to enjoy all the humor an ancient, yet young Druid, can deliver. The most recent is “Shattered” in which Atticus thaws out his ancient teacher after 20 centuries while his own apprentice graduates, and if that is not enough drama, he has a big problem with Loki who is looking for vengeance of his own.
Both Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne offer readers loads of action, supernatural threats, and a lot of humor laced in with their end of the world plots.
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