I'm not actually a big Urban Fantasy fan. I read a lot of it, because it's most of what is coming out in YA fantasy right now, and I'd probably like it more if they didn't all use the same set of tropes I wildly dislike, and i actually enjoy historicals more, and this list strongly reflects this. Also, I'm interpreting this a "series" instead of individual novels, because otherwise...
1. The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Unlike other lists that shift from day to day, these have been consistently my favorite books since middle school. Aside from a wonderful universe, the story is about a bunch of brilliant people being brilliant and political at each other. Plus it has one of the best disability narratives I've ever read. Technically they're marketed as Middle Grade, but that's a gross miss-characterization. They're older YA, crossing over into adult territory.
2. The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Is there any question that the modern surge of popularity for YA, YA fantasy, and even YA Urban Fantasy can't be directly laid at the door of this series? Oh yea, and it introduced me to fandom.
3. The Westermark Trilogy by Lloyd Alexander. I love these books more much the same reason I love Megan Whalen Turner's books. They're a fierce, biting deconstruction of the monarchical nature of most fantasy, and of Alexander's own previous work particularly. They made me think more about my genre than anything else I've ever read. And they have wonderful characters.
4. The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix. Secondary World fantasy with Zombies, two very different and very badass heroines, and bells. I'm not sure I can condense down what I love so much about these, but I love them.
5. Howl's Moving Castle and associated books by Diana Wynn Jones. Oh these are just so much fun. And I love Sophie to pieces.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-01-18 04:28 pm (UTC)1. The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Unlike other lists that shift from day to day, these have been consistently my favorite books since middle school. Aside from a wonderful universe, the story is about a bunch of brilliant people being brilliant and political at each other. Plus it has one of the best disability narratives I've ever read. Technically they're marketed as Middle Grade, but that's a gross miss-characterization. They're older YA, crossing over into adult territory.
2. The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Is there any question that the modern surge of popularity for YA, YA fantasy, and even YA Urban Fantasy can't be directly laid at the door of this series? Oh yea, and it introduced me to fandom.
3. The Westermark Trilogy by Lloyd Alexander. I love these books more much the same reason I love Megan Whalen Turner's books. They're a fierce, biting deconstruction of the monarchical nature of most fantasy, and of Alexander's own previous work particularly. They made me think more about my genre than anything else I've ever read. And they have wonderful characters.
4. The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix. Secondary World fantasy with Zombies, two very different and very badass heroines, and bells. I'm not sure I can condense down what I love so much about these, but I love them.
5. Howl's Moving Castle and associated books by Diana Wynn Jones. Oh these are just so much fun. And I love Sophie to pieces.