Both of these series are young adult or teen fiction. I say that upfront, because for some of us older folks that may be a deal breaker. Often these books are more plot driven and sometimes with fresh ideas or perspectives, so I turn to these as sources of fun, new stories. And let's face, they are much more eye-catching in the bookstore new releases areas.
The Lithia Trilogy
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| published Oct 2011 |
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| published Oct 2012 |
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This series by Blair Richmond is set in the fictional town of Lithia, which is the actual town of Ashland, Oregon. The setting of this story is as much or more a part of this series as the characters. I particularly enjoy stories with unique settings, so this was a very cool aspect for me. For those who don't know, Ashland is a small town in Oregon and is the site of the American Shakespeare Festival. This area is surrounded by majestic Pacific Redwoods, and there is an active preservation movement and strong local environmentalist ethic. This story draws on the eery solitude of forests at dusk and night to enhance and inform the story. All the main characters are vegan, too. This adds an unusual perspective to the modern vampire genre. And (without giving away too many spoilers) the vampires are uniquely a part of this environment, as well. Of course, theatre and Shakespeare (another of my nerdy addictions) figure into the stories, too. What can I say but that this sereis seems tailored for me. I'm sure there are more of you out there who will feel the same.
Most of the story can be fairly quickly ascertained by the strong foreshadowing and basic deduction from readers. But these are fun, fast reads. They are short, so there is no major commitment is involved. I got
Out of Breath as an ereader download from my local library and went on to immediately purchase the sequel. I guess the series close is coming this year, since it is subtitled as a trilogy.
You can read more about the author here.
The Wings Series
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| book #1 |
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| book #3 |
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| book #2 |
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| book #4 |
These books are fae stories by Aprilynne Pike. I am currently on book three, Illusions. This series follows the events of a young girl, Laurel. This series is set among high school students, so it really is a stretch for me to maintain interest. It is a credit to the story and the characters that I have continued to follow it this far. Though finding a good series on the fae is harder than in the vampire genre. In these books, the fae have been given a "fresh perspective." While it is unique and interesting, I do think I prefer the traditional Celtic lore, and stories that are written within those perimeters. Again, these stories are fast, easy reads without major commitment, which for me means a good read while on workout equipment. I think that these books are well suited to a young high school audience, but the story action and mystery evolve fast enough to maintain an adult audience. Aprilynne's blog is here.
I guess that I am still looking for the next great adult fae series. I enjoyed Moning's new offering Iced, but like other's I failed to connect with it in retrospect. I really like the Fever world, but Dani is just too young to be the lead in a series. I mean, how is Moning going to age her fast enough? I guess, we'll have to stay tuned for the answers. And I'll read each new entry if only for the Fever World fix.
What are your favorite fae books? 
I guess that I am still looking for the next great adult fae series. I enjoyed Moning's new offering Iced, but like other's I failed to connect with it in retrospect. I really like the Fever world, but Dani is just too young to be the lead in a series. I mean, how is Moning going to age her fast enough? I guess, we'll have to stay tuned for the answers. And I'll read each new entry if only for the Fever World fix.
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