New Urban Fantasy on OverDrive/Libby

Those of us who use Libby regularly may have noticed that there have been some new fantasy books on the "just added" list. I'm happy to spread the news that our fiction buyer has gotten us several Helen Harper books. Helen Harper is an independent author from the UK who writes excellent series books in the urban fantasy genre. I first learned of her through the podcast Smart Podcast Trashy Books, which is hosted by a popular blog that reviews romance books.

Keeping with urban fantasy tradition, Harper's books have strong female protagonists, as well as more alpha males than you can shake a stick at. I have yet to read her Blood Destiny series but I have made it through the 3 audiobooks for the Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic series. I will warn you that she likes bad jokes and puns, and for me that makes the series more lighthearted and fun.

Another thing I like about her books is that her characters face challenges that aren't melodramatic or black and white. Ivy Wilde, the heroine from the latter series, has to overcome obstacles while being lazy--its own kind of challenge. A lot of urban fantasy heroes are magically gifted and supernaturally strong by definition, and having a character who has natural talent but is too lazy to make good use of it puts a fun twist on the idea. Harper finds a lot of creative ways to work with this idea.

I normally try to avoid recommending books that aren't immediately available. As I write this, Slouch Witch has 7 people waiting for the audiobook. Her books are worth waiting for, however, especially if you're like me and you feel like you're always running out of things to read because the books fly by so quickly. (Love those plot-driven and fast-paced books!)

If you want to find out more about Helen Harper, visit her Goodreads author page.