Reading K. M. Shea’s Clean Urban Fantasy

Snarky heroines, quick banter, action, adventure, and a dash of romance are all components to K. M. Shea’s urban fantasy novels, but are they suitable for teens?

For the past few years, K. M. Shea’s Magiford books have been a guilty pleasure in my free reading. Often available through Kindle Unlimited, for a while I stayed away from them due to their rather garish covers. But, an author I liked had fans who enjoyed both and before long I was down the K. M. Shea rabbit hole. An urban fantasy, clean and humorous, that was centered at a town in Wisconsin? Count me in!

And so, I have happily read my way through all of K. M. Shea’s Magiford books. Thanks to her fan pages, I know many younger readers in their early teens also enjoy the books. On one hand, I understand. Here is fun fantasy in abundance, without worry of sex, language, or excessive violence. What’s not to love? I think one reason many love K. M. Shea is because her urban fantasy novels are formulaic yet still creative.

A heroine with a passion for (add beverage) and a problem (from bullying to work to social anxiety) meets handsome supernatural (insert romantic trope) and hijinks ensue. Meanwhile our heroine tries to solve a rather obvious mystery, hangs out with loyal friends, loves her cute hometown/her cute pets and harbors a growing affection for her surely-just-a-friend-supernatural (did I mention he was good-looking?) cough.

The predictability, especially in the past few unpredictable years, is like a warm blanket and cup of (fill-in-your-own-favorite beverage.)

I turn to K. M. Shea when I want something that is predictable, comfortable, and happy. I call it my cotton-candy/fluff/cheez-whiz reading.

But is K. M. Shea good reading material for a young, impressionable reader? I don’t think so. Her novels are written for an adult audience who will recognize the unrealism of her books. They are, in the best sense, escapist. Snarky sarcasm? Sure, it’s fun, but not how anyone survives in the real world! Unrealistic romance with lots of physical contact before any interest or commitment is declared? Adult readers know this is fantasy.

While most of K. M. Shea’s trilogies end with a wedding or engagement, I don’t think all of the PDA described and enjoyed with rationalizations like “we’re good friends” is helpful for a young teen reader. In fact, if that’s the only view of relationships in a young person’s reading diet, I think it could be downright harmful. All of these thoughts synthesized when I was reading the conclusion of one of her series. The heroine has married. It’s day one of her honeymoon, and our characters are off to fight monsters with their friends, just like any other day. As a young bride, I balked at the fantasy. Embarking in marriage is not like any other day.

To conclude, I would echo Betsy’s question, is K. M. Shea safe? Yes. Are her books good? Well, they are fun. . . and good for their intended audience of adult readers or mature teens, who understand it’s not just supernatural elements that make these books fantasy. 

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Resource: Looking For Love: The Paranormal Teen Romance
• Resource: Cozy and Clever Books for Teens and Adults
• Resource: Fantasy Books for Teen Girls: Keeper of the Lost Cities Read-Alikes