5 Worst Moms in Urban Fantasy

Some of our favorite heroines became moms this year. Happy Mother’s Day Merit and Kate! I’m sure lots of people have been giving them parenting advice, but wouldn’t it be more fun to talk about what not to do?

Here are some of urban fantasy’s worst moms.

Justina Crawfield from the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost

Cat Crawfield grew up hating her vampire side, largely based on a lie. Justina encouraged her teenaged daughter to hunt vampires, knowing it would get her killed. That is if Cat hadn’t met Bones. Though the two reconcile, Justina is never pleasant toward Cat or her friends. And I never did forgive her for the way she treated teen Cat. (I feel kind of the same way about Nikita Duncan in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series.)

Dierdre Shaw from the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep

Finnegan Lane’s mother left when he was a baby. She resurfaces in his life years later in the guise of his new favorite client. When her attempt to rob the bank where Finn works doesn’t go as planned, she tortures her son. She’s also involved in the shady secret society that Finn and Gin have been fighting.

Laura Blackwell from the Devil’s Isle series by Chloe Neill

For years Claire Connolly thought her mother was dead. When she finds her again, she turns out to be a sociopathic evil scientist. Not only does she have no interest in her daughter, she’s planning a genocide. But she winds up starting a war.

Victoria Tremaine from the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews

Nevada Baylor’s father wasn’t conceived so much as genetically engineered to have the most powerful magic. When his powers never manifested, his mother shunned him. He ran away and changed his name, but after his death his mother found his family. When Nevada won’t join her criminal conspiracy, her grandmother tries to kill her. I’m sensing a pattern here.

Mercedes McQueen from the Secret McQueen series by Sierra Dean

Here’s another mother who couldn’t accept her daughter’s vampire side. She not only abandoned her, she named her Secret—talk about a constant reminder! When she resurfaces in Secret’s life, she’s leading a pack of rogue werewolves who want to take over the city. And, oh yeah, she tries to kill her daughter.

Which other terrible urban fantasy moms would you add to the list? Tell us in the comments.