Sarah J. Maas’s *Crescent City* series is an urban fantasy. It would behoove you to understand the rest of her universe (*Throne of Glass*, and *A Court of Thorns and Roses*), but can be appreciated on its own too. Currently there are 2 books out for *Crescent City*, *House of Earth and Blood* and *House of Sky and Breath*. The third book in the series, *House of Flame and Shadow* comes out at the end of January 2024.
I just finished reading a new book called *The Dead Take the A Train* by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey, published in early October of this year. It is urban fantasy/horror, very gritty and violent with a dash of Eldritch/cosmic intrigue. It is low fantasy (so not your run of the mill Tolkien fantasy). It’s the first book in the series *Carrion City.*
*The City We Became* is a modern fantasy tale set in NYC. It’s very frantic and wild, but once the story kicks in it weaves a very unique story involving Lovecraftian twists. What makes this so cool is that every city in the world has an “avatar” that acts as it’s protector of sorts. Very hip and modern, smart and snarky.
*The Library at Mount Char* by Scott Hawkins is a wild horror book that is about a group of young kids raised by a god-like figurehead. They grow up and he disappears. The kids need to figure out what happened to him, deal with each other, and the humans that don’t understand the powers they control. Gets pretty trippy by the end.
*The Starless Sea* is very popular on this site, and has a man who falls down a rabbit hole of literary driven mystery. Gets a little esoteric by the end, but has some neat moments.
*Ten Thousand Doors of January* is an excellent book about a young girl who is trying to track down her parents who have disappeared into another dimension.
*An Absolutely Remarkable Thing* by Hank Green is a qwirky sci-fi book set in modern times in “real” life. It’s entertaining and has a touch of magical realism in that nobody knows what is quite going on in this situation they find themselves in. Snarky and witty.
*Daughter of Smoke & Bone* by Laini Taylor features really enjoyable creative worldbuilding disguised as a Romeo and Juliet trope. The last third of the book especially is full of interesting development and really cool imagery about a war between angelic beings and chimera creatures.
*No Gods, No Monsters* by Cadwell Turnbull is bizarre and unique, about the paths crossed in stranger’s lives when “monsters” are shown to be a reality. Manages to skillfully blend creepy moments with allegorical political commentary, and features very well written characters.
*Lexicon* by Max Barry is about a girl who attends a school for powered individuals but discovers controversy and conspiracy. Has some moments of a big looming supernatural feeling threat and some legitimately scary adventure moments.
*The Cosmology Of Monsters* by Shaun Hamill is a deceptive book. Makes you feel like you’re reading a monster driven horror book, but in fact it’s very much about a highly dysfunctional family who has used monsters and horror as a coping mechanism. While the book does eventually deliver in the monsters and horror department, I was completely surprised how the book effected me personally on the family drama side.
*Ninth House* is the first of a new series. Modern era magical realism that features a woman who is learning about secret societies and supernatural forces within an ivy-league colligate environment.
*Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore* by Robin Sloan is a delightful little “mystery” novel about the secret society that uses bookstores and books as a way to test their membership. Sets up as something far more nefarious than it is, but has plenty of likable characters and enough interest to keep following their story. Harmless and likeable.
fragments_shored on
I just finished “Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow and really loved it. It’s about a young woman in a small town in Kentucky who gets a job as a cleaner in a mysterious sentient house with a dark past. It felt like a spiritual cousin to Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle series, but leans adult instead of YA; the main characters are in their 20s.
And if you haven’t read The Raven Cycle, that’s my favorite in the YA space. Completed 4-book series, first book is “The Raven Boys.” It’s set in a small town in Virginia with some unusual pyschic features and that may be the resting place of an ancient Welsh king. There are cute boys and fast cars and psychic women and a really perfect blend of humor and drama.
MarzannaMorena on
Vita Nostra
by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko
Greatgreenbird on
*The Green Man’s Heir* (and sequels) by Juliet McKenna
The Felix Castor books by Mike Carey, the series starts with *The Devil You Know*
__Pers on
For traditional urban fantasy, I enjoyed the *Alex Verus* series by Benedict Jacka, which is complete with 12 books. It’s a story about an underpowered mage with a dark history who runs a magic shop in London. As power stakes go, he’s weak, specializing in divination, which is a lot less flashy than throwing firebolts or killing people with a touch.
A little less urban and a little less of a traditional urban fantasy would be *Mink River* by Brian Doyle. It’s a beautifully written, light fantasy story about the comings and goings of a fictional Oregon coastal town with a talking philosopher crow named Moses.
LoneLantern2 on
Charles de Lint was my intro to urban fantasy- you could pick up one of his short story collections to get his vibe if you wanted to get your feet wet with his works.
Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London is another fun take
joespinnahardy on
I like to recommend Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow when people ask for urban fantasy — because not that many people seem to have heard of it, and it is one of the WEIRDEST books I’ve ever read.
Carbonman_ on
The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.
norawritesromance on
Seconding *Ninth House* by Leigh Bardugo! For urban fantasy on the cozy/romantic side, you could try TJ Klune. If you’re open to YA, I found *Legendborn* by Tracy Deonn to be a really compelling take on some classic tropes.
Paramedic229635 on
Differently Morphus and Existentially Challenged by Yahtzee Croshaw. Governmental agency involved in the regulation of magic and extra dimensional beings.
12 Comments
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Sarah J. Maas’s *Crescent City* series is an urban fantasy. It would behoove you to understand the rest of her universe (*Throne of Glass*, and *A Court of Thorns and Roses*), but can be appreciated on its own too. Currently there are 2 books out for *Crescent City*, *House of Earth and Blood* and *House of Sky and Breath*. The third book in the series, *House of Flame and Shadow* comes out at the end of January 2024.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44778083-house-of-earth-and-blood](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44778083-house-of-earth-and-blood)
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40132775-house-of-sky-and-breath](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40132775-house-of-sky-and-breath)
I just finished reading a new book called *The Dead Take the A Train* by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey, published in early October of this year. It is urban fantasy/horror, very gritty and violent with a dash of Eldritch/cosmic intrigue. It is low fantasy (so not your run of the mill Tolkien fantasy). It’s the first book in the series *Carrion City.*
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65214080-the-dead-take-the-a-train](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65214080-the-dead-take-the-a-train)
*The City We Became* is a modern fantasy tale set in NYC. It’s very frantic and wild, but once the story kicks in it weaves a very unique story involving Lovecraftian twists. What makes this so cool is that every city in the world has an “avatar” that acts as it’s protector of sorts. Very hip and modern, smart and snarky.
*The Library at Mount Char* by Scott Hawkins is a wild horror book that is about a group of young kids raised by a god-like figurehead. They grow up and he disappears. The kids need to figure out what happened to him, deal with each other, and the humans that don’t understand the powers they control. Gets pretty trippy by the end.
*The Starless Sea* is very popular on this site, and has a man who falls down a rabbit hole of literary driven mystery. Gets a little esoteric by the end, but has some neat moments.
*Ten Thousand Doors of January* is an excellent book about a young girl who is trying to track down her parents who have disappeared into another dimension.
*An Absolutely Remarkable Thing* by Hank Green is a qwirky sci-fi book set in modern times in “real” life. It’s entertaining and has a touch of magical realism in that nobody knows what is quite going on in this situation they find themselves in. Snarky and witty.
*Daughter of Smoke & Bone* by Laini Taylor features really enjoyable creative worldbuilding disguised as a Romeo and Juliet trope. The last third of the book especially is full of interesting development and really cool imagery about a war between angelic beings and chimera creatures.
*No Gods, No Monsters* by Cadwell Turnbull is bizarre and unique, about the paths crossed in stranger’s lives when “monsters” are shown to be a reality. Manages to skillfully blend creepy moments with allegorical political commentary, and features very well written characters.
*Lexicon* by Max Barry is about a girl who attends a school for powered individuals but discovers controversy and conspiracy. Has some moments of a big looming supernatural feeling threat and some legitimately scary adventure moments.
*The Cosmology Of Monsters* by Shaun Hamill is a deceptive book. Makes you feel like you’re reading a monster driven horror book, but in fact it’s very much about a highly dysfunctional family who has used monsters and horror as a coping mechanism. While the book does eventually deliver in the monsters and horror department, I was completely surprised how the book effected me personally on the family drama side.
*Ninth House* is the first of a new series. Modern era magical realism that features a woman who is learning about secret societies and supernatural forces within an ivy-league colligate environment.
*Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore* by Robin Sloan is a delightful little “mystery” novel about the secret society that uses bookstores and books as a way to test their membership. Sets up as something far more nefarious than it is, but has plenty of likable characters and enough interest to keep following their story. Harmless and likeable.
I just finished “Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow and really loved it. It’s about a young woman in a small town in Kentucky who gets a job as a cleaner in a mysterious sentient house with a dark past. It felt like a spiritual cousin to Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle series, but leans adult instead of YA; the main characters are in their 20s.
And if you haven’t read The Raven Cycle, that’s my favorite in the YA space. Completed 4-book series, first book is “The Raven Boys.” It’s set in a small town in Virginia with some unusual pyschic features and that may be the resting place of an ancient Welsh king. There are cute boys and fast cars and psychic women and a really perfect blend of humor and drama.
Vita Nostra
by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko
*The Green Man’s Heir* (and sequels) by Juliet McKenna
The Felix Castor books by Mike Carey, the series starts with *The Devil You Know*
For traditional urban fantasy, I enjoyed the *Alex Verus* series by Benedict Jacka, which is complete with 12 books. It’s a story about an underpowered mage with a dark history who runs a magic shop in London. As power stakes go, he’s weak, specializing in divination, which is a lot less flashy than throwing firebolts or killing people with a touch.
A little less urban and a little less of a traditional urban fantasy would be *Mink River* by Brian Doyle. It’s a beautifully written, light fantasy story about the comings and goings of a fictional Oregon coastal town with a talking philosopher crow named Moses.
Charles de Lint was my intro to urban fantasy- you could pick up one of his short story collections to get his vibe if you wanted to get your feet wet with his works.
Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London is another fun take
I like to recommend Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow when people ask for urban fantasy — because not that many people seem to have heard of it, and it is one of the WEIRDEST books I’ve ever read.
The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.
Seconding *Ninth House* by Leigh Bardugo! For urban fantasy on the cozy/romantic side, you could try TJ Klune. If you’re open to YA, I found *Legendborn* by Tracy Deonn to be a really compelling take on some classic tropes.
Differently Morphus and Existentially Challenged by Yahtzee Croshaw. Governmental agency involved in the regulation of magic and extra dimensional beings.