Not looking for magical realism here, I’m looking for books about magic but in the real world. Harry Potter / Jonathan strange and mr norrel / ninth house & hell bent / ..buffy? etc – all these stories feel like they’re set in OUR world but just one where there’s hidden magic
I particularly love Jonathan strange because it explains history in the context of magic
Would love more recommendations, thank you!
by llksg
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Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
Kraken by China Mieville
The Rivers of London series could be what you are looking for.
The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch
You’ll get lots of results if you search for the term urban fantasy.
Dresden Files – start with {Storm Front by Jim Butcher}. It starts as magical realism noir mystery, and “ends” pretty crazy, but is all in the real world.
Edited due to comment 🤓
Buffy, you said?
The author of Dresden files, Jim Butcher was inspired by Buffy.
And the series is about Harry Dresden, a wizard, in Chicago.
One of the best if not the best urban fantasy right now.
It starts meh-ish, but book 4-5 onwards(most of them are quick reads) only gets better to the point of becoming a near epic fantasy, but in our world.
Also, Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka. Kinda the same as Dresden files, but British and less bombastic/more political. And it’s finished.
It’s called Urban Fantasy and there is heaps.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch. Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs. Guild Hunter by Nalini Singh. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The Demon Accords by John Conroe. Seanan McGuire: October Daye and Incryptid.
Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, the first book is called Magic Bites.
[https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/51.The_Best_Urban_Fantasy](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/51.The_Best_Urban_Fantasy) A list of 4250 Urban Fantasy books.
Ilona Andrews Innkeeper Chronicles –A magic Inn, space werewolves and vampires, a lot of really unique aliens, mystery, romance, action, a fun and humorous series
“The Raven Boys” and its sequels by Maggie Stiefvater, and her standalone novel “The Scorpio Races.”
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and The Once and Future Witches, both by Alix E. Harrow.