Bucks County Free Library: 12 Urban Fantasy Novels To Try

Press release from the Bucks County Free Library:

March 21, 2023

Are you new to the urban fantasy genre? Unlike epic fantasy, where the worlds are completely unlike our own, urban fantasy books take place in settings that feel more familiar. Perhaps everything in the book is mundane – expect vampires, dragons, or gods walk the earth alongside humanity. Or maybe the book is set in a real city, like London or New York, but the main character discovers a magical world just lurking beneath the surface.

Urban fantasy can include everything from detective mysteries to paranormal romances, from tumbling down the rabbit hole into a hidden world to endless battles between lifelong foes. Urban fantasy novels are often intricately plotted, fast-paced, and give the reader a strong of place. Thanks to the variety of books in this genre, there’s an urban fantasy book for just about every reader. Here are a few to get you started!

If you like mysteries and detective stories: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch or Storm Front by Jim Butcher

If you like a little romance: A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney, Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia, or Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

If you like dark academia: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo or Vicious by V.E. Schwab

If you like secret worlds found in mundane places: A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney, The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, or Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

If you like books with strong women protagonists: A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney, Book of Night by Holly Black, or Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

If you like lyrical writing and well-crafted dialog: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin or Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia

If you like humorous writing and banter between characters: Highfire by Eoin Colfer or Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

If you like compelling reads with intricate plots: Book of Night by Holly Black, The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, Highfire by Eoin Colfer, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen, or Vicious by V.E. Schwab

This press release was produced by the Bucks County Free Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.