Urban fantasy can be serious or light and fun. It can be sexy or procedural. But at its core, urban fantasy is the layering of our mundane world with a world that is whimsical or full of great creatures and legends that walk among humans.
Steve from The Book Wyrm Speaks helped me curate a list of our favorite urban fantasy books.
Demon Touched Series
By John Conroe
About
Book 1 of the Demon Accords. Chris Gordon is a rookie with the NYPD – one with a secret. In his spare time Chris is an exorcist without equal with a gift from God. But when he saves a beautiful girl from a demonic attack, he discovers there is more to fear than just demons. Finding himself surrounded by vampires, were weasels, and facing a giant short-faced bear, Chris struggles to stay alive, all while protecting his deadly new girlfriend. And then there’s her over protective vampire mother!
Why is it Great?
Steve – What do you get when you mix a natural demon exorcist with the only naturally born vampire? Chis Gordon and Tatiana Demidova, that’s what. Born the same time on the same day, their paths cross years later at a goth club secretly run by vampires,, and Chis saves Tatiana from a Demon, leading them to find their destinies are linked. 19 books and counting in the series so far.
United States of Monsters
By CT Phipps & Michael Suttkis
About
From Book 1: ***2019 Independent Audiobooks Award Winner***
FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUPERVILLAINY SAGA
Jane Doe is a weredeer, the least-threatening shapechanger species in the world. Blessed with the ability to turn furry at will and psychically read objects, Jane has done her best to live a normal life working as a waitress at the Deerlightful Diner. She has big dreams of escaping life in the supernatural-filled town of Bright Falls, Michigan, and her eighteenth birthday promises the beginning of her teenage dreams coming true.
Unfortunately, her birthday is ruined by the sudden murder of her best friend’s sister in an apparent occult killing. Oh, and her brother is the primary suspect. Allying with an eccentric FBI agent, the local crime lord, and a snarky werecrow, Jane has her work cut out for her in turning her big day around.
Thankfully, she’s game.
Set in the same world as Straight Outta Fangton.
“I can’t recommend it highly enough.” – The Bookwyrm Speaks
“Urban Fantasy at its finest” – The Booknest.EU
“It’s a weird, eccentric, quirky tale that often manages to be funny and horrifying at the same time – and completely pulls it off.” – Beauty in Ruins
Why is it Great?
Steve – Consisting of several interconnected series including the Bright Falls Mysteries, the Fangton books, The Red Room trilogy, Brightblade and Psycho Killers in Love, this universe runs the gamut, from a poor vampire working in a Quiky Mart, a sarcastic weredeer shaman/investigator, a failed superheroine turned bounty hunter psychic, to the personifications of supernatural slashers. All told with maximum snark, they are just fun reads that drag you in and don’t let go.
Void City series
by J.F. Lewis
About
REVIVED. REFRESHED.
AND READY FOR REVENGE.
Eric has lost his strip club, his Mustang, and even Marilyn, the elderly love of his (mortal) life. Even his body was obliterated. In short, they almost got him. But when you’re a vampire, “almost” is a very important word. With a little magical help from his friends, Eric is restored to corporeal form, but his treasured Mustang gets caught up in the sorcery and winds up with an unlife of its own. Now, along with “Fang the ‘Stang,” he’s out to save Marilyn from one of Void City’s most powerful soul-stealing demons. But salvation comes at a high price, forcing Eric to venture into his own worst nightmare, Vampire High Society, to uncover the truth about the origin of his powers.
At the same time, Eric’s ex-girlfriend, Tabitha, has begun to wonder exactly what it was that she admired about those High Society Vampires in the first place. Her quest to find her own place in this deceptively vicious circle may lead her right back to Eric’s side — if her little sister, Rachel, doesn’t kill her first. And Eric will need all the help he can get, because it looks like someone is after his soul, too. Blood will flow, fangs will be bared, and the claws will come out, because revenge is never pretty…and Eric has plenty to pass around.
Why is it Great?
Steve – This series deals with a Vampire named Eric, who is the highest grade of vampire in Void City, hard to kill and insanely powerful, when his forgetfulness about things like time don’t end up with him on fire, trying to find a place to hide form the sun. his impulsiveness also doesn’t help matters, since werewolves get upset when you rip one of their pack member’s head off for irritating you. With a fantastic cast of crazy characters and tons of action, this is one of those series you just want to see whats happening next.
Demon Squad series
by Tim Marquitz
About
Half-devil and miles from anything resembling heroic, perpetual underdog Frank Triggaltheron Trigg is the last man standing against Armageddon. As the favorite nephew of the Devil, Frank has led a troubled life, but he’d always had his uncle’s influence to fall back on. Now, with God and Lucifer coming to terms and leaving existence to fend for itself, his once exalted status of Anti-Christ-to-be does little to endear him to the hordes of angels and demons running amok in the Godless world. With help from the members of DRAC, an organization of wizards, psychics, telepaths, and low-end supernatural beings, Frank must thwart the pro-Armageddon forces and rescue an angel in whose life rests the fate of humanity. Better luck next time, humanity.
Why is it Great?
Steve – When God and the Devil abandon earth to its own devices, what are the angels and demons left behind to do? Take over heaven for the angels, and take over parts of earth for the demons, at least behind the scenes. And this leaves Frank Tiggaltheron, Satan’s favorite nephew, in a precarious position, as he doesn’t have the Satan’s protection anymore. Now working for the DRAC, which tries to protect humanity from the worst demonkind can do, Frank gets caught up in situations with beings more powerful than he should be able to deal with, but somehow manages to survive at the very least. Another series with great characters and some fantastic fight scenes written by someone who knows martial arts and can frame a fight scene realistically.
Monster Hunter International series
by Larry Correia
About
Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.
It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.
It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem. An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries old vendetta. Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way. With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves.
Business is good… Welcome to Monster Hunter International.
Why is it Great?
Steve – When your boss at the accounting firm you work at turns into a werewolf and tries to eat you, what do you do? Well, if your Owen Zastava Pitt, you pull your concealed pistol and put 6 bullets into him. Too bad those bullets weren’t silver! This encounter and its crazy resolution introduces Owen to the Supernatural world, and he ends up working for Monster Hunter International, the premier monster hunter company in the world. He starts just in time to see some of the craziest monster action the company has ever seen. With an eclectic cast of characters, this series is a thrill ride on an epic scale.
Dresden Files
By Jim Butcher
About
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.
So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.
Magic – it can get a guy killed.
Why is it Great?
Beth – Dresden is a snarky anti-hero with a heart, not of gold, but maybe silver. Or shiny bronze. His actions and the situations he puts himself in are difficult, and he reacts to them with strict adherence to his moral code. For better or worse. The relationships he makes with people have an authenticity to them which endears him to me more as a reader. I just really like Dresden, and I think everyone should read his books.
Check Out Some of My Reviews and Articles
Review – Battle Ground by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #17)
Top Urban Fantasy Series To Get You Hooked on the Genre
American Gods
By Neil Gaiman
About
Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.
Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.
Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what – and who – it finds there…
Why is it Great?
Beth – There is a reason why many consider Gaiman to be a master at the craft. His descriptions are rich, his writing is concise, and he creates some of the most memorable scenes and characters I have ever read.
Check Out Some of My Reviews and Articles
Short Story – Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, Skottie Young
Review of American Gods, Volume 2: My Ainsel by Neil Gaiman, and P Craig Russell
Dead Witch Walking
By Kim Harrison
About
All the creatures of the night gather in “the Hollows” of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party… and to feed.
Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining – and it’s Rachel Morgan’s job to keep that world civilized.
A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she’ll bring ’em back alive, dead… or undead.
Why is it Great?
Beth – This is a killer series. The protagonist Rachel kicks all ass. It is fun, great characters and through the course of the books, the characters change and grow.
Check Out Some of My Reviews and Articles
Review of American Demon (Return to the Hollows #1) by Kim Harrison
Interview With Kim Harrison, Author of American Demon
The Greatest Witchy Witches in Literature
The Iron Druid Chronicles
By Kevin Hearne
About
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.
Why is it Great?
Beth – This series takes the anti-hero in a new direction with a long-lived druid. It is good every book, and the dog makes the comedy in the book fantastic.
Check Out Some of My Reviews and Articles
Hanging With My Gnomies in “No Country for Old Gnomes” by Delilah S. Dawson, Kevin Hearne
Review of “Scourged” by Kevin Hearne
October Daye
By Seanan McGuire
About
October “Toby” Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas…
The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening’s killer.
Why is it Great?
Beth – This is one of those series that I have read more than once. Again, great comedy, characters, and the idea of a found family. To date this is my favorite series.
Check Out Some of My Reviews and Articles
Review A Killing Frost (October Daye #14) by Seanan Mcguire
Review – Night and Silence (October Daye #12) by Seanan McGuire
I adore urban fantasy so damn much and The Dresden Files is probably my favourite series of all time!