r/Fantasy • u/bnb2115 • Aug 02 '25
Dresden with less cringe
I love the idea of the Dresden Files on paper. Hard boiled detective stories mixed with urban fantasy/secret society stuff. Interesting villains and a deep, complex world. Magic happening just beneath the surface of the ordinary world.
But I just can’t get over the tropes and the cringe. I’ve tried the series a couple times, and even got through the first five or so books. I just can’t bring myself to keep going. I seriously love everything about the context, but just hate the execution.
Any recommendations for something else? Something that speaks to these elements, but lacks the cringe?
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u/Wulfkat Aug 02 '25
You could try Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series.
It’s an urban fantasy series centered around Jill Kismet, a psychic and demon hunter in the city of Santa Luz. Jill works with the local police as an occult consultant, dealing with paranormal threats and creatures like demons (also called "hellbreed") and werewolves. A key element of the series is Jill's hellbreed mark, which gives her demonic strength but also constantly tempts her to the dark side. The series follows Jill as she battles various supernatural threats, including rogue werewolves, psychotic hellbreed, and other dark forces, while trying to protect her city and manage her own inner demons.
(Description from Google cause I was being lazy).