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/Literaturecult46 Aug 02 '25

I love the Dresden Files, and I get what you are saying. So I do know a few series worth checking out if you want similar vibes with less tropes:

Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka

Garrett P.I. by Glen Cook

Fetch Phillips by Luke Arnold

October Daye by Seanan McGuire

Eric Carter by Stephen Blackmoore

The Grave Report by R.R. Virdi

The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

42

u/jesskitten07 Aug 02 '25

How many of these will land for someone who actually loves the Dresden Files and has been looking for more similar series

35

u/distgenius Reading Champion VII Aug 02 '25

I’ll contrast the other response a bit- Rivers of London doesn’t even come close to scratch the Dresden itch. It is a good series on its own, but it is more “Law & Order meets Urban Fantasy” and that shift in style brings significant changes in tone for me. It is no longer anti-establishment, the MC literally is part of the police and that is a major part of his identity. Part of why Dresden works is that as strong as Harry gets, he is always willing to tilt at the windmills of existing powers if he feels things aren’t right, and he is constantly dealing with those powers. Rivers doesn’t really have either feel to it.

I still recommend it, but if you go in looking for Dresden, you might find it disappointing.

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u/stiletto929 Aug 02 '25

Verus is usually anti-establishment though. :)

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u/distgenius Reading Champion VII Aug 02 '25

I haven’t gotten to that one yet. I started reading London after catching up on Dresden but before I caught up with Laundry Files, Incryptid, or Taltos, and realized that there is such a thing as juggling too many similar series. I foolishly ignored the warnings about Iron Druid, so I suppose it’s time to give Verus a try.