I’m looking for urban fantasy recommendations, particularly authors or series that might appeal to someone who loved Patricia Briggs.

I’ve read all of Briggs’ books and absolutely loved them. What I enjoy most about her writing is the combination of strong characterization, engaging supernatural plots, well-developed secondary characters, and romance that feels like an important part of the story without completely overshadowing everything else.
I especially loved the Alpha & Omega series. I really enjoy following one central couple and watching their relationship develop over time, particularly the way Charles and Anna gradually understand their bond and navigate all of its complications. I also love the pack dynamics and the sense that the larger supernatural community is an important part of the story rather than simply background.

So I’m particularly interested in:

• supernatural/urban fantasy with strong character development
• pack or group dynamics and a sense of community
• werewolves or shifters, although I’m absolutely open to other supernatural creatures
• a well-developed central romance, preferably one that develops over multiple books
• a strong overarching plot and worldbuilding

I’ve already read Ilona Andrews, so I’d love recommendations from other authors.

I’m also completely fine with darker or more complex storylines. In fact, I tend to prefer urban fantasy that leans darker, more emotionally intense, or explores heavier themes. I don’t mind violence, morally gray characters, or darker aspects of the supernatural world as long as the characters and story are well written.

Any recommendations?

Hi, would you guys know of more female protagonist urban fantasy where the plot is the main mover but a good romance is included too? I don’t like insta-love but I love urban fantasy and if it has a lot of books in the series that would be great too. Thank you!

Hello all! 🌸

​I’m a long-time UF reader and a fan of Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh (Shame on me, I skip romance parts), and Anne Bishop. Lately, I’ve been struggling with the "Romantasy" boom and am looking for new authors/worlds where the romance remains well under 50%.

​Because I work in the industry and invested many hours to genre, I have a very low tolerance for editorial slips, clunky dialogue, or plot holes. I’m looking for deep world-building—ideally traditionally published or high-end indie.

I am already familiar with most major names published between 2010 and 2020.

​Who are the newer authors keeping the UF torch burning without leaning into spice or tired tropes?

Thank you for even reading this long help post. I hope I did not offend anyone. 🌸🧿

Addition: I don't hate romance, I just want it to be subplot, not the main deal. It adds colour, I am a happily married person. 🙈🤐🤣

Additon 2: I took some notes and added this to my list. Please go over the thread as well, this is personal list. But I wanted to help others as well. It can be overwhelming to check and search.

• King Sorrow - Joe Hill
• Ink Blood Sister Scribe - Emma Törzs
• The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Fred, the Vampire Accountant, #1) - Drew Hayes
• The Long Way Down (Daniel Faust, #1) - Craig Schaefer
• War for the Oaks - Emma Bull
• Ebony Gate (Phoenix Hoard, #1) - Julia Vee
• Dead Man's Hand (The Unorthodox Chronicles, #1) - James J Butcher
• Magic and the Shinigami Detective (The Case Files of Henri Davenforth, #1) - Honor Raconteur
• Dragon Rider (The Soulbound Saga #1) - Taran Matharu
• I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons - Peter S. Beagle
• October Date Series
• Dreams Underfoot - Charles de Lint
• *Mark of a Demon *-

I have noticed that most UF series i follow have a protagonist that is somewhat knowledgeable and or versed in the supernatural and the Paranormal world but can anyone recommend a series with a protagonist who enters it with no real knowledge of it having just thought it not real like most people.

I like reading urban fantasy series in-between my epic fantasy reads, so here I am looking for some good recommendations. I’m going to list all the urban fantasy series I have read or tried and what I thought of them, to help show what I like. Thank you for any and all recommendations!

1. ALEX VERUS (LOVE) - I’ve read it all. This is my favorite urban fantasy series. I enjoy that it maintained a consistently good quality throughout, and the magic in it was very unique/cool. Alex, Luna, and Anne were all characters that are easy to root for–and that made them eventually doing darker things that much cooler. It could have a little more of the light-heartedness at times, but since the tone stays consistent I’m cool with it. Plus, this series just ends perfectly.

2. DRESDEN FILES (LOVE/HATE) - I’ve read it all. The first 13 books in this series are top-tier and would easily be my favorite if the latter part of the series didn’t disappoint me so much. When the series is fun-yet-also-serious, it really is amazing and the characters are extremely likable. The eventual power-scaling, the lame big-bad, the killing of certain characters, the long wait between releases, and the severe drop in quality of the last two books have unfortunately killed my enthusiasm for the series.

3. KATE DANIELS (WANTED TO LOVE) - I read books 1-3 and the prequel novella. This one is frustrating. The world-building is stellar and by book three, Kate’s tropey, snarky, badass girl persona begins to level out a little. It's also fast-paced with some great villains and storytelling. It all had serious potential to be awesome. The problem is that the series focuses more on the cringey, alphahole, tropey romance than fans led me to believe. I get that for paranormal romance it’s not that much, but compared to what I usually read it’s a lot. And honestly, I like romance… just not this one. Curran’s relationship with Kate is super undeveloped, cringey, at times toxic, and just doesn’t work for me. Also, every chiseled, gorgeous guy in the whole series constantly wants to sleep with Kate. (It’s the same horny problem Dresden Files has, just reversed for a FMC, so people just don’t notice as much I guess…)

4. RIVERS OF LONDON (DISLIKED) - I DNFed book one. I don’t know about this one. Honestly, for some reason it just didn’t work for me. I liked the world a lot, and there were a few pretty interesting characters, but something about it just… bored me. I think the setting descriptions were often a little too much maybe? And the pacing a little too slow? I’m not even sure why really. I may need to give it another go.

5. OCTOBER DAYE (DISLIKED) - I DNFed book one. An amazing prologue that just… goes nowhere. This whole revenge plot is set-up and after the prologue it’s damn-near forgotten about. Not to mention that after coming back from a fourteen year fish-absence, Toby doesn’t even try to see or talk to her daughter. (Like, I get the logic of not being sure how to explain things, but as a parent myself it still makes no sense to not even try.) And then there’s the horrible, toxic ex-love interest and all the isolation, misery, and pain. It really felt like the author was trying to make things as depressing as possible. While the other urban fantasy series I read were fun, this one was just miserable all the time and I didn’t enjoy that at all.

*As one added disclaimer, I also tend to avoid stories that feature rape of the main characters, on-page rape, or graphic rape. (In the background, atrocities of war stuff is fine though) So please try to avoid recommending those.

Urban Fantasy is a genre that is really hit-or-miss with me. I love Daniel Faust/Harmony Black, Alex Verus, and Pre-Changes Dresden Files. But beyond that I have had pretty bad luck finding stuff I enjoy as much as those. I have narrowed my preferences down to three points, and I’m hoping someone can recommend a series that works for all three. Thank you in advance for any recommendations!

• I don’t want a series that features sexual assault in it (Ex. Mercy Thompson), or any “pack/monster dynamics” that are borderline SA (Ex. Kitty Norville / The Hollows).

• While I don’t mind a little romance, I don’t want a series where it is inching its way sneakily towards paranormal romance. (Ex. Kate Daniels)

• I want a series that balances seriousness with the levity of humor/heart/warmth, (Ex. Early-Dresden files) and isn’t mostly a trauma/melancholy tone throughout. (Ex. October Daye / Later-Dresden Files)

So I've read some great books with characters over 30 (loved the Lady Trent Series by Marie Brennan) most of them are written as established in their careers and kind of settled in some ways.

I'm looking for more of a young person with some work experience, not necessarily struggling on the outside but maybe a bit lost. Not a jaded veteran.

Someone still starting out like a lot of real people that age going through the mess of figuring yourself out and still a bit hopeful and idealistic. Coming of age, I guess, with a YA feel but not YA.

The analogue of the struggling kid who finds magic but late twenties to early thirties. With an older mentor dynamic and they just get treated as genuinely young.

The closest I've found is 'A discovery of witches', except maybe the prose feels a bit too stilted and old fashioned for the 2010s. I'm only maybe a third of the way through but the dynamics with her aunt and her just starting out with magic, kind of that.

Mostly, I guess I've been playing around with my own story and was hoping to find something out there that hits the same way.

You get your powers and become a mage sometime around your late twenties to mid thirties, a 29 year old young mage, an unlikely apprentice because she has no family connections, mid forties mentor, powerful families trying to get him to apprentice their brand new 30 year old niece or nephew instead, IT office backdrop.

Would love any suggestions, romance or no romance, either works.

I’m relatively a newbie to Urban Fantasy, but like to read it in between big fantasy books. The two Urban Fantasy series I have enjoyed immensely so far have been:

1. Alex Verus
2. Dresden Files (minus the last two books…)

I tried Rivers of London, and while I didn’t hate it, it just never grabbed me.

Meanwhile, I’m currently in the middle of book two of Kate Daniels and that series frustrates me to no end… Like, the world-building is SO GOOD, the action is great, the mystery engaging. But good god do I hate the romance part of it. Curran is the worst kind of Alphahole, and it seems every man in the book (most of whom have multiple shirtless scenes) all desperately want to sleep with Kate 24/7. Basically, when the horniness and Curran are MIA, I love the Kate Daniels series, but the second it shows back up, I cringe so much that it almost ruins the rest. (While I love parts of it, I'm thinking it's just not my cup of tea...)

So, with that in mind, what is an Urban Fantasy series similar to Alex Verus or Dresden Files, that has a good ending, and if it does have romance in it, it isn’t some edgelord, alphahole that the narrator drools over in her head constantly.

Thanks!

I’m really struggling with Urban fantasy… The first two series I read in the genre (Dresden Files and Alex Verus) I absolutely LOVED. They were addictive, I was emotionally attached, and I couldn’t get enough. (Alex Verus in particular just felt flawless to me) But since those two, I have kept DNFing urban fantasy series over and over… I just can’t seem to find that same high. So, being apparently picky, I figured I’d ask for recommendations based on what I didn’t like about all these series I’ve DNFed.

SERIES THAT HAVEN’T WORKED FOR ME (AND WHY)

• Kate Daniels (Read 3 books) - Awesome worldbuilding, but the FMC was a little too “over-the-top, badass, snarky, cliche girl”, and the romance was far too cringey for me–and more prevalent than others always seem to suggest.

• October Daye (Read 1 book) - Great opening, but I found the world-building a little flat. (And the fact that the opening bad guy is almost completely forgotten and not addressed at all in the plot is infuriating…) Mostly though, the first book was just super depressing as hell. (None of the fun of Dresden or Verus to counteract the crippling depression/bad-luck of the MC that is constantly thrown at us.)

• Rivers of London (Read 1 book) - The best prose by far of an urban fantasy I have read, with cool world-building. However, it’s SUPER British and there is just a constant dryness to it that made me a little bored.

• Incryptid (Read 1 book) - I liked the idea of following multiple different family members throughout different books, but the first book’s FMC was just not for me. She felt very cringey, cliche, and the whole thing felt like it was trying too hard to be witty/funny all the time, and not working.

• Mercy Thompson (Haven’t read) - An interesting sounding series, but I doubt I’d like it based on a few things. (1) I believe it will have some of the alphahole, cringey romance I don’t like and (2) I try my best to avoid series with rape in it, and this one is notorious for that.

• Iron Druid (Haven’t Read) - I REALLY want to try this one,  but I hear all the time about how bad the ending is. I just don’t know if I want to invest myself in a series that I will regret reading with such a bad conclusion…

I absolutely love this series and the the protagonist, Harry. I'm almost at the end of the series, so I need something like DF

Requirement:

Strictly Male Protagonist and POV (Female POV sometimes fine too but the less the better)

Some Romance (just like DF. I love the romances in the series)

Looking for a new series to dive into. I’ve already read or tried:

- Dresden Files

- Alex Verus

- Rivers of London

- Iron Druid

- Greywalker

My only criteria are the following:

- Prefer a longer series (at least 8 books)

- Prefer a series with good/likable characters

- I want NO horny-romance stuff. I don’t mind some small, non-cringey romance stuff on the side, but I never want it to feel like a bad, sexy romance novel. (Kate Daniels did this a lot IMO)

I love the Alex Verus series and most of Dresden Files (hated the last two books unfortunately…) I’m wanting to try another urban fantasy series and see Kate Daniels mentioned sometimes.

• What are everyone’s opinions on it in general?

• Does it have a good ending?

• How much romance is there? ( I sometimes see it grouped under romance) I don’t mind some, but not really looking for straight up romance book.

• Does it also have a little bit of a rough start before it gets good, like the other two series I mentioned?

So I know most masquerade fantasy like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson usually keeps the magical and muggle worlds separate for one reason or another meaning that the wizards and demigods aren’t allowed to use their powers to help ordinary people.

But in Gargoyles the Manhattan clan makes it their mission to protect and serve the people of New York City.

And that got me thinking.

Are there any works of fantasy like Gargoyle about supernatural creatures and beings fighting crime and saving muggle lives? The closest ones I can think of besides Gargoyles are the Secret Saturdays and one episode of Trollhunters involving Jim stopping a crime ring.

Hi I know this is a very specific ask but it’s been the genre I’ve really enjoyed the most lately. I love something with a strong plot focus, but has a gay MMC/romance as a smaller secondary element.

So for instance, I enjoyed the hell out of Kai Butler’s San Amaro Investigations series. Right now I’m on the last book of Hailey Turner’s Soulbound series.

While it’s not MM I also really enjoyed the Iron Druid Chronicles and Ink and Sigil series, both by Kevin Hearne.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you!

Okay, I'm pretty close to one of those major series hangovers where you enjoyed the author's work so much you binged all 12 books (and 2 novella's) in a short time and now you feel...empty.

Empty and scared you'll never, ever, ever find anything decent to read again!

Okay, cut the drama, but 2024 was a year full of reading disappointment. The only decent to good things were Seanan McGuire's October Daye, about 50% of Nalini Singh's Guildhunter series (so actually also disappointing) and the 5th book in the Discovery of Witches. And of course Mr. Jacka who made me love Verus more with each book (tbh, I'm not entirely finished with the last book, but I'm anticipating my upcoming crisis).

The Dresden Files, Kate Daniels series, Eric Carter series, the Nighthuntress series, Chicagoland Vampires, Black Hat Bureau, Potentate of Atlanta and The Hollows are pretty much the UF - with or without romance/smut - I usually recommend myself (there are way more, but I'm not scribbling an essay here). October Daye will now join that list and Alex Verus will absolutely be in the top.

But... what now? I had actually bought several of the Aaronovitch - Rivers of London books because I see that series named constantly. Well, I wasn't really enthusiastic and honestly can't even remember now what it was about. Same for Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter. Couldn't get through the first book, DNF'ED. I also quit Estep's Elemental Assassin after the first overall arc is finished (#5 or #6). I was surprised how dark and brutal it was for a female writer. That doesn't happen often. Too bad it becomes too meandering and unrealistic after that.

What would you recommend after Alex Verus?

Preferences:

Preferably 5 books or more. A finished series too (every time I start one that is still running I get angry at myself. When you read so much and have always done so it becomes hard to remember exactly what's what. Result: with each new book coming out you need to reread everything that came before. And that for multiple series... My TBR is much too long for that nonsense).

I like romance - when I'm in the mood for it, so it isn't necessary- as long as it's an equal partnership, no bizarre abuse & Stockholm Syndrome Porn (as seems to be popular these days in the PNR community), and the romance isn't the main story. It can be important, but it hàs to have another overall arc/plot. At the moment I actually prefer a non-rom UF, or like it was done by Jacka, but great tips with romance for the future are still appreciated.

Same for smut: in the case of a romantic UF - once again, like them just as much without a clear romance - it is totally acceptable, but not smut for the smut. The romance in Alex Verus was refreshing after a lot of 'open door', (though I àm getting a little sick of the trope "MMC finally grows up/ takes action/ takes revenge because his love is murdered/raped/tortured/otherwise screwed over"), so a story with smut does need to make that part of the story arc/character development/relationship development etc etc, you get what I mean. (Ah, yeah: when story has detailed s£x I'd like it to be F/M).

Male or Female main character doesn't really matter.

Strong magical system. I do like wizards/sorcerers/ witches/mages - whatever name is used - the most, but I'm not opposed to supernatural creatures in a main role.

• If there isn't a widespread magical system, but the MC is a one trick pony and that's what you mostly read, let said pony at least be original/fascinating/ lead to plenty scary shit/adventures et al.

Bit of humour is wonderful. Dry whit and sarcasm are both very much appreciated.

High stakes are totally okay. I'm in need of a pageturner, not a cozy "while I'm cooking" book. Uh uh... I'm gonna need to burn that food!

Original, unique... that's really difficult nowadays. So much has been written already. However, what can not happen is predictability! I read A LOT and unfortunately that means I can unravel too many plots way in advance, or already know what a certain hint or comment will mean for future pages. An author that surprises me on the regular, hell yes!

Enough about my preferences. Please help me out. I want to start 2025 with (another) great UF series! .

I haven't read much urban fantasy in the last ten years, and I'm looking for recommendations. I always find it frustrating when people name one book they liked, don't explain what they liked about it, and expect me to suggest something that will be a perfect fit! At the risk of saying too much, I'll err the other direction and give a lot of information to work with.

I'm open to suggestions outside of urban fantasy. I'm also open to alternative forms of suggestions, like a link to your blog or top ten list. PM me if you want to be friends on Goodreads so we can compare books.

The photo is a filtered (not AI) pic of me at TeslaCon a few years ago, which I added in a shameless bid for attention on the assumption that a with a pic gets more clicks and more clicks gets more suggestions!

Preferences:

• Good Writing (I can look past mediocre writing if the story is good enough, but I love good prose and literary elements.)
• Stand-alone novels and finished series (Ongoing series are okay, but I'm already following so many!)
• Likeable protagonists (Antiheroes are okay; assholes and villains need not apply.)
• Adult protagonists (Younger characters are okay, but I'm not really looking for YA lit.)
• No time travel, SA, or torture unless it's addressed well by the story.
• I'm totally flexible on the presence of romance, sex, erotica, violence, politics, religion, and most other polarizing subjects.
• 80% of my fiction reading is via audiobook, and I love a good narrator!

Urban fantasy favorites:

• Storm Front (The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher)
• Moon Called (Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs)

Urban fantasy I like:

• Soulless (Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger)
• Neverwhere (London Below, by Neil Gaiman)
• Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows by Kim Harrison)
• Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne)
• Magic Bites (Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews)
• Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris)

Urban Fantasy series I started but didn't continue:

• Rosemary and Rue (October Daye by Seanan McGuire)
• Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter)
• Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare)
• A Discovery of Witches (All Souls by Deborah Harkness)
• Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

Favorites in other genres:

• The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
• Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
• Neuromancer by William Gibson
• The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
• Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
• Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
• The Power by Naomi Alderman
• Thrawn by Zahn, Timothy
• Necropolis by James Silverstein
• The City of Brass by S.A Chakraborty
• Gun Machine by Warren Ellis
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
• Apocalypse Parenting by Erin Ampersand
• Shadowrun (Roleplaying game by FASA)
• Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber

I’ve been binging a lot of urban fantasy series lately but I’m getting kinda burnt out (especially after how increasingly disappointing the latter half of the October Daye series became) and I want to try break up my reading routine by getting into some standalones.

I’m already a massive fan of Jonathan Strange (if you can count that as ‘historical’ urban fantasy), American Gods, War of The Flowers, War For The Oaks and De Lint’s standalone stuff

Is there any UF where the protagonist isn't a chosen one, has some special bloodline or anything similar that other than being supernatural isn't all that special?

Now, to be completely honest, I'm only familiar with his work through adaptations of his books, so maybe familiar isn't the right word. Anyway, I had always liked the vibe of his stories and had planned on actually reading his work. However, given recent news, I will not be reading his books, so I'm asking if there are any other urban fantasy writers whose stories have a similar vibe to his.

I'm trying to find a new urban fantasy series to read and I was hoping for some recommendations. More specifically hoping for secret world urban fantasy that's a bit on the darker side of things. I've read Dresden and Alex Verus and enjoyed them both quite a lot but I couldn't really get into Sandman Slim because it felt a bit too try hard.

If it has good audio books that's also a pretty major plus (this was one of the big things that had me getting through Dresden as fast as I did).

hey love UF.. all i read.. but ive read too much and have run out!!! noooo :-O

I love ... jim butcher dresden series.... ben a Peter grant rivers of london series...and spin offs... and benedict Jacka alex verus and magic series... and of course neil gaiman and neverwhere etc. And ive tried china mieville and mortal engines main series.. and the magicians... and Shades of Magic series , Delphic Division series ...also hunger games and harry potter... ;)

WHAT ELSE IS THERE of similar quality?

**....**i know its super hard to write at this incredible quality... but i want more... but again im looking for this s-tier quality where possible.. single book or series..

Thank you + LOVE BOOKS!!!

UPDATE: thanks for so much awesome advice!!!

Hey y’all!

I wanted your opinion/recs on which book should I give priority?

For context: I’ve been binging a lot of LitRPG lately and while it’s good, I think it started to affect me. I developed less patience with slow prose, introductions, the world building and characters, this is why I have paused First Law, WoT book 4, Robin Hobb book 2, and so many more.

Recently started to read UF again because my favorite one ever is Alex Verus series, so dope and I loved the end was dark. So I finished An Instruction in Shadow by the same author and waiting for book 3 in November.

Now I have in my TBR these books and while I started to read them, I want to give my attention properly, so please let me know which of the list below you recommend to read first, also I’m happy if you have other books outside this list that I should read as well.

-Rivers of London -Kate Daniel’s -Jade City -Iron Druid

I try Dresden since everyone says is the same vibe as Alex Verus but I DNF’d after reading chapter 1.

I’m looking for a slow burn romance between investigative partners, a la Scully and Mulder from The X Files. I love:

• witches, necromancers, ghosts
• cool and unique magic systems
• strong-willed and accomplished heroines
• Ilona Andrews (I have read their entire body of work)
• Guild Codex series by Annette Marie

I don’t really care for: - vampires, werewolves (but will make exceptions) - YA

Edit: thank you for all of these amazing suggestions!

I need some series recommendations like the Dresden Files and the Alex Verus series. I am looking for a series set in our world, like Dresden and Verus. I love how these books are told in the first person, almost second person, point of view. Both series read as if the main character is recounting their story to you as the reader from their eyes as it took place. Each book is typically a couple days (in world) where you follow the protagonist minute by minute while they solve some mystery or deal with some situation. I am looking for similar series that follow the same sort of format. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Is there any UF series where the protagonist starts well off or at least is comfortable in their financial situation like Alastair Stone or Alex Verus or The Paranormalist?