Stories where London looks familiar, until the rules change.
London has always been good at holding contradictions. Old and modern. Orderly and unhinged. Polite on the surface, strange just beneath it.
That makes it perfect fodder for fantasy. Alternate London fantasy books take the version of the city we recognize and bend it, flood it, weaponize it, or hide entire systems beneath it. Magic in the alleys. Monsters in government offices. Histories that took a hard left somewhere around the Industrial Revolution.
If you’re looking specifically for alternate London fantasy books, not just stories that happen to be set in London, this list sticks to titles where the city itself has been fundamentally changed.
What Counts as an Alternate London Fantasy Book?
An alternate London fantasy book starts with a recognizable version of the city and then rewrites something essential about how it works.
That shift can be magical, historical, political, or structural, but it has to matter. The London in these stories is not just a backdrop. It shapes the plot, the power structures, and the way characters move through the world.
Common forms of alternate Londons include:
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Hidden magical systems operating alongside modern life
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Rewritten or divergent historical Londons
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Dystopian or post-apocalyptic versions of the city
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Parallel or layered Londons occupying the same physical space
If the story would fall apart without its altered version of London, it belongs here.
