Best Urban Fantasy Books for Readers Who Like Magic Close to Home

About the book

Raven Crawford knows better than to venture into the seductive world of the dark fae or agree to any of their salacious promises. She plans to pay off her debts so she can get on with her life and stay far away from the denizens of the Underworld.

Unfortunately, her numbskull twin steals from the most tempting and lethal fae of them all. Now, Raven must help the Lord of Shadows get back what her idiot brother stole. Her only weapons? Just a little ingenuity and a whole lot of snark. It’s suicide for sure, but she’ll do anything to protect her twin.

About the book

Joey Finch’s ordinary life ends with a single, fateful encounter that reveals Sydney’s supernatural underworld. Magic is real—and so are the monsters.

Thrown into a world of tech-savvy elves, sun-drenched witches, and impeccably dressed vampires, Joey struggles to master The Cascade, a powerful magic taught by the enigmatic Custodian Mary Blackthorne. But she’s hiding secrets—deadly ones.

As chaos brews in the city’s shadowy corners, ancient demons and legendary creatures rise, threatening to destroy everything. Joey must adapt quickly, but mastering magic is harder than it looks, especially when every spell seems to bring him closer to danger.

Time is running out, and the city’s survival might depend on Joey’s courage. Can he face the storm brewing beneath Sydney, or will it consume him first?

About the book

Thief. Private Investigator. Shadow Walker.

Lloyd Gibson has a secret, one he used to steal everything under the sun. But when his last job went bad, he vanished into Calgary, hiding out in an abandoned warehouse with nothing but a rat for company. Too scarred to keep living as a thief, he put his talent to use elsewhere: private investigation. Unlicensed and unwilling to draw attention, he survives on the scraps legitimate agencies won’t touch. The pay is terrible, the clients are lunatics, and the boredom is eating him alive.

Then Mireya Delgado calls with a genuine case: a series of unexplained arsons that don’t play by normal rules. What begins as routine legwork pulls Lloyd into an eighty-year-old conspiracy, pitting him against a firestarter with enough power to turn Calgary into ash.

But as dangerous as the arsonist is, Lloyd has a trick of his own: the Noctis, a shadow realm beneath the city where light—and flames—cannot follow.

In Like Lloyd blends urban fantasy, conspiracy-driven sci-fi, and noir-inspired mystery. Perfect for fans of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files who want sharp-tongued protagonists, secret organizations, and investigations that cut deeper than they should.

About the book

From New York Times bestselling author David Mack comes a visionary World War II-era adventure. The Midnight Front is the epic first novel in the Dark Arts series.

On the eve of World War Two, Nazi sorcerers come gunning for Cade but kill his family instead. His one path of vengeance is to become an apprentice of The Midnight Front—the Allies' top-secret magickal warfare program—and become a sorcerer himself.

Unsure who will kill him first—his allies, his enemies, or the demons he has to use to wield magick—Cade fights his way through occupied Europe and enemy lines. But he learns too late the true price of revenge will be more terrible than just the loss of his soul—and there's no task harder than doing good with a power born of ultimate evil.

About the book

A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with reality-bending magic, and sapphic romance, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso.

In the Deep Echoes, no one can save you.

Star investigator Kembral Thorne has a few hours away from her newborn, and she just wants to relax and enjoy the year-turning party. But when people start dropping dead, she’s got to get to work. Especially when she finds that mysterious forces are plunging the whole party down through layers of reality and into nightmare.

One layer down: It's no big deal. Stay alert, and you’ll be fine.

Two, three layers down: Natural laws are negotiable, and things get very strange.

Four layers down: There are creatures with eyes in their teeth and walls that drip blood. Most people who fall this far never return.

Luckily, Kem isn’t most people. But as cosmic powers align and the hour grows late, she’ll have to work with her awfully compelling nemesis, notorious cat burglar Rika Nonesuch, for a chance to save her city—though not her night off.

About the book

John Cook’s life began the day his heart stopped beating — and his soul was traded for a chance at revenge.

Now five centuries old, John is a vampire with a snarky wit and a dad-bod immortalized by Hell’s deal. But immortality has a catch: if he dies again, his sin-soaked soul is headed straight for Hell. Determined to change his fate, John teams up with Father Thomes, a modern-day priest who believes John can use his powers for good.

As they hunt down cultists, demons, and others deserving of judgment, John starts to see hope for his tarnished soul. But then a prophecy of the apocalypse looms, and he finds himself at its center.

Can a vampire seeking redemption stop the end of days — or become its catalyst?

About the book

Seriously funny contemporary urban fantasy fiction.

Luck. If only you could bottle it...

Matt Danmor’s brush with death uncovers a fantastical truth, plunging him into a world of intrigue and chaos.

With his ex, Silvy, back at his side and Kylah from The Dept. of Fimmigration ever watchful, he stumbles into a plot to undermine civilisation across several worlds. Matt is faced with a simple choice. Believe that everything he sees is a figment of his traumatised imagination, or accept that it is all terrifyingly real.

In which case, he’s got a hell of a lot of catching up to do. Plus a whole hive of demonic zealots to fight.

The multiverse is holding on for a hero.

Trouble is, Matt never got the memo…

Fiends In High Places is the debut Fantasy Crime Thriller in the Hipposync Archives series.

Perfect for fans of Tom Holt, Jin Butcher, and Ben Aaronovitch.

‘Master of occult intrigue and wit, DC Farmer delivers supreme urban fantasy crime stories. Expect addictive, hilarious adventures…and not much sleep.' 5* AMZ.

'looking for something different to fill the gaps between Tom Holt, Jim Butcher, and the late lamented Sir Terry? DC Farmer hits the ground running… ' 5* AMZ

'What a gem of a book. Interesting, engaging, daftly funny and captivating. A very welcome addition to the ranks of humorous fantasy. Well written with a lovely plot and I think Rimsplitter the vulture is one of the best comedic inventions...' AMZ review

About the book

After eight centuries of dying and reincarnating into the nearest corpse, you’d think I’d have mastered the art of immortality. You’d be wrong.

Once a heretical priest, now a snarky supernatural wildcard, I’ve made undeath into an art form—mostly dramatic, occasionally inconvenient. But my not-so-peaceful corner of Southern France is under celestial lockdown, thanks to some angelic runes with a serious God complex.

Worse? The heavenly host seems to be cosplaying Sith Lords, and if they get their way, there won’t be a world left for me to reincarnate into.

Armed with nothing but sarcasm, questionable magic, and centuries of poor life choices, I’ve got one job: stop the apocalypse before it finally sticks.

Death’s easy. Coming back? That’s the trick.

About the book

A murdered wizard. A vanishing killer. A black portal that opens into another world.

When warrior monk Stonne Caris witnesses a killing followed by the impossible, he’s sent on a mission to find Antryg Windrose, a brilliant mage with a reputation for madness. The clues point to a force that crosses dimensions—and something far worse coming through.

On the other side of that Void is Joanna Sheraton, a computer programmer with zero interest in magic or monsters. But when that force reaches into her world and pulls her across, she’s left with no choice but to fight.

With magic crumbling, tech colliding with sorcery, and worlds hanging in the balance, Joanna and Caris must face an enemy that can erase reality itself.

Welcome to the Windrose Chronicles.

About the book

Julius is a dragon, technically. Unfortunately, he is also the smallest and meekest member of the ruthless Heartstriker clan. His survival strategy has always been simple: keep quiet, avoid fights, and hope no one notices him. His mother has finally noticed.

Fed up with his timid ways, Bethesda strips Julius of his true form and casts him into the DFZ, a dangerous vertical city built on the ruins of Old Detroit. He has one month to prove he can be ruthless enough to earn back his scales or lose his dragon self forever.

In a world of mages, spirits, and cutthroat schemes, Julius will need allies, courage, and luck.

Because in this city, nice dragons do not just finish last—they rarely finish at all.

About the book

Al MacBharrais has a magical gift for sigils and spellcasting ink. He also has a curse that makes people hate him the moment he speaks. Combine that with a string of mysteriously dead apprentices, and Al’s life is one weird magical mess.

When his latest apprentice turns up dead, Al uncovers a criminal double life and a mystery that leads straight into the heart of Scotland’s magical underworld. Armed with enchanted ink, clever sigils, and a foul-mouthed hobgoblin sidekick, Al must untangle a conspiracy involving rogue Fae and ancient magic.

From the world of The Iron Druid Chronicles, Ink & Sigil kicks off a fresh and quirky urban fantasy series full of charm, action, and one unforgettable mustachioed spellcrafter.

About the book

Baton. Light. Chocolate. Duck.

This is not DS Adams’ usual kit. This is not DS Adams’ usual case. She doesn’t think it’s anyone’s usual case, not with the vanishing children and the looming bridge and the hungry river. Not with the snap-snap-snap.

But six kids are missing, and she’s not going to let there be a seventh. Not on her watch. And she knows how to handle human monsters, after all. How different can this really be?

So: Baton. Light. Chocolate. And the bloody duck.

Let’s be having you, then.

What Happened in London is the story of how not-yet-DI Adams came to Toot Hansell, the village at the centre of the Beaufort Scales cozy mysteries. It is not, however, a cozy mystery. Urban fantasy with a good dose of humour, snark, and ducks, this is the story of one detective who's determined to follow the evidence wherever it takes her, even when it contradicts everything she knows to be real.

For Beaufort readers, this is a much darker story. There is some violence, but none of it graphic, and there is no strong language, although there is some blasphemy.

And the snap-snap-snap ...

About the book

Celebrating ten years of the Hugo-nominated and New York Times-bestselling October Daye urban fantasy series comes a new anniversary edition of the book that started it all, with a new bonus novella.

The world of Faerie never disappeared; it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie's survival—but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born.

Outsiders from birth, these half-human, half-fae children spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October "Toby" Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas...

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery...before the curse catches up with her.

This edition features an all-new October Daye novella, Strangers in Court. Toby knew what she was doing when she threw her lot in with Devin, but when the time comes to get out, she has a little less of a clue. In order to win her freedom, she must do something to impress the local nobility—and the collapse of the Queen's knowe would seem to be exactly the opportunity she's been waiting for to prove herself! Set well before the events of Rosemary and Rue, this is a rare look at Toby's past as a changeling street rat, before she discovered her destiny as a Hero of the Realm.

About the book

‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ is the first book in the Vanguard Series and follows the journey of protagonist, John Vanguard, through the dark and corrupt city of D’Orsee. A Grimdark gas lamp novel, ‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and betrayal against the backdrop of a world where survival often means compromising your values. Amidst the gas lamp shadows former soldier-turned-mercenary John Vanguard hunts criminals at the behest of his corrupt employer, Captain Felix Sanquain. Shamed by his deserter past and seeking to make amends for his many misdeeds, a chance encounter with Tarryn Leersac – a skilled young would-be-assassin fallen from the graces of high society – leads Vanguard to become an unlikely mentor. Charged with hunting down the killer of two guards left washed up on the banks of the canal, the further Vanguard delves into the underbelly of the city the more he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets and lies. A prominent aristocrat is missing. Crime lords, con men and harlots run amok and the city teeters on the brink of another revolution. With his already precarious reputation hanging by a thread, Vanguard must piece together how and why the last war came to pass, find a way to earn redemption for his mistakes and come to terms with the past in a city where few survive, and even fewer can be trusted.

About the book

“Claimed by destiny and forged for war.”

Eighteen-year-old Ara has always been different. As a hunter living on the northern edge of civilization, he possesses an uncanny ability to sense predators lurking in the dark—and worse. After killing a demonic assassin with nothing but his hunting knife and sheer determination, Ara’s quiet life is shattered forever.

His victory doesn’t go unnoticed.

Branded and claimed by the mysterious Order of the Vigil, Ara is thrust into a world where demons crawl through portals from Hell itself, threatening to devour everything he's ever cared about. The kingdom’s demon attacks aren't random—someone is weaponizing Hell itself, and entire cities are paying the price.

As a marked recruit, Ara soon discovers that the greatest battles aren’t always fought with blade and claw. Hidden powers and deadly secrets collide with political schemes that span multiple realms. Alongside unlikely allies—including an exiled dark elf princess with deadly secrets of her own—Ara learns he must do more than simply survive. He must embrace the monster within to protect those he loves.

Perfect for fans of Anthony Ryan and Michael J. Sullivan, Firefanged launches an epic dark fantasy saga where coming-of-age meets demon-slaying action in a richly imagined world of political intrigue, unlikely alliances, and unbreakable bonds.

About the book

Ivy Monroe is happy enough being normal. And despite her relatively humdrum life, the theatre bookings agent feels perfectly fulfilled by her hard-working career. Until a dashing man with a cryptic assumed identity reveals she’s the first human familiar in a millennium.

Stunned to find she’s already broken the rules by binding herself to the suave vampire instead of a witch, Ivy’s unwitting actions plunge her into a necromancer’s vendetta. And in a realm where one ill-advised alliance can be fatal, she struggles to gain control over her unruly magic as she fights to avoid a deadly choice.

Can she escape a dangerous destiny before she’s sent to her doom?

From Death to Dawn is the thrilling first book in the Hallowed Ground urban fantasy series. If you like enchanting characters, engaging action, and ruthless enemies, then you’ll love Chele Cooke’s spellbinding page-turner.