Forget castles and knights on horseback, urban fantasy books dive into the gritty reality of city streets, back alleys, and towering skyscrapers. They add magic or paranormal folk like vampires, witches, and more to blur the boundaries of the mundane and give readers something truly unique.
The following urban fantasy books are on our must-read list for 2025.
Book of Night
Charlie Hall made a lot of mistakes in her past: lock picking, book stealing, bad decision mistakes. Now, she’s switched from working for shadow magicians called gloamists to bartending in the Berkshires.
The past has a way of catching up to you, though, and she’s thrust back into the world of crime, lies, and magic that she tried to escape.
Fans of Holly Black’s storytelling might also enjoy exploring An Introduction to The Cruel Prince Series, which delves into her captivating world of faeries, betrayal, and intrigue.
Moon Called
The first book in a 14-book series introduces readers to Mercedes Thompson, an amazing mechanic and coyote shapeshifter.
With alpha wolves right next door and a host of magical problems filling the world, she knows she should keep her eyes down and keep working. Things have a way of getting out of control in truly entertaining ways.
Neverwhere
This national bestseller by the well-respected Gaiman sends readers on an adventure in the London underground.
Richard Mayhew’s simple generosity to an injured street girl launches an adventure through a world filled with monsters and angels, murderers and bizarre forces he’d never seen before.
If you enjoy dark fantasy with richly imagined worlds, consider reading Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, a masterpiece blending mythology, dreams, and the surreal.
A Blade So Black
Take a new look at Alice in Wonderland in this urban fantasy retelling that follows a working university student into a realm of nightmares and danger.
The book has plenty of action as Alice learns to fight fierce creatures all on the quest to find an antidote that will help her poisoned mentor. It’s the first book in an unforgettable trilogy.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Winner of a long list of bestsellers awards including finalist as Book of the Year in 2020, this story follows immortal yet immediately forgotten woman, Addie LaRue, through many adventures.
From 1714 France to the modern world, she experiences all the world has to offer except personal connection. That is… until she runs into the first person in three centuries who remembers her name.
This beautifully written tale is a perfect cozy read for fall, with its timeless charm and atmospheric storytelling.
Ninth House
Near-victim of a mass murder, Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern receives a full ride to Yale University instead. There’s a catch, of course.
Yale’s well-known for its secret societies, and the people who put Alex on her path want to know more. She ends up getting a more interesting education than she could’ve ever imagined as she learns more about their sinister and magical events, most of them surrounding murder or raising the dead.
With its dark academia vibes and chilling mysteries, Ninth House is a must-read book for fall, perfect for cozy nights.
The Masquerades of Spring
This unique historical urban fantasy follows foppish Augustus Berrycloth-Young through New York’s jazz scene, through mysteries, some romance, and shadowy magic full of intrigue and music.
The book is related to the author’s popular series that begins with Rivers of London.
Rivers of London
The start of this long urban fantasy series follows former police constable Peter Grant into a wild and magical world full of murder, mysteries, vampires, deities, and more.
Readers will enjoy the easy prose style that helps them dive right into the paranormal world in London.
Storm Front
This is book one in the very popular “The Dresden Files” series.
Paranormal investigator Harry Dresden works with the Chicago police department, displays his wizardry skills, and helps them hunt down a black magic practitioner accused and guilty of a double homicide.
Vampire Weekend
Vampires aren’t anything like you’d been led to believe.
This urban fantasy book dives into a more mundane world of the long-lived bloodsuckers. Louise Chao feels a connection to a long-lost relative, but once he finds out she’s a vampire, everything changes.
Trail of Lightning
Hugo and Nebula Award finalist and ranked one of the top 100 fantasy books of all times, this story follows Maggie, monster hunter, down dark paths on her quest to rescue a missing girl. With an enigmatic medicine man at her side, they head to the rez and dive into Native American legends and mysteries.
The world building itself plays a big role in the adventure, and readers will connect easily with the characters.
Vicious
A pair of college roommates with too much curiosity for their own good start to experiment with paranormal abilities and near-death experiences. Theory becomes reality, but something goes wrong, which leads one of them to prison.
This twisted tale of superheroes, sidekicks, and revenge brings readers on a wild ride through a gritty world where the lines between good and evil blur.
Fated
Fabio, otherwise known as Fate, has always been in charge of doling out fortunes and failures to people.
Not interesting, uplifting people either. He mostly deals with the dregs of society like drug addicts and politicians. He’s buddies with Sloth and Gluttony, always in competition with Death, envious of Destiny’s more positive outcomes, and now he’s broken the most important rule: Never fall in love with a human.
House of Earth and Blood
Start a trilogy by well-known urban fantasy author and explore the life of Bryce Quinlan, hard-working and partying woman who gets wrapped up in a demon murder investigation. She pairs up with Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel, to avenger her friends and uncover the killer. Together, they battle dark powers, enjoy steamy romance, and finally save each other.
If you love epic fantasy with rich characters and intense romance, be sure to check out A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Series by Sarah J. Maas for another captivating adventure.
Starlight Witch
Combine urban fantasy and a slow-burn romance into a story that launches a six-book series. After discovering her husband cheating on her, she loses everything. Luckily, she finds refuge and a job at The Twilight Hotel, a paranormal sanctuary in Manhattan.
While adjusting to her new life, she encounters Valen, a secretive restaurant owner who exudes danger. They must work together to keep the hotel open.
Kingdom of Air and Duty
Follow the adventures of Rebecca, assistant to the physicist Howard Bristol, as she helps open a portal to the fae realm. When it explodes, leaving behind Kaval, a mysterious creature, they must return him before danger strikes. Hunted by a sinister force, Rebecca battles growing feelings for Kaval in a world where science meets magic.
Dive into an urban fantasy of love, friendship, and survival against the odds in this unique urban fantasy book.
Consider broadening your horizons with other captivating fantasy reads. Explore the spooky vibes of dark fantasy, dive into the deeper stories of adult fantasy, or get lost in exciting series like An Ember in the Ashes by Saaba Tahir or The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros.
