Fun Urban Fantasy Reads!

Urban fantasy combines fantasy elements with a modern setting, which is AWESOME! But because it is one of the biggest subgenres of fantasy it can be tough to find a series you love.

To help you out I've teamed up with the avid readers in my communities to put this list together! It includes books in Kindle Unlimited and books that you should be able to borrow from your local library with a variety of tropes and romance levels represented so there should be something for everyone!

Please note: These books vary a lot on language and level of romance spice! Make sure you check out the reviews so you don’t end up with something you’re not comfortable with!

My Top Picks for Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance:

Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs: This series is the classic, quintessential urban fantasy series! Mercy Thompson is smart, kick-butt, and is pals with some of the baddest werewolves in town. Check this out if you want a masterfully told, classic! (Warning, there is some strong language!)

City Between by W. R. Gingell: This isn’t going to come to as a surprise to many of you, but I ADORE this series! It has tricky fae, vain vampires, twisty worlds, witty dialogue, action, and more. It’s so, so good! If you haven’t picked it up yet, you need to.

1-800-Where-R-U by Meg Cabot: This series squeaks the line of urban fantasy–it’s technically more supernatural–but if you want a hilarious/ laugh out loud YA series with mystery and adventure, this series is for you. (For more of an UF flare you could check out Cabot’s “The Mediator,” But 1-800-Where-R-U is funnier. Just sayin’!)

My Urban Fantasy Trilogies:

Yes I'm going to do a shameless plug for my books, but considering they've earned over 100,000 reviews across Amazon and Goodreads I feel like there are many readers who would agree with this recommendation!

Hall of Blood and Mercy by K. M. Shea: Vampires, wizards, and fae, oh my! This trilogy follows the scrappy wizard, Hazel Medeis, and her misadventures as she gets kicked out of her house and moves in with a pack of vampires.

Court of Midnight and Deception by K. M. Shea: What can possibly go wrong when a half-fae just minding her own business gets caught up in the search for the new ruler of the Night Court? Features a slow burn romance between a reluctant fae queen and the assassin who tried to kill her.

Pack of Dawn and Destiny by K. M. Shea: When werewolves start turning feral and mindlessly attacking innocent humans Hunter Pip will be forced to team up with werewolf Alpha Greyson to crush the source of the outbreak. (Forbidden Romance AND Fated Mates combined!)

Gate of Myth and Power by K. M. Shea: Chloe can turn into a cat! Unfortunately for her Noctus, the deadly elf king secretly living in her city, decided to do a good deed and adopts the "stray cat" that the local fae are picking on. This story is a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth (yes, really!).

Magic on Main Street by K. M. Shea: By night, they fight in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. By day, they are friendly next-door neighbors. Neither of them know that their alter egos are archenemies. An enemies to lovers romance with a Vampire and a Vampire Slayer!

Other Book Recommendations from my Reader Community:

Life After by Julie Hall

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

The Therian Way by Kimberly A Rogers

Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron

Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn

Young Wizards by Diane Duane

Fae of Falls River by Stormie Black

Stale-Mate by Rachel E Scott

Beneath Fated Bonds by Anna Hawke

To Protect a Wolf by Charlotte Vane

Slouch Witch by Helen Harper

The Dragon of 23rd Street by Haley Ryan

Obsidian Queen by Shannon Lynn Cook

Aileen Travers by T. A. White

The Guild Codex by Annette Marie

Ridley Kane Chronicles by Rachel Morgan

Relentless by Karen Lynch

The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews

The Steel City Genie by Janeen Ippolito

Immortal Academy by S. L. Morgan

Stray Souls by Kate Griffin

Magic Ex Libris by Jim C Hines

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Borrowed Magic by Stephanie Foxe

The Other Realm by Heather G. Harris

Linsey Hall’s books (newest books are spicy, oldest are fade to black)

Dead Spots by Melissa F Olson

The Dragon’s Dream by DC Fergerson

Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa

Rumpelstiltskin Fairy Tale Retellings

Long overshadowed by much more popular fairy tales the story of Rumpelstiltskin was not graced with a Disney adaptation. To add insult to injury, most retellings paint Rumpelstiltskin as a villain and the king (who threatens to kill the miller's daughter if she can't spin straw into gold, which is an impossible task btw) as the hero.

Yeah, I don't like that part.

When writing my version of the retelling it allowed me to make some pretty major differences to the original – most notably I made Rumpelstiltskin the hero. But enough about that, here's a giant list of fairy tale retellings for you to find your next read! (Some of them even switched Rumpelstiltskin to the role of hero like I did!)

Rumpelstiltskin by K.M. Shea – Yes, here’s my version! Gemma is a quiet seamstress who is imprisoned in the castle dungeons when her drunken father makes false claims about her ability to spin straw into gold. Luckily, there just happens to be a mage, Rumpelstiltskin, in town who can help her. (Stil (the hero in this book) would be proud to tell you that he consistently ranks near the top in my hero polls.)

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde – I love this author so it’s no surprise she made this list! This book is actually a collection of 6 short stories all related to the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin. You might be tempted to skip this one since it’s short stories but it is really, really good! There is a bit of something for everyone in these stories and the way she describes the original story is what first inspired me to do my series of blog posts where I review the original fairy tale with my own humor inserted everywhere!

That’s not the whole list! I took this to my reader community, and they came up with a bunch more recommendations for you! (I asked them for no spice and low language but check reviews if that is a concern for you.)

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Queen of Gold and Straw by Shari L. Tapscott

Forged Gold by Abigail Manning

Goldheart by Kenley Davidson

The Princess Pact by Melanie Cellier

Repaying the Wrongs by Nellie Peters

Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn

The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

Pathways by Camille Peters

The Spinner and the Slipper by Camryn Lockhart

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Granny Rumple by Jane Yolen (in How to Fracture a Fairy Tale)

Straw Into Gold by Gary Schmidt

The Miller’s Girl by Nina Clare

My Unfair Godmother by Jannette Rallison

Lies of Golden Straw by E.L.Tenenbaum

Threads of Gold by Christine Pope

Twisted by Bonnie Hennessy

Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter by Breeana Puttroff

Rumplestiltskin by Jenni James

Thread and Spool by Holly Hook

The Curse of Gold by A. G. Marshall

Charlotte and the Cozy Cottage by Abigail Manning

Songs and Spun Gold by Erin Halbmaier

Spun of Gold by Jen Geigle Johnson

Hopefully that will bolster your “To Be Read” list for this year! (And please allow me to again plug The Rumpelstiltskin Problem–it’s so, so, so good!)

If you're looking for more fairy tale retellings I have a whole series of these blog posts featuring book recommendations, lists of books vetted by readers, and popular fairy tale retellings. Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.

Best (Epic) Fantasy Heroine

It’s time for another Best of booklist! This time let's take a look at the best Heroines from Epic Fantasy (AKA Romantasy or Adventure-type fantasy). I decided to specify epic fantasy, because there are a ton of amazing heroines in Paranormal and Urban fantasy and this blog post would have crashed from being too long if I included those genres as well!

Disclaimer: The following books vary in terms of blood/gore, swear words, and romance spice levels, so you might want to check out the reviews before reading them.

Kelandry of Protector of the Small: by Tamora Pierce I love many of Tamora Pierce’s books, but my favorite heroine by far is Kelandry. The series follows her fight to become a Lady Knight in the fantasy land of Tortall. But what sets Kelandry apart from Pierce’s other heroines is that Kelandry–while talented at fighting and noble to her bones–is not gifted with magic, nor is she considered chosen by the gods. She has a regular family and…to put it plainly she’s something of an average noble girl. Perhaps a bit taller than most girls, but every fight she wins and battle she launches is done in her own power. Moreover, she is an excellent leader and commander. Most fantasy books follow a rag tag group of heroes–or sometimes even a single hero–who are on a mission to save the world. Kel works with soldiers, other knights, and members of nobility to achieve her goals. If you want a realistic Lady Knight, Kel is your gal.

Sabriel: By Garth Nix

Sabriel is the heroine of Book 1 of the Old Kingdom series. She is brave, competent, and not afraid to jump into a dangerous situation if it means saving the world. Her story follows her journey as she leaves the safety of her school for the dangers of the Old Kingdom, where the dead don’t stay dead, in a journey to find her father, the Abhorson who is responsible for keeping the kingdom safe. Sabriel is my favorite book by Garth Nix, and is a spectacular example of Nix’s ability to weave new kingdoms and unique brands of magic into a glorious adventure. (It should be noted that the heroines of the Old Kingdom books do change. Sabriel is the title character only  in book 1.)

Amaranthe of The Emperor’s Edge: By Lindsay Buroker Amaranthe is the incredibly likable heroine of The Emperor’s Edge series, which follows Amaranthe’s adventures after she experiences a fall from grace as a law enforcement officer, but does everything in her power to help the Imperial Emperor despite her wrongly deserved reputation as a traitor. She’s smart (And not just intellectually, but in a people-smart, street-smart sort of way as well) clever, and good with a weapon. Her crew of friends get her flung into some of the wackiest situations ever, but for those readers who prefer their books on the clean stuff I would say this series rates along the lines of a PG-13 movie so proceed with review reading. Amaranthe is awesome–as are her friends. If you love long fantasy reads and want to laugh, this is so absolutely your book!

Meliara of Crown Duel: by Sherwood Smith There is no story like Crown Duel–a fantastic tale that takes you from the fight on the battlefield with weapons and blood, to an altogether different sort of fight in glittering palaces. Similarly, there is no heroine like Meliara, a gutsy young lady who is more comfortable with fighting than she is with typical female pursuits. The lengthy book follows her struggle as she learns that overthrowing the evil king doesn’t mean the struggle for the kingdom is over. If you enjoy plot twists, tales of political maneuvering, and strong heroines, Meliara’s tale will be perfectly to your taste!

Ryn of Darkest Drae: by Kelly St. Clare and Raye Wagner Ryn is one of my favorite heroines, hands down. She’s clever, fast-thinking, and she is more emotionally stable than most of the heroines you read about, despite the tough things she goes through in her series. When she is captured by the deadly Lord Irrik–the dragon-shifter-servant of the evil King Irdelron–Ryn knows her life, by all rights, is forfeit. But our plucky heroine doesn’t give up, even though she is embroiled in the politics between the king, his dragon, and the starving people of her homeland. Seriously, though this book has many grim and dark moments with some scenes of torture, Ryn will keep you laughing and engaged.

Giannine of Heir Apparent: By Vivian Vande Velde I'm probably cheating by including this one because it's technically GameLit but Heir Apparent is one of my absolute most favorite books, and Giannine is also one of my favorite characters EVER. Though Giannine is from modern society (actually a slightly futuristic society) the bulk of her story takes place in a video game that has an epic fantasy setting. The story follows Giannine as she stumbles through a castle siege, fighting a dragon, encounters with wizards, and more. Giannine is an incredibly sympathetic character–you will laugh and scream with her as she progresses through the game. If you are a fan of fantasy, you will LOVE this book, even if you don’t like video games!

Coriel of Summers at Castle Auburn: By Sharon Shinn Coriel is on this list because her story is an interesting twist on an old fantasy trope. Coriel is the younger daughter who stands in the shadow of her beautiful and talented sister who is engaged to a prince–the same prince Coriel herself has fallen in love with. The book follows her journey and some interesting plot twists as she matures and becomes more confident and competent young lady.

Meanne of An Exchange of Gifts: by Anne McCaffrey

A runaway princess who fakes her own death–that’s a solid recipe for a great adventure! Words cannot express how much I wish this was a series, or at least a novel (it's a long short story or a short novella). I recommend checking if your local library has the hardcover version as it has beautiful illustrations that I have heard aren't included in all versions.

Angelique of the Timeless Fairy Tales Series by K. M. Shea

Yes this is a self-plug! I wrote this series by asking the question of "what if the enchantress from all the fairy tale stories was the same person?" You'll meet Angelique in each book as she does her best to aid each heroine and hero in achieving their own version of happily ever after. Angelique also has her own spin-off series telling the tale of how she is feared by other mages and is now searching for her kidnapped mentor, who sacrificed himself for her safety. (But this spin off series is incomplete!)

As usual, I have my list of honorable mentions to share with you too! 😉

1. Lucy of Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis: Lucy was the first character I ever came to love and adore, so she always has a special place in my heart!

2. Beka Cooper by Tamora Pierce: Yeah, yeah, I knew taking two heroines from the same author was cheating, so I had to demote Beka to an honorable mention, but if you like Kel, you’ll love Beka!

3. Lucia of Moss Forest Orchid by Shari L Tapscott: Sea captains and pet dragons, ‘nough said!

4. Hermione of Harry Potter by JK Rowling: I love Hermione’s intelligence and loyalty!

   
   
   
   

I hoped this list helped you find your next great read, starring an awesome heroine! Did you know I have a whole series of these blog posts featuring book/series recommendations? Click here to start reading or use the Book Lists category to filter them.