5 Top Urban Fantasy Fantasy Series!

[@BrianBell7]

I tried some new things using background sound.. lmk if it works for you, too loud, distracting, cool, amazing, terrible, whatever! Always looking to improve your viewing experience here on the channel! We are GROWING a ton, and if you'd like to help out, please Subscribe if you haven't already and consider sharing with your networks!

[@kurtschumacher8074]

I appreciate the effort, but would probably prefer without. (A bit distracting to me.) Cheers!

[@BrianBell7]

good to know! I recorded one with and one without@@kurtschumacher8074

[@Jonathan-B_]

For me personally, I'd say the music is a touch too loud. If it was a little lower in the mix/your voice more in the front I wouldn't be oppose to it.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's a meaningful distinction you made between urban fantasy (our world but with magic -- American Gods) and modern fantasy (a fictionalized world with magic that resembles our modern world -- Green Bone Saga, which I just finished reading and loved). I also like your sliding scale to reflect the protagonists. In 2024 I hope to delve much further into The Dresden Files, having read the first six. While I look forward to the epic stuff, I'm glad to hear it maintains its roots in urban fantasy. Thanks for the video, Brian -- I'm going to take a walk now!

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you, Philip! (see, you are even getting me to use commas properly on occasion) Enjoy your walk!

[@CNavo.TheNextChapter]

I am so glad to see the Iron Druid Chronicles getting the recognition it deserves. I haven't finished the complete series yet, but I've enjoyed almost every entry. Enjoy the rest of your holiday Brian!!

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks Chris! And you as well! It finishes strong!

[@Beech27]

I’d recommend Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy steeped in Diné myths and traditions, which gives it a very different perspective to most urban fantasy, but still has familiar plot structure and character archetypes for fans of the genre. I’m also really liking James Butchers’ Unorthodox Chronicles so far. I feared nepotism and didn’t want to try, but there’s real wit and craft to his writing, such that I now think his famous father might paradoxically be causing him to be a little underrated.

[@BrianBell7]

Very cool! I will add both Trail of Lightning and James Butcher's series to my list. Thank you!!

[@esmayrosalyne]

As a complete newbie to the urban fantasy genre, I LOVED getting all your recs here!! Consider Sandman Slim added to the TBR, you totally sold me! And Iron Druid has been on my radar for a while, so I am happy to hear it has your seal of approval as well!

[@BrianBell7]

Awesome! For sure let me know what you think of them!

[@readerinthedesert_SaraBeth]

I highly suggest Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series and Kim Harrison's The Hollows. In my top three with Dresden Files!

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks! I'll check out the Mercy Thompson books! I read book one of The Hollows and didn't love it as much as I'd hoped. Glad you are here for this journey!!

[@fennecfox3893]

@@BrianBell7 Book 1 of the hollows is probably one the weakest in the series. Just kinda the setup. It gets more interesting.

[@BrianBell7]

@@fennecfox3893 Good to know. Thanks, I will revisit!

[@julien4327]

The last thing I had expected in a video about urban Fantasy was an appearance by Lobo ! The Dresden files were already on my list, but the Eric Carter books seem fun too. Thanks for the recommendations !

[@BrianBell7]

Right?! You really never know what you will get when you click on a BellTube video! This time, Lobo, THE MAIN MAN! Yeah, all of them rock!

[@tracejefferson3169]

Read the Iron Druid series last year, they were fun, fast reads! Im interested in the Benedict Jacka series. Liked the sound effects but maybe a smidge softer. Enjoyed this video.

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you. I agree, the background audio levels are too hot on this one. Lesson learned for next time for sure!

[@groofay]

Sandman Slim sounds like an absolute riot, and it seems my local library has all of them. Looks like I have another series to try out in 2024, thanks Brian!

[@BrianBell7]

Let me know how you like them!

[@BookishChas]

Great list Brian! I’ve never heard of Stephen Blackmore. I may have to check out his series. I also really want to read Sandman Slim. I’m a huge Dresden fan.

[@BrianBell7]

so Stephen Blackmoore is both a writer for fiction and videogames. I'd personally start with Sandman Slim as I think Eric Carter pulls a lot from him, so that order would make sense.

[@tommymills1668]

Hi, some great suggestions! The sandman slim series sounds brilliant, will definitely be checking that out!

[@BrianBell7]

Make sure to let me know what you think! We want lots of community discussion over here!

[@ToriTalks2]

We got fancy Brian today! You totally sold me on Hounded by Kevin Hearne. I'm really interested in that one.

[@BrianBell7]

yay fancy brian!! I think Hounded is 100% a Tori book!

[@DarkoDame]

I’m a huge Dresden Files fan, especially after meeting Jim Butcher at a local Barnes and Noble. Really cool guy. I’ve also read Iron Druid Chronicles which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve been interested in checking out the Alex Verus series, so I vote for a deep dive into that.

[@BrianBell7]

Yes! Every interview I've seen with Jim Butcher has been wonderful. I'm surprised Iron Druid doesn't get more booktube love. Alex Verus really does seem like there's a lot to explore there and we don't see a ton about Benedict Jacka in this corner of booktube. Good suggestion! Thank you!!

[@ellap1313]

Your one for the road on this one got me to subscribe. Thank you.

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you so much for watching and subscribing. It means a lot to me when a message resonates with someone.

[@ShelfCentered]

Great list, love Dresden, but I really need to read the Jacka and Sandman Slim series'! Thanks!

[@BrianBell7]

Finally! We've found some books you haven't read yet!!

[@ShelfCentered]

Haha right! That's what I love about booktube, there's so much out there!@@BrianBell7

[@Crochet.Awhile.and.Listen]

YES! More Sandman Slim please.

[@BrianBell7]

Cool! Will do!

[@lmad9153]

Great video and info! Thank you

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks! I'm actually getting ready to release an updated version of this video in the next month!

[@bardsandbooks]

Really looking forward to the Dresden Files maybe next year. Great list on Urban Fantasy, I’ll have to check out the others as well

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you so much! I hope you do! They really bring their own vibe to the genre.

[@jcmberne]

I like your alignment system! Not sure I agree about Stark as an anti-hero, especially in later books, but it's definitely a series worth reading.

[@BrianBell7]

yes, he for sure goes through character growth. but early on, very much the Monster who kills monsters :) Alignment system seemed to make it an easier way than to rank the series :)

[@fithfath3615]

Hi Brian, you have an interesting selection of book series. I think I'll have to have a look into the Iron Druid Chronicles. I have The first books of both The Dresden Files & the Alex Verus series on my TBR. Don't know when I'll read them, but it may be this year sometime. Have you ever read any Charles De Lint (especially his Newford series), Robert Holdstock (Mythago Wood series), Holly Black, or Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series. Do you also have any Urban Fantasy standalone books to recommend?

[@BrianBell7]

Hi, for sure let me know when you get to them. No, I haven't heard of Charles De Lint, but I will look him up! I'll check into standalone urban fantasy for you, but for the most part, they seem to be series.

[@LiamsLyceum]

I used to read more urban fantasy, the only one I actively do these days is Hiram Woolley by D. J. Butler and Aaron Michael Ritchey. I guess Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber too, sometimes gets the urban fantasy label.

[@BrianBell7]

interesting! i'll take a look at those titles!

[@Talking_Story]

I do enjoy some Iron Druid!

[@BrianBell7]

His Paper & Sigil spinoff series is also good. 2 books of out it so far!

[@Talking_Story]

I have not finished the Iron Druid yet I will check out his spin off for sure after I wrap it up. @@BrianBell7

[@elainedejong2806]

I’d like to hear more about the Iron Druid Chronicles.

[@BrianBell7]

Basically, we have Atticus O'Sullivan, a several thousand year old druid, who appears in his 20's. He has a fantastic animal companion who speaks, Oberon, an Irish Wolfhound. And Atticus is very concerned about the Earth, the environment, etc.. A very likeable main character for sure.

[@elainedejong2806]

I’ve ordered “Hounded” and it should be here early next week, I’m on the last Dresden book so I’m ready for my next series :)

[@voxnihili8328]

Iron Druid starts off really strong but I don’t think it quite holds up until the end. It just doesn’t manage to keep the magic in those ending books.

[@BrianBell7]

Sort of agree. Could’ve been a couple books shorter of a series

[@fangs1972]

So, is the bookstore really five minutes from you or was that a part of the dream 😴 💭?

[@BrianBell7]

it really is!!

[@dougsundseth6904]

Iron Druid: Liked the first three-ish books, but then it lost me with its discursions into philosophy. Dresden: One of my favorite series ever. Alex Verus: Haven't read it, but it does sound interesting. A couple that I've really enjoyed: John Conroe's "Demon Accords" - Light, but a solid protagonist and an interesting plot. Timothy Zahn's "The Green and the Grey": Standalone and quite strong. Kim Harrison's "The Hollows": Set in a Cincinnati after a magical apocalypse, so it might not fit your definition, but the protagonist is excellent, the worldbuilding is strong, and the plotting is compelling.

[@BrianBell7]

Cool, I'll check out the Conroe and Zahn books. I read book one of the The Hollows, and, at least at that time, it wasn't for me. I can't remember why, but I only rated it 2 stars. It was several years ago.

[@RiddlesOfSteel]

Sandman slim is awesome

[@BrianBell7]

hell yes it is! fire up a Malediction!

[@ChaptersWeLove]

I want to read the Dresden file but 17 books and still going? Idk it’s a bit intimidating 😊- I like the background sound but maybe something a bit more softer idk 😊

[@BrianBell7]

Dresden reads incredibly fast, so don't let the book count keep you away. And if you happen to listen to Audible, the narration there is fantastic. I think I agree with you on background sound volume. We'll get it dialed in better moving forward :)

[@ChaptersWeLove]

@@BrianBell7 that sounds good, I’ll definitely check the first book from the library and see how it goes. Thanks!

[@BrianBell7]

fair warning.. you'll hear this from me and everyone else, the first 3 books of dresden are not generally regarded as the height of the writing... but, they read fast and the payoff is worth it. @@ChaptersWeLove

[@ChaptersWeLove]

@@BrianBell7 ok, I’ll keep that in mind thanks for the heads up

[@bdaveness]

Editing feedback: I think the music could be quieter while you are talking about each book.

[@BrianBell7]

I totally agree. The volume on it is too hot. Do you like the idea in general of background music if it were more truly in the background?

[@bdaveness]

@@BrianBell7 honestly could do without it, or do it while introducing the book but have it fade out while you go into more detail

[@danielhannesson342]

Have you read any Rivers of London?

[@BrianBell7]

I haven't yet! I'll look it up!

[@paulwilliams6913]

If I may: I respectfully disagree with the distinction offered between Urban Fantasy and Modern Fantasy. Ultimately it is your video and I’m not here to fight. But I did want to (again, respectfully) voice a dissenting opinion, if you’re interested in the debate. Otherwise, feel free to ignore :)

[@BrianBell7]

Dissenting opinions are most welcome here! I certainly don't have a authorial claim on the definition. I just feel like, for me, urban fantasy is a better descriptor of our world and modern for others, lest we start calling events happening in places that are technically cities, as "urban." I also look at urban as basically a time period from about when electricity was invented. Voice away! Maybe I will come around to a different way of thinking about it.

[@paulwilliams6913]

@@BrianBell7 I mean, “urban” literally means “of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city” (per Webster), which seems to me that any fantasy set in a cityscape of some sort should count. While I grant that a significant majority of urban fantasies are set in a version of our world, I think the label is much richer if it’s about any fantasy set in a city. First because it focuses our attention on the idea of city life and how that mingles with the fantastic elements. For instance, in one author it can comment on how people organize (and simultaneously disassociate) in large populations; in another it can be a colorization of the mythic glitz and glamour of urban life, whether or not it’s set in a Secondary World or our Primary World. Using a city as the setting, even in a Secondary World, can possibly be an even more powerful comment on the human condition than yet another fantasy set in a simulation medieval world. Second, if we limit “urban fantasy” to our world, then we create lots of difficult exclusions. For instance, a novel like China Mieville’s The City & The City is set in an urban space in a fictional Eastern European nation. It’s technically our world, but also it’s not. And something like Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence wouldn’t really work under your label “modern fantasy,” because his secondary world is too different from ours, while it’s powerfully defined by its sense of urbanity. Or there’s Sean Stewart’s amazing novel, Galveston, which is technically in our world, but one that’s been so blasted and altered that I wonder if it could qualify. Or there’s other fantasies set in the cities of a version of our world after some sort of catastrophe, (eg. Rebecca Roanhorse’s Trail of Lightning) so would those be urban fantasy by technicality or does an apocalypse change the landscape enough that it doesn’t count? I get the appeal of limiting the label to a version of our world, but to me that seems to steer the reader away from what I would consider the essential aspect of the genre: the valences and challenges and wonders of city life. A city functions like a world unto itself in microcosm, and I find that a far more compelling way of categorizing the genre. (And this doesn’t need to take away from the list you’ve provided here. I’m just quibbling about labels, because I’m an academic with thoughts and a bit of holiday free time🙃.)

[@BrianBell7]

I appreciate your well-thought out views. Leave it to an academic to pull Webster on me :) I'm kidding, of course. I haven't read those other works, except Gladstone's (and I didn't like it), so I'll take your word regarding them. If I'm understanding the gist of your point, we'd almost be better off calling the genre City Fantasy, and then incorporate all of it under that umbrella. But I'm sure there would be exclusions there as well. What about a farm in Wisconsin in American Gods? OMG, Paul. Did we just create Farm Fantasy?! Wait, I take that back. People may think it's something else entirely. But seriously, I'm still wondering why "Modern" fantasy wouldn't work for something like "The City & The City" (which I haven't read), as it's a modern location seemingly with modern conveniences? @@paulwilliams6913

[@paulwilliams6913]

@@BrianBell7 I would still argue that any city-centric fantasy, regardless of the nature of the storyworld, should be titled urban fantasy since “urban” literally means it’s about a city. I almost wonder if we might just flip the application of the labels suggested?