Top 10 Best Urban Fantasy Books (2026)

A series far ahead of its time, now back in print Anyone else would have learned by now: when trouble comes knocking, don't open the door. But there's a reason why Garrett's still in the P.I. business after all these years-he's not one to learn his lessons. Maybe that's why he lets himself get roped into being a bodyguard for Kip Prose, an obnoxious kid being threatened by creatures that can't quite be described. But before Kip Prose has a chance to explain what he's done to get on the hit list of some nameless nasties, the precocious Prose is abducted, and the chase begins...About the AuthorGlen Cook used to work the assembly line at a General Motors plant, writing in between helping to build cars as they came down the conveyor belt. He has written extensively in the science fiction and fantasy fields, and is the author of the Garrett, P.I., novels and the Black Company alternate history series.

"As traumatic as it is to only choose one Pratchett, this first entry in his Guards sub-series encompasses everything that is brilliant about his writing: terrific characterization and plotting, a completely believable world, and new details that come up with each re-reading. . . . The story of dwarves, dragons and good police work remains fresh, sharp, and incredibly funny." -- Telegraph (UK)Magic, mayhem, and a marauding dragon combine for extraordinary fun in this brilliant Discworld novel from New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett.Insurrection is in the air in the city of Ankh-Morpork. The Haves and Have-Nots are about to face off. Again.It's old news to Captain Sam Vimes of the city's ramshackle Night Watch. But this time, something is different--the Have-Nots have found the key to a dormant, lethal weapon that even they can't fully control, and they're about to unleash a campaign of terror on the city.Long believed extinct, a draco nobilis can now be seen patrolling the skies above Discworld's greatest city. Not only does this unwelcome visitor have a nasty habit of charbroiling everything in its path, but it's also soon crowned King.Can Vimes, Captain Carrot, and the rest of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch restore order (before it's burned to a crisp)?The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Guards! Guards! is the first book in the City Watch collection.The City Watch collection in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElephantNight WatchThud!Snuff

SummaryA brand-new package for the first installment in the New York Times bestselling Discworld series from Terry Pratchett, "the purely funniest English writer since Wodehouse" (Washington Post Book World)The beginning of the hilarious and irreverent series that has more than 80 million copies worldwide, The Color of Magic is where we meet tourist Twoflower and wizard guide Ricewind, and follow them on their always-bizarre journeys.A writer who has been compared to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, and Douglas Adams, Sir Terry Pratchett has created a complex, yet zany world filled with a host of unforgettable characters who navigate around a profound fantasy universe, complete with its own set of rules.About the AuthorTERRY PRATCHETT is one of the most popular living authors in the world. His first short story, "The Hades Business," was published in his school magazine when he was thirteen and commercially when he was fifteen; his first full-length book, The Carpet People, was published when he was twenty-three. He worked as a journalist and a press officer, and continued to write and publish novels until it got to the point that the success of his books meant that it was costing him money to go to work. In January 2009, he was made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his "services to literature." He lives in England, where he writes all the time.Product DetailsSeries: Discworld (Book 1)Mass Market: 288 pagesPublisher: HarperFiction

The first book in Sarah J. Maas's #1 bestselling Crescent City series. Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it. With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.About the AuthorSarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. Sarah lives with her family in New York City. sarahjmaas.comfacebook.com/theworldofsarahjmaasinstagram.com/therealsjmaas

Summary“An increasingly excellent series...I love these books.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine HarrisThe #1 New York Times bestselling series that's so vivid “readers will believe in shapeshifters, fae, and vampires.” (Midwest Book Review)Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, never knows what the day—or night—may bring. But in the fifth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, she's about to learn that while some secrets are dangerous—those who seek them are just plain deadly…Mercy is smart enough to realize that when it comes to the magical Fae, the less you know, the better. But you can’t always get what you want. When she attempts to return a powerful Fae book she’d previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.It seems the book contains secret knowledge—and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn’t take enough of Mercy’s attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side—leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam’s life forfeitAll in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn’t careful, she might not have many more to live…About the AuthorPatricia Briggs is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series and the Alpha and Omega novels.Product Details Series: Mercy Thompson (Book 5) Mass Market: 304 pages Publisher: Ace Fiction / Fantasy

The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath. Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust. Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied. In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.About the AuthorSarah J. Maas is the #1 bestselling author of the Crescent City, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold seventy-five million copies and are published in forty languages. sarahjmaas.comfacebook.com/theworldofsarahjmaasinstagram.com/sarahjmaas

Book 4 in the gripping Kate Daniels seriesIn Mari Hannah's brilliant, dark mystery--set on the beautiful and wild Northumberland coast--skeletal remains have been discovered beneath the menacing shadows of Bamburgh Castle's fortified walls, and DCI Kate Daniels must solve her most intriguing case yet.Far from their Newcastle base, DCI Kate Daniels and her team find themselves on the rugged Northumberland coast, working their latest baffling investigation. As a blistering weather front closes in, Kate calls on a forensic anthropologist to help identify the remains of a corpse that has been found by the ancient castle on the barren beach. But the more she delves into the case, the more questions surface.Meanwhile, newly widowed prison psychologist Emily McCann is lured into the twisted world of convicted sex offender Walter Fearon. As his sinister mind games become increasingly disturbing, is it possible that Kate's case has something to do with his murderous past? With Fearon's release fast approaching, Emily fears what he might have in store for her.As the body count rises, Kate must scramble to outwit a clever, diabolical killer whose fatal games have only just begun.About the AuthorHannah, Mari: - Mari Hannah, the award-winning author of three novels featuring detective Kate Daniels, was born in London and moved north as a child. Her career as a probation officer was cut short when she was injured while on duty, and thereafter she spent several years as a film/television screenwriter. She now lives in Northumberland with her partner, an ex-murder detective. She was the winner of the 2010 Northern Writers' Award and the 2013 Polari First Book Prize and longlisted for the CWA 2014 Dagger in the Library Award. Recently the Kate Daniels series was optioned for television in the UK.