Fantasy/Urban Fantasy


This list contains books that most likely could be classified as falling into this category (Read my post here to see why I say most likely!)  I think this was by far the hardest genre to actually pin down, because, you know, high fantasy, low fantasy, urban fantasy, historical fantasy, magic, fairy, witches, wishes . . . I read somewhere recently that there are, like, more than 60 sub-genres of fantasy now!  You'll find most of these books on other genre lists as well, since those genres are so darn slippery and overlapping.  And then you have to consider sub-genres . . .

Clicking on the book title will take you to the review/mini-review if I have one.  Also, see my note about reading and age appropriate levels at the bottom of the list.


A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
(4.8) (MG) (family, dying & grief, tree spirit)

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker
(5.4) (UG) (brothers & sisters, Louisiana, folklore, magic, mystery)

Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart (series) *
(4.9/5.1/5.4/5.7/6.4/6.4/7.2/7.3) (MG-) (orphans, action/adventure, mystery)

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
(4.9) (UG) (mystery, supernatural, abductions, family relationships)

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
(5.2) (MG) (magic, sorcerers)

Chime by Franny Billingsley
(4.4) (UG) (family secrets, twins, stepmothers, supernatural abilities)

Circle of Stones by Catherine Fisher
(4.5) (MG) (magic, Celtic mythology)

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst
(4.5) (MG+) (paranormal abilities, magic, inter-dimensional travel, serial killers)

Crusade by Nancy Holder
(5.5) (UG) (vampires, werewolves, magic, vampire hunters)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (series) *
(5.8/5.6/6.3) (UG) (seraphim, monsters, magic, romance, war, secrets)

Doppelganger by  David Stahler Jr *
(4.5) (UG) (murder, family, abuse, romance, doppelgangers)

Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
(5.4) (MG+) (friendship, humor, demons)

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
(5.3) (UG) (New Zealand, fairies, mythology)

Half Bad by Sally Green (series) *
(4.5) (UG) (witches, friendship, fathers & sons, persecution, coming of age, *)

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple
(/) (MG+) (witches, family bonds, secrets, romance)

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
(4.2) (MG+) (Salem, family secrets, magic, romance, ghosts)

Impossible by Nancy Werlin
(4.6) (UG) (mental illness, mystery, faer folk)

In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen Lawhead (series)
(6.6/5.5/7.3) (MG) (knights, magic, quests, adventure)

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer
(4.2) (MG+) (paranormal abilities/magic, family secrets, romance)

Iron-Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
(5.3) (MG) (princesses, dragons, secrets, magic)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
(5.7) (MG) (orphans, paranormal abilities)

Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell
(/) (MG+) (family relationships, Maine, magic, friendship, grief)

Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly (series)
(4.7) (MG-) (wizards, dragons, kidnapping, friendship, Frankenstein)

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre (series)
(5.3/5.5) (MG+) (paranormal/supernatural, scifi/fantasy, life and death, romance)

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner
(4.6) (MG-) (adventure, friendship, fantasy)

Never Never by  Brianna Shrum
(/) (UG) (Peter Pan story, revenge, romance)

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Shaeffer  (series)
(/) (UG) (paranormal creatures, survival, black market, ethics)

Plain Kate by Erin Bow
(4.4) (MG) (orphans, magic)

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
(6.0) (friendship, special abilities, class distinctions)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly *
(3.6) (UG) (French Revolution, time travel, suicide)


Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar
(/) (UG) (magic, family secrets, friendship, coming of age)

Ruined by Amy Tintera (series)
(4.9) (UG) (fantasy, prince and princes, powers, action/adventure, romance)

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper (series) *
(6.2) (MG+) (1800’s, magic, family, secrets, whaling industry, coming of age)

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
(5.8) (MG+) (seafaring, girls, revenge, action/adventure, coming of age)

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier (series)
(5.3/5.7/5.9) (MG+) (fantasy, magic, oppression, rebellion, romance, adventure, Celtic folklore)

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace *
(4.9) (MG+) (death, mystery, cults, supernatural)

Sleepless by Cyn Balog
(4.6) (MG+) (death, love, Sandman)

Spellbook of the Lost & Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle *
(/) (UG) (magic, family secrets, family relationships, friendship, *)

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray (series)
(5.4/5.4) (MG+) (witches, friendship, family)

Stolen by Vivian VandeVelde *
(5.6) (MG) (mystery, amnesia, witches, Middle Ages)

Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule
(/) (UG) (supernatural, mystery, music conservatories, romance)

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (series) *
(6.1) (UG) (fantasy, orphans, gods, magic)

The Book of Lies by Teri Terry
(/) (MG+) (magic, twins, family relationships, secrets, curses)

The Children's Home by Charles Lambert
(/) (UG) (disfigurement, orphans, fantasy)

The Downsiders by Neal Shusterman *
(7.2) (MG) (friendship, hidden society)


The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles (series)
(5.3) (UG) (romance, thrillers/suspense, family relationships, caving)

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (series) *
(4.9/5.2/5.9) (MG +/-) (orphans, siblings, magic, mystery, adventure)

The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull
(/) (MG+) (witches, mothers & daughters, friendship, belonging)

The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones
(/) (UG) (paranormal/supernatural/science fiction/urban fantasy, romance)

The Hidden Twin by Adi Rule
(/) (MG+) (fantasy, twins, conspiracies, steampunk, prophecies)

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum (series)
(4.8/4.8/4.8) (MG+) (romance, time travel, Italian Renaissance)

The Keeper’s Tattoo by Gill Arbuthnott
(5.3) (MG+) (mystery, adventure)

The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson (series)
(5.5) (UG) (fantasy, royalty, romance, action/adventure, mystery)

The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
(5.3) (MG+) (orphans, assassins, shapeshifters)

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill
(5.0) (MG) (magic, family, friends, secrets)

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
(4.8) (MG+) (witchcraft, mystery, missing children)

(5.3) (UG) (good vs evil, magic, friendship, ‘uncanny’)

The Radiant Road by Katherine Catmull
(5.4) (MG+) (Ireland, good and evil, fairies, family, magic, romance)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (series) *
(5.4/5.0/5.1/5.7) (UG) (prophecies, friendship, magic, mystery, *)

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff *
(5.2) (UG) (Changelings, family, friendship, identity)

The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
(5.4) (MG-) (Middle Ages, mystery)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater *
(5.5) (MG+) (Celtic mythology, horses, family relationships, orphans, romance)

(6.8) (UG) (miracles, angels, family relationships)

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
(5.0) (MG+) (brothers& sisters, friendship, faeries, secrets)

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
(/) (UG) (witchcraft, murder, romance, mystery)

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
(5.4) (MG+) (monsters, identity, family relationships)

Undertow by Michael Buckley (series)
(4.9/5.0) (UG) (sea-peoples, action-adventure, survival, conspiracies, romance)

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell
(/) (MG+) (Neverland, fairies, family secrets, friendship, romance)

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (series)
(5.2/5.5/6.2) (MG+) (magic, witches, family, friendship, love)

What the Dickens by Gregory McGuire
(5.0) (MG) (family, friendship, tooth fairies)


Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan (series)
(?) (UG) (magic, war, orphans, gods, secrets, intrigue)


Witchtown by Corey Putnam Oakes
(/) (MG+) (modern witches, mother/daughter relationships, con artists, secrets)




Note:  Lists are arranged with Title, Author, Reading Level, Age Appropriate Level, and Descriptive Tags.
(Age appropriate level denotes the youngest readers that the book is appropriate for.  That doesn't mean that older readers will not enjoy the book!)

* =  books that I thought were GREAT

UG = upper grades  (contain sex, drugs, and/or very graphic violence; deal with mature subject matter such as rape, prostitution, child abuse, etc. )
MG+ = junior high  (may contain some profanity or sexual references; may deal with subject matter too mature for younger audiences)
MG = 4th through 6th grades (nothing inappropriate for children, but may not keep the interest of younger readers)
MG- = all ages (perfect for bedtime stories or read-alouds, or for precocious readers in the lower grades)

* = LGBTQ themes - characters, situations, or references to same-sex couples

Books included in this list are all ones that I have read myself and given a rating of at least 3 out of 5 Stars (why would I recommend anything less?)  When a book is part of a series, only the first title is listed, but the reading level for all books in the series is shown.  Lists will be updated periodically as I read new books.





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