Blog • Understanding Publishing
Last updated on Oct 14, 2025
What is Urban Fantasy? Definition and Examples
Dario Villirilli
Managing Editor of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.
View profile →Urban fantasy is perhaps one of the most exciting subgenres going right now. From werewolves in Manhattan to gnomes in suburban gardens, it is a major part of the movement that is re-defining “fantasy” in the 21st-century.
But what is urban fantasy exactly — and where can you go to read more of it? This guide is here to help, along with a few tips on writing urban fantasy in this magical subgenre.
What is urban fantasy?
Urban fantasy describes a subgenre of fantasy in which the real world collides with the decidedly supernatural or magical world. Sounds simple, right? Think again! Fantasy and its subgenres are notoriously elastic, making the definition of “urban fantasy” decidedly open-ended. In the past, the term’s been used to describe a fantasy story that is set in:
- a city in an alternate world,
- a city in the modern world, or
- the modern world.
These days, this is the understanding that is most widespread: to be an urban fantasy, the story simply needs to be a fantasy with supernatural elements that is set in our world and modern time. Under this definition, the “urban” in “urban fantasy” is a bit of a red herring. So long as there are supernatural elements, the story can take place in either a modern New York City or Milwaukee, and it will still count.
Urban fantasy stories also generally have strong tropes, such as gritty action, a noir feel, and a procedural plot (and we’ll get into this later in this post). This is why you’ll commonly hear the Sookie Stackhouse series, which is actually set in a rural small-town, labeled as an “urban fantasy” — whereas Harry Potter, for instance, rarely is.
Q: How can I ensure my magic system has consistent internal logic and limitations?
Suggested answer
The first thing to do is, simply, keep track of everything you write down in relation to your magic system. Especially if you're a 'pantser', you may not have thought a great deal about your magic system in advance (and that's fine), but set up a spot where you can note down everything you establish as you draft. This can be as informal as a notebook at your desk or as formal as an excel sheet, but keeping track of what your characters are doing and what the magic system is guided by/how your magic system works can save you a lot of time in advance, especially if you make sure to note down where rules are established so that you can refer back to them.
As you keep notes, don't limit yourself to the 'rules'--write down those rules, certainly, but also right down the effects of spells/magic, the ingredients/steps to making something happen or change within your magic system, how characters react or sense magic, how the world governs (or fails to govern) magic use, and anything else that comes up in relation to the magic system. Writing all of this down will help you keep in mind the history of what you've written as you're compiling this informal style sheet for your magic system, and you may even manage to head off contradictions before they get drafted into your novel.
Then, hire a developmental editor. Writers are close to their novels, and especially when a magic system is being established, there's a good chance you'll be too close to the worldbuilding and magic to see small slips in logic and any limitations which will prove to be issues. That's where a developmental editor comes in. Especially if you're moving into a series or writing a stand-alone, hiring a good developmental editor with experience in SFF can be incredibly helpful. And if you're writing a series, you may not need them to chime in on the second/third/fourth book in your series, but having had their input on the first book, prior to publication, will save you a world of headaches as you keep developing the system forward.
Jennifer is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
To keep a magic system in place consistently, decide its rules, limits, and cost in advance and stick to them throughout the story. Consider the consequences of how magic affects society, culture, and character choices—magic must have its price. Avoid using magic as a plot convenience; challenges must be met through real effort or cleverness within the system.
Consistency also derives from being careful with exceptions: if it is going to break a rule, it must have a clear, credible motivation. Well-constructed systems feel real because characters behave within its limitations, and readers can expect how it influences conflict and resolution.
John is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
How does it differ from paranormal romance?
Paranormal fantasy and urban fantasy are two birds of the same feather, which explains why they’re confused so often! Both are speculative fiction with supernatural elements in a real-world setting. Both also feature a romantic plot or subplot in some shape or form.
However, romance is the main plot and primary conflict in paranormal romance, while it is generally a subplot in urban fantasy. More than that, urban fantasies are known to have gritty violence and a tone that can get so dark it might even touch the horror genre. Keeping that mind, let’s see what urban fantasy looks like in action.
Examples of urban fantasy
The best way to learn what is urban fantasy is to look at some examples! Here are two urban fantasy books that helped define the genre.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
In the bygone days, people in the United States believed in gods and mythological beings. Indeed, immigrants brought leprechauns, elves, and all sorts of magical spirits with them when they came to the U.S. However, the influence of these deities has begun waning as belief in them dies and people turn their attention to the new gods: media and technology.
This is the stage of Gaiman's acclaimed novel, which begins with an ex-convict, Shadow, being accosted by a Mr. Wednesday, who is not all that he seems. Shadow soon discovers he is standing in the middle of a war between America's ideological past and future — with nothing less than the country's fate hanging in the balance.
Why is it a good sample of urban fantasy? American Gods is a 21st century classic of the genre: a grand fusion of fantasy and the modern world that doesn’t forget to explore the ramifications of such a mindmeld. Defying genre expectations, also American Gods is not situated in a city. Instead, Shadow’s road trip is set mostly in America’s liminal spaces — its rest stops, motels, and small towns.
Q: What are some of the biggest misconceptions first-time authors have about writing fantasy?
Suggested answer
Fantasy, and in particular romantasy, is SO HOT right now. Everyone is writing it, but many new authors fall into the trap of exposition. Just because you're writing in a unique setting doesn't mean you have to explain this world to readers. At least, not all at once, and certainly not all in the first few chapters.
Fantasy especially can span multiple books and because you're already telling a unique story about unique characters, it's overwhelming and exhausting for readers to also swallow a unique world.
The best solution is show, don't tell. Let it happen organically, and at natural moments in the story. For example, a wizard walking into a cauldron shop may merit a few sentences as to why he's buying a new cauldron, but probably doesn't need the extra two pages of exposition regarding the cauldron's connection to his late mother, who was also a half-fae princess and died at the hands of his tyrannical father, but only after having a torrid affair with a werewolf whose daughter now owns the very same cauldron shop.
Alexandra is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
You still need strong characters that propel the story forward. The fantastical elements don't replace a strong personal journey or transformation of your protagonist.
The fantastical elements you include should also have purpose and be used with intention. If there's a magic system, it has to make sense in the world. Magic can affect economics, culture, politics, and it should be reflected on the page.
With kidlit, take a look at fantasy published within the last few years. Western-based fantasies with gnomes, trolls, etc. are generally not unique enough to attract an agent or publisher's attention. Readers want to read about completely different worlds with unique magical/fantastical elements.
The best way to get a handle on today's fantasy and what agents and publishers might be interested in is to read titles published in the past couple years.
Kim is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
For me, the main misconception is that the story world is the story. No. The characters are the story, no matter the genre. Fantasy authors can get too wrapped up in the world they have created - and why wouldn't they? It's an exciting thing to create - to the detriment of their story. So it's really important to, at some point, turn away a little from your story world and turn to your characters. Do they have motives? Goals? Fears? Desires? Secrets? Regrets? Flaws?
All the things that make us human (even if your character isn't human!) need to be on the page. It's very easy to lose sight of character and plot when writing fantasy, but no matter how outlandish, or unique, or captivating, your story world is, it's the characters who inhabit your world that truly count. It's the characters readers recall more than anything else. So my advice to fantasy writers is character first, always.
Louise is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
Whenever a story leaps from the present day into a new world in another time, there has to be much more time, and therefore words, spent on world-building. The reader must be able to get a strong sense of this new world right away with sentences depicting the scenery and setting, what the characters look like, and how modern or primitive this new world is.
So, a misconception could be that coming up with a strong and unique plot line or characters is enough. While these are all necessary, everything in the "new world" must all make sense and be clear, and easy to understand. It must all be logical, and that takes time to plan. So, spending time planning and building up this new world with all of its new rules and exciting twists is something authors will also need to spend a fair amount of time on. And this goes beyond a basic outline or plot points.
Melody is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
In an embattled Chicago where vampires, demons, werewolves, and fairies co-exist with humans, Harry Dresden is the world’s only “consulting wizard.” Hired by humans and supernatural beings alike to solve everything from murders to rogue bakus, he has to get by on his private investigator’s salary, even as his work thrusts him into the darkest — and most magical — corners of gritty Chicago.
Why is it a good sample of urban fantasy? Another classic in the genre — and a popular example of the way that traditional P.I. plots and fantasy collide in urban fantasy.
And if you’d like the whole buffet of urban fantasy: head over to this Reedsy Discovery post of 20 best urban fantasy books or this post that contains 33 best vampire books. You can also check out this list of the 100 best fantasy series ever, which includes several urban fantasy series as well.
Last but not least, for an entire platform focusing on urban fantasy, be sure to check out Urban Epics. This specialty publisher offers up books, audiobooks, and blog posts all about urban, epic, and romantic fantasy — and you can even get some of their books for free just by signing up.
How to write urban fantasy
Confident that you know what urban fantasy is now and want to give writing it a go? Great. Here are some tips to help you along.
1. Know the tropes
Urban fantasy is no different from normal fantasy: there are a lot of tropes. If you’d like to investigate the ones that are commonplace in the broader realm of fantasy, head over to this post on the 14 most popular fantasy tropes to avoid. For now, let’s look at some of the recurring elements that are specific to urban fantasy:
- The “whodunit”: Urban fantasies and crime noir go together like peanut butter and jelly. Many urban fantasy series may be police procedurals, or have a strong mystery component to keep readers turning the page.
- A dark tone: Humor is definitely present, but it’s usually dark comedy.
- Love triangles: Relationships might not be the primary driver of the story, but the protagonist’s messy romantic entanglements are sure to feature as a subplot at some point in the novel — especially in young adult fantasy.
If you’re writing urban fantasy, our recommendation is to read as many good books in the genre as you can, so that you know what tropes you’re aiming to fulfill — and how you might potentially be able to break them.
Q: How can an author subvert genre tropes without alienating readers?
Suggested answer
Working with genre tropes--whether subverting them or not--is where a writer's familiarity with genre becomes absolutely integral to success.
Regardless of the genre or subgenre you're working in, readers are going to have some particular expectations. If you as a writer fail to meet those expectations, one of two things is going to happen: You're either going to discover that you've written something in a different genre than intended (you'd be surprised how often this happens!), or you'll market your book to readers who'll be disappointed because of the way you've ultimately failed their expectations for the genre.
Familiarity with tropes is a good way to make sure you're meeting reader expectations, and you also want to remember that old piece of advice about knowing the rules before you break them. So, with that in mind, here are some steps to keep yourself in line with tropes and reader expectations:
1) Learn your genre's tropes, and then play with subverting them.
2) Make sure to keep subgenre in mind when it comes to learning tropes--especially with Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Romance! A hero who kidnaps someone might be par for the course in Dark Romance, but in most other subgenres, not so much. Similarly, edgy humor or x-rated scenes might be perfectly acceptable in Urban Fantasy, but if you're writing a cozy fantasy, not so much.
3) Think about the trope you want to subvert and whether or not your plans have the potential to break the expectations for the genre. If your plan is to 'subvert' the Happy Ever After ending in Romance, for instance, you need to know that you're not going to be writing a romance novel at all, as that's a golden rule of the genre that cannot be subverted and maintain reader expectations.
4) Ideally, you want to make sure that your subversion of a trope serves a purpose. If you're doing it just for the heck of it, and it doesn't make sense for the story or the character, readers will likely be annoyed--after all, tropes become beloved tropes for a reason, and their use has already proven to make for great stories. Trope subversion is going to work best when it elevates story and helps your character develop/progress, so that's what you want to aim for.
5) If you're doing something just because it hasn't been done before, try to figure out why it hasn't been done before. There may be good reason! If you can answer that question and still feel your story has legs, you might be in fantastic shape to create a high-concept work of fiction, but first knowing why something hasn't been done may save you a lot of headaches later down the road.
Jennifer is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
A writer subverts genre convention by knowing first what readers expect and then twisting those on their head for the story's benefit, and not for its own sake. It succeeds best when subversion is performed to increase character, theme, or plot sophistication rather than for the sake of shock alone.
Remembering emotional investment and keeping the story open to things readers enjoy—tension, romance, adventure—are ways of preventing alienation. Subversion can be satisfying if it is surprising yet loyal to the essence of the genre, introducing new ideas into play without killing the experience which drew readers in the first place. Purpose and balance are essential.
John is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
2. Don’t take your setting for granted
In many ways, authors who write in this genre have a harder task than other fantasy writers on hand. Readers are already familiar with the way that a city looks and works, so the challenge becomes: how can you make the familiar setting seem potentially magical to readers? More than that, how do the commandments and traditions of the supernatural world collide with the laws of the real world? Could an everyday fog in any other London, for instance, hold some hidden menace in your world?
As mentioned, you don't need to set your urban fantasy in a city. Depending on the story you want to tell, it might be worth asking whether it would better suit your purposes to set it in Chicago or Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The impact that this will have on your book may be as significant as the difference between Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express.
Most of all, know your setting. The most exquisitely drawn fantasy worlds are the ones that readers can see in their mind’s eye — and here’s where you have a headstart on other fantasy writers, because you can actually visit your city or town anytime that you’d like.
Wherever you set your story, don’t forget to dig deeper and consider the ramifications of your world. Which brings us to our next point...
3. Worldbuild the (write) way
Simply inserting supernatural beings into a city may be enough to qualify your novel as an urban fantasy — but a good urban fantasy will take it up another notch by nailing the worldbuilding. Your worldbuilding should be logical and raise questions about your world that make readers desperate to flip the page. For instance, you might want to consider:
- How does the supernatural impact your world’s social classes and economy? Are vampire hunters, for instance, at the top or bottom of the social hierarchy? What skills or knowledge does a supernatural-related job require?
- How do the supernatural beings co-exist with humans and other supernatural beings? Where do they live? Are they fiercely isolationist or do they mingle with other species?
- If magic exists in your world, how does your magic system function? Is magic part of a dark underground or does it exist on an everyday basis?
- Does everyone share equal rights and privileges? Do trolls pay mortgages?
Your story might not directly address these questions. But this line of rich, layered worldbuilding will seep into the texture of your world and make it more believable to the reader.
If you’re looking for a worldbuilding template, we recommend downloading this 11-page resource.
4. Don’t forget the basics
Above all, it’s important that you don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal: to write a good story. Start with an arresting central idea, a solid structure that can support each plot point, and a strong arc that holds the entire story together, and you’ll be on the right path.
Urban fantasies are also character-driven at heart. First person points of view abound, letting readers inside the head of the protagonist. It would be well worth your time to sit down and figure out the key details of your character, including their motivation and backstory. If you need help, you can grab this free fillable template.
The best part of writing urban fantasy is that there’s so much room to explore. Now that you have a framework for the genre, it’s up to you to pick up that pen — and let your imagination carry you the rest of the way.
