Fantasy Urban Noir

Daith

Hey folks,

Any suggestions for fantasy urban noir books? Similar to say The Dresden Files? Most books I've seen tend to be Buffy style heroine in a city and has a romance.

HivemindXX

I'm not familiar with the Dresden Files and what is Noir is legendarily difficult to pin down but how about Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. It certainly ticks the Urban and Fantasy boxes and if Noir means it concentrates on corruption and the dark underbelly of society then it is that too.

I like this book fine but I don't really love it since I feel he introduced too many new things in a manner which felt rushed but I'm certainly in the minority, people in general love it.

Morag

Nightside Series by Simon R Green

keane2097

Yeah I thought Perdido Street Station was just terrific, not sure if it fits in the genre requested or not though.

ixoy

I believe Ben Aarvonitch's PC Grant series, starting with 'Rivers of London' fits urban noir fantasy perfectly. I've got it on my to read pile so can't yet attest to its quality but it comes recommended.

Dan_Solo

keane2097 wrote: »

Yeah I thought Perdido Street Station was just terrific, not sure if it fits in the genre requested or not though.

THe same author's King Rat might be a bit closer to the mark.

Manach

ixoy wrote: »

I believe Ben Aarvonitch's PC Grant series, starting with 'Rivers of London' fits urban noir fantasy perfectly. I've got it on my to read pile so can't yet attest to its quality but it comes recommended.

Move these to the top of the read pile.

Trojan

Moving to Hard Sci-fi, Alastair Reynolds stuff is quite dark. Definitely not in the vein of the original post here but I think most would classify it as Noir.

Daith

Thanks for that. Yes I love Perdido Street Station and it fits the bill. I seem to go for book that feature a grime and dirty city (with good world building by the author) and the general tone of detective/noir stuff.

ixoy wrote: »

I believe Ben Aarvonitch's PC Grant series, starting with 'Rivers of London' fits urban noir fantasy perfectly. I've got it on my to read pile so can't yet attest to its quality but it comes recommended.

Seems to fit the bill alright!
Cheers

Stenth

I think you would like the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey. Think Harry Dresden but with less morals.

The Detective Chen series by Liz Williams (I've only read the first one, Snake Eyes) is more noir and less fantasy, although it is set in a near future supernatural China. The protagonist is in charge of the Singapore Police's Supernatural and Mystical department and teams up with a demon.

If you want to go into science fiction urban noir, I really like Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan and Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem.

ixoy

If you've got a Kindle registered against Amazon UK, today's daily deal is "A Madness of Angels" by Kate Griffin. Haven't read it but it'd hardly be a pricey investment.

Oh I've read that, it was good