Urban fantasy is a popular genre, and includes a surprising number of recent bestsellers—Twilight, Wicked Lovely, The Immortals series, and many others. For teens who enjoy these novels, or those looking to dive into urban fantasy for the first time, here’s a short list of some of the best books to hit the shelves in recent years.
Another Visit to Charles de Lint’s Newford: Blue Girl Review
Blue Girl (Firebird, 2006, ISBN: 9780142405451) is set in the town of Newford, Charles de Lint’s favourite urban fantasy setting, an imagined city where the magical and the real intertwine. For those who have never read a Newford book, Blue Girl would serve as a good introduction. Former “bad girl” Imogene’s attempt at fitting in to a new high school and leading a normal life is put to the test when she runs afoul of a gang of fairies. These fairies aren’t the smouldering vampire stand-ins of a Melissa Marr novel, nor the twee Tinkerbells of kids' TV; they’re mischievous and more than a little creepy, in keeping with the folkloric tradition. The characterization is strong, and Imogene is entertaining and likeable. On the whole, Blue Girl is a smart, witty urban fantasy novel that hasn’t received nearly enough attention from readers or critics.
Urban Fantasy for the Modern Teen: Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
The urban fantasy novel Ysabel (Penguin, 2007, ISBN: 9780143016694), set in modern-day Aix-in-Provence, France,won the 2008 World Fantasy Award for best novel. It’s a beautifully written story that many teens probably haven’t heard of, due to its placement in the “adult” section of most bookstores. While its appeal is universal, the story is definitely “teen” material; it inhabits the voice of fifteen-year-old Ned Marriner, who becomes caught up in an ancient magical “story” that has repeated itself over and over again for centuries. For a complete review of Ysabel, click here.
Fairy Fantasy for Young Adults: Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Wondrous Strange (HarperCollins, 2009, ISBN: 9781554682744) is set in a New York coinhabited by humans and unseen fairies of various courts, both light and dark. Kelley Winslow is an actress in an off-Broadway theatre company putting on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When Kelley is elevated into the starring role of Titania, it seems like a stroke of fortune—but life takes an ironic turn as she finds herself embroiled in real fairy intrigue and discovers her true identity: a fairy princess. This book has much to recommend it: the backstage politics of theatre life are fascinating in and of themselves, but when mixed with an engaging romance and a healthy dose of fairy intrigue, and set against a New York City backdrop, the result is a novel that would be difficult for teen girls (clearly the target audience) to dislike.
Urban fantasy, as the label suggests, is defined by an emphasis on the urban landscape; often the cities of these novels become characters themselves. These three books represent the best of the new generation of urban fantasy literature for young adults.
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Heather Fawcett - Heather Fawcett is a Vancouver-based writer and editor. She holds an M.A. in English Literature and specializes in teen fiction, having ...
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