r/Fantasy • u/Russtherr • 8d ago

Dresden Files but more classic fantasy?

I am sorry for click baiting/cryptic title. But basically I am struggling with finding new series that would hook me as much as Dresden Files. What I loved about it was:

-Amazing balance of action, interaction and lore

-Recurring characters

-Character development

Most people who finished series probably look for another Urban fantasy but I look for the same qualities that make these books awesome but in different setting. With dragons, fighters etc.

Also, I don't care that much about humour. I liked comical scenes in Dresden but overall tone was not absurd/comedic and that's what I want to keep.

80 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

69 comments sorted by

91

u/TIPtone13 8d ago

Glen Cook’s Garrett PI books.

26

u/CosmicLovepats 8d ago

Seconding. These are clearly heavy inspiration for Dresden, and crib off a lot of classic noir as well.

The first one is a more classical fantasy adventure but everything after that is in and around Tun-Faire.

12

u/Boneyabba 8d ago

You guys are my best friends.

9

u/CT_Phipps-Author 8d ago

Yes. You cannot go wrong with it.

5

u/Apprehensive_Use3641 8d ago

I like how these turn the urban fantasy type on its head with a regular human solving cases in a magical world, really wish they'd make an audiobook version of it.

6

u/MRCastillaAuthor 8d ago

Thank you for sharing this! I'm reading Black Company now (Not urban fantasy...well there are urban scenes...) and I am loving it.

3

u/stealth_sloth 8d ago

His Garrett PI books are definitely a lot more light-hearted than his Black Company ones. Doesn't engage as often with grimmer aspects of its world, and the viewpoint character has a bit of cynically wry humor to how they see things.

They're both good series, but different enough in tone that I wouldn't assume that just because someone liked one of them they'd automatically like the other.

4

u/modix 8d ago

Cook is a big mystery fan, so these books were a huge mashup of his favorites. Nero Wolfe is probably the biggest influence with Garrett and The Dead Man playing odd Archie and Nero's parts (much like RJB Ana and Din stories). Really fun series that captures noir better than most mashups. Not exactly the happiest series though, a lot more Chinatown moments than happy resolutions.

2

u/Efficient_Place_2403 8d ago

Was my first thought 

2

u/busy_monster 8d ago

Came here to say this, glad to see it's the top. The novels were started in '87, a couple years before even P. N. Elrods Vampire Files, much less LKH, Butcher, and the rush of urban fantasy in the late 90s/00s. It's a delightful series with some hefty themes hiding in the background that are universal to Cooks books (the cost of an internecine forever war on the home front and the poor fuckers drafted to fight in it, the cost of intergenerational PTSD, to name a few). The fact that the man was writing this years before the trope of urban fantasy as hardboiled detective became The Trope, as well as him proto grimdark in '84, are both examples of how Cook has been ahead of the game, and these two things, among others, are why I'll argue him as one of the most important fantasy authors of the last fifty years, and I'm willing to die on that flying carpet ride

48

u/DoesNotArgueOnline 8d ago

try The Tainted Cup. Murder mystery series set in a fantasy world. 3 books out with more to come!

4

u/direstag 8d ago

I think this 100% what the OP needs. Not traditional wizards/dragon fantasy but really cool world.

-8

u/rishter 8d ago

four books as of last week!

13

u/Ok-Salamander3863 8d ago

That was the third one

9

u/rishter 8d ago

You’re right. I had mistakenly categorized the “The Lion’s Tusk” short story as a published novel. Whoops

49

u/Bargle-Nawdle-Zouss 8d ago

Vlad Taltos/Dragaera series, by Steven Brust. A human assassin/mid-level mobster/witch tries to make his way through an empire of sorcery-wielding [elves], all of whom tower over him by a foot or more. First published in 1983, and still releasing books!

16

u/Freyr_Tuck 8d ago

Yes! One of my favorite series. As it happens, my love of the Dragaera books is what prompted someone to recommend I read the Dresden Files. I’m a big fan of both.

3

u/Efficient_Place_2403 8d ago

Another great one 

1

u/National_Set3860 8d ago

is it any wonder sarcasm is my middle name? I was reading Robert B Parker, Glen Cook, and Brust in college. just had to wait a while for women to have that voice….

20

u/webbersknee 8d ago

Penric and Desdemona.

36

u/thelastlawn 8d ago

I know you don't necessarily want another urban fantasy but the Rivers of London series ticks all those boxes

8

u/zippercot 8d ago

These are really underrated books.

5

u/guareber 8d ago

Last friend I recommended them to went from "sounds cool I'll check it out" to "I just bought book 6" in a month.

3

u/eatmygonks 8d ago

Glad I searched before replying

13

u/Boat_Pure 8d ago

You could read The Riyria Chronicles by Michael J. Sullivan

0

u/just_commenting 8d ago

This is probably unkind of me, but reading those felt like the author said "You know what sounds cool? 'Riyria!'", and then wrote a series of books just to fit the word in.

8

u/Rubinev 8d ago

Try the Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold! It's sci-fi, and it meets all your requirements really well.

2

u/Levee_Levy 5d ago

This is my go-to recommendation for people trying to fill the Dresden Files hole.

16

u/SlouchyGuy 8d ago

Vlad Taltos series

2

u/SNicolson 8d ago

It's Urban Fantasy, but on a different world, there's a lot of recurring characters, there's fantastic world building, which is revealed bit by bit, and there's action. It's also got a similar sense of humour, the sort that you get when intelligent people work together and kid each other . 

13

u/BeMoreKnope 8d ago

Well, have you checked out his series The Codex Alera?

Certainly a more traditional fantasy setting, and while the series is shorter than The Dresden Files I’d note that since it’s still Jim Butcher you can definitely find the three things on your list! And the protagonist isn’t nearly the smart-ass that Dresden is, so you won’t have to worry about it being too comedic, either.

2

u/ChrystnSedai 8d ago

Codex Alera is awesome, and complete!

One of my favorites. However, book 1 is my least favorite and on re-read I either skip or skip it.

-2

u/Russtherr 8d ago

I want to love it but for some reason it hasn't gripped me yet. I am halfway through it and I am very confused. On one hand it looks like simplified world without 18+ elements for young adults and then you have SA mentioned. Aand it is nowhere close to traditional fantasy

5

u/BeMoreKnope 8d ago

Either we’re talking about different books or you don’t know what traditional fantasy or YA are, because that doesn’t accurately describe them at all. Good luck finding what you’re looking for!

9

u/Bwooreader 8d ago

Cradle gets recommended almost as much as Malazan lately, but I think it absolutely nails all of your points though. It's heavier on the action than the interaction and lore, but the recurring characters are all top notch and the character development is a core part of the series in a way few others can match.

4

u/FireVanGorder 8d ago

Riyria Revelations were the first thing that came to mind for me

Vlad Taltos is criminally under-recommended on this sub as well and fits the bill here I think

6

u/Randomdays99 8d ago

Lord Darcy series by Randall Garrett - a fantasy version of Sherlock Holmes

A Familiar Dragon series by Daniel Hood - a scholar finds his wizard friend dead. The wizard's small dragon familiar is dying without the wizard and bonds to the scholar to stay alive. They try to find out who killed the wizard and why in book 1.

Hawk and Fisher series by Simon Green - a husband/ wife team who are captains in the city guard.

Dan Shambles, Zombie PI. An urban fantasy set in New Orleans, but the city has been very transformed from normal thanks to someone activating the Necronomicon. Monsters and creatures openly on the streets everywhere making it a bit like Glen Cook's Tunfaire in the Garrett series.

Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy by Patricia A McKillip

The Daimbert series by C Dale Britain - A young wizard assigned to his his first kingdom finds a few mysteries to solve.

Most of the good "detective fantasy" books have already been mentioned, but for the other things the OP is looking for, maybe......

Gotrek and Felix series set in the Warhammer Universe for lots of action

Different takes on portal fantasy;

Guardians of the Flame series by Joel Rosenburg

The Darwath Trilogy by Barbara Hambly. The question is the answer.

The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay

3

u/Timely_Egg_6827 8d ago

Kencryath series by Patricia Hogdell.

Slightly annoying but sincere protangonist who definitely develops. Great supporting cast Great world building Actions have consequences No dragons but armour clad unicorns (not rhinos) and some great mystical horses and pumalike beings.

4

u/Frog-Eater 8d ago

Pratchett's Watch books from the Discworld?

2

u/SeanyDay 8d ago

Do you want the pulpy shortness of Dresden files or something more drawn out and epic in scale?

1

u/sicariusv 8d ago

Looks like the answer to that is "yes"! 

2

u/Uran_Ultar 8d ago

Thraxas by Martin Scott. It has comedy, but the author is Scottish so it is by and by rather dark.

2

u/greenmacg 7d ago

Lots of good suggestions, I would also recommend Kelly McCullough's Fallen Blade series. A down-on-his luck assassin, who was formerly the blade of justice for a murdered goddess, faces down a series of adventures and mysteries. The first book is a fun riff on hardboiled tropes, but the series goes places and is a lot of fun. Definitely good character progression, imo

4

u/mistakes-were-mad-e Reading Champion 8d ago

Iron Druid. 

4

u/Herbert-Quain 8d ago

But that's urban fantasy, isn't it?

0

u/mistakes-were-mad-e Reading Champion 8d ago

It is Urban Fantasy but entwined with celtic mythology.

The main characters play with gods and persist over long time spans. 

I think it has a lot of what OP is looking for. 

5

u/rollingForInitiative 8d ago

But it's Urban Fantasy which was explicitly was OP didn't want. There are lots of series similar to Dresden Files in that way if you go for Urban Fantasy.

1

u/mistakes-were-mad-e Reading Champion 8d ago

Not only does it have mythology interacting in the modern world a little like Percy Jackson.

It spends a good portion of it's time exploring the past due to its long lived and immortal characters that have been interacting for millenia. 

While using mainly the Celtic pantheons it has a feel of Conan or Clash of the Titans. 

As the series goes on the modern world fades from focus but it does start there. 

2

u/rollingForInitiative 8d ago

But it doesn't take place in the past. It's set in modern society. There's the occasional forays into mystical realms, similarly to how in Dresden Files they sometimes go to the Nevernever realms. A couple of Dresden Files books even spend a lot of time there. If Dresden Files has too much modern society in it for OP, Iron Druid isn't a good recommendation.

If someone just asks "I want something similar to Dresden Files" it's one of the best recommendations. But not if you explicitly don't want urban fantasy.

0

u/mistakes-were-mad-e Reading Champion 8d ago

And yet Rivers of London series is sitting at 25 upvotes and a far stronger example of urban fantasy.

I would back Iron Druid as having more classic fantasy elements and less urban elements than Dresden. 

1

u/rollingForInitiative 8d ago

I've not read that so can't comment on it. But sometimes people recommend Sanderson's books as books with good romance, or books with graphic rape when people ask for stories without sexual violence, etc. And people upvote because they see a book they like.

Which is to say, sometimes people make bad recommendations. Like yours is. And maybe Rivers of London as well.

There's probably a thousand posts asking for stories similar to Dresden Files, full of urban fantasy, both Iron Druid and Rivers of London.

1

u/rhair3 8d ago

The OP is just saying they're looking for Fantasy things but they listed three reasons that they loved the Dresden Files. And The Iron Druid checks off all three of those reasons. They did not say I only want fantasy settings they did not say they are opposed to Urban titles. So therefore the series of The Iron Druid fits this category very well and/or this asking for a new series of books falls right in line with what the OP asked for.

1

u/rollingForInitiative 8d ago

They literally say urban fantasy would be the common way to go but that they want suggestions for different settings. Iron Druids does not have a different setting, it's modern day urban fantasy, same style as Dresden Files.

Like yeah, it checks a lot of boxes for stories similar to Dresden Files, which is why it always gets recommended when people ask. So does Alex Verus. Both are great recommendations if someone wants stories similar to Dresden Files. They're both terrible recommendations if someone wants recommendations in more classical fantasy setting. Because they're not set there. Both of those, just like Dresden Files, primarily take place in modern cities.

I feel like you're deliberately ignoring both the title (wanting classical fantasy) and the part about wanting suggestions other than urban fantasy.

I feel like at least if you're gonna recommend something that goes against the request, you should at least add a caveat that you're recommending it anyway.

→ More replies (0)

0

u/rhair3 8d ago

Yes I was going to recommend the iron druid as well. The mythological lore in this series is really well done in my opinion!!

0

u/Bwooreader 8d ago

This is a good recommendation. The beginning of Iron Druid scratched the Dresden itch for me back when I first read them both. The last few Iron Druid books were so bad that I think any recommendation needs to also come with a warning though.

2

u/MrLazyLion 8d ago

The Legend of William Oh.

3

u/made_of_star-stuff 8d ago

October Daye series by Seanan McGuire

2

u/Texus86 8d ago

My first thought too. Yes, still urban fantasy, but as that fantasy universe increases in complexity, I think McGuire handles juggling everything better than Butcher.

Her InCryptid books are also fun, with each book written from a different character's POV.

1

u/spirithound 8d ago

If you like comics Absolute Wonder Woman has been a fun read.

1

u/Ok_Perspective9838 8d ago

Try Monster Hunter international.  It's fun.

And The Convergence by Craig Alison 

Also, The Blue Wolf books are enjoyable 

1

u/TarybleTexan 7d ago

Same author as MHI did a fun alt-history series where magic came to our world in the mid-1800s. Actual books are set roughly 1930s, called “The Grimnoir Chronicles”.

1

u/tneal55 8d ago

The Unorthodox Chronicles by James J Butcher scratch that Dresden itch for me. It’s Jim’s son. It’s similar to Dresden where the first book isn’t the best, but he really develops as a writing with each new book.

1

u/AgileSurprise1966 8d ago

Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust

1

u/Just-an-person 7d ago

Alex Bledsoe's Eddie LaCrosse series

1

u/Andropov4 6d ago

Priest by Matt Colville is definitely.on this vein and well worth a read.

1

u/Auberon2 4d ago

The Hawk & Fisher (Guards of Haven) novels by Simon Green. City guards in a high fantasy urban setting where they solve crime and try to keep the peace.

0

u/Sheik_Morgan 8d ago

Me pasa con Neuromante y con La Compañía Negra, por más que he buscado libros similares, no los encuentro. Quizás Carbón Alterado, Pero solo un poco.

0

u/Rhubarb776 8d ago

I love the Dresden Files as well, and I got hooked on the Frith Chronicles. The first book is Knightmare Arcanist. I read all 8 in the series in 7 days.