5 Underrated Urban Fantasy Novels

The Immortals, by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Private investigator, Selene DiSilva, has a bit of a secret: she’s actually the goddess Artemis. In fact, several gods and goddess from Mount Olympus have taken semi-human forms to exist in the mortal world. When a body turns up, “wreathed in laurel,” Selene knows this isn’t some normal murder. With the NYPD out of their depth, Selene teams up with Theo Shultz, a classics professor, to help solve the case before another body turns up. A great start to an urban fantasy series filled with mystery and mythology.

Dragon Bones, by Jasmine Walt and Ines Johnson
Nia Rivers is an immortal, but there’s just one problem: She has amnesia, her memory missing gaps of hundreds of years. Working as an archaeologist and antiquities expert, she hopes her research and discoveries will kickstart her lost memories. Throw in another immortal determined to claim an archaeology site for himself and mysterious assassins and this history-packed urban fantasy is perfect for Indiana Jones-style action buffs.

Borrowed Souls, by Chelsea Mueller
Religion plays a large role in Gem City, which means the business of renting souls is booming. Individuals can rent a soul temporarily and “sin without consequence.” When Callie Delgado’s brother finds himself in hot water, his trouble falls upon Callie. She can either save him by working for the mob and repaying his debt, or he’ll wind up six-feet-under. Mueller creates an original world and culture in Borrowed Souls, where the line between devout and sinful can easily be crossed with a wad of hard cash and a new soul.

Menagerie, by Rachel Vincent
Delilah Marlow is excited to visit the traveling Metzger’s Menagerie, a traveling carnival that boasts all sorts of magical creatures on display. Delilah feels like a normal woman; the carnival’s workers sense that she’s anything but. She’s captured, held captive in the carnival and forced to perform like the rest of its inhabitants. Determined to free herself and the rest of her supernatural brethren, Delilah beings to plot a quest for freedom. Menagerie is perfect for readers who like their urban fantasy on the creepy side.

The Veil, by Chloe Neill
New Orleans has been ravaged by a war between humans and supernatural creatures. Having won, the humans banished all magical beings to a distract known as Devil’s Isle. Claire Connolly has lived in the community all of her life, running the local general goods store after the death of her father. Unfortunately, Claire is a magic user, a secret she’s desperate to keep hidden. As tensions between humans and the supernatural grow stronger, Claire worries an uprising is eminent, leaving her town between keeping her abilities hidden or using them to save her loved ones.
Which lesser-known urban fantasy novels would you recommend?