The Dresden Files may not be the only book you're looking for.

Strange and magical things can be found in the everyday world. Sadly, not all of them get along well with other people. As a consultant for other detective agencies, Harry Dresden is a wizard. When I first read Storm Front in the early 2000s, I thought, "Finally! Finally! Finally!" "A wizard who is believable."" Private eye Harry lives in a tough Chicago neighborhood and relies on money like the rest of us. Black magic, werewolves, and other cases that the police are unable to solve on their own are some of the topics on which he consults.

It is estimated that there are 17 books in the Dresden Files series, with each one featuring Harry and his adventures as he faces off against a new set of demons and ghouls. One of the most popular characters on television is Harry Potter (which you can catch on Amazon Prime).

Books like The Dresden Files

The Dirty Streets of Heaven, by Tad Williams

Harry-Dresden rip-offs are a common accusation leveled at books like The Dresden Files. This is not the case with Tad Williams' gritty and entertaining urban fantasy. In the past, Williams was known for writing epic fantasy before switching to other genres (including science fiction).

The Dirty Streets of Heaven, the first book in the Bobby Dollar series, puts us inside the head of one character, Bobby Dollar. Bobby is like a god in the flesh. He may not be the most angelic of angels, but he fights for the rights of souls caught in the middle of the afterlife. Both Heaven and Hell are taken aback when recently deceased souls start disappearing. Bobby is left with the task of investigating and possibly preventing the world from ending.

It's hard not to like Bobby, the anti-hero. He has no faith in his superiors in heaven, and he's willing to seek assistance from anyone who can help him. A 21st-century noir detective. Who, it so happens, is a divine being. I'd like to join in on the fun.

Soulless, by Gail Carriger

Books like "The Dresden Files" can catch you off guard in a good way. One of them is Soulless.

Alexia Tarabotti, a supernatural being without a soul, is the focus of this Victorian-era tale set in England. In addition to her father's demise, she's been brutally assaulted by a vampire. Alexia is forced to become a detective after accidentally killing a vampire. Before it's too late, Alexia must figure out why London's high society is crumbling. Cozy mysteries and hard-boiled detective noir are combined in Soulless. It just so happens to take place in Regency-era London.

A roller coaster ride of suspense, action, magic, and death awaits you in Carriger's novel, which is full of colorful characters set in a believable alternate universe.

The Devil You Know, by Mike Carey

Author Mike Carey is best known for his work on The Girl With All the Gifts (and having met him, a wonderfully nerdy person to hang out with). The Dresden Files works only if the protagonist is flawed enough for readers to identify with. Felix Castor has a lot of flaws, to say the least.

An exorcist who wishes he hadn't chosen exorcism as a career and is searching for a way out. Initially, Felix thinks he'll be able to handle a simple haunting at a London museum. Felix has a simple choice: break the case before someone breaks his neck. Unfortunately for him, the living and the dead soon start trying to kill him.

The Devil You Know is often referred to as "British Ghostbusters" because of the abundance of ghosts and demons that populate the streets of an alternate London. Felix Castor's adventures are entertaining, witty, and perfect for any Dresdenite, no matter how you describe them.

Rosemary and Rue, by Seanan McGuire

Rosemary and Rue is one of many books, such as The Dresden Files, that play with fairies and changelings, but none of them is as much fun. "Tony" Daye, a changeling, rejects her faerie heritage. She is a changeling.

Following the assassination of Countess Evening Winterrose, Tony, who had been content to live a human life, finds himself compelled to return to the fae world. For those who enjoy urban fantasy and magical reality, this story will keep you guessing.

Even though characters like Harry Dresden and Buffy possess the same quick wit and offbeat humor, the world in which they live can be quite dark at times. That added to the enjoyment of reading Rosemary and Rue for me.

Fated, by Benedict Jacka

Books like The Dresden Files series succeed because they combine the mundane with the fantastical. Fated is the first book in the Alex Verus series, and it's the closest thing east of the Atlantic to Harry Dresden.

Located in Camden, north London, Alex Verus is the owner of a magic shop. It's a real magic shop, not one of those gimmicky fancy-dress places. In the city, there are many mages, and Alex is one of them, though he has less impressive abilities. He's a diviner, able to foresee the possible outcomes of a decision.

There are only a handful of ways Alex can see out of this situation, and they all lead to the same place: his death. What's a wizard to do in this situation? Any fan of urban fantasy will enjoy this well-written tale.

Blood Price, by Tanya Huff

For a long time before Harry Dresden started joking around the streets of Chicago, Vicki Nelson was solving magical mysteries in Toronto. Because Storm Front was written nearly a decade after Blood Price, the two stories are very similar.

Former Toronto homicide detective Mike Celluci is a private investigator who helps Vicki after witnessing the first of many brutal attacks. But there's a catch: the attacks appear to be the work of evil magic. The illegitimate son of Henry the eighth and current vampire, Henry FitzRoy, is about to unite Vicki and Mike under the leadership of Henry.

Readers get a glimpse into the minds of Vicki and Henry, two characters who are lovingly written. When I was younger, there was a part of me wishing I had found this book. Before urban fantasy became a mainstream genre, this book had all of its great features. This is a fantastic read.

Rivers of London (Midnight Riot), by Ben Aaronovitch

The Peter Grant series must be mentioned when discussing books like The Dresden Files. At work, a young Metropolitan Police officer is forced to deal with the magical world that coexists with reality. As it turns out, the only witness to a bizarre murder is a ghost, which bodes well for his future.

Rivers of London (also known as Midnight Riot in the United States) was the first novel I read when it was released in 2011. Fans of Aaronovitch's work on Doctor Who (Remembrance of the Daleks is still a favorite serial of mine), I found Rivers of London and Moon Over Soho to be particularly satisfying. As exciting as it is to follow Peter on his ascension from rookie cop to official wizard of the Met, the first book's antagonist is truly horrifying.

You'll never want to see another Punch and Judy show again, I promise you. Harry Dresden isn't Peter, and he knows it. When it comes to dealing with magic, procedure and institutional racism in a way Harry does not, he's his own detective. Meanwhile, Harry is busy whining and fighting off hordes of werewolves and demons, Peter is trying to learn a new spell and deal with the resulting chaos from Harry's actions.

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