20 Books Like Harry Potter Filled with Magic and Mystery

If you’re among the millions of readers who loved J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, there’s some bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that it seems there won’t be any sequels in the foreseeable future. Sad! Where will we go for our next Quidditch match or to see Hagrith’s fantastical pets?

But don’t despair: the good news is that we can find other books and book series that dabble in magic and fantasy to captivate your imagination.

Books Like Harry Potter to Read Next

If you loved Harry Potter, you’ll like getting lost in the fantastical worlds of these series packed with magic.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

If you haven’t read this classic children’s fantasy, try it out now. The Pevensie children go through exciting and memorable adventures in the land of Narnia, beginning with a trip through a mysterious wardrobe right into the land ruled by the evil White Witch. Talking animals and other mythical creatures are sure to welcome you and delight your senses.

(Note: Different editions either have The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or The Magician’s Nephew as the first book.)

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

This series introduces us to Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran, who has lofty dreams of heroism. Then, Prydain’s oracular pig runs away and Taran needs to find her and bring her back. Along the way, he meets Lord Gwydion and gets thrown in the evil Queen Archen’s dungeon.

When he escapes, he and his companions need to get past the gwynthaints and Cauldron-Born and warn Prydain about the enemy attack.

His Dark Materials Series by Philip Pullman

Beginning with The Golden Compass, this series features a parallel universe wherein each person comes with an externalized soul in the form of a “daemon,” or a talking animal. Lyra Belacqua is an 11-year-old who tries to rescue her best friend from the Gobblers, a group of kidnappers. She ends up discovering a parallel universe.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

12-year-old Artemis Fowl is a genius billionaire who decides to hold a fairy for a ransom and restore his family fortune. He enlists the help of his bodyguard, Domovoi Butler, and Domovoi’s sister, Juliet. How far will he get with the fairy police and a criminal dwarf on his trail?

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

When the Grace children move into the tattered Spiderwick Estate, they come across a “field guide” to the fantastical world around them, including details of fairy creatures. However, this book was not intended to be read by humans, so the children need to learn how to use it correctly.

Pennyroyal Academy Series by M.A. Larson

The Pennyroyal Academy is a school that trains young children to become courageous knights and princesses. The story opens with Evie unexpectedly joining the academy. Does she have what it takes to battle the witches and dragons who stand against them?

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Quentin Coldwater is unexpectedly accepted into an elite academy of sorcery, which is a delight for this reader obsessed with children’s fantasy novels. But he soon discovers a dark truth about the fantastical setting of his favorite books.

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series by Michael Scott

Nicholas Flamel appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. This series explores the legend that the real-life Nicholas Flamel found the secret to eternal life, with twins Josh and Sophie on a mission to find out if this is true. This leads them to a battle for the Book of Abraham the Mage, which contains the secret to the elixir of eternal life.

Sam London Adventure Series by Todd Calgi Gallicano

If you loved the magical creatures in Harry Potter, this series is a great choice for your next read. Sam London makes an exciting discovery when he finds that mythical creatures are alive and well—right in our national parks! But Dr. Vance Vantana appeals to him to keep their existence a secret, especially from people with bad intentions.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

In The Lightning Thief, Book 1 of this series, 12-year-old Percy Jackson feels like an outcast in school, especially with his ADHD and dyslexia. But when his math teacher suddenly transforms into a Greek spirit and attacks him, Percy finds out his true identity as a demigod, son of Poseidon.

Rick Riordan effectively weaves a tale of Greek mythology and fantasy, setting Mt. Olympus on the 600th floor of the Empre State Building, and sets Percy on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s master lightning bolt which somebody stole!

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Lesser known than Riordan’s Greek-mythology inspired series, this set follows siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, whose father is an Egyptologist who tells them their roots from Egyptian magicians and pharaohs. When Egyptian god of evil captures their father, the siblings need to fight with powerful forces of evil.

An Epic Series of Failures series by Chris Rylander

Like Harry Potter, Greg Belmont unexpectedly discovers his unusual identity: he’s a Dwarf, and has magical abilities. With a war between the Dwarves and Elves, this series is full of magic and hijinks that will satisfy your hunger for fantasy.

The Lost Years of Merlin Series by T.A. Barron

This series follows the greatest wizard in history, starting off as a lonely nameless person with zero memory of his life. But he needs to save Fincaya, and to do that, he needs to become who he was meant to be.

100 Dresses Series by Susan Mauphin Schmid

What happens if you find a closet full of 100 magnificent dresses, and then find that trying each one transforms you into a whole new person? Darling Dimple does just that, using these numerous disguises to uncover mysteries in an enchanted castle.

The Uncommoners Series by Jennifer Bell

Strangers with toilet brushes intrude Ivy and Seb’s house, causing them to run away to Lundinor, a city underneath London. But it’s no ordinary city: everyday things work with enchantment. The series comes with a wide array of mythical creatures and excellent world-building.

Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan

Will Treaty and the Rangers are tasked with the goal of defeating evil. Satisfy your hunger for epic adventures and battles with this series, as Will takes on an unlikely apprentice: Princess Madelyn.

The Great Library Series by Rachel Caine

In this series, the Great Library of Alexandria—which was destroyed by a fire in real life 2,000 years ago—survives and controls the knowledge that’s distributed to the people. People are not allowed to own books, but Jess Brightwell’s family smuggles them to learn about their rulers, putting everyone in great peril.

Dragon Keepers Series by Kate Klimo

Jesse and Daisy are 10-year-old cousins who unexpectedly become Dragon Keepers to a newborn dragon. Throughout the series, they have to keep their charge from the wicked St. George, unravelling Dragon Keeping secrets of old.

Knights of the Borrowed Dark Series by Dave Rudden

Denizen Hardwick is an orphan who doesn’t believe in magic or fairy tales. But when he’s recruited by a mysterious stranger and monsters begin to pursue him, Denizen is forced accept the reality of fantastic creatures. When Denizen is invited to join an order of knights, he feels an instant affinity to them. But why didn’t his parents leave him with the knights?

Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs

The series opens with 16-year-old Jacob, who comes upon an abandoned orphanage on a far-away island. But this orphanage didn’t house ordinary children, but those with supernatural abilities. If these children are still alive, where are they and what kinds of things can they do?

Be aware that some readers have reported having nightmares and difficulty sleeping from the creepy vintage photos featured in the book, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of stuff, consider skipping this one!

Finding Books Like Harry Potter

If you loved getting lost in the world of Harry Potter, there are plenty more books to explore packed with fantasy and magic.

Give one or two books in this list a try, and you’ll find yourself transported to new realms of adventure. Oh, and don’t blame us if you end up buying the whole series!

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