17 Fantastic Books To Help Fill The "Harry Potter" Void In Your Life
Accio book recommendations.
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We asked the Potterheads of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about the non-Harry Potter books they loved. Here are their magical recommendations!
1. Gullstruck Island tells the story of two sisters, Arilou and Hathin, who guard a secret that might just get them killed.
"Gullstruck Island or literally any other book by Frances Hardinge will be interesting for a Harry Potter fan. They are imaginative, immersive and a bit weird. The characters in the books are very enjoyable and her protagonists are always fun to root for. Her works are exciting, creative and definitely worth the read."
2. To her disappointment, recent graduate Ceony Twill is assigned to a paper magic apprenticeship. However, her new field of magic is not as simple as it seems. The Paper Magician is the first of four books in the eponymous series.
3. A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge takes place in the underground city of Caverna, a dangerous place full of bizzarre inventions and blank expressions.
"It’s a children’s book about an underground community whose master craftsmen can create mind-altering products. Nobody who lives there can show emotions on their face, but the main character, Neverfell, can. It’s an amazing read full of twists and turns and I’ve read it more times than I can count. Anytime anyone asks for a book recommendation, this is the one I suggest."
4. The Kingkiller Chronicles begins with The Name of The Wind. Patrick Rothfuss's fantasy series features fantastic writing and beautiful worldbuilding.
"The Name of the Wind ❤️❤️❤️"
"The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss!"
"I love these books."
5. You can't go wrong with the Percy Jackson series — except the movie. Please, don't watch the movie. Listen to the musical adaptation instead.
"The Percy Jackson series!"
"The Percy Jackson books!"
6. In Throne of Glass, an assassin serving a life sentence working the mines is offered her freedom in exchange for participating in a to-the-death fighting tournament
" I immediately fell in love with this series. It’s got fantasy, a strong female lead, the best slow-burn relationships, great plot twists. It’s got everything I love in a book, and the characters and world that Sarah J. Maas created is astonishing. it’s just amazing." —lucym4e370c021
7. For another story about a child whose life completely changes on their eleventh birthday, try Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend.
"It's about a girl who believes she is cursed to die at midnight on her 11th Birthday, but instead gets whisked away from her horrendous family to a secret magical city. Plot similarities aside, it is the only book that has ever given me the same feeling as reading Harry Potter."
8. A Darker Shade of Magic, the first book in the Shades of Magic trilogy, follows Kell, one of the last people with the gift of traveling between the parallel Londons. It's a compelling tale of magic, madness, and alternate universes.
"Shades of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab. It's based in not one London, but multiple sort of multiverse-esque versions of London with a deeply unique magic system and amazing characters. I wouldn't say it has a Harry Potter vibe, but it'll definitely satisfy people who loved Hogwarts."
"The Shades of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab."
9. At the start of The Whitby Witches, Ben and Jennet are assigned to a new foster home in the seaside town of Whitby. Ben has "the sight," a supernatural gift that allows him to perceive things invisible to most people, and he quickly realises that his new foster mother and the town of Whitby are not what they seem.
"The Whitby Witches series by Robin Jarvis. It's old now, but I will never part with these three wonderful books."
10. In the Grishaverse novel Six of Crows, criminal Kaz Brekter assembles an unlikely team of fellow outcasts to pull off the heist of a lifetime. It's basically Harry Potter meets Ocean's 8.
"Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo."
"Everything from Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse."
11. Way too much fantasy is Eurocentric. In Children of Blood and Bone, author Toni Adeyemi draws inspiration from West Africa to create a world full of dark magic, revenge, and danger.
"Children of Blood and Bone — that’s quite a good one."
12. The Blue Sword begins the Damar series. The series is only two books, but it creates a whole world filled with mythology, magic, and tradition.
"The Blue Sword and The Hero and The Crown by Robin McKinley. Oldies but goodies. I think I loved these even before I loved Harry Potter and I still re-read them every couple of years."
13. Before the HBO adaptation comes out, why not reread Phillip Pullman's masterpiece: The Dark Materials trilogy.
14. In The Rivers of London, Peter Grant stumbles upon the last wizard in England and becomes the first magical apprentice in fifty years. Thrust into the magical underbelly of London, Grant must find and defeat a mysterious spirit attacking ordinary people.
15. If you're searching for an epic series with intricate worldbuilding, look no further than The Edge Chronicles. The series takes place in a floating city, and the first book follows the son of an infamous sky pirate.
"The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddle. It used to be marketed 'for kids who love Harry Potter and want another world to explore'. They are meant for a younger audience but I'm 25 still read every book that comes out (of which there are MANY, released as sets of separate trilogies and stand-alone books all set in the same world with overlapping histories). It's an entirely made-up world with insane creatures and all kinds of characters. The illustrations are beautiful and it's just such a magnificently rich world to get lost in. I've got many friends hooked on them."
16. For a compelling new take on a classic story, look no further than Christina Henry's The Lost Boy, a retelling of Peter Pan.
"Read EVERYTHING by Christina Henry. She reimagines children's stories, Alice is amazing, (all of her books are wonderful) but The Lost Boy is stunning, and it's an absolutely wonderful book."
17. Carry On follows Simon Snow, otherwise known as "The Chosen One," and his final year at the Walford School of Magic. In addition to the vampire attacks and world-ending prophecies, Simon must also confront his growing crush on the boy who is supposed to be his nemesis.
"Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is a must. It’s like a gay love story with wizards and vampires and is definitely inspired by the wizarding world."
"Carry On by Rainbow Rowell"
"Carry On by Rainbow Rowell."
Note: submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.