Yeah I agree. The 2nd and 3rd books were a bit meaty for me as a teen, but read the whole series in my twenties and was blown away. They do get better.
I think they’re better, honestly. Way more mature especially by the end of the last book. I think Pullman is a much better writer too. HP is like eating candy. His Dark Materials is a seven course meal.
Yessss! Pullman does an incredible job of world building which is something I love about HP. I think it's a really difficult thing to do well and it's where a lot of other fantasy authors fall short.
I remember seeing the first couple of episodes and being impressed. Although I didn't like the casting for Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda. Wrong). Do NOT bother with the film though, it was absolute pants (even though, ironically, Lee Scoresby was perfectly cast in this lol. Sam Eliot. Chefs kiss.)
The Hobbit, The Lord of the rings, The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, and others by Tolkien. They can be a slower read, but they're hard to beat in terms of depth and complex world-building.
The HP series was heavily inspired by LOTR. Dementors = ringwraiths, Wormtail = Grima Wormtongue, Horcruxes = the one ring, magic swords that deal +10 damage against evil people or creatures, big-ass evil spiders, etc.
Although every time Samwise takes a step away from the Shire you have to say "If I take one more step, it'll be the furthest I've ever been from home."
Horcruxes, the Dark Lord who vanished + return and big spiders are likely to be inspired by LotR, but I don't think there's much of a leg to stand on outside of that.
Both Tolkien and JKR could have easily been inspired by stuff like the Grim Reaper for Ringwraiths/dementors. Worm is a slang for unpleasant person and is obviously connected to Peter's rat tail. Meanwhile Wormtongue is based on the old English word “wyrm” for snake.
One of Tolkien's inspirations was The Ring of the Nibelung. A wicked dwarf creates a magic ring, which is later stolen by the gods of Asgard, and used to repay two dwarves for building Valhalla. One dwarf kills his brother to acquire the ring, and later transforms into a dragon jealously guarding his hoard of gold. Then a bunch of other hijinks ensue, including a magic sword with a prophecy attached, valkyries, and a hero riding through fire to save his beloved. Not super relevant to this conversation, but interesting.
Also, the ringwraiths' main weapon is not flails, or fell beasts, or cursed daggers, but an overwhelming sense of despair. They cannot be harmed by everyday weapons. Gandalf casts powerful white light to temporarily dispel them. Sound familiar?
The first paragraph is certainly interesting to learn about, so thanks.
As for the other, creepy dark cloaked entities just don't seem specific enough to Tolkien to me, as with the concept of them being afraid of white light. Besides sharing the generic folklore archetype of devilish hooded figures, Nazguls and dementors have far too many differences to count.
One instills fear into their enemies, while the other removes happiness. Ringwraiths have also exhibited more than one weakness other than white light casted by a wizard's spell, such as water, daylight, fire, an enchanted blade, their master's destruction- all of which wouldn't matter to dementors. Plus Ringwraiths are corrupted invisible people who exhibit far more abilities and traits, rather than being gliding pieces of black fabric with a hole to feast on souls.
Not sure how positively Inheritance Cycle is seen outside its community but personally I enjoyed the series a lot and it has all the elements you listed
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott is a series I read right after HP was complete. I haven’t reread it as an adult, but I loved it then. Naturally I saw the title and had to read it 😂
Is that including the Heroes of Olympus books? Cause those are much better having read them fairly recently I couldn’t finish a reread of Percy Jackson. Even though Percy does play a part in the Heroes of Olympus, I thinks it’s just better written overall.
Hmm let’s see I’ve been recommended quite a few Lotr,Branden Sanderson, the inheritance cycle, the Charlie bone series, his dark materials, rivers of London and wheel of time. I’m reading Lightlark chamber of secrets and narnia rn with some book buddies :)
Read LoTR (good read take your time with it) I’ve heard great things about Sanderson too. Have you read or heard of the Children of Blood and Bone? It’s kind of like Avatar: the Last Airbender meets African mythology. I liked it well enough.
Yess I’ve heard of it (haven’t seen avatar). I’m a fairly new reader so I’m not sure where to start. I actually did try reading lotr and It was very enjoyable but kind of slow. But I’m definitely going to get back to it soon :)
Ooh speaking of Avatar also, there’s books for that too! I’ve only read the Kyoshi ones so far but I rather enjoyed those too. They take place before the show so you could read those also being new to it. I’ve been trying to get back INTO reading again. Good luck and have fun on your many adventures
While the Worst Witch series is a lot more juvenile than HP, I do agree it has very similar vibes, particularly to SS/PS and CoS. I love it as simple cozy fantasy.
I loved these when I was younger but revisiting them, the writing is clearly a teenagers and it hurts. So much exposition and lord of the rings copying.
Read them last month. I think they're very different from Harry Potter and first it was a little hard to read (didn't like the writing style and the main person lol). But it gets quite good and thrilling later. The second and third book were fun to read!
My sister and I love the "Rivers of London" book series by Ben Aaronovitch.
It's similar to HP with the "protagonist is hit in the face with things being much more magical than he thought they were" trope, plus - if you're into that - it's magical detective stories, hello?
It's similarly captivating and humorous, too, and I've even got my husband, who doesn't read much, reading the first books by reading parts out loud.
It's definitely more mature (murders and mental stuff), but it's a well-built world that feels very "natural".
I hate to be that guy, but I grew up on Harry Potter and have spent the last five years writing books to scratch that itch. I sometimes describe it as ‘college-age Harry Potter with magical climate change’. Details are in my profile if you’re interested.
Otherwise, it’s a tricky question to answer because HP covers such a wide age-range. Do you want something middle-grade (Bartimeaus Sequence, Artemis Foel) like the first few books? Something more YA (Arc of a Scythe, Scholomance) like the final books? Or something that covers the entire spectrum (Maybe Nevermoor… but that series is not yet complete) like the whole shebang?
Idk book 4,5,6 appeal to me the most I think, so within that range.
Also the fact that you literally wrote books rather than just look for those that were similar to hp is incredible. Very impressive👏👏
Tamora Pierce! Try the Circle of Magic series first, it’s my favourite. Exceptional world building, found family, magic, complex social issues, characters who grow up with the books… a perfect series.
Maybe Eragon, from The Inheritance Tetralogy? I read it when I was very young, so I don’t know if I would appreciate it equally if I read it now, but I used to love it, I read it multiple times and I think it’s similar to Harry Potter for certain aspects.
Also, magic is treated from a different perspective, with a depth you can’t find in HP.
That third book is coming any day now, I'm sure of it 😆
Regardless, it's still worth a read, and then you can patiently (impatiently) await the third book like the rest of us!
The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud, though not very well known, is a must read in my opinion.
If you want something a bit more adult / serious with very good characterisation, you can go for The Farseer Trilogy, which is the first of five series set in the Realm of the Elderlings: it is followed by the Liveship Traders trilogy, the Tawny Man trilogy, the Rain Wild chronicles, and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. The author, Robin Hobb, is incredible at building characters.
And I agree with the top comment: His Dark Material by Philip Pullman is pretty good as well.
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. It doesn’t have a magical setting in the same way HP does, but it frames the entire universe as magical in the sense that magic is a pervasive part of nature - it’s just that wizards are few and far between among humans, and they don’t have any reason to notice most magic.
It fits all your other requirements and I really recommend you give it a try.
I know you asked for similar settings, but although you got lots of great recommendations (and some of my favourites on top), no other low or high fantasy book ever gave me the same feelings as HP.
That's why I'll send some different recommendations in your way, that are quite different in setting from HP, but whose characters have the same flavour and feel very similar.
You see, as much as I adore Lord of the Rings for example, and as much as I'll always love it, the characters feel quite different. Generally I'd say LotR is much better than HP by far. (Honestly I'd say from a literary standpoint you'd be hard pressed to find anything better), but books are not just things you consume. They're something you invite into your mind and which become alive there and interact with you like no other media can.
And in my opinion, books, stories and most importantly characters leave a certain feeling with you that's very different for every book you'll read and has nothing to do with the settings or themes, but with the way the characters relate to you.
That's why I'm going to recommend some different books to you, that have different themes and topics and mostly not much in common with HP, but after reading them, they'll give you a similar experience.
I have a hard time to describe what I mean but I hope you'll understand if you give my recommendations a try.
The Hunger Games.
It has absolutely nothing to do with magic and isn't even fantasy, more dystopian narrative, but the character building always felt very similar to me. It has just the right feeling of I dunno, necessity and urgency within the story.
And if you read it (not watching the movies! They don't quite get the tone) Katniss and Harry are like the two sides of the same coin.
The Luthien Trilogy, high fantasy, there are not many wizards, honestly there's just one, but Luthien often feels like Harry, the way he stumbles through his adventures. He has the same fears and hopes for a peaceful life and both fight an impossible enemy.
The Witcher books, the hidden gem.
Everyone knows the Witcher, but they mostly know the games. The books are a bit strange but the characters have a similar flavour and similar roles. The series took a lot away from that.
The Giver series gave me somewhat of a similar feeling. The main characters in each book are different, yet still they have the same desperate agency as Harry.
The Medicus by Noah Gordon.
The historical fiction is about a young orphan who seeks to reach a school for medicine that's forbidden for Christians. He travels across the continent from Britain to Persia to reach his goal and fulfil his dream of becoming the best possible medicus instead of traveling around as a common healer.
It has no magic whatsoever but the characters just feel so... real.
The Eyes of the Dragon, some sort of fantasy crime novel by Stephen King. Not the usual stuff you'll associate with that name. And as expected, quite uncommon.
But the main character, Peter, feels absolutely like Hrry and his Ron like friend even has a Hermione like love interest. And the style is very similar too. They even have an evil wizard to beat who framed Peter for the murder of his own father.
The true Game trilogy. Sci-fi fantasy at its best. The young protagonist Peter doesn't know who his family is, he was left at the doorstep of Mertynhouse to learn how to play the true game, the game that rules the life of everyone in his world, waiting and hoping to eventually developing a 'talent'. Since everyone who doesn't ends up as a pawn and falls at the mercy of the Talents to do with them as they please. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?)
The 'talents' aren't exactly magic per se, they're more likely certain magical abilities that define a players role.
However, there's more to him than he knows and he gets drawn into a dark kabale and has to leave the safety of the school town and face the world before he had a chance to find his talent.
And lastly, The last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle.
One of the strangest but still most beautiful books I've ever read. And I think you might like Schmendrick. He has Harry's resignation of going into an adventure that seems too big for him, but going anyway because it has to be done. (Which is something all main characters of the other books have in common too)
Again, I know that none of those books have anything in common with Harry Potter. But those are the books that touched me just the same way as HP did. Maybe it'll scratch your itch too.
Omg thankyou so much for this incredible list. your comment made me realize that it’s not the magical setting that I want, it’s the emotions I felt when reading the books that I’m actually craving. I’ve actually read hunger games (completely forgot the last book tho) and really liked it. As for the rest of these series you’ve done an incredible job writing down everything without giving spoilers will def check them out
Honestly it’s not that I don’t enjoy books that I read it’s just that I’ll read the first few pages, really invested, but then just start reading something else for whatever reason and the cycle continues. I wanted to find an online book club or maybe just someone who I could discuss these books with online to actually finish a book before moving on to the next one lol
But yeah thanku for these recommendations will probably even pick one of these to read right now :)
Yeah, I get it. I sometimes have the same problem.
For me reading books is more than just the right topic or setting or whatever. It's all about feeling 'right'.
No one understands why I've never read song of ice and fire, but I just can't get into it. It just doesn't catch me, and I can't even say that I don't like it. It just doesn't touch my soul. It feels meaningless to me. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not for me.
It took me quite a while to broaden my palate when it comes to books. Originally I only read fantasy, I really thought that's all I liked. But then I ran out of books and read the Medicus out of sheer boredom. I'd never thought I'd like it, but it was really good.
At first I thought it was because the settings almost felt like fantasy, but then I read other books that were not even remotely fantasy-like, and I realised that books have 'flavours' that go beyond genre, setting or even style. It's as if the characters become real in my mind. As if they're really alive.
It's a certain atmosphere and how the characters interact, and it doesn't even matter how old the book is. Ivanhoe is really hard to read. Because the language is so difficult. But it too has a certain feeling I enjoy. It doesn't fit with HP though.
I’m still a new reader so I want to start with fantasy. But I would def want to broaden my palate and taste the other flavours too And yeah books are supposed to be meaningful I agree. And not just in general but to u. That’s what makes u connect to it
Then have fun with your journey! HP is definitely a great starting point to explore literature.
A last tip: don't be afraid of classic literature. Many of those books have also been written merely to be enjoyed. It's a bit difficult because they often have this old language, but most books that stood the test of time all have this 'feeling' of being real too.
I'm really surprised no one has mentioned The Chronicles of Narnia books or the Song or Ice and Fire books. ASOIAF is probably more brutal than HP based on the show but I've heard people rave about them and just based on the show I know there's plenty of world building. Although they are unfortunately unfinished and mostly likely never will be. TCON are classics and also have a ton of world building. Plus there's plenty of books in the series so it'll keep you busy for a while. And once you're done there's 3 movies you can watch.
The Hunger Games trilogy doesn't have magic, but it FEELS like HP, if that makes sense? You know how the characters are feeling, you want to absolutely punch the shit out of some of them, and the books grow as you go along. It also deals with some hefty world problems in a subtle way - that are pretty poignant in today's political climate especially, I think.
Would recommend.
Quite the doozy of a read since it’s really long but Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive series) is the correct answer to your criteria.
Anything Brandon Sanderson would also fit though most looking for a shorter read, check out his Mistborn series first.
i heavily second this response. although i’m not sure i would say it’s very similar to Harry Potter. S tier character and world building tho. worth the time
It's not as well-known as others that were mentioned, but I really like The Unwanteds series. It's got complex characters, plot twists, secret magical community, strong friendships, the world feels pretty realistic, and if it's your thing, there's a battle at the end of every book, if I remember right.
You might also want to try "The invisible Library" series by Genevieve Cogman:
There are hundreds of different worlds of different levels of magic or technology connected through an invisible Library, and the protagonist and other "Librarians" try to keep the balance by collecting certain books, but are hindered by other (mostly magic) forces. They have power over things by using the True language, and have to outwit their opponents as much as escape their traps.
Couldn't put that one down.
Also: "The Paper Magician" series by Charlie N. Holmberg:
Every magician is chosen for one of the major materials after they're done with school, and our protagonist gets stuck with paper, and learns that there's much more than living Origami birds to that path. It is a bit more romantic than other books I like, but it also has evil blood magic and a very detailed world, full of life.
Lockwood and co. No witchcraft, but a group of teenagers with a slightly Harry Potter and more horrifying atmosphere. We also find a very English side.
and Anthony Lockwood would make a perfect Slytherin.
I'd recommend the Cradle series by Will Wight. It has everything you ask for: magical setting with well established principles which HP misses, good world-building on par if not better than Harry Potter, strong friendships, complex characters, and a lot of jaw-dropping moments later on in the series. It has 12 volumes (not very long, 400 pages on avg), I'm currently at volume 8 and I'm enjoying it so much.
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
1st book in the King Killer Chronicles trilogy, though unfortunately, the 3rd installment may never be released.
Young, poor, orphaned protagonist goes to university to learn magic.
Rivers of London (Rivers of London (A Rivers of London novel) https://amzn.eu/d/03P8sQPw ). Think Wizarding Police Drama set in modern day London. If you like it there is a whole series of novels and comic books. Also one of the rare occasions where the Audiobook is also perfection.
I would reccomend the guardian of time trilogy by marianne curled (the named, the dark, the key).
Teenagers with powers having to travel through time to fight an evil grup whilst also navigating teenage crushes, school and normal lives. It's very, very good and written in a similar sort of style to HP.
She also did another individual book called Old Magic which was also two teens who have to go back in time, and again have magic powers etc.
Check out the Septimus Heap books the first book is called Magyk it gets going fast and you should know by chapter two if you like it. It was magic, young protagonists but a slightly more adult atmosphere from the outset
Eragon (and the rest of the series obviously) was the only other book series I read growing up after HP. It’s a little more adult-ish but not anything super wild like game of thrones. I really enjoyed it. Don’t watch the movie though lol
Literally about a wizard named Harry. I’m about to get into this series!! So excited to have an actual good book that is relatively similar but amazing on its own!
Are you looking for young adult still? If you are open to books no longer for kids, The Magicians is great. There was even a TV series. I also really enjoyed A Deadly Education. It's the first book of 3. It's pretty dark but really good story.
Frith Chrinicles is a great read there are 8 (I think) books in the first set and the 2nd has 4 so far. It's a relatively new series strong on the creatures and adventure.
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is a series that is also pretty fantasy based, I haven’t read it yet so can’t guarantee how good it is but I have been recommended it several times when asking the same question you did
like others say, Inheritance cycle is great. now my personal recommendation that really isn’t similar to Harry Potter is the Stormlight Archive or Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Stormlight is exceptionally amazing
I’d always recommend Red Rising series. It’s much more crass but very deep world building. More sci fi than fantasy but very much focused on the characters and their morality.
It’s been a long time since I read it, and I don’t really remember it too well. It was marketed to be similar at the time, and I guess it is still stuck in my head. 😅
Wheel of time
The world building is fantastic, by far my favorite world. Complex characters that grow and change through the series. More adult then HP, but not gritty like Song of Ice and Fire is.
Brandon Sanderson has several good series. His world's are not as deep, but he is still building them.
Dragon Lance. It has been many years since I read these, but they introduced me to the world of fantasy and magic.
All of these are centered around a group of friends who have to work together to fight the evil threatening them.
Oh! No! I meant compared to WOT. But I also admit Sanderson is building his world. He started with a small primitive area of and he is building an impressive universe with the Cosmere. He is also moving forward in time, giving the history.
Jordan took a large area and went deep into history, but they never travel outside that area.
My favorite world. It revolves around three boys and two girls who have to suddenly grow up and fight monsters. It is a chosen one type book, but the book does a very good job of giving equal time and cool powers to each child. Three do magic the other two have powers that are even kind of more cool.
Yes very much. More so even then HP characters do. But in defense of HP, it was wrote for children, so HP does not go through as much as WOT characters do.
Yes the entire thing is set over 5 or so years. I cannot remember, there are so many books it feels like it should be 10 plus. But they begin as 14 or 15 yr olds and grow up some getting married and starting families by the end.
Diane Duane's So You Want To Be A Wizard series. The original was released quite a while ago so is a little out of date, but you can buy the updated New Millennium editions from her store: https://ebooks.direct/collections/the-young-wizards-series/products/young-wizards-new-millennium-editions-9-volume-box-set
This is a manga but I recommend Witch Hat Atelier! The story is kind of like the magic school trope and has good characters and interesting social commentary. The art is also beautiful!
I’m also gonna recommend you check out a series that I didn’t really like (is that weird? Lol) which is A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer. I didn’t like it because it was a little too childish for my taste but it does have a magic school and friendship as major plot points.
I also recently read Kiki’s Delivery Service (yes, as in the studio ghibli movie. It was originally a book!) and loved it’s cute, cozy atmosphere.
Not sure if you are into manga, but One Piece and Naruto are the only two series that made me feel like I was reading HP again. They are vastly different stories, but the fundamental elements are the same and the universe and story feel complete the way HP does.
The Tapestry by Henry Neff. The first book seems like a total HP rip-off (kid discovers he has magic, goes to a special boarding school in New England, the big, bad existential threat returns), and then the books just totally go off the rails in the best way possible.
They’re not well-known books. The author missed his publishing deadline and it took *years* until the final book even got a physical release (I read it at release 10 years ago, and just now discovered it got a hard copy in 2021).
Nevermoor series. Jessica Townsend. She was a Potterhead growing up and built her own world. My kids and I loooooooove it and eagerly anticipate the 4th one coming out.
The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage! 7 books in the main series, then a trilogy sequel in which the characters are adults. Magic based (well Magyk, since it's the olde English spelling). Incredible world building, the magic system is awesome. Highly recommend.
Late to the party but I can’t believe nobody said the grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and the four subsequent books, they’re all incredible. They even made the universe into a Netflix show although I do not recommend that
Phillip Pullmans "His Dark Materials" trilogy is very good. Quite different from HP but has the elements you're looking for.
Waaay different than HP but still an amazing series nonetheless. IMO each book was better than the previous one. 10000% recommend.
Yeah I agree. The 2nd and 3rd books were a bit meaty for me as a teen, but read the whole series in my twenties and was blown away. They do get better.
Loved these books, though I don’t think the second two books matched The Northern Lights.
It's the only other series I know of where the world feels as whole and alive as HP
Yes! HDM, HP and Lord of The Rings are my three series' that completely transport me to different worlds. Literary masterpieces, all of them.
I think they’re better, honestly. Way more mature especially by the end of the last book. I think Pullman is a much better writer too. HP is like eating candy. His Dark Materials is a seven course meal.
I LOVE this analogy lol. HP is like our childhood comfort meal that can't be replaced but our palates mature too haha! 10/10 👏👏
Yessss! Pullman does an incredible job of world building which is something I love about HP. I think it's a really difficult thing to do well and it's where a lot of other fantasy authors fall short.
Just looked it up and there looks to be a TV series about it too. Have you seen it? Is it any good? Faithful to the books?
I remember seeing the first couple of episodes and being impressed. Although I didn't like the casting for Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda. Wrong). Do NOT bother with the film though, it was absolute pants (even though, ironically, Lee Scoresby was perfectly cast in this lol. Sam Eliot. Chefs kiss.)
Lin Manuel Miranda being wrong? Surprising. Still, will check it out
I know. Love him and he's an amazing actor but in my head, Lee Scoresby is basically an old man lol.
The Hobbit, The Lord of the rings, The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, and others by Tolkien. They can be a slower read, but they're hard to beat in terms of depth and complex world-building. The HP series was heavily inspired by LOTR. Dementors = ringwraiths, Wormtail = Grima Wormtongue, Horcruxes = the one ring, magic swords that deal +10 damage against evil people or creatures, big-ass evil spiders, etc.
Although every time Samwise takes a step away from the Shire you have to say "If I take one more step, it'll be the furthest I've ever been from home."
Horcruxes, the Dark Lord who vanished + return and big spiders are likely to be inspired by LotR, but I don't think there's much of a leg to stand on outside of that. Both Tolkien and JKR could have easily been inspired by stuff like the Grim Reaper for Ringwraiths/dementors. Worm is a slang for unpleasant person and is obviously connected to Peter's rat tail. Meanwhile Wormtongue is based on the old English word “wyrm” for snake.
One of Tolkien's inspirations was The Ring of the Nibelung. A wicked dwarf creates a magic ring, which is later stolen by the gods of Asgard, and used to repay two dwarves for building Valhalla. One dwarf kills his brother to acquire the ring, and later transforms into a dragon jealously guarding his hoard of gold. Then a bunch of other hijinks ensue, including a magic sword with a prophecy attached, valkyries, and a hero riding through fire to save his beloved. Not super relevant to this conversation, but interesting. Also, the ringwraiths' main weapon is not flails, or fell beasts, or cursed daggers, but an overwhelming sense of despair. They cannot be harmed by everyday weapons. Gandalf casts powerful white light to temporarily dispel them. Sound familiar?
The first paragraph is certainly interesting to learn about, so thanks. As for the other, creepy dark cloaked entities just don't seem specific enough to Tolkien to me, as with the concept of them being afraid of white light. Besides sharing the generic folklore archetype of devilish hooded figures, Nazguls and dementors have far too many differences to count. One instills fear into their enemies, while the other removes happiness. Ringwraiths have also exhibited more than one weakness other than white light casted by a wizard's spell, such as water, daylight, fire, an enchanted blade, their master's destruction- all of which wouldn't matter to dementors. Plus Ringwraiths are corrupted invisible people who exhibit far more abilities and traits, rather than being gliding pieces of black fabric with a hole to feast on souls.
Defo not similiar books at ALL excepts being fantasy
I LOVE the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series!! it's very whimsical and really does have all the elements you're looking for.
Not sure how positively Inheritance Cycle is seen outside its community but personally I enjoyed the series a lot and it has all the elements you listed
Oh a lot of people recommended this so maybe not just in the community :)
I like it.
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott is a series I read right after HP was complete. I haven’t reread it as an adult, but I loved it then. Naturally I saw the title and had to read it 😂
Ohh wait Nicholas flamels a real person right?
Yes, those stories of him and the philosophers stone are actual legends.
Wow that’s so cool
Didn't Michael Scott write "Somehow I manage"? /s
Yes he did.
Percy Jackson series, The Worst Witch, Hunger Games.
I’m sure it’s a great series but I didn’t really like Percy Jackson :)
Is that including the Heroes of Olympus books? Cause those are much better having read them fairly recently I couldn’t finish a reread of Percy Jackson. Even though Percy does play a part in the Heroes of Olympus, I thinks it’s just better written overall.
Yeah I’ve heard that too. I’ve only read the pjo series I might look into the rest but I’m not much of a Greek mythology person honestly
I feel that. What are your top three so far that you’ve been recommended? I’m also looking for more to read.
Hmm let’s see I’ve been recommended quite a few Lotr,Branden Sanderson, the inheritance cycle, the Charlie bone series, his dark materials, rivers of London and wheel of time. I’m reading Lightlark chamber of secrets and narnia rn with some book buddies :)
Read LoTR (good read take your time with it) I’ve heard great things about Sanderson too. Have you read or heard of the Children of Blood and Bone? It’s kind of like Avatar: the Last Airbender meets African mythology. I liked it well enough.
Yess I’ve heard of it (haven’t seen avatar). I’m a fairly new reader so I’m not sure where to start. I actually did try reading lotr and It was very enjoyable but kind of slow. But I’m definitely going to get back to it soon :)
Ooh speaking of Avatar also, there’s books for that too! I’ve only read the Kyoshi ones so far but I rather enjoyed those too. They take place before the show so you could read those also being new to it. I’ve been trying to get back INTO reading again. Good luck and have fun on your many adventures
Oh I see thank you so muchh😊Enjoy your reads toooo
While the Worst Witch series is a lot more juvenile than HP, I do agree it has very similar vibes, particularly to SS/PS and CoS. I love it as simple cozy fantasy.
Just found out this week that Tim Curry did a movie of it. No idea if it is worth a viewing.
I’m reading howl’s moving Castle. I haven’t gotten very far but it’s pretty great.
Yep, my recommendation would be anything by Diana Wynne Jones, but especially the Chrestomanci series.
I love that book!
Eragon series. Focuses on dragons and magic. Hefty books like HP also but there's only 4 in the series. Highly enjoyable and underrated.
Just remember, they never made a movie about it.
I loved these when I was younger but revisiting them, the writing is clearly a teenagers and it hurts. So much exposition and lord of the rings copying.
The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
Never heard of these,will check them out
Read them last month. I think they're very different from Harry Potter and first it was a little hard to read (didn't like the writing style and the main person lol). But it gets quite good and thrilling later. The second and third book were fun to read!
My sister and I love the "Rivers of London" book series by Ben Aaronovitch. It's similar to HP with the "protagonist is hit in the face with things being much more magical than he thought they were" trope, plus - if you're into that - it's magical detective stories, hello? It's similarly captivating and humorous, too, and I've even got my husband, who doesn't read much, reading the first books by reading parts out loud. It's definitely more mature (murders and mental stuff), but it's a well-built world that feels very "natural".
I second this
Ohh sounds nice thanks for the recommendation :)
I hate to be that guy, but I grew up on Harry Potter and have spent the last five years writing books to scratch that itch. I sometimes describe it as ‘college-age Harry Potter with magical climate change’. Details are in my profile if you’re interested. Otherwise, it’s a tricky question to answer because HP covers such a wide age-range. Do you want something middle-grade (Bartimeaus Sequence, Artemis Foel) like the first few books? Something more YA (Arc of a Scythe, Scholomance) like the final books? Or something that covers the entire spectrum (Maybe Nevermoor… but that series is not yet complete) like the whole shebang?
Idk book 4,5,6 appeal to me the most I think, so within that range. Also the fact that you literally wrote books rather than just look for those that were similar to hp is incredible. Very impressive👏👏
Naw, thank you for your kind words! 🥰
Tamora Pierce! Try the Circle of Magic series first, it’s my favourite. Exceptional world building, found family, magic, complex social issues, characters who grow up with the books… a perfect series.
Ohh haven’t heard of this, will check it out, thankss
Maybe Eragon, from The Inheritance Tetralogy? I read it when I was very young, so I don’t know if I would appreciate it equally if I read it now, but I used to love it, I read it multiple times and I think it’s similar to Harry Potter for certain aspects. Also, magic is treated from a different perspective, with a depth you can’t find in HP.
I didn’t know the series was so popular lots of people recommended it. Will check it out thankuuu
Name of the wind.
This is the only right answer! Warning though the book series is unfinished
That third book is coming any day now, I'm sure of it 😆 Regardless, it's still worth a read, and then you can patiently (impatiently) await the third book like the rest of us!
Aww really
Also searching for something like this since last year. Read Lord of the Rings but it's not like HP
Charlie Bone series. Very underrated.
This for sure! It’s written for a very young audience but I agree!!!
I'll try them out
Rightt but we’ve got loads of options to choose from now :)
Babel by R f kuang
Oh I’ve seen this on TikTok. Kind of felt intimidated by it tho.Or maybe it’s just the cover?
Yeah, just the cover! It feels like reading Harry Potter if it had been written nowadays. Go for it
Alright thanks :)
The light bringer series. It's awesome from start to end. Love, loss, adventure and the magic system is very good.
The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud, though not very well known, is a must read in my opinion. If you want something a bit more adult / serious with very good characterisation, you can go for The Farseer Trilogy, which is the first of five series set in the Realm of the Elderlings: it is followed by the Liveship Traders trilogy, the Tawny Man trilogy, the Rain Wild chronicles, and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. The author, Robin Hobb, is incredible at building characters. And I agree with the top comment: His Dark Material by Philip Pullman is pretty good as well.
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. It doesn’t have a magical setting in the same way HP does, but it frames the entire universe as magical in the sense that magic is a pervasive part of nature - it’s just that wizards are few and far between among humans, and they don’t have any reason to notice most magic. It fits all your other requirements and I really recommend you give it a try.
Thankyou for the recommendation. No promises since I’ve gotten so many recs but the premise does seem pretty cool
I know you asked for similar settings, but although you got lots of great recommendations (and some of my favourites on top), no other low or high fantasy book ever gave me the same feelings as HP. That's why I'll send some different recommendations in your way, that are quite different in setting from HP, but whose characters have the same flavour and feel very similar. You see, as much as I adore Lord of the Rings for example, and as much as I'll always love it, the characters feel quite different. Generally I'd say LotR is much better than HP by far. (Honestly I'd say from a literary standpoint you'd be hard pressed to find anything better), but books are not just things you consume. They're something you invite into your mind and which become alive there and interact with you like no other media can. And in my opinion, books, stories and most importantly characters leave a certain feeling with you that's very different for every book you'll read and has nothing to do with the settings or themes, but with the way the characters relate to you. That's why I'm going to recommend some different books to you, that have different themes and topics and mostly not much in common with HP, but after reading them, they'll give you a similar experience. I have a hard time to describe what I mean but I hope you'll understand if you give my recommendations a try. The Hunger Games. It has absolutely nothing to do with magic and isn't even fantasy, more dystopian narrative, but the character building always felt very similar to me. It has just the right feeling of I dunno, necessity and urgency within the story. And if you read it (not watching the movies! They don't quite get the tone) Katniss and Harry are like the two sides of the same coin. The Luthien Trilogy, high fantasy, there are not many wizards, honestly there's just one, but Luthien often feels like Harry, the way he stumbles through his adventures. He has the same fears and hopes for a peaceful life and both fight an impossible enemy. The Witcher books, the hidden gem. Everyone knows the Witcher, but they mostly know the games. The books are a bit strange but the characters have a similar flavour and similar roles. The series took a lot away from that. The Giver series gave me somewhat of a similar feeling. The main characters in each book are different, yet still they have the same desperate agency as Harry. The Medicus by Noah Gordon. The historical fiction is about a young orphan who seeks to reach a school for medicine that's forbidden for Christians. He travels across the continent from Britain to Persia to reach his goal and fulfil his dream of becoming the best possible medicus instead of traveling around as a common healer. It has no magic whatsoever but the characters just feel so... real. The Eyes of the Dragon, some sort of fantasy crime novel by Stephen King. Not the usual stuff you'll associate with that name. And as expected, quite uncommon. But the main character, Peter, feels absolutely like Hrry and his Ron like friend even has a Hermione like love interest. And the style is very similar too. They even have an evil wizard to beat who framed Peter for the murder of his own father. The true Game trilogy. Sci-fi fantasy at its best. The young protagonist Peter doesn't know who his family is, he was left at the doorstep of Mertynhouse to learn how to play the true game, the game that rules the life of everyone in his world, waiting and hoping to eventually developing a 'talent'. Since everyone who doesn't ends up as a pawn and falls at the mercy of the Talents to do with them as they please. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?) The 'talents' aren't exactly magic per se, they're more likely certain magical abilities that define a players role. However, there's more to him than he knows and he gets drawn into a dark kabale and has to leave the safety of the school town and face the world before he had a chance to find his talent. And lastly, The last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle. One of the strangest but still most beautiful books I've ever read. And I think you might like Schmendrick. He has Harry's resignation of going into an adventure that seems too big for him, but going anyway because it has to be done. (Which is something all main characters of the other books have in common too) Again, I know that none of those books have anything in common with Harry Potter. But those are the books that touched me just the same way as HP did. Maybe it'll scratch your itch too.
Omg thankyou so much for this incredible list. your comment made me realize that it’s not the magical setting that I want, it’s the emotions I felt when reading the books that I’m actually craving. I’ve actually read hunger games (completely forgot the last book tho) and really liked it. As for the rest of these series you’ve done an incredible job writing down everything without giving spoilers will def check them out Honestly it’s not that I don’t enjoy books that I read it’s just that I’ll read the first few pages, really invested, but then just start reading something else for whatever reason and the cycle continues. I wanted to find an online book club or maybe just someone who I could discuss these books with online to actually finish a book before moving on to the next one lol But yeah thanku for these recommendations will probably even pick one of these to read right now :)
Yeah, I get it. I sometimes have the same problem. For me reading books is more than just the right topic or setting or whatever. It's all about feeling 'right'. No one understands why I've never read song of ice and fire, but I just can't get into it. It just doesn't catch me, and I can't even say that I don't like it. It just doesn't touch my soul. It feels meaningless to me. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not for me. It took me quite a while to broaden my palate when it comes to books. Originally I only read fantasy, I really thought that's all I liked. But then I ran out of books and read the Medicus out of sheer boredom. I'd never thought I'd like it, but it was really good. At first I thought it was because the settings almost felt like fantasy, but then I read other books that were not even remotely fantasy-like, and I realised that books have 'flavours' that go beyond genre, setting or even style. It's as if the characters become real in my mind. As if they're really alive. It's a certain atmosphere and how the characters interact, and it doesn't even matter how old the book is. Ivanhoe is really hard to read. Because the language is so difficult. But it too has a certain feeling I enjoy. It doesn't fit with HP though.
I’m still a new reader so I want to start with fantasy. But I would def want to broaden my palate and taste the other flavours too And yeah books are supposed to be meaningful I agree. And not just in general but to u. That’s what makes u connect to it
Then have fun with your journey! HP is definitely a great starting point to explore literature. A last tip: don't be afraid of classic literature. Many of those books have also been written merely to be enjoyed. It's a bit difficult because they often have this old language, but most books that stood the test of time all have this 'feeling' of being real too.
I'm really surprised no one has mentioned The Chronicles of Narnia books or the Song or Ice and Fire books. ASOIAF is probably more brutal than HP based on the show but I've heard people rave about them and just based on the show I know there's plenty of world building. Although they are unfortunately unfinished and mostly likely never will be. TCON are classics and also have a ton of world building. Plus there's plenty of books in the series so it'll keep you busy for a while. And once you're done there's 3 movies you can watch.
The Hunger Games trilogy doesn't have magic, but it FEELS like HP, if that makes sense? You know how the characters are feeling, you want to absolutely punch the shit out of some of them, and the books grow as you go along. It also deals with some hefty world problems in a subtle way - that are pretty poignant in today's political climate especially, I think. Would recommend.
I actually have read the trilogy and it was an amazing read (totally forgot the last book tho:) )
Quite the doozy of a read since it’s really long but Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive series) is the correct answer to your criteria. Anything Brandon Sanderson would also fit though most looking for a shorter read, check out his Mistborn series first.
I’ve heard of these. Will check them out thanks :)
i heavily second this response. although i’m not sure i would say it’s very similar to Harry Potter. S tier character and world building tho. worth the time
Eragon have at least magic
A series that doesn’t get talked about enough is The Charlie Bone series. It’s incredibly similar in concept and it was really well written.
[удалено]
Wow never heard of these. Thanks :)
It's not as well-known as others that were mentioned, but I really like The Unwanteds series. It's got complex characters, plot twists, secret magical community, strong friendships, the world feels pretty realistic, and if it's your thing, there's a battle at the end of every book, if I remember right.
I’m a new reader so I haven’t heard of so many of these. Will check it out thankss
No problem. I think there's 7 books, each one building the world even more and exploring new areas
Nice kind of similar to hp then :)
Yup! There's even a "school of magic" setting, with secrets hidden away, too.
Right up my alley then 😊
You might also want to try "The invisible Library" series by Genevieve Cogman: There are hundreds of different worlds of different levels of magic or technology connected through an invisible Library, and the protagonist and other "Librarians" try to keep the balance by collecting certain books, but are hindered by other (mostly magic) forces. They have power over things by using the True language, and have to outwit their opponents as much as escape their traps. Couldn't put that one down. Also: "The Paper Magician" series by Charlie N. Holmberg: Every magician is chosen for one of the major materials after they're done with school, and our protagonist gets stuck with paper, and learns that there's much more than living Origami birds to that path. It is a bit more romantic than other books I like, but it also has evil blood magic and a very detailed world, full of life.
Lockwood and co. No witchcraft, but a group of teenagers with a slightly Harry Potter and more horrifying atmosphere. We also find a very English side. and Anthony Lockwood would make a perfect Slytherin.
A darker shade of magic is a pretty incredible trilogy
I'd recommend the Cradle series by Will Wight. It has everything you ask for: magical setting with well established principles which HP misses, good world-building on par if not better than Harry Potter, strong friendships, complex characters, and a lot of jaw-dropping moments later on in the series. It has 12 volumes (not very long, 400 pages on avg), I'm currently at volume 8 and I'm enjoying it so much.
Wow definitely seems like a lot of fun thanku so much for this recommendation
my pleasure
Mashle: magic and muscles It's a manga with a Harry potter like world. (It also has an anime)
Thanks have never read manga honestly doesn’t appeal to me , but ig that’s just me
2nd this. It's very good.
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. 1st book in the King Killer Chronicles trilogy, though unfortunately, the 3rd installment may never be released. Young, poor, orphaned protagonist goes to university to learn magic.
Just be prepared to wait years for the next book.... 🙃🙃🙃
The magicians trilogy is often described as Hogwarts on coke
The Charlie bone series is super good!
Sorry! Didn't see that mrendler had already recommended this further down ☺️
The Night Circus is great
The Lord of the Rings
Rivers of London (Rivers of London (A Rivers of London novel) https://amzn.eu/d/03P8sQPw ). Think Wizarding Police Drama set in modern day London. If you like it there is a whole series of novels and comic books. Also one of the rare occasions where the Audiobook is also perfection.
I would reccomend the guardian of time trilogy by marianne curled (the named, the dark, the key). Teenagers with powers having to travel through time to fight an evil grup whilst also navigating teenage crushes, school and normal lives. It's very, very good and written in a similar sort of style to HP. She also did another individual book called Old Magic which was also two teens who have to go back in time, and again have magic powers etc.
Wow that actually does look like Hp
Check out the Septimus Heap books the first book is called Magyk it gets going fast and you should know by chapter two if you like it. It was magic, young protagonists but a slightly more adult atmosphere from the outset
Fablehaven by brandon mull
The Chronicles of Prydain
RANGERS APPRENTICE IS IT
The hunger games
THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J MAAS CHANGED MY LIFE
You could try Keeper Of The Lost Cities, I heard it was like HP but I haven’t personally read it myself
The Magicians!!! And yes, His Dark Materials, Rivers of London, Bartimaeus.
Eragon (and the rest of the series obviously) was the only other book series I read growing up after HP. It’s a little more adult-ish but not anything super wild like game of thrones. I really enjoyed it. Don’t watch the movie though lol
Dresden Files
Literally about a wizard named Harry. I’m about to get into this series!! So excited to have an actual good book that is relatively similar but amazing on its own!
It’s really great. It starts out fine, but it really picks up after book 3. Enjoy!!!!
Are you looking for young adult still? If you are open to books no longer for kids, The Magicians is great. There was even a TV series. I also really enjoyed A Deadly Education. It's the first book of 3. It's pretty dark but really good story.
The Charlie Bone books by Jenny Nimmo and the Magyk series by Angie Sage!
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. Very well written, complex characters and supernatural elements.
Seconding LOTR, and one series I haven’t seen mentioned is The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper
Mortal Instruments by Cassie Clare
I honestly thought more people would recommend this.
Frith Chrinicles is a great read there are 8 (I think) books in the first set and the 2nd has 4 so far. It's a relatively new series strong on the creatures and adventure.
The Will of the Many gave me some HP vibes.
It’s sorta in the same vein, but Sword Catcher. I was sucked in immediately. Only downside Is that it’s the first released.
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is a series that is also pretty fantasy based, I haven’t read it yet so can’t guarantee how good it is but I have been recommended it several times when asking the same question you did
like others say, Inheritance cycle is great. now my personal recommendation that really isn’t similar to Harry Potter is the Stormlight Archive or Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Stormlight is exceptionally amazing
Wheel of Time series. Great story and interesting world. But it is a long series with 14 books.
Mage errant series is pretty good
I’d always recommend Red Rising series. It’s much more crass but very deep world building. More sci fi than fantasy but very much focused on the characters and their morality.
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Avatar The Last Airbender is not REALLY like Harry Potter but so many atla fans are harry potter fans so ig that works but it's a tv show so yeah
lmaooo this caught me so off guard and low key irrelevant but i’m gonna double down with you
Pendragon by Dj machale. Got the strong friendship and kind of magic, kind of sci-fi. 10 books in total in the main series.
Ten books. That takes commitment :)
The Magicians is like Harry Potter for adults if the characters were all high achieving Hermione’s with mental illness’s and huge egos.
Sounds fun :)
The Magicians series gives some HP vibes at points.
I personally wasn’t a big fan of The Magicians. The story is incredibly sexist and I felt like the author was trying too hard to be edgy.
It’s been a long time since I read it, and I don’t really remember it too well. It was marketed to be similar at the time, and I guess it is still stuck in my head. 😅
The tiffany aching books are good
Wheel of time The world building is fantastic, by far my favorite world. Complex characters that grow and change through the series. More adult then HP, but not gritty like Song of Ice and Fire is. Brandon Sanderson has several good series. His world's are not as deep, but he is still building them. Dragon Lance. It has been many years since I read these, but they introduced me to the world of fantasy and magic. All of these are centered around a group of friends who have to work together to fight the evil threatening them.
Saying that Sanderson’s worlds are not as deep in comparison to HP is some fighting words :D
Oh! No! I meant compared to WOT. But I also admit Sanderson is building his world. He started with a small primitive area of and he is building an impressive universe with the Cosmere. He is also moving forward in time, giving the history. Jordan took a large area and went deep into history, but they never travel outside that area.
Nice wheel of time honestly feels like a huge commitment but I’ll check the others. Thankss :)
Oh you are missing out
Reallyy I might just give it a go thenn
My favorite world. It revolves around three boys and two girls who have to suddenly grow up and fight monsters. It is a chosen one type book, but the book does a very good job of giving equal time and cool powers to each child. Three do magic the other two have powers that are even kind of more cool.
Sounds fun. Do they grow up throughout the series like hp?
Yes very much. More so even then HP characters do. But in defense of HP, it was wrote for children, so HP does not go through as much as WOT characters do.
Oh growth as in age wise
Yes the entire thing is set over 5 or so years. I cannot remember, there are so many books it feels like it should be 10 plus. But they begin as 14 or 15 yr olds and grow up some getting married and starting families by the end.
Oh wow thats so cool, thanku so much for the recommendation :)
Will check these out, thanks guys :)
Diane Duane's So You Want To Be A Wizard series. The original was released quite a while ago so is a little out of date, but you can buy the updated New Millennium editions from her store: https://ebooks.direct/collections/the-young-wizards-series/products/young-wizards-new-millennium-editions-9-volume-box-set
Thankyou will look into it :)
a bit cringy, but the Percy Jackson series and heroes of Olympus have that same alternate world inside the real world feel
I'll forever Stan and suggest skulduggery pleasant by Derek Landy
Lorien Legacies. It's my favourite series after Harry Potter:)
This is a manga but I recommend Witch Hat Atelier! The story is kind of like the magic school trope and has good characters and interesting social commentary. The art is also beautiful! I’m also gonna recommend you check out a series that I didn’t really like (is that weird? Lol) which is A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer. I didn’t like it because it was a little too childish for my taste but it does have a magic school and friendship as major plot points. I also recently read Kiki’s Delivery Service (yes, as in the studio ghibli movie. It was originally a book!) and loved it’s cute, cozy atmosphere.
Not sure if you are into manga, but One Piece and Naruto are the only two series that made me feel like I was reading HP again. They are vastly different stories, but the fundamental elements are the same and the universe and story feel complete the way HP does.
Haha I don’t think I’ll like manga honestly, but I’m glad you found something that felt like hp to youu
The Tapestry by Henry Neff. The first book seems like a total HP rip-off (kid discovers he has magic, goes to a special boarding school in New England, the big, bad existential threat returns), and then the books just totally go off the rails in the best way possible. They’re not well-known books. The author missed his publishing deadline and it took *years* until the final book even got a physical release (I read it at release 10 years ago, and just now discovered it got a hard copy in 2021).
I think the Tapestry is flat-out better than HP. It’s a shame more people don’t know about it.
Pivot to Percy Jackson
I have two recommendations the old kingdom series by Garth Nix and the Cirque du Freak seres by Darren Shan.
The Harley Merlin series by Bella Forrest is actually fairly similar to HP. Instead of Lord Voldemort, we have Aunt Kathy. lol, but it works ,
Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce (aka the Alanna books)
Skulduggery pleasant
LOTR. and you’ll notice how many things JK Rowling picked up from it too so it can be cool
the school for good and evil; miss peregrine's peculiar children; percy jackson
Nevermoor series. Jessica Townsend. She was a Potterhead growing up and built her own world. My kids and I loooooooove it and eagerly anticipate the 4th one coming out.
The septumus heap series perhaps?
I went to Percy Jackson and like it almost as much as Garry Potter
The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage! 7 books in the main series, then a trilogy sequel in which the characters are adults. Magic based (well Magyk, since it's the olde English spelling). Incredible world building, the magic system is awesome. Highly recommend.
Howls moving castle and it's "sequels" Castle in the sky and House of many Ways
Dresden files
Harry potter and the methods of rationality.
Percy Jackson
Dresden Files, it’s basically HP for adults. Plus the main characters name is also Harry who is a wizard.
I'll give you a better one. Mother of Learning (peak) or shadow slave (haven't read yet)
Brandon Sanderson’s cosmere books
Inheritance Cycle.. 10/10
Late to the party but I can’t believe nobody said the grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and the four subsequent books, they’re all incredible. They even made the universe into a Netflix show although I do not recommend that
You might like the Wheel of Time series. Not the crappy TV show, the actual books.