10 Magical Books Like Harry Potter for Adults
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Want to recapture the magic of Harry Potter? Here are the best books like Harry Potter for adults!
Like many people, I have a fondness and nostalgia for the Harry Potter books.
Although, I did not actually start reading them until I was fifteen, once I did,
I flew through the entire series in a couple of months. I also tried making my siblings read it but unfortunately, they were not much of a reader at that time.
If you’re looking for more books similar to Harry Potter to read as an adult that will recapture the magic you felt reading Harry potter for the first time.
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10 Books Like Harry Potter for Adults
1. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
A Deadly Education is one of the best books like Harry Potter for adults.
If you loved the “school of magic” setting in Harry Potter, you will enjoy it in A Deadly Education too, which is the first book in the Scholomance trilogy. T
his book follows El, who attends the Scholomance, a school for dark magic.
Except at this school, there are no teachers and every day is a lesson in survival against magic that’s constantly trying to kill you.
2. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Ninth House is another book like Harry Potter for adults that has a dark academia vibe to it.
Alex Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale University’s freshman class.
With a dark and shady past, she is offered a second chance and a full-ride scholarship to Yale.
However, there’s one catch – she is tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies, who deal in strange dark magic.
3. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Magicians is another “magic school” book that is written for an older audience and has a darker tone.
Quentin’s life is changed forever when he arrives at his entrance interview for Princeton University to discover that his interviewer is dead, and a mysterious note bearing his name leads him down a different path.
Instead of Princeton, he finds himself invited to study at Brakebills – a secret college of modern-day sorcerers.
4. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Did you love the magic London element of Harry Potter? If so, you will enjoy A Darker Shade of Magic.
Much like in Harry Potter, magical worlds lurk just beyond London in this book, which is the first in the Shades of Magic trilogy.
Kell is an Antari with the rare ability to travel between parallel worlds. Lila is a thief in 19th century London.
When their paths cross and their fates intertwine, they find themselves on an unimaginable journey.
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus is one of the best books like Harry Potter for adults that captures the magic and whimsy of the series.
In this fantasy novel, a magical circus called Le Cirque des Rêves mysteriously appears in different locations without warning, and only at night.
Behind the the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood for this purpose by their mercurial instructors.
Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing.
6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A Discovery of Witches is a great book for grown-up fans of Harry Potter.
With magical creatures and a dark academia setting, this story is sure to grip you. Diana is a scholar and a powerful witch who does not use her magic.
However, when she unknowingly recalls a magical book from Oxford’s Bodlein Library while doing research, she attracts the attention of a fantastical underworld who are desperate to get their hands on the book.
7. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
The Atlas Six is another one of the best books like Harry Potter for adults.
This dark and intriguing story follows six initiates to the secretive Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity.
These magicians, the best in their field of magic, have one year to prove themselves as initiates and compete against one another.
Five of them will make it into society, but one will be eliminated.
8. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
If you like the idea of a hidden magical world beyond London, you will enjoy Neverwhere.
Under the streets of London there’s a world most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters, saints, murderers and angels.
In this book, a single act of kindness to a ragged girl he finds injured on the street catapults young businessman Richard out of his daily life into a world that is both familiar and threateningly bizarre.
9. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
Ink and Bone is a great book to pick up if you are looking for books similar to Harry Potter.
In this book, which is the first in the Great Library series, the Library of Alexandria survived and now exists in every city around the world, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses.
Jess has been training to enter the Library’s service, but when he makes a shocking discovery of the true nature of the Library, his allegiances turn.
10. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
This last book is a bit of a different choice to include on this list, but hear me out.
The Cuckoo’s Calling is the first book in a series of crime fiction novels written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
Although these are not fantasy books and not directly similar to Harry Potter, you will find the writing style you know and love from J.K. Rowling in these intriguing mystery novels that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Best Books Like Harry Potter
These are the best books like Harry Potter for adults.
If you liked reading books like Harry Potter, these are some great ones to check out. If you’ve been craving the magic of Harry Potter again, try getting lost in the pages of one of these books!
Get these books like Harry Potter here:
- Sign up for a free trial of Audible: Get 30 days of free access to thousands of audiobooks, and one free premium title of your choice. Perfect for listening on the go!
- Sign up for free trial of Kindle Unlimited: Get 30 days of free access to unlimited ebook reading on any device. You will unlock access to over two million titles instantly!
- Sign up for free trial of Amazon Prime: Get 30 days of a free trial offering free two-day shipping on all purchases, plus access to hundreds of new ebooks each month.
Are there any other books like Harry Potter I should know about? Leave a comment below!