Finishing Harry Potter can leave you wishing for another hidden world to explore. Luckily, plenty of fantasy books offer unlikely heroes, strange creatures, and friendships worth cheering for.
Some bring back the fun of learning magic, while others take readers toward darker adventures. Whether you miss Hogwarts or simply want a new favorite, these books and series offer different places to begin.
1. Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Getting expelled is only the beginning of Percy’s problems. In The Lightning Thief, he learns that Greek gods are real, monsters want him dead, and summer camp comes with sword lessons.
Rick Riordan mixes quick jokes with dangerous quests, giving Harry Potter fans another outsider who finds loyal friends and surprising powers. Start here if you enjoy fast chapters, teamwork, and mysteries about family, then follow the original five books in order for the complete adventure.
2. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A strange blue stone changes a farm boy’s life forever. When it hatches into a dragon, Eragon enters a struggle against a cruel ruler in Christopher Paolini’s opening Inheritance Cycle novel.
The connection to Harry Potter comes through a young hero, a hidden destiny, and lessons from older guides. Expect more travel and battles than classroom scenes.
Choose this adventure when you want dragons, swordplay, and a larger world that unfolds slowly across several lengthy books.
3. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
What happens when learning magic fails to fix your life? Quentin Coldwater discovers a secret college, but his sadness and restless wishes follow him through its doors.
Lev Grossman’s novel shares the hidden school idea with Harry Potter while questioning the comfort fantasy can offer. Unlike the other school stories here, it is written for adults and includes sex, substance use, and disturbing events.
Save it for readers ready for flawed characters rather than cheerful escape.
4. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Forget friendly feasts: surviving lunch can be an achievement at the Scholomance. El attends a school where monsters hunt students and powerful magic brings serious risks.
Naomi Novik gives the familiar boarding school setting sharp humor and a much harsher edge. El’s angry voice hides a strong concern for others, making her friendships especially rewarding.
Begin with A Deadly Education, the trilogy’s first book, if you welcome frightening creatures, difficult choices, and plenty of teenage frustration.
5. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Everyone blames Morrigan Crow for bad luck, even when she has done nothing wrong. Then a mysterious man offers her an escape into Nevermoor, a city filled with impossible wonders.
Jessica Townsend captures the thrill of discovering that you might belong somewhere after all. Strange trials, new friends, and a remarkable hotel make this a welcoming choice for readers missing Harry’s earliest adventures.
Pick it for playful details and a mystery about Morrigan’s place in magic.
6. Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Finding her missing brother matters more to Amari than fitting in. Her search leads to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, where the impossible becomes part of everyday training.
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Alston combines magical tests with a mystery that keeps the pages moving. Like Harry, Amari faces unfair judgments while learning what her abilities mean.
Readers who love cheering for an underestimated hero will find plenty here, along with thoughtful ideas about prejudice, trust, courage, and belonging.
7. Magisterium by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Callum Hunt has been warned to avoid magic school at all costs. Unfortunately, failing its entrance tests turns out to be harder than he expects.
The Iron Trial opens Holly Black and Cassandra Clare’s Magisterium series with underground classrooms, new friendships, and secrets that challenge first impressions. Hogwarts fans will recognize the appeal of students learning together, but the story plays clever tricks with familiar hero roles.
Read without checking spoilers to enjoy its biggest surprises.
8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Light becomes a dangerous gift when Alina discovers a power that could change her divided country. Suddenly, an ordinary mapmaker must navigate magical training and people with troubling plans.
Shadow and Bone provides an accessible starting point for Leigh Bardugo’s wider Grishaverse. Its appeal lies less in cozy school life and more in power, identity, and uncertain loyalties.
Try it if the later Harry Potter books left you wanting stronger romantic threads and a tense political struggle.
9. The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney
Some apprentices learn a trade; Tom Ward learns how to face things hiding in the dark. His teacher, the Spook, protects local people from dangerous supernatural threats.
Joseph Delaney’s series begins with The Spook’s Apprentice, published as Revenge of the Witch in the United States. Expect witches, grim warnings, and a chilly countryside rather than a bustling school.
Choose it for readers who enjoyed Harry’s scarier encounters, but check their comfort with horror before starting together.
10. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
A hidden home for mythical animals sounds wonderful until its magic starts to fade. Christopher and Mal must uncover the danger threatening an island world filled with extraordinary creatures.
Katherine Rundell blends wonder with real sadness, giving the adventure weight without losing its sense of discovery. Harry Potter readers may enjoy the secret world and the courage demanded of young people.
Reach for this book when magical wildlife interests you more than spell lessons or school rivalries.
11. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Grandparents can keep surprising secrets, including an entire preserve for magical creatures. Kendra and Seth discover that their family visit comes with rules they would be wise to follow.
Brandon Mull builds Fablehaven around curiosity, sibling mistakes, and creatures that are not always what they seem. The protected setting offers some of Hogwarts’ hidden wonder, but the adventure grows beyond its borders.
Share this with readers who enjoy puzzles, family teamwork, and learning why boundaries sometimes matter.
12. The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
Being summoned by an ambitious young magician is deeply annoying, especially if you are an ancient spirit. Bartimaeus makes sure readers hear every complaint, often through wonderfully cheeky footnotes.
The Amulet of Samarkand begins Jonathan Stroud’s trilogy in an alternative London ruled by magicians. Its sharp humor sets it apart from Harry Potter, while secret spells and dangerous plans provide familiar excitement.
Pick it when you want clever narration and a story that questions who deserves power.
13. Wildwood by Colin Meloy
Crows stealing your baby brother would ruin anyone’s afternoon. For Prue, that shocking event opens a path into a hidden forest near Portland, Oregon, where animals talk and rival groups clash.
Colin Meloy’s Wildwood trades castle corridors for tangled paths, strange politics, and woodland danger. Carson Ellis’s illustrations add charm to the setting.
Readers who loved discovering a secret world alongside Harry may enjoy exploring here, though the pacing leaves room for atmosphere rather than constant action.
14. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
An ordinary wardrobe can hide an extraordinary doorway. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, four siblings discover a frozen land where a powerful witch rules and hope is returning.
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Lewis offers talking animals, brave choices, and a clear struggle between good and evil. Christian themes shape the stories, which may interest families discussing their meaning.
For newcomers, starting with this book follows publication order and preserves the pleasure of discovering Narnia alongside Lucy.
15. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Imagine having an animal companion that reflects your inner self. Lyra’s world makes that idea real, then sends her north toward missing children, armored bears, and deeply troubling secrets.
Philip Pullman’s opening His Dark Materials novel is called Northern Lights in the United Kingdom. Like Harry Potter, it follows a child confronting powerful adults, but its questions about belief and freedom grow more challenging.
Choose it for thoughtful readers comfortable with danger, sadness, and complicated moral choices.