Looks for adult books similar to Harry Potter? You’ve come to the right place!
Harry Potter has become a symbol of magic throughout North America. J.K. Rowling turned children’s books into something it has never been before. Muggle is in many people’s everyday vernacular. Theme parks and plays are just the beginning for the phenomenon that is Harry Potter.
Anyone who read Harry Potter when it first came out, is an adult now. But that does not mean that love of magical books has to disappear with childhood. I first read Harry as an adult and it opened a new world for me. I love books with magic and complicated stories that weave together multiple elements and characters. Rowling is absolutely brilliant at adding tiny pieces of information that become crucial to the story as a whole.
Magic School Books Like Harry Potter
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Quentin Coldwater is a high school student obsessed with the made of world of Fillory. He finds himself admitted to a magical college that is both secret and elite.
The best way I can describe this series is if Harry Potter was admitted to Hogwarts in College. It has a different feel but it is fun, imaginative, and entertaining. I’m a little obsessed with the tv series as well. The magic in this school is definitely a little bit dark and steamy.
Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Thank goodness Hogwarts is nothing like this school. There is not a single first year that would survive. This school for magic, The Scholomance, is bursting with magic that is very dark and unforgiving.
Losing a few classmates is nothing surprising. You either graduate or die. If you love the dark side of Harry Potter, you will love this book. The books from this series are some of my favorite fantasy books for teens and you should add them to your TBR if you have not read them yet.
If you love books like this, check out our list of Dark Academia books.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Alex Stearn is the sole survivor of a horrible homicide. While recovering in the hospital, she is offered a chance to attend Yale on a full scholarship.
She finds the Secret Societies of Yale, each practicing a unique type of magic. Can anyone say Hogwarts University? This book about secret societies is definitely at the top of my list and it is perfect for fans of dark academia. If you are a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo, this is her first adult book.
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
If you love a story about a magic school, a chosen one and a little mystery on the side, this book is the perfect pick for you. Published in 2019, Im betting that Gailey has to be a huge HP fan. I wish there was more to this book. I could have kept on reading.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
This book is about a young mage named Ged who displays magic at a young age. He eventually goes to a school for wizardry. Although his path does not resemble HP, both boys must come to terms with their power and death in their journeys.
House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune
Linus Baker works as a caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is sent on a mission to a secret orphanage isolated on an island where 6 of the world’s most dangerous youth live. Linus is sent to determine if the children are being cared for properly. Linus, who lives his life by the book, will have to look deeper to try and find the real answers to his questions. This story was so much more than the sum of its parts.
The magic and the orphan aspect are all reminiscent of Harry Potter. The story has just a touch of magic but somehow seems completely relevant to our society now. This book is a must-read for anyone who needs a feel-good book.
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
This book is unlike any other book I have ever read. It has all the makings of a cult horror. It is scary, complex and so well written. The lines of reality and fiction are perfectly blurred. It is a book about a book and making a movie about that same book. ( follow that? Lol)
The story intertwines the lives of all those that read the book and the mystery and supernatural that follows them. The all girls school where to story takes place has a Hogwarts feel (think book 7).
Magic Books Similar to Harry Potter
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is one of my favorite books of all time. The story is about two magicians who enter their apprentices into a magical competition. They don’t know when the competition begins or how it will end. This story is pure magic. Reading the descriptions gave me the same feeling that I had the first time Harry enters Diagon Alley.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
This book is perfect for Harry Potter lovers although it captures the dark magic. This is a very dark book. It’s almost like what would happen if Harry found himself in nocturn alley before he knew what magic was.
Richard Mayhew finds a woman bleeding on the street. When he helps her, he is introduced to the world of magic in London Below and is forced to give up his life in London Above.
Jonathan Strange and Mrs. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
This is an adult historical fiction magic book set in 1806. The people of England thing magic is a thing of the past until Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell both discover their powers.
Their relationship reminded me of Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald, first they are friends, but soon they become rivals.