Books Of Spells: 35 Best Fantasy Magic Books

The Colour of Magic – Terry Pratchett

Discworld exists on a frontier between thought and reality, a parallel time and place that may seem like our own, but vastly different. And Twoflower is the Discworld’s first tourist.

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but The Colour of Magic is the first Discworld book.

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss

The tale of Kvothe, the notorious magician, the accomplished thief, the masterful musician, the dragon-slayer, the legend-hunter, infamous assassin, and unassuming inkeepter.

‘This is a magnificent book’ – Anne McCaffrey

Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams – but he can’t pull it off alone. Six outcasts and one impossible heist.

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017, this fantasy epic from the No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Grisha trilogy is gripping, sweeping and memorable

The Chronicles Of Narnia – C. S. Lewis

Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch.

Don’t miss one of America’s top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS’s The Great American Read.

The Magicians – Lev Grossman

Quentin Coldwater turns up for an interview at Princeton University, but he finds the interviewer dead and a strange envelope with his name on it, that leads him down a path very different to what he expected.

‘The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea . . . dark and dangerous and full of twists’ – George R. R. Martin

City of Bones – Cassandra Clare

Clary was just a normal girl, until she witnessed a murder at a nightclub and suddenly she’s swept up into the world of Shadowhunters. It’s because of this that she meets Jace and Clary can’t stop herself from falling in love with him, despite the fact that he acts like a jerk.
“Prepare to be hooked” – Entertainment Weekly

Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school. Again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbooks and into his life.

A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin

Ged, the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, was the reckless Sparrowhawk in his youth. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he released a terrible shadow upon the world.

“The magic of Earthsea is primal; the lessons of Earthsea remain as potent, as wise, and as necessary as anyone could dream.” — Neil Gaiman

Eragon – Christopher Paolini

Poor farm boy, Eragon, finds a stone in the forest. It turns out it wasn’t a stone at all when it hatches a dragon. His simple life has changed drastically and now he must take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders.

The fate of the Empire rests in his hands. . .

Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic, when three different clans ruled. Everything changed when magic suddenly disappeared. A ruthless king killed everyone who had powers, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut Children of Blood and Bone.

Gardens of the Moon – Steven Erikson

Empires and imperial legions are pitted against each other. But they are not alone, sinister forces gathering as the gods themselves prepare to intervene.

A novel in which grand design, a dark and complex mythology, wild and wayward magic and a host of enduring characters combine with thrilling, powerful storytelling to resounding effect.

The Gilded Ones – Namina Forna

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But then, her blood runs gold – the color of impurity – and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse that death.

The Eye of the World – Robert Jordan

Rand al’Thor and his friends’ village is attacked, and they’re forced to flee. An ancient evil is stirring and its servants are searching for the hero who can deliver the world from darkness.

Prepare to turn the Wheel of Time – discover the first novel in one of the most influential and popular fantasy epics ever published.

Mistborn – Brandon Sanderson

For a millennium, ash fell and no flowers bloomed, as the Skaa lived in fear and misery under the divine rule of the Lord Ruler. But when a half-Skaa named Kelsier discovers hope in the Lord Ruler’s prison and gains the powers of a Mistborn, he recruits a team of allomancers to carry out the greatest heist in history – the downfall of the divine despot himself. However, it’s not until Kelsier meets Vin, a half-Skaa orphan with a harsh past, that his plan begins to take shape. Together, they must learn to trust each other and master their powers to accomplish the impossible. This epic saga poses a daring question: What happens when the hero of prophecy fails?

Graceling – Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore’s bestselling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace… and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) – Michael Scott

The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book Nicholas Flamel protects – the Book of Abraham the Mage. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. Which is exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do. And if the prophecy is right, twins Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

The Wizards Of Once – Cressida Cowell

Once there were Wizards, who were Magic. And Warriors, who were not. But Xar, son of the King of Wizards, can’t cast a single spell and Wish, daughter of the Warrior Queen, has a banned magical object of her own. When they collide in the wildwood, it’s the start of a grand adventure that just might change the fabric of their worlds.

A Darker Shade Of Magic – V. E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antari. Magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Red London — and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Sabriel – Gareth Nix

Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But during her final semester, her father does missing. And Sabriel knows she must enter the dangerous Old Kingdom to find him.

Game of Thrones fans will love the New York Times bestselling Abhorsen series. Sabriel, the first installment in the trilogy, launched critically acclaimed author Garth Nix onto the fantasy scene as a rising star.

Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, hidden from the world and raised by his father’s stableman. All the royalty treats him as an outcast, except King Shrewd, who secretly taught him the arts of an assassin.

“Fantasy as it ought to be written” – George R. R. Martin

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

The Circus of Dreams, open only at nightfall. It appears without warning. The gates shudder and unlock, seemingly of their own violation, inviting the crowd inside.

“A Romeo and Juliet tale drenched in magic realism, The Night Circus defies both genres and expectations. In short, it’s a showstopper.” – The Boston Globe

Wizard’s First Rule – Terry Goodkind

Deep in the upper Ven Forest, close to the Boundry, woodsman Richard Cypher is intent on tracking down his father’s killers. Richard has no idea of how far his quest will take him from home, nor that his world, his very beliefs, are about to be shattered…

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell – Susanna Clarke

In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England – until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell’s pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear.

American Gods – Neil Gaiman

Shadow Moon is released from prison, but hours before his release his wife is killed in a freak accident. Then, he meets Shadow an enigmatic stranger who claims to be an ancient god.

“Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive” – George R. R. Martin

The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien

Prelude to the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins as his peaceful life is disturbed by a plot to raid the treasure haud guarded by a dragon.

“A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible . . .” – New York Times

Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo

Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first battle. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes a dormant power she didn’t know she had.

Enter the Grishaverse with book one of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by number one New York Times-bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.

An Ember in the Ashes – Sabaa Tahir

Defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Empire risk the destruction of all they love and hold dear. Laia is a slave and Elias is a soldier, but neither are free.

Stormfront – Jim Butcher

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard P.I.
Turns out the ‘everyday’ world is full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in.

Harry’s business as a private investigator has been quiet lately – so when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, he’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name.
Magic – it can get a guy killed.

The Blade Itself – Joe Abercrombie

An inquisitor, a nobleman, and an infamous warrior are about to have their lives made more difficult by a bald old man, who might be the First of the Magi.

‘Delightfully twisted and evil’ – Guardian

A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas

Feyre is a huntress, but killing the wrong wolf changes her life forever. She’s taken away from her family by a man in a jewelled mask named Tamlin. As her feelings for Tamlin turn from hostility to passion, Fayre learns the land of the faerie are much more dangerous than she realized.

“With bits of Buffy, Game Of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series of total joy ” – Stylist

The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien

Book one in the international bestselling trilogy that inspired the films. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo

Alex is the most unlikely of Yale’s freshman class. She dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much worse. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Magic For Liars – Sarah Gailey

When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister.

Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones

Sophie is the eldest of three sisters, destined to fail miserably. But she attracts the attention of the Witch of the Waste and finds herself transformed into an old lady. The only person who can break the spell is the wizard Howl.

Diana Wynne Jones’ entrancing, classic fantasy novel is filled with surprises at every turn. 

Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has discovered a world below ground of armed, dangerous and high-tech fairies. He kidnaps one of them and holds her for ransom in an effort to restore his family’s fortune. But he may have underestimated the fairies’ powers.

Now an original movie on Disney+, here is the book that started it all, the international bestseller about a teenage criminal mastermind and his siege against dangerous, tech-savvy fairies.

A Deadly Education – Naomi Novik

There are no teachers, no holidays, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival are never equal. Once you’re inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or you die.

Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered.