10 Fantasy Books You May Enjoy More Than Harry Potter

Updated:

08 Mar 2017

Despite being one of the world’s favorite books, Harry Potter is not the only magnificent story out there.

The wonderful joy of Harry Potter has come to an end, novel wise. Although there are still films coming out of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, there are no known books about everyone’s favorite witches and wizards. So what then, are fans supposed to read? Well, the answers are right below…

1) The Pendragon Series—D.J MacHale

MacHale’s story was made into a graphic novel in 2008.

Between the years 2002 and 2009, MacHale has created a unique story about Bobby, a young boy who goes on crazy adventures saving worlds and tracking down threats from alternate universes. Pendragon follows Bobby’s experience as a Traveler, one who goes to alternate universes, and chases down those who wishes to bring those universes to destruction. Throughout the ten books, he meets many interesting characters, and travels to many imaginative lands, some of which MacHale’s readers could only dream of. It is both incredibly written, and the characters are well thought out and planned.

2) The Hunger Games—Suzanne Collins

The inspiration behind The Hunger Games was the myth of Theseus and The Minotaur

Released over two years, The Hunger Games is a trilogy all about suppression. A society is divided among twelve ‘Districts’ some rich, some in incredible poverty. Every year, this government forces one male and one female from each District to fight against each other. The reward? Living. The games are broadcast to each and every home, and only end when there is one winner. This story follows Katniss Everdeen, after being chosen to participate within the games, and her journey on taking down the government, for the better of the people.

3) The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Trilogy— J.R.R Tolkien

Now a major movie series, Tokien’s story is a pop culture classic.

A classic epic-fantasy novel originally released in 1954, The Lord of the Rings brings to its audience an incredible journey. It follows a handful of Hobbits and a wizard as they set out to destroy the evil Saron’s ring, ‘the one ring to rule them all’. By destroying this ring, they are bringing peace and balance back into the realm, and saving those who need to be saved. But they are not alone. Along the way, the Hobbits meet multiple different races, and face many difficulties as Saron sends his people after them. The books, though a little tough to read, provide Tolkien’s audience with a vibrant picture for their imagination, and is defiantly worth the try.

4) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe — CS Lewis

The story was originally influenced by three girls who lived with Lewis during WWII, and an image of a faun.

A 1950 book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is all about kids imagination. During the war, four siblings are sent to live with distant relatives. It is during a game of hide-and-seek that their adventure begins. Lucy, the youngest, hides in a wardrobe and through the back of this particular wardrobe finds the world of Narnia. Throughout the story, they work alongside the true ruler of the world, Aslan, a talking lion to help bring Narnia out of winter and the grips of the Queen. By doing so, they bring back peace and harmony throughout, along with bringing a story for the imaginative young minds it is aimed for. It is a classic tale of redemption, good versus evil, and battling the temptation everyone feels once in their life.

5) The Percy Jackson Series—Rick Rioedan

At ten-years-old, Rioedan was reading The Lord of the Rings books.

Released only over a four-year period, The Percy Jackson series combines Greek Mythology with modern writing to bring a unique story to life. After being attacked by a minotaur, Percy soon finds himself in a camp full of the offspring of Greek gods and goddesses. Here, he finds out his true identity, and takes on a journey of self-acceptance and learns to control his newly found powers. He is accused of stealing Zeus’s master lightning bolt, and must also balance proving his innocence, as well as saving his life amongst all this. The series brings an impressive amount of balance, considering its intense story, but is balanced well and easy to read.

6) The Eragon Series—Christopher Paolini

A classic dragon’s tale, Eragon was made into a film in 2006 and starred Ed Speleers as Eragon.

The Inheritance Cycle, beginning with Eragon, follows a young farm hand who comes across a strange stone. It doesn’t take him long to realize that the strange stone is in fact a dragon’s egg, and trouble begins to brew. King Galbutorix, once hearing about the hatched egg, sends his servants after Eragon, driving him out of his village. This then forces Eragon to track down the rebellious group Varden, who work to bring down Galbutorix.

7) The Mortal Instruments Series—Cassandra Clare

After a film, Netflix created an original series based on the series, and is now in its second season.

Released over several years, The Mortal Instruments series follows the adventures of Clary as she discovers the world of The Clave. Filled with Shadowhunters, vampires, daemons, and werewolves, Clary’s world is turned upside-down as she must help The Clave find the Mortal Cup before Valentine. The first installment of The Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, is the best introductory to Clare’s world that she has created, and is an easy read with great characters.

8) The Golden Compass—Phillip Pullman

A Da Vinci painting was the original inspiration behind Pullman’s daemons.

The Golden Compass is a 1995 book which follows a young girl and her shape-shifting animal who is really her soul, on a wild adventure filled with truth and excitement. After uncovering murder preparations, she must find her way to Gyptious where the abducted children are taken and from there her adventure begins. Here she discovers the truth of her parents, along with many other things. Pullman’s book is a classic, and a beautiful tale with magnificent scenery for every imagination.

9) Inkheart—Cornella Funke

Made into a film, starring Brendan Fraser, it was revealed that Fraser was indeed the inspiration behind Meggie’s father, Mo.

Inkheart, a 2003 fantasy-mystery story, begins with a book-binder and his daughter. When a stranger comes to their door, Meggie and her father must set out to her Aunt’s home. Here they begin to run into a spot of trouble. Meggie soon learns that her father has a very special talent, he is able to bring things out of books just by reading aloud. There is, however, a catch. For everything that comes out of the book, something must go in. Inkheart is all about keeping themselves safe, as whatever is in the book they hold, the grips of Capricorn’s after it.

10) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children—Ransom Riggs

Riggs is actually a film and photography lover, he collects vintage photos, which assisted in the inspiration behind the books

A more recent book, released in 2011, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is quickly becoming a classic. The story follows a young boy, Jacob, who follows clues to an abandoned children’s home. Here he finds children with spectacular talents. They live within a time-loop created by Miss Peregrine, and after she is kidnapped, their safety is threatened. Jacob helps the children find her, as she was taken by Wights. These Wights are after the powers of the children, and soon, Jacob says good-bye to his normal life, to help them fight for their safety.

These books are different in their nature, yet all are written well and their stories are imaginative and enjoyable. A world of incredible characters and worlds, these books will keep Harry Potter fans busy for years to come.