Although there's still content from the Harry Potter wizarding world in the Fantastic Beasts movies, some fans might prefer a new fantasy book to pull them into a different universe. However, while the Harry Potter books still hold up, there are other novels that can hook in readers with picturesque world-building and lovable characters.
From books that share the dark academic atmosphere of Hogwarts to new books about witches and magic, there is a vast array of options for fans to enjoy and immerse themselves in for hours.
Nevermoor: The Trials Of Morrigan Crow
Nevermoor follows a young girl named Morrigan Crow who happens to be cursed and doomed to die on her 11th birthday. As her birthday comes close, she's taken away to the magical land of Nevermoor and entered into a contest to become a student at a prestigious school for gifted kids.
There are many similarities between the Morrigan Crow books and Harry Potter. For starters, these books take place over the course of a year and have chapters in which the characters celebrate Halloween and Christmas like Harry Potter. The friendships formed are also reminiscent of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Legendborn
Legendborn is about a young teenager who attends classes at the university her mother attended before she passed. At her new university, she realizes that she's able to see monsters that are invisible to humans, and stumbles upon a hidden society that claims to be descendants of King Arthur and his knights.
The school setting and magical elements in this book make it perfect for fans of Harry Potter. There are also references to powerful mages, like Merlin, which is something this book has in common with Harry Potter. It is also perfect for young adult fans of Harry Potter who enjoy romance in books too.
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief
In The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson is a demigod who is the son of Poseidon. He gets taken to Camp Half-Blood for the summer, in which other children of the Greek Gods learn how to use their powers. At camp, there is a prophecy that sends him on a mission to prevent a war.
Similar to Harry Potter, this book follows a group of three friends as they're sent on a quest. Percy Jackson is also a series, and in each book, the characters get older and relationships are formed. The Lightning Thief is very unique from Harry Potter, but the similarities lie in the trio of friends, prophecies, and magical abilities the characters possess. With the new Percy Jackson series coming out on Disney+, there's a chance Percy Jackson will dethrone Harry Potter.
Keeper Of The Lost Cities
Keeper of the Lost Cities is about a 12-year-old girl named Sophie, who can read minds. She thinks she's the only one who can do this until she meets a boy named Fitz with the same ability. With Fitz, she discovers that she's not human and comes from a different land that needs her help.
This book is often compared to Harry Potter because of the friendships between characters and the concept of a young character being swept away to a magical world. Like Harry, Sophie also has a lot of responsibility placed upon her and is expected to save the world, despite only being a child.
Amari And The Night Brothers
After her brother goes missing, Amari discovers secrets within his closet that lead her to investigate what happened to him. Before he went missing, he entered Amari in a contest at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari has to compete against kids with powers to win the competition and possibly find her brother.
Amari and the Nightbrothers draw some similarities to Harry Potter all while being a unique story. This story is more heavily focused on a mystery, but there's plenty of supernatural creatures like mermaids and magicians, which makes the world feel similar to the Wizarding World. There's also a powerful villain similar to Lord Voldemort who's threatening to destroy the world.
The Worst Witch
The Worst Witch follows Mildred Hubble, who is a new student at a school for witches. Unfortunately, she isn't great at spells or any other things witches should be good at. This story follows her as she fumbles in her classes, makes new friends, and tries to become a better witch.
The school in this book is incredibly similar to Hogwarts. There are plenty of magical classes in which Mildred attends that feel just like classes at Hogwarts. There are even classes on flying a broomstick, which might remind readers of Harry's Quidditch lessons. However, as many similarities as there are, this series came out before Harry Potter, making it original.
A Deadly Education
El is a junior at Scholomance, a school for people with magical abilities that must graduate to join the elite wizards. At this school, there are no teachers and the students must strategically work together or against each other in order to survive, because failure at Scholomance means death.
A Deadly Education takes place in a dark boarding school setting, just like the Harry Potter books. Not only that but there are tons of monsters that roam the school and the students have magical abilities. Just like Hogwarts, this school is totally unsafe for students, which makes it all the more intriguing and exciting.
The Culling Trials
The Culling Trials follows a girl named Wild, whose brother died mysteriously at a school called Shadowspell Academy. When her young brother gets an invitation to attend the academy, she disguises herself as him and goes in his place, refusing to lose another brother. At Shadowspell, she discovers a whole new world of magic and has to learn how to survive in it.
In this book, Wild finds a group of friends who help her adapt to a new world, just like Harry did. The protagonist is also a strong and smart female character, similar to Hermione Granger. There are unique houses in which characters are sorted into and the vibes of a dark, magical school.
Sabriel
Sabriel is about a young woman who has the unique ability to communicate with the dead and rid them of the living world. After her father goes missing, she embarks on a quest to find him in the Old Kingdom. As her mission begins, she finds herself targeted by a dangerous foe.
Sabriel is reminiscent of Harry's last year at Hogwarts when he leaves school to find the Deathly Hallows. She starts off the book at a magical boarding school and gets thrown into a life-or-death mission in her teen years. It also shares some dark vibes that the Harry Potter series has, such as the undead interacting with the living.
Zodiac Academy: The Awakening
Zodiac Academy is about twin sisters that attend a university in which fairies, vampires are werewolves are sorted into different divisions based on their zodiac sign. In this series, the zodiac sign of the student truly defines who they are. These twins have immersive powers and learn dark secrets within the academy.
This book is perfect for grown-up fans of Harry Potter as this book is more on the mature side. It clearly draws a lot of influences from Harry Potter but differs in the sense that it has two points of view told. This book is also darker and has more romance in it.