10 Fantasy Books Better Than Harry Potter

Updated Aug 2, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT Sign in to your ScreenRant account Harry Potter was a cultural phenomenon, and the book series defined millennials' childhoods with its combination of modern life and magic. The movie adaptations made their main stars into household names, and the original seven-part series is still popular. That said, a harsh reality of re-reading the Harry Potter books is that they are not as good as other fantasy series. The books have latent racism, including using Jewish caricatures for the Goblins and extremely problematic names, like Kingsley Shacklebolt and Cho Chang. The house elves are also happy to remain slaves. Also, Harry Potter is just plain derivative. Besides the aforementioned issues with the books, J.K. Rowling is also actively using the money from Harry Potter to fund anti-trans causes (via Advocate), compounding the issues. While Harry Potter might give its original fans a sense of nostalgia, it is time to branch out by reading other excellent fantasy novels. There are many great fantasy books set in magic schools, and some even preceded Harry Potter. Other fantasies capture the spirit of adventure and wonder. Because Harry Potter fans range from young readers to fully grown adults, these ten books will offer a wide variety of selections, listed from youngest to oldest target audience. The Worst Witch By Jill Murphy The Harry Potter books grow increasingly dark as the series progresses, and it is sometimes easy to forget that they were originally aimed towards children. Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch books have a young target audience and follow the adventures of the accident-prone Mildred Hubble, who attends Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. The series was adapted with Bella Ramsey playing the titular "Worst Witch." Unlike Harry Potter, The Worst Witch has no central "chosen one" plotline. Mildred often doubts herself, and rather than discovering that she is special, she uses her talents to grow as a person, often saving her school from threats in the process. This makes the eight-book The Worst Witch series more relatable for a young audience, and often hilarious. Amari & The Night Brothers By B.B. Alston In the middle-grade book, Amari Peters refuses to believe her brother Quinton is dead. When she finds an invitation to attend a secret summer camp and try out for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she decides to go, hoping it will give her answers about her brother. She learns magic and futuristic technology; however, she must compete against kids who have known about magic their whole lives. Amari and the Night Brothers has the same outsider learning about magic at a school feeling that’s in Harry Potter. The main character is just as lovable, making it easy to root for her. However, there’s much more wit and depth to the prose. Additionally, Amari and the Night Brothers not only touches on friendship but also self-confidence and the Black American experience. What's more, book fans can look forward to the fantasy adaptation, which is currently in development at Universal Pictures. Percy Jackson & The Olympians By Rick Riordan Custom Image by Yailin Chacon The Percy Jackson book series follows the titular Percy, who learns that he is a demigod and travels to Camp Half-Blood to train with other demigods and protect himself from potential enemies. Like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson belongs in both the regular and magical worlds, but the Percy book series feels more grounded, with some great representation of dyslexia and ADHD. Both Harry Potter and Percy Jackson & The Olympians are fast-paced and aimed at a younger audience, while being a series that adults can appreciate, too. That said, the Percy books are funnier and more adventurous than Harry Potter. Additionally, Rick Riordan is an outspoken LGBTQ+ ally and his writing reflects this. The magical world set in a modern setting feels more interesting in Percy Jackson & The Olympians because it draws from different mythologies while also featuring real locations like the Empire State Building and Long Island. Kiranmala & The Kingdom Beyond By Sayantani Dasgupta The Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond book series follows an ordinary sixth grader named Kiranmala living in Parsippany, New Jersey, whose parents get kidnapped by a Rakkhosh demon. As she’s sucked into a world of magic that she never believed, Kiranmala discovers that she’s really an Indian princess who must not only save her parents but the world, thanks to a daunting prophecy. Kiranmala has a very distinctive and fun personality and voice, which is more noticeable thanks to the first-person point of view. The story outpaces Harry Potter in worldbuilding, creating a much more expansive magical world that draws heavily from Bengali folklore. What’s more, The Serpent’s Secret explores family in a very interesting way, exploring the nuanced relationships with adoption. It's also refreshing to see a story that centers a South Asian character instead of tokenizing them like the Patil sisters. The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien With a limited number of slots, I limited this list to one Tolkien. Otherwise, half the list could be filled with Tolkien writings. Though I debated between The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the latter won out because it’s more fun and whimsical, making it a great choice for younger readers and adults alike. The story follows the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who goes with Gandalf the wizard and 13 dwarfs on a quest to reclaim their mountain and gold from the dragon Smaug. Tolkien's writings will always be the quintessential example of worldbuilding. Harry Potter could wish to have as much development and imagination as Tolkien's stories. However, The Hobbit doesn’t get bogged down by it. Instead, the story bounces through the adventures of the questors. The book feels like a breath of fresh air and a great pick-me-up. The Earthsea Cycle By Ursula K. Le Guin On the surface, The Earthsea Cycle's plot is extremely similar to that of Harry Potter. Ged attends a remote magic school where he is mentored by a wise elder, has a rivalry with another student, and finds himself fighting a shadow creature. The Earthsea Cycle is a fantasy book series that never gets old, as it has the comforting and familiar genre tropes while also being captivating. The Earthsea Cycle is often considered better than Harry Potter, as it is more complex and profound, with a story that builds more slowly but with greater emotional depth. It is much more culturally diverse, and the central message is that wisdom often outweighs talent. In short, it does not matter how much talent you have; the way you use it matters more. His Dark Materials By Philip Pullman Harry Potter might have his moments of teenage angst, but he lacks the flaws that make characters compelling and realistic. On the other hand, Philip Pullman's Lyra feels both real and familiar. Most people know somebody like Lyra, who is fiercely protective, stubborn, inquisitive, and extremely intelligent despite her lack of formal education, even while growing up in a university. His Dark Materials and Harry Potter both have a "chosen one" plotline, but Lyra's role in the story feels earned rather than being a result of her birth. The series trusts younger readers with complex ideas and dark storylines about the dangers of organized religion, while including the charm and excitement that every masterpiece fantasy book series needs. The Legendborn Cycle By Tracy Deonn Legendborn is the perfect twist on Arthurian lore. When a 16-year-old Black girl named Bree Matthews loses her mother, she flees her hometown to UNC-Chapel Hill, where she witnesses a demon attack. She becomes involved in a secret magical society of Legendborn students who hunt down demons. As she delves deeper into the group, she learns there’s more to her mother’s death than she knew. Because of the secret society, Legendborn has that magical boarding school feel. Rather than Harry Potter’s wand-waving and spells, The Legendborn Cycle features a detailed magic system tied to ancestry and bloodcraft. Bree is willing to question authority regularly, unlike Harry. On top of that, the cast is much more diverse, with the story including a nonbinary supporting character from the first book and a prominent trans woman in Oathbound. Discworld By Sir Terry Pratchett The Discworld series by the amazing Sir Terry Pratchett is one of the best fantasies of all time, easily beating out Harry Potter. Rather than a single continuous story, Discworld has 41 books and 11 short stories, all of which are broken down into smaller series. The world is filled with wizards, witches, werewolves, trolls, and so many more species. A young subseries, which includes books like The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, is appropriate for tweens and young teens. Meanwhile, the large majority of the series is catered toward older teens and adults. The series is filled with sharp humor and social satire, poking fun at fantasy tropes. Like Harry Potter, it handles big themes like classism, sexism, and prejudice. However, Pratchett executes these topics more effectively, providing more nuance. Additionally, it’s less reductive because it doesn’t have a chosen one or a “good versus evil” story. The Magicians By Lev Grossman Custom Image by Yailin Chacon Lev Grossman's The Magicians series starts with a similar set-up to Harry Potter, but is aimed at an older audience. A young man, Quentin Coldwater, is accepted to a magical graduate school, where he finds acceptance and belonging. However, The Magicians then tells a different story, with Quentin discovering the dark sides of studying magic by accidentally unleashing a deadly beast. The TV adaptation of The Magicians has been described as "a 10/10 fantasy masterpiece," and it is not surprising that it was adapted quickly. The Magicians' dark and more cynical take on magic was perfect for the screen. Harry Potter characters might claim that magic does not solve everything in life, but The Magicians' book characters prove it. Most significantly, multiple characters live with mental disorders or periods of poor mental illness, and magic only makes it worse because it's addictive. Created by J.K. Rowling First Film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone First TV Show Harry Potter Cast Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen TV Show(s) Harry Potter Character(s) Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Dobby the House Elf, Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black, Ginny Weasley, Voldemort