Books like Howl's Moving Castle
30 fantasy books to read after Howl's Moving Castle, by Jones, Diana Wynne, the closest match first.
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Howl’s Moving Castle book 2
1. Castle In The Air
by Jones, Diana Wynne
- Same series
- Same author
Young merchant Abdullah leads a humble life. Or he did until a stranger sold him a threadbare—and disagreeable—magic carpet. Now Abdullah is caught in the middle of his grand daydreams....
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Howl’s Moving Castle book 3
2. House Of Many Ways
by Jones, Diana Wynne
- Same series
- Same author
The sequel to Howl's Moving CastleWhen Charmain Baker agreed to look after her great-uncle's house, she thought she was getting blissful, parent-free time to read. She didn't realize that the...
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The Mists Of Avalon book 1 Start here
3. The Mists Of Avalon
by Bradley, Marion Zimmer
- On the same lists
A story of King Arthur's court, through the eyes of Arthur's half-sister Morgaine Le Fay.
I can't do a list of the top 50 fantasy novels with strong female leads without including The Mists of Avalon. Considered one of the great classics of modern fantasy...
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4. War For The Oaks
by Bull, Emma
- On the same lists
What happens when a rock star is pulled into a supernatural conflict between good and evil? Well, let's head on over to Minneapolis of all places and find out
It was in the 80s that the subgenres of fantasy we know today started. One of these – urban fantasy – owes much of its development from War for the...
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5. The Golem And The Jinni
by Wecker, Helene
- On the same lists
In Wecker's debut novel, two very unusual immigrants arrive, separately, in 19th century immigrant New York. These two characters are (unsurprisingly) a golem named Chava, created by a Jewish rabbi...
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6. Harry Potter
by Rowling, J. K.
- On the same lists
This incredibly popular series is a story of an alternate world, a secret world of wizardy that exists within our own, but seems ever so vast.
Yes, everyone has probably read this. In fact, these these may have been the books that got you started reading fantasy in the first place. These books do make for...
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Time Quintet book 1 Start here
7. A Wrinkle In Time
by L'engle, Madeleine
- On the same lists
An award winning, YA series of books that present, at least in part, a Christian world-view.
With a foot in both Science Fiction and Fantasy, A Wrinkle in Time is a bridge between reality and fantasy, a meeting place for adult and child readers alike. Meg...
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8. Empire Trilogy
by Wurts, Raymond E. Feist And Janny
- On the same lists
This collaboration proves that you don't have to wade neck-deep in magic to make a great fantasy. This series showcases the other side of Feist's Riftwar Saga, which is a...
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The Lord Of The Rings book 1 Start here
9. The Hobbit
by Tolkien, J.r.r.
- On the same lists
Smaug is the classic dragon figure lying under the mountain—a scary creature who keeps the dwarves from their home and who must be defeated.
The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale,...
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Watership Down book 1 Start here
10. Watership Down: A Novel
by Adams, Richard
- On the same lists
On one level a classic tale of adventure, with anthropomorphized rabbit characters. On another level, it is an epic struggle between tyranny and freedom.
Yes, we're talking about that book about bunnies. No, we haven't lost our minds. Take note: This isn't a children's book, despite it being about fluffy animals. If you've read...
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Sword Of Shadows book 1 Start here
11. A Cavern Of Black Ice
by Jones, J. V.
- On the same lists
Set in the same world as her bestselling The Book of Words trilogy, A Cavern of Black Ice is the first book in the separate Sword of Shadows series. This...
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12. The Golden Key
by Rawn, Melanie
- On the same lists
The Golden Key is the only book on this list with multiple authors (and three of them at that), perhaps because such works have a tendency to be disjointed, a...
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13. The Books Of Bayern
by Hale, Shannon
- On the same lists
With the first novel of this series adapted from a fairy-tale by the Brothers Grimm, Shannon Hale has created an immersive and familiar narrative in The Books of Bayern. Hale's...
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Mythago Wood book 1 Start here
14. Mythago Wood
by Holdstock, Robert
- On the same lists
There are many novels and novellas in this cycle which take place in a forest that has been untouched since the last ice age. It is a labyrinth, a place of peril and living myths.
'Unique' is a vastly overused word. It has about as much meaning as Kim K's twitter feed. But in the case of Mythago Wood, it's warranted. Firstly, Holdstock tells the...
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Alice's Adventures In Wonderland book 1 Start here
15. Alice In Wonderland
by Carroll, Lewis
- On the same lists
If there is one childrenâs classic your kids should read and only one, than it should be Alice in Wonderland. Itâs a book thatâs influenced an entire generation of pop...
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16. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making
by Valente, Catherynne M.
- On the same lists
A new classic has entered the literary stage. I know, a bit bold of a thing to say, but it follows in the tradition of Lewis Carol, A.A. Milne, and...
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17. The Anubis Gates
by Powers, Tim
- On the same lists
An award winning novel that has time travel, historical figures, Egyptian mythology, and 19th century England.
In creating this world, Powers borrowed ideas from all over the place. Mythology, Ancient Egyptian theology, quantum theory, and classical literature“ they're all used in The Anubis Gates. It's a...
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Damar book 2
18. The Hero And The Crown
by Mckinley, Robin
- On the same lists
A classic book that features many recognizable Fantasy tropes: royalty, romance, enchantment, dragons, war.
Aerin is shy, clumsy, ugly, and mistrusted by the people she is supposed to rule. She is ridiculed for being the daughter of a witch with none of her witchy...
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The Dark Is Rising book 2
19. The Dark Is Rising
by Cooper, Susan
- On the same lists
Harry Potter did the English magician story very well, but it also overshadowed some incredible books with similar settings. Will is a chosen one of sorts, one of the few...
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20. The Neverending Story
by Ende, Michael
- On the same lists
The protagonist is a shy and awkward boy with a grand imagination. He becomes a character in a book where he takes on a mission of heroic significance.
The Neverending Story is a perfect example of how badly a film version of a beloved book can go. For people who hadn't read the book, the film was probably...
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The Chronicles Of Master Li And Number Ten Ox book 1 Start here
21. Bridge Of Birds
by Hughart, Barry
- On the same lists
Master Li and Ox â the main characters in this work â are easily some of the most loveable characters in fantasy. Aside from these charming protagonists, the book is...
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Chronicles Of Narnia book 1 Start here
22. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
by Lewis, C. S.
- On the same lists
At this point, there's very little to be said about Narnia that hasn't been put better already. But I have to justify this list somehow, so I may as well...
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Vlad Taltos book 1 Start here
23. Jhereg
by Brust, Steven
- On the same lists
The genius of this series lies in the exquisite character development – especially in relation to the hero, Vlad Taltos. We're accustomed to rooting for anti-heroes these days, (Hi, Dexter...
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Warbreaker book 1 Start here
24. Warbreaker
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
Brandon Sanderson proves his expertise in magic once more with Warbreaker, a story of two princesses, separated and each trying to prevent a war. In theShardworld of Nathis, every individual...
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25. Kushiel's Dart
by Carey, Jacqueline
- On the same lists
Comparisons to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series abound when discussing Kushiel's Dart, but this novel isn't what you would think of as typical fantasy;...
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26. 1975: The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld
by Mckillip, Patricia A.
- On the same lists
Sybel is 16 years old, and alone in the world, orphaned by her princess mother and her wizard father. Her only goal in life is to maintain the magical animals...
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Lyonesse book 1 Start here
27. Lyonesse
by Vance, Jack
- On the same lists
If you were to open a copy of Lyonesse and give it a good shake, a bunch of (very annoyed) fairies would fall out. Because they're everywhere in this book....
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The Queen Of The Tearling book 1 Start here
28. The Queen Of The Tearling
by Johansen, Erika
- On the same lists
In a post-apocalyptic rendition of Earth, civilization has returned to medieval technology, and the rightful queen who was hidden away as a child seeks to regain her throne. Johansen attempts...
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29. Tiger And Del Series
by Robertson, Jennifer
- On the same lists
This series starts off with so much promise. Del, brave warrior-woman in the North has been training for five years to rescue her brother from slavers in the South and...
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30. Talion: Revenant
by Stackpole, Michael A.
- On the same lists
List more than a few entries on this Top 100 list, Talion is a completely underrated fantasy book. Stackapole is a prolific author, writing everything from Star Wars novels, video...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to Howl's Moving Castle.
The shortlist
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