Universe

Books like Circle of Magic: 9 series to read next

Circle of Magic is fantasy, about magic schools and wizards, set in secondary world, adventurous in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Circle of Magic is 11 books across 3 series, 1997–2013.

“Magic here does not thunder from a staff or wait in a dusty grimoire.”
from the catalogue description

The Circle of Magic page →Narrow this list →

Tolkien's legendarium
Narnia
Redwall
Tortall
Princess Academy
The Princess and the Goblin
Earthsea
World of Septimus Heap
Ranger's Apprentice

Tolkien's legendariumUniverse

universe163 books1923

Fantasy, set in secondary world.

“Before the seas were bent and the mountains raised, there was Music — and from that Music came Arda, and in the west of Middle-earth the long defeat and stubborn hope of those who dwell there.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

NarniaUniverse

universe38 books1950

Portal fantasy.

“Once there is a wardrobe at the back of a spare room, and behind the fur coats the wood gives way to snow, and a lamp-post burns alone among the trees.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

RedwallUniverse

universe32 books1986

About quests.

“Ring the Joseph Bell and lay the long tables, for a tale is starting.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

TortallUniverse

universe25 books1983

Fantasy, adventurous in tone, about coming of age, set in secondary world.

“In Tortall she does it anyway — and earns the right the hard way, through bruises, cold mornings in the training yard, and the slow winning-over of people who swore she'd fail.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Princess AcademySeries

seriesShannon Hale3 books2005

Fantasy, hopeful in tone, about magic schools and coming of age, set in secondary world.

“The sequels follow Miri to the capital, where she navigates court intrigue while studying, and then out to a remote swamp kingdom as tutor to three sisters caught up in a succession crisis.”
from the catalogue description

Start with Princess Academy →

The Princess and the GoblinSeries

seriesGeorge MacDonald2 books1871

About quests.

“Strahan had published the story and illustrations as a serial in the monthly magazine Good Words for the Young, beginning November 1870.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Princess and the Goblin →

EarthseaUniverse

universe19 books1964

Reflective in tone.

“There is a lesson every wizard of Earthsea learns young: to know a thing's true name is to hold its whole being, and to speak it is to move the balance of the world.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

World of Septimus HeapSeries

seriesAngie Sage12 books2005

Fantasy, adventurous in tone, about wizards, set in secondary world.

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Ranger's ApprenticeUniverse

universe42 books2004

Adventure.

“A Ranger is not a wizard, whatever the villagers whisper.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Why these

No sales rank, no star ratings, no readers also bought.

Shared terms are not a promise that a book feels the same. Two series can be far-future political intrigue and read nothing alike — what the ranking can say is what they are about, and each card says which parts it shares.

Questions readers ask

What should I read after Circle of Magic?: Tolkien's legendarium — the closest match to Circle of Magic on what it is about, not on what sells.
How big is Circle of Magic?: Circle of Magic is 11 books across 3 series, 1997–2013.

Books like Circle of Magic: 9 series to read next

Read next in Circle of Magic

Why these

Questions readers ask

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