Series

Books like Magic by the Numbers: 9 series to read next

Magic by the Numbers is fantasy, set in secondary world. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Magic by the Numbers is 10 books, 1980–2023.

“Alodar was a mere apprentice thaumaturge, learning the least of the five arts of magic.”
from the catalogue description of Master of the Five Magics

The Magic by the Numbers page →Narrow this list →

Tolkien's legendarium
Dying Earth
The Quest of the Riddle-Master
Narnia
The Kingkiller Chronicle
Shannara
Howl's Castle
Sparhawk
Trillium / World of the Three Moons

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 →

Dying EarthSeries

seriesJack Vance, Jeff VanderMeer, Dan Simmons, Lucius Shepard & Michael Shea27 books1950

Fantasy, about wizards, set in secondary world.

“Vance returned to the setting in 1965 and thereafter, making it the first book in the Dying Earth series.”
from the catalogue description of The Dying Earth
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with The Dying Earth →

The Quest of the Riddle-MasterSeries

seriesPatricia A. McKillip3 books1976

Fantasy and epic fantasy, adventurous in tone, about quests, set in secondary world.

“Drawing on Celtic myth, the three books are prized for their lyrical prose and riddle-based magic, and are often cited among the best high fantasy of the 1970s.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Riddle-Master of Hed →

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 →

The Kingkiller ChronicleSeries

seriesPatrick Rothfuss8 books2002

“The first two books, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, were released in 2007 and 2011.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with The Name of the Wind →

ShannaraUniverse

universe50 books1977

Fantasy and epic fantasy, set in secondary world.

“Long after the world we know has burned itself to slag in the Great Wars, the Four Lands rise green over the bones of the old age.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Howl's CastleSeries

seriesDiana Wynne Jones3 books1986

Whimsical in tone.

Start with Howl's Moving Castle →

SparhawkUniverse

universe6 books1989

Fantasy and epic fantasy, adventurous in tone, about quests, set in secondary world.

“Sir Sparhawk is not a young man, and he has little patience for the pageantry his order pretends to.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Trillium / World of the Three MoonsSeries

seriesJulian May, Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley & Elisabeth Waters5 books1990

Fantasy and epic fantasy, adventurous in tone, set in secondary world.

“Individually, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May and Andre Norton have won the love and admiration of millions of readers.”
from the catalogue description of Black Trillium
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Black Trillium →

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 Magic by the Numbers?: Tolkien's legendarium — the closest match to Magic by the Numbers on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with Magic by the Numbers?: Master of the Five Magics. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for Magic by the Numbers.
How big is Magic by the Numbers?: Magic by the Numbers is 10 books, 1980–2023.

Books like Magic by the Numbers: 9 series to read next

Read next in Magic by the Numbers

Why these

Questions readers ask

Other series like this one