Universe

Books like Wishbone: 9 series to read next

Wishbone is fantasy and mystery & detective, about wizards, set in contemporary, adventurous in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Wishbone is 22 books across 7 series, 1997–2000.

“The Adventures of Wishbone retell the canon with our terrier starring — Beowulf, Robin Hood, Treasure Island — while a modern Oakdale subplot mirrors the same lesson.”
from the catalogue description

The Wishbone page →Narrow this list →

Young Wizards
Lewis Barnavelt
Tolkien's legendarium
Artemis Fowl
Joe Grey
Allie Nichols
Wizard for Hire
The Dresden Files
Chrestomanci

Young WizardsSeries

seriesDiane Duane24 books1983

Fantasy, adventurous in tone, about wizards and coming of age, set in contemporary and our world.

“Across fifteen books published between 1983 and 2019, the two age forward in something close to real time as their missions escalate from New York streets to alien worlds and beyond.”
from the catalogue description

Start with So You Want to Be a Wizard →

Lewis BarnaveltSeries

seriesBrad Strickland & John Bellairs12 books1973

Fantasy, eerie in tone, set in north america and contemporary.

“Lewis Barnavelt is a lonely orphan who moves in with his uncle Jonathan, an amateur wizard, in a rambling old house that turns out to hide a doomsday clock built into its walls by a previous, malevolent owner.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The House with a Clock in Its Walls →

Tolkien's legendariumUniverse

universe163 books1923

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 →

Artemis FowlSeries

seriesEoin Colfer15 books2001

About fae.

“As of 2013, the novels have sold more than 21 million copies in 44 languages, and are one of the best-selling series of all time.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with LEPrecon →

Joe GreySeries

seriesShirley Rousseau Murphy22 books1996

Mystery & detective and cozy mystery, about murder investigation, set in contemporary and north america.

“First the large, powerfulfeline discovers that, through some strange, inexplicable phenomenon, he now has the ability to understand human language.”
from the catalogue description of Cat on the Edge

Start with Cat on the Edge →

Allie NicholsSeries

seriesCynthia DeFelice4 books1998

Ghost stories and mystery & detective, eerie and mysterious in tone, about murder investigation, set in contemporary and north america.

“Allie knows it's not her imagination when she hears a voice and sees in her mind's eye the face of a girl who seems to be seeking her help.”
from the catalogue description of The Ghost of Fossil Glen

Start with The Ghost of Fossil Glen →

Wizard for HireSeries

seriesObert Skye3 books2018

Fantasy, adventurous in tone, about wizards, set in contemporary and north america.

“Fourteen-year-old Ozzy lives near Portland, Oregon, and is desperate for help.”
from the catalogue description of Wizard for Hire

Start with Wizard for Hire →

The Dresden FilesSeries

seriesJim Butcher & Mark Powers (comics)56 books2000

Urban fantasy, set in big city.

“The novels are narrated from the first-person perspective of Harry Dresden, a private detective and wizard, as he investigates supernatural disturbances in contemporary Chicago.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with A Fistful of Warlocks →

ChrestomanciSeries

seriesDiana Wynne Jones12 books1977

Whimsical in tone, set in parallel universe and british isles.

“Greenwillow Books published a US edition within the calendar year.”
from the catalogue description of Charmed Life
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Charmed Life →

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 Wishbone?: Young Wizards — the closest match to Wishbone on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with Wishbone?: Digging to the Center of the Earth. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for Wishbone, which is a whole world rather than one run.
How big is Wishbone?: Wishbone is 22 books across 7 series, 1997–2000.

Books like Wishbone: 9 series to read next

Read next in Wishbone

Why these

Questions readers ask

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