Cornelia Funke tells stories that are just bursting with imagination, and her characters are so memorable. If you enjoy books filled with magic, adventure, and a real sense of wonder, you might be interested in authors who create something similar.
This article will introduce you to a few authors who capture that special Cornelia Funke magic.
Diana Wynne Jones was a British fantasy author loved for her imaginative storytelling, vibrant characters, and magical worlds. If you enjoyed Cornelia Funke’s inventive tales and warmhearted adventures, you’ll likely appreciate “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
This delightful story follows Sophie, a practical young woman cursed into old age by a spiteful witch. She seeks refuge in the mysterious, ever-moving castle of the wizard Howl.
Within the castle’s enchanted walls, Sophie encounters fire demons, transformative spells, and magical doorways that lead to surprising places. As Sophie tries to break her curse, she realizes that Howl himself is entangled in strange secrets and enchantments.
Diana Wynne Jones crafts a tale filled with magic, humor, and charm, perfect for readers seeking wonder and thoughtful fantasy.
Philip Pullman is a British author known for weaving fantasy with thoughtful storytelling and meaningful themes. If you enjoy Cornelia Funke’s imaginative worlds and adventurous characters, Pullman’s “The Golden Compass” could be a perfect fit.
This book is the first in his celebrated trilogy “His Dark Materials” and follows Lyra Belacqua, a courageous young girl from Oxford. Lyra stumbles upon a dark secret involving missing children, dangerous experiments, and an astonishing substance called Dust.
Her adventure connects strange parallel worlds, armored bears, witches, and deep questions about freedom and destiny. Pullman’s storytelling is rich and layered, offering adventure while encouraging readers to reflect on bigger ideas.
J.K. Rowling is a favorite among readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s imaginative and adventurous storytelling. Rowling’s most famous work, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” introduces readers to Harry, an orphan boy who discovers that he is actually a wizard.
When Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he befriends fellow students Ron and Hermione and begins to uncover secrets about his own mysterious past.
The book weaves magic and friendship into an exciting adventure, filled with magical creatures, enchanted objects, and thrilling challenges.
For readers who loved Funke’s magical worlds and courageous young heroes in “Inkheart” or “Dragon Rider,” Rowling’s Harry Potter series provides a rich and engaging new world to explore.
Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s magical adventures might find Holly Black’s work equally captivating. Holly Black creates rich fantasy worlds filled with dark enchantments and intriguing characters.
In “The Cruel Prince,” Black introduces Jude Duarte, a mortal girl raised among faeries in the dangerous High Court of Elfhame. Jude struggles to find her place in this glamorous yet treacherous realm, constantly navigating palace intrigues and the cruel whims of faerie princes.
The book explores themes of ambition, power, and betrayal, drawing readers into a world both enchanting and unsettling.
Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s vivid storytelling might also appreciate the imaginative adventures of Lian Tanner. Tanner is the author behind captivating series such as “Museum of Thieves,” the first book of “The Keepers Trilogy.”
In this story, Goldie Roth lives in the city of Jewel, a place filled with strict rules and protective guardians. On the day she’s supposed to earn her freedom, everything goes wrong, and she finds herself in the mysterious Museum of Dunt.
It’s a museum filled with shifting rooms, hidden secrets, and remarkable dangers. As trouble brews in Jewel, Goldie becomes involved in protecting the museum’s powerful secrets and must question everything she’s been taught.
Tanner’s characters are lively and memorable, and her plots blend suspenseful action with magical mystery to create compelling adventures.
Garth Nix is an Australian author known for stories rich with magical worlds, danger, and adventure. Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s “Inkheart” series might find Nix’s “Sabriel” equally captivating.
This novel tells of Sabriel, a young woman raised away from the Old Kingdom—a land filled with sinister magic and walking spirits.
When news reaches her that her father, a necromancer tasked with keeping undead creatures at bay, is in danger, Sabriel must journey into this perilous kingdom to find him.
Courage, forbidden magic, and unexpected allies shape her path as she confronts the mysteries of death and destiny. For readers eager for imaginative fantasy worlds, “Sabriel” delivers a story full of suspense, friendship, and bravery.
Brian Jacques was an English author best known for his imaginative fantasy series set in the animal world, featuring mice, rats, otters, and badgers facing epic battles and adventures. Fans of Cornelia Funke might find Jacques’s detailed and colorful storytelling appealing.
In “Redwall,” the peaceful mice living in Redwall Abbey find their tranquil life threatened when the ruthless rat warlord Cluny the Scourge lays siege to their home. The young mouse Matthias sets out to find a legendary sword that may help him protect his community.
Through rich descriptions of feasts, riddles to solve, brave heroes, and fierce villains, Jacques builds a vivid world that immerses readers from the first page.
Books by Tomi Adeyemi offer vibrant worlds filled with magic, adventure, and strong young characters who overcome great challenges. Adeyemi’s novel, “Children of Blood and Bone,” introduces readers to Zélie Adebola, a fighter from a land once full of magic and wonder.
When a ruthless king strips the land of magic and oppresses those who used it, Zélie must find her courage and set out on a dangerous quest to restore what was lost.
Like Cornelia Funke’s heroes, Adeyemi’s characters face tough choices, encounter wondrous creatures, and grapple with issues of friendship, family, and courage.
Those who enjoy the imaginative tales and adventurous spirit of books such as “Inkheart” or “Dragon Rider” will appreciate the thrilling storytelling and vivid imagination that make Adeyemi’s work memorable.
Rick Riordan is an author who creates vivid worlds filled with myth, humor, and adventure. If you loved Cornelia Funke’s imaginative tales like “Inkheart,” you might enjoy Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief.”
In this first book of the Percy Jackson series, Percy discovers he is not an ordinary kid but the demigod son of Poseidon. He soon finds himself accused by Zeus of stealing a powerful lightning bolt.
Alongside his friends, Percy journeys across America, battling monsters and uncovering secrets from Greek mythology in order to clear his name and prevent a devastating war among the gods. The story is full of suspense, humor, and mythological surprises.
Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s imaginative storytelling and enchanting characters will likely appreciate Eva Ibbotson. Her novel “The Secret of Platform 13” is a fantasy adventure that follows a hidden gateway beneath platform 13 in London’s King’s Cross Station.
The gateway opens once every nine years for just nine days and leads to a magical island. When the island’s young prince is stolen through the gateway, a group of unlikely rescuers sets out to find and bring him home.
Ibbotson fills her story with fantastic creatures, humor, and heartwarming moments, making for a fun and charming reading experience.
Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s imaginative storytelling will connect easily with Neil Gaiman’s works. Gaiman writes novels and short stories that blend fantasy worlds, myths, and reality in unusual and often surprising ways.
His novel “Coraline” is about a young girl who moves into a new house and discovers a mysterious door leading to a parallel world. At first, the other world seems perfect, but Coraline soon discovers that her “other” parents there have sinister intentions.
Coraline must rely on her courage and resourcefulness in order to save herself and others from being trapped there forever.
Readers who appreciate stories filled with adventure, courage, and a slightly dark twist will find Neil Gaiman’s writing style and imagination really enjoyable.
If you enjoy Cornelia Funke’s blend of magic, mystery, and tales full of imagination, Jacqueline West might be a great new author to explore. Her book “The Shadows,” the first in “The Books of Elsewhere” series, follows eleven-year-old Olive Dunwoody.
After moving into a strange old mansion filled with paintings that seem slightly alive, Olive finds herself pulled into worlds hidden behind the frames—places where secrets linger and shadows aren’t just what they seem.
As Olive explores further, the mysteries deepen, and she realizes she’s facing forces that want her gone. West creates a cozy yet eerie atmosphere with a charming, thoughtful protagonist caught between wonder and danger.
Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s fantasy and adventure novels may also appreciate Christopher Paolini’s imaginative storytelling. Paolini, known for vibrant world-building and memorable characters, wrote his first novel, “Eragon,” as a teenager.
In “Eragon,” readers meet a farm boy whose life changes dramatically when he discovers a mysterious dragon egg. After the hatching of Saphira, a loyal and powerful dragon, Eragon is drawn into an epic journey of magic, friendship, and thrilling battles against a ruthless empire.
Anyone who loves magical adventures and exciting quests will feel at home in Paolini’s captivating world.
Readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke’s imaginative worlds will find plenty to love in Jessica Townsend’s novels. Townsend creates magical realms filled with wonder, charm, and unforgettable characters.
Her book, “Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow,” introduces Morrigan, a young girl cursed to die on her eleventh birthday.
Instead, she finds herself whisked away into the enchanting world of Nevermoor, where she must compete in extraordinary trials to join the secretive Wundrous Society.
Full of quirky friends, remarkable places, and delightful twists, it offers the kind of immersive storytelling that keeps pages turning late into the night.
Leigh Bardugo creates vivid fantasy worlds filled with magic, adventure, and friendship, perfect for readers who enjoy Cornelia Funke.
Her novel “Shadow and Bone” introduces Alina Starkov, a lonely and ordinary girl who suddenly discovers hidden powers that could save her war-torn land.
Alina becomes part of an elite group of magical beings called Grisha, but she quickly learns that great power comes with dangerous enemies and tough choices.
Bardugo brings readers into the imaginative universe of Ravka, full of vibrant landscapes, intriguing characters, and suspenseful twists, ideal for those who loved the rich fantasies found in Funke’s “Inkheart.”