Lev Grossman writes engaging fantasy fiction aimed at adults. His acclaimed series, starting with The Magicians, cleverly mixes magic with relatable modern-day challenges, earning him a broad readership.
If you enjoy reading books by Lev Grossman then you might also like the following authors:
Books by Naomi Novik often blend fantasy elements with realistic human emotions in a way that fans of Lev Grossman would appreciate. A good place to start is Uprooted, a novel that combines magic, folklore, and dark forests.
The story centers around Agnieszka, a young woman who unexpectedly finds herself chosen by a wizard known as the Dragon, a mysterious figure who protects their village from an encroaching, corrupt forest.
Together, Agnieszka and the Dragon face challenges of dark magic, unravel lost secrets, and explore the complexities of trust and friendship in uncertain times.
Novik builds a rich, convincing world filled with characters who feel remarkably genuine, making it easy to get lost in her storytelling.
Books by V. E. Schwab offer readers of Lev Grossman a chance to explore magical worlds with complex characters and intriguing storylines.
In A Darker Shade of Magic, Schwab introduces Kell, one of the last magicians who can move between parallel versions of London—Red, Grey, White, and the lost Black London. Kell is a royal messenger and sometimes smuggler.
His dangerous hobby leads him to cross paths with Lila Bard, a daring thief from Grey London who dreams of freedom and adventure. When forbidden magic threatens to devastate all versions of the city, Kell and Lila must join forces to save their worlds.
This book’s blend of adventure, danger, and richly-developed worlds will resonate well with fans of Grossman’s The Magicians.
Readers who enjoyed Lev Grossman’s The Magicians may find Deborah Harkness equally fascinating. Harkness blends history, fantasy, and romance into immersive, imaginative tales.
Her novel A Discovery of Witches follows historian Diana Bishop, who discovers a mysterious manuscript at Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Diana comes from a long line of witches but has resisted using magic all her life.
When she accidentally unleashes the manuscript’s hidden power, she attracts the attention of magical creatures—including Matthew Clairmont, a mysterious vampire scholar.
Together they unravel secrets hidden within its pages, drawing them into a world of centuries-old mysteries, rivalries, and forbidden passions. The combination of history and the supernatural in Harkness’s work offers readers an engaging story full of rich detail.
Books by Erin Morgenstern appeal to readers who enjoy the imaginative fantasy worlds of Lev Grossman.
In her novel The Night Circus, Morgenstern crafts an enchanting tale about two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, engaged in a magical competition set within a mysterious traveling circus that only opens at night.
The circus is a magical place filled with astonishing wonders—gardens made of ice, tents full of impossible illusions, and characters you’ll think about long after the story ends.
Morgenstern builds suspense effortlessly, creating an absorbing world that blurs reality and fantasy and draws readers into its mystery.
If Grossman’s clever storytelling and rich detail capture your attention, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus provides a similarly captivating reading experience.
If you enjoy Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, you might appreciate Diana Wynne Jones’ imaginative approach to fantasy in Howl’s Moving Castle. Jones blends a vivid world of magic with relatable humor and engaging characters.
The story follows Sophie, a practical young woman who unexpectedly becomes cursed by a spiteful witch and transformed into an elderly lady. Determined to break the spell, Sophie seeks the infamous wizard, Howl, known for his temperament and his mysterious, traveling castle.
Along the way, she discovers deeper mysteries about magic, self-identity, and friendship. Jones combines fantasy elements with clever twists and emotional warmth, providing readers with a thoughtful and entertaining adventure.
Books by Susanna Clarke share a similar blend of grounded characters and imaginative storytelling that Lev Grossman fans often enjoy.
Clarke’s novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell explores an alternate 19th-century England where magic had faded away and become a subject studied only from ancient texts.
The two magicians, the reclusive, scholarly Norrell and the reckless, daring Jonathan Strange, set out to revive magic in very different ways.
Their journey throws readers into the politics of magical revival, rivalry, and friendship, topped off with witty dialogue and a vivid historical setting.
If you’re drawn to Grossman’s portrayal of magic alongside everyday human struggles, Clarke might be exactly who you’re looking for.
Readers who enjoy Lev Grossman’s style of blending magic with everyday reality will find Jasper Fforde an author worth exploring. Fforde is known for his playful humor and clever storytelling, particularly seen in his inventive fantasy The Eyre Affair.
Set in an alternate 1980s England, literary detective Thursday Next investigates crimes against literature. When a criminal mastermind starts kidnapping beloved literary characters, Thursday must enter the pages of classic novels themselves to restore order.
Fforde combines elements of crime, fantasy, and literary references to craft a witty and imaginative narrative. Fans of Grossman’s The Magicians trilogy may appreciate how Fforde brings familiar stories to life in unexpected ways.
Books by Seanan McGuire often appeal to readers who enjoy Lev Grossman’s imaginative blend of real-world themes and magical adventures.
McGuire’s novel Every Heart a Doorway introduces Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, a unique boarding school devoted to teens who once slipped into magical worlds but now struggle to adjust back to ordinary life.
Nancy, the newest student, arrives at school fresh from a shadowy realm of stillness and mystery. Soon after, unsettling events occur at the school, leading Nancy and her classmates on a dark, twisting quest to uncover secrets hidden behind closed doors.
Rich characters, eerie mysteries, and a sharp exploration of identity and loss make McGuire’s work engaging for readers drawn to fantasy that intersects thoughtfully with reality.
Books by R. F. Kuang offer an intense blend of fantasy, history, and dark realism that fans of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians might appreciate.
Her debut novel, The Poppy War, follows Rin, a talented but impoverished orphan who earns a place at the elite military academy, Sinegard.
While training there Rin discovers her mastery over dangerous powers from ancient lore, drawing her closer to a destructive path as war breaks out.
Kuang builds a complex world inspired by 20th-century Chinese history, combining brutal realism and compelling magic that tests both morality and survival.
Readers who enjoy Grossman’s mix of magical depth and realistic, flawed characters may find Kuang’s storytelling equally captivating.
Readers who enjoy Lev Grossman’s blend of dark fantasy and sharp humor may find Tamsyn Muir’s work equally appealing. Her novel Gideon the Ninth introduces readers to a fascinating universe of necromancers, haunted planets, and intricate mysteries.
Gideon Nav is a swordfighter who wishes to escape her bleak and gloomy existence, but she finds her plans thwarted as she must accompany her sworn enemy, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, to an eerie competition hosted by an all-powerful emperor.
The two work to navigate sinister plots, ancient riddles, and intense rivalries among nobles who raise the dead.
This story features a compelling mix of gothic atmosphere, clever dialogue, and memorable characters, all delivered with Muir’s sharp wit and inventive world-building.
Jim Butcher is an author known for blending modern urban settings with layers of magic and mystery. If you enjoyed Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, then Butcher’s Storm Front might speak to your tastes.
This first installment in The Dresden Files series introduces Harry Dresden, a wizard living and working in modern-day Chicago. Dresden takes on cases where the supernatural collides with the everyday world.
He investigates crimes where dark magic is involved, dodges suspicious police detectives, and navigates Chicago’s magical underbelly to solve a bizarre murder. Butcher creates suspenseful twists and quick-witted dialogue to bring Dresden’s cynical personality vividly to life.
Storm Front offers a detective noir style wrapped up in wizardry and tense action scenes, making it appealing if you enjoy contemporary fantasy with a gritty edge.
Ben Aaronovitch is a British author known for blending everyday London life with rich magical lore in urban fantasy fiction.
His book Rivers of London introduces readers to Peter Grant, a young London police constable whose career takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a ghost at a crime scene.
Soon, Peter becomes an apprentice wizard in a secret police unit dedicated to solving supernatural crimes.
With sharp humor, distinct characters, and an inventive magical world deeply rooted in the city itself, Aaronovitch captures a tone similar to Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, combining fantasy with the gritty reality of contemporary life.
Jonathan Stroud is a British author known for crafting imaginative fantasy worlds filled with wit, dark magic, and intriguing characters. Readers who enjoy Lev Grossman’s blend of fantasy and modern realism might appreciate Stroud’s engaging tales.
His book The Amulet of Samarkand, the first novel in the Bartimaeus Trilogy, introduces Nathaniel, a young magician’s apprentice seeking revenge against a powerful wizard, Simon Lovelace.
Nathaniel summons Bartimaeus, a sharp-tongued djinni, to steal a valuable amulet from Lovelace. Stroud combines witty humor, magical intrigue, and clever storytelling to create a fresh perspective on wizardry and supernatural adventures.
Books by Cassandra Clare often blend ordinary life with hidden, magical worlds in a way that reminds readers of Lev Grossman’s work.
Clare’s book City of Bones, the first in her series The Mortal Instruments, introduces Clary Fray, a teenager who suddenly finds herself part of the Shadowhunters’ hidden realm. These warriors secretly protect the human world from demons.
When Clary’s mother mysteriously disappears, she teams up with Shadowhunter Jace Wayland to uncover hidden truths about her mother, herself, and a parallel world filled with supernatural threats.
Clare’s writing creates a vivid New York City backdrop packed with runes, secret factions, magic, and dangerous quests.
For those who enjoyed Grossman’s blend of modern characters and darker magical secrets in The Magicians, City of Bones offers an engaging, imaginative world to discover.
Readers who enjoy Lev Grossman may also appreciate Charlie Jane Anders, an imaginative author who blends elements of fantasy and science fiction with emotional depth and humor.
Anders’ novel All the Birds in the Sky tells the story of Patricia, a gifted witch, and Laurence, a brilliant inventor. Their friendship begins as childhood misfits and grows complicated by their powers and different approaches to life.
As adults, they find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict between magic and technology that threatens the future of humanity. Anders explores complex relationships, ethical dilemmas, and the balance between nature and innovation, all wrapped up in a funny, heartfelt story.