Victoria Schwab is an author a lot of readers really connect with. Her fantasy books often have a darker feel and feature characters you just don’t forget. She creates worlds that feel real and plots that really grab you.
If you enjoy books like hers, you might be on the lookout for authors who offer a similar kind of reading experience.
Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab’s atmospheric storylines and magical worlds may also appreciate Leigh Bardugo’s vivid storytelling and intriguing characters. Bardugo crafts complex fantasy realms filled with magic, danger, and engaging personalities.
In her novel “Six of Crows,” she introduces readers to Kaz Brekker, a cunning young criminal offered the chance to pull off an impossible heist. To succeed, Kaz assembles a talented crew of outcasts, each with their own secrets and hidden agendas.
Set in Ketterdam, a bustling and dangerous city inspired by Amsterdam, the novel mixes thrilling action, memorable relationships, and morally gray decisions. Bardugo’s distinctive blend of adventure and emotion makes her books a natural fit for Schwab fans.
Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab’s imaginative worlds and engaging characters might also appreciate Laini Taylor. Taylor crafts vivid fantasy stories filled with magic, emotion, and a sense of wonder.
Her book “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” introduces Karou, an art student in Prague who leads a double life. When she’s not drawing in her sketchbook, she runs mysterious errands for monstrous beings who raised her.
Karou’s secretive existence abruptly changes when she unexpectedly meets Akiva, a warrior from another world whose destiny intertwines deeply with her own hidden past. The story brings readers into a richly-layered setting, full of secrets, conflicts, and impossible love.
Books by Holly Black often invite readers into rich, shadowy worlds filled with magic and morally complex characters, perfect for fans of Victoria Schwab’s dark fantasy stories.
In “The Cruel Prince,” Black introduces Jude Duarte, a human girl raised in Faerie after witnessing her parents’ murder. Jude struggles to find her place among the fae, particularly as rivalry heats up with the cunning and charismatic Prince Cardan.
The story is a gripping blend of court intrigue, danger, and twisty alliances, set in a vivid fantasy world where the stakes feel genuinely high.
Readers who enjoy Schwab’s exploration of morally gray characters and otherworldly settings will find similar appeal in Holly Black’s blend of magic and tense storytelling.
V.E. Schwab (pseudonym) is Victoria Schwab, an author known for inventive storytelling and richly built worlds. If you enjoyed her works, you might want to explore “A Darker Shade of Magic.”
The novel introduces readers to Kell, a magician who can travel between parallel versions of London—Red, Grey, White, and the dangerous lost city of Black London.
Kell secretly smuggles forbidden objects between these worlds, but gets drawn into trouble when he crosses paths with Lila Bard, an ambitious thief from Grey London. Together, they face peril and adventure as their worlds become dangerously intertwined.
Fans of compelling characters, layered worlds, and intriguing magic will find plenty to appreciate in Schwab’s writing.
Neil Gaiman is an author whose imagination crafts tales where fantasy and reality beautifully overlap, much in the style of Victoria Schwab. His novel “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” portrays childhood wonder, magic, and darker truths lurking behind ordinary things.
The story follows a middle-aged man who visits his hometown and suddenly remembers a strange series of events from his childhood. Those memories involve a mysterious girl named Lettie, her peculiar family, and a pond she calls an ocean.
Stretching between the unsettling and the tender, the book captures both the innocence and uncertainty of childhood and the enduring, powerful nature of memory.
Maggie Stiefvater is an author who creates atmospheric stories filled with magic, mystery, and intriguing characters. Readers who enjoy the imaginative worlds of Victoria Schwab might find themselves drawn to Maggie Stiefvater’s “The Raven Boys.”
Set in a small Virginia town, the story follows Blue Sargent, the daughter of a local psychic. Blue’s life becomes intertwined with a group of prep school boys who are on a quest to find the legendary Welsh king, Glendower.
The novel beautifully blends the real with the supernatural, offering characters who feel authentic and relationships that develop slowly and naturally.
If you’re looking for vivid storytelling and strong friendships that ground its fantasy elements in a believable world, “The Raven Boys” can be a captivating read.
Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab’s imaginative and atmospheric storytelling might also appreciate Erin Morgenstern, author of “The Night Circus.” Morgenstern crafts a magical world where a mysterious circus appears only at night, without warning.
The circus hosts an intricate competition between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, bound to each other from childhood. Their hidden contest shapes the fate of the circus performers and the fascinated visitors who are unknowingly trapped within its charms.
Morgenstern weaves romance, wonder, and subtle darkness into a richly imagined tale, one that captures readers who love the blend of fantasy and emotion found in Schwab’s novels.
Books by Seanan McGuire often blend dark fantasy with mystery and adventure, something fans of Victoria Schwab’s style might appreciate.
In “Every Heart a Doorway,” McGuire explores the idea of children returning from magical worlds and struggling to adjust back to everyday life.
The story revolves around Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, a school dedicated to helping those young people who’ve come back and long desperately to find their doorways again.
Tensions rise and mysteries deepen when a series of unexplained disappearances occur at the school—creating an atmosphere of quiet dread and wonder.
The narrative is concise yet filled with emotional depth and lyrical prose, capturing the loneliness and longing for places where one truly belongs.
If Victoria Schwab’s blend of darkly magical plots and richly developed characters appeals to you, Seanan McGuire offers books that might resonate in similar ways.
Books by Cassandra Clare offer readers dark fantasy worlds filled with magic, demons, and intricate character relationships. Fans of Victoria Schwab will immediately feel at home in Clare’s shadowy urban fantasy series, starting with “City of Bones.”
This novel introduces fifteen-year-old Clary Fray, whose life turns upside down when she witnesses a murder committed by teenagers covered in strange tattoos.
Soon afterward, her mother disappears, and Clary is drawn into the hidden world of the Shadowhunters––a secret group of warriors dedicated to hunting down demons.
Set in a vibrant, supernatural version of New York City, the book combines mystery, action, complicated friendships, and even a touch of romance. Readers who enjoy Schwab’s atmospheric storytelling and morally complex characters will find plenty to appreciate in Clare’s writing.
Samantha Shannon is a British author who excels at blending fantasy elements with vivid, unforgettable characters. Readers who appreciate Victoria Schwab’s atmospheric settings and strong protagonists will enjoy Shannon’s style.
Her book “The Priory of the Orange Tree” tells the story of an epic struggle between kingdoms threatened by the return of powerful dragons.
The narrative unfolds across diverse lands and characters, like Ead, a brave sorceress secretly guarding a queen, and Tané, an ambitious orphan who dreams of becoming a dragon rider.
With a carefully detailed world, complex politics, and exciting conflicts, Shannon creates an engaging tale of heroism, friendship, and dragon lore.
Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab’s blend of fantasy, magic, and vivid characters might also appreciate Naomi Novik. Novik has a talent for creating captivating worlds grounded in folklore and myth.
Her novel “Uprooted” tells the story of Agnieszka, a young woman chosen unexpectedly by a mysterious wizard known as the Dragon.
Taken away to his isolated tower, Agnieszka discovers she holds powers that intertwine deeply with the dark, enchanted Wood threatening their entire land.
Novik builds rich tension through dark forests, powerful magic, and the complex relationship between Agnieszka and the Dragon. Those who admire Schwab’s imaginative storytelling and vivid characters could find themselves quickly absorbed in Novik’s magical narrative.
Roshani Chokshi is an author who crafts magical worlds rich in folklore and mythology. Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab’s imaginative storytelling might appreciate Chokshi’s “The Gilded Wolves”.
Set in Paris during the glamorous but darkly mysterious Belle Époque era, the novel follows Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, a treasure hunter with hidden ambitions.
Séverin and his eclectic crew seek a valuable artifact, navigating secret societies, ancient mysteries, and perilous puzzles along the way.
Filled with enigmatic characters, tense heists, and beautifully depicted historical surroundings, the book invites readers into its captivating, atmospheric setting.
Books by Libba Bray often weave supernatural elements seamlessly into vivid historical settings, creating stories filled with magic and mystery. If you enjoy Victoria Schwab’s skillful blend of fantasy and reality, Libba Bray could be a great addition to your reading list.
A good place to start is her novel, “A Great and Terrible Beauty.” Set in Victorian England, the story follows Gemma Doyle, a teenager sent to a gothic boarding school after tragedy strikes her family.
At school, Gemma experiences chilling visions and soon discovers she can enter a world of secret magic. But the magic comes at a price, drawing danger closer.
The atmosphere captures both the elegance and darker side of the Victorian era, combined with intriguing mysteries and memorable characters. It’s a richly imagined story worth exploring.
Alix E. Harrow writes fantasy that blends magical storytelling, complex characters, and imaginative plots. Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab might be drawn to her novel “The Ten Thousand Doors of January.” It follows January Scaller, a young girl who discovers a mysterious door.
This isn’t any ordinary door—it leads to worlds beyond her imagination. January must navigate secret passages between realities, family mysteries, and the powerful forces striving to control her discoveries.
Harrow wraps themes of adventure, longing, and the search for identity into a story rich in atmosphere and wonder.
Readers who enjoy Victoria Schwab’s atmospheric storytelling might appreciate Katherine Arden’s blend of folklore and rich narrative style. Arden brings old-world Russia vividly to life in her novel, “The Bear and the Nightingale.”
This story introduces Vasilisa, a courageous, spirited heroine who sees creatures from ancient folklore that others no longer believe in.
When strange happenings disrupt her village and a long-forgotten darkness emerges from the forest, Vasilisa must trust herself to protect her family and her world.
Arden’s writing combines elements of magic and haunting mystery with characters you’ll genuinely root for, making her book appealing to those drawn to Schwab’s imaginative worlds and strong protagonists.