8 Books Better Than Harry Potter
An updated list of series which are similar, but much better
I just learned today is apparently “Harry Potter Day” in honour of JKR’s birthday. In celebration, I would like to share a list of fantasy books which have wizardry, magic, and adventure and are all significantly better than the Harry Potter (HP) series. Because TERFs suck.
8) The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
We can’t mention a fantasy series without including The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I also really enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, but that book has less in common with the HP series.
In case you haven’t heard of it, this series is about three siblings who find a magical wardrobe containing a portal to another universe. The mythical land of Narnia is under an evil enchantment of the White Witch. Edmund, Peter, and Susan embark on a grand adventure to free Narnia from the Witch’s sinister spell.
7) The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
A fantasy-adventure version of the “coming of age” stories. Part of a trilogy, The Golden Compass is set in an alternate universe. The main character is a 12 year old orphan who is in the care of Oxford scholars. My son and I both identify with Lyra, a headstrong and precocious tween.
An element I found unique and interesting was the main characters each have a “daemon” (pronounced demon, but not an evil sort). Their sidekick animal daemons are embodiments of their inner selves and can shape-shift up until they reach adolescence, where they take on the youth’s most prominent personality characteristics.
6) The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins
I just read the new Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. As with all the Hunger Games stories, it’s obviously not a light and uplifting read. Given the current state of our world, it felt very topical. This prequel begins the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
We travel back more than 20 years to Hamish’s beginnings and explains how he became the way he was in later stories. It’s incredibly engaging and heartbreaking. Definitely not a beach read — but as someone who avoids “scary” and triggering books, I would still highly recommend this entire series.
5) A Tale of Magic, by Chris Colfer
This is the first book in a trilogy. My son and I both read the first book, then he went on to read the full series himself. We both really enjoyed A Tale of Magic for different reasons.
My son loved the adventure and magic, of course. I was very impressed by the brilliant social commentary underlying the complex characters and their stories. The writing is strong enough for anyone to enjoy, and the story has something for everyone.
4) Wings of Fire series, by Tui T. Sutherland
This was one of my son’s favourite series. Wings of Fire has both a graphic novels series and a novel series, so there are many options to suit different reading needs and preferences.
These books are about seven different dragon castes which have been at war for generations, in a seemingly endless battle over an ancient treasure. They do involve dragon combat and have themes of violence and death, something to be aware of for sensitive readers.
3) The Secrets of the Immortal series, by Michael Scott
This series is great for middle-schoolers and tweens. The recommended reading ages are 12–15, but my son enjoyed The Alchemyst when he was about 9 or 10.
These books are about the greatest Alchemyst of his day, named Nicholas Flannel, who has discovered the secret to eternal life. That secret is written inside a book he protects, the Book of Abraham the Mage. Of course, throughout the series this power falls into the wrong hands, threatening life on earth, and much adventure and drama ensues.
2) Eragon, by Christopher Paolini
If you (or your child) enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD) and other books with exciting adventures including mystical and magical creatures, I highly recommend Eragon.
These books are in the Young Adult category and are a more challenging read than HTTYD, so they’re better suited for tweens and teens (or adults!), depending on one’s reading level and preference.
Eragon is the story of rags to destiny. A poor farm boy discovers a beautiful stone in the forest. He brings it home, hoping its sale will provide his family with some much-needed money for food. Eragon quickly realizes this magical stone is something much more powerful than a gem when it turns out to be a dragon egg that is ready to hatch.
1) Percy Jackson, and anything by Rick Riordan
My son absolutely loved all of Rick Riordan’s books, in particular The Olympians series, but all of them. Riordan includes characters who are openly neurodivergent (Percy Jackson has ADHD), gay, and diverse in many ways.
The characters in Riordan’s books are more complex, more interesting (less whiny), and more creatively written. They have better world-building, depth, and scope.
There are many different series, so the stories will depend on which one you choose to read. The Percy Jackson and The Olympians series plays on Greek mythology. Percy Jackson is a demigod who runs into all kinds of trouble in both his “regular” human life and his often too-real mythical life.
Honourable mention
Oh! And if my fellow neurodivergents wish to support a talented neurokin writer,
writes fantastic fiction, and one of his books (Orthicon) recently won a Canada Book Award!Happy reading
If you decide to read any of these books, or recommend them to a young person looking for adventure stories, please do let me know what you think!
© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB
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