Cover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling

Craving the angst, rebellion, and high-stakes resistance that made Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix an unforgettable read? If you loved the story's darker turn, secret societies, and emotional coming-of-age journey, your magical adventure does not have to end. Explore our handpicked recommendations to discover your next favorite fantasy today.

  1. Cover of A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

    Cover not available

    A Deadly Education

    by Naomi Novik

    From the leading talent in fantasy, a magical coming-of-age trilogy with a hilarious female anti-hero - a darker more intelligent Harry Potter for adults.

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    The Sunday Times bestselling novel from the award-winning author of UPROOTED

    In the start of an all-new trilogy, the bestselling author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver introduces you to a dangerous school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death - until one girl begins to rewrite its rules.
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    Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered.

    There are no teachers, no holidays, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival are never equal.

    Once you''re inside, there are only two ways out- you graduate or you die.

    El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school''s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions - never mind easily destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school.

    Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it... that is, unless she has no other choice.

    Wry, witty, endlessly inventive, and mordantly funny - yet with a true depth and fierce justice at its heart - this enchanting novel reminds us that there are far more important things than mere survival.
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    ''Hilarious and wild! Take any fictional magic school, make it as over-the-top dangerous as possible, and populate it with a bunch of snarky teenagers; the result is pure batshit fun.''
    N.K. Jemisin, three-time Hugo Award winner and author of The Fifth Season

    ''Novik deliciously undoes expectations about magic schools, destined heroes, and family legacies. A gorgeous book about monsters and monstrousness, chockablock with action, cleverness, and wit.'' Holly Black, #1 New York Times bestselling author

    ''The Scholomance is the dark school of magic I''ve been waiting for, and its wise, witty, and monstrous heroine is one I''d happily follow anywhere-even into a school full of monsters.''
    Katherine Arden, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

    ''The wonderful cast of characters will grab a hold of your heart and you''ll never want to leave this deadly school ... a fantasy that delights on every level. I loved this brilliant book.''
    Stephanie Garber, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Caraval series

    ''Eyeball-meltingly brilliant. Novik is, quite simply, a genius.''
    Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken

    ''Sharp, witty, and darkly effervescent, A Deadly Education is Naomi Novik''s fresh take on the concept of the magic school. One of my favorite reads of the year.''
    Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls

    ''Naomi Novik reinvents the magical school story by working a strange, funny, wild, dark magic all her own. This is not just your next great read - it''s your new obsession.''
    Gwenda Bond

    ''A delightfully brutal world ... and a practical, ruthless heroine with the guts and wits to survive it.''
    Emily Skrutskie

    ''Fresh, smart, and delightfully unique. It''s Hogwarts with higher stakes and sharper claws, and I absolutely loved it.''
    Alix E. Harrow

    ''A nightmare from which I never wished to wake. Savage, inventive, and soulful, Novik grasps the totems of childhood that linger in your mind-schools of magic, curses, cutthroat classmates, monsters-only to twist them into a grand new tale that''ll make you believe in magic again.''
    Pierce Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Age

    Why it's similar

    Both feature an angst-ridden, isolated adolescent navigating a hostile magical school environment while secretly organizing peers to survive lethal systemic threats.

    What's different

    The Scholomance entirely lacks adult supervision or faculty, resulting in a much more fatalistic, survival-horror tone compared to Hogwarts.

  2. Cover of The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

    Cover not available

    The Lightning Thief

    by Rick Riordan

    After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories feature a misunderstood, troubled teenage boy discovering a hidden magical society, learning to wield his powers among peers, and preparing to combat the resurging threat of an ancient evil.

    What's different

    Riordan's book relies on rapid-fire first-person humor and an American road-trip quest structure rooted in Greek mythology rather than the slower, bureaucratic mystery of British boarding school life.

  3. Cover of The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

    Cover not available

    The Golden Compass

    by Philip Pullman

    The modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an "All-Time Greatest Novel" and Newsweek hailed as a "Top 100 Book of All Time" is now available in a slipcased hardcover edition that includes a conversation with Lev Grossman, bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy. Fans, collectors, and new readers alike will appreciate this beautiful book that has been changing worlds for twenty years. Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other... A masterwork of storytelling and suspense, Philip Pullman's award-winning The Golden Compass is the first in the His Dark Materials series, which continues with The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. This edition includes:
    * A gorgeous slipcase and new jacket art.
    * A conversation between Philip Pullman and Lev Grossman, author of the Magicians trilogy, that covers the scope and tradition of fantasy literature, Pullman's influences, and the impact that the entire His Dark Materials series has had since publication.
    * A letter from Philip Pullman to fans, marking the book's twentieth anniversary. A #1 New York Times Bestseller
    Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction
    Published in 40 Countries "Arguably the best juvenile fantasy novel of the past twenty years." --The Washington Post "Very grand indeed." --The New York Times "Pullman is quite possibly a genius." --Newsweek

    Why it's similar

    Both are middle-grade/YA fantasy adventures that follow a young protagonist in a richly built magical world, with danger escalating as the hero uncovers a larger conflict behind the surface plot. Each also combines boarding-school or institutional settings with themes of friendship, loyalty, and resistance to a powerful authority.

    What's different

    It has a more explicitly philosophical and anti-authoritarian worldview, and its worldbuilding leans into parallel universes and cosmic theology rather than a school-year mystery structure.

  4. Cover of Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones

    Cover not available

    Witch Week

    by Diana Wynne Jones

    There are good witches and bad witches, but the law says that all witches must be burned at the stake. So when an anonymous note warns, "Someone in this class is a witch," the students in 6B are nervous -- especially the boy who's just discovered that he can cast spells and the girl who was named after the most famous witch of all.Witch Week features the debonair enchanter Chrestomanci, who also appears in Charmed Life, The Magicians of Caprona, and The Lives of Christopber Chant.Someone in the class is a witch. At least so the anonymous note says. Everyone is only too eager to prove it is someone else -- because in this society, witches are burned at the stake.

    Why it's similar

    Like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it features magic, adolescents navigating a school environment, and conflict with an oppressive authority figure. Both mix fantasy with coming-of-age concerns and a sense of young people forming alliances against adults who control the rules.

    What's different

    Its tone is more comic and satirical, and the story is tighter and more self-contained than a long series installment centered on an ongoing war.

  5. Cover of So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane

    Cover not available

    So You Want to Be a Wizard

    by Diane Duane

    Long before wizards were a fixture on the bestseller lists, Kit and Nita were working magic with readers of all ages. So You Want to Be a Wizard is now available in a deluxe hardcover edition, featuring a new afterword from Diane Duane as well as the hard-to-find Kit and Nita short story "Uptown Local."

    Why it's similar

    It shares the coming-of-age fantasy setup, with young protagonists learning magic and taking on responsibilities larger than themselves. Like Order of the Phoenix, it emphasizes friendship, mentorship, and the dangers that come with discovering a hidden magical world.

    What's different

    Its structure is more episodic and science-fantasy flavored, with a stronger focus on rules-based magic and problem-solving than on school politics or a long-running battle.

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