Cover of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Clockwork Prince” by Cassandra Clare

If you fell in love with the gaslamp magic, high-stakes Victorian intrigue, and heart-wrenching romance of Clockwork Prince, you are not alone. Readers crave its rich atmosphere and unforgettable bonds long after turning the final page. Dive into our curated list to discover your next atmospheric fantasy adventure.

  1. Cover of The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

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    The Dark Days Club

    by Alison Goodman

    "Captivates with a mix of history and fantasy. [An] immersive, action-packed narrative." --USA Today's Happy Ever After

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Eon and Eona; a Regency adventure series starring a stylish and intrepid Buffy-esque demon-hunter

    London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall's presentation to the queen, one of her family's housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

    Why it's similar

    Both novels feature young aristocratic heroines in 19th-century England who discover they belong to a hidden lineage destined to combat demonic forces concealing themselves within high society.

    What's different

    Set during the Regency era rather than Victorian London, Goodman's work features a slower-paced narrative focused heavily on historically accurate social etiquette rather than steampunk action.

  2. Cover of A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

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    A Great and Terrible Beauty

    by Libba Bray

    The first book in the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling Gemma Doyle trilogy, the exhilarating and haunting saga from the author of The Diviners series and Under the Same Stars.

    It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one.

    To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?

    “A delicious, elegant gothic.”—PW, Starred

    “Shivery with both passion and terror.”—Kirkus Reviews

    "Compulsively readable." --VOYA

    Why it's similar

    Both books are set in Victorian England and center on young women with latent magical gifts navigating the rigid expectations of period society alongside dark, supernatural dangers.

    What's different

    The conflict is largely confined to a claustrophobic boarding school and alternate dream realms rather than an expansive, organized shadow-society of warriors fighting in the streets.

  3. Cover of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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    The Gilded Wolves

    by Roshani Chokshi

    Set in a darkly glamorous world The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence and dangerous but thrilling adventure. Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much. Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories feature late 19th-century European settings with an ensemble cast of young outcasts bound by secret societies, ancient occult artifacts, and deeply emotional romantic tensions.

    What's different

    Chokshi's narrative takes place in 1889 Paris and employs a heist-style multi-perspective structure focused on colonial politics rather than a demon-hunting war.

  4. Cover of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

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    Stalking Jack the Ripper

    by Kerri Maniscalco

    INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    A deliciously creepy horror novel with a story line inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...
    Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

    Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

    The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories take place in the atmospheric, gothic streets of late Victorian London, following an unconventional young woman paired with a witty romantic interest to solve lethal mysteries.

    What's different

    Maniscalco's story is an investigative historical thriller grounded in forensic science and real-world serial killings rather than paranormal demon battles and magical lore.

  5. Cover of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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    The Bear and the Nightingale

    by Katherine Arden

    _____________________________
    Beware the evil in the woods...

    In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.

    But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. . .

    Atmospheric and enchanting, with an engrossing adventure at its core, The Bear and the Nightingale is perfect for readers of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.

    Why it's similar

    The Bear and the Nightingale is set in medieval Russia and draws heavily on folklore, making it more mythic and rural rather than Victorian, urban, and steampunk-influenced.

    What's different

    Like Clockwork Prince, it blends historical fantasy with a heroine confronting supernatural threats and social rules that constrain her, while maintaining a strong atmosphere of danger and romance. Both place personal relationships alongside conflicts involving forces hidden from ordinary society.

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