Books like 'Magic or Madness'
Readers who enjoyed Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy urban fantasy supernatural action / adventure mystery oceania australia urban magic
-
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 118 ratings'Give me Harry Potter,' said Voldemort's voice, 'and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded.'As he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorbike and takes to the skies, LEAVING Privet Drive for the last time, Harry Potter knows that LORD VOLDEMORT and the Death Eaters are not far behind...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age magic paranormal urban witches-wizards 21st-century action-adventure -
Exile by Shannon Messenger
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsSophie Foster thought she was safe. Settled into her home at Havenfield, surrounded by friends, and using her unique telepathic abilities to train Silveny--the first female alicorn ever seen in the Lost Cities--her life finally seems to be coming together. But Sophie's kidnappers are still out there... -
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsTwelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger... -
Dark Days by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsMeet Skulduggery Pleasant: detective, sorcerer, warrior.Oh yes. And dead.Skulduggery Pleasant is gone, sucked into a parallel dimension overrun by the Faceless Ones. If his bones haven’t already been turned to dust, chances are he’s insane, driven out of his mind by the horror of the ancient gods. There is no official, Sanctuary-approved rescue mission. There is no official plan to save him...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age low-fantasy magic paranormal urban action-adventure audiobook -
-
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsYadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsHe's b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all... -
Resurrection by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe skeleton detective is coming back to life...again! It's the tenth, triumphant novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and it will rearrange your world.Skulduggery and Valkyrie are back in the tenth instalment in the best-selling Skulduggery Pleasant series - an incredible and unexpected treat for the legions of fans around the world...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook -
Magic and Other Misdemeanors by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSabrina and Daphne Grimm are ready to tackle their own case: who is stealing the magical possesions of the most powerful Everafters in town? With Granny distracted by Mayor Heart's campaign against human residents, the girl detectives appear to be on their own...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Inside Story by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAfter the shocking ending of The Everafter War, this book picks up with Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck stuck in the Book of Everafter, where all the fairy tales are stored and enchanted characters can change their destinies. The girls (and Puck) must chase the Master through a series of stories, where they’re willing to change what they need in order to save their baby brother...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the Ink & Sigil series, as an ink-slinging wizard pursues the answer to a very personal mystery: Who cast a pair of curses on his head? Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He’s a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the... -
Tales From the Hood by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe Fairy-Tale Trial Of The CenturyIn Ferryport Landing, everyone gets a day in court- even the Big Bad Wolf. Mr.Canis is put on trial for past crimes, and Mayor Heart's kangaroo court is determined to find him guilty. It's up to the Grimms to uncover evidence to save their friend, though Sabrina starts to wonder whether they would all be safer with the Wolf in jail...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Problem Child by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA GRIMM FAMILY REUNIONFor Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives, there is one mystery they want to solve more than all the others: Who kidnapped their parents more than a year ago? Sabrina enters the hideout of the Scarlet Hand, the sinister group of Everafters who are keeping her parents prisoner...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century -
What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsGhost hunter, fox whisperer, troublemaker.It is the summer of 2013 and Abigail Kamara has been left to her own devices. This might, by those who know her, be considered a mistake. While her cousin, police constable and apprentice wizard Peter Grant, is off in the sticks, chasing unicorns, Abigail is chasing her own mystery...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal urban witches-wizards 21st-century -
Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSabrina and Daphne's adventures continue in their hometown of New York City as they bring Puck to Faerie to cure the wounds. With the help of Granny Relda, the girls must figure out who killed Puck's father, King Oberon, while navigating the warring factions of Everafters that make their homes in every neighbourhood of New York City...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
-
Brewing Trouble by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter barely escaping the business end of the hangman’s noose, Cricket Hawthorne wants nothing more than to forget it all...Maude the magical typewriter, Zoe’s stolen cauldron, Patrick the betrayer, and definitely the witch-hating, robe-wearing cult who tried to end her. Unfortunately, pressing the reboot button isn’t an option...Categorized as:
low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult book -
The Inquisitor's Mark by Dianne K. Salerni
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter the all-out Eighth Day war in Mexico, Jax, Riley, and Evangeline have gone into hiding. There are still rogue Transitioners and evil Kin lords who want to use Riley, a descendant of King Arthur, and Evangeline, a powerful wizard with bloodlines to Merlin, to get control over the Eighth Day... -
Burned by Benedict Jacka
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsMage Alex Verus is back in the seventh in the “gorgeously realized”* urban fantasy series from the national bestselling author of Veiled. I’m used to people wanting me dead. But, this time, I’m not the only one on the hit list—and time is running out... Diviner Alex Verus finally made one too many enemies on the Council of Mages, and now one of them is angry enough to have him executed...Categorized as:
low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
Memory and Dream by Charles de Lint
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom World Fantasy Award-winning author Charles de Lint, a tale of love, courage, and the transforming power of imagination Isabelle Copley's visionary art frees ancient spirits. As the young student of the cruel, brilliant artist Vincent Rushkin, she discovered she could paint images so vividly real they brought her wildest fantasies to life...Categorized as:
low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal urban action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
The Good Troll Detective by Ramy Vance, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHalf-troll. Half-human. All badass.Maine doesn’t like her father. It doesn’t help that he’s a troll. As in a literal, lives-under-a-bridge troll.When her father is killed, Maine returns home to settle his estate and learns that he wasn’t any ordinary troll, but the town hero.Seems trolls can be superheroes, too...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magical-realism paranormal action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsA year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal urban witches-wizards -
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsThis is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards -
Magical Mayhem by Lucía Ashta
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNot a day over fabulous.Marla figured returning to her small hometown would be the start of a simple life—albeit one with magic.She figured wrong.Magic was part of the deal, but the new role assigned to her wasn’t. What does she know about detecting?Nothing at all, a fact made plainly obvious during her first day on the job... -
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 80 ratingsEver since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians... -
Orphan Witch by Judith Berens, Martha Carr
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSometimes the real monsters are those within your own family. Sometimes it takes an outsider like Raine to come to your rescue. Raine Campbell has survived her first semester at the School of Necessary Magic, but only just. Time to throw herself into her studies and get a better grasp on magic. No more close calls with spells..Categorized as:
paranormal magic witches-wizards urban coming-of-age fantasy urban-fantasy audiobook -
-
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsBeware!Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book.OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor, The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong...Categorized as:
children family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny… Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird... -
Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers! Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge... -
Grim Tidings by Amanda M. Lee
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsGrim(ace) while you work ...Aisling Grimlock is having a bad week. Well, actually, she’s having a bad life -- not that she's complaining. Okay, she's totally complaining.After being laid off from her secretarial position, she has no choice but to join the family business, and now she’s a full-time grim reaper. That’s right. She collects and transfers souls to the hereafter.Cool, huh? Not quite...Categorized as:
magic magical-realism paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook book -
The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsSixteen-year-old Seph McCauley has spent the past three years getting kicked out of one exclusive private school after another. And it's not his attitude that's the problem: it's the trail of magical accidents - lately, disasters - that follow in his wake. Seph is a wizard, orphaned and untrained, and his powers are escalating out of control...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age low-fantasy magic paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe covenant that was meant to keep the wizard wars at bay has been stolen, and the sanctuary of Trinity must prepare for attack. Seph monitors the Weirwalls, while Jack and Ellen train their army of ghosts to face an onslaught of wizards. Even Anaweir Will and Fitch are setting traps around the town's perimeter. To Jason Haley, it feels as though everyone but him has a role to play...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age low-fantasy magic paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsCallum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall. It’s not easy for Call . .Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards -
What Man Defies by Clara Coulson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“It was all fun and games until a vengeful ghost threw a washing machine at your head.” Three weeks after his disastrous showdown with Abarta, Vincent Whelan is well on his way to recovering from the fight and putting the whole nightmare behind him...Categorized as:
low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
Cold Case of the Witch by Judith Berens, Martha Carr
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt can be tough to get an education at the School of Necessary Magic. Good thing Raine Campbell is a witch who longs to be an FBI agent. That's a girl with a dream--if she can live through her school days. When Raine finds hidden messages and symbols in old yearbooks, it can't be ignored. Not if she wants everyone at school to stay alive. Some investigations need the help of trusted friends...Categorized as:
coming-of-age magic paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook book -
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Cat Magic by Lydia Sherrer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSaving the world is such a bother when it makes you late for your nap. Blessed (or cursed, depending on who you ask) with human intelligence, Sir Edgar Allan Kipling, magical talking cat extraordinaire, spends most of his time keeping his human out of trouble. Of course, having a wizard for a human means that trouble is never far away... -
-
Shadowshaper Legacy by Daniel José Older
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe epic conclusion to the acclaimed Shadowshaper Cypher series!A house dividedSierra and the shadowshapers have been split apart. Juan, Anthony, and Izzy are in jail, anxiously waiting to find out what will become of them...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal urban action-adventure audiobook -
Boundary Lines by Melissa F. Olson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFitting into the Old World isn’t going very well for Boulder boundary witch Allison “Lex” Luther: she may have earned a place in a vampire’s service, but now it seems as if every supernatural creature in town has found a reason to hate her... -
Legacy of Magick by Ellen Dugan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSo it turns out Magick runs in the family... Autumn Bishop was just your average grad student...who happens to be a Seer. When she moves in with her long lost aunt and cousins, they look like a relatively normal family from the outside, however they turn out to be so much more...Categorized as:
magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
Spellbound by Cate Tiernan
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMorgan knows that a great battle is to come. More immediately, she senses that someone is out to harm Hunter...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century action-adventure -
The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSophie loves the hidden shop below her parents' bookstore, where dreams are secretly bought and sold. When the dream shop is robbed and her parents go missing, Sophie must unravel the truth to save them. Together with her best friend—a wisecracking and fanatically loyal monster named Monster—she must decide whom to trust with her family’s carefully guarded secrets...Categorized as:
children low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure animals audiobook -
Dark Nebula by W.J. May
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNothing is as it seems anymore. Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon, the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness turn into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus...Categorized as:
coming-of-age magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
Shadowland by Karen Chance
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA John Pritkin short, available for free on Karen Chance’s website and Smashwords.com."Shadowland" is a novella set between Curse the Dawn (Cassie Palmer #4) and Hunt the Moon (Cassie Palmer #5). It should be read after "A Family Affair".* Contains spoilers for the first four Cassandra Palmer books... -
The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCatherine Doyle's stunning middle-grade debut, an evocative tale of ancient magic, bravery, and family bonds.“Fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson can add Fionn Boyle as a generous and brave hero from the Emerald Isle.” – School Library ConnectionWhen Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure -
The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury, Suzy Jackson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLength: 8 hrs and 18 minsHumor, heart, and a symphony of magic take center stage in this middle-grade fantasy, perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil series.Amelia Jones has always dreamed of attending the Mystwick School of Musicraft, where the world’s most promising musicians learn to create magic...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure -
Key of Valor by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsWhat happens when the very gods depend on mortals for help? That's what three very different young women find out when they are invited to Warrior's Peak.Light and Knowledge have succeeded in their quest, and two of the keys have been found. The final, and last, test goes to Zoe McCourt—Valor.Zoe has the courage to raise her young son alone, and to face all the adversity life has thrown at them...Categorized as:
family magic magical-realism paranormal urban witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
-
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsYou just can't keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.Sure, she hasn't mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she's real good at loop-the-loops.Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma's at her wit's end...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure -
Changeling by Cate Tiernan
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen Morgan receives a shocking revelation about her family, she's thrown into a moral tailspin, believing that her essential nature is evil...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century action-adventure -
The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Mighty Shandar, the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, returns to the Ununited Kingdoms. Clearly, he didn't solve the Dragon Problem, and must hand over his fee: eighteen dray-weights of gold... -
The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWarning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances...Categorized as:
children family low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Calling by Cate Tiernan
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMorgan, Hunter and other members of their coven go to New York for a few days in search of the Amyranth witches. Hunter, a Seeker for the Council, is looking for Killian, a young witch in danger. It seems that Ciaran, Killian's father, is looking for him and intending to wipe his magic...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century action-adventure -
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight by Jenny Nimmo
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsDark forces are gathering at Bloor's Academy as the Bloors search for a lost box containing a hidden will- a will that reveals the true destiny of the Red King's heirs. And the Bloors are determined to keep Charlie Bone from finding it first. But Charlie is also facing the lord of the sea, who is trying to drown his parents, and a deadly expert swordsman from another century...Categorized as:
children family low-fantasy magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.