Books like 'The Lost Apothecary'
Readers who enjoyed The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy mystery action / adventure historical-fiction crime magical-realism magic suspense literary-fiction
-
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 51 ratingsA thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed—Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch...Categorized as:
drama female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense witches-wizards -
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAn Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson...Categorized as:
crime drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal -
The Lady of the Loch by Elena Collins
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Although I believe I will die here in this castle, my spirit will never be silent.’Ravenscraig Castle, Scotland. 1307When the castle she works in is sacked by the army of Prince Edward of England, kitchen maid Agnes Fitzgerald manages to escape north of Inverness to throw herself at the mercy of the Lord and Lady at Ravenscraig Castle...Categorized as:
historical-fiction paranormal magical-realism suspense friendship female-mc romance historical -
The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive...Categorized as:
drama female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense witches-wizards -
-
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Boxed Set (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1-3) by Ransom Riggs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe New York Times #1 best selling series Includes 3 hardcover novels by Ransom Riggs and 12 collectible peculiar photographs. The movie adaptation of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is in theaters December 2016...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure book children -
The Lost Twin by Sophie Cleverly
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIvy, I pray that it's you reading this. And if you are, well, I suppose you're the new me...When shy Ivy's troublemaking twin Scarlet vanishes from Rookwood boarding school, Ivy is invited to "take her place." But when Ivy arrives, she discovers the school's true intention; she has to pretend to be Scarlet. She must think like Scarlet, act like Scarlet, become Scarlet...Categorized as:
crime female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Breaking and Entering 101 by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsSince Jamie and Henri agreed to be Kingsmen consultants, they’d not had much call to actually consult. Which is a fortuitous thing, as Henri is up to his neck in labwork and interviews for a new Magical Examiner due to Sanderson’s departing. He is hardly in any position to add more tasks onto his shoulders.Which, naturally, means two disasters strike at once...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense witches-wizards -
Die Again, Mr. Holmes by Anna Elliott, Charles Veley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA young woman begs Sherlock Holmes to help find her missing fiancé, but the great detective makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Then Sherlock’s daughter, Lucy James, takes on a missing person case of her own, but she must also keep a vicious criminal away from Becky, Lucy’s ten-year-old sister-in-law. Little Becky soon becomes dangerously involved in both cases...Categorized as:
crime literary-fiction suspense historical-fiction female-mc mystery fiction historical -
Charms and Death and Explosions (oh my!) by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA dead charm maker is only the beginning. Humanity seems determined to come up with increasingly clever ways to murder one another. They seize upon new technological advances in a way that’s alarming, their creativity and blood-thirstiness knowing no bounds...Categorized as:
crime female-mc magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
A Matter of Secrets and Spies by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow many ways can a marriage proposal go wrong?One: the ring gets stolenTwo: a storm destroys the beachThree: a dead body, seriously?Four: A THEFT RING?!Come hell or highwater, he WILL propose before leaving this benighted island... -
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsJ.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century -
The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsHeld captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together.Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw... -
A Trail of Fire by Diana Gabaldon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFour extraordinary stories featuring characters from the bestselling OUTLANDER series. In Lord John and the Plague of Zombies Lord John Grey is posted to Jamaica to assist the Governor as he faces a most unusual kind of uprising among the colony's slave population...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense 20th-century action-adventure -
The Convent's Secret by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTo find the one man who can fix the magic in Matt’s watch, he and India are led to a convent where the nuns will do anything to keep their secrets private. Including murder? Matt and India must uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the mother superior and two babies given to her care many years ago. But sometimes, the truth is painful and its exposure can have deadly consequences... -
-
Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Titanic meets the delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense witches-wizards action-adventure -
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsIn an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic... -
In Plain Sight by Dan Willis
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen a magical plague is released in a Depression-era New York soup kitchen, private detective Alex Lockerby finds himself in a desperate hunt to catch a madman before he can strike again.His investigations lead Alex to a famous thief, a daring heist, and the search for a mythic book of ancient magic, but none of that brings him any closer to finding the man responsible for the massacre...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back. Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime literary-fiction fiction mystery historical fantasy action-adventure -
Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDead wizards, stolen enchantments, and broken promises force a young spellbreaker out of the shadows in the next thrilling installment of the Spellbreaker series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden...Categorized as:
crime female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards -
Remnants by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFinally over with the wedding, managed to escape the parents, signed up with the MISD, yay! Got assigned a permanent team with Chi, Vee, and Maksohm, double yay! Toh’sellor has been stolen. Yeah, this is not going to be fun. It is, in fact, anti-fun. Oh, and monkeys. Poor Chi... -
Seeing Danger by Wendy Vella
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLord Devonshire Sinclair understands his family’s heightened senses are a result of a long ago pact between the Sinclairs and the powerful Raven family. To Honor and Protect is their creed. He has also accepted that no woman could live at his side and understand what he is capable of…until now... -
The Magician's Diary by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPRAISE FOR C.J. ARCHER'S GLASS AND STEELE SERIES: "Part romance, part mystery, part magic; all of which a joy to read." - Dreamer J's Book Reviews "This story has everything I look for in a quality, entertaining piece of fiction. 1) A strong female lead, 2) a dark and mysterious male character (I admit, they are my weakness), 3) eloquent writing, and 4) lots of quirky humor and banter...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA corrupt countessA spy in dangerAnd an assassin at largeThe fifth title in Genevieve Cogman's witty and wonderful Invisible Library series, The Mortal Word is a rollicking literary adventure.Peace talks are always tricky, especially when a key diplomat gets stabbed. This rudely interrupts a top-secret summit between the warring dragons and Fae...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense action-adventure -
The Shadow Gypsy by C.R. Daems, J.R. Tomlin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Shadow Sister Ryana, the very Shadow of Death, is marrying her beloved and joining his gypsy clan. War took her innocence, and now she's determined to rebuild her life. But religious cults are springing up, and the gypsies come under attack. Ryana's best friend in the Sisters, Jelena, has fled to join one of the cults, and the senior Sister asks Ryana to find out why...Categorized as:
female-mc magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure assassins audiobook book -
-
Unseen by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLibrarian Sebastian Rath and his lover Vesper Rune are tasked with seeking and containing the evil Books of the Bound. But one of the Books has been freed from its prison—and is in the hands of a killer.As more bodies turn up, Sebastian finds himself tempted to use forbidden magic to locate the Book and stop the murderer...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
The Alchemist's Illusion by Gigi Pandian
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA perilous painting and an artist who meets his end lead Zoe Faust on an audacious alchemical adventure Centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust is tired of running from her past. She's finally got her life on track in Portland, Oregon, gardening and cooking in her fixer-upper house with her mischievous best friend, Dorian the gargoyle chef...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense witches-wizards action-adventure -
Primrose and the Dreadful Duke: A Baleful Godmother Novel by Emily Larkin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn irrepressible duke, a bookish spinster, a devious murderer … Regency house parties have never been so hazardous!Oliver Dasenby is the most infuriating man Primrose Garland has ever known. He may be her brother’s best friend, but he has an atrocious sense of humor. Eight years in the cavalry hasn’t taught him solemnity, nor has the unexpected inheritance of a dukedom...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction magic paranormal suspense action-adventure adult -
The Journal of a Thousand Years by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn ancient family diary. A timely prophecy. An epic conclusion.As Sylvia prepares to meet Gabe’s parents for the first time, the last thing she needs is for her long-lost father to cause trouble. While his answers to her questions finally bring clarity, they also usher in danger.But that's not all her elusive father brings into Sylvia's life... -
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners...Categorized as:
friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism multi-pov paranormal suspense action-adventure -
The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSemele Cavnow appraises antiquities for an exclusive Manhattan auction house, deciphering ancient texts—and when she discovers a manuscript written in the time of Cleopatra, she knows it will be the find of her career. Its author tells the story of a priceless tarot deck, now lost to history, but as Semele delves further, she realizes the manuscript is more than it seems...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense -
Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsFifteen-year-old Oscar Drai meets the strange Marina while he's exploring an old quarter of Barcelona. She leads Oscar to a cemetery, where they watch a macabre ritual that occurs on the last Sunday of each month. At exactly ten o'clock in the morning, a woman shrouded in a black velvet cloak descends from her carriage to place a single rose on an unmarked grave...Categorized as:
crime drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism paranormal suspense -
Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAward-winning author Juliet Marillier’s “lavishly detailed”* Blackthorn & Grim series continues as a mysterious creature holds an enchanted and imperiled ancient Ireland in thrall. Disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her companion, Grim, have settled in Dalriada to wait out the seven years of Blackthorn’s bond to her fey mentor, hoping to avoid any dire challenges... -
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object’s history and knows that it was named after the Firebird—the mythical creature from an old Russian fable...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense -
Wit'ch War by James Clemens
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIn her hands, the young wit'ch Elena holds the awesome energies of blood magick--and more. For the fate of all Alasea hinges on her recovery of the Blood Diary, a potent talisman forged five hundred years ago, then locked away behind wards too strong for any mage to break. But only with the secrets recorded in its pages can Elena defeat the evil magicks of the Dark Lord... -
-
The Secret of the Nagas by Amish Tripathi
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 60 ratingsToday, He is a God. 4000 years ago, He was just a man. The hunt is on. The sinister Naga warrior has killed his friend Brahaspati and now stalks his wife Sati. Shiva, the Tibetan immigrant who is the prophesied destroyer of evil, will not rest till he finds his demonic adversary. His vengeance and the path to evil will lead him to the door of the Nagas, the serpent people. Of that he is certain...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense action-adventure alternate-history -
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsIn a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.Then she finds a strange book... -
The Cecelia and Kate Novels: Sorcery & Cecelia, The Grand Tour, and The Mislaid Magician by Patricia C. Wrede
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCourageous cousins are forced to do battle with magical foes in this series, collected here in a single volume In Sorcery & Cecelia, cousins Kate and Cecelia have been inseparable since childhood. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, their families force them to spend a summer apart... -
Blind Tiger by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings1924, Chicago. Prohibition is in full swing and gang bosses rule the city with might—and magic.When Sam Cunningham flees his small-town life to try his luck in the big city of Chicago, he quickly finds himself in over his head in a world of gangs, glitz, and glamour. Fortunately, he has his cousin Eldon to teach him the trade of hex-making...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense witches-wizards abuse action-adventure -
Trusting Miss Trentham by Emily Larkin, Rosalyn Landor
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe's more than just an heiress... Letitia Trentham is noteworthy for three reasons. One, she’s extremely wealthy. Two, she can distinguish truth from lies. Three, she’s refused every man who’s ever proposed to her.Until Letty receives a proposal she can’t turn down.Icarus Reid barely survived the Battle of Vimeiro. He lives for one thing—to find the man who betrayed him to the French...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHannah Rose was not quite 13 years old when she discovered her family was cursed. . . .The arrival of a mysterious letter changes Hannah’s life forever. One day she is an ordinary teenage girl. The next day she discovers she is heir to a castle in the Scottish highlands—a castle that was cursed more than four hundred and forty years ago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure book children early-modern -
The Kidnapper's Accomplice by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTo investigate the source of gossip about Cyclops, Willie does the unthinkable – she dons a dress. However her plan goes awry when she’s kidnapped by a disgruntled magician with the power to detonate gunpowder at will. The magician forces India and Matt to race all over London in the hunt for her before the bombs go off...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense action-adventure adult -
Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe second novel in a bewitching series "brimming with charm and charisma" that will make "fans of Outlander rejoice!" (Woman's World Magazine)New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston’s The Little Shop of Found Things was called “a page-turner that will no doubt leave readers eager for future series installments” (Publishers Weekly)...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense witches-wizards action-adventure -
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe official complete screenplay of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore by J.K. Rowling & Steve Kloves, accompanied by illuminating behind-the-scenes content and commentary.Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world... -
The City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsReturn to the mythical Barcelona library known as the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in this posthumous collection of stories from the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow of the Wind and The Labyrinth of the Spirits...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism suspense action-adventure adult -
-
Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThere is an alternate cover edition here.Daja and Frostpine expect to have a peaceful winter's visit with old friends in Kugisko, a port in the vast empire of Namon. But there is no peace when mysterious fires begin to blaze across the vulnerable city. Daja assists Bennat Ladradun, a local firefighter with a tragic past, to fight the flames...Categorized as:
crime female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century -
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsCharles Carter—a.k.a. Carter the Great—is a young master performer whose skill as an illusionist exceeds even that of the great Houdini. But nothing in his career has prepared Carter for the greatest stunt of all, which stars none other than President Warren G. Harding and which could end up costing Carter the reputation he has worked so hard to create...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal suspense witches-wizards -
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsAt the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings... -
The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMeet Augustus Berrycloth-Young—fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad—as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic crime paranormal witches-wizards magical-realism fantasy urban-fantasy -
Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsA world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal witches-wizards 21st-century -
Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal suspense 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.