Books like 'Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles'
Readers who enjoyed Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure dark fantasy horror paranormal fae children classics mermaids family
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The Hobbit by Michael Kilgarriff, J.R.R. Tolkien
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTolkien's famous saga, the prelude to The Lord of the Rings, has all the ingredients of fantasy and adventure: dwarves, elves, goblins and trolls, a fearsome dragon, a great wizard, a perilous quest, and a dramatic climax. This radio dramatization became a classic when it was first broadcast on BBC Radio, and it continues to delight today... -
Lies Ripped Open by Steve McHugh
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsOver a hundred years have passed since a group of violent killers went on the rampage, murdering innocent victims for fun. But even back then, sorcerer Nate Garrett, aka Hellequin, knew there was more to it than simple savage pleasure—souls were being stolen.Nate’s discovery of the souls’ use, and of those supporting the group’s plan, made him question everything he believed... -
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsLove speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price... -
Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFans of dark fairy-tales like The Hazel Wood and The Cruel Prince will relish this atmospheric and absorbing book based on Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed movie... -
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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:
classics myths paranormal retellings action-adventure anthologies audiobook contemporary -
Ghost in the Ring by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband. But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order. And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians... -
The Crown of Wyvern's Flame by Emilia Jae
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTo save her kingdom, she must ally herself with a rising rebellion, a powerful sorceress, and master the force of a wyvern's inferno…Lia and Jace have found an unexpected love in each other that spans across enemy lines, and with it, the means to end the fae and human war. That is, until Lia is kidnapped, Jace is injured, and hope has never seemed so far out of reach... -
Strange Days by Rick Gualtieri
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt the edge of chaos, one geek stands tall. Five years ago, dateless dork Bill Ryder somehow saved the world, banishing magic and monsters to the shadows. He thought it was over, that he was finished with that life. Too bad for him, shit’s about to get surreal again. Now the impossible has happened... -
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 79 ratingsGeralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good.. -
The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin, Samuel Roukin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe greatest fantasies of the 20th century are J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle. Regrettably, the Earthsea Cycle has not received the fame and sales of Tolkien's trilogy. Fortunately, new Earthsea books have appeared in the 21st century, and they are as powerful, beautiful, and imaginative as the first four novels... -
Everyday Horrors by Rick Gualtieri
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsONE GEEK AGAINST THE RISING DARKNESS. Bill Ryder is having a hell of a week. Magic is back, one of his friends has been entombed in solid rock, and he once again has no pulse to speak of.Too bad it’s about to get worse. Something is hunting vampires in New York City. A smarmy wizard has been called in to investigate, one with skeletons in his closet and eyes for Bill’s girlfriend... -
The Gryphon's Lair by Kelley Armstrong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe exciting follow-up book in the fantastical duology for ages 10-14 by NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.Rowan is now the Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be king. But her mother's cousin Heward is still determined that his children be the ones to inherit the titles, and will stop at nothing to show that Rowan and Rhydd are too immature to properly lead...Categorized as:
animals children family myths paranormal retellings action-adventure anthropomorphism -
The Quicksilver Faire by Gillian Summers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAt the dazzling Fairy High Court--fraught with enchantments and trickery--Keelie Heartwood discovers that an imbalance in magic has created a colossal rift that can destroy the world. Keelie's mixed blood (elf, human, and fae) makes her powerful, but this sixteen-year-old L.A. girl can't fix things alone... -
The Goblin's Curse by Gillian Summers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith the help of her elven friends, Keelie Heartwood should be able to heal the cursed tree she planted at the High Mountain Renaissance Faire. But rumors of a gathering goblin army make the elves question her loyalty. And when Keelie loses an important book of magic in a peculiar fire, the elves--including her boyfriend Sean--turn against her... -
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Traitors' Fate by Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne Death Changes Two Cities ForeverIlanna, Master of the Night Guild, has waged a war for eight years to cleanse her city of the rival criminal organization that nearly destroyed it... -
A Warrior's Burden: Book One of Saga of the Known Lands by Jacob Peppers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhere he walks, death follows. He was once known as Prince Bernard, ruler of his people and the man who led them in the Fey War against creatures out of myth and legend, beings out of nightmare. A man renowned for his strength, a man feared by his own people as much as his enemies. But there are other names for him, too. Kingslayer. Oathbreaker. Traitor. The Crimson Prince.And they are all true... -
Shadows of the Redwood by Gillian Summers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe popular and critically acclaimed Faire Folk Saga continues in THE SCIONS OF SHADOW TRILOGY When the Redwood Forest tree shepherd disappears under mysterious circumstances, Keelie Heartwood and her elven grandmother arrive at the local Renaissance festival to investigate... -
Quest for the Secret Keeper by Victoria Laurie
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDelphi Keep is awash in activity, and for Ian, Theo, and Carl, their safe haven might be nearing its end. The Royal Navy has taken the keep to use as a hospital and the tunnels running under the keep and the castle are ideal to set up a central communications outpost for the approaching war... -
Druid Bond by Brad Magnarella
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen the deal you need isn't the one you want To protect Vega and her son from the demon-vampire Arnaud, I’ve secured spots for them in a powerful safehouse. The price? Pledging my services to the Upholders, a group searching for stolen loved ones.My new teammates are a young minister, a snarky half-fae, a hulking mermaid, and a druid with major control issues... -
Slashback by Rob Thurman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI stopped and let them circle me, first because it was intriguing and, second, because, honestly, what could they do? Only knives, but all armed, and that made them even more interesting. Interesting. Fun.Playtime…Taking on bloodthirsty supernatural monsters is how Caliban and Niko Leandros make a living... -
Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA deliciously dark bubblegum-gothic fairytale from a stunning new Australian talent.‘He's gone the same way as those little birds that bothered me with their awful songs! And you will too, you and your horrible heart-music, because you won't stay out of my woods!'There's a dead girl in a birdcage in the woods. That's not unusual. Isola Wilde sees a lot of things other people don't... -
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things by Martina McAtee
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThree reapers. Two worlds. One prophecy.Seventeen-year-old Ember Lonergan has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie... -
The Ivory and the Horn by Charles de Lint
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the city of Newford, when the stars and the vibes are right, you can touch magic. Mermaids sing in the murky harbor, desert spirits crowd the night, and dreams are more real than waking. Charles de Lint began his chronicles of the extraordinary city of Newford in "Memory & Dream" and the short-story collection "Dreams Underfoot...Categorized as:
myths paranormal retellings action-adventure adult anthologies contemporary dark-fantasy -
Nightrise by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe third heart-pounding book in #1 NYT bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's spellbinding The Gatekeepers series A gate has been opened. The Old Ones have been released. And now the third and fourth of The Five -- twins with a mysterious psychic bond -- are joining the fight... -
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A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIn this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches... -
The Blood by D.J. MacHale
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe riveting conclusion to a thrilling trilogy from New York Times bestselling master of suspense D. J. MacHale.From Marshall’s mysterious experiences in The Light to Cooper’s haunting perspective in The Black, the questions have intensified along with the action...Categorized as:
myths paranormal retellings action-adventure afterlife book children-books dark-fantasy -
The Black by D.J. MacHale
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAt the end of The Light, Book One of the Morpheus Road trilogy, Marshall learned the truth about what happened to his best friend Cooper. Now in Book Two, the POV switches to Cooper and we get to see his side of the mystery. What does his story have to do with Marshall and the journey along the Morpheus Road? It's time to learn more . . -
Grim Solace by Ben Galley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNothing is certain in Araxes. Not even death. Stolen from the widow’s clutches, master thief and ghost Caltro Basalt must learn new ways to survive the cutthroat society of the Arctian Empire. His one hope for freedom and justice? A gift from the dead gods, who continue to beg for a saviour. Breaking a soul takes time, and Caltro’s spirit is far from broken... -
Where the Waters Turn Black by Benedict Patrick
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen gods and monsters battle, her music will not protect her…What lurks beneath the waves?The Crescent Atoll is a remote string of tropical islands, connected by long canoe journeys and a love of stories.When Kaimana, a young ocarina player, discovers the lair of a taniwha – a legendary monster – she finds herself inspired... -
The Revenge of Lord Oda by Nick Lake
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNow that the vile Lord Oda is dead, Taro and his friends are safe in the mountain lair of the ninjas. Or so they think. When a homing pigeon arrives with news of Taro's mother's whereabouts, Taro sets out for the Tendai monastery - without stopping to consider why the pigeon, which was given to his mother months ago, took so long to arrive... -
The Secret of the Dread Forest by Gillian Summers
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNow that she has (sort of) defeated a diabolical elf, Keelie Heartwood reluctantly joins her father in the Dread Forest. Her "real" friends are gone, her dad is preoccupied with his new responsibilities as Lord of the Forest and now it seems that her budding romance with the hunky Sean is dashed... -
Coraline and Other Stories by Neil Gaiman
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Coraline explores her new home, she steps through a door and into another house just like her own - except that things aren't quite as they seem. There's another mother and another father in this house and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home .. -
Queen of the Dark Things by C. Robert Cargill
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt is half a year since the wizard Colby lost his best friend to an army of fairies from the Limestone Kingdom, a realm of mystery and shadows beyond our own. But in vanquishing these creatures Colby sacrificed the anonymity that protected him. Now, word of his deeds has spread, and powerful enemies from the past - including one Colby considered a friend - have resurfaced to exact their revenge... -
Deathwish by Rob Thurman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIn a nightmarish new york city, life is there for the taking...Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, are barely getting by with their preternatural detective agency when the vampire Seamus hires them. He's being followed, and he wants to know by whom. But the Leandros brothers have to do more than they had planned when Seamus turns up dead (or un-undead)... -
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Roadkill by Rob Thurman
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsNew from the national bestselling author of Deathwish It's time to lock, load, and hit the road... Once, while half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko were working on a case, an ancient gypsy queen gave them a good old-fashioned backstabbing. Now, just as their P.I. business hits a slow patch, the old crone shows up with a job... -
Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsMatt thought his troubles were over when he closed Raven's Gate . . . but in fact they were just beginning. His fate -- and the fate of the world -- is tied to four other kids across the globe. The second is a street kid in Peru. He and Matt have never met; they don't even speak the same language. But destiny is going to throw them together as the evil threat of the Old Ones grows . . -
The Little Country by Charles de Lint
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsWhen folk musician Janey Little finds a mysterious manuscript in an old trunk in her grandfather's cottage, she is swept into a dangerous realm both strange and familiar. But true magic lurks within the pages of The Little Country, drawing genuine danger from across the oceans into Janey's life, impelling her--armed only with her music--toward a terrifying confrontation... -
Priestess of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana L. Paxson
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsLong-awaited final volume in the Avalon series by bestselling fantasy author, Marion Zimmer Bradley. As the Merlin of Britannia keeps his vigil atop the Tor of Avalon, Rian, the High Priestess of Avalon, dies giving birth to her fifth child. The girl, named Eilan with her mother's dying breath, takes life... -
Poison by Chris Wooding
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA brilliant, twisted, spirited anti-fairy tale from the amazing Chris WoodingPoison has always been a willful, contrary girl, prone to being argumentative and stubborn. So when her sister is snatched by the mean-spirited faeries, she seeks out the Phaerie Lord to get her back.But finding him isn't easy, and the quest leads Poison into a murderous world of intrigue, danger, and deadly storytelling... -
Moonheart by Charles de Lint
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen Sara and Jamie discovered the seemingly ordinary artifacts, they sensed the pull of a dim and distant place. A world of mists and forests, of ancient magics, mythical beings, ageless bards...and restless evil... -
The Beast of Noor by Janet Lee Carey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLate one night, piercing screams awake the villages of Noor. And the next day the bones of a young woman are found deep in the surrounding forests. Terror courses through the hearts of the villagers, along with something else...relief. An attack such as this is not uncommon in Noor... -
Darksiders: The Abomination Vault by Ari Marmell, Bob Walter
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRide with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse as they seek to unearth a plot that could plunge all of Creation into chaos! Ages before the events of Darksiders and Darksiders II, two of the feared Horsemen—Death and War—are tasked with stopping a group of renegades from locating the Abomination Vault: a hoard containing weapons of ultimate power and malice, capable of bringing an end to the uneasy... -
How does it feel? by Jeneane O'Riley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBOOK ONE OF THE INFATUATED FAE SERIESA forbidden obsessionUnyielding family allegianceThree deadly challengesTHE HUMAN. When a trip into the forest to collect a rare mushroom goes horribly wrong, I find myself falling through a fairy portal and straight into the arms of the Unseelie Fae prince. The dangerously unhinged and handsome Unseelie Fae prince... -
Immortals' Requiem by Vincent Bobbe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Grimdark FantasyThere are beings that live a shadow's breadth from our reality. They are the dreams and nightmares of humanity, the ancient seeds of fairy-tale and superstition. These are the Immortals, creatures of magic that should live forever... and they are fading... -
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The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by Steven Sidor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA mysterious explorer hires a team of adventurers to join him in a hunt for a monstrous beast, in this rip-roaring sequel to Fury From the Tomb. When Egyptologist Rom Hardy receives a strange letter from his old friend, the bounty-hunting sniper Rex McTroy, he finds himself drawn into a chilling mystery...Categorized as:
animals classics myths paranormal retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history -
High Wire by Charles Ogden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStep up! Step up! Step up and see such acts of awe and oddity! A bizarre circus creeps into Nod's Limbs in the dead of night, bringing with it caravans of strange and wonderful entertainers. Edgar and Ellen soon find kindred spirits among the fire-eaters and escape artists...Categorized as:
children family paranormal 21st-century action-adventure anthologies children-books dark -
Beyond the Veil by Tim Marquitz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrank's woman kidnapped, a frantic chase across worlds, an inter-dimensional uprising, and all with the surly father-in-law to be in tow.What could be worse?How about being drafted by the Almighty?Trapped on a strange and hostile planet, forced to deal with an alien insurrection, Frank and Longinus scramble to save Karra from the clutches of a rebel overlord bent on revenge... -
South Carolina Sea Creatures by Johnathan Rand
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen on vacation twelve-year-old Chad Prescott and his ten-year-old sister Michelle see something big and vicious lurking beneath the waters off the coast of South Carolina they're certain that it must be some horrible, hideous, creature. Soon, they find themselves in a fight for their lives when a swarm of these gigantic sea creatures come ashore...Categorized as:
animals children paranormal action-adventure book children-books dark-fantasy fiction -
Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer by Tanith Lee
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsHow would it be if Snow White were the real villain & the wicked queen just a sadly maligned innocent? What if awakening the Sleeping Beauty should be the mistake of a lifetime--of several lifetimes? What if the famous folk tales were retold with an eye to more horrific possibilities?Only Tanith Lee could do justice to it... -
High Moor by Graeme Reynolds
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen John Simpson hears of a bizarre animal attack in his old home town of High Moor, it stirs memories of a long forgotten horror. John knows the truth. A werewolf stalks the town once more, and on the night of the next full moon, the killing will begin again. He should know. He survived a werewolf attack in 1986, during the worst year of his life...
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