Fantasy Series for Adults Who Loved Harry Potter

Remember the first time you finished reading Harry Potter and felt that peculiar ache—part satisfaction, part loss? That moment when you closed the book and realised you'd have to leave Hogwarts behind? I spent years chasing that feeling through countless fantasy novels before discovering that the magic wasn't gone; it had simply grown up with me.

Take Patrick Rothfuss's *The Name of the Wind*, where we meet Kvothe in a dusty inn, telling his story to a chronicler. Here's a magic system that feels like music and mathematics had a brilliant child—sympathy links objects through careful calculation, names hold power over things, and the University feels like Hogwarts if it taught quantum physics alongside spell-casting. Rothfuss writes prose that reads like poetry, creating a world where stories themselves become weapons.

If Rothfuss offers intimate storytelling, Brandon Sanderson's *The Way of Kings* delivers epic scope. Sanderson builds magic systems like an engineer—every piece fits, every rule has consequences. On the storm-ravaged world of Roshar, warriors wear magical armour powered by gems, and ancient oaths grant supernatural abilities. It's fantasy that rewards careful readers, where seemingly throwaway details become crucial revelations a thousand pages later.

For those who loved Harry Potter's wit alongside its wizardry, Scott Lynch's *The Lies of Locke Lamora* delivers clever thieves pulling impossible heists in a Venice-inspired fantasy city. Lynch writes banter that would make Fred and George Weasley jealous, but grounds it in a world where loyalty matters more than magic.

Cassandra Clare's *City of Bones* bridges young adult and adult fantasy perfectly—shadowhunters protect our world from demons in modern-day New York. It's urban fantasy with genuine emotional weight, exploring chosen families and hidden worlds existing alongside our own.

V.E. Schwab's *A Darker Shade of Magic* gives us four parallel Londons, each with different relationships to magic. Schwab excels at morally complex characters—her protagonists make terrible decisions for excellent reasons, creating stories where you're never quite sure who to root for.

Finally, Erin Morgenstern's *The Night Circus* reads like a dream you don't want to wake from. Two magicians locked in a competition neither fully understands, performed through a travelling circus that appears without warning. It's atmospheric fantasy that prioritises wonder over action.

Start with *The Name of the Wind* if you want beautiful prose and personal stakes. Choose *The Way of Kings* for world-building that rivals Tolkien. Pick *The Night Circus* if you prefer your magic mysterious and romantic. There's no wrong starting point—each book opens its own door to wonder. The magic you loved never left; it simply waited for you to grow into new stories.