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Quick answer: If you loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, read Piranesi, Sorcerer to the Crown, The Night Circus and The Magicians. All pair magic with wit, history and a literary voice.
Susanna Clarke's 2004 novel imagines England in the Napoleonic era when magic returns through two rival magicians. It reads like a Victorian novel, with footnotes and dry humor. The books below share its scholarly tone, quiet strangeness and mix of history and magic. Most are adult fantasy, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | Adult | more Clarke |
| Sorcerer to the Crown | Zen Cho | Adult | Regency magic |
| The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern | Adult | enchanting settings |
| The Magicians | Lev Grossman | Adult | magic school with edge |
| Stardust | Neil Gaiman | Adult | fairy-tale adventures |
| Neverwhere | Neil Gaiman | Adult | hidden London |
| American Gods | Neil Gaiman | Adult | mythic America |
| The Golem and the Jinni | Helene Wecker | Adult | historical fantasy |
| Little, Big | John Crowley | Adult | literary fantasy |
| The Eyre Affair | Jasper Fforde | Adult | book-loving comedy |
| Titus Groan | Mervyn Peake | Adult | gothic fantasy |
| The Ten Thousand Doors of January | Alix E. Harrow | Adult | book lovers |
| The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern | Adult | story-within-story |
| Howl's Moving Castle | Diana Wynne Jones | Teen | cozy fantasy |
| Sorcery and Cecelia | Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer | Teen | letter-format fun |
1. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in a house of endless halls and statues. Short, strange and beautiful, from the same author.
Best for: more Clarke.
2. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
A black sorcerer and a gifted woman fight prejudice in Regency England. Witty, warm and in the same social world.
Best for: Regency magic.
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Two magicians are bound in a contest in a circus that appears at night. Lush and atmospheric.
Best for: enchanting settings.
4. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
A bright, bored young man discovers a magical college and a land from his favorite books. Sharp, bitter and clever.
Best for: magic school with edge.
5. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A young man crosses a wall into a faerie world to find a fallen star. Charming, funny and romantic.
Best for: fairy-tale adventures.
6. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
A man helps a hurt girl and finds a hidden London under the city. Dark and funny.
Best for: hidden London.
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
A man hired by Mr. Wednesday finds a hidden war of old gods and new. Big, strange and thoughtful.
Best for: mythic America.
8. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
A golem and a jinni meet in 1899 New York and become friends. Gentle and layered.
Best for: historical fantasy.
9. Little, Big by John Crowley
A man marries into a family tied to faerie. Dense, dreamlike and poetic.
Best for: literary fantasy.
10. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
A literary detective in an alternate England enters novels to stop a villain. Silly and clever.
Best for: book-loving comedy.
11. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
The first Gormenghast book describes a vast castle full of odd rituals. Gothic and baroque.
Best for: gothic fantasy.
12. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
A girl discovers a book that opens doors to other worlds. A love letter to books.
Best for: book lovers.
13. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
A graduate student finds a mysterious book and a hidden library. Dreamy and layered.
Best for: story-within-story.
14. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
A girl is cursed and finds refuge in a wizard's moving castle. Witty and warm.
Best for: cozy fantasy.
15. Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Two cousins write letters about magic in Regency England. Light, funny and charming.
Best for: letter-format fun.
How to Choose
For more Clarke, read Piranesi. For Regency magic, Sorcery to the Crown and Sorcery and Cecelia. For hidden worlds, Neverwhere or The Night Circus. For a modern edge, The Magicians. Strange & Norrell is long, so enjoy a series of shorter books between big ones. Because this is a long book, many readers enjoy it as an audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble, who gives the wry narrator a perfect voice. If you read the print edition, try the footnotes out loud for the full effect. After finishing, take a look at the BBC adaptation to see the world on screen.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell?
It runs about 800 pages in most editions.
Is there a TV adaptation?
Yes. A seven-part BBC series aired in 2015.
Why does it have footnotes?
The footnotes add invented history and make the book feel like a real scholarly work.
Is it hard to read?
The prose is old-fashioned, but the humor makes it enjoyable.
Should I read Piranesi first?
It is shorter and easier, but Strange & Norrell is richer.
Is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell a fantasy or historical novel?
It is both. The history is real, and the magic is invented.
How is it different from Harry Potter?
It is written for adults, with a slow pace, dry humor and a focus on society and ambition.
Is there a sequel?
No, but Clarke published a related short story collection, The Ladies of Grace Adieu.
Who wrote it?
Susanna Clarke, who spent ten years on the book and published it in 2004.
Who is Mr Norrell?
A reclusive magician who hoards books and wants to restore English magic, in contrast to Jonathan Strange, who is bolder and more reckless.