J.K. Rowling may have given us a whole squad of witches and wizards who have stolen our hearts, but there are countless figures beside Hermione and Dumbledore with stories that are just as captivating. It doesn't always have to be about Harry Potter. An exhaustive list would fill several pages, but we have selected these fantasy books about particularly impressive wizards. Listen to these thrilling titles to get acquainted with witches and wizards beyond Hogwarts.
Scholomance is a fascinating alternative to the iconic Harry Potter series. It tells the story of a magic school like no other: no teachers, no vacations, just a means to an end and varying odds of survival. There are only two ways out: passing the final exam or dying. Galadriel, known as El, is well prepared for the dangers of the school. Even though she has no one to help her, she has a powerful dark gift that could easily wipe out the monsters that lurk around the school. But if she decides to take that route, it would have consequences for her classmates. Unlike the insufferable star pupil Orion, who constantly saves lives, El will do anything to avoid using this gift - unless she has no other choice.
Similar to Harry Potter, young wizard Sonea lives a tough life before being admitted to a magical school. She is unaware of her talent. Unlike J. K. Rowling, however, the Australian author Trudi Canavan sets the story in a fantasy world. A king rules the city of Imardin, and the magicians' guild is highly respected. At first, Sonea is anything but enthusiastic about being offered to join the guild as a novice. She is a stubborn outsider, and it takes some time for her to find her place. Sonea has to fight for the right to be trained as a mage – and finds herself caught in a conspiracy.
The Black Magician Trilogy combines the classic charm of a coming-of-age story with sweet love and romance.
In Sally Green’s saga Half Bad, the hidden world of witches and wizards isn’t all fun and games, but fascist, dark, and creepy. Nathan is a Half Code, son of a White Witch and a Black Wizard. No one knows whether he will be chosen by the Light or the Dark on his 17th birthday. That is why the Council of White Witches keeps him in a cage and trains him relentlessly. Nathan receives little sincere affection; he is thought to be a ticking time bomb. And he is. When the witch council decides to break him and turn him into a tool, Nathan decides to escape and find his truth.
In Half Bad, Sally Green creates a nerve-racking story set in a complex and brutal world.
Marcia Overstrand is a so-called ExtraOrdinary Wizard. She is the main wizard of the Castle, one of the main settings in the fantastic mediaeval children's and young adult audiobook series Septimus Heap by Angie Sage.
Marcia dresses exclusively in purple, owns a mirror through which she can make herself slimmer and demonstrates frighteningly little patience. She bosses both her subordinates and her apprentice Septimus around. It takes quite a while to peel off the layers and meet her gentle side.
In all her eccentricity, however, she is delightfully quirky and endearing. She is a lead character in both Septimus Heap and the spin-off TodHunter Moon.
Of course, Merlin is not only known from T. H. White's Arthurian classic The King at Camelot, but the portrayal of the powerful wizard is particularly endearing in this story.
White's Merlin is a bit backwards. He is a grumpy old man when the young orphan Wart meets him for the first time. Wart doesn't know that he will grow up to be the legendary King Arthur. To make sure nothing goes wrong, the wizard and his talking owl Archimedes take care of the boy's upbringing.
In the course of the first book of the four-part fantasy series, they transform Wart into different animals. His adventures prove to be important lessons for the development of his character. The subsequent parts of the series are darker, which is probably why only The Sword in the Stone was adapted as an animated film by the Disney company.
The wizard Raistlin is considered one of the most popular characters of the Dragonlance universe, a series of novels based on the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. He is a tragic hero who has lost much through his quest for power. His body is destroyed during his magic exam, which he takes at an unusually young age. Only the strength of his mind keeps him alive.
He now looks haggard and weak. His skin has turned golden, and his hair is as white as snow. He is very soft-spoken, but his mind is sharp. Raistlin is a cynic but is considered one of the greatest heroes in the legendary war for Dragonlance.
The Dragonlance Tales are available as an audiobook.
Granny Weatherwax is probably the most powerful and famous witch in Terry Pratchett's Discworld: Witches.
She lives a quiet life in a small hut in the mountains, usually appears grumpy and bad-tempered, but secretly proves her big heart again and again. Her favourite weapon is the mysterious power of headology. She uses it to analyse even tricky situations. She can also transfer her mind into other beings, but she has to be careful not to get accidentally buried when her body seems lifeless.
Granny Weatherwax leads the notorious Lancre coven. In her long life, she has already faced beastly fairies, bloodthirsty vampires, and a ghost in an opera. She has so far been able to resist the greatest threat, the lure of her dark side.
In his witch novels, the British author took up numerous elements from fairy tales and popular belief. He wove them into witty, entertaining stories brought to life by a joint effort of British actors Indira Varma, Peter Serafinowicz, and Bill Nighy, as well as Nigel Planer.
The magic system in Brent Week's fantasy world is based on colours and light. People who have the ability to use colours to work their magic are called drafters. But this magic comes at a price. If they use it too often, they go mad and become a "wight".
Most people can only work with one colour but there are those who can use several colours. Above them stands the so-called prism, a “full-spectrum light-splitter” who masters all colours.
The most interesting character of Week's fantasy cycle must be Gavin Guile, the prism of his world: a kind of ruler and powerful magician who, in turn, has to move within tight political boundaries. Prisms only have a certain number of years at their disposal before the body dies. Having been the Prism for sixteen years, Gavin suspects that he has little time left to complete his life's work. He proves to be a strong-willed sorcerer who can be cruel to achieve his goals.
Her coming was seen long ago: she shall be the most powerful of her kind and finally end the tyrannical rule of her sisters.
In Anne Bishop's mediaeval-fantastic novel world The Black Jewels, the cruel members of the coven rule relentlessly as queens over their subjects. They are a perverted guild. Corrupt and sadistic, they enslave humans and demons alike. Their strength shows in the colour and number of jewels. The darker these are, and the more a witch possesses, the more powerful she is.
When the Queen appears, no one recognises her at first. Jaenelle is a small, shy girl who can't even manage the slightest spell. However, she possesses not only all twelve magic jewels but also thirteen Black Jewels. And that is why she is in serious danger.
Learn more about the audiobook The Black Jewels here.
The sorcerer and musician Kvothe has inspired legends since his lifetime. He is said to have burned down cities and murdered kings – a man like no other there has ever been or ever will be.
In The Name of the Wind, Kvothe discusses his childhood among the Travelling People - his family, who one day are unexpectedly killed by mysterious beings just because they sing the wrong song. Only the then eight-year-old Kvothe escapes the massacre.
In the following years, the future wizard suffers a tough childhood on the streets before he discovers the obsessions that will determine his entire life: playing the lute, the hunger for knowledge – and the search for the murderers of his family. He knows how to cleverly increase his fame by constantly feeding the rumours that are told about him. What Kvothe does not seem to realise, however, is that great knowledge is wasted if it is not accompanied by the necessary maturity.
Diana Bishop comes from a long-established family of witches. After the death of her parents, she renounced her magical powers and lives a quiet life as a historian. One day she discovers a mysterious manuscript with a powerful spell on it. She has no idea what dangerous treasure she has stumbled upon until a whole host of demons and witches appear around her. To escape her pursuers, Diana accepts the help of handsome vampire Matthew Clairmont. Even though she is not sure what his real intentions are.
Part romance, part epic fantasy: A Discovery of Witches is the prelude to a trilogy that could best be described as a mixture of Outlander and Magical Sisters. The result sounds more charming and atmospheric than the rather plain romance novel cover of All Souls suggests.
Jim Butcher’s urban fantasy hero is said to be the only magician in America who advertises in the phone book. Harry is a broke detective/magician in Chicago, trying to keep his head above water by, among other things, advising the police on supernatural crime investigations.
His flat is run down. In his tiny magic kitchen in the basement, he has banished a ghost into a skull. He drives a car that's half falling apart, but that is mainly because more modern technology around him has a habit of failing without warning.
Harry is a nice guy, the classic noir detective. He has quite a knack for getting himself into really deep trouble. Yet he rarely loses his courage and optimism. And that's exactly why you like to keep track of what he’s up to. Over twenty of his adventures have been published.
One of the most influential novels of the 20th century, The Hobbit is a beloved fantasy title from J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic The Lord of the Rings series. A prelude to the celebrated trilogy, it follows the story of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit who lives a quiet life in his comfortable Hobbit-hole. That is until Gandalf, an impressive old wizard, along with 13 dwarves, arrives at his house to take him on a magical adventure.
The Hobbit is one of the best magical books that Potterheads won’t want to miss out on. BAFTA award-winning actor and director Andy Serkis does the story justice in his captivating audio performance.
For Harry Potter fans looking for a new world of magic to get lost in, look no further than A Wizard of Earthsea. As the title suggests, this audiobook focusses on a wizard. It follows the story of Ged, the most powerful sorcerer in Earthsea, who was known as Sparrowhawk when he was younger.
Like in Harry Potter, in the first instalment of the Earthsea series, listeners get acquainted with the young wizard in training before he finds himself in a conflict with an evil creature. And like J.K. Rowling, the late American author Ursula K. Le Guin is known for her incredible gifts for creating gripping fantasy and science fiction works. Actor and experienced narrator Kobna Holdbrook-Smith lends his superb storytelling skills to this title.
The first title from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time audiobook series is an absolute must-listen for fans of magical fantasy audiobooks—and the stellar dual narration of Kate Reading and Michael Kramer (a married couple in real-life) brings the magic to audio. The Eye of the World introduces listeners to three half-men, half-beasts with special powers: Rand, Mat, and Perrin. Their village gets attacked and they face threats from the Dark One. If you love Harry Potter and magical tales, you are sure to enjoy the story’s incredible world-building and intricate magic system. If you’re looking for a long series that has plenty of titles to satisfy your curiosity, there are 17 Wheel of Time audiobooks to get stuck into on Audible.
American writer Terry Goodkind made a name for himself with his epic fantasy book series. He kickstarted his Sword of Truth series with the New York Times bestselling title, Wizard’s First Rule. Similarly to Harry Potter, this enthralling fantasy listen features supernatural happenings, threatening villains, and eerie woodlands. Humble forest guide Richard Cypher is grieving the loss of his father. Next thing, he finds himself caught up in magic, war and danger when he is named as the Seeker of Truth. Sam Tsoutsouvas narrates this fascinating title that will have you on the edge of your seat from the moment you hit play.
Arguably one of the best books of all time, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a nostalgic treat that takes listeners back to their childhood. Loved as a children’s book and enjoyed by adults, this timeless fantasy tale has been adapted into an iconic film and inspired spin-off books, movies, and a Broadway musical. This audiobook adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s original novel features Jim Broadbent as the Wizard and Lydia West as Dorothy. After a tornado hits Kansas, Dorothy (along with her dog) find themselves in the magical world of Oz. They set off along the Yellow Brick Road in search of the Wizard of Oz to ask him for help. Along the way, they are joined by a Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. This audiobook is a classic fantasy story that you won’t want to miss.
What would your list look like?
Those were only a few of the most magical fantasy novels. Now we’re curious - which witches and wizards put a spell on you?
Discover our entire selection of audiobooks from the genre.
