Books Like Shadowspell Academy
Being able to wield magic would be a dream come true for many readers, which is why books about attending schools for witchcraft and wizardry are so popular. Virtually everyone is familiar with the experience of going to school, but adding magic to the mix makes everything a lot more interesting. Instead of mundane subjects, the students in these books get to learn all kinds of exciting spells and lore. Unfortunately, magical schools can also be very dangerous places for the unwary. For example, in Shadowspell Academy by K.F. Breene a young woman takes her brother’s place at a prestigious, secret magical school in an effort to save his life and beat the academy at its own game.. If you are a fan of all things involving magical schools then check out the following books like Shadowspell Academy.
The Magicians
by Lev Grossman
The Magicians by Lev Grossman is the story of Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant, but miserable high school math genius. Quentin keeps his fascination with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land a secret but finds real-life disappointing by comparison. However, he receives an opportunity for his wildest dreams to come true when he is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic. Unfortunately, his newfound powers cause him to fall down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment before discovering the dark secret behind the land of his childhood fantasies.
A Deadly Education
by Naomi Novik
A Deadly Education is the first novel in The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik. Scholomance, the setting for the story, is much darker than typical magical schools as they are not just taught magic, but also survival. The protagonist is a young woman named Galadriel, who prefers to be called El. Everyone expects El to become an evil witch who will level mountains and kill untold millions to become the dark queen of the world, but she has other plans. She is determined to make it out of the Scholomance alive but has no intention of slaughtering thousands in the process. Unfortunately, Orion Lake, a fellow student with flashy combat magic who is loved by everyone makes it hard for her to stick to her resolve, especially after saving her life multiple times.
Carry On
by Rainbow Rowell
Carry On is a lighthearted take on the genre by Rainbow Rowell and features Simon Snow, a student at the Watford School of Magicks. It’s his last year at the school, but in the words of his evil vampiric roommate, Baz, Simon is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen. Simon not only has difficulty making his wand work half the time, but when he does it’s usually to accidentally set fire to something. To complicate matters even further Simon’s girlfriend has broken up with him, his mentor’s avoiding him and an insidious magic-eating monster called the Humdrum wearing Simon’s face is running around wreaking havoc.
Schooled in Magic
by Christopher G. Nuttall
Emily, the teenage protagonist of Schooled in Magic by Christopher G. Nuttall is a stranger in a very strange land after getting pulled from our world into one of magic and mystery. Her abductor is a necromancer who intended to sacrifice her to the dark gods, but Emily is rescued in the nick of time by an enigmatic sorcerer. In the process, Emily discovers that she has magical powers and must learn how to master them at the Whitehall School. However, others believe that Emily is the “Child of Destiny” whose choices could save or dam their world, which earns her both friends and enemies at the school.
Ninth House
by Leigh Bardugo
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is the first novel in the Alex Stern series and explores the darker side of the magical school genre. The protagonist, Galaxy “Alex” Stern dropped out of school early and finds herself in a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and worse. However, she receives a second chance when at the age of twenty she ends up in hospital as the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. She is offered a chance to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride on the condition that she monitors the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Alex has a special gift for the supernatural that makes her the ideal candidate for the job where secret societies and dark magic are intertwined.
Magic for Liars
by Sarah Gailey
Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey offers a unique twist on the magical school journey by making the protagonist, Ivy Gamble, a private investigator instead of a student. Ivy is hired by the Osthorne Academy for Young Mages to solve a murder case. Incidentally, this is also the place where her estranged, gifted twin sister Tabitha is a teacher. While Tabitha was born with magical powers, Ivy was not as fortunate, but she keeps this information a secret during her investigation. Unfortunately, solving the case means having to deal with Tabitha, as well as magical high-schoolers interfering with her investigation.
Akarnae
by Lynette Noni
Akarnae is the first novel in the Medoran Chronicles series by Lynette Noni. Alex Jennings is a sixteen-year-old whose life and world change when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in a fantasy world called Medora. Alex learns that someone named Professor Marseille is the only person who can help her return home, but unfortunately, he has gone missing. Alex has no choice but to wait for him to reappear and in the meantime attends Akarnea Academy, which is Medora’s boarding school for teens with extraordinary gifts. There she is embraced by friends who embrace her as one of their own, but fate has much bigger plans in store for her as she could be the only one to save Medora but at a great cost.
