Magic, Political Tension, and Distinctive Worlds: 10 Books to Read if You Love Shadow and Bone
Fantasy Beyond the Series
Shadow and Bone is a young adult fantasy television series based on Leigh Bardugo’s novel trilogy. Its world blends magic with steampunk elements and evokes the Victorian Era more than the medieval settings common in fantasy.
The show ended after two seasons, leaving fans looking for other stories to try. These books are not all direct matches, but they offer fantasy, magic, and other features that may appeal to readers of the series.
Leigh Bardugo’s Adult Fantasy
Ninth House is a natural choice for Shadow and Bone fans because both works are by Leigh Bardugo. Unlike her young adult series, Ninth House and its sequel are written for adults and take place in an alternate version of the real world.
The novel follows a college dropout who survived an attempted murder and receives a full scholarship to a prestigious, secretive university. There, she encounters hidden cults, political conspiracies, and magic. Stephen King praised the book as “the best fantasy novel I’ve read in years,” citing its character development and twisting narrative.
Prisons, Keys, and Empires
Incarceron tells its story through Finn, who was born inside a vast prison that contains its own cities, mountains, and forests, and Claudia, the warden’s daughter. After Claudia finds a crystalline key in her father’s study, she forms a telepathic connection with Finn, and the two plan to help free the prisoners.
The novel also explores the divide between rich and poor. A film adaptation was reportedly planned, with Taylor Lautner rumored to play Finn, but the adaptation appears to have been canceled.
Mistborn: The Final Empire, the first book in a trilogy, is set on Scadrial, a world dominated by the oppressive Final Empire. A crew of thieves plots to overthrow the regime and free the impoverished skaa people. Its magic, shadowy streets, slavery, and political corruption may appeal to fantasy readers drawn to Shadow and Bone.
Urban Fantasy in New York
Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones became a major young adult fantasy series during the 2000s and 2010s. Unlike Shadow and Bone, it is low fantasy: its magic interacts with the real world rather than existing in a separate universe. Set in New York City, the story centers on a teenager who witnesses a m
Key points
- Shadow and Bone combines young adult fantasy with Victorian-inspired and steampunk elements.
- Ninth House brings Leigh Bardugo’s urban fantasy to an adult audience.
- Incarceron and Mistborn feature oppressive settings, magic, and struggles over power.
- City of Bones is a young adult urban fantasy set in New York City.