Books Like Shadow and Bone: 6 Fantasy Reads Next

Shadow and Bone hooked readers with a heady mix: a richly imagined world inspired by Tsarist Russia, a magic system that feels both elegant and dangerous, an ordinary girl who discovers she’s anything but, and a romance that smoulders for books. Leigh Bardugo built a place you want to live in and a heroine you want to follow. So the books that satisfy Shadow and Bone fans share that combination — the immersive world, the dangerous magic, and the slow-burn pull.

Here are six novels that deliver, each with what it does best. If you’ve finished the Grisha trilogy, this is where to go next.

Six of Crows — Leigh Bardugo (the same world, levelled up)

The obvious first stop is staying in the Grishaverse. Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows is set in the same world but trades the chosen-one structure for a heist crew of brilliant, morally grey misfits. Most readers consider it her finest work — sharper, funnier, and more intricate — and it deepens everything you loved about the magic and politics.

Best for: the same world, a crew you’ll adore, and a clever heist.

Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas (the lethal heroine)

Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass gives you another extraordinary young woman — an assassin competing for her freedom — in a world of court intrigue, deadly magic, and a romance that grows across a sprawling series. It’s bigger and more romance-forward than Shadow and Bone, and ideal if you want to sink into a long saga.

Best for: a lethal heroine and an epic, romance-rich series.

An Ember in the Ashes — Sabaa Tahir (the high stakes)

Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes matches the darker, dangerous edge of the Grishaverse. Set in a brutal, Rome-inspired empire, it follows a soldier and a rebel spy whose fates entwine, with the same blend of romance and genuine peril. Tense and atmospheric, with nobody safe.

Best for: the dark stakes and a forbidden, slow-burn romance.

The Cruel Prince — Holly Black (the scheming court)

Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince swaps Grisha magic for a treacherous faerie court, but keeps the political intrigue and enemies-to-lovers tension. A mortal girl fights for power among cruel, beautiful immortals, scheming with the same nerve as Bardugo’s best characters.

Best for: court politics, scheming, and a barbed romance.

Children of Blood and Bone — Tomi Adeyemi (the magic and the fight to restore it)

Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone shares Shadow and Bone’s drama of magic suppressed and a young heroine fighting to bring it back. Set in a vivid West African–inspired world, it delivers the same sweeping stakes and a fierce protagonist, with a fresh and powerful mythology.

Best for: a rich new world and a heroine reclaiming lost magic.

The Final Empire — Brandon Sanderson (the magic system)

If the magic system is what hooked you, Brandon Sanderson’s The Final Empire is the next-level pick. Its precise, ingenious magic and a rebellion against a god-emperor offer the intrigue and world-building of Shadow and Bone in a more adult, intricately plotted package.

Best for: the most satisfying magic system and a clever rebellion.

How to choose your next read

Pick by what you loved most. The same world? Six of Crows. A lethal heroine and long romance? Throne of Glass. The dark stakes? An Ember in the Ashes. The scheming court? The Cruel Prince. A fresh mythology? Children of Blood and Bone. The magic system? The Final Empire.

For more, browse our fantasy and young adult collections, and start with whichever piece of the Grishaverse you miss most.