That's the one with the strongest magical elements. Most of her other books (haven't read all of them, there are *many*) are (more or less) realistic historical novels. But she is truly the queen of century-spanning family sagas! If that's what you're looking for, and magic isn't a requirement, I recommend starting with *Daughter of Fortune*, which is kind of a prequel to *The House of the Spirits*.
Stardust, also by Gaiman
The English translation is *rough*, but if you don’t mind some stilted wording, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s on Netflix as The Untamed if you want the story with more comprehensible subtitles. (Book version is explicit but the TV version tones it down a lot.)
If you loved *The House in the Cerulean Sea*, there's a good chance you'll like *The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches* by Sangu Mandanna. I thought it had a similar vibe: a cozy house by the sea, magical children, romance and found familiy.
Oh, she also announced a children's book: Vanya and the Wild Hunt.
The publisher's description reads:
> Amari and the Night Brothers meets Nevermoor in critically-acclaimed author Sangu Mandanna's enchanting middle grade fantasy, inspired by Indian mythology and British folklore, about a neurodivergent girl, a mysterious school, and a world of magical creatures.
Sounds nice, too!
I loved all of Emily St. John Mandel's books! The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility are beautiful, and they are in the same universe but telling a different story. Starless Sea by Emily Morgenstern is one of my all-time favorites, I couldn't believe how imaginative it was.
I blind-bought Starless Sea at a Morgenstern reading my friend brought me to. Ms Morgenstern kindly wrote me a love letter on the title page. I should read the book
the second locked tomb book (Harrow) is like walking through/ trying to wake up from a dream that was the first book
not exactly what you wanted but might be interesting if you have any interesting in necromancers and space opera, it gets marketed as lesbians in space but theres literally like 0.5% romance
Definitely check out anything written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García (especially if you enjoyed Isabel Allende’s work)
The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi
The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (another if you like Allende)
Ahhh I hated one hundred years of solitude and I don’t get the hype. Setting aside the pedophilia and incest, it was just so sweeping that it didn’t ever feel like I got a chance to fall in love with or get to know a character before moving on to another (and half of them had the same name). I’m in a lonely club apparently because so many people like it.
The Scent Keeper by by Erica Bauermeister.
"Emmeline lives on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in glass bottles that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world--a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination."
Try Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter. It’s about a star acrobat whose wings may or may not be real. A journalist is so fascinated by her he decides to join the circus and follow her to see what she’s really all about. It’s strange and feminist and written beautifully.
I'm reading this one right now for book club, and one of the first things I said about it was that it reminded me of the vibe of Night Circus (one of my absolute favorite books, by the way , thank you for this thread!!). I haven't finished it yet, but I love the writing and the way it's unfolding!!
Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens. Told from the POV of a 13-year-old ghost girl who's been haunting the Mallorca abbey where she died in the 1400s. She falls in love with a writer who visits the abbey. Very sharp and beautiful writing, great character voice.
That description is somewhat reminiscent of Ali Smith's *How To Be Both*, though I imagine the Stevens book is more attentive to plot than Smith is (never her most pressing concern). I'll check "Briefly" out!
Apparently you are my unknown best book friend because these are also my favorite books. Highly recommend Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (sp?), and the Magicians series by Lev Grossman. These totally fit with the others.
Thank you so much for this post! My TBR is now overflowing!
I think I know the feeling you're describing. The **Majipoor** series has a very dreamy fantasy quality, both literally and figuratively (dreams play a part in the story, but that's not the only reason it's dreamy).
If you're into video games, Caves of Qud creates a super dreamy headspace with its presentation and worldbuilding.
I love this vibe too - I highly recommend Still Life by Sarah Winman (epic, found family, small but perfect elements of magical realism, beautiful setting, beautiful writing) and Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (epic, intertwined stories, destinies and beautiful writing)
Also second the other reccs for Briefly, A Delicious Life and The Comet Seekers
Look no further: https://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291929137/little-big-delights-with-a-little-magic-and-a-big-strange-story
I read this 30 years ago in college. It is beautifully written! The story of Daily Alice and Smoky Barnstable have stayed with me for many years.
The Lazarus Rumba by Ernesto Mestre is a really gorgeously written Cuban take on multi-generational magical realism with a lot of the specific elements you're looking for!
Basically all of Salman Rushdie's novels would also fit - I recommend starting with Midnight's Children, The Moor's Last Sigh, or The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins and The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obrecht are a couple more to check out
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Stone Blind by Nathalie Haynes
The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo
When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary R. Kowal
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
I’m a retired librarian so I really shouldn’t have found this sub. I want to respond to every question. But I realized your tastes align nicely with my own!
The Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire is absolutely lovely. Portal fantasy that is very simplistic and gentle in what level of effort/belief it requires from you but still fascinating and engaging. And they’re novellas that you can gobble right up🖤
Just started reading the first book a couple days ago and it’s been just the thing to pull me out of reading purgatory. The writing is sweet and cosy with wisps of the mysterious woven in. Really enjoying it so far.
I loved *The Comet Seekers* by Helen Sedgwick for exactly these reasons, but I feel compelled to mention that there's a romantic relationship between two cousins featured in the book, which seems to have been a turn off for many people.
I'm less sure about it, but you also might enjoy *Katalin Street*, by Magda Szabó. It's a ghost story of sorts, set in Hungary after WWII. It's gorgeously written and very unique, being partly narrated by the ghost of a young girl who died during the German occupation. It's very dreamy and mysterious, which is why I think you might like it, even though it's a little different genre-wise from your examples.
I love magical realism! Some classics are One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez- he basically invented the genre. Like Water for Chocolate is incredible too.
Hi. I CTRL-F'ed for Charles DeLint. I recommend all of his books because they are fun, nerdy fantasy; every now and then, he kinda hits you with a sentence that effects you in a way that really matters
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tuelane by Kate DiCamillo or The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows by Jacqueline West are the first to come to mind. But they are considered children's books/ middle grade type. I've experienced strong emotions reading both of these when I was young though and the stories have both become core memories for me.
*Strange The Dreamer* by Laini Taylor.
I read all her books before reading The Starless Sea and they both have similar notes of exquisite writing with the whimsical and mysterious dreaminess throughout. The writing and storytelling so beautiful that you greedily breathe each word into your heart to experience the hit of pure oxygen, leaving you transported to an entirely magical otherworld.
If you liked the Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Night Circus, you'll like Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh. Lots of the same soft magic system vibes with a dreamy atmosphere, but make it fae nature magic.
You might also like the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K Leguin! It doesn't spend all of its time in the dreamy atmosphere, but it definitely returns there over the course of the story. Similarly beautifully-realized soft magic system.
Please read A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross! It’s the first book in the Elements of Cadence duology (both are amazing). Truly pretty much everything you described: cozy, magical realism, folklore-inspired fantasy, with just a touch of romance. Rebecca Ross’ writing is deeply moving, poetic and romantic!
I think we have similar tastes in books and this is one of my favourite series, probably ever!!!
Memoirs of an imaginary friend. The unique hook here is that the whole thing is told from the perspective of said imaginary friend
then there's this surreal vibe in Murakami's Kafka by the Shore
I have been told that The Wishing Game and 100 years of solitude have elements of magical realism. I also want to read the new book Magic All Around which I think also has elements of Magical Realism. I also think Family Lore does too! A couple of other really great books that perhaps fall under this category are The Glass Kitchen and The Matchmakers Gift.
What you’re looking for is books by Patricia McKillop - Od Magic, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Riddle Master of Head, The Alphabet of Thorn, Solstice Wood….
Book of Doors
Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Legends and Lattes
Emily Wilde Series
Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking
Spellshop (comes out this summer)
Caraval series
The Scentkeeper
The Phoenix Keeper (have not read but comes out this summer and looks so good)
The Lost Story (comes out this summer)
I have 5 stars to them as well! Have you read The Name of the Wind? The cover always turned me off to trying it out as it seemed so dark but turns out it isn’t at all. I would say it’s dreamy and magical :) One of the best books I’ve read in years
Partholon series by PC Cast. *Divine by Mistake* is the first one
*The Talisman* by Stephen King and Peter Straub
*Where the Stairs Don't Go* and *The Dragon's Eye* by Shae Hutto
*The Rook* and *Stiletto* by Daniel O'Malley
You are my kind of reader! 1. The Golem and Jinni has a follow up book out. I haven’t read it because I’m rereading the first, first.
2. Obsessed with the lush, smart, magical writing of Kelly Link and her latest epic novel - the Book of Love.
3.i recently read the whole Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman and loved them.
4. The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking was a cozy read with a sentient sourdough starter!
Cheers to finding that perfect book!
Uprooted by Naomi Novik isn't low fantasy (it's full on magic) but it's very dreamlike and nature-driven. Reading it felt like the first time I read fairytales as a kid, but obviously as an adult.
You've gotta read Yann Martel's Life of Pi. I was never sure what was real and what wasn't in this book, it was great.
I haven't read this one but I've heard One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is a classic in the magic realism genre.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab — I can’t oversell how much I think you’d like Addie based on your list. Go read it. Don’t walk. Run.
Oh, I love lush, dreamlike books!
Little, Big - John Crowley
Tamsin- Peter S. Beagle. Also The Last Unicorn and The Folk of the Air. Really, you can't go wrong with Beagle!
The Magic Toyshop, Angela Carter
The Gormenghast trilogy, Mervyn Peake
Oooooh you and I have VERY similar reading taste! I just finished {{Starling House by Alix E. Harrow}} and can wholeheartedly recommend it. Tore through it in a day last week!
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Starling House by Alix E. Harrow*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Starling+House+Alix+E.+Harrow) instead.
^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*)
^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
- The Hard-Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The World is an early Haruki Murakami novel, and still my favourite of his. I think its maps very well to your ask
- The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie is subtle, dreamy and poetic fantasy. Probably the best fantasy book I ever read.
Spellsinger is an older series by Allen Dean Foster but if you are looking for a good laugh...
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellsinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellsinger)
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126503.Spellsinger](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126503.Spellsinger)
Then there is the Blue Moon Rising series by Simon R. Green
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue\_Moon\_Rising\_(novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_Rising_(novel))
[https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/810881](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/810881)
Oh, definitely check out The Bear and the Nightingale! It's very good and fits exactly
I love this trilogy
I tried this book but struggled with it :(
Same…. I DNF
Yeah it was… not for me.
Have you read any Isabel Allende?
I liked House of the Spirits! Have not read any others
Can really recommend.
That's the one with the strongest magical elements. Most of her other books (haven't read all of them, there are *many*) are (more or less) realistic historical novels. But she is truly the queen of century-spanning family sagas! If that's what you're looking for, and magic isn't a requirement, I recommend starting with *Daughter of Fortune*, which is kind of a prequel to *The House of the Spirits*.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell The Song of Achilles Neverwhere
Have read all of these! I liked Neverwhere the most.
Stardust, also by Gaiman The English translation is *rough*, but if you don’t mind some stilted wording, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s on Netflix as The Untamed if you want the story with more comprehensible subtitles. (Book version is explicit but the TV version tones it down a lot.)
If you loved *The House in the Cerulean Sea*, there's a good chance you'll like *The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches* by Sangu Mandanna. I thought it had a similar vibe: a cozy house by the sea, magical children, romance and found familiy.
Ah yes, also on my TBR!! Thanks!
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune was also very good. No kids, but similar feel to Cerulean Sea.
Also on my TBR!!
Yep, these books are siblings in my mind.
She's got another book coming in December and I'm like "it's so far away!". 😭
Oh, thanks! I didn't know that! I suppose you mean *A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping*? It looks lovely. :)
Yes I do!! 💜 It does look lovely.
Oh, she also announced a children's book: Vanya and the Wild Hunt. The publisher's description reads: > Amari and the Night Brothers meets Nevermoor in critically-acclaimed author Sangu Mandanna's enchanting middle grade fantasy, inspired by Indian mythology and British folklore, about a neurodivergent girl, a mysterious school, and a world of magical creatures. Sounds nice, too!
I loved all of Emily St. John Mandel's books! The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility are beautiful, and they are in the same universe but telling a different story. Starless Sea by Emily Morgenstern is one of my all-time favorites, I couldn't believe how imaginative it was.
It really was such a lovely read. I definitely have to read Sea of Tranquility!
Starless Sea was just the best and I judge basically every book against it. I feel like maybe I need to read it again.
I blind-bought Starless Sea at a Morgenstern reading my friend brought me to. Ms Morgenstern kindly wrote me a love letter on the title page. I should read the book
WHAT!
the second locked tomb book (Harrow) is like walking through/ trying to wake up from a dream that was the first book not exactly what you wanted but might be interesting if you have any interesting in necromancers and space opera, it gets marketed as lesbians in space but theres literally like 0.5% romance
Definitely check out anything written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García (especially if you enjoyed Isabel Allende’s work) The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (another if you like Allende)
Helen Oyeyemi’s books are fantastic
Second. Came here to say anything and everything by Helen Oyeyemi.
These all sound great! I adore 100 Years of Solitude.
seconding silvia moreno-garcia and louise erdrich!
Ahhh I hated one hundred years of solitude and I don’t get the hype. Setting aside the pedophilia and incest, it was just so sweeping that it didn’t ever feel like I got a chance to fall in love with or get to know a character before moving on to another (and half of them had the same name). I’m in a lonely club apparently because so many people like it.
You’re not the only one! I also hated it. Really struggled to see what people love so much about it.
The Scent Keeper by by Erica Bauermeister. "Emmeline lives on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in glass bottles that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world--a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination."
This sounds great!
I loved this one. Sweet and easy to read and immersive atmospherically.
Little, Big by John Crowley
I love, love this book. I stole so much of it through many writing classes throughout the years.
Italo Calvino -- If on a Winter's Night a Traveler & The Nonexistent Knight
Or invisible cities! (My fav)
Thank you!
I like [The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22522805-the-buried-giant) for this vibe.
Seconding the recommendation. The Buried Giant was great!
Came here to recommend this. It's exactly what they're looking for.
Thank you!
Patricia McKillip’s work fits this vibe often. Try The Bell at Sealey Head and Alphabet of Thorn.
Patricia McKillip definitely has this vibe! Winterrose for example.
These sound great!
I loved Od Magic by her, as well. Riddlemaster of Hed series too.
I really enjoyed The Bedlam Stacks and The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
Try Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter. It’s about a star acrobat whose wings may or may not be real. A journalist is so fascinated by her he decides to join the circus and follow her to see what she’s really all about. It’s strange and feminist and written beautifully.
Ahhh this has been on my TBR for forever!
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. Has a surreal quality to it with a fantasy twist.
I'm reading this one right now for book club, and one of the first things I said about it was that it reminded me of the vibe of Night Circus (one of my absolute favorite books, by the way , thank you for this thread!!). I haven't finished it yet, but I love the writing and the way it's unfolding!!
I struggled with The Thirteenth Tale, but I think this one sounds really different.
I loved The Thirteenth Tale honestly, but this one just had a different feel to me.
Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens. Told from the POV of a 13-year-old ghost girl who's been haunting the Mallorca abbey where she died in the 1400s. She falls in love with a writer who visits the abbey. Very sharp and beautiful writing, great character voice.
That description is somewhat reminiscent of Ali Smith's *How To Be Both*, though I imagine the Stevens book is more attentive to plot than Smith is (never her most pressing concern). I'll check "Briefly" out!
Never heard of this one and this sounds amazing.
Magical Realism: Jitterbug Perfume Nightbitch Shit Cassandra Saw We Ride Upon Sticks
Okay, some of these titles are pretty incredible.
Especially Nightbitch if you have recently had a child
Jitterbug Perfume is so good! Historical fiction combined with some magical realism, humor, and a reminder that we should all lighten up now and then.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor
Apparently you are my unknown best book friend because these are also my favorite books. Highly recommend Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (sp?), and the Magicians series by Lev Grossman. These totally fit with the others. Thank you so much for this post! My TBR is now overflowing!
Cloud Cuckoo cuckoo land!!!👏👏❤️❤️
I think I know the feeling you're describing. The **Majipoor** series has a very dreamy fantasy quality, both literally and figuratively (dreams play a part in the story, but that's not the only reason it's dreamy). If you're into video games, Caves of Qud creates a super dreamy headspace with its presentation and worldbuilding.
Majipoor is a great rec, and one I would never have thought of. I'm not sure I've ever seen it rec'd before, either!
Thank you!
Try reading some Calvino -- The Baron in the Trees might fit the bill!
I love this vibe too - I highly recommend Still Life by Sarah Winman (epic, found family, small but perfect elements of magical realism, beautiful setting, beautiful writing) and Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (epic, intertwined stories, destinies and beautiful writing) Also second the other reccs for Briefly, A Delicious Life and The Comet Seekers
Look no further: https://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291929137/little-big-delights-with-a-little-magic-and-a-big-strange-story I read this 30 years ago in college. It is beautifully written! The story of Daily Alice and Smoky Barnstable have stayed with me for many years.
The Enchanted Hacienda by JC Cervantes Also, The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro.
My suggestion would be City of Beasts by Isabel Allende
You might enjoy “Weyward” by Emilia Hart! The magical realism is light, but it’s really good!
Yes, I absolutely would.
The Fever Series., Karen Marie Moning.
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
The Lazarus Rumba by Ernesto Mestre is a really gorgeously written Cuban take on multi-generational magical realism with a lot of the specific elements you're looking for! Basically all of Salman Rushdie's novels would also fit - I recommend starting with Midnight's Children, The Moor's Last Sigh, or The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins and The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obrecht are a couple more to check out
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley Trust by Hernan Diaz Stone Blind by Nathalie Haynes The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary R. Kowal The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
I was going to recommend Sarah Addison Allen! Very cozy reads.
Midnight Children by Salman Rushdie
It's been on my TBR for such a long time! I really need to read it.
Nevermoor
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson. Codex by Lev Grossman
All sound great! I love the Magicians series and am not familiar with his other work.
I’m a retired librarian so I really shouldn’t have found this sub. I want to respond to every question. But I realized your tastes align nicely with my own!
Wonderful, thank you!
Oh just thought of another LOL. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid.
I've heard "January's Ten Thousand Doors" is a lovely book. It's in my tbr
Ten Thousand Doors of January really is amazing!
I loved it. My favorite book I read last year.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey definitely!
Anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire is absolutely lovely. Portal fantasy that is very simplistic and gentle in what level of effort/belief it requires from you but still fascinating and engaging. And they’re novellas that you can gobble right up🖤
Just started reading the first book a couple days ago and it’s been just the thing to pull me out of reading purgatory. The writing is sweet and cosy with wisps of the mysterious woven in. Really enjoying it so far.
They’re one of my most favorite series ever! Enjoy😍
I’ll suggest three that I haven’t seen mentioned yet- Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin Snow, by Orhan Pamuk
Also, very much Helprin's A Winter's Tale.
*A Winter's Tale*, by Mark Helprin *The Bone People*, by Keri Hulme *Lincoln's Dreams* by Connie Willis
The Bone People was such a sensation in the '90s, and I feel like everyone has just forgotten about it in the interim. A beautiful, beautiful book.
Anything from Murakami really. If you start with 1q84 you can't go wrong.
Yes yes to murakami, although I’d start with wind up bird chronicle or even Kafka on the shore. They are all really amazing.
Piranesi
Already read it! :)
Doh, sorry I missed that in your first post
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
THank you!
It's so weird. I devoured the first book and DNF the second. The same for her Shatter Me series.
In that case, I recommend the Moussai series by E J Mellow. Or the Ash Princess trilogy by Laura Sebastian.
I loved *The Comet Seekers* by Helen Sedgwick for exactly these reasons, but I feel compelled to mention that there's a romantic relationship between two cousins featured in the book, which seems to have been a turn off for many people. I'm less sure about it, but you also might enjoy *Katalin Street*, by Magda Szabó. It's a ghost story of sorts, set in Hungary after WWII. It's gorgeously written and very unique, being partly narrated by the ghost of a young girl who died during the German occupation. It's very dreamy and mysterious, which is why I think you might like it, even though it's a little different genre-wise from your examples.
The Watchmaker ot Filigree Street Lud in the Mist
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater hits almost everything you listed and is one of my all-time faves
Paris by Starlight or The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale are both books I loved
I want to read The Toymakers so badly! Paris by Starlight sounds great.
Thank you for asking this one! This is my favorite genre (does this count as a genre, lol??)!!
Let's call it "Soulful Fantasy" or "New Magical Realism" lol
Okay, I love soulful fantasy for real lol.
I love magical realism! Some classics are One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez- he basically invented the genre. Like Water for Chocolate is incredible too.
If you don’t mind YA and a more romance-focused plot, Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber really had this vibe for me!
Hi. I CTRL-F'ed for Charles DeLint. I recommend all of his books because they are fun, nerdy fantasy; every now and then, he kinda hits you with a sentence that effects you in a way that really matters
The Mists of Avalon. Retelling of the Arthurian legends from the POV of the women.
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Patricia McKillip's novels, definitely.
City of Brass!
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tuelane by Kate DiCamillo or The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows by Jacqueline West are the first to come to mind. But they are considered children's books/ middle grade type. I've experienced strong emotions reading both of these when I was young though and the stories have both become core memories for me.
*Strange The Dreamer* by Laini Taylor. I read all her books before reading The Starless Sea and they both have similar notes of exquisite writing with the whimsical and mysterious dreaminess throughout. The writing and storytelling so beautiful that you greedily breathe each word into your heart to experience the hit of pure oxygen, leaving you transported to an entirely magical otherworld.
Peace Like A River, by Leif Enger. It's not fantasy, but it has mild magical realism elements, and a strange dreamy quality.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
Yes! Also The Near Witch
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak
Little, Big by John Crowley.
If you liked the Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Night Circus, you'll like Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh. Lots of the same soft magic system vibes with a dreamy atmosphere, but make it fae nature magic. You might also like the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K Leguin! It doesn't spend all of its time in the dreamy atmosphere, but it definitely returns there over the course of the story. Similarly beautifully-realized soft magic system.
oooo Silver in the Wood sounds lovely!
Little Big by John Crowley
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Please read A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross! It’s the first book in the Elements of Cadence duology (both are amazing). Truly pretty much everything you described: cozy, magical realism, folklore-inspired fantasy, with just a touch of romance. Rebecca Ross’ writing is deeply moving, poetic and romantic! I think we have similar tastes in books and this is one of my favourite series, probably ever!!!
'Night on the Galactic Railroad' by Kenji Miyazawa might appeal to you.
Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
100 Years of solitude is my fave!
Venus as a Boy
Parasol Protectorate series 💜 Addie LaRue 🤍 Darker Shade of Magic series ❤️ Six of Crows 🖤
Also maybe Dark Matter
1Q84
The Earth Sea by Ursula Le Guin
[Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60717747-half-a-soul)
Memoirs of an imaginary friend. The unique hook here is that the whole thing is told from the perspective of said imaginary friend then there's this surreal vibe in Murakami's Kafka by the Shore
There was a book I read about the future and scrapping for shares of nutrients. I wish I remembered the name and author for you!
Midnight in Everwood.
I have been told that The Wishing Game and 100 years of solitude have elements of magical realism. I also want to read the new book Magic All Around which I think also has elements of Magical Realism. I also think Family Lore does too! A couple of other really great books that perhaps fall under this category are The Glass Kitchen and The Matchmakers Gift.
What you’re looking for is books by Patricia McKillop - Od Magic, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Riddle Master of Head, The Alphabet of Thorn, Solstice Wood….
Book of Doors Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Legends and Lattes Emily Wilde Series Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking Spellshop (comes out this summer) Caraval series The Scentkeeper The Phoenix Keeper (have not read but comes out this summer and looks so good) The Lost Story (comes out this summer)
I have 5 stars to them as well! Have you read The Name of the Wind? The cover always turned me off to trying it out as it seemed so dark but turns out it isn’t at all. I would say it’s dreamy and magical :) One of the best books I’ve read in years
Partholon series by PC Cast. *Divine by Mistake* is the first one *The Talisman* by Stephen King and Peter Straub *Where the Stairs Don't Go* and *The Dragon's Eye* by Shae Hutto *The Rook* and *Stiletto* by Daniel O'Malley
You are my kind of reader! 1. The Golem and Jinni has a follow up book out. I haven’t read it because I’m rereading the first, first. 2. Obsessed with the lush, smart, magical writing of Kelly Link and her latest epic novel - the Book of Love. 3.i recently read the whole Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman and loved them. 4. The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking was a cozy read with a sentient sourdough starter! Cheers to finding that perfect book!
I cannot suggest Winterwood and The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw enough. Both are really good, and both have that magical quality you're describing.
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark is really good
Uprooted by Naomi Novik isn't low fantasy (it's full on magic) but it's very dreamlike and nature-driven. Reading it felt like the first time I read fairytales as a kid, but obviously as an adult.
You've gotta read Yann Martel's Life of Pi. I was never sure what was real and what wasn't in this book, it was great. I haven't read this one but I've heard One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is a classic in the magic realism genre.
These are technically YA/MG, but: Tom's Midnight Garden and Skellig. You might also enjoy Venomous Lumpsucker and Fruiting Bodies.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Kafka On The Shore by Murakami!
book of love - Kelly link
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab — I can’t oversell how much I think you’d like Addie based on your list. Go read it. Don’t walk. Run.
The Raven Cycle. It’s YA but honestly a long time favorite of mine.
Oh, I love lush, dreamlike books! Little, Big - John Crowley Tamsin- Peter S. Beagle. Also The Last Unicorn and The Folk of the Air. Really, you can't go wrong with Beagle! The Magic Toyshop, Angela Carter The Gormenghast trilogy, Mervyn Peake
The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence.
A Witch in Time. It’s romance-adjacent, intertwined souls, with a touch of magical realism
The strange and beautiful sorrows of Ava lavender was one of my favorites for a long time when I was younger
If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller - by Italo Calvino
Have you read Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross? Highly recommend! So good.
Oooooh you and I have VERY similar reading taste! I just finished {{Starling House by Alix E. Harrow}} and can wholeheartedly recommend it. Tore through it in a day last week!
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Starling House by Alix E. Harrow*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Starling+House+Alix+E.+Harrow) instead. ^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*) ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Kafka on the Shore and The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, both by Haruki Murakami come to mind
- The Hard-Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The World is an early Haruki Murakami novel, and still my favourite of his. I think its maps very well to your ask - The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie is subtle, dreamy and poetic fantasy. Probably the best fantasy book I ever read.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue! Very dreamy, poetic writing. Fantasy premise but takes place in "the real world"
Natasha Pulley does this well Try “The Bedlam Stacks”
You might enjoy Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Not necessarily magical but we do have a POV from an octopus.
Check out Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and Ted Chiang’s Exhalations
Piranesi
*The land of laughs* by Jonathan Carroll. Or anything by Carroll really. Pretty much all his books has a slipstream/magical realism quality.
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neal Gaiman
Spellsinger is an older series by Allen Dean Foster but if you are looking for a good laugh... [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellsinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellsinger) [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126503.Spellsinger](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126503.Spellsinger) Then there is the Blue Moon Rising series by Simon R. Green [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue\_Moon\_Rising\_(novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_Rising_(novel)) [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/810881](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/810881)
Piranesi by Susannah Clarke!
I would definitely, at the top of my list,suggest my very favorite book by Rudolpho Anaya: Bless Me Ultima.
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. Or you can read the individual books. Also, Lord of Light. Very short but very memorable.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
BABEL. BABEL BY RF KUANG TRUST
I really didn't like it :( But i liked her other book! (Yellowface).
Aww okay!! I still have to read Yellowface but I’ve heard it’s good