Books Like A Discovery of Witches: Academic Witches and Forbidden Love

If you’re searching for more novels where witches study in dusty libraries, belong to secret magical groups, and fall in love against the rules, I have a fantastic list for you. I really enjoy how these books make ancient magic feel fresh and romantic.

This article will highlight stories with similar cozy, mysterious vibes. To give you a taste, here are a few of my personal favorites:

• The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
• The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

Your Guide to the Magical Academia Vibe

That feeling you get from A Discovery of Witches or The Coven is a special kind of magic. It’s the scent of old paper in a library stack, the whisper of a secret history, and the thrilling pull of a love story that shouldn’t exist. These stories blend deep research with hidden power, ancient societies with modern characters, and quiet study with high-stakes danger. I love getting lost in them.

If you’re looking for your next book that captures that specific, enchanting feeling, you’re in the right place. Think of this as a chat in a cozy library corner. I’m here to help you find a book series like Discovery of Witches that feels just right for you — especially if you’re into dark fantasy with powerful witches, dark magic, and supernatural horror elements.

Breaking Down the Magic: Why We Love These Themes

Let’s talk about the three ingredients that make this genre so compelling. When they combine, they create a story you can almost taste and feel.

Academic Witches make magic feel real and earned. The power comes from study, from translating an old text, or from understanding a historical event’s true magical cause. It’s like a detective story, but the clues are spells and the suspects might be ghosts. The setting is often a university, an archive, or a museum, places humming with quiet potential.

Secret Magical Societies add layers of mystery and danger. They are the hidden gears turning behind our normal world, with ancient rules, rivalries, and terrifying consequences for those who break them. This theme asks: what world exists just behind that closed door, or within that unmarked book?

Forbidden Romance gives the story its heart and high emotion. This isn’t just a simple crush. It’s love that defies magical laws, societal norms, or ancient enmities, where every glance is loaded with risk and every touch could be a rebellion. The tension is what keeps you turning pages late into the night, especially for those who enjoy sweeping sagas and forbidden love.

Top Picks: Books That Master the Spell

Book Title & Author	Genre/Subgenre	Why It Fits Your Quest
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake	Dark Academia / Fantasy	Six magical scholars are recruited for a secret society. It’s packed with academic rivalry, metaphysical debates, and simmering, complicated relationships. The entire plot is a secret society initiation.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo	Contemporary Fantasy / Mystery	Galaxy “Alex” Stern monitors Yale’s secret magical societies. It’s a gritty, grown-up take on magical academia with a haunted protagonist and a slow-burn, dangerous connection. Perfect for books like a Discovery of Witches series fans who want a darker edge.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik	Fantasy / Dark Academia	The Scholomance is a deadly magical school with no teachers. Survival is the curriculum. The academic setting is relentless, the society of students is brutal, and the romance is a fantastic enemies-to-allies slow burn built on mutual survival.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow	Historical Fantasy	Three sisters reconnect with witchcraft in a repressive 1893 society. They fight a hidden patriarchal magical order while rebuilding their own bond. The romance subplot is beautifully queer and defiant against the era’s norms.
Bunny by Mona Awad	Dark Academia / Horror Satire	At a prestigious MFA program, a lonely student gets drawn into a clique of girls who perform surreal magical rituals. It’s a sharp, weird, and hilarious look at secret societies, artistic pursuit, and the dark side of wanting to belong.

The Vibe Check & Time Investment

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

The atmosphere is intellectual, sleek, and morally gray. Think dark wood panels and sharp minds clashing. The writing is dense with philosophical ideas and shifting character perspectives, but the dialogue is modern and witty. This approach is often found in reflective and speculative fiction that delves into profound human questions.

Time Investment Verdict: Give it the first 70 pages. That’s how long it takes to meet all six potential initiates and feel the competitive, charged energy of the group.

This book is for you if you love character-driven plots where everyone has a secret agenda. It might not be for you if you prefer clear-cut heroes and lots of physical action over psychological tension. These kinds of books often raise questions about whether the best works are emotional, character-driven fiction with deep psychological exploration and complex relationships. If that’s your thing, you’ll find the tensions here pull you into those very dynamics.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

The vibe is cold, gritty New Haven Gothic. Magic is dirty and often traumatic. Bardugo’s style is visceral and direct, pulling you into a bruised protagonist’s point of view.

Time Investment Verdict: The mystery hook is immediate, but the world-building settles in by chapter 3. If the depiction of Yale’s dark underbelly intrigues you by then, you’re locked in.

This is for readers who want their magical academia with a side of crime thriller. Note: it contains graphic content related to violence and sexual assault. It might not be for you if you’re seeking a purely romantic or escapist fantasy.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

The atmosphere is relentlessly tense and cleverly humorous. The school itself is a monster. Novik’s writing is immersive, with a wonderfully sarcastic narrative voice that makes the high-stakes world manageable.

Time Investment Verdict: You’ll know by the end of the first chapter. The book’s unique rules and El’s cynical internal monologue establish the tone and pace right away.

This book is perfect if you loved the magical systems in Discovery of Witches and enjoy a pragmatic, prickly heroine. It might not be for you if constant peril without a “safe” base in the setting makes you anxious, especially if you’re looking for epic world-building and complex magic systems.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

The feeling is one of fierce, lyrical rebellion. Harrow’s prose is lush and atmospheric, weaving suffragist history with fairy tale magic. It feels both historical and timeless.

Time Investment Verdict: The sisterly dynamic and the central mystery build gently over the first 100 pages. Stay for the beautiful writing and the slow assembling of their power.

This is for you if the historical depth of Deborah Harkness’s work appealed to you. It might not be for you if you prefer a single protagonist focus or a faster-paced urban setting.

Bunny by Mona Awad

The vibe is uncanny, pastel-soaked, and surreal. It’s a darkly comedic fever dream about art school. The writing is sharp, visceral, and deliberately disorienting.

Time Investment Verdict: The weirdness escalates quickly. If you’re intrigued (or deliciously baffled) by the first workshop scene with the “Bunnies,” you’re on the ride.

This is a perfect pick if you like your secret societies bizarre and satirical. It might not be for you if you dislike ambiguous plots or need magic to follow clear, logical rules.

Author Spotlights: Voices in the Genre

Deborah Harkness is the cornerstone for this specific blend. Her signature is meticulous historical and scholarly detail. Reading her All Souls Trilogy feels like getting a fascinating lecture from your favorite professor, wrapped in a global adventure. I love how she roots every spell in real alchemy or history, but the romance is a very gradual, centuries-spanning build.

Leigh Bardugo brings a atmospheric, gritty realism to magical societies, whether in a Yale dorm or a Grishaverse palace. Her style is sharp and character-focused, often leaning into morally complex heroes. She excels at making hidden worlds feel dangerous and physically present, though her stories are often darker in tone.

Naomi Novik has a genius for inventive magical systems with clear, often brutal, internal logic. Whether it’s a deadly school or an enchanted forest, her worlds are instantly tangible. Her characters are pragmatic and smart, and the relationships that develop feel earned through shared struggle.

Perfect Pairings for Your Reading Session

For The Atlas Six, try the album Debut by Björk. Its mix of ethereal sounds, avant-garde beats, and raw emotion mirrors the book’s blend of intellectual cool and hidden passion. It’s the perfect background for a story about brilliant minds unraveling.

While reading Ninth House, brew a strong, black coffee. The bitter, sharp edge of the drink matches Alex Stern’s no-nonsense perspective and the cold, stark realities of the story. It keeps you alert for the next shadow in the Yale corridor.

For The Once and Future Witches, pair your reading with the film The Love Witch (2016). Both use a stylized, visually rich aesthetic to explore witchcraft, femininity, and power against a backdrop that feels both historical and timeless. They’re beautiful, defiant sister stories.

Diving Deeper: More Recommendations by Theme

Maybe you’ve already read the popular titles. Let’s find your next favorite by matching you with a book that zeroes in on your favorite part of the story. If you’re looking for your next favorite book, take this personalized book recommendation quiz and find it.

For the Love of Academic Magic and Hidden Libraries

If you live for dusty archives and magic born from intense study, these books have your name on them. They capture that specific thrill Diana Bishop finds in her Oxford library.

• A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee: A dark academia gem where a girl returns to her magical boarding school and gets entangled with a charismatic new roommate obsessed with reconstructing a historical murder.
• Babel by R.F. Kuang: This immersive story centers on a Chinese student translation at an alternate Oxford where the magic of silver-working is tied to language and colonialism, making scholarship itself a high-stakes power play.
• The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake: Six uniquely talented magicians are recruited for a secret year of study, where their academic rivalries and alliances in a hidden library hold the key to their survival.
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna: A warm, cozy fantasy where a witch who has always hidden her power is hired to teach three young witches in a remote, mysterious household.

For the Allure of Secret Societies and Ancient Oaths

These stories are all about the politics, the ancient rules, and the heavy price of membership. If you love the structure and tension of the Coven or the Bishop-Clairmont family dynamics, start here.

• The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: Set in 1889 Paris, a crew of talented misfits is pulled into a heist for a powerful ancient order, navigating a world of secret societies, forgotten magic, and complex loyalties.
• Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin: This book throws a witch and a witch-hunter into a forced marriage, forcing them to navigate the deadly politics of their opposing secret societies while hiding their true natures.
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: After her mother’s death, a teen girl infiltrates a secret society of magic-wielding students at her university, uncovering truths about her own heritage tied to the legend of King Arthur.

For the Heart-Pull of Truly Forbidden Romance

When the central, magical obstacle to love is what keeps you turning pages, these books deliver that intense, star-crossed feeling.

• From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout: This is a sprawling, addictive book series like A Discovery of Witches, featuring a Maiden forbidden to be touched who develops a dangerous connection with her new guard, unraveling a world of gods and ancient prophecies.
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: A human huntress is taken to a magical realm by a faerie lord as punishment, beginning a complex, fiery, and politically treacherous romance that challenges the very laws of their world.
• These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan: In a story of bargains and betrayal, a girl desperate to save her sister must steal magical artifacts from the cruel Fae king, but finds herself torn between two forbidden princes with opposing agendas.

Bringing the Books to Life: For Your Book Club

If your reading group chooses one of these books, here are a few questions to get a rich conversation started. They work for almost any story in this magical, secretive niche.

• How does the academic or institutional setting shape the rules of the magic system? Does knowledge feel like power or a burden for the characters?
• What is the real cost of keeping the magical world a secret? Who benefits from the silence, and who is harmed by it?
• When does a “forbidden” romance in the story feel necessary or justified to you, and when does it feel more like a dangerous distraction for the characters?
• Compare the secret society or coven in your book to a real-world institution. What makes its structure compelling, and what makes it feel corrupt or limiting?

A Few Gentle Caveats Before You Begin

I adore this genre, but it’s fair to set expectations. These notes aren’t criticisms, just friendly signposts to help you pick the right book for your current mood—different from the usual thematic and mile-titled novels that cater to specific tastes.

These books often take their time building the world and its history, which can mean a slower initial pace than a pure action fantasy. The payoff is usually a rich, believable magical society.

Many of the best recommendations are the first in a series. Be prepared for a longer commitment if you really fall for the characters and their world.

Certain tropes, like a protagonist with a unique, world-changing power, appear often. If you love that trope, you’re in the right place. If you’re tired of it, you might look for books focused more on coven politics or academic intrigue instead.

Finding More Books with Academic Witches

I believe the best stories like these succeed by blending rich academic settings with hidden magical societies and high-stakes romance. When you’re looking for your next read, focus on books where the campus or library itself feels alive with secret power and where love defies magical laws, especially in fantasy settings of dark academies or gothic castles.

Written by Chrestos Plácida. Chrestos is an avid book reader and enthusiast. He reads and reviews countless books every year and has started multiple book clubs around his community where he helps the readers decide on which book to read next based on his personal reading experience. He also has a degree in literature and an interest in the classics and history and has written many books reviews for online blogs and review sites.