Susanna Clarke's debut novel sets the bar for world-building literature and alternative history cloaked in the mystique of Britain's ancient magical practices. Of course, we're talking about 2004's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Set during the Napoleonic Wars in 19th-century England, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell tells the tale of two rival magicians with opposing personalities.
It's a study in the divided identities of the people of North England and South England, juxtaposed against magic versus reality. After reading this Hugo-winning novel and soaking up the 2015 BBC miniseries adaptation, you may still be hungering for books that read like love letters to Britain's magical lore and complicated history. Short of reading The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, Susanna Clarke's collection of short stories set in the same alternate history, you could try one of these three books like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell blending the allure of Britain's ancient magic and engrossing history.
Earning its comparison to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell because of its rich and whimsical weaving of magic with the British elite, Sorcerer to the Crown offers the perfect amount of whimsy and social commentary. The novel follows a proficient magician and freed slave named Zacharias Wythe who is an acting Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers. Upon discovering that Britain's magical stocks are on the verge of drying up, Wythe is pushed into a world of politics and intrigue. In this alternative version of 19th-century Britain, magic is a finite resource that the government rations for warfare.
With a theme of magic rubbing up against polite society, The Magicians and Mrs. Quent is the tale of a young woman discovering magic—both dark and light—that has been all around her for her entire life. Of the three Lockwell sisters, Ivy stands out as the studious one who has held everything together while romance-loving Lily and prophetic Rose struggled with the absence of their father.
Meanwhile, the chatter surrounding the family blames Mr. Lockwell's study of magic for his woes. As she peels back family secrets and memories of strange visitors, Ivy preserves her family by taking a job with a reclusive gentleman to try to keep her family afloat. From there, Lily is introduced to a secret society that has been acting in plain sight the entire time. Lovers of British literature who adored the style of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell will find that The Magicians and Mrs. Quent brings the same rich literary traditions with sprinklings of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë.
This 2024 Arthurian fantasy novel is set in the time period immediately after Arthur's death. A young knight named Collum arrives in Camelot to discover a fractured Britain struggling after the death of King Arthur. Joining a group of surviving Knights of the Round Table, Collum embarks on a quest to restore order by reclaiming Excalibur and finding a new worthy king. With the return of Morgan le Fay, Collum becomes entangled in battles between old magic and new magic. Fans of Britain's old magic and classic Arthurian tales will enjoy Grossman's ability to dive into high fantasy using a more relatable, modern, and humorous voice without straying from source material.
Inglenook Lit is an online literary magazine for magic enthusiasts and enchantment seekers
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There is a site called Shepherd.com where authors can plug their own novel and provide a list of five books that address the same theme or subject. For my novel, One-Match Fire, I listed five novels that I thought spoke to the joys and sorrows of fathers and son. The site is searchable for any subject, depending on what others have already posted, but it might be a way to search out books "like" this or that favorite.