As a teenager I used to love reading Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson etc. I loved the adventures and mystery of it all.
(I will still continue reading these series til the day I die, I just want some more similar books in my rotation)
I'm now 23 and wanting to read more mature books. I think my best bet is reading something similar to the series I listed above to ease me away from young-adult books and into more mature books.
What are some books that are adventerous where the characters have to solve some type of big problem, but written in a more mature style than the ones I listed?
by nredditb
27 Comments
The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch
Red rising
Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
‘The Dresden Files’ by Jim Butcher might be a good option! Detective based in Chicago who also happens to be a wizard.
Give Discworld a try. Mort or Guards, Guards are generally great first Discworld books.
And not really related to what you say you like, but Murderbot is great. The first book is a novella (maybe around 150 pages or so – shorter than a “proper” novel), so it’s not a massive waste of time if you don’t like it, and if you do like it, there’s 6 more.
The Green Rider Series, by Kristen Britain
The Magicians trilogy
I’m a huge advocate for Red Rising – the first book is very Hunger Games-esque. It gets darker as the series goes on but it was the first series I read as an adult that gave me the same feeling I got reading the Hunger Games etc when I was younger!
[The Incandescent by Emily Tesh](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217387935-the-incandescent?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=haesYjDFKI&rank=1)
Brandon Sanderson might be the way to go. Try The Way of Kings or Mistborn (both are the first books in a series).
Honestly Babel by RF Kuang gave me major Harry Potter vibes, especially in the first half.
Check out the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novak.
Deadly Education is the first book, it’s literally set at a magical academy for teens, but far far darker and borderline brutal at some points.
The first two are excellent, the third goes a little off the rails, but is still a really good book.
Check out Iain M. Banks Culture series as well.
Legitimately some of the best Sci Fi I’ve ever read, set in an ultra advanced society ruled by artificial intelligences called minds, basically luxury space communism, dealing with the kinds of issues that face a “perfect” society that can’t reasonably be said to be threatened by anything due to its power, yet which still has problems.
Consider Phlebas is the chronological first book, but I recommend people start with Player of Games as it’s much more similar to what the rest of the series is about and doesn’t actually have any spoilers for Phlebas if you want to go back later.
The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik is my favorite rec for this situation. Very similar to Harry potter but a lot more mature (and deadly)
The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
A couple spring to mind, and they are in the fantasy/Sci-fy genre
**Mark of the Fool** by **J.M. Clarke**. All Alex has ever wanted was to become a wizard. He was accepted at the greatest academy of wizardry, the University of Generasi, and the day he turns 18, and can leave his home to start his magical education, he is marked and at the same time cursed by the God of his kingdom. He is fated to be one of 5 Heroes of the Realm chosen once every few generations to battle a rising evil called the Ravager, who has plagues the kingdom for thousands of years. Each of the 5 has a specific role to play in the upcoming battles. The Chosen, The Champion, the Sage, the Saint, and to Alex’s horror, he is marked as The Fool. The Fool cant fight even to defend himself, cast spells, create divinities with their god, or lead, his god has chosen him to be the gopher, errand boy, horse tender, and overall general support staff for the actual Heros.
10 books in the series covering Alex from turning 18 to his early 20’s escaping his Kingdom and trying to figure out how to battle the curse that wont let him cast spells so he can become an actual wizard. A very mature Potter theme (but not as explicit as **The Magicians** series by **Lev Grossman**). To me kind of feels like the college version of what Potter could be. There is a love interest after a few books but nothing too spicy. Lots of great fights and battles, and a MC that is not completely OverPowered until the very end of the series.
If you are into Sci-Fi, a new series (only 2 books out so far) called the **Stormweaver Series** by **Bryce O’Connor** (book 1 Iron Prince was co-written with Luke Chmilenko, then Bryce takes over book 2 and on). It follows 2 MC’s going into a military academy, training to either enter a war against aliens or to become professional fighters who promote the military and academy through galaxy wide sports events. Its the start to a good military adventure series, but its mainly about the military academy in the first 2 books and probably the next 2. No overt spice, but a little bit as you would expect from 18-19 yo’s going off to college. Plenty of fighting (and well written at that) but no real major deaths or battles yet.
Last would be **The Lies of Locke Lamora**, book 1 of **the Gentleman Bastards series** by Scott Lynch.
An orphan boy is bought by a criminal gang and taught how to be a thief. when he grows up he becomes one of the greatest con men in the kingdom with his gang of Gentlemen Bastards. Well read, stylish, proper actors that can pull off any con imaginable. Not a lot of actual magic in this one, but one of the best series I have read about the young life of a street urchin turned confidence trickster in a fantasy setting. Amazingly well written, with great characters, not overpowered with magic (actually the MC and his gang dont have any magic to their names but they have to fight against it) and the plot of each book is phenomenal.
The ONLY downside is that it has been quite a wait for book 4 to come out (like 12 years) but you can stop reading after book 1 (no cliffhanger) but if you read book 2 you will want to get book 3. There is a clear cut end at book 3 so its not like you need book 4 to feel like a complete story. Additionally, each book has its own “con” or adventure/scheme that is wrapped up at the end of the book
The Poppy Wars trilogy. Starts out on a Harry Potter-ish note – “Poor orphan gets into the elite school and has to prove herself” – but turns dark and complex real fast.
Will of the many
Dungeon Crawler Carl is a fun series.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman is really well done.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia kinda feels like Percy Jackson for a slightly older audience. It is about an 18 year old Mexican girl in the 1920s who runs away from her abusive family to help a Mayan death god reclaim his lost throne.
Ignore every other suggestion until you finish the red rising series.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Very clearly inspired by Hunger Games, only with magical mechs fighting kaiju and in a Chinese cultural world.
Don’t see a lot of people mentioning the Fetch Philips trilogy by Luke Arnold but I loved it. Fantasy World noir with fast moving clues and action
Wanna mix the two in a Roman-esque fantasy? Check out James Islington’s “The Will of the Many.” It checks a lot of those boxes!
Divergent Series
Dungeon Crawler Carl!!! The audiobook narrator is amazing too. It’s technically litrpg but don’t let that deter you! It’s up to book seven atm with ten projected and it’s already approved for a tv show!