I recently read Ready Player One, and while the writing was pretty bad, I couldn’t put it down. I love when there’s a journey and/or mystery or puzzle that the protagonist has to accomplish or solve. Other recent examples I just ate up (and with better writing) are the Magicians series and The Thief. I remember liking the Fablehaven books as a child because they were also centered around solving puzzles/mazes/quests. Obviously I’m interested in more adult or young adult offerings at this point, though. Thank you!
by wow-how-original
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The Magicians is SO GOOD and the character development for Quentin is great and Julia’s story in The Magician King is fantastic. Also, The Thief – so underrated.
Neverwhere is one of my favorite Neil Gaiman novels. It has a parallel London that a young man has to navigate in order to help a young woman from that world. There’s also a fairly recent BBC radio adaptation with Benedict Cumberbatch and (iirc) James McAvoy.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I don’t even know how to describe this. There’s a story within a story. There’s a mystery. It’s set in 1940s Spain.
This is a children’s series but also so good – The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. I think the first two or three books especially (Over Sea, Under Stone and The Dark Is Rising) really lean into that puzzle-solving adventure sense.
The Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin aren’t really puzzles but the adventure element and writing is fantastic.
Okay, this isn’t the greatest writing I’ve ever encountered but is it ever gripping, The Will of the Many by James Islington. There’s double crossing, labyrinths, obsidian blades, ambushes, an exiled prince – oh, and it’s also set in a fantasy version of Rome.