Looking for fantasy books with witches? Here are spellbinding books that'll make you sprint to the nearest bookshop.
This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.
It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus! While to some witches are figures to fear. I’ve always seen them as strong, empowered women. Witches fascinate many. And they can take on so many different forms.
So whether you’re looking for teen witches, healers or fairytale witches – this post should have a book for you.
For each book, I've included:
- Good Reads Rating
- Content warnings
- Summary
- The vibe of the book
- Positives and negatives
But if you want a quick summary scroll down to find a handy comparison chart ( includes content warnings and tropes for each book. Grab your broomstick and spell book – here are 18 books with witches.
This post is all about fantasy books about witches
What are the best fantasy books about witches?
1. The Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas
I first saw this book, when I was browsing in Afrori Books in Brighton. I am OBSESSED with this book cover. It's a ya fantasy/ middle grade coming of age story about a girl who discovers she's a witch. It also talks a lot about the dangers of social media.
It follows Hasani. She plans on using her summer holidays to grow her YouTube following. But then, an emotional outburst sparks magical ability in her.
So Hasani goes to Les Belles Demoiselles. A finished school for talented young ladies with magical powers.
But while the other girls have always known they were destined to be witches, Hasani is a Wildseed––a stray witch from a family of non-witches, with no background knowledge, no way to control her magic.
Wildseed Witch is an excellent contemporary fantasy with an all BIPOC cast. This is a really fun adventure story. The characters are all engaging and relatable. It also touches on some really important topics such as the dangers of social media, online bullying and being comfortable in your own skin.
Good reads Rating:
3.77
Vibe:
magic, contemporary, boarding school, magical finishing school, elite mean girls, Creole. New Orleans
Content warnings:
cheating, bullying, classism, cyber-harassment, suicide implied, mind control
Positives
- Beautiful world building around New Orleans/Creole
- Touches on important topics
- Great character development
- Interesting discussion on the history of magical families
NEGATIVES
- Some older viewers didn't like how much it focuses on mean girl drama
- Some viewers wanted to read more of the whimsical magic element
2. These Witches Don't burn by Isabel Sterling
I was sold on this book as soon as I heard Sapphic witches! These Witches Don't Burn contains lesbian witches, a mystery to solve and a the found family trope. Plus it's an urban fantasy book set in Salem.
These Witches Don’t Burn follows Hannah. She is a witch living in Salem. A dark blood ritual interrupts her end of school bonfire. And she investigates with her ex-girlfriend Veronica.
She also meets Morgan. But trying to date in the middle of a supernatural crisis is not easy and will test Hannah’s limits.
This is one of my favourite ya fantasy duologies. There are seriously not enough ya fantasy duologies. So this is an easy series to binge read and finish.
Don't get me wrong - it's not hard hitting. But I'm a simple girl and sometimes I want a warm, cozy lesbian book to read. The LGBTQ+ characters are so well incorporated that they are just part of life. This makes it such a comforting fantasy book about witches.
Good reads Rating:
3.75
Vibe:
Cute cosy vibes, Autumnal imagery, Set in Salem, light hearted
Content warnings:
Parental death, fire, violence (moderate), car crash, and animal death
Positives
- Light hearted and easy to read
- Urban fantasy
- Cute, cosy read
- Cosy autumnal vibes
NEGATIVES
- Some people commented that the pace was quite slow
- Not much world building
- Some reviewers didn't like the characters
3. Cinderella is dead by Kalynn Bayron
A Cinderella retelling with a sapphic romance. This is another twist on the classic story that features BIPOC characters and a wlw romance. While the main character isn't a witch, it features a witch who lives in a cottage in the forest.
The premise is that teen girls are now required to appear at an annual ball where men select wives. But Sophia wants to marry her childhood best friend Erin. And isn’t a fan of the whole parade in front of suitors thing.
She decides to flee and decided to take down the king once and for all.
The dystopian twist on the classic Cinderella story makes this book so unique. The romance is a bit insta-lovey but it's so well developed that it's still engaging.
The plot will keep you hooked throughout. Women overthrowing a dystopian patriarchy. There is also a lot of cottagecore and woodland imagery. Kalynn Bayron writes cottagecore imagery so well. This book will 100% make you want to live in the forest.
I also LOVE that it's a standalone. Standalone ya fantasy books are hard to find. Let alone with lesbian representation. If you're looking for a fantasy book about witches then you should definitely read Cinderella is dead.
Good reads Rating:
3.73
Vibe:
Fairy tale retelling, cottagecore, castles, balls.
Content warnings:
misogyny, homophobia, racism, domestic abuse, sexual assault, death of a friend, animal attack, animal death, incarceration, forced marriage, public execution, explosion, stabbing, blood.
Positives
- Cottagecore imagery
- Diverse characters
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Standalone
NEGATIVES
- Romance isn't very convincing
- Some people didn't like the writing style
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an absolute classic. And I couldn't write a post on fantasy books about witches without mentioning this classic. It has one of the most magical secret fantasy worlds.
The Chronicles of Narnia follows four children who are evacuated to a country house. They find a magical kingdom called Narnia at the back of a wardrobe.
But Narnia has been enchanted by a White Witch. And it is frozen in an eternal winter.
The Lion, The Witch and The wardrobe has one of the most magical concepts behind it. The concept is also familiar to everyone and makes it easy to follow.
While there are multiple books in the Chronicles of Narnia - you can easily read The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe as a standalone. The wintery world building is seriously enchanting and the characters are really charming. It's the perfect nostalgic read full of cosy imagery.
Good reads Rating:
4.22
Vibe:
fairy-tale, adventurous, light-hearted, winter imagery
Content warnings:
Animal death, War, Animal cruelty, sexism, violence, slavery, death, murder, gore
Positives
- fast-paced adventure story
- Loveable characters with good character development
- Great battle scenes
- Sibling rivalry is executed really well
- talking animals!
NEGATIVES
- The book was written 50 years ago and some of the phrases used in the book upset people.
- A lot of allegorical references to Christianity
- Black and white morality
- Again it was written 50 years ago, and doesn't have a diverse cast of character
5. Throne of Glass – Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas
Heir of Fire includes Manon who is an incredible, badass Witch. Sarah J. Maas dominates the fantasy book world but for a good reason. Her books are seriously binge-worthy.
That said, sometimes her books dump a lot of world-building at the start. This can make it hard for some people to get into them. Throne of Glass starts with a bang and hooks you in instantly.
It follows Celaena Sardothien who is imprisoned in a horrific prison called Endovier. She is an assassin. And one day she is summoned by the Prince to fight in a competition. The winner will become the king’s personal assassin.
If you're looking for a long fantasy book series to get into - then this is the book series for you. It features an incredible slow burn, enemies to lovers romance later in the series
Good reads Rating:
4.19
Vibe:
badass main character, fast paced adventure, castles, wyverns, assassins
Content warnings:
Positives
- fast-paced adventure story
- bingeworthy
- Strong female characters
NEGATIVES
- A lot of people don't like Celaena
- Not very diverse
- Sarah J Maas tends to use a lot of the same tropes
6. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
This has a really magical story concept. And the world-building is super whimsical. It features a friendly witch as the main character and it's full of beautiful forest, cottagecore imagery.
Every year the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope to keep her from terrorizing the town.
But the witch Xan is kind. She rescues the abandoned children. And delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest.
Fyrian the dragon is absolutely adorable. He's small and cute. The humour really made me smile.
I listened to the audiobook which was incredible. The narrator did a really good job with the voices of the characters and really bought Fyrian, Glerk and Xan to life.
Good reads Rating:
4.12
Vibe:
friendly witch, whimsical, cottagecore, forest imagery,
Content warnings:
- Ableism & ableist language
- Abandonment
- Grief & loss depiction
- Death of a grandmother
- Infanticide
- Kidnapping & captivity
- Animal injury
Positives
- Memorable characters
- Stunning langusge and worldbuilding
- Fairytale imagery - particularly Hansel and Gretal
- Magic system inspired by nature
NEGATIVES
- Bit repetitive
- Pitched as Middle Grade but more appropriate for older readers
7. Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker
If you're looking for fantasy books about witches with cute. light-hearted romance then you need to read Mooncakes. It's a YA Romance about a witch and a non-binary werewolf.
It follows teen witch Nova. She works at her Nana's magical bookshop. And she helps them loan out spell books. But she also investigates supernatural occurrences in her local town.
One day, she is tasked to investigate reports of a white wolf in a nearby forest. She then discovers her childhood best friend, Tam, fighting a demon werewolf. Together they investigate the demon and rekindle their feelings towards each other.
This is such a comfort read. The artwork is insanely beautiful. I really loved the illustrations of the magic and magical creatures living in the forest. The romance is also really adorable.
The story isn't fast-paced and action packed. We also don't find out much about the characters background. But it's such a quick, cute and light-hearted read that I don't think it matters. It also deals with serious topics like loss and difficult family relationships really well.
Good reads Rating:
3.84
Vibe:
friendly witch, small town, wholesome, autumnal imagery
Content warnings:
Abuse (parental, mentioned), Adoption., Betrayal., Body horror., Captivity., Cultist rituals., Dead parents Expand. One of the main character's parents appear as spirits and speak with her regularly., Kidnapping.
Positives
- Diverse cast
- Disabled (Hard of Hearing) main character
- Wholesome
- Beautiful artwork
NEGATIVES
- Could have more information on the magic system
- It's more character focused and some reviewers felt that it lacked a plot.
8. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
The Worst Witch is perfect if you're looking for books about trainee witches. It's a light hearted adventure story about good witches.
The Worst Witch follows Mildred Hubble. She is a trainee witch at Miss Cackle’s Academy. But she’s making an awful mess of it.
She’s always getting her spells wrong. And can’t ride a broomstick. Will she ever make a real witch?
Mildred Hubble is such a relatable character. She's not a perfect student - she's badly organised and sometimes struggles at school. She's a really relatable character for a middle grade audience. She's awkward and clumsy and is often an outcast through no fault of her own.
If you went to school in the 90s, then this is a really nostalgic read. It's a simple and charming story perfect for a cosy day in. The illustrations are also insanely adorable.
If you're looking for light hearted fantasy books about witches then this is perfect. You could easily binge read it in a day,
Good reads Rating:
3.96
Vibe:
Friendly witch, boarding school, academia, castles
Content warnings:
Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying
Positives
- Dark academia
- Fall vibes
- Charming illustrations
- relatable main character
NEGATIVES
- Some people didn't like how Mildred was treated in the book.
- There are some plot holes
- This is a middle grade novel and might seem a bit simple to older readers
9. The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska
The Dark Tide is a seriously underrated book. It features a wlw romance, witches and a curse on a town.
It follows Lina. She lives on a small island where the dark tide could cause it to sink. So, every year the Witch Queen lures a boy back to her palace and sacrifices her on the full moon. And so keeps the island city from sinking.
Lina is convinced her brother is going to be taken. She asks Thomas Lin to help. Thomas is the only person to survive the sacrifice. But they draw the Queen’s attention. And instead, Thomas is taken.
Lina offers herself instead of Thomas. But the queen is nothing like Eva expected. And they must choose between saving the island or themselves.
The premise of this book hooked me in straight away. A girl goes to save a guy but instead falls for the 'villain'. If you're looking for a book with an enemies to lovers romance with a morally grey love interest - then this is the book for you.
It was such an angsty slow bur romance. And Lina and Eva had an amazing grumpy/sunshine dynamic. The cursed romance setup was so well executed and made the book so tragically romantic.
The worldbuilding is also really dark, moody and atmospheric. A sea wild tale. it was beautifully written and I fell in love with the world. Full of bitter witches, sea, salt, blood and sacrifice.
Good reads Rating:
3.83
Vibe:
Curse, sea, salt, small island, morally grey
Content warnings:
Positives
- Slow burn enemies to lovers
- Curse
- Sapphic witches
- Excellent opening
NEGATIVES
- Needed to be longer
- Not enough development
Top Picks
That’s concludes my list of the best fantasy books about witches.
Here’s a quick summary of my top picks:
- The Wildseed Witch - Best magical finishing school
- These Witches don't burn - Best light hearted ya romance
- Cinderella is dead - best retelling
- Mooncakes - best graphic novel with witches
- The Chronicles of Narnia - Best childhood classic
