20 Underrated fantasy books about hidden worlds that you’ll love

Recently updated on July 15th, 2024 at 08:55 am

Looking for fantasy books about hidden worlds? I’ve ranked and reviewed the 20 best fantasy books with portals and hidden worlds. So you can pick the best one to lose yourself in right now.

This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.

Some of the best fantasy books feature hidden worlds. From Percy Jackson and Alice in Wonderland to The Chronicles of Narnia.

A fantastical world hidden from the normal world is magical. Nothing helps you escape more than discovering a secret world. 

Whether it’s a main character stumbling through a wardrobe or discovering a forgotten world – this post has got you covered.

Here are the 19 absolute best fantasy books about hidden worlds

What are the best fantasy books about hidden worlds?

Here are my top picks for the best fantasy books about hidden worlds

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a classic. And I couldn’t write a post on books about hidden worlds without mentioning it. 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 world-building is enchanting. Particularly, the moment they discover the hidden world at the back of the wardrobe.

2. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn features a hidden world of magic and secret societies. Plus it has trials, romance and an amazing main character.

Legendborn follows Bree Mathews. After the death of her mother, she wants to avoid family memories. So, she joins a residential program for gifted high school students.

But then she witnesses a magical attack on her first night. A flying demon feeding on human energy. A Mage tries to wipe her memory. But he fails. And instead Bree unlocks new memories of her mother’s death.

This is a great pick for fans of Sarah J Maas. The writing style is very similar. And dark academia imagery is woven throughout the book with the college setting. Perfect if you’re after books with hidden worlds.

3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

A hidden world of fae. This is an amazing enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance. And it features humans trying to survive in a secret world of fae.

The Cruel Prince follows Jude who is a human. As a child, she gets kidnapped with her two sisters. She’s taken to live with the hidden world of the fae. They live in the woods in a secret world concealed from humans. 

Jude grows up wanting to be like the wicked fae she lives with. 

Holly Black is seriously amazing at writing a killer plot twist. The Cruel Prince and Wicked King both open with a bang and keep you hooked throughout.  

If you like books with fae and forest vibes then you should read this. Definitely a great choice if you’re looking for books about hidden worlds.

4. Lore by Alexandra Bracken

5. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

There is so much to love about A Marvellous Light. This features a secret magical society hiding in an Edwardian city setting.

We follow Robin Blyth. Due to an administrative error, he is named liaison to a secret magical society. So, he is forced to  contend with magic’s dangers and a deadly curse while he searches for his missing predecessor.

To do this, he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey. Edwin Courcey is his prickly magical society counterpart but he clearly wishes Robin were anyone else.

I love the secret society of magicians. And the Edwardian setting and mlm romance sets it apart from other books including secret magical societies.

 6. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

A popular series that got many bookworms into reading. And for good reason. This is a classic story about a hidden world of greek gods.

The concept is that the Greek Gods are real. And they occasionally fall in love with mortals. They have children who become demigods. The  world of Greek Mythology is kept a secret from humans.

We follow Percy Jackson. He is having trouble focusing on his schoolwork. When one day his maths teacher turns into a monster.

And so mum decides it’s time to tell him the truth. His father is a Greek God. And she sends him to camp Half blood – a summer camp for demigods.

This book has a fast paced plot full of action and plot twists. The writing style is easy to read and you’ll seriously want to stay in all day reading it. 

Greek Mythology is woven seamlessly into this book. And it balanced Greek Mythology with urban fantasy elements perfectly.

7. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I couldn’t write a post on books about hidden worlds without including Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland. It’s an absolute classic. And feature Alice stumbling into the hidden world of Wonderland.

It follows Alice.  She sees a white rabbit take a watch out of it’s waistcoat. She follows it. And she accidentally falls down a rabbit hole and  stumbles into a secret world.  A sequence of unusual events is set in motion. 

There are so many beautiful versions of Alice in Wonderland. If you don’t mind spending a little more – I recommend a clothbound or hardcover version such as this gorgeous Wordworth edition. There are many stunning versions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland online.

The imagery is adorable with tea parties, roses and talking animals. It follows Alice who falls down a rabbit hole. And she finds herself in the absurd world of wonderland.  This book is pure magic whether you are old or young.

8. Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

This is book features a badass female main character. We follow a secret army of fierce women.

It follows 16-year-old Deka. She lives in a village where all the girls undergo a blood ceremony. If their blood runs gold – they are impure.

Deka has lived in fear of this ceremony. And on the day – her blood runs gold. And Deka must face consequences worse than death.

But then a mysterious woman comes to her rescue. And offers her the chance to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her.

The found family trope works perfectly in this book. There was so much diversity in the army of Alaki. The magic system was really intriguing and the world-building was excellent.

This book is not for everyone – it has a lot of violence. Please check the trigger warnings before reading.

9. A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse so dark and Lonely has one of the most BADASS main characters! Plus it features an enchanting, cursed hidden world. Think fairytale vibes.

A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Prince Rhen is the Heir of Emberfall.

Emberfall is under a curse and the kingdom is enchanted into an everlasting winter. Prince Rhen needs to make a girl fall in love with him to break the curse.

Harper has cerebral palsy. And she struggles to look after her dying mother. She tries to save a stranger and is pulled into the strange hidden  world of Emberfall.

The hidden kingdom is enchanting. And the concept is amazing. But the main character makes this book stand out for me.

10. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King is an incredible Fantasy book with fae, an enemies to lovers romance and a strong female lead. This also features a hidden world of fae.

The Iron King follows 16-year-old Meghan Chase. Her father disappeared mysteriously when she was six years old. And ever since, something has been off.

But things start to change drastically. On her birthday, her brother is kidnapped and replaced by a  faerie  changeling. And Meghan has to  venture into a mysterious place called Nevernever to rescue him.

I think The Iron King is a book that will divide readers. Some will really not like it. But personally, I really enjoyed this book. The setting is beautifully described. And Meghan is a great heroine. She’s not perfect but a very realistic 16-year-old.

11. Ms Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Ms Peregrine’s home is a charming ya fantasy book featuring a hidden world, magic and children with strange powers.

Ms Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children follows Jacob. His grandfather escaped the Holocaust and grew up at an orphanage for children with strange powers. He even has photographic evidence.

As he grows up, he stops believing the stories. But one day a horrible tragedy occurs. And Jacob starts to wonder – could it have been real?

The story is really gripping. It also has very dark and mysterious elements to it. And I love the way antique photographs were woven into the plot. The photographs and the imagery give it real academia vibes.

The book also uses the found family trope – one of my favourites. And Ransom Riggs executes is really well.. And it what makes this book so enjoyable.

12. The Backstagers by James Tynion IV and Rian Sigh

This is a wholesome graphic novel about a hidden world backstage in a theatre. The graphic novel styles makes this easy to read and brings the fantastical worldbuilding to life.

We follow Jory. He transfers to an all-boys private high school. But at first he’s not happy at the school. Until he’s taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid –  the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers.

The backstagers are a group of students who help backstage at plays. He makes great, lifetime friends. But he is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain.

This is such a light-hearted, easy read. It’s fairly short and the graphic style makes it easy to read pretty quickly. The unique concept is different to any other book.

13. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman often writes books you can easily read in a day. This is a spooky hidden world story you need to read.

Coraline is fed up with the lack of attention from her parents. In her  family’s new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage.

She discovers another flat identical to her own. And a family from a parallel universe  who give her everything she could possibly want. But is everything as it seems.

This book is delightfully quirky and creepy. The concept is unique. And it’s full of some of my favourite characters. Coraline is brave, determined and curious.

14. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

The Atlas Six is perfect for fans of dark academia. It weaves a secret society with magic and academia worldbuilding.

The Atlas Six is about a secret society of academics known as The Alexandrian Society. 

Each decade, the world’s six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation. 

 The Atlas Six follows six characters competing for entry into the society.

Dark academia fans will fall in love with this book. Set in a library, it has tons of academic references. From lectures to classes and academic theories. 

Looking for books like The Atlas Six, I have  a lots of recommendations. You can check out my article on books like The Atlas Six here.

15. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Under the Streets of London  is a city full of monsters, saints, murderers, angels and knights. “Neverwhere” is the London of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

We follow Richard Mayhew. An act of kindness catapults him into the Neverwhere. And Richard will learn more than he ever wanted to know about this other London.

Neil Gaiman creates magical concepts for books.  And Neverwhere is no exception. It reads like a dark Alice in Wonderland.

Do you enjoy audiobooks? BBC Radio has full cast audiobook with Christopher Lee. Likewise, it’s a short listen at just over 3 hours. You can listen to it on Audible – check it out here

17. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Starless Sea is set in a secret underground world – a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

We follow graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins as he discovers a mysterious book with a story from his childhood. Bewildered, he uncovers a series of clues leading to a masquerade party, a secret club and a doorway to an ancient library hidden below the surface of the Earth.

But Zachary finds more than just books, it is a place of lost cities and seas. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Erin Morgenstern writes the most astonishingly beautiful fantasy worlds. Worlds you can lose yourself in for hours. The hidden world in this book is one of the most magical.

18. Every heart a doorway by Seanan McGuire

Are you searching for books with portals? You need to read the Wayward Children series. This reads as a dark fairytale with cottagecore vibes.

Every Heart a Doorway is about children who slipped through time or into another realm – through a rabbit hole, wardrobe or doorway and find themselves somewhere else. But nobody else believes them. Except for Eleanor West who runs a home for Wayward Children.

The concept sounds quite similar to Ms Peregrine’s home for peculiar children but they are very different.  The story is enchanting and the style of writing is eerie. It also has a diverse cast including an asexual protagonist.

If you’re searching for books with hidden worlds, you need to read this magical series.

19. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl’s Moving Castle is magical, atmospheric and heartwarming.

We follow Sophie. The eldest of 3 daughter – she is destined to fail miserable if she ever leaves home.

One day she attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste. The Witch transforms Sophie into an old lady.

Her only chance at breaking the spell? The ever moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle.

This book has enchanting cottagecore imagery. It opens in a picturesque little village in the country and nature is woven throughout. If you’re after cottagecore books, you must pick this up.

20. Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar

This is the perfect fantasy book to read at Christmas. It features a magical, nutcracker-inspired hidden world.

We follow Marietta Stelle. She loves ballet. But after Christmas, her dreams will be over as she is obligated to take her place in Edwardian society.

While she is chafing against such suffocating traditions, a mysterious man purchases the neighbouring townhouse. Dr Drosselmeier is a charming but calculating figure. And he wins over the rest of the Stelle family with his enchanting toys and wondrous mechanisms.

When Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance, she discovers it carries a magic all of its own. On the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, she is transported to a snowy forest, where she encounters danger at every turn: ice giants, shadow goblins and the shrieking mist all lurk amidst the firs and frozen waterfalls and ice cliffs.  But all is not as it seems, as Marietta is soon trapped in this wintery world.

This post was all about fantasy books about hidden worlds

Other posts you might like

The Best books about dragons that are 100% worth reading

Compelling books with fae perfect for any fantasy lover