For readers, any library is enchanting, of course. But libraries that are truly magical? Even better! Be warned, these books each belong to a series, so they’re not stand-alone stories. But then, you don’t mind having more books about magical libraries to read, do you? We didn’t think so.

The Invisible LibraryThe Invisible Library
Author: Genevieve Cogman
Irene is an agent of the Library, but she’s not like any librarian you know. The Library’s agents travel the multiverse in search of rare and prized books from many worlds. Some are simply rare versions of famous manuscripts — but some books are unique to one world, and so powerfully linked to that reality that they may be able to change history. Irene herself is something very special: a daughter of two Librarians, she was essentially destined to work for the Library. But when Irene is assigned a green recruit, a young man named Kai, and sent to an alternate London filled with supernatural creatures, she suspects there’s something different about this mission. What is Kai hiding? Who can Irene trust? And how much does she really, truly know about the Library she was raised in?

 

 
The Reader by Traci CheeThe Reader
Author: Traci Chee
Sefia lives in a world where words have immense power — yet nobody knows how to read. Orphaned after the brutal murder of her father, Sefia fled with her fierce aunt Nin, who taught her to survive by hunting, stealing, and hiding. But when Nin is suddenly captured, all Sefia has left is a book she can’t read, engraved with a mysterious symbol on the cover. Sefia teaches herself to read, and slowly realizes that this isn’t just any book. Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and get revenge for her father’s murder, but she’s not the only one who’s desperate to learn the secrets buried within this most unusual book — and they’re willing to kill to get it back.

 

 

 

 

 

Lirael by Garth NixLirael
Author: Garth Nix
The Abhorsen series has popped up before (see our Schools of Magic reading list), but this time we’re talking about book 2, which takes place 14 years after Sabriel. Lirael is Sabriel’s younger half-sister, but she doesn’t know it; she’s grown up as a reluctant ward of the Clayr, her mother’s family, and never knew her father’s identity. Lacking the Sight, the Clayr’s ability to see into possible futures, Lirael has always felt she doesn’t belong, and hides away in the very unusual, deeply magical Library. But when she summons a magical creature, the Disreputable Dog, as her friend, and discovers the true nature of her powers, Lirael learns that her destiny is completely different from anything she imagined — and intertwined with the Abhorsen’s.

 

 
Ink and Bone by Rachel CaineInk and Bone
Author: Rachel Caine
Like the meme says, you might be a book nerd if you still get sad thinking about the Library of Alexandria. Well, what if there was an alternate reality where it still existed? In Ink and Bone, the Great Library of Alexandria is a global power that controls the flow of information worldwide — and commands an army. Jess Brightwell is a delivery boy for his father’s black-market business dealing in original manuscripts, and when his father enrolls him to train for a prestigious library position, Jess has mixed feelings. On one hand, there’s unlimited access to the library’s huge collection; on the other, he’s tired of risking his life for his father’s illegal activities. As he advances in his training, Jess realizes that the library is even more powerful than anyone knows — and they’ll stop at nothing to maintain control of their books.

 

 

 

Want more books about magical libraries? You might also like:

Stephanie Perry
Latest posts by Stephanie Perry (see all)