If you have devoured The School for Good and Evil and now find yourself wandering about the house, picking up objects and setting them down again, sighing dramatically at family members who have not the faintest notion what ails you—well, dear reader, we understand perfectly. The particular magic of Soman Chainani’s world, with its delicious questioning of heroes and villains, its grand academy where fairy tale destinies are forged, and its glorious friendship at its beating heart, leaves one rather bereft when the final page is turned.
But take courage! For there exist other books—splendid, enchanting, thoroughly satisfying books—that shall fill that hollow place in your chest where Sophie and Agatha once resided. The following recommendations share that same alchemical blend of fairy tale magic, friendship forged through adventure, and the thrilling question of what it truly means to be good or evil.
1. The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown
One might suppose that all Peter Pan retellings are cut from the same cloth, but one would be magnificently mistaken. The Wendy reimagines the tale from the ground up, transforming our heroine into a fierce orphan girl in 1780s England who dreams not of nurseries and thimbles, but of captaining her own ship upon the seven seas.
Where Chainani gave us Sophie and Agatha questioning their destined roles as princess and witch, The Wendy delivers a protagonist who refuses to accept any role society attempts to thrust upon her. Wendy Darling possesses an eyebrow so expressive it might be considered a character in its own right, and a mouth that hides a secret kiss—though who might eventually receive it remains deliciously unclear.
The prose reads like a beloved classic, with the narrator commenting upon the proceedings in the manner of an old friend sharing secrets over tea. Readers have proclaimed it “a Peter Pan retelling better than the original” and “one of the best retellings in years.”
The complete trilogy is now available, with The Navigator and The Captain continuing Wendy’s adventures to their thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Perfect for readers who loved the friendship and fairy tale atmosphere of The School for Good and Evil but crave a clean, witty, adventure-focused tale with a heroine who rescues herself.
2. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Born on the unluckiest day of the year, Morrigan Crow has been blamed for every misfortune in her village—and cursed to die on her eleventh birthday. But when the mysterious Jupiter North whisks her away to the magical city of Nevermoor, she discovers she has been chosen to compete for a place in the prestigious Wundrous Society.
Like Sophie in The School for Good and Evil, Morrigan must prove herself worthy in a series of dangerous trials while the adults around her harbor secrets that could destroy everything. The whimsical world-building sparkles with invention, from sentient hotels to umbrella-wielding companions. Reviewers have called it “the masterful first volume” with “all the earmarks of a classic.”
3. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has always known she was different—being a telepath since age five will do that to a girl. When she discovers she is actually an elf who has been hidden in the human world, she is transported to a realm of glittering cities and dangerous secrets.
This compulsively readable series delivers the same magical academy experience fans adored in The School for Good and Evil, complete with mysterious villains, loyal friends, and a protagonist whose special abilities mark her as both remarkable and endangered. Nine volumes (and counting) ensure you shan’t run out of adventures anytime soon.
4. The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
When twins Alex and Conner tumble through their grandmother’s enchanted storybook, they discover a world where fairy tales are magnificently, sometimes alarmingly, real. Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive. Red Riding Hood rules her own kingdom. And Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother.
Like The School for Good and Evil, this series delights in reimagining familiar fairy tale characters while weaving an entirely original adventure. The Los Angeles Times praised Colfer’s “talent for crafting fancifully imaginative plots,” and the books have enchanted millions worldwide.
5. The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
Orphaned sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm discover they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm—and that the famous fairy tales were actually a casebook of real crimes. Now living in the strange town of Ferryport Landing among “Everafters,” they must solve mysteries while battling a sinister society.
This clever series transforms beloved fairy tale characters into unexpected roles: one Prince Charming is a reformed alcoholic, Sleeping Beauty runs a coffee shop, and Little Red Riding Hood is a psychotic kidnapper. Fans of The School for Good and Evil‘s playful subversion of fairy tale tropes shall find much to love.
6. Pennyroyal Academy by M.A. Larson
A nameless young woman from the forest enrolls at Pennyroyal Academy, where princesses are trained not in etiquette and embroidery, but in combat against witches and dragons. Given the name “Evie,” she must survive a brutal training regimen while uncovering the truth of her mysterious past.
Reese Witherspoon praised this book for showing “who princesses truly are: people of character and courage and strength.” Like The School for Good and Evil, it features an academy where the nature of heroism itself is questioned and transformed.
7. The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
What happens to Prince Charming after the fairy tale ends? As it turns out, quite badly. Four different princes—Frederic, Liam, Gustav, and Duncan, each married to famous princesses—discover that “Charming” is merely a title, not a personality trait. Cast out of their kingdoms, these lovable failures must band together to battle witches, goblins, and their own considerable shortcomings.
Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, praising Healy’s “pitch-perfect accuracy” in rendering “princes as goobers with good hearts.” Readers who enjoyed The School for Good and Evil‘s humor and friendship shall find this “lively, humorous adventure” absolutely delightful.
8. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Callum Hunt has been warned his whole life about the Magisterium, a school for young mages hidden beneath the earth. His father says magic is evil, that the Magisterium will destroy him—and Call believes every word. Yet when he deliberately fails his entrance exam, he is accepted anyway.
This collaboration between two beloved fantasy authors delivers magical training, dangerous secrets, and a protagonist whose disability is portrayed with care and nuance. The twist ending shall leave you gasping and reaching immediately for the sequel.
9. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
When thirteen-year-old Amari Peters discovers her missing brother was a secret agent for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she earns an invitation to a magical training program—where she is immediately labeled dangerous because of her rare and powerful abilities.
Kirkus gave this debut a starred review, calling it “a timely, energetic narrative” that “confronts privilege and prejudice even while delving into a world of wonder, humor, and adventure.” Like Agatha in The School for Good and Evil, Amari must prove herself against those who judge her unfairly.
10. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Young Lyra Belacqua lives among the scholars of Jordan College, Oxford—in a world much like our own, yet entirely different. When her friend Roger disappears, Lyra’s quest to find him leads her to armored bears, witch queens, and secrets that could reshape all of existence.
Winner of the Carnegie Medal and voted the best Carnegie winner in seventy years, this trilogy offers sophisticated fantasy that grows with its readers. The complex exploration of good and evil, innocence and knowledge, rewards those seeking depth alongside adventure.
11. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Long before any boy received a letter from a wizarding school, young Ged entered the academy on Roke Island to learn the true name of things—the source of all magic. But his arrogance unleashes a shadow that will pursue him across the world.
This foundational classic, which introduced the concept of magical academies to modern fantasy, explores what it truly means to know oneself. Le Guin’s prose is poetry, her world unforgettable, and her themes eternal. Modern writers have credited this slim novel with inspiring generations of magical school stories that followed.
12. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
When twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley inherits her uncle’s estate, she stumbles into a hidden magical world—and meets Skulduggery Pleasant, a walking, talking skeleton detective with impeccable fashion sense and a dark past. Together they battle murderous sorcerers while trading witty banter.
Rick Riordan praised this series for its “thoroughly satisfying blend of humor, magic and adventure.” The relationship between Stephanie and her skeletal mentor, built on genuine affection and mutual respect, provides the same warm friendship dynamic that made The School for Good and Evil so beloved.
Each of these books offers that particular alchemy of magic, friendship, and adventure that made The School for Good and Evil so enchanting. Whether you crave fairy tale reimaginings, magical academies, or protagonists questioning their destined roles, your next favorite book awaits. Happy reading!
