Begin on a journey to magical worlds filled with wonder, intrigue, and adventure! If “Keeper of the Lost Cities” by Shannon Messenger captured your imagination with its blend of middle-grade urban fantasy, mystery, and unforgettable characters, then you’re in for a treat. In this post, we’re going into a curated list of books that echo the enchanting spirit of Messenger’s series. These novels are brimming with magical realms, secret powers, and thrilling quests that will whisk you away on extraordinary adventures.
From hidden societies to epic battles between good and evil, each book promises to fill that “Keeper of the Lost Cities”-shaped void in your heart. So, grab your cloak and magical gadgets, and let’s uncover the realms that await in these spellbinding reads!
7 Books Like Keeper Of The Lost Cities
Many fantasy adventure books, including “Keeper of the Lost Cities,” incorporate moral and ethical dilemmas, offering valuable lessons in integrity, courage, and the consequences of choices.
I recommend 7 of them, similar to Keeper of the Lost Cities, to keep your excitement alive. They provide opportunities to explore diverse personalities and dynamics, which can enhance empathy and understanding of different perspectives. Let’s go!
| Name | Key Focus | Tropes |
|---|---|---|
| The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo | A charming children’s fantasy novel about a brave little mouse named Despereaux who embarks on a quest to save a human princess, exploring themes of courage, love, and the power of storytelling. | Animal protagonist, fairy-tale adventure, unlikely hero, quest narrative, medieval setting, good versus evil, bravery, friendship, redemption, magical storytelling. |
| The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton | A whimsical fantasy novel for children, centered around a ten-year-old girl named Persimmony Smudge who discovers a sleeping giant beneath her island home, leading to a grand adventure filled with humor, courage, and imagination. | Young heroine, fantastical creatures, hidden worlds, island adventure, whimsical tone, moral lessons, bravery and courage, imaginative storytelling, community dynamics, playful narrative. |
| The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill | A fantasy novel about a young girl who is accidentally fed moonlight instead of starlight as a baby, granting her magical powers. | Magical abilities, witch protagonist, coming-of-age, enchanted forest setting, found family, fairy tale elements, good vs. evil, self-discovery, community secrets, mythical creatures. |
| Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin | A children’s fantasy novel inspired by Chinese folklore. It follows the journey of a young girl, Minli, who sets out on an adventurous quest to find the Old Man of the Moon to change her family’s fortune. | Quest journey, folklore inspiration, magical realism, vibrant world-building, brave young protagonist, mythical creatures, intertwined stories, cultural heritage, life lessons, friendship and family themes. |
| Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi | A whimsical and imaginative children’s fantasy novel about a young girl named Alice who embarks on an adventurous quest in the magical, color-drained land of Furthermore to find her missing father, discovering her own identity and strengths along the way. | Magical adventure, fantastical world, vibrant imagery, quest narrative, self-discovery, family mystery, whimsical tone, unique magic system, personal growth, overcoming challenges. |
| The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend | A fantasy novel about a cursed girl, Morrigan Crow, who is whisked away to a magical city and must pass challenging trials to join an elite organization, discovering her true identity and abilities. | Magical trials, cursed protagonist, secret society, whimsical setting, adventure and mystery, chosen one narrative, magical creatures, self-discovery, friendship, overcoming adversity. |
| Lydia Green Of Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence | A heartwarming, whimsical story centered around Lydia Green, a young girl whose peaceful life in a magical meadow called Mulberry Glen is disrupted by mysterious events, leading her on a journey of discovery and adventure. | Enchanted setting, young protagonist, adventure and mystery, community bonds, nature’s magic, personal growth, whimsical tone, friendship, overcoming challenges, charming narrative. |
1. The Tale of Despereaux
Winn-Dixie won a Newbery honor because it was Kate DiCamillo’s first book. She has written several Newbery Honor and Ward books, including The Tale of Despereaux, which won the Newbery Award. The book story is about a little mouse with huge ears. It is so cute but deep, and it’s about light and darkness and what love means.
The story is told in a fairy tale style because the mouse lives in a medieval castle in an unknown fantasy land. The author has a narrator who breaks the fourth wall. The narrator will make little commentary along the side during the mouse’s adventure, which is super duper fun. It has a bittersweet but heartwarming ending, like Keeper of the Lost Cities.
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Average Rating: 4.8/5
Category: Folk Tales & Myths
Number Of Pages: 272
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
2. The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic
This is a lesser-known book, but it is good, creative, funny, and heartwarming. It is about a made-up island that thinks they are the only island in the world. On this island, a mountain rises and falls every day. Hence, the rise and fall of Mount Majestic. The people on the island do not know why the mountain climbs and falls. It is because of the stomach of a giant who is asleep under the island. If he were to wake up, that would be very bad because he would crush the island.
The protagonist, Persimmony Smudge, goes on a quest to stop a race of people on the island called leaf-eaters from waking up the giant, even though no one will believe her that there is a giant. It is a light-hearted, funny, very adventurous, action-packed book with a vibe and characters similar to Keeper of the Lost Cities.
Author: Jennifer Trafton
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Category: Fantasy & Magic, Action & Adventure
Number Of Pages: 352
Available: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
3. The Girl Who Drank the Moon
This is another one of the Newbery Award winners, which is very thoughtful and heartwarming. The story is about a town and every year; the city brings the youngest child in it to be sacrificed to a witch who lives in the forest. They don’t know that the witch is very lovely, and she’s not requesting these children at all. Nobody knows where the ritual came from, but it did not come from her.
So, the witch comes every year, and she finds the baby. She takes them and finds a new good home on the other side of the forest. This is an exciting situation. She finds one of the children. She feeds her moonlight when she’s taking her across the forest to the new home. As they said on the back of the book, there is magic in starlight. The girl becomes magical, so she can’t give her to any family sell. The witch decides to raise herself, which is the story of this girl growing up and how her magical abilities flourish.
Because of that, she and other consequences are going on in this whole system with the witch and the babies. Also, the other forces all start to become aware of each other. They break down, and some nefarious evil is uncovered. There are a lot of flashbacks to the story, so it’s very mysterious and also very imaginative. As Keeper of the Lost Cities, the dialogue is very lyrical and whimsical.
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Multigenerational Family Life
Number Of Pages: 400
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
4. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
This takes place in ancient China. It has a lot of Chinese culture and a very Chinese vibe. Minli lives in the valley of Fruitless Mountain, as it says on the back of the book. This mountain never grows things on it. Because of that, the village where she lives is impoverished. The book has many stories, and one of the characters will start telling a story. It’ll break into a different font and a different style of writing.
Minli hears a story about why a fruitless mountain is so fruitless and how there’s possibly this legend that you could bring the mountain back to life. So, she goes on a quest to bring the mountain back to life. Every story that she hears throughout the book ties together. Grace Lin is a master when it comes to writing myths with adventure. Minli is brave like Sophie in The Keeper of the Lost Cities. If you like historical tropes, then you will love to read them.
Author: Grace Lin
Average Rating: 4.8/5
Category: Asian Literature, Historical Fiction
Number Of Pages: 278
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
5. Furthermore
The language in the book is very creative. It’s about a town where everyone has a magic ability. In their world, magic is signified by color, so the people of color have in their hair, eyes, and skin. The main character, Alice Alexis, has no color. She is completely pale and white. So people think that she does not have any magic. But she has a highly complex relationship with her magic, and you’ll see why it’s a bit of a plot twist.
Alice’s father left years ago for a magical land called Furthermore. One day, she teams up with an old friend to rescue him from the magical land. Alice inspired it in Wonderland. If you’re a fan of it, you will love this book about family, love, friendship, and accepting yourself for who you are. Along with that, it also has the very creative, nonsensical side of Wonderland once again. As Keeper of the Lost Cities, Alice uses her magical power as Sophie to discover something new.
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Children’s Friendship, Magical Fantasy
Number Of Pages: 432
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
6. The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor)
Some people call it the next Harry Potter because it is trendy, and you may have heard of it. This is the first book about a girl called Morrigan Crow. She is supposed to die on her 11th birthday because she was born on a specific day that is considered unlucky. Every child born on that day dies on their 11th birthday in this world.
Morrigan doesn’t die on her 11th birthday. Instead, someone saves her. The magical land of Nevermoor is also a super quirky place. The only way she can stay. However, it is to compete in the trials to enter the wondrous society for people with magic powers. Jupiter, who saved her and is her guardian, insists that she enter and starts to do pretty well.
Author: Jessica Townsend
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Mystery, Detective, & Spy
Number Of Pages: 512
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
7. Lydia Green Of Mulberry Glen
This is about a fantasy world called the Valley Lands and a young girl named Lydia Green. There is a mysterious force in this world known as the darkness, which has taken up residence in the dark forest of Tenebrae. This dark force starts to creep into Lydia’s head, taking over her thoughts.
So she has to go on a mission to stop it, and some of her family members are in intense trouble. There’s a lot of Latin in this book, which is the language of the fairies. If you like enchanted libraries or themes of light against darkness and found family, you will love this book. As a Keeper of the Lost Cities fan, you must read it.
Author: Millie Florence
Average Rating: 4.8/5
Category: Coming of Age Fantasy
Number Of Pages: 360
Available: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
Each book we’ve journeyed through offers its unique twist on the world of fantasy, with characters and stories that resonate with the spirit of Shannon Messenger’s captivating series. So, arm yourself with these fantastical reads and continue your adventure in realms where magic knows no bounds, friendships are forged in fire, and every page turn brings a new wonder. Until our next fantastical adventure, may your reading be as magical as the worlds you’re about to explore!
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