12 Fantasy Books About Mastering Forbidden Powers
Some powers are not meant to be wielded. **Ancient grimoires, lost bloodlines, cursed abilities, and dangerous magic—**the kind of power that tempts, corrupts, and threatens to consume those who dare to master it. Yet, in these worlds of prophecy and peril, some heroes refuse to be shackled by fear. They embrace the forbidden, defy destiny, and reshape the world in their image.
If you love stories where power comes at a cost, where magic is a double-edged sword, and where characters walk the fine line between salvation and destruction, then these 12 fantasy books about mastering forbidden powers belong on your shelf.
1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
📜 A Boy Who Masters Magic That Should Not Be Touched
Kvothe is a legend, a fugitive, and a prodigy—but before all of that, he was just a boy desperate to unlock the secrets of the arcane. At the University, where magic is studied and feared, Kvothe learns how to call the wind, bend the elements, and speak names of power—but knowledge is dangerous, and the wrong spell could cost him everything.
📖 Read if you love: Academic magic, lyrical prose, and protagonists too clever for their own good.
2. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
🔥 A Peasant Girl Who Unleashes the Wrath of a God
Rin claws her way out of poverty to win a place at an elite military academy, only to discover she holds a power tied to an ancient, forgotten god. But this power is not meant to be wielded, and when war erupts, she must decide: become a monster or let her people be slaughtered.
📖 Read if you love: Dark fantasy, military strategy, and magic that burns like wildfire.
3. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
🌈 A Magic System That Can Break the World
In a world where magic is drawn from color and light, Gavin Guile is the most powerful magic-wielder alive. But there are limits—even for him. As he pushes the boundaries of his abilities, he discovers a secret so dangerous it could unravel the balance of power forever.
📖 Read if you love: Unique magic systems, political intrigue, and morally gray heroes.
4. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
🔮 A Clairvoyant Who Defies a Regime That Hunts Her Kind
Paige Mahoney is a dreamwalker—a rare type of clairvoyant in a world where all supernatural abilities are outlawed. Captured and enslaved by an unseen enemy, she must harness her forbidden power in secret before her captors use it against her.
📖 Read if you love: Dystopian fantasy, supernatural gifts, and fierce heroines fighting for survival.
5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
🩸 A Blood Magician Who Breaks the Rules Between Worlds
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians who can travel between parallel Londons. But his magic is dangerous, and when he smuggles a forbidden artifact across worlds, he unleashes chaos that could consume everything he holds dear.
📖 Read if you love: Multiverse fantasy, smugglers with a heart of gold, and shadowy magic.
6. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
🖤 A Witch Hunted for Powers That Should Not Exist
Louise le Blanc is a witch, but she has hidden her magic for years to escape the wrath of witch hunters. When she is forced into a marriage with one of them, she must walk the fine line between deception and fully embracing the darkness she was meant to wield.
📖 Read if you love: Enemies-to-lovers romance, witches vs. hunters, and sassy heroines.
7. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
🦊 A Half-Kitsune Who Holds the Key to a Forbidden Wish
Yumeko has been raised in a temple, warned never to use her kitsune shapeshifter magic. But when her home is destroyed, she is thrust into a deadly quest to protect a lost scroll that could summon a dragon and grant one wish—a power no one should control.
📖 Read if you love: Japanese mythology, mischievous magic, and reluctant heroines with hidden strength.
8. Jade City by Fonda Lee
💚 A Warrior Fighting for Control Over the Most Powerful Substance in the World
In the city of Janloon, jade grants superhuman abilities—but only to those strong enough to wield it. When rival families battle for control, the line between mastery and addiction, power and destruction, victory and death becomes razor-thin.
📖 Read if you love: Mafia-style fantasy, martial arts action, and morally complex power struggles.
9. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
💀 A Swordfighter Bound to a Necromancer’s Forbidden Magic
Gideon wants nothing to do with necromancy, but she is forced to serve Harrowhark—a bone witch with dangerous secrets and a power that defies the laws of life and death. As they enter a twisted game of power, Gideon must decide: fight beside Harrow or risk becoming her next sacrifice.
📖 Read if you love: Gothic fantasy, sarcastic protagonists, and necromantic duels.
10. The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
🏙 A City Awakens, and Its Chosen Defenders Must Harness Its Power
New York is alive—literally. Each borough has a human avatar, and they must master their strange, chaotic powers before an ancient force consumes the city. But their magic is unpredictable, wild, and deeply tied to the very soul of the metropolis.
📖 Read if you love: Urban fantasy, sentient cities, and diverse, powerful protagonists.
11. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
📚 A Society That Guards Knowledge Too Dangerous to Exist
Six of the world’s most gifted magical scholars are chosen to join the Alexandrian Society, the keepers of forbidden knowledge. But only five can survive. To master their power, they must outwit, outmaneuver, and possibly betray each other.
📖 Read if you love: Dark academia, secret societies, and mind-bending magical studies.
12. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
🌍 A Woman Whose Magic Can Shatter the World
In a world plagued by deadly seismic activity, orogenes are feared for their ability to control the earth itself. Essun has hidden her power for years, but when tragedy strikes, she is forced to unleash her full strength—no matter the cost.
📖 Read if you love: End-of-the-world stakes, raw emotional storytelling, and magic that defies nature itself.
✨ Will They Master Their Power—or Be Consumed by It?
Mastering forbidden magic is never easy—it comes with risks, consequences, and sacrifices. Will these characters rise to greatness or fall into darkness?
💬 Which of these books will you read first? Or do you have a favorite story about dangerous magic? Let’s talk! 🔥✨
