9 Fantasy Books With Interactive Maps
There’s something irresistible about a fantasy book that comes with a map. It’s an unspoken promise—an invitation to lose yourself in lands unknown, to trace the winding paths of adventure with your fingertips, and to step into a realm where destiny is carved into rivers, mountains, and forgotten ruins. But interactive maps? Those take immersion to a whole new level.
These nine fantasy books don’t just tell you a story; they let you explore their worlds. Whether through augmented reality, digital overlays, or intricate fold-out designs, these books give you the power to chart your own course, uncover hidden histories, and feel like a true adventurer. Ready to embark on a journey beyond the page? Grab your compass (or phone) and let’s explore.
1. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
📍 Why You’ll Love It: A secret society, deadly magic, and a world of hidden knowledge
Six of the most powerful magicians are chosen for initiation into the Alexandrian Society, an elite group that guards lost knowledge of the world. Only five will make it through. With an interactive map of the Library that changes as you progress, this book turns its dark academia aesthetic into an immersive experience, allowing you to uncover rooms, track alliances, and decipher clues about the society’s secrets.
💡 Unforgettable Element: The map evolves alongside the plot, mirroring the characters’ discoveries—perfect for those who love mysteries tangled in magic.
2. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
📍 Why You’ll Love It: Epic world-building, fierce queens, and ancient dragons
A sprawling high-fantasy epic featuring rival kingdoms, forbidden love, and an impending dragon war, Priory of the Orange Tree invites you into a world where legends breathe fire. The interactive map lets you zoom into different regions, uncover lore about long-lost dynasties, and follow the characters’ journeys in real time.
💡 Unforgettable Element: You can toggle between historical and current maps, watching how kingdoms rose and fell over centuries—making the history feel real.
3. The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
📍 Why You’ll Love It: Norse-inspired brutality, vengeful warriors, and a land shaped by dead gods
Set in a world where gods once roamed—and where their remnants still hold immense power—this saga follows warriors seeking vengeance, glory, and survival. The interactive map reacts to battles, shifting as war reshapes the land. You can track character movements and even see how mythical creatures influence different regions.
💡 Unforgettable Element: The battle maps update with each major event, letting you visualize the shifting tides of war in a way that makes every conflict feel monumental.
4. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
📍 Why You’ll Love It: A mystery wrapped in map-making magic
What if maps could do more than show you where to go—what if they could change reality itself? In this genre-blending fantasy-thriller, a young woman discovers a map that shouldn’t exist and is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. The interactive element allows you to decode secret markings, reveal hidden locations, and even unlock extra content as you uncover the book’s mysteries.
💡 Unforgettable Element: Some maps can only be fully revealed under specific conditions—mirroring the way the protagonist deciphers reality’s hidden layers.
5. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
📍 Why You’ll Love It: A book where stories come to life—literally
Meggie’s father has a gift (or a curse): when he reads aloud, characters from books step into the real world, and sometimes, real people fall into the pages. The interactive map brings the magical lands of Inkheart to life, letting you “step into” locations and experience the world through hidden animations and pop-up details.
💡 Unforgettable Element: The map includes snippets from books within the book—so you can read passages from Inkheart‘s own fictional lore, making it feel like an endless story within a story.
6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
📍 Why You’ll Love It: Four parallel Londons, each with their own magic (or lack thereof)
In this dazzlingly inventive fantasy, Kell, one of the last Antari magicians, travels between four different Londons—each with its own rules, dangers, and enchantments. The interactive map lets you flip between the Londons in real-time, revealing differences in landmarks, magic levels, and histories.
💡 Unforgettable Element: A “sliding scale” lets you visualize how magic waxes and wanes between the worlds, making it feel like you, too, are slipping between dimensions.
7. Fable by Adrienne Young
📍 Why You’ll Love It: Swashbuckling adventure, found family, and a ruthless sea trade
The Narrows is a treacherous place, full of cutthroat merchants, sunken secrets, and pirate intrigue. Fable, a young diver with a hidden past, must navigate its dangers to survive. The interactive map functions like a real nautical chart—you can plot trade routes, follow sunken treasure markers, and even uncover hidden messages in old sea maps.
💡 Unforgettable Element: The map changes based on the tides and storms, making the world feel alive and unpredictable.
8. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
📍 Why You’ll Love It: A dystopian London, clairvoyants, and a shadowy underworld
Set in a future where clairvoyants are hunted, The Bone Season follows Paige Mahoney, a dreamwalker who gets captured and thrown into a city controlled by an inhuman race. The interactive map lets you navigate dystopian London and its hidden supernatural factions, tracking rebel movements and uncovering secret locations.
💡 Unforgettable Element: You can “unlock” suppressed knowledge about the world as you read—mirroring Paige’s own revelations about the truth behind her society.
9. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
📍 Why You’ll Love It: A timeless adventure, riddled with magic, danger, and unexpected heroes
Bilbo Baggins’ journey from the safety of the Shire to the heart of a dragon’s lair is legendary, and the interactive map in modern editions of The Hobbit makes it even more immersive. As you read, you can follow Bilbo’s path, zoom into key locations, and even reveal additional details about Middle-earth’s history.
💡 Unforgettable Element: The interactive map mirrors classic hand-drawn cartography, making it feel like an artifact straight out of Middle-earth.
Ready to Explore?
Fantasy books are already portals to other worlds, but when you add interactive maps, the journey becomes even more tangible. Whether you want to step into magical academies, chart battles in god-touched lands, or navigate treacherous seas, these books let you do more than just read—they let you experience.
Which book’s map would you love to get lost in? Drop your favorites below, and let’s build the ultimate fantasy explorer’s guide! 🌍✨📖
