Five SFF Books That Feel Like Studio Ghibli Films

Originally published in French, this first book in a quartet is a wondrous mashup of Howl’s Moving Castle and Pride and Prejudice. Ophelia lives on Anima, a floating island known as an Ark where objects have souls. At the start of the novel, she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a man from the Pole, a harsh and formidable Ark, and must journey with him to his home only to encounter danger around every corner! Like Sophie, Ophelia begins the novel a bit downtrodden by those around her, hiding behind her large, animated scarf. But as the story progresses, and she learns more about her fiancée and the secrets of this new and dangerous world, she becomes quite formidable herself. Besides the uniquely whimsical and dark world, what makes this story Ghibli-esque are the characters, each as intriguing and filled with personality as the last. And if you enjoy the first installment, the second (my favorite in the quartet) is even better! The third and fourth are also great but get more existential—definitely for fans of The Boy and the Heron in that regard. 

A retelling of a few famous fairytales, including Grimm’s “The Six Swans”, but set in the fictional world of A’landi, Six Crimson Cranes follows Princess Shiori who is revealed to possess a forbidden magic on her wedding day. In the aftermath, her sorceress stepmother curses Shiori’s six warrior brothers, turning them into cranes, which then forces Shiori to flee her home. If she speaks so much as a word, one of her brothers will die. Alone and voiceless, she must determine how to break the curse, and save her family and kingdom. While this book has a whimsical, Ghibli-esque atmosphere, a fast-paced, engaging plot, and a swoonworthy romance (with the boy Shiori was so determined not to marry), this book is included on this list for a particular reason: the relationship between Shiori and her stepmother, Raikama. It belongs to the same school of thought as the relationship between San and Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke or Nausicaä and Kushana from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, both of which pit a young, strong-willed heroine against an older female character whose motivations are complex and nuanced, whose “villainy” isn’t black and white, but the most beautiful range of grey. There’s a scene at the end of Six Crimson Cranes between Shiori and Raikama that brought me to tears. Trust me and read this book, and then go read Raikama’s story in Her Radiant Curse. 

Of all the books on this list, The Maid and the Crocodile is the one I’d recommend the most if you want to experience the story of Howl’s Moving Castle (adapted from the novel by Diana Wynne Jones) for the first time again, but with Ifueko’s stunning prose and West African mythos. Before Sade, the most recent graduate of the Aanu Meji orphan house can get a job as a maid—a skill she takes great pride in—she is bound to the Crocodile God, who happens to be a very vain and very handsome boy sorcerer rumored to eat pretty girls. What ensues is a rich story about finding your own worth, with a wonderful cast of characters, and a heroine whose trials and triumphs become your own as you follow her from the Crocodile’s magical house (with doors that open to different streets!) to the Balogun Inn as a maid, and maybe even to the palace itself. Set in the same world as Ifueko’s earlier released Raybearer series, this book can perfectly stand alone (though you should definitely read those books as well).

If you ever thought to yourself, I wonder what Princess Mononoke would like but with an island and sea setting, then look no further. This book, dedicated to “the island kids,” is a spirited adventure novel, told in dual points-of-view, following Hanalei, the banished daughter of an old family from Tamarind, a magical island ruled by queens, and Sam, its last prince, who must come together to hunt down a seadragon egg to make a wish to save their homeland. Just like Princess Mononoke, Dragonfruit focuses on the relationship between humans and animals, namely seadragons, as well as exploring the dangers, moral and physical, of disrupting the balance of nature in favor of human greed. There’s also beauty and magic, and the gentlest of romances reminiscent of Ashitaka and San (the care Sam and Hanalei have for each other warms the heart). A perfectly paced and exquisitely written standalone novel. 

Japanese American and award-winning author Traci Chee pens this beautiful and empowering story about a young woman who goes on a journey to find her true self. Miuko, while out on an errand for her innkeeper father, is cursed with a kiss that’ll slowly transform her into a demon. Driven from her village, she goes on a quest to reverse the curse, accompanied by a magpie who can transform into a boy, and encountering dangerous spirits, tricksters, and gods along the way. If you ever wanted to know more about the gods and spirits that visit the bathhouse in Spirited Away, this book is for you. While existing in a dark and dangerous world, Chee also incorporates moments of levity and humor, making this a thoroughly enjoyable, and enchanting, read.