26 shows similar to Game of Thrones to watch next

13. The Magicians

And now let’s take things in the complete opposite direction: a series that adapted its source material so well that it actually improves on things. The Magicians is based on the three book series of the same name by Lev Grossman. It follows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), a young man who’s swept off to a magic college called Brakebills. The books were originally marketed as a an “adult Harry Potter,” and while that elevator pitch certainly does hold true, The Magicians is so much more than that.

Yes, we get all the things you might expect from a raucous magic college: magic parties and magic sex and magic drugs. Quentin connects with a group of friends who form the core of the show; they’re personable and ridiculously easy to get invested in and follow. Yet behind this veneer, another, deeper mystery soon surfaces: the fictional world of Fillory that Quentin grew up reading about is actually real. Fillory is a stand-in for Narnia in some ways, except the real version is way darker, more gruesome, and more adult.

The large cast of characters is absolutely one of The Magicians’ strongest points. Unlike the books, which tell sthe story almost exclusively from the eyes of Quentin and his childhood friend Julia, the show spends a great deal of time developing the entire team. Characters who had smaller roles in the books, like Elliot (Hale Appleman) and Margo (Janet in the novels, played by Summer Bishil), are brought to the forefront, and the show is much stronger for it. The Magicians is also aware of its place in the fantasy/sci-fi space. There are plentiful references to the stories we all know and love, from Game of Thrones to Star Trek to X-Men and so many more.

One note of caution: as with Outlander, we’re going to give this show a trigger warning. There are some pretty awful moments of sexual assault that happen in The Magicians. Just something to know up front.

All five seasons of The Magicians are currently available to watch on Netflix.