Magicborn Books in Order

The Magicborn books are historical fantasies with one foot in Georgian England and the other in a far older Fairyland. They have kings, sorcerers, curses, hidden doors, and dangerous bargains, but the stories still feel grounded because the main characters are children trying to make sense of a world that keeps lying to them. The tone is magical, eerie, and adventurous, with real peril under the sparkle.

The first book, Magicborn, is set in 1726. Tempest and Thomas are children with hidden powers who are swept into danger when the Royal Sorcerer of England starts hunting those known as magicborn. Taken to Kensington Palace and caught up in court politics, they discover that their magic is tied to lost memories, a deadly curse, and a deeper connection to Fairyland than either of them knew. The book balances royal intrigue with a strong pull toward myth and folklore.

Fairyland is beautiful here, but it never feels tame.

The second book, Glassborn, jumps forward a hundred years to 1826. The focus shifts to the Belle family, especially the youngest child, Acton, after a hidden key opens the way into Fairyland. When Acton is taken, his siblings have to follow. Their quest brings in riddles, old magic, and a cruel Fairy Queen, while keeping the story centered on children who argue, worry, imagine, and stick together when things get frightening.

That change of cast is part of what makes the series interesting. These books are linked by Fairyland, long-lived fairy characters, and the aftereffects of an old curse, but they are not one long cliffhanger. Each story has its own main problem, its own child heroes, and its own historical texture. Magicborn leans more into palace intrigue and hidden identity. Glassborn feels more like a winter fairy quest, with story-loving children pushed into a dangerous other world.

Bunzl also uses the fantasy to talk about things that feel very human. His young characters are often outsiders. They have to work out who they are, who they can trust, and how much of the story they have been told is false. Just as important, they tend to win with nerve, kindness, and clever thinking, not brute force. Even when the stakes are large, the emotional center stays close to home.

If you like fairy tales with a bit of darkness, historical settings that feel lived in, and children facing old magic on their own terms, the Magicborn books are a good fit. Expect curses, shifting loyalties, strange creatures, and plenty of moments where hope matters just as much as power.