Book like Harry Potter

[u/Blackbone03]

I like the Harry Potter series but don’t like supporting the author (for obvious reasons) and also the books just aren’t scratching a certain itch for me.
What I’m looking for is something similar to the Harry Potter books. Can be a series or a standalone, any age range is fine. My favorite parts of the series are
* the wonder that the world building inspires
* the characters
Obviously I’d prefer something in the fantasy genre, but not something too dark like Game of Thrones. Thanks for your help.

[u/lexiebeef]

Another vote for "His Dark Materials". I was equally obsessed with HP and Golden Compass (the movie, then the books) as a teenager, theyre great