Krabat
#4363.91 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1971 Reading commitment Low Otfried Preussler Last reviewed 2026-08-26
Overview
Krabat follows a dispossessed young beggar apprenticed to a mysterious watermill, where he learns black magic and becomes entangled in a deadly pact with its master, in a story rooted in Sorbian folklore. First published in German in 1971, it won a leading German award for youth literature the following year and has since been translated into English under several titles.
Mythic fantasy, Dark fantasy · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Krabat (1971) core · 3.91 (26,613 ratings); A dispossessed young apprentice at a mysterious watermill is drawn into a dangerous magical pact, in a story drawn from Sorbian folklore. Won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German prize for youth literature) in 1972.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Krabat? Krabat's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Krabat finished? Complete (1971).
- How much reading does Krabat take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~296 pages).
- How is Krabat ranked? #436 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 26,613 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #436?
Ranked #436 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.91 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (26,613 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #435, A Dowry of Blood (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 27k ratings · Ranks #436 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (Novel), 1972: won: Krabat
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.91 across 26,613 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit eight universes: progression fantasy, translated fantasy, and older pulp fantasy accepted 2026-08-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Krabat (novel) Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Otfried Preussler Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-27
Rule: Core Canon is the single novel; this is a standalone work with no sequel.