Magic Moon
#4983.85 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 1982–1990 Reading commitment Low Wolfgang & Heike Hohlbein Last reviewed 2026-08-29
Overview
A German schoolboy, Kim, is drawn into a dream realm called Magic Moon to save his sister's soul from a dark wizard, and years later returns to find that realm corrupted by machines and greed. Wolfgang and Heike Hohlbein's Maerchenmond saga is one of Germany's best-selling fantasy series, and the very first book that won its authors a literary prize.
Portal fantasy, Fairy-tale retelling · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Magic Moon Wolfgang Hohlbein, Heike Hohlbein
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Magic Moon | 1982 | 1 | core | 3.89 (2,780 ratings) |
 | Children of Magic Moon | 1990 | 2 | core | 3.76 (1,212 ratings) |
The first two of the five-book Maerchenmond saga, and the only two so far published in English (2006 and 2007, originally 1982 and 1990 in German). A German schoolboy, Kim, is drawn into a dream realm called Magic Moon to save his sister's soul, and returns two years later to find the same realm corrupted by machines and greed.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Magic Moon? Magic Moon's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Magic Moon? Publication order, starting with Magic Moon. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Magic Moon finished? Complete (1982–1990).
- How much reading does Magic Moon take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books · ~699 pages).
- How is Magic Moon ranked? #498 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 3,992 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #498?
Ranked #498 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.85 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (3,992 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Remarkably consistent across the whole series: all 2 rated core books rate within 0.13 of each other.
- Less than 0.01 behind #497, Hawkmoon: The History of the Runestaff (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 2 books · Complete · 4k ratings · Ranks #498 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment portal fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Magic Moon (1982)
- Children of Magic Moon (1990)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Phantastik-Preis der Stadt Wetzlar, 1983: won: Magic Moon; Won by Wolfgang and Heike Hohlbein for Maerchenmond, the award's inaugural year.
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Suggestions computed from what Magic Moon and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
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Official resources
- Wikipedia: Magic Moon
- Wikipedia: Children of Magic Moon
- Phantastik-Preis der Stadt Wetzlar (winners list)
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.85 across 3,992 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Magic Moon admitted; Core Canon = its two English-translated volumes accepted 2026-08-29
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Magic Moon Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Children of Magic Moon Tier 2
- German Wikipedia: Maerchenmond Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-30
Rule: Rule: series. Core Canon is the two English-translated volumes of the five-book German saga: Magic Moon and Children of Magic Moon. The three later German volumes have never been translated into English and are left uncatalogued.