With the development of educational technologies, electronic books (e-books) have been improved and adapted to cater to new teaching models, as well as to overcome several challenges reported by printed book portability. The literature about the benefits of e-books in education is still fragmented as several studies have reported distinct disadvantages in addition to advantageous of using them. Currently, no prior study has systematically reviewed the research on the ways e-books have been employed in education and the associated benefits and challenges. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic review of 123 empirical studies on e-books in education. The findings show that the development and adoption of e-books by countries vary, calling for more international collaborations to facilitate the adoption of e-books worldwide. Additionally, several challenges of e-books were identified, such as eye fatigue and lack of knowledge on using e-books in education by both students and teachers. Therefore, it is suggested that more design strategies and training about using e-books can be conducted to enhance both teaching and learning experiences. Finally, it is argued that future research may focus on designing intelligent and open e-books to expand their use in different contexts and provide more personalized learning.