Are you a rabid fan of ACOTAR like me? I first read the series during the pandemic and became utterly enthralled with the fantastic writing, and magical world Mass created. I proceeded to re-read it four more times that year. Yeah, you read that right. Call me obsessed.
I’ve been chasing the high ever since and just couldn’t seem to find other Fantasy Romance books like A Court of Thorns and Roses. But, after some time on Booktok, and some trial and error, I finally have a list of books to read if you loved ACOTAR!
A Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass
Yup, my first recommendation is by the same author. Like with ACOTAR, Throne of Glass is a fantasy romance set in a world we know nothing of. Celaena is an assassin who recently spent a year doing hard labor in salt mines for her crimes. Just as things look bleak, she’s dragged before the Prince with an offer. Be his champion in a coming tournament, work for him for a few years, and then she’s earned her freedom.
- Love Triangle
- Strong Female Character
- Intense Romance and Action
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas
The last one by this author, I promise. Follow Bryce, a half-Fae and half-human woman, as she hunts down the person who murdered her friends. When the murderer is caught, but the violence continues, she’s smack in the middle of an investigation, and she’ll do anything to find out the truth. Even work with a notorious fallen angel, Hunt.
- Sparking Chemistry
- Alpha Male and Alpha Female
- Humor That Makes You Grip Your Sides
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Louise le Blanc flees her coven, surviving on anything she can steal as she learns to live in an area where witches are hunted and killed. What happens when she comes across one such hunter who ignites new feelings that she never expected to feel? She’ll have to decide, and the results may spell her death.
- Dark Romance
- Twist and Turns
- Not Your Usual Romance
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Prince Rhen never would have guessed the turns his life would take, being cursed to change into a feral beast at the end of each autumn until a girl falls for him. But when a woman from another world drops into his life, he has his first spark of hope. Will they get their happily ever after?
- Beauty and the Beast Remake
- Alpha Male
- Strong Female Lead
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
All Rielle Dardenne wants is a normal life, but when her best friend nearly gets assassinated and only her revealing her secret saves him, that becomes a pipe dream. Now she has to prove that she’s the good guy while surviving the trials her evil counterpart throws her way.
- Epic Fantasy
- Young Adult, No/Very Little Romance
- Epic World Building
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette Ferrars can kill with a touch, an ability that’s brought her much pain and heartache. No one knows why she has power like this or where it came from, but when the one person who ever cared for her waltzes back into her life, she’ll have to discover the strength to claim the life she wants.
- Insta-Love
- Sci-fi Young Adult Epic
- Gripping Action
Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Posto
Cerys lives in a city as close to paradise as any place can come, but her steady and safe life will be uprooted. A curse lies in her blood, magic she’ll have to learn to tame, and enemies come gliding in as a new queen is crowned, forcing her on the run with nothing but her wits and an irritating fox for her company. Survival isn’t easy, but she’ll have to make it through to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her blood and the deadly forest wrapping her beloved home.
- Interesting Disney Rework
- Haunting and Epic World Building
- Defined Characters
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Kaede and Taisin never expected the twists their life would take when a crisis arose, and they’re chosen to snuff it out. Now they must go to the heart of the fairy cities to get to the bottom of this mess while trying to keep themselves and everyone else alive. As feelings develop, things get dark, and they’ll have to choose. Which huntress will be the one to save the kingdom?
- Lesbian Romance
- Impressive Character Chemistry
- Young Adult Fantasy
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
No fantasy book recommendations list is complete without something by Jennifer, and where better to start than From Blood and Ash? Follow Poppy as she’s forced to stay ‘pure’, her life plotted out for her to be given to the gods in her Ascension. But when a golden-eyed guard catches her interest, and her life crumbles around her, things get complicated, and she’ll have to decide. Duty or love?
- Gripping Romance
- Action Packed
- Characters That Make You Fall In Love
A Kingdom of Iron & Wine by Candace Osmond
That’s right. This is my book! Readers often compare it to ACOTAR, so I figured I’d toss it in the mix of options. Art student Avery Quinn discovers a hidden magical world full of Fae, Shifters, Vampires, and even Witches. They’ve all been at war for thousands of years, and Avery finds herself smack dob in the middle of it. Her heart belongs to the vampire she loves, but her soul was long promised to a Dark Fae Lord.
- Enemies to lovers
- Found family
- Hidden identity
That’s a Wrap!
These are but a few of millions of books you could enjoy. Other authors in Fantasy Romance you may like are Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, and Ash Linea Johnson, just to name a few. If none of these sounds like your particular cup of tea, look around on Goodreads and Booktok. You’ll be sure to find your niche.
And, of course, check out all my Fantasy Romance titles about love-struck grim reapers, time-traveling pirates, Egyptian gods, academies for witches, and more!
Author Candace Osmond 