14 romantasy books to read if you loved 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas

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2 days ago

My feverish experience reading Maas' work isn't uncommon. "ACOTAR" and Maas' other series have become massively popular as romantasy has taken the publishing world by storm. Maas has sold over 70 million copies of her books in English globally, and Bloomsbury had its highest sales year of all time in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, largely due to her work.
After I finished "ACOTAR" and the other published works in Maas' series, I wanted another novel like them immediately, but I knew I would have to wait a while for the sixth "ACOTAR" book to come out.
Luckily, I've found plenty of romantasy books that give me the same feeling "ACOTAR" does in the last few years, so if you've found yourself in the same position, look no further.
If you discovered "Fourth Wing" on BookTok, you're probably already familiar with Sarah J. Maas' "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series about faeries.But the second book in the series feels most similar in tone to "Iron Flame." In "A Court of Mist and Fury," Feyre Archeron is adjusting to her newfound life as a faerie after she almost died Under the Mountain — as well as coming to terms with the deal she made with Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, to spend a week with him every month. But despite it all, she got what she wanted: an immortal life with Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court.But Feyre's life in the Spring Court starts feeling more claustrophobic by the second, especially when Tamlin forbids her from leaving the house. To her shock, she ends up seeking refuge with Rhysand, where she uncovers truths about the Night Court, Rhys, and herself that will change everything she thought she knew.Find out more about this book here.
You may know Sarah J. Maas best for the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, but "Throne of Glass" is just as enthralling as her TikTok-famous books.The first installment in her 7-book series introduces readers to Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old, world-renowned assassin who has been imprisoned for her crimes against the Kingdom of Ardalan, a land that has been leeched of the magic that once ran free in it. Celaena thinks she will be stuck in a work camp for the rest of her life, but when the Crown Prince of Ardalan offers her a chance at freedom in exchange for competing in a life-or-death competition against 23 other criminals, she sees a way out. Celaena is prepared to fight and kill for a second chance at life, but she isn't ready for the torrent of evil brewing in the castle of glass — or for the way both the Crown Prince and Captain of the Guard will make her feel."Throne of Glass" is a suspenseful and romantic introduction into Maas' most sweeping series to date.Find out more about this book here.
"The Serpent and the Wings of Night" by Carissa Broadbent Carissa Broadbent's "The Serpent and the Wings of Night" has all the fun of "A Court of Thorns and Roses," but it will also appeal to "Twilight" fans because vampires are at the center of the novel.Oraya has been fighting to survive since the Nightborn vampire king adopted her when she was a human child. Her world is full of threats, and her only hope of reprieve is winning the Kejari, a once-in-a-generation tournament where the champion is granted a wish from the goddess of death, Nyaxia. Oraya intends to stay away from the other vampires in the competition, but she finds herself with no choice but to ally with Raihn, an annoyingly handsome vampire from a rival house. What's worse, she discovers she actually likes Raihn as the competition goes on, which is inconvenient as war looms between the houses. As Oraya tries to determine who she can trust, she discovers shadows from her past have more impact on her future than she could have anticipated.Find out more about this book here.
I love "From Blood and Ash," but I think Armentrout's prequel to the series, "A Shadow in the Ember," is even more gripping and tantalizing. To the world, Seraphena Mierel is the Maiden, chosen to be the Primal of Death's wife before she was even born. But to the royal family's inner circle, she is their only hope — an assassin trained to kill the Primal to stop a Rot from decimating her country. But when she finally meets the Primal of Death, he's nothing like Sera expected. And when he touches her, killing him is the last thing on her mind. But will what she wants matter if she can't save her people?Find out more about this book here.
Amanda Bouchet's "The Kingmaker Chronicles" is a three-part series full of magic, gods, and romance, and it will appeal to Yarros fans who were drawn to Violet's powerful signet, as well as Xaden's dedication to her.In the first installment "A Promise of Fire," Cat Fisa has been on the run for years. She was born with the ability to tell when people are lying, a once-in-a-generation power that makes her the "Kingmaker." But Cat wants nothing to do with her power — or her family in the North that would use her for it — so she stays hidden, pretending to be a soothsayer in a traveling circus in the South.When Griffin, the general of a newly established human kingdom, sees her, he knows what Cat is immediately and takes her in the hopes of protecting his family's throne. Cat won't go down without a fight, though, and Griffin's hostage becomes even harder to control when powerful members of her family come looking for her.As they make their way toward his family's castle, Griffin will have to convince Cat his family is worth working with — a task that becomes even more difficult when he realizes he doesn't want Cat to just work with him; he wants her to be his wife.Find out more about this book here.
"The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black Being a human in a faerie world isn't all it's cracked up to be. But Jude has no choice, as she and her sisters were forced to live in the High Court of the Fae after their parents were murdered before their eyes.Jude hates feeling lesser than the magical creatures around her, and no one makes her feel smaller than Prince Cardan — who also happens to be the most beautiful fae she's ever seen. She makes it her mission to rise up in the fae ranks, no matter the cost.But when Jude finds herself embroiled in a battle for the safety of her sisters and the fae, she finds there's more to the prince than she ever knew.The first installment in Holly Black's "The Folk of the Air" series, "Cruel Prince" is a mysterious and sexy page-turner that fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope and fantasy will love.Find out more about this book here.
"Ledge" by Stacey McEwan Just like "A Court of Thorns and Roses," I saw "Ledge" making the rounds on TikTok before I read it, so it's no surprise it was also a hit. The Ledge is all Dawsyn has ever known. Her life exists in the limits of the frozen clifftop, and time is marked by visits from Glacians, evil creatures that look like winged humans who steal Ledge dwellers from the land multiple times per year.When Dawsyn is taken by the Glacians, she knows she has to escape the monsters, even though their plans for her are a mystery. She has no choice but to accept help from Ryon, a half-Glacian who offers her a path down the mountain the Glacians castle sits on.Escape is the only thing on Dawsyn's mind, and she isn't prepared for what reaching the human lands at the bottom of the mountain could bring — or for the feelings Ryon will stir in her.Find out more about this book here.
"Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard There are two kinds of people in Mare Barrow's world: mortals with red blood, and superhero-like people with silver blood who possess magical powers and rule over the reds.Mare is prepared to live out her life as a normal human until she discovers that she has magical abilities despite her red blood — in a room full of silvers. The show of impossible, supernatural power leads the king to create a ruse in which Mare must pretend to be a lost silver princess and marry one of the king's sons.The decision sets Mare on a path of deceit and double agency as she works to get information for the Scarlet Guard, a red resistance movement, while she's in the halls of the castle. Mare's life only grows more complicated as she feels herself falling for both of the king's sons — and that love could lead her to destruction, in Victoria Aveyard's "Red Queen."
"The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller HarperCollinsDespite the title, "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller actually follows the life of Achilles' closest companion, Patroclus, who is best known in mythology for his death that drives Achilles mad with grief.Miller puts a fresh lens on the well-known tale, focusing on the rivalry between Achilles and Patroclus that develops in their boyhood.Their feud soon becomes friendship and then something more, and the duo have to reckon with what their feelings for each other mean as Achilles faces a fatal prophecy about his involvement in the Trojan war."The Song of Achilles" is both a war story and a beautiful look at first love, making Homer's epic accessible and meaningful in a whole new way.Find out more about this book here.
"Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli In "Heartless Hunter," the first book in Kristen Ciccarelli's "The Crimson Moth" duology, Rune Winters has more secrets than she knows what to do with.In public, Rune is a human socialite loyal to the new leadership. In secret, she is the Crimson Moth, a vigilante witch who helps others like her escape the execution her grandmother faced when human rebels overthrew the witch queens.Rune is on a mission to find Seraphine, a witch friend of her grandmother's, before the hunters do, but when Seraphine is arrested before Rune can save her, she decides she must get closer to the guard to prevent Seraphine's death. She sets out to convince Gideon Sharpe, a powerful hunter who has always hated her, to fall in love with her, hoping he'll lead her right to Seraphine.Little does she know, Gideon has his own reasons for getting closer to Rune, suspecting she has a connection to the Crimson Moth. Both begin spending more time together under false pretenses, making it all the more surprising when real feelings develop between them.