If you’d have asked me only a few years ago, I would’ve told you that I wouldn’t dare touch a romantasy novel. I’d say: “What do you mean by a book full of swords and smooches?” There’s a good reason for my apprehension, though. I worked fervently amongst the shelves of Waterstones during the 50 Shades craze, selling book after book. It haunted my dreams, and so I swore to actively avoid anything ‘spicy’.
Yet, as an avid follower of many book-related social media accounts, I noticed the shift that brought romantasy to the fore – and BookTok hasn’t let me down yet. In recent years, romantasy has gone from being a somewhat underappreciated mix of two genres to one of the most popular. You’ll see titles storming up the bestselling book charts and ripping through avid book clubs' must-read lists. In its simplest form, it’s fantasy with a romance vein, but the genre offers so much more.
Full of ambition, magic, mystery and some sexy bits, it’s actually really hard to pick out just 10 books you should read, but I’ve done it anyway. Of course, there are many (so many) other things to learn on your romantasy journey, like discovering what tropes you really like. To smut or not to smut, being one of the biggest. Then there’s world-building, conflict, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, special abilities, and even dragons, if you want. With opportunity abundant, here are the 10 I’d recommend everyone should read. At least once.
10. THRONE OF GLASS (SARAH J. MAAS)
Amongst the great writers of the romantasy genre, you’ll find one name that has really garnered the attention and love of many online (and off), Sarah J. Maas. While her famed ACOTAR series will feature later on in our list, the Throne of Glass series came first and in my personal opinion, it’s one of her greatest.
Celaena Sardothien is an assassin with a complicated past. Liberated from prison and handpicked to fight for her freedom, she enters a competition against other miscreants to become the King’s champion. But, the King of Adarlan is not a man she wants any dealings with.
Celaena’s journey is anything but simple with an expansive world full of intense characters. It also wouldn’t be romantasy without some sizzling courtships. I’ve read all eight books in the series and while Tower of Dawn is a personal favourite, it’s important to start at the very beginning.
9. FOURTH WING (REBECCA YARROS)
In Fourth Wing, Violent Sorrengail joins the Basgiath War College, forced by her mother to train to become a dragon rider. Magic, dragons, fantasy, epic world-building, and, of course, a lot of romance culminate in a series that has been hyped up a lot on TikTok. That may be a good thing or a bad thing, but you know where I sit considering the recommendation.
If you’re wondering about the balance of genres, it’s light fantasy and heavy romance with an intense tension that builds throughout.
It’s sometimes compared to Harry Potter, given its school setting and coming-of-age tales, but only if Hogwarts had dragons, epic battles, and villains that are arguably worse than Voldemort. Known as the Empyrean series, there are two more to read, with Yarros already planning for book 4.
8. CARAVAL (STEPHANIE GARBER)
A tale of two sisters, Tella and Scarlet, as they embark on an epic journey to witness Caraval, a performance that only happens once-a-year. And it’s a pretty big deal, worthy of a story, considering the sisters have never left the tiny island they grew up on. Only they’re not just there to watch. Tella is to be part of the main event, whether she likes it or not. With dangerous games twisting their already unusual reality into even more chaos, the sisters have to navigate a high-stakes game that threatens to destroy everything.
Described as “Magic. Mystery. Adventure,” there’s a light romance in the first book that acts more as a sub-plot. But with three books in the series, it gets spicier as you go. Garber has even written a spin-off series, Once Upon a Broken Heart (OUABH), based in the same universe, so reading Caraval marks your first introduction to a long vein of epic storytelling.
7. OUR INFINITE FATES (LAURA STEVEN)
With so many books populating the romantasy genre and more on the way, the struggle to find an original idea becomes even greater. For Our Infinite Fates, it’s the uniqueness of its storyline that makes it an excellent read (if not as well executed as I might’ve hoped for).
Evelyn is killed before she’s 18, every single time, by the same person, Arden. Unfortunately, she has also fallen for him. Only, in her current life, she’s desperate to stay alive to help save her sister, but that means living past 18.
The only way to fight against it is to head into a hellscape to try and break the curse. The tagline: “They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.”
6. POWERLESS (LAUREN ROBERTS)
When you search for Powerless on Amazon, it comes under the subheading “TikTok Made Me Buy It!” and I did just that. In Ilya, either you’re an Elite, possessing powers that make you extraordinary, or you’re Ordinary.
And while Ordinary citizens are ostracised, Paedyn Gray manages to convince Prince Kai Azer that she’s worth saving, even though she has to lie about who she is and take part in the intense and jaw-clenching Purging Trials to show off her skills.
It’s a deadly Hunger Games-esque twist of a tale with the ever-appreciated enemies-to-lovers trope sizzling throughout. And if you love this first one, you’ll begin to notice a trend with romantasy books: they’re often part of a series. This one’s a trilogy starter, meaning you can grab Reckless and Fearless when you’re done.
5. SILVER ELITE (DANI FRANCIS)
In Silver Elite, you’re not allowed to have a psychic gift. Only Wren Darlington, a powerful psycho Mod, most certainly does. And while she’s been really good at hiding it, she makes a mistake that lands her in the enemy’s training program, Silver Block.
She can’t let on who she is, but she also can’t stop her feelings when Cross Redden, her ruthless commander, turns up. Well, it’s a spicy storm with lots of slow-burn will they, won’t they?
As an almost flip-reverse to the Powerless trilogy, as well as being compared to Fourth Wing, it’s a great read if you’re looking for something full to the brim with romantasy tropes and easy to consume. Plus, there’s a sequel, Broken Dove, that just hit the shelves on 12th May.
4. QUICKSILVER (CALLIE HART)
Unlike a lot of the entries here, Quicksilver is strictly recommended for 17+, rather than YA, because of how violent and, well, adult it is. Saeris Fane is hiding a lot about herself, and she finds herself tossed into the unforgiving lands of Yvelia… and into Fae warrior, Kingfisher. And it’s the way that Hart writes Kingfisher into the book which borders on unforgettable.
It’s as full of battles as it is earth-shattering passion, but if you’re not into the rom-side of things as much as you are the fantasy then this one might be a step too far. As seems to be the case with the genre, it’s divisive. But it’s always worth dipping your toe in different worlds to determine what it is you like about them. If you do like it, there’s the sequel Brimstone to dive into next. Considering it’s her romantasy debut, it’s definitely worth a read.
3. THE WOLF KING (LAUREN PALPHREYMAN)
Inspired by the Scottish Highlands, humans and werewolves are divided, and the war rages on when a princess is kidnapped by a werewolf alpha. As the clans fight amongst the wild mountains, it’s like if Outlander turned into a romantasy novel. Though it’s also not to be confused with Wolf King on Netflix, an adaptation of the Werewolf novels.
If you’re after a fast-paced fantasy that’s full of slow-burn romance and you’re especially intrigued by a worldbuilder heavily influenced by Scotland, then this one’s for you. And you can follow Princess Aurora through the trilogy, and this tri doesn’t just relate to the number of books, but to a love triangle that ripples throughout.
2. THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT (CARISSA BROADBENT)
Carissa Broadbent sounds like the name of someone in a romantasy novel, but it is, in fact, the author of many great titles in the genre. And her Crowns of Nyaxia series is most certainly worth a read, spanning six books (two yet TBA) with two optional standalones full of vampires, gods, magic, monsters, and intrigue.
Coined on her Instagram as “#1 NYT bestselling author of books with magic & kissing”, that’s certainly what you’ll get. Serving as book one, The Serpent and The Wings of Night follows Oraya, an adopted human daughter with a vampire king for a dad, competing in the Kejari to fight her way to the top. Only, surprise, surprise, there’s a romance that threatens to throw her off course.
1. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES (SARAH J. MAAS)
Step into almost any bookstore and browse the shelves of the romantasy genre, and you’ll quickly notice the vibrant spines of the A Court of Thrones and Roses series. ACOTAR, for short. For many, this is where Maas really demonstrates her world-building expertise, introducing readers to 19-year-old Feyre Archeron and the faerie land of Prythian.
This is possibly one of the genre’s most prominent examples of the major tropes you can enjoy, including enemies-to-lovers, as well as fated mates. If you’re yet to read it, you’ll start at the series’ namesake.
Once you’ve read all five in the series, you’ll be pleased to hear book 6 and 7 are already scheduled for release on October 27, 2026 and January 12, 2027, respectively. So, now is as good a time as any to get into the ACOTAR series and start your romantasy journey.
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