If you’ve been enthralled with Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, like me, it’s hard to identify just one element that makes it so bingeable. Is it the fierce, determined heroine? The descriptions of a fantastic otherworld? The flawed, but charismatic, male protagonists? That twist?!
Read below for a list of books that might scratch the same ACOTAR itch while you wait for the Hulu show. Don’t have time to read the whole post? My personal favorite is Fourth Wing. Trust me, you won’t be able to put this one down. I sure couldn’t.
1. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Alongside SJM’s works, Kuang has been racking up awards and dominating bestseller charts, solidifying her spot in the pantheon of the best speculative fiction writers of all time. In The Poppy War (the first installment in a dark fantasy trilogy), Kuang reimagines China’s history through the experiences of a peasant girl who gains entry into an elite military training academy and discovers she has shamanic powers.
2. The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
Reid’s debut fantasy blends Jewish mythology and Hungarian lore to create a rich and complex world filled with ancient magic, political intrigue, and fascinating characters. The Wolf and the Woodsman pairs two people who aren’t as they seem — similar to Feyre, Tamlin, and Rhysand in ACOTAR — as they form an unlikely alliance to save the day.
3. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
From Blood and Ash scratches the same itch that Maas’ magical works do, complete with complicated relationships like ACOTAR.
It follows Poppy, a Maiden who has to restrain herself for the sake of her family and kingdom, and her love interest Hawke, a guard who makes his way past her defenses (looking at you, Team Rhysand).
Armentrout’s work features strong sexual tension, great world-building, and deft writing.
4. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Violet, the bookish daughter of a formidable mother, must put aside her fear to become a dragon rider. But first, she has to graduate (read: survive) Basgiath War College, where everyone and everything seems out to kill her.
Yarros’ series (including Iron Flame) has inspired a fervor that rivals that of the ACOTAR fandom’s obsession, especially for admirers of epic female warriors, like Feyre. Yarros’ blend of fantasy, romance, and survival novel is sure to appeal to readers who miss the faerie lands of Prythian.
5. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Based on Arthurian legend, with the addition of Southern folk tales, Legendborn is another series for fans of Feyre. A strong female protagonist has to infiltrate a strange world to save herself and the people she cares about.
Sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews is spending the summer at UNC Chapel Hill in a program for gifted high school students when she witnesses a magical attack. As she learns more, it’s clear that there’s a connection between a newly revealed world of magic and the mysterious death of her mother.
6. A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Reid’s dark fantasy novel is immersive and bewitching. It begins when an architecture student, Effy Sayre, visits the crumbling estate of the late novelist Emrys Myrddin to assess how to restore the structure.
Effy is a huge fan of Myrddin’s dark romance masterpiece about the Fairy King and his mortal lover, and wants to do the project justice. But as Effy spends time at the mysterious Hiraeth Manor, she begins to wonder if the tale of the Fairy King is more than a fantasy.
7. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
If you like the juxtaposition of worlds and the resulting bargain between the two protagonists of ACOTAR, try A Touch of Darkness — especially if you prefer your romantasy novels steamy (SpicyTok says St. Clair’s Hades & Persephone Series really cranks up the heat.)
In this Greek mythology fanfiction, all the Greek gods live on Earth and are treated as lavish celebrities. Persephone hopes she can hide her failures as the Goddess of Spring by leading a normal life of a mortal, but instead she gets sucked into a bet with Hades, the God of the Dead. She doubles down when they develop romantic feelings for each other, but all bets are off on how it’ll turn out.
(If you prefer vampires to Greek gods, but still like your romantasy scorching hot, St. Clair’s King of Battle and Blood is also making waves on BookTok.)
8. Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
If you like Feyre’s cleverness in A Court of Thorns and Roses, try Incendiary.
Cordova sets her fantasy world in a reimagining of Inquisition-era Spain, where the ruling powers are trying to eradicate a magical race called the Moria. The book’s protagonist, Renata, is a Moria teen girl, and she has to use her wits and magic to navigate her world’s dangerous politics.
9. Master of Crows by Grace Draven
Draven’s book pulls off that tricky balance between strong fantasy and equally strong romance that ACOTAR delivers so masterfully. Here, Martise, a bondswoman, is sent to spy on Silhara, a mage — only Martise ends up falling in love with her target.
10. One True Love by Linda Kage
Kage’s first foray into fantasy romance was inspired by SJM, so it makes sense One True Love has some of the same elements of ACOTAR: a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance, lush world-building, and characters with desires at odds with their destinies.
11. Lonen’s War by Jeffe Kennedy
Kennedy’s high fantasy occupies a more traditional space within the fantasy genre than ACOTAR, but the pairing of two opposite protagonists with very different agendas is quite similar.
The book opens with a deadly battle, resulting in an arranged marriage between Oria and Lonen, the scions of each opposing side. The two enter into their union with mistrust and suspicion, and through the series, have to navigate peacetime and one another.
12. Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
For those who like the sexual tension in A Court of Thorns and Roses and want even more, Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart will do nicely. Phèdre is special, in that she can experience both pleasure and pain simultaneously. She’s trained in the “bedroom arts,” but also takes up spying, unearthing a conspiracy that threatens her world.
13. The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport
Race and gender collide in Davenport’s The Blood Trials, where Ikenna has to survive a series of tests to prove her mettle — much as Feyre does during ACOTAR. This is more science fiction than fantasy, but Davenport’s exploration of inequality is similar to SJM’s.
14. The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova
Power systems, a female protagonist’s struggle to survive, and intricate world-building make Kova’s The Alchemists of Loom a great next read for A Court of Thorns and Roses fans. The world has a steampunk feel, while there are several expressions of self beyond the binary.
15. Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
The evocative romantasy Daughter of No Worlds is made for SJM fans. After escaping slavery, Tisaanah seeks to join the Orders so she can save the friend who’s still in shackles. But first she has to be trained by — and fall in love with — the handsome fire wielder, Maxantarius.
16. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Aveyard wowed the world with the Red Queen series, a dystopian fantasy, and she’s following it up with a high fantasy adventure trilogy, this time taking tropes from epics of yore. Magical Corayne and her motley crew of companions fight over the fate of the realm in what the author told The Nerd Daily is like a more feminist, inclusive Lord of the Rings.
There’s a lot for ACOTAR fans to stan: With many characters to love, a few evil characters to secretly root for, and signature Aveyard cliffhangers, Realm Breaker and its sequel Blade Breaker will leave you wanting more in the best possible way.
17. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
This young adult romantasy series became the talk of the town thanks to its Netflix adaptation and BookTok. Like SJM, Bardugo created an addictive storytelling blend with a touch of everything — magic, otherworldly adventure, romance, and more.
The meteoric rise of Alina Starkov from overlooked orphan to heroic Sun Summoner has been great to witness, and Bardugo’s series is full of emotional twists, surprising turns, and relatable side characters to fall in love with.
After the Shadow & Bone trilogy, the Grishaverse adventures continue with underworld mastermind Kaz (and his crew of misfits) in the heist-meets-fantasy-meets-romance Six of Crows duology and rakish rebel Nikolai in the King of Scars duology.
About the Author: Megan Frampton
Megan Frampton is the Content Acquisitions Manager for Everand. She also writes historical romance under her own name and romantic women’s fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and kid.
