If you spend any time on r/Romantasy you already know ACOTAR is the book everyone measures the genre against. Feyre, a mortal huntress, kills a wolf in the woods and gets dragged across the wall into the fae lands, and what opens as a Beauty and the Beast retelling slowly becomes a sprawling epic about power, trauma, war, and a love that completely remakes her. Here's the thing every reader will tell you: book 1 is good, but ACOMAF (book 2) is the one that broke the genre wide open, the consensus is to push through the slower first book for the payoff that starts in the second — the love interest it introduces is the blueprint half the genre is still chasing. If you want the foundational romantasy obsession, this is where readers say to start.
Curated from real reader threads on Reddit (r/Romantasy, r/RomanceBooks, r/Fantasy) and cross-referenced against Goodreads and BookTok. Updated regularly.
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by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Poppy is the Chosen, sheltered behind a veil, forbidden from human connection, raised to believe she will Ascend to the gods. Her guard Hawke is everything she shouldn't want, and he's hiding something that will shatter her world. Mentioned in 6 of 20 "books like ACOTAR" threads on Reddit. Same slow-burn-to-inferno trajectory, same spice level.
by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena Sardothien, an assassin condemned to the salt mines, is given one chance at freedom: compete in a brutal tournament to become the king's champion. The most-mentioned rec in "books like ACOTAR" threads on Reddit (9 of 20). Maas's first series, and readers say it only gets better with each book.
by Holly Black
The faerie-court enemies-to-lovers blueprint. A mortal girl who refuses to be a victim, a cruel prince who can't stop watching her. Mentioned in 4 of 20 ACOTAR threads on Reddit.
by Carissa Broadbent
Vampire-tournament dark romantasy with slow-burn enemies-to-allies and a morally grey love interest. Reads like ACOTAR meets Hunger Games. Mentioned in 3 of 20 ACOTAR threads on Reddit.
by Danielle L. Jensen
Lara has been trained her entire life to spy on the Bridge Kingdom and eventually destroy it from within. Then she marries its king, and discovers he isn't what she was told. Arranged-marriage enemies-to-lovers with real political stakes and the slow-burn "I should hate you" tension ACOTAR fans chase.
by Kerri Maniscalco
Emilia, a Sicilian girl who secretly practices dark blood magic, summons a Prince of Hell to help avenge her twin sister's brutal murder, and strikes a dangerous bargain she can't afford to lose. Dark, atmospheric, exquisite slow burn wrapped in enemies-to-lovers tension.
Crescent City reads as a standalone for ~2 books, then crosses over with the ACOTAR world. Most Reddit readers recommend ACOTAR first to avoid spoilers when the crossover happens.
Different worlds, but same author and overlapping themes (assassins, courts, slow-burn romance). Throne of Glass starts more YA and grows up significantly by book 3.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the consensus non-Maas pick. Similar slow burn, similar spice level, similar chosen-one-in-a-deadly-world arc.
It starts with what romantasy readers actually recommend to each other, the books that come up again and again in Reddit threads (r/Romantasy, r/fantasyromance), Goodreads 'readers also enjoyed,' and BookTok. For popular titles those lists are hand-curated with a reason for each pick; for everything else, 90books matches on tropes, pace, spice and vibe. Connect your Goodreads and books you've already read get filtered out. Affiliate buy links support the site but never affect which books are recommended.
Want personalised picks? Connect your Goodreads to filter out books you've already read and get recommendations tuned to your taste.
Every romantasy book Booky has featured, all in one shelf. Great for finding your next read after you finish the puzzle.
Browse the Booky Library →Booky is the free daily romantasy word game from 90books, made by a romantasy reader for other romantasy readers like me. If you've been looking for a booky wordle, this is it: a word game where you guess a 5-letter word tied to a fantasy romance book, then meet that book after you solve it. New puzzle every day, no login, totally free.
You get 6 tries to guess a hidden 5-letter word. Purple means the letter is correct and in the right spot, yellow means it is in the word but a different spot, gray means it is not in the word. Solve it and Booky shows you the romantasy book behind the word.
Yep. That's Booky. Search “booky wordle” or “romantasy wordle” and you land here: six guesses, one romantasy-coded word a day, made for people who live in Fourth Wing / ACOTAR / FBAA tabs. Free forever.
There are a few book wordle games out there, but this booky game is built just for romantasy. If you love Fourth Wing, A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), or From Blood and Ash, it's the wordle for book lovers made for you. Every answer ties back to a hand-picked romantasy read.
Booky is completely free with no login needed. A brand new romantasy word goes live every day, so you can build a daily streak and discover a new fantasy romance book each time you play.
Every puzzle maps to a reader favorite from r/Romantasy and BookTok, from Fourth Wing and ACOTAR to From Blood and Ash and dozens more. You can browse them all on the Booky Library.
Yep. If you're searching how to promote a romantasy book or how to get your book featured without shouting into the void, Booky can help with that. Your book becomes the daily word: readers guess it, then land on your cover, author name, and a buy link. You also get a shareable graphic for BookTok and Bookstagram, plus a mention in the reader newsletter. It works for indie and more established authors alike, whether you're launching a new release or just promoting your book to romantasy readers who already care about this genre, not a random crowd. It's $79 for a feature day, or $199 for a 3-day launch pack, and the details are on the authors page.
Only so many open days a month.
Questions, or a date in mind? Just email hello@90books.com.
90books syncs your shelves, Read, Want to Read, and Currently Reading, to filter what you've already read and personalize your recommendations.
Only so many open days a month.
Questions, or a date in mind? Just email hello@90books.com.