Books Like From Blood and Ash (FBAA)
Real talk, I haven't read this one yet (it's on my list), so instead of faking it, here's what r/Romantasy actually says, because they will not stop recommending it. From Blood and Ash is the one readers credit with pulling them out of reading slumps and turning them into romantasy people for life. Poppy is the Maiden, raised in total isolation, veiled, forbidden to speak or be touched because she's supposedly chosen by the gods to Ascend. Then Hawke shows up as her new personal guard, and the consensus is the banter is genuinely funny and the chemistry is immediate. Here's the one thing everyone says to know going in: the first third is slower, JLA takes her time with the worldbuilding (the Ascension, the Craven, the kingdom of Solis), and more than a few readers admit they almost DNF'd before it clicked. The verdict is unanimous, though: push through, because the back half does NOT let up. The slow burn is the real deal, not insta-love dressed up. When it finally happens the spice is a legit 4.5/5, multiple scenes, very explicit, and readers say it lands precisely because of how long the wait is. Then THE chapter-26 reveal hits and recontextualizes everything; the people who went in blind swear that's the move, so don't let anyone spoil it. Fair warning: it ends on a brutal cliffhanger, so have A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire ready. Six books deep, it still tops every 'what got you into romantasy' thread. If you want a found-family fae epic with a heroine who goes from sheltered to absolutely feral and an MMC who's equal parts swoon and menace, this is the one the community keeps handing to new readers.
6 books like From Blood and Ash (FBAA)
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 Sarah J. Maas
If you finished FBAA and immediately needed the next obsession, this is the one r/Romantasy points everyone to (it shows up in about half the threads). Feyre kills a wolf in the woods and gets hauled across the wall into the fae lands, and what starts as a Beauty and the Beast retelling turns into something way darker and spicier by book 2. Readers say to stick around for ACOMAF, that's the book they credit with breaking the genre open. The consensus: the love interest it builds toward will live in your head rent-free the same way Hawke does.
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by Rebecca Yarros
The current crossover everyone in FBAA threads is recommending. Dragon-rider war college where they straight up let cadets die in year one, a heroine who's physically not supposed to survive but is too stubborn to, and Xaden, morally grey, secretive, and exactly the kind of dangerous love interest Hawke fans go for. Readers describe it as fast, addictive, and genuinely spicy, the most common "couldn't put it down" rec in the threads.
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by Holly Black
If the fae-court-politics part of FBAA is what you loved, readers say go here next. It's YA so the spice is basically nonexistent, but the scheming and the enemies-to-lovers tension are unmatched. Jude is a mortal girl clawing for power in a court that despises her, and Cardan is the blueprint for the hateable-then-devastating love interest. The trilogy is tight and the consensus is the payoff in book 2 is worth it.
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by Danielle L. Jensen
The pick readers reach for when they want the exact falling-for-the-enemy itch FBAA scratches. Lara was trained from childhood to destroy the kingdom she's now married into as a spy, and then she starts realizing everything she was told was a lie. Readers say the betrayal-and-loyalty whiplash hits just like the Poppy/Hawke reveals do. Underrated, and the spice lands around 3.5-4.
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by Carissa Broadbent
The go-to rec when someone in r/Romantasy wants to go darker after FBAA. Vampire romantasy, a human adopted daughter of the Nightborn king enters a deadly trial where contestants kill each other, and readers single out the slow burn with her rival Raihn as the highlight. Described as gorgeous, brutal, and atmospheric. If you liked the deadly-world-high-stakes side of FBAA, the threads say this delivers.
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by Callie Hart
The book readers keep recommending to fill the wait between FBAA installments. Saeris is a thief who accidentally opens a portal and gets yanked into a frozen fae world bound to Kingfisher, a deadly, grumpy, centuries-old warrior who is exactly the type FBAA fans fall for. 700 pages, a slow burn readers call masterclass-level, and spice that builds and then detonates. The 2024 breakout the threads wouldn't shut up about, and the consensus is the hype was earned.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I read FBAA or ACOTAR first?
Reddit is split. The honest answer: read ACOTAR first if you're new to romantasy, the world-building is gentler and book 2 (A Court of Mist and Fury) is the book that converted thousands of readers to the genre. Read FBAA first if you want spicier from page one and don't mind a denser opening chapter. Most readers do both; the question is order.
What's the reading order for the Blood and Ash series?
Main series in order: From Blood and Ash, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, The Crown of Gilded Bones, The War of Two Queens, A Soul of Ash and Blood, A Fire in the Flesh. The Flesh and Fire prequel series (A Shadow in the Ember, A Light in the Flame) is set earlier and can be read before or after the main series, most r/RomanceBooks readers say read the main series first, then go back for the prequels.
How many books are in the Blood and Ash series?
Six books in the main series as of 2025, plus the Flesh and Fire prequel series. The main story concludes in A Fire in the Flesh (book 6). JLA also writes the connected Crown of Ash spinoff. Total franchise so far: 10+ books across three series in the same world.
Is From Blood and Ash spicy?
Very. On most reader spice scales it sits at 4-5 out of 5, explicit scenes, multiple occurrences, anatomically specific. Significantly spicier than ACOTAR book 1. Most Reddit readers describe the spice level as core to the appeal, not a bonus. Not for sweet-romance readers.
What's the twist in From Blood and Ash?
We don't spoil it here, but it completely reframes Hawke's identity and motivations. Reddit considers it one of the better-executed reveals in modern romantasy. Going in blind makes it land harder. Don't look it up.
How are these book recommendations chosen?
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.
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