From Blood and Ash is Jennifer L. Armentrout's 2020 fantasy romance — the book that created its own genre lane. Poppy is the Chosen, sheltered and forbidden to be touched, destined to Ascend. Her guard Hawke is everything she shouldn't want. Then the lies holding her world together start to fracture. The slow burn is legendary. The twist in book 1 reshapes everything you thought you understood.
Curated from real reader threads on Reddit (r/RomanceBooks, r/Fantasy, r/suggestmeabook) and cross-referenced against Goodreads and BookTok. Updated regularly.
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by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre Archeron, a mortal huntress, is dragged into the enchanted fae lands after killing a wolf — and pulled into a world of dangerous courts, dark magic, and a love that will unmake and remake her. The romantasy readers reach for first after FBAA — mentioned in 9 of 20 threads. If Hawke wrecked you, Rhysand will finish the job.
by Rebecca Yarros
Dragon-rider war academy where most cadets don't survive year one. Same chosen-one-in-a-deadly-world momentum, same who-can-I-trust paranoia. Mentioned in 7 of 20 FBAA threads on Reddit.
by Holly Black
Fae enemies-to-lovers. A mortal girl schemes her way to power while the prince who despises her can't stop watching. 5 of 20 FBAA threads on Reddit name it as a bridge to the fae side of romantasy.
by Danielle L. Jensen
An arranged marriage where she's been trained to spy on the husband she must destroy. Same falling-for-the-enemy structure with real political stakes and a slow burn that earns every page.
by Carissa Broadbent
Dark vampire romantasy with the same slow-burn morally grey love interest. A human enters a tournament where only one competitor survives. The most-recommended FBAA bridge to darker romantasy.
by Callie Hart
Romantasy with the same slow-burn forbidden energy and a morally grey MMC with secrets that run deeper than expected. The rune magic system is quietly addictive — and the romance earns every page of the payoff.
Six books as of 2025: 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, and A Fire in the Flesh. The story concludes in book 6. JLA has also begun the Flesh and Fire prequel series set earlier in the same world.
Very. On most reader spice scales it sits at 4-5 out of 5 — explicit scenes, multiple occurrences. If you're coming from ACOTAR book 1, FBAA is significantly spicier. Most Reddit readers describe the spice level as part of the appeal, not a bonus.
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.
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