Crescent City is the Maas series r/Romantasy tells you to brace for, slow to start, then completely consuming. Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae party girl with a gallery job, loses everyone she loves in one brutal night, and two years later gets pulled back into the case alongside Hunt Athalar, a fallen-angel assassin wearing a slave's halo. Readers warn that the first ~150 pages are a dense modern-fantasy info-dump, but the back half is the part everyone screenshots. It's spicier than ACOTAR or Throne of Glass, this was Maas's first fully adult series. The big consensus note: read ACOTAR first, because the worlds explicitly cross over by book 3 and you don't want it spoiled.
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
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. Same author, same universe (the worlds explicitly cross over by book 3 of Crescent City). Most readers say to read ACOTAR before Crescent City to enjoy the crossover unspoiled.
by Sarah J. Maas
Maas's longest series, an assassin competes to become the king's champion. Different tone from Crescent City but same author DNA, same morally grey love interest energy, same emotional payoff across the series.
by Rebecca Yarros
The current peak of romantasy. Dragon-rider war academy, morally grey love interest, slow burn that explodes. Crescent City fans typically read Empyrean next while waiting for the next Maas drop.
by Holly Black
YA fae enemies-to-lovers blueprint. A mortal in the faerie court schemes against the prince who despises her. Lighter than Crescent City but same political-romantic tension Maas readers chase.
by Callie Hart
Dark romantasy with fae court worldbuilding and a slow-burn morally grey love interest. The 2024 breakout that filled the gap between Maas releases for many Crescent City readers.
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A sheltered chosen one falls for her dangerous guard. Same chosen-one-in-a-world-of-lies arc Bryce navigates, with the same explicit slow burn and shocking twists.
Crescent City reads as a complete standalone for the first two books. The world crossover happens in House of Sky and Breath (book 2) and especially House of Flame and Shadow (book 3). Most r/Romantasy readers strongly recommend reading ACOTAR first to enjoy the crossover unspoiled.
Three books so far: House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow. Maas has confirmed more books are coming but no release dates as of 2025. Book 3 ends on cliffhangers across multiple plotlines.
Yes, significantly spicier than ACOTAR book 1 or Throne of Glass. Crescent City was Maas's first explicitly adult series. Spice level 3-4 on most reader scales. The slow burn pays off in dedicated, multi-scene spice.
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.