Six of Crows is the book r/Fantasy holds up as proof YA can out-write most adult fantasy. Kaz Brekker, a teenage criminal mastermind, pulls together a crew of six morally grey misfits for an impossible heist, breaking into the world's most secure prison. Readers fall for the characters more than the plot: Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias, Wylan and Jesper, an ensemble fantasy has been trying to recreate ever since. There's almost no spice (it's YA), the romance lives entirely in the tension and the longing, and readers insist the glove scene hits harder than most explicit scenes anywhere. The threads are unanimous on one thing: don't stop at book 1, because Crooked Kingdom is where the payoff lives.
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 Scott Lynch
The adult heist-fantasy blueprint Six of Crows built on. A con artist and his crew operate in a Venice-inspired city of gangsters. Mentioned in 7 of 20 books-like-Six-of-Crows threads on Reddit. Darker and denser than SoC.
by Brandon Sanderson
In a world where ash falls from the sky and mist dominates the nights, a street thief with extraordinary powers joins a ragtag crew planning to overthrow an immortal god-king. Same ensemble-heist structure with Sanderson's trademark intricate magic system. The most-recommended adult fantasy crossover for SoC readers.
by Jay Kristoff
Mia Corvere, who survived the execution of her family, trains at the Red Church, a legendary school for assassins, to gain the power she needs for revenge. Dark academia, morally grey protagonist, found family under brutal conditions. Adult, very explicit in violence. The SoC readers who want darker go here.
by Sabaa Tahir
Dual POV: a slave infiltrates a military academy, a soldier is assigned to watch her. Same political stakes and enemies-who-fall-for-each-other as SoC, with a Middle East-inspired world.
by Olivie Blake
Six magicians, the best in the world, are recruited to compete for entry into the Alexandrian Society, a secret organization that has quietly controlled human knowledge for millennia. Only five can get in. Dark academia heist vibes, morally complex ensemble, slow-burn romantic tension across the whole cast.
by Naomi Novik
A sarcastic student at a school for magicians where the magic itself wants to kill you. Witty, dark, and built around a female protagonist with the same chip-on-her-shoulder energy as Kaz.
No, Six of Crows is set in the same world but is completely standalone. Most readers say the books improve if you read SoC first and Shadow and Bone second. The Netflix show mixed the timelines; the books don't require that.
Kaz and Inej are the slow-burn heart of the series. Wylan and Jesper are fan favorites. None of the ships are fully resolved in book 1, Crooked Kingdom (book 2) is where the payoff lives. Read both.
Zero, it's YA and one of the least spicy popular fantasies. The romance is entirely in the tension, longing, and almost-touching. Reddit frequently cites the Kaz-removing-his-gloves scene as more affecting than most explicit scenes in adult romance.
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.