Fantasy romance, often called romantasy, puts a love story at the center of a magical world: dragons, fae courts, witches and kingdoms on the edge of war. It's one of the fastest-growing corners of publishing. This list covers fourteen picks for adult readers, from the bestsellers everyone is talking about to quieter favorites.
Book descriptions are paraphrased from the sources linked below. We left out titles the sources mark as young adult.
What romantasy means
Wikipedia describes romantic fantasy as stories that blend fantasy and romance with the relationship at the center, so the plot depends on the romance rather than the other way around. The term "romantasy" took off on social media in 2023 and 2024, with sales driven largely by BookTok. The genre's roots go much further back, to medieval chivalric romances.
How it differs from its neighbors:
- Paranormal romance usually brings vampires, shifters or witches into our world. See paranormal romance books.
- Dark fantasy romance pushes the tone darker, with morally gray leads and heavier themes. See dark fantasy romance books.
The bestsellers to start with
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail is forced into a brutal dragon-rider war college, where she has to survive the training and a powerful rider who has every reason to want her dead. Published in 2023 and classified as new adult, it sold over two million copies in its first six months and spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on The New York Times list, according to Wikipedia. It's the first book in The Empyrean series.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre is taken into the faerie lands of Prythian, where a love story pulls her into a struggle among the fae courts. According to Wikipedia, the series was first published as young adult but is now classified as new adult. Five books are out, and a sixth is scheduled for October 27, 2026.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A chosen Maiden, tightly controlled by her court, grows close to one of the guards sworn to protect her as political intrigue closes in. It's the first in the Blood and Ash series, per Paste Magazine.
Political marriages and slow burns
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
A warrior princess enters a marriage of convenience that becomes an enemies-to-lovers romance while kingdoms hang in the balance.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
A queen and a sorceress-turned-spy build a romance while an ancient darkness threatens the world and divided factions are forced toward war.
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
A shy prince and his new bodyguard uncover a financial conspiracy that threatens their kingdom. It's a slow, careful bodyguard romance.
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
A paladin whose god has died is pulled into a plot of assassination and deceit alongside a woman he has only just met.
Witches, wizards and folklore
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A witch and a vampire, members of rival kinds, fall in love after she calls up a long-lost alchemical manuscript everyone wants. It's the first in the All Souls series.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A young woman is taken by a wizard to train in magic, and their relationship changes as her power grows.
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
A baronet is mistakenly appointed to liaise with England's hidden magical society and paired with a prickly magician who slowly becomes an ally, and more.
The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
A powerful woman who cannot speak becomes the prisoner of a king with secrets. Captivity slowly turns into romance amid political intrigue.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A young man promises to bring back a fallen star for the girl he loves, and discovers the star is a woman. A classic fairy-tale romance.
More to explore
The Dragon Heart Legacy by Nora Roberts
A woman in Ireland learns she comes from a magical bloodline and moves between the human and fae worlds.
When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
A young woman inherits her family's role of guiding the dead, and meets a gravedigger drawn into the same spirit world, as described by Book Riot.
How to choose a fantasy romance
- Check the series length. Many romantasy books are long series and must be read in order.
- Check the heat level. It ranges from closed-door to explicit; reviews usually say.
- Pick your trope. Enemies to lovers and forbidden romance dominate the genre. See our forbidden romance and enemies to lovers guides.
Write your own fantasy romance
Three original prompts with adult characters, non-explicit:
- A dragon's appointed negotiator arrives at a village that has already hired a dragon slayer.
- A court mage loses her magic the day before the coronation she's supposed to bless, and the only person who notices is the rival she can't stand.
- Two envoys from warring kingdoms must share a carriage across a cursed forest that only lets couples pass.
Frequently asked questions
What should I read after Fourth Wing?
From the list above, From Blood and Ash, The Bridge Kingdom and A Court of Thorns and Roses share its mix of danger, politics and romance.
Is A Court of Thorns and Roses adult or young adult?
According to Wikipedia, it was first published as young adult but is now classified as new adult. The heroine, Feyre, is 19.
What is the difference between fantasy romance and paranormal romance?
Fantasy romance usually happens in an invented or magical world. Paranormal romance usually brings vampires, shifters or witches into our own world.
Sources
- Romantic fantasy — Wikipedia; definition and history; checked October 9, 2026.
- Fourth Wing — Wikipedia; checked October 9, 2026.
- A Court of Thorns and Roses — Wikipedia; checked October 9, 2026.
- 15 of the Best Books for Readers Who Love Fantasy Romance — Paste Magazine, Lacy Baugher Milas, February 25, 2023; checked October 9, 2026.
- Fantasy Romance Novels To Fall in Love With — Book Riot, Rachel Brittain, April 15, 2022; checked October 9, 2026.
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