Listen. I need to be honest with you right from the start.
I've read A Court of Thorns and Roses four times. Four. And I'm not even remotely embarrassed about it, because Sarah J. Maas understands something fundamental about what makes a story completely, utterly, devastatingly unputdownable: the perfect storm of slow-burn romance, morally gray love interests who could destroy you but choose to worship you instead, and magic systems that feel dangerous enough to matter. Add in political intrigue, found family dynamics, and protagonists who evolve from "I'm just trying to survive" to "I will burn this entire realm to ash if you touch the people I love," and you've got yourself a recipe for literary obsession.
But here's the thing about finishing ACOTAR. You close that final page and you're lost. Bereft. Where do you find that same intoxicating mix of fae politics and simmering tension? That perfect balance of fantasy worldbuilding and characters you'd defend with your life in an internet comment section?
I've spent years—literal years—hunting down books that scratch that same itch. Some come close. Others exceed expectations in ways I never saw coming. A few have left me just as wrecked as the first time Rhysand appeared Under the Mountain, and I realized everything I thought I knew was wrong.
So yeah, I've done the research. The reading. The re-reading at 3am when I should absolutely be asleep but can't stop because what happens next.
Here's what I found.
This is where you start. Seriously. If ACOTAR ruined you in the best possible way, Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash will finish the job. The series revolves around Poppy, the Maiden—a girl chosen from birth for a role she never wanted, hidden behind a veil, forbidden from being seen or touched, waiting for her destiny in a world where vampiric creatures called the Craven threaten humanity's survival behind massive protective walls. Her guard, Hawke, is everything he shouldn't be: tempting, irreverent, and far too interested in the girl he's supposed to protect but never touch.
The banter alone is worth the price of admission. Armentrout has mastered the art of romantic tension that makes you want to throw your Kindle across the room (affectionately). But it's the plot twists—and there are many—that'll have you gasping out loud on public transportation. Just when you think you've figured out where the story is heading, Armentrout pulls the rug out from under you. Then sets the rug on fire. Then reveals the rug was actually a dragon the whole time.
The world-building is intricate without being overwhelming. The magic system matters. The politics are deliciously complicated, full of betrayals and centuries-old grudges and the kind of morally gray decisions that make you question everything. And Hawke? Let's just say the man could give Rhysand a run for his money in the "fictional characters who've ruined me for real people" department.
Holly Black doesn't do anything halfway, and The Cruel Prince is proof. This is a story about power—how you get it, how you keep it, and what you're willing to sacrifice for it. Jude Duarte is a human girl raised in Faerie after watching her parents murdered by a fae general, and she wants one thing: to belong in a world that despises her mortality. To not just survive, but to wield power in a realm where she's considered weak and disposable.
Enter Cardan. Prince Cardan, to be specific. Beautiful, cruel, and the absolute worst. He torments Jude relentlessly. The enemies-to-lovers slow burn here isn't just slow—it's glacial. Delicious. Painful. You'll spend the first book wanting to strangle him. By book two, you'll understand why Jude's hatred is so much more complicated than it appears.
Black's Faerie is gorgeous and terrible. The fae here aren't sparkly, misunderstood creatures—they're dangerous, capricious, and bound by rules that can be twisted into weapons. The political machinations are chess games played with poisoned pieces, and Jude learns to play better than anyone expects. She's cunning and ruthless and refuses to be a victim, which makes her journey so satisfying to follow.
The writing is sharp. Elegant. Black can gut you with a single sentence, then make you laugh on the next page. If you loved the courtly intrigue and scheming of ACOTAR, the Faerie politics here will feel like coming home.
Okay, so this one's a bit different. More adult. More historical. But hear me out, because if you loved the forbidden romance aspect of ACOTAR—that "we absolutely should not be doing this but I cannot stay away from you" energy—then Deborah Harkness has you covered.
Diana Bishop is a witch. A historian. A woman who's spent her entire life running from her magical heritage, burying herself in academic research at Oxford instead. Then she discovers a bewitched manuscript in the library, and everything changes. Matthew Clairmont, a 1,500-year-old vampire (and also a Oxford professor, because of course he is), is immediately drawn to both Diana and the manuscript. Vampires and witches aren't supposed to mix. It's forbidden. Dangerous.
They mix anyway.
The romance is slower here, more mature, but no less consuming. Harkness builds her world with meticulous care—this isn't just fantasy, it's fantasy woven through real history, real locations, real science. The magic system is complex and feels earned. And the stakes? The stakes are astronomical, involving ancient secrets, magical politics, and a conspiracy that spans centuries.
Plus, if you're into time travel, alchemy, and vampires who collect wine and practice yoga, this is your jam. Matthew Clairmont is basically if Rhysand was a vampire scientist with a wine cellar and 1,500 years of emotional baggage. The tension is exquisite.
Enemies-to-lovers, but make it witches versus witch hunters. Lou is a witch in hiding, working in a tavern, trying to stay off the radar of the Chasseurs—the fanatical witch hunters who've made it their life's mission to eradicate magic. Reid is a Chasseur. Devout, disciplined, and absolutely convinced that witches are evil abominations that must be destroyed.
Naturally, they end up married.
It's a forced-proximity situation that starts as mutual loathing and evolves into something neither of them saw coming. Mahurin's writing is witty and fast-paced, full of banter that crackles off the page. Lou is irreverent and cunning, using humor as both weapon and shield. Reid is rigid and honorable in a way that makes his eventual unraveling so satisfying to watch.
The magic here is visceral and comes with a cost. The worldbuilding blends French-inspired settings with religious fanaticism and ancient magic in ways that feel fresh. And the romance—the romance is a slow burn that'll have you screaming "just kiss already" at your book. When they finally get their act together, it's so worth it.
Fair warning: this series will wreck you emotionally. Mahurin isn't afraid to put her characters through absolute hell. But if you loved watching Feyre's journey from survival to power, Lou's arc will resonate deeply.
What if the heroine's goal from page one was to seduce the king and then murder him? That's the premise of Tricia Levenseller's standalone fantasy, and it's exactly as fun as it sounds. Alessandra is beautiful, ambitious, and has exactly zero qualms about killing to get what she wants. She's already murdered one man. The king will be number two.
Except the Shadow King—a young ruler with the power to control darkness itself, rumored to have killed his own father—is far more complicated than she anticipated. He's not the monster everyone thinks he is. And he might be the only person who truly sees her.
This is a romance that's unapologetically about two morally gray people finding each other. There's scheming, political intrigue, assassination attempts, and banter that absolutely sizzles. Alessandra is ruthless and unrepentant, which makes her such a refreshing protagonist. She's not trying to be good. She's trying to be powerful.
The book is a quick read—fast-paced and fun, with enough twists to keep you guessing. If you loved the political maneuvering in ACOTAR and wished Feyre had been a little more ruthless from the start, Alessandra will be your new favorite.
Arranged marriage between two people from different species who find each other physically repulsive? Sign me up. Brishen is a prince of the Kai, a nocturnal race with grey skin, sharp teeth, and features humans find monstrous. Ildiko is a human princess, essentially sold off in a political marriage to secure an alliance. They meet for the first time at their wedding, take one look at each other, and think "well, this is unfortunate."
What follows is one of the most genuinely lovely romances I've read. They're honest with each other from the start—yes, they find each other ugly. Yes, this situation is weird. But they're both intelligent, kind people trying to make the best of a bad situation. Their friendship develops naturally, built on mutual respect and humor, and when it finally shifts into love, it feels earned.
Draven's writing is elegant and thoughtful. The worldbuilding is rich without being overwhelming. And the romance—the romance is a masterclass in how to build intimacy between characters who start as strangers. If you loved the mate bond aspect of ACOTAR but wished it had developed more slowly, more organically, this is the book for you.
Witches, demons, murder, and a heroine who will stop at nothing to avenge her sister's death. Emilia is a witch in 1800s Italy, secretly practicing magic while working in her family's restaurant. When her twin sister is murdered—killed in a way that suggests one of the seven demon princes of Hell is responsible—Emilia summons one of them to help her find the killer.
Enter Wrath. A prince of Hell. Infuriating, dangerous, and bound by a bargain to help her hunt down whichever of his brothers is responsible for the killings plaguing her city. The banter between them is chef's kiss. The tension is off the charts. And the mystery at the heart of the story keeps you guessing.
Maniscalco's worldbuilding is lush and atmospheric, blending Italian culture with demon mythology in really interesting ways. The magic is sensory and visceral—witches here use food, herbs, and emotions to fuel their spells. And Emilia is the kind of protagonist who refuses to be a victim, even when facing literal demons.
The romance is enemies-to-something-much-more-complicated, with all the delicious antagonism you could want. If you loved Rhysand's darkness and Feyre's determination to save her family, Wrath and Emilia will feel familiar in the best way.
Trained from childhood to be a weapon, Lara has one mission: marry the king of the Bridge Kingdom and destroy it from within. The Bridge Kingdom controls the only bridge spanning a massive river, and they charge exorbitant fees for passage, essentially controlling all trade. Lara's kingdom has suffered because of it, and she's been raised to be the perfect bride, the perfect spy, and the perfect assassin.
She didn't count on her new husband being honorable. Or the Bridge Kingdom being nothing like what she was told. Or falling in love being part of the equation.
This book is intense. The action is relentless, the stakes are sky-high, and the romance is a slow-burn betrayal waiting to happen. You spend the entire book waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does, it's devastating. Jensen doesn't pull her punches—her characters suffer, make impossible choices, and have to live with the consequences.
The worldbuilding is solid, the politics are complex, and Lara is a protagonist who's been weaponized but refuses to let that define her. If you loved the tension and stakes of ACOTAR, this series will keep you up all night.
Brutal. That's the word for Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes. It's brutal and beautiful and will emotionally destroy you in the best way. The story follows two protagonists: Laia, a scholar girl whose people have been enslaved by the Martial Empire, and Elias, one of the Empire's finest soldiers who wants nothing more than to escape.
When Laia's brother is arrested for treason, she makes a deal with the resistance—she'll spy on the Commandant of Blackcliff Military Academy (the most terrifying woman in the Empire) in exchange for help rescuing him. Elias, meanwhile, is trapped in the Trials, a deadly competition to choose the next Emperor.
Their paths collide in ways neither expects. The worldbuilding here is inspired by ancient Rome, but darker, more oppressive. The magic is subtle but powerful. And the characters—these characters will break your heart. Tahir isn't afraid to put them through unimaginable trauma, but she also gives them moments of hope, of connection, that make you believe in their survival.
The romance is complicated, messy, and spans multiple books. There's a love triangle (don't run away!), but it's done well, with real emotional stakes and no easy answers. If you loved the found family and resistance aspects of ACOTAR, this series delivers in spades.
Look. I could keep going. There are dozens more books that capture different elements of what makes ACOTAR so addictive—the romance, the magic, the political intrigue, the character growth. But these? These are the ones that've stayed with me. The ones I've recommended to friends, to strangers on the internet, to anyone who'll listen.
They're the books I reach for when I need that same feeling of being utterly transported, of caring so deeply about fictional people that their happiness becomes personally important to me. Of staying up until 4am because I have to know what happens next, consequences be damned.
So start wherever speaks to you. Maybe it's the political scheming of The Cruel Prince. Maybe it's the banter in From Blood and Ash.
Just know that once you start, there's no going back. Your TBR pile will explode. Your sleep schedule will suffer. You'll find yourself thinking about fictional characters at wildly inappropriate times.
And you'll love every minute of it.
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