Stephanie Garber is beloved for fantasy novels that feel glittering, mysterious, and intensely romantic. Best known for Caraval and Legendary, she draws readers in with atmospheric settings, high-stakes emotion, and stories where magic always seems to come with a price.
If you love Stephanie Garber’s books, these authors are well worth adding to your reading list:
Erin A. Craig writes fantasy steeped in eerie beauty, family secrets, and dark enchantment, making her a strong choice for readers drawn to Stephanie Garber’s moodier side. Her novel House of Salt and Sorrows, reimagines The Twelve Dancing Princesses with a haunting, gothic flair.
The story follows Annaleigh, who lives with her sisters in a remote seaside manor shadowed by grief. As strange visions, ghostly warnings, and lavish but unsettling midnight balls begin to surround the family, Annaleigh starts to suspect that something deeply sinister is at work.
It’s lush, unsettling, and wonderfully atmospheric from beginning to end.
Marissa Meyer is a great pick for readers who enjoy imaginative fantasy with romance, adventure, and a clever twist on familiar stories. She’s especially known for reinventing classic fairy tales in inventive new settings.
Her book Cinder transforms Cinderella into a futuristic heroine: a talented cyborg mechanic living in plague-stricken New Beijing.
When Prince Kai enters her life, Cinder is pulled into royal politics, dangerous secrets, and a looming threat from the powerful Lunar Queen.
Meyer’s storytelling is fast, fun, and full of heart, making this an easy recommendation for fantasy readers who love a touch of romance.
For readers who love Stephanie Garber’s mix of fantasy, romance, and emotional intensity, Sarah J. Maas is an obvious next stop. A Court of Thorns and Roses, the opening book in one of her most popular series, introduces Feyre, a resilient young woman trying to survive in a harsh world.
After killing a wolf in the woods, Feyre is taken to a mysterious kingdom when she learns the creature was far more than it appeared.
There, amid deadly magic, faerie politics, and dangerous attraction, she must learn whom to trust and what she is willing to fight for.
Maas delivers sweeping romance, vivid worldbuilding, and plenty of tension—an appealing combination for anyone who enjoys immersive fantasy with high emotional stakes.
Renee Ahdieh is known for lush prose, richly imagined settings, and stories where romance and intrigue are tightly interwoven. Her novel The Wrath & the Dawn offers a mesmerizing retelling of One Thousand and One Nights.
It follows Shahrzad, a bold young woman who volunteers to marry a king infamous for taking a new bride each night and executing her at dawn. Intent on avenging her closest friend, she stays alive by telling spellbinding stories that leave the king desperate to hear more.
But as the nights pass, secrets unravel, loyalties shift, and Shahrzad begins to see the wounded heart beneath the king’s cruelty. That change forces her to question everything—including her original mission.
Fans of Garber’s romantic tension and magical atmosphere will likely be swept away by Ahdieh’s storytelling.
Leigh Bardugo writes fantasy with sharp character work, intricate plotting, and unforgettable settings. If Stephanie Garber’s books appeal to you because of their magic and sense of danger, Bardugo is a rewarding author to try next.
Her novel Six of Crows centers on Kaz Brekker, a brilliant criminal who assembles a team of outcasts for an impossible heist. Their target is the Ice Court, a nearly impenetrable fortress holding a prisoner whose knowledge could reshape the world.
The result is suspenseful, witty, and packed with twists, with a cast so compelling that readers often fall in love with them as much as the plot itself.
Adrienne Young creates immersive stories filled with danger, longing, and vividly drawn worlds. Readers who enjoy Stephanie Garber’s sense of wonder may find a lot to love in Young’s novel Fable.
The book follows seventeen-year-old Fable, who has spent years fighting to survive on a harsh island ruled by traders, thieves, and shifting loyalties. Her goal is to find her father, a powerful man tied to the ruthless world of the sea.
As she navigates fragile alliances and hidden motives, the novel unfolds into a gripping maritime adventure full of tension, secrets, and emotional depth.
Sabaa Tahir is an excellent choice for readers who want fantasy that combines romance, danger, and unforgettable moral dilemmas. Her debut, An Ember in the Ashes, introduces two characters whose lives collide under brutal circumstances.
Laia must infiltrate the Military Academy of a ruthless empire to save her brother, while Elias, one of the empire’s most promising soldiers, struggles against the role he has been forced to play.
As rebellion stirs and ancient forces awaken, both are pulled into a story filled with sacrifice, suspense, and impossible choices. Tahir’s world is intense, emotionally charged, and hard to put down.
Victoria Aveyard blends fantasy, romance, and political conflict in a way that keeps the pages turning. If you like Stephanie Garber’s dramatic twists and heightened stakes, Aveyard is a natural recommendation.
Her novel Red Queen follows Mare Barrow, a girl born with ordinary red blood in a world where silver-blooded elites possess extraordinary powers.
Everything changes when Mare unexpectedly reveals abilities of her own, thrusting her into the heart of the royal court and a brewing rebellion. What follows is a tense story of deception, power, and divided loyalties.
With plenty of betrayals and dramatic turns, Red Queen delivers the kind of high-stakes fantasy many Garber fans enjoy.
Holly Black is a standout choice for readers who love dangerous magic, sharp-edged romance, and enchanting but treacherous worlds. Her books often feel both whimsical and cruel in the best possible way.
A perfect place to start is The Cruel Prince, the first novel in her Folk of the Air trilogy. It follows Jude Duarte, a mortal girl taken to the Faerie court as a child and forced to survive among beings who look down on humans.
As Jude becomes entangled in court politics, secret schemes, and her volatile relationship with Prince Cardan, the story grows increasingly tense and addictive.
Black’s writing is sharp, atmospheric, and full of power games that keep readers hooked.
Laini Taylor is a wonderful match for readers who appreciate lyrical writing, immersive fantasy, and stories infused with wonder. Her novels have a dreamlike quality that fans of Stephanie Garber often respond to immediately.
In Strange the Dreamer, Taylor tells the story of Lazlo Strange, a quiet librarian obsessed with the lost city known as Weep. For years, he has lived on stories and imagination, longing for a world he has never seen.
When he finally has the chance to journey there, he discovers a city shaped by grief, mystery, and old wounds that have never fully healed. The deeper he goes, the more his dreams begin to intersect with a painful reality.
Taylor’s prose is lush and transporting, and the novel offers a beautiful blend of myth, romance, and melancholy.
Kiera Cass is a good fit for readers who enjoy romance-forward stories with sparkling tension and dramatic stakes. While her work leans more toward dystopian royal drama than fantasy, it offers the same irresistible pull of competition, courtship, and emotional conflict.
Her book The Selection follows America Singer, a teenager chosen to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon in a highly public royal contest.
As America navigates palace life, new friendships, and complicated feelings about love and duty, the novel balances romance with social tension and personal growth.
If you’re looking for a lighter but still addictive read, Cass delivers plenty of charm and drama.
Amie Kaufman writes gripping, emotionally resonant stories with memorable characters and vivid settings. Readers who like Stephanie Garber’s imaginative storytelling may also enjoy Kaufman’s ability to blend adventure, romance, and mystery.
In These Broken Stars, co-authored with Meagan Spooner, she introduces Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen, two teens from very different backgrounds who survive a crash landing on a mysterious planet.
Stranded together, they must navigate a strange landscape filled with unsettling discoveries and hidden dangers. As they struggle to survive, distrust slowly gives way to connection.
The book offers a compelling mix of survival story, romance, and suspense, with enough twists to keep readers invested all the way through.
Tricia Levenseller is a fun recommendation for readers who enjoy adventurous plots, strong-willed heroines, and flirtatious romance. Her stories have an energetic, playful quality that makes them especially easy to binge.
Her novel Daughter of the Pirate King follows Alosa, the bold daughter of a powerful pirate leader, who deliberately gets herself captured in order to search an enemy ship for a hidden treasure map.
Alosa is clever, fearless, and consistently entertaining as she outmaneuvers enemies, handles dangerous situations, and finds herself facing feelings she never expected.
Levenseller’s blend of adventure, charm, and romantic tension should appeal to readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy with personality.
Roshani Chokshi writes dazzling fantasy filled with mythology, lush imagery, and deeply romantic undertones. If Stephanie Garber’s books appeal to you for their beauty and atmosphere, Chokshi is well worth exploring.
In The Star-Touched Queen, she introduces Maya, a princess cursed by a horoscope that promises death and ruin.
When Maya is forced into a mysterious marriage with Amar, the king of the hidden realm of Akaran, she enters a world of enchantment, secrets, and looming danger. As queen, she must untangle illusion from truth and confront a destiny she never chose.
The novel is rich with mood and imagery, making it especially satisfying for readers who want fantasy that feels dreamy and immersive.
Cassandra Clare is a strong choice for readers who enjoy fantasy mixed with romance, danger, and a fast-moving plot. Her books are known for memorable characters, supernatural intrigue, and expansive hidden worlds.
In City of Bones, the first novel in The Mortal Instruments, readers meet Clary Fray, an ordinary teenager who suddenly discovers that demon hunters known as Shadowhunters exist alongside the everyday world.
After witnessing a shocking event, Clary is pulled into a New York full of magic, monsters, runes, and dangerous secrets about her own family.
For fans of Garber’s blend of wonder and drama, City of Bones offers an entertaining mix of supernatural mystery and emotional stakes.
