What makes Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses so addictive goes far beyond its Beauty and the Beast-inspired setup. The real pull is the sweeping romantasy: a strong heroine coming into her power, a glittering and dangerous Fae world layered with secrets, and a slow-burn romance charged with longing, danger, and impossible choices.
That blend is hard to replace, which is why so many readers go looking for another book with the same heady mix of magic, tension, and emotional stakes. If you're hoping to recapture that feeling, the novels below are excellent places to start.
If you loved the mix of sensual romance and supernatural danger in A Court of Thorns and Roses, then From Blood and Ash should be high on your list. The story follows Poppy, a young woman raised to live as the Maiden, isolated from ordinary life and expected to embody purity and obedience.
Everything shifts when Hawke, a captivating and enigmatic guard, enters her world. As forbidden attraction grows, so do the questions surrounding her role, her future, and the truth about the kingdom itself.
Expect fast-moving drama, intense chemistry, dark mythology, and enough twists to keep you reading late into the night.
Any list of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses has to include Maas's own Throne of Glass series. It begins with Celaena Sardothien, a famed assassin drawn into a deadly competition at the royal court, where survival depends on far more than skill with a blade.
Like Feyre, Celaena becomes entangled in hidden magic, political struggles, and complicated relationships that deepen with every book. What starts as a gripping fantasy gradually expands into something much larger in scope.
The series grows darker, more emotionally layered, and more epic as secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.
If the perilous elegance of the Fae courts was one of your favorite parts of Maas's world, The Cruel Prince is a perfect follow-up. Jude is a mortal girl raised in Elfhame, where humans are looked down upon and power is always shifting.
To carve out a place for herself, she must lie, maneuver, and outwit enemies at every turn. Her fraught connection with Prince Cardan adds another irresistible layer, blending hostility, attraction, and sharp emotional tension.
This is a great pick if you want ruthless court politics, clever scheming, and a romance that sparks through conflict.
Fourth Wing delivers the kind of high-risk fantasy romance that ACOTAR fans often crave next. Violet Sorrengail is pushed into the brutal rider quadrant at Basgiath War College, where only the strongest survive and weakness is quickly punished.
Dragon bonds shape alliances, destinies, and power itself. Then there's Xaden—dangerous, unreadable, and very possibly the last person she should trust. Their charged dynamic adds plenty of tension to Violet's fight to prove herself.
With dragons, deadly trials, and a strong romantic thread, this one easily scratches the romantasy itch.
With its lively enemies-to-lovers setup and vivid magical world, Serpent & Dove is an easy recommendation for fans of Maas. Lou is a bold, irreverent witch in hiding, while Reid is a devout witch hunter shaped by strict beliefs and discipline.
When circumstances force them into marriage, the result is exactly as combustible as it sounds. Sparks fly as they clash over everything from morality to identity, all while dangerous secrets threaten to surface.
The banter is sharp, the chemistry is strong, and the fantasy backdrop gives the romance plenty of room to shine.
If you want your romance wrapped in murder, dark magic, and temptation, Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked is a strong choice. After her twin sister is murdered, Emilia is driven by grief and fury to uncover the truth, even if it means summoning Wrath, one of the Princes of Hell.
Their uneasy alliance is full of danger and attraction, with each revelation drawing Emilia deeper into a sinister supernatural world. The atmosphere is rich, the stakes are personal, and the tension never lets up.
Readers who enjoy seductive darkness, mystery, and a simmering romance will find plenty to love here.
An Ember in the Ashes drops readers into a harsh, Roman-inspired fantasy world ruled by fear, violence, and oppression. At its center are Laia, a young woman drawn into espionage, and Elias, a soldier trapped in a system he longs to escape.
Their paths cross in a story driven by rebellion, prophecy, and painful choices. Like Feyre, Laia is forced to discover courage she never knew she possessed while navigating a world much larger and more dangerous than she imagined.
It blends emotional intensity, memorable characters, and a compelling slow-burn connection in a way many romantasy readers will appreciate.
Uprooted is a stand-alone fantasy steeped in folklore, atmosphere, and old-world magic. Agnieszka is unexpectedly chosen by the wizard known as Dragon, a figure feared and misunderstood by the valley he protects.
Although it carries echoes of Beauty and the Beast, the story quickly becomes something stranger and more distinctive. Its magic feels wild and tactile, and the growing relationship at its center unfolds alongside a deeply unsettling threat.
This is an especially good choice if you enjoyed the fairy-tale undertones and emotional transformation in Feyre's story.
For readers in the mood for a darker, bloodier fantasy romance, Broadbent's novel makes a strong follow-up to Maas. Oraya, a human raised in a world of vampires, enters a deadly tournament where survival depends on strength, strategy, and choosing allies carefully.
The setting is ruthless, the stakes are constant, and the relationships are charged with uncertainty. As alliances form and shift, the romance builds through danger and distrust rather than comfort.
If you're looking for intense chemistry, deadly trials, and sharp emotional tension, this one delivers.
The Bridge Kingdom is a smart pick for anyone who loved ACOTAR's blend of romance and political tension. Lara has been trained as a weapon and sent to marry a king she was raised to betray.
Once inside her new kingdom, however, she begins to see the conflict from another angle. Her mission grows more complicated as trust, desire, and divided loyalties start to blur the lines between duty and feeling.
With a capable heroine, layered intrigue, and a satisfying enemies-to-lovers arc, this novel offers plenty for romantasy fans to sink into.
Radiance takes a gentler path than some of the other books on this list, but it's just as compelling in its own way. Ildiko and Brishen enter an arranged marriage between two very different peoples, each finding the other strange and initially far from attractive.
What makes the book so appealing is how naturally their connection develops. Respect turns into friendship, friendship into affection, and affection into a deeply convincing romance.
If your favorite part of ACOTAR was the emotional bond between characters, this heartfelt fantasy romance is well worth picking up.
Readers who appreciate darker, more mature fantasy romance may want to try Gild. Inspired by the myth of King Midas, it follows Auren, a woman literally touched by gold and kept in a life that appears luxurious from the outside but is anything but freeing.
As the story unfolds, Auren begins to confront painful truths about control, desire, trauma, and self-worth. Her internal journey is central, and the book leans into emotional complexity as much as fantasy intrigue.
It's unsettling, intense, and often bleak, but for readers drawn to darker character arcs, it can be a rewarding read.
A Discovery of Witches blends supernatural romance with history, academia, and a touch of gothic atmosphere. Diana Bishop, a scholar and reluctant witch, stumbles across a mysterious manuscript that draws unwanted attention from magical creatures across the world.
Among them is Matthew Clairmont, a vampire whose presence changes everything. Their relationship unfolds against a dense backdrop of ancient secrets, magical politics, and carefully detailed world-building.
It's a thoughtful, immersive choice for readers who want romance with a more intellectual and historical flavor.
If you enjoy dark fairy-tale retellings with a strong sense of atmosphere, House of Salt and Sorrows is worth a look. This gothic reimagining of The Twelve Dancing Princesses follows Annaleigh as she investigates the mysterious deaths of her sisters.
Set in a crumbling seaside estate full of whispers, illusions, and hidden dangers, the novel builds a haunting sense of dread from the very first pages. The mystery deepens as Annaleigh uncovers secrets that blur the line between grief and the supernatural.
It's eerie, romantic, and beautifully moody—ideal for readers who like their fantasy touched with darkness.
Fans of Fae bargains, dangerous courts, and tangled romantic loyalties will likely enjoy These Hollow Vows. Brie enters Faerie to save her sister and soon finds herself caught between two powerful princes, each with his own secrets and agenda.
The story moves quickly, leaning into shifting alliances, courtly deception, and plenty of romantic tension. While it has a YA tone, it still delivers the glamour, danger, and emotional conflict that many ACOTAR readers seek out.
If you're in the mood for a fast, entertaining fantasy with love triangles and magical intrigue, this is a fun pick.
