The romance-fantasy genre, colloquially known by the portmanteau “romantasy,” has massively blown up in recent years, largely thanks to #BookTok. So many of the books that content creators feel most passionately about—and that then go viral as the obsession spreads—seem to be those that involve magic, non-human creatures, and fantastical world-building, all anchored by a powerful love story detailed in a wide variety of so-called “spice levels” to suit any reader.
Romantasy novels are so mega-popular that they were credited in 2024 with helping to boost print book sales into their first positive increase since 2021. Bloomberg predicted that the genre's book sales alone would reach $610 million in 2024, a significant jump from the already-impressive $454 million total in 2023.
The category is currently dominated by recent heavyweights like Sarah J. Maas’ multi-book series A Court of Thorns and Roses (or ACOTAR, as fans call it) and the absolute phenomenon that is Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean compilation—but it's been around since long before the term was coined. (Outlander, anyone?) Here, we’ve rounded up the best romantasy books out there, many of which are followed by long-running sequels to keep readers occupied until the next #BookTok-approved epic love story arrives.
Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series is now a whopping 16 books, with a 17th coming in May, but it all started with this 2009 novel. In it, we meet vampire hunter Elena Deveraux, who’s been hired by archangel Raphael to track down one of his peers, finding herself drawn closer and closer to Raphael as the hunt goes on.
Ali Hazelwood is a prolific contemporary romance writer, but this 2024 novel was her first foray into paranormal romance. It’s a “marriage of convenience” story in which Misery, the outcast daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, is paired up with alpha werewolf Lowe in what ultimately grows into a very steamy slow-burn romance.
In the first of Danielle L. Jensen’s Bridge Kingdom series, warrior princess Lara travels to the titular kingdom of Ithicana to marry its leader, scheming to take down Ithicana from the inside. However, she didn't expect to develop real feelings for King Aren and discover that she may not have been told the whole truth about the powerful kingdom’s relations with its political rivals.
Perhaps the source of all the recent romantasy hype, Sarah J. Maas’ mega-bestselling ACOTAR series started here, with a fairytale-inspired story in which a human huntress is taken captive by a powerful (and very handsome) faerie. As time passes, Feyre begrudgingly begins to fall for Tamlin while learning more about the Fae lands' dark struggles. I can attest that this enemies-to-lovers slow-burn opener may take some time to get into, but hang in there—the rest of the series heats up very quickly.
Holly Black’s 2018 novel is like a YA ACOTAR; it also stars a mortal girl navigating political intrigue within the world of faeries. Geared toward slightly younger audiences, it’s significantly less spicy than Maas’ take on the faerie court, but it’s garnered praise across age groups for its extensive world-building and character development, plus the classic enemies-to-lovers romance between headstrong Jude and her sworn enemy, faerie Prince Cardan.
I’m going to go ahead and call this one the romantasy You’ve Got Mail. The first in Rebecca Ross’ Letters of Enchantment series, Divine Rivals focuses on two competing journalists, Iris and Roman, who become anonymous pen pals amid a war between the gods. It’s ultimately a story about the all-consuming power of love: both romantic, between Iris and Roman, and familial, as Iris finds herself diving into the gods’ battle to track down her missing brother.
Not every romantasy novel is all intense battles and complicated political intrigue. There are plenty of cozy entries in the genre, too, like Erin Sterling’s Graves Glen series, which started in 2021 with this sweet and spicy story about a breakup curse gone wrong. Witch Vivi sees her ex-boyfriend Rhys (and her entire town) come under a barrage of attacks when he suddenly appears back in her life years after they called things off.
Leigh Bardugo is a favorite among dedicated fantasy readers, thanks to her hit Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows series. The author has labeled this 2024 standalone historical fantasy novel as her most romantic yet: It’s set in the Spanish Golden Age, where a servant girl with supernatural gifts finds herself falling for the handsome henchman assigned as her mentor and protector in a royal contest of magic—all while trying to survive said contest and the looming Inquisition.
The first of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series took the world by storm in 2023, and two more books later (with another two on the way), the hype has only grown. Fourth Wing kicks off the series, introducing readers to heroine Violet and her formidable wingleader-turned-love-interest Xaden, who live in a world in which warriors form psychic bonds with the dragons they ride and which is embroiled in a war that they may or may not be on the right side of.
This 2020 romantasy novel tells the story of Poppy, who’s unsure about fulfilling her destiny as an untouched, isolated Maiden among the gods—especially not after meeting Hawke, the extremely handsome guard overseeing her planned Ascension. Once you’re hooked on Poppy and Hawke’s complicated, sexy story, buckle in: Jennifer L. Armentrout has planned a seven-book run for the Blood and Ash series, and the sixth book is already scheduled to arrive this June.
N.K. Jemisin is a bestselling, award-winning fantasy and sci-fi writer (my personal non-romantasy favorite of hers is The City We Became), and 2010’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is where her acclaimed career as a novelist—and the Inheritance trilogy—began. It centers on a young outcast, Yeine, who learns after her mother's mysterious death that she’s a potential heiress to the throne. The vicious power struggle that ensues tosses her into the tangly machinations of her newfound extended family and the gods they’ve enslaved, the latter of which includes Nahadoth, a classically irresistible brooding-bad-boy type.
When she inherits the throne from her grandfather, mortal young woman Liyen pledges to get her revenge on the immortal beings she believes are responsible for throwing her kingdom into chaos. After being summoned to their realm, however, she finds herself drawn to the dangerous God of War, an undeniable connection that could either destroy her kingdom or be the key to saving it.
Freya Marske’s Last Binding trilogy are all queer historical fantasies, sure to have readers simultaneously swooning over the powerful love stories and dying to know more about the magical, mysterious Edwardian-era England where they take place. This first book in the series sees nobleman Robin mistakenly join a secret magical society, where he meets the prickly Edwin and subsequently uncovers a dastardly plot that could spell the end for every magician in the country.
This is basically the romantasy version of Red, White & Royal Blue: In it, the Prince of Christmas forms a secret, forbidden crush on the Prince of Halloween—scandalous!—just as he’s expected to compete for the hand of his best friend, the Easter Princess, the actual love interest of his brother. That messy situation adds up to a very sweet, very sexy story that’s a true delight to read.
Another #BookTok fave, the first entry in Rachel Gillig’s Shepherd King duology pairs up a maiden, Elspeth, with a man of royal blood to protect their kingdom from dark magic. The drama unfolds not only amid their growing attraction but also while Elspeth quietly battles the monstrous spirit that lives inside her, threatening to take over her mind.
Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling historical romance series began in 1991 and was eventually followed by eight more novels, several short stories, a spinoff series, and a hit TV adaptation. Outlander spins a fantastical tale of a world in which World War II-era nurse Claire suddenly finds herself traveling through time to 18th-century Scotland, where she falls in love and embarks on many epic adventures with dashing highlander Jamie.
Stephen is a paladin, sworn to protect and serve a god. Once that god dies, he’s feeling all but useless—until he stumbles upon a fugitive named Grace and promptly joins her in getting tangled up in a treacherous, murderous plot. A powerful story about two broken people falling in love as they learn to heal, it’s followed by several more entries in the Saint of Steel series, each of which follows a different paladin romance.
For those who like their slow-burn romances with plenty of quick banter and a healthy dose of spice, Quicksilver is for you. Saeris, who secretly wields Alchemist’s magic, finds herself accidentally transported to the world of the Fae, where she’s soon bonded to the nefarious yet handsome warrior Kingfisher. He needs her magic to protect his people, while she needs his help to get back home; sounds like the start of a great enemies-to-lovers story to me.
Another YA romantasy series that transcends age groups, Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen books are often compared to Game of Thrones for their intricate world-building. Dive in with the first in the series, which introduces readers to heroine Mare and a world in which power distribution is based on the color of your blood. Prepare yourself for plenty of twists and turns as red-blooded Mare finds herself betrothed to a silver-blooded prince and attempts to use her new position to take down the system from the inside.
Shelby Mahurin’s bestselling trilogy kicked off with this 2019 novel, in which outcast and thief Lou is forced into marriage with church-employed witch-hunter Reid. Their reluctant relationship finally starts to grow into real love—until Reid finds out that Lou is actually a witch, a situation that becomes even more complicated as the conflict between the witches and the church reaches a major escalation.
Oraya, the adopted human daughter of a vampire king, enters a tournament to prove her worth in her adopted kingdom. She’s up against bloodthirsty warriors from three other vampire houses, including Raihn, who’s terrifying, dangerous, and, of course, completely irresistible to Oraya. Their story and that of the broader world of vampires continues throughout Carissa Broadbent’s majorly addicting Crowns of Nyaxia series, which so far includes three of a planned six novels and two standalone stories.
Kimberly Lemming’s quirky romances have the distinct pleasure of being laugh-out-loud hilarious and so steamy you’ll be blushing for pages on end. This one, the first in her Mead Mishaps series, stars a homebody spice trader named Cinnamon who gets swept up in a revenge plot against an evil witch, carried out by the (often-shirtless) demon Fallon.
As a certified Romeo and Juliet-head, this romantasy retelling of the Shakespeare classic is a personal favorite of mine. These Violent Delights and its follow-up, Our Violent Ends, tell the story of Juliette and Roma, heirs to rival gangs in 1920s Shanghai. Amid the gang warfare, however, a mysterious monster is attacking people on both sides of the fight, forcing the star-crossed lovers to set their longstanding conflicts aside and team up to stop the monster and save their city.
ACOTAR may have taken a bigger share of the spotlight thanks to #BookTok (and its famously spicy scenes), but Maas’ first epic romantasy series, which is decidedly less explicit and begins with Throne of Glass, is often cited as the favorite among her devoted fans. This first entry follows an imprisoned assassin named Celaena as she joins a brutal royal competition to earn her freedom—introducing her to potential allies and enemies (and lovers, of course) in the form of a crown prince, a devoted guard, and a foreign princess.
To those who don’t consider the Twilight books romantasy, I say: Argue with the wall. Stephenie Meyer’s paradigm-shifting series introduced human teenager Bella to a secret world of sparkly vampires and, eventually, hot-blooded werewolves. The series sets up the ultimate love triangle between her, the statuesque Edward, and her lovable bestie Jacob—a.k.a. a perfect blend of romance and fantasy. Case closed!
Another sweetly cozy take on the romantasy genre, Sangu Mandanna’s 2022 found-family tale follows Mika, a witch hired to help three young girls learn to control their magic. While staying in their remote home in her governess-like role, Mika quickly forms close-knit bonds with everyone in Nowhere House—except maybe Jamie, the residence’s handsome and standoffish librarian, who’s especially protective of the girls.
Billed as a “supernatural Western,” this 2023 historical romantasy novel is set during the Mexican-American War. At its core is the love story between Nena and Néstor. After the childhood sweethearts are torn apart for nearly a decade following Nena’s attack by mysterious creatures, they're reunited against a nightmarish enemy as war sets in.
Shanora Williams’ self-published Tether Trilogy began with Vicious Bonds, in which a human woman named Willow is dropped into another universe, only to discover she has a psychic bond with—and a powerful attraction to—a local monarch, Caz. As they reluctantly join forces to find a way to send Willow home, they grow closer, forcing them into an increasingly dangerous predicament.
