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Books like ACOTAR: Spicy fantasy books to read after ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’

​​​​​​​View Date:2024-12-24 01:44:32

If you decide to get on Booktok and have just started curating your TikTok “For You Page” with book recommendations, “A Court of Thorns and Roses” will likely be the welcoming committee.

The Sarah J. Maas fantasy series has exploded on the app, charming romantasy readers with plenty of faeries, enemies-to-lovers tropes and spice. Readers praise the books as fast-paced reads, despite the five-part series being a whopping 2,896 pages.

Tore through "ACOTAR" and want more? We’ve got eight recommendations for your next read.

Books like ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’

If you’re looking for more Maas, there are plenty of books to go around. Try her “Throne of Glass” series, which has seven books, or her “Crescent City” books next. “Fourth Wing,” by Rebecca Yarros is another BookTok romantasy favorite.

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

Or, try a new author on for size.

‘The Cruel Prince’ by Holly Black

The first book of “The Folk of the Air” series follows Jude, a mortal who has been living in the High Court of Faerie since she was young, after her parents were murdered. The faeries around her are powerful, immortal and beautiful. Now, as a teenager, she wants to be one of them. The only problem: most of the fey despise humans, especially Prince Cardan, the enchanting son of the High King. Winning a place at the Court is dangerous enough, but it's not the only sinister thing lurking in the palace walls. It’ll be up to Jude to risk her life to save her sisters and the faerie world. 

‘Faebound’ by Saara El-Arifi

This queer romantasy follows two elven sisters – warrior Yeeran and prophecy-seeking Lettle. After Yeeran makes a fatal mistake that exiles her from their homeland, the pair must face the fae court − a fate long considered impossible. No one has seen the fae for a millennium. This new world will test their loyalty to each other and the home they left behind. 

‘A Broken Blade’ by Melissa Blair

In the first book of “The Halfling Saga,” Keera, a talented spy and assassin, is tasked with protecting the king from a mysterious masked figure. On a quest to discover whether her enemy is Mortal, Elf or a Halfling like her, Keera enters Faeland. What she uncovers shocks her and makes her question where her true enemies lie. 

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‘Crier’s War’ by Nina Varela

This series centers on an impossible love “that could birth a revolution.” Set decades after a war between humans and automae, the latter species rule the world and can bend humankind to their will by creating perfect beings.

A high-up daughter of the House of Sovereign, Crier, is one such “Made.” She was “Made” to be beautiful and flawless, slated to take over the kingdom from her father. Everything changes when she meets her new human servant, Ayla, who turns her world upside down. But Ayla rose in the ranks of servantry for a reason – to avenge her family and kill Crier.

‘Lore of the Wilds’ by Analeigh Sbrana

In “Lore of the Winds,” 21-year-old Lore is a human in a village imprisoned by ruthless Fae. When her community is threatened, Lore agrees to leave her home in search of an enchanted library. Faes are forbidden to enter this library – only a human can stand a chance of getting inside. Accompanied by two dangerous yet attractive Fae men on her journey, Lore must guard both her life and her heart as she searches for magic of her own inside the library's walls.

‘Shadow and Bone’ by Leigh Bardugo

Now a Netflix series starring Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes, this fantasy trilogy follows the orphaned soldier Alina Starkov as she's sent to the dark, monster-infested Shadow Fold. When her regiment is attacked, Alina discovers she has hidden powers that could be the key to rescuing her war-torn country. Now, training in the royal court among the magical elite, she’ll face the pressure of taming her powers to save an entire kingdom.

‘The Serpent & the Wings of Night’ by Carissa Broadbent

“The Serpent & the Wings of Night” follows Oraya, the adopted human daughter of a Nightborn vampire king who enters a tournament hosted by the goddess of death. She'll have to face vicious vampire warriors and make an alliance with a ruthless, mysterious enemy to survive. But the competition gets even more complicated when she feels unexpectedly drawn to rival vampire killer Raihn. 

‘The City of Brass’ by S.A. Chakraborty

Set in 18th-century Cairo, con woman Nahri has more than a few tricks up her sleeve. She doesn’t believe in the magic of childhood stories and is instead sure that sleight of hand and skill is the only way to get by.

But everything changes when she accidentally summons a dark, mysterious djinn warrior. Now, confronted with magic she had always dismissed, Nahri must enter the legendary city of brass and learn the true impact of her power amid a “dangerous web of court politics.”

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