If you finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and want that same mix of romance, danger, glamour, and emotional escalation, this guide is built to help you choose your next read without wasting time on vague “if you liked this, try that” lists. Instead of treating every fantasy romance as interchangeable, it breaks down what ACOTAR readers are usually chasing—court intrigue, enemies-to-lovers tension, powerful fae settings, found family, and addictive series momentum—then matches those tastes to specific books and series that deliver similar appeal in different ways.
Overview
The easiest way to find books like A Court of Thorns and Roses is to start by asking a better question than “What is most similar?” What most readers really mean is: Which part of ACOTAR did I love most?
For some readers, the answer is the romantasy balance: a fantasy world with enough plot to feel expansive, but a romance central enough to drive the reading experience. For others, it is the feeling of entering a seductive, dangerous court full of power struggles and shifting loyalties. And for many, it is simpler than that: they want another series that feels easy to sink into and hard to stop thinking about.
That is why the best books similar to ACOTAR are not all carbon copies. Some lean more romantic. Some are darker and more politically complex. Some are faster and more accessible. Some trade fae courts for witches, vampires, gods, or war-torn kingdoms while preserving the same emotional payoff.
Below, you will find spoiler-light fantasy romance recommendations organized by reading taste rather than hype. If you are still mapping your own fantasy preferences more broadly, our guide to Best Fantasy Books for Beginners: Where to Start by Reading Taste is a useful companion.
A quick note on expectations: no series reproduces ACOTAR exactly, and that is usually a good thing. The goal is not duplication. It is finding the next book that scratches the same itch while giving you a fresh world, voice, and romantic dynamic.
Core concepts
This section gives you the practical framework: what ACOTAR readers tend to want next, and which books fit each lane best.
If you want more fae courts, political tension, and sharp romantic chemistry
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is one of the clearest recommendations, but with an important caveat: it is more court-politics-forward than romance-forward. The appeal here is scheming, cruelty, wit, and dangerous attraction rather than the emotionally sweeping, highly foregrounded romantic arc some ACOTAR readers prioritize.
Best for: readers who loved the courtly maneuvering, power imbalance, and morally gray atmosphere.
Not ideal for: readers who mainly want a deeply central, openly emotional romance from page one.
If you want intense romantasy with trials, magic, and big feelings
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout is often recommended to readers asking what to read after ACOTAR because it offers a similarly bingeable combination of fantasy setup, sexual tension, dramatic reveals, and series-scale emotional stakes. It is less polished in some readers’ eyes and more divisive in execution, but if what you want is compulsive, high-emotion romantasy, it is a strong candidate.
Best for: readers who want plot twists, yearning, protective love interests, and a very romance-forward fantasy experience.
Not ideal for: readers looking for tighter prose or a more restrained tone.
If you want a darker, more adult fantasy romance
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent works well for ACOTAR readers who want the emotional pull of romance inside a dangerous fantasy competition. It trades fae glamour for a darker world and a sharper survival edge. The romance is strong, but the atmosphere is bloodier and more severe.
Best for: readers who want chemistry and emotional intensity with a darker fantasy frame.
Not ideal for: readers who want the lush, airy court fantasy mood specifically.
If you want a large fantasy world with romance that grows over time
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is an obvious but still useful recommendation. It does not feel exactly like ACOTAR, especially at the start, and readers should not go in expecting the same structure or immediate payoff. What it offers instead is long-form emotional investment, character evolution, expanding stakes, and romantic arcs that deepen as the series opens up.
Best for: readers who want a bigger epic-fantasy sweep and do not mind a slower setup.
Not ideal for: readers looking for instant ACOTAR-style chemistry and atmosphere in book one.
If you want witchy romance and a very readable entry point
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin is a good pick for readers who liked banter, attraction under pressure, and a fantasy setting that is easy to understand without pages of lore. It is more playful in places than ACOTAR, but it can satisfy readers who want tension and romance in a clear, approachable fantasy framework.
Best for: readers who want a lighter onboarding experience with strong romantic energy.
Not ideal for: readers seeking the same court-centered fae atmosphere.
If you want lush worldbuilding and ornate romantic fantasy
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is not a one-to-one ACOTAR comp, but it earns a place on this list for readers who want emotional stakes, danger, and a fantasy world that feels vivid without becoming unreadable. It leans more toward fantasy with strong romantic elements than pure romantasy, but for readers open to that balance, it can be a rewarding next step.
Best for: readers who want emotional intensity and fantasy plot to matter equally.
Not ideal for: readers who want romance to dominate the reading experience.
If you want enemies-to-lovers with higher heat and modern romantasy pacing
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen is a smart recommendation for ACOTAR readers who loved mistrust, strategic attraction, and a relationship built through conflict. It has less fae spectacle, but it often works for readers who care most about the central dynamic and the push-pull between affection and agenda.
Best for: readers who want romantic tension shaped by political conflict and betrayal.
Not ideal for: readers who mainly want magical-court aesthetics.
If you want mythic fantasy with a strong romantic engine
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent is a good choice for readers who want romance that develops with emotional credibility rather than just instant attraction. It feels more measured than ACOTAR in some respects, but that slower trust-building can be exactly what some readers want after a highly dramatic series.
Best for: readers who want tenderness, growth, and fantasy stakes that support the romance.
Not ideal for: readers who want maximal glamour and courtly decadence.
If you want fae romance with a more traditional fantasy feel
The Falconer by Elizabeth May or These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan can appeal to readers specifically looking for fae, attraction, and danger. Among recent recommendations in this lane, These Hollow Vows tends to be the more direct ACOTAR-adjacent fit because it foregrounds romantic and fae-court appeal in a very accessible way.
Best for: readers who want recognizable fae-romance ingredients and a fast-moving setup.
Not ideal for: readers who need deeper political complexity or richer prose above all else.
A short verdict list by reading mood
- Closest in bingeable romantasy energy: From Blood and Ash
- Best for court intrigue and dangerous charm: The Cruel Prince
- Best darker alternative: The Serpent and the Wings of Night
- Best for long-series commitment: Throne of Glass
- Best for enemies-to-lovers strategy: The Bridge Kingdom
- Best for emotional slow-build romance: Daughter of No Worlds
- Best easier entry point: Serpent & Dove
Related terms
If you are searching for books similar to ACOTAR, you will keep seeing a few genre labels. Knowing what they mean makes recommendation lists much more useful.
Romantasy
This is the term most readers now use for fantasy romance or romance-forward fantasy. In practice, it usually signals that the romantic arc is central, not incidental. ACOTAR is one of the books that helped define the reading appetite behind the label, so if you want more books like it, searching within romantasy is usually more helpful than searching broad fantasy.
Fantasy romance vs. romance in fantasy
This distinction matters. Fantasy romance generally promises that the romance is a main pillar of the story. Romance in fantasy often means the fantasy plot comes first, with a relationship developing alongside it. Many disappointed “books like ACOTAR” readers simply picked up books from the second category when they wanted the first.
Enemies-to-lovers
This trope is one of the biggest reasons ACOTAR-adjacent reading lists exist at all. But readers use the phrase loosely. Sometimes it means genuine hostility and ideological conflict. Sometimes it means forced proximity with flirtatious tension. If this trope is your main draw, look for books where distrust actively shapes the plot, not just the banter.
Fae fantasy
Not every fae book feels like ACOTAR. Some are whimsical, some folkloric, some cruel and political, and some almost contemporary in tone despite a magical setting. If what you loved was specifically the combination of fae glamour, hierarchy, and sensual danger, prioritize books marketed around courts, bargains, and political seduction.
New adult fantasy
This label is inconsistent, but readers often use it to signal adult or upper-young-adult characters, more explicit sexual content, and emotionally immediate storytelling. Many books recommended after ACOTAR fall into this broad zone, even if publishers do not apply the label consistently.
Practical use cases
If your real problem is decision fatigue, use this section to narrow the field quickly.
What to read after ACOTAR based on your favorite element
If you loved the romance most: start with From Blood and Ash or The Bridge Kingdom.
If you loved the fae-court atmosphere: start with The Cruel Prince or These Hollow Vows.
If you loved the danger and emotional intensity: start with The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
If you loved the worldbuilding and want a longer journey: start with Throne of Glass.
If you want something a little more grounded emotionally: start with Daughter of No Worlds.
What to choose if you are new to romantasy
If ACOTAR was your first major fantasy romance and you are still figuring out your taste, do not jump immediately into the densest or longest series unless that sounds exciting. A better approach is to test two different branches of the genre: one romance-forward and one politics-forward. For example, pair From Blood and Ash with The Cruel Prince. That comparison will tell you a lot about whether you want more heat, more strategy, more magic, or more emotional depth next.
What to buy if you only want to commit to one new series
If your budget or reading time is limited, choose based on confidence of fit rather than popularity. Readers who primarily want “another ACOTAR feeling” usually do best with From Blood and Ash, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, or The Bridge Kingdom. Readers who are willing to branch outward from ACOTAR rather than replicate it often do well with The Cruel Prince or Throne of Glass.
If format matters to you, our guide to Hardcover vs Paperback vs Audiobook: Which Format Is Best for Different Readers? can help you decide how to try a long fantasy series without overcommitting.
What works for a buddy read or book club
Not every romantasy pick creates the same kind of discussion. If you are reading with friends and want debate about character choices, trust, and power dynamics, The Cruel Prince and The Bridge Kingdom usually offer more to unpack than a straightforward comfort read. If you want a selection that gets people talking more broadly, you may also like our roundup of Best Book Club Books for Discussion: Picks That Actually Get People Talking.
A simple decision tree
- Want the strongest court-intrigue angle? Pick The Cruel Prince.
- Want the most romance-forward, addictive pace? Pick From Blood and Ash.
- Want darker stakes and a dangerous competition? Pick The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
- Want a long fantasy commitment with expanding scope? Pick Throne of Glass.
- Want betrayal-fueled romantic tension? Pick The Bridge Kingdom.
- Want slower emotional development and strong character work? Pick Daughter of No Worlds.
When to revisit
This guide is worth revisiting whenever your reading taste changes, not just when new romantasy releases appear.
Come back if you realize ACOTAR was not your genre identity, but your gateway. Many readers start by wanting exact readalikes and later discover they actually prefer one sub-element: political fantasy, emotionally intense romance, fantasy with mystery structure, or dark competition stories.
Revisit after you try two or three books in the lane. Once you know whether you prefer higher heat, cleaner prose, slower-burn relationships, or denser worldbuilding, your next pick becomes much easier.
Update your shortlist when genre language shifts. Terms like “romantasy,” “new adult fantasy,” and “fantasy romance” are used differently across publishers, retailers, and readers. That means recommendation culture changes, even when the books stay the same.
Refresh your options when new favorites break through. This is an evergreen topic because audience favorites evolve. The core ACOTAR appeal stays recognizable, but the best supporting examples do change as new series prove they have staying power rather than just launch buzz.
For now, the most practical next step is simple: choose one book based on the exact part of ACOTAR you loved most, not the one you keep seeing most often online. That single shift usually leads to better fantasy romance recommendations, fewer abandoned series, and a much clearer sense of what book you should read next.