You finished Fourth Wing, you're emotionally compromised by Xaden Riorson, and now every other book feels inadequate. I get it. Rebecca Yarros ruined a very specific part of your brain, the part that now requires dragons, mortal peril, and a love interest who could kill you but chooses not to.
The good news: romantasy is having a moment, and there are books that scratch the same itch without being knockoffs. What you're really looking for is that cocktail of high-stakes fantasy (actual consequences, not just vibes) plus a slow burn that makes you want to throw your Kindle. These seven books deliver.
by Carissa Broadbent (2022)
If Xaden made your heart race, Raihn will destroy you. A human raised by vampires enters a deadly tournament and allies with the one competitor she should never trust. The slow burn is excruciating in the best way.
by Jennifer L. Armentrout (2020)
A sheltered maiden chosen by the gods discovers her protector has secrets that could unravel everything she believes. Armentrout matches Yarros's pacing and spice level, and the series has enough books to keep you busy for weeks.
by Holly Black (2018)
A mortal girl raised in the High Court of Faerie goes to war with the prince who torments her, then falls for him. The enemies-to-lovers here is vicious. Cardan is the kind of love interest you hate yourself for liking.
by Kerri Maniscalco (2020)
A Sicilian witch summons a Prince of Hell to avenge her murdered twin, then has to work with him while pretending she's not attracted to literal evil. Dark, spicy, and the Italian setting is a gorgeous change of pace from medieval castles.
by Sarah A. Parker (2024)
Dragons that become moons when they die, a heroine forged in a prison pit, and a brooding king she wants nothing to do with. This one hits different. Parker built a world as brutal and beautiful as anything in The Empyrean.
by Sarah J. Maas (2015)
If you somehow got to Fourth Wing without reading ACOTAR, fix that immediately. A mortal huntress is dragged into a fae realm and the romance escalates across five books from slow simmer to full inferno. Maas is the reason romantasy exists as a category.
by Sarah J. Maas (2012)
An assassin competes in a deadly tournament to win her freedom, and gets tangled with a prince and a captain along the way. The first book is YA-ish, but the series matures fast. By book 3, the stakes and the romance are both on Fourth Wing's level.
These are great starting points, but Shelf Sage can do better when it knows what you love.
Chat with Shelf SageThe Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent is the closest match: deadly tournament, morally gray love interest, and a slow burn that actually delivers. ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas is the other obvious pick if you haven't read it yet.
Fourth Wing first, then Iron Flame, then Onyx Storm (2025). They must be read in order. Each picks up directly where the last ended.
Yes. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black has the same enemies-to-lovers and fae court politics but is YA, so the romance stays PG-13. Throne of Glass starts clean too, though it heats up in later books.
Fantasy with romance as a central plot element, not just a subplot. Think epic world-building and high stakes combined with a love story that gets significant page time. Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, and From Blood and Ash are the genre's biggest titles.