The world feels so lived in. I love the mix of the average person's life during war and then actually getting to see the realities of war. The love story is so sweet. Definitely highly recommend.
I really enjoyed the world building in Divine Rivals but I felt like the second half was so rushed. 😭 I wanted to see so much more of Attie and Marisol! Strong and fleshed out female friendships are so lacking in fantasy and that makes me sad.
I’m so sad that I couldn’t understand the hype around this book. It felt like a novella to a fantasy book about the background of some side characters 😭
I would recommend radiance by grace draven, the two main characters enter an arranged marriage to secure an alliance between their two kingdoms,however they are not of the same species, the fmc is human, the mmc is not and the funny thing is they find each other ugly 😂but then the two of them are wonderful and so a friendship develops between them and we just follow them. It’s so so good
I read this book yesterday based on your comment! I loved it. Do you have any other recs? I liked their playful banter, easy friendship and health relationship. But it would be nice to have slightly more world building or a little bit more problems to overcome. Thanks!!
I think ACOTAR is actually often in the middle as a standalone and the feelings are more for the series as a whole. Either you thought the first one was fine, but the rest were amazing, or you think the first one was surprisingly decent and then it tanked.
Daughter of No Worlds! I just finished the second book in the War of Lost Hearts trilogy by Carissa Broadbent. So far I like it WAY more than Serpent and the Wings of Night. It’s very political and the romance is slow burn and believable. And there are very few love scenes.
And she sticks the landing in book 3! Each book is fantastic in the series. I hope she does do a T&M novella at some point as she's hinted at. Don't forget there is a free Max short story on her site 😉
Thank you so much for sharing your favorite books in this genre. As soon as you mentioned Final Fantasy 10 as being one of your all time favorite games, I knew I could trust your opinion. I am just getting back into reading and had a hard time picking between your two top tiers. Starting with OUABH and hoping to read them all eventually.
Now that Fourth Wing’s sequel is on the horizon I just smile and say “thanks I’m good.” Sometimes I flip through Ikea catalogues and think about Violet’s coital collateral damage and just sing “In the Arms of the Angel” to myself. Many desks and chairs and armoires lie in splinters because she goes UNLIMITED POWERRRRR in bed.
@@ivylilybasketI suppose I could give that a pass since she also rides dragons in this book and I imagine that’s a cross between horseback riding and atmospheric reentry. It’s not quite as bad as “I’m 85 pounds soaking wet and 5’ in heels but I routinely hunt bears for my family” but it’s a close second.
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 oh, Jessamine Neanderlily would never wear heels until we reach the gala arc. Then we’d get descriptions about how terrible wearing heels are for fighting and how she’d rather fight bears than wear heels and on and on until Prince Fark Marbleston says she looks nice and the dark count Clyde Faminestorm steals her away to his Midnight Garden. Y’know, the usual
We agree on so many of these, it's hilarious to me. I feel like an underrated fantasy romance is the Spellbreaker duology by Charlie N. Holmberg. I really enjoy her writing. It is a historical so maybe that's why it's less popular but it was my introduction to fantasy romance and I LOVE it. I already loved romance and fantasy as separate categories so it really worked for me. Plus I love the magic system.
Have you read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea? It’s YA fantasy romance that’s sweet and cute, and the story feels very magical. It gave me Studio Ghibli vibes! Also, I read Half a Soul based on one of your videos and I loved it so much! Thank you for the recommendations :)
Ah, yay, I’m glad you enjoyed it! And yes! I love that one, and completely agree about the Studio Ghibli vibes. For some reason in my head it doesn’t *quite* fall into fantasy romance, even though it definitely has a nice love story in it :)
I don’t share all of your opinions on these books but I really appreciate how you described your thoughts here. Sometimes tier rankings get so exhaustive that they become honestly boring.
Have you ever read the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning? It's been awhile since I read it, but I remember the world building and plot more than the romance. It is a bit dark though (it has fae, but they are more in-line with the actual lore, as in evil and untrustworthy). It has many morally grey characters and is not the sweet/cozy type at all.
If you liked Once Upon a Broken Heart, you should definitely read the Caraval trilogy too. It kind of surprised me how much I liked it and I liked how the first two books focused on each sister and the third book focused on both of them. It’s not perfect but it felt unique and this year I’ve been really into reading books that don’t remind me of other things. Also the Empirium trilogy was so good, actually a series without flaw in my eyes. It’s so well written and the world building and character relationships made me wish it never ended. And it is YA which I enjoy even at 24 but this felt way more mature than any other YA so I can’t recommend it enough.
I don't read a lot of fantasy romance anymore, but I still consider The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson my favorite in this genre. And I also really enjoyed her Dance of Thieves duology. It's both YA, though
@@noshintasnim3205 TOG is short form of Throne of Glass and sjm is full form of sarah j mass author of the series. Her work is not for everyone but if you aquire the taste it's difficult for other author to please you with their work. In my opinion tog is her best work
@@srijitabanerjee8801 I read TOG for the first time last summer. And, I think it's the weaker of her series as it continued. There were SO many inconsistencies, continuity issues, and retcons. Just....no.
@@phAntasyluvr_04 Like I said its my opinion. Tog is her first series and the plot changed from of her actual plot. When i also read it for first time I also thought like you but somehow after tog whatever I read nothing has pleased me and kept on revisiting Tog and everytime I discovered new thing. So yes her work is not for everyone but if you aquire the teast then you you are hard to please. Tog is always my top tier now the empyrean series is close to that mark .
My favorite fantasy romance series is Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat. Personally, I do not consider it as a romance but a political/war fantasy with VERY dark and tabooed relationships. I have a soft spot for Laurent even after all he did. It's a personal story for me, I read it during a really dark time in my life, and it resonated deeply with me.
I love Captive Prince, I've read the entire series in two days. It is pretty heavy, though, and the author does not spare their characters, which is why I am not picking up their new series until all the books are finished. I am conflicted on the romance in CaPri, which is why I'm probably never going to reread the original books. Luckily, there is enough fanfiction to satisfy my craving for romance in that vaguely historical setting, although not many fanfic authors manage to capture Laurent's character without writing him either as too mean or too feminine and sweet. And Damen, too, is often written as this clueless himbo, who cannot keep up with his hot bitchy husband, but is supportive anyway. It takes away from their original dynamic, where they are both capable and proficient in their own fields and can stand as equals both in marriage and in ruling. For me personally, their being equal (or at least balanced) in experience and social position is what makes the romance so compelling. It is more interesting to see two fully developed individuals clash and work to find common ground, than to watch one person be molded to fit their more experienced partner. Anyway, sorry for my little rant. I just hate how underappreciated that series is, I want more people to know about it.
Radiance by Grace Draven is a great fantasy/romance book and I really loved Howls moving castle book. The love story and interactions between characters I felt was even better in the book and I love the movie. Also, Olivia Atwater has a new Victorian fairy tail book called The Witchwood knot coming out 11/28. I preordered that one right when I heard about it ☺️
Of the books in your video that I have read, I agree with you on their rankings, so I've added a few of the others to my TBR, thanks! I recently read and enjoyed Little Thieves by Margaret Owen and just started the sequel, Painted Devils. I think they may be YA, but they're quirky and fun but also deal with some serious topics.
I just got through the first 2 books in the Marvelous Light series and feel like they totally caught me off guard with how great they were and am now eagerly awaiting the third one to come out. Very sweet, a bit of spice, queer romance, historical fictiony goodness with a fun and interesting magic lore that had me innnn it! Highly recommend
I feel you on trying to find a romance that’s similar to one like FFX (or just FF love stories in general) and it’s hard to find in western literature. I honestly really loved Carissa Broadbent’s “Daughter of No Worlds “ series (author of serpent sings of night) it’s the closest that I’ve read that feels final fantasy esque and I find it more enjoyable then the serpent series overall
I highly recommend Fable by Adrienne Young (The World of the Narrows duology). So beautifully written, the romance is a fairly plot-forward element while still remaining understated and letting the main story shine. So tastefully done and meaningful, while also exploring various familial relationships that were beautiful. It’s set mainly at sea too and the atmosphere was great.
More fantasy romance recs: Swordheart by T. Kingfisher, Radiance by Grace Draven, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
I would call Emily Wilde fantasy romance! I think we will definitely get more romance as the series goes on. It always makes me happy when you talk about This Vicious Grace because that book is so underhyped! Loved hearing your thoughts on all of these!
This was a fun one! Your videos alerted me to Half a Soul, which I hadn't heard of. We're on the same page with Fourth Wing, From Blood and Ash, and Serpent and Dove. At least with Fourth Wing, I find it to be entertaining trash. 😂
You should try Carissa Broadbent’s previous trilogy the World of Lost Hearts, which starts with Daughter of No World, I like it even more than the Serpent and the Wings of Night, plus it’s a complete series
I'd put An Ember in the Ashes (and all the sequels) in S-tier for the romance between Elias and Laia. There's a lot of tragedy attached to that romance, but I still love it. The romance in Ice Massacre (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai) is also really great.
Please read The Remnant Chronicles, by Mary Pearson. It's a trilogy that starts with The Kiss of Deception. Then there is a follow-up duology that starts with Dance of Thieves.
I know it's not exactly fantasy romance, but I thought you would mention Yumi and the Nightmare Painter when you talked about Final Fantasy X, since it's inspired by it. If anyone else also likes FFX, definitely try it, it's really sweet.
The Mercy Thompson series and Anita Blake series should be part of this list. As well as the Alpha Omega and Merry Gentry series. However the series didn't start this year.
You killed me with A Game of Fate. 😂 I actually really like that book and prefer it over Persephone’s PoV in A Touch of Darkness, but I get what you’re saying. I think it’s actually classified as erotica now that I think about it. 😅
Its light fantasy but you could try The Kushiel's Dart trilogy. They are a little more political minded but the main character is a courtesan. It's actually quite beautiful. but, you need to get through the first 200 or so pages of the first book. It is about her childhood and it does make a difference to read it.
I'm so happy to see Emily Wilde in the top tier! I loved it so much ❤ the love interest for fell into the category of "I would never get along with you" but I shipped them with the main character so much 😅
i read "red winter" by annette marie recently and surprised me so much! great japanese mythology and the couples dynamic reminded a bit of evajacks. the only flaw is the ugly cover 😭
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 perhaps for some books! but not so much in the ya fantasy genre (I'm thinking shadowhunters, howl's moving castle, once upon a broken heart, stuff like that -- plus a variety of other super trash books that I ate up nonetheless 😅)
@@alexamurray1800 Shadowhunters are actually NOT romance books though-they are urban fantasy books (or historical fantasy books, depending on which ones exactly) with romantic subplots, exactly like I was talking about. If you excised the romantic plotlines, you'd still have a book with a coherent plotline even without the romance. Most YA fantasy is like that. But of course there are some exceptions, more like Twilight.
It’s funny because I fell in love with EOF because of your recommendation and so I have added all of your top tier books to my TBR as well, I can’t wait!
This was a fun one! We have books on the same tiers and then some that are completely opposite! 😂 I specifically avoided fourth wing because of your review and I am ever thankful that I didn’t pick it up lol Edit: what about the All Souls Trilogy? I consider it fantasy romance. I think I have rated the same as Acotar though.
I felt the same way about ACOTAR! I enjoyed it well enough, but I was left feeling like I was good and didn't need to move into reading any of the other books in the series. I haven't loved Sarah J Maas' other books though so I think I just decided to quit while I was ahead haha
@@Beetlejam837ACOFAS did everyone (esp Rhys imo) so dirty. It’s the trilogy for me. Silver Flames (and probably the other upcoming books) just read like a bonus extra than actual canon to me
24:28 Oh my god, you need to read The Mirror Visitor - A Winter‘s Promise. I don‘t know if this is exactly your taste (first video I‘m watching from you), but it seems like you‘re kinda into more political intrigues and an interesting setting. I love the worldbuilding in that one, and although the romance is kinda suddle at first, I think this might be your book ;) (btw I would actually recommend this book to anyone who is more into fantasy without romance as well, cos the fantasy elements are just some of the vibiest things I‘ve ever read)
Looking forward to trying some of these books I haven't read. I love Lindsay Buroker's Emporer's Edge series. She is an indie author and this is by far my favourite series of hers. The romance is slow burn. They don't really get together until the end of the series but there are interactions along the way building up to it which I love. It is quirky with a lot of humour, kind of steam-punk/fantasy and can be a corny at times but I love the characters and character development. Each book has the main character's POV and the POV of one other character - the secondary POV changes with each book so you get to know one of the characters better in when it is their POV. I thought that was a really cool way of getting to know the team members better and I have never seen anyone else do it. I preferred the Danielle L Jensen's Malediction series over the Bridge Kingdom series. I really liked her take on the trolls.
As always, your video have a jovial nature that refresesh the tired and sored angles of daily life and stress. I was surprised about Wicked King, I should give it a try. I wish you would read Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray and let us know what you think about the romance in there. Thank you again and have a great week!
Oh my goddd. I was just thinking the other day that I don’t know any booktuber with exact or very similar taste to mine. All the booktubers I love have somewhat of different likings. I’m aware that a good portion of their favourites are not something I would love. But this is the most similar video with my thoughts and favourites😭I’m so happy. In fact I’m currently reading half a soul and it’s such a charming book! I’m loving it. The whole time I was scared that what is she gonna rank that book😬 Really glad to have found this video today ♥️looking forward to more videos from you!
If you’re ever interested: Baldur’s Gate 3 has met my fantasy romance urges in game form! With excellent writing, story telling, amazing characters it has fully immersed me and I have NEVER played a game like it or know anything about D&D. But that game made me not read for MONTHS lol But asides from gaming- one of my recent faves was Yumi & The Nightmare Painter, it was so endearing and entertaining and the fact Sanderson wrote it for his wife 😭 then a Curse for True Love the final book in the OUABH series was a bit disappointing Anyways, I really like your tier list! I definitely wanna check out Half A Soul, Paladin’s Grace, and Vicious Grace 👍🏼
I've read almost all of these same books. TBH... at this point I had DNF'd 'Half A Soul' and I can't remember exactly why... (I've literally finished 148 books this year according to my Kindle insights) I think it had something to do with children who are abused or in poor health... that topic shuts me down. I definitely enjoyed the 'Once Upon A Broken Heart' series... I love that Jacks got his own storyline 🤗🥰👑 but S. Garber writes in so much "character ambivalence" where (in this case Evangeline) spends hundreds of pages times 3 books worrying about Jacks motives... at some point what would be viewed as 'angst' just reads like the author intentionally 'word-padding' her books instead of advancing the story plot.
You've got a lot of the same books in your top tier that I do, so maybe I can recommend something good. With Christmas coming soon, I'd recommend "The Enchanted Sonata" by Heather Dixon Wallwork. It's a lovely take on the Nutcracker with an adorable couple. And I think it's even more appreciated if you have a knowledge of music due to some of the concepts within it.
I love this. Its fun to see where our reading opinions overlap and where they differ. For instance I love fourth wing, serpent and the wings night and the acotar series ( but not the first book acotar very much). I also have some issues with from blood and ash especially the next couple books.
Finally someone who’s not hating on Fourth Wing. I understand why readers won’t like the functioning of the war college and how students just die and the professors dont give a shit. But maybe thats the part of world building? Because they complain about having less riders on the battlefield but then they’re letting the students be murdered? Maybe thats a part of how theyre hiding the venins and wyverns stuff from the civilians so. The second book was too stretched out for no good reason but im hoping for the best in the third one. Ps- love the banters between the dragons.
You should read the Bone Season series! The pairing in that is very slow burn and intense, but each character is given such great depth individually and the plot of the story never takes a backseat to make room for the romance.
I’m just getting back into reading, thank you for this list you have. I have added a few to my TBR list. For you have you read the Crave series? I’m on book 3 and really enjoying it
omg i'm so glad i found this channel you have such similar reading tastes!! nodding along the whole time. I'd really recommend strange the dreamer by laini taylor it's SO good so magical, the fantasy aspect is very present and the romance still is amazing and protagonical. Second book is a little bit more normal, just like a well-written YA, but strange the dreamer is just its own category to me and everything I wanted in a fantasy romance tbh
I also liked This Vicious Grace and Half a Soul and I always come to your channel for recs because I feel you're the closest booktuber to my reading taste (most others I tried are either full YA, full adult epic fantasy, or full spicy romantasy). But most books I liked are YA and I know you've read most known authors like Tricia Levenseller, Margaret Rogerson, etc. My most enjoyable YA fantasy of this year was definitely Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton. However, the romance is a fairly small side plot. One YA fantasy with a lot of romance that was super cute and I wish more people knew about it is Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift. Another YA fantasy that I feel is very underrated and unknown is Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee, it's so funny and unique take on Chinese mythology in urban fantasy setting. I'd actually wish to read more adult romantasy but like... one that isn't all spice no plot. I wonder what are your recs for that except Half a Soul / Emily Wilde / One Dark Window / Hart & Mercy, etc. I bounced back off the writing style in Hurricane Wars hard, and I dnfed Jasad Heir (hah I reckon you had a dnf video about that one too). Oh I remember what's cute and on my tbr: the mead mishaps series by Kimberly Lemming (the one where one book is called something like "That Time I Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf", or something). Also, did you know Tricia Levenseller is releasing a companion novel to her Pirate series soon? That took me by a surprise.
Have you tried reading any adult paranormal romance? I'd like to see more fantasy romance series done basically like adult paranormal romance series[ kinda], only...set in totally fantasy worlds, rather than in fantastical versions of Planet Earth. If that even makes any sense.😂😊🤭🤭💖🤍
I recently enjoyed The Book of Azrael and A Court This Cruel and Lovely! The relationship between the main characters and the even the supporting characters are great~
You should check out What Lies Beyond the Veil. I came to it for the romance BUT I stayed for the fantasy/plot. It's a really good series. I'd consider it more a fantasy with a romance subplot so for me, the best of both worlds ❤
I got some recommendations! I love this genre and totally agree with every opinion about every book I know on here. (Read about 50% + 30% more were already on my list (thanks for the rest!! :-) Here are my 3 favorite fantasy-romance series: Kate Daniels, Fever (by Karen Marie Moning) and Mercy Thompson. Have you ever tried urban fantasy? This ones aren`t your cliche paranormal romances, I promise. All are slow burn (romances) and characterdriven storeys. The first two are a bit fantastical. Fever is also sort of cozy (to me). Mercy Thompson is brilliant. The story and relationships feel so real. I dropped it at first, it takes a few books to get really attached to the characters but every book gets better after the first few (and it`s never boring). All of these series have great audiobooks by the way. Greetings from Bavaria! 🙂
You should consider kimberly lemmings books! the first one is called " that time I got drunk and saved a demon " ! One thing I really am dissapointed with alot of fantasy romance is is the complete lack of diversity, it is soooo hard to find romance books in the fantasy genre with black female leads! so finding her books was such a treat for me, I dont mind reading fantasy with white female leads but sometimes it gets exhausting when the main character is always thin and delicate and has skin as white as snow. The series has some very interesting lore and I enjoyed the worldbuilding as I found it easy enough to understand quickly on a first read, and there were also some stakes so it wasnt like, completely stress free either. each book has a different main character and each one is diverse and has a very unique personality that is fun to read I think. I'd be super interested in hearing your thoughts on one of her books or the series in general.
I am a violinist and have also played in pit orchestras, so I know exactly what you mean. I disagree with you on ACOTAR, I think it should be top tier, but thoroughly enjoyed your video and hope to see much more from you!
I trust this list because I played FFX and totally get what you're looking for in a romance. I am genuinely surprised a lot of these books didn't scratch your itch. Heck you might as well try looking for Japanese fantasy novels.
I have two trilogies for you-one complete, one not; both are indie published but excellent. 1. On these Dark Sands trilogy(at least that’s the first book) by Vanessa Rasanen it’s a pirate fantasy with fae dove in an interesting way and political intrigue. And romance. 2. The Gate Chronicles by Alli Earnest will be completed next year I believe. Steampunk romance on a different planet.
I'm reading the sequel to Paladin's Grace, it's a new love story in the same world but with other characters, so far it's really good and so funny, I already like it better than the first one, highly recommend.
The same friend who got me into From Ash and Blood (bc it was SoOooo spicy, but wasnt actually) and ACOTAR (I DNFd the second book) wants me to read Fourth Wing and I don't know how to tell her that I am slowly losing faith in her book recs bahahahaha
Thank you for these videos! I really like the way you explain your rationale behind the tiers and ranking! That being said, I so hoped that Irregular witches would be tier 5 😅. I really did not find this book special, cute, endearing... Didn't like the love interest, either. Everyone was mostly annoying 😂
Hi, was wondering your thoughts on the Crave series, I just finished the first book. Thought it was good and the ending was unexpected to me. Great video, I have a few more things to read now 😊
Alright these are not fantasy romance, and I know they may be old news... But for fantasy books WITH romances that have stuck with me, which also contain lots of politics and adventure: Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. Starting with the Song of the Lioness quartet. That one also happens to be my favorite, even though the writing is weakest since it was her first published series. The characters and romantic subplots are just too perfect for me.
I read "Heart of the Raven Prince" by Tessonja Odette and I LOVED it. Now it is like a Cinderella retelling with fae (I know...fae...overkill but I really enjoyed this book), BUT it does not follow the typical plot of Cinderella. To me it is more of an inspiration and the author nods to it with little things here and there. I felt she was very respectful of the original. I went into the novel blind and I suggest you do as well. I am very very picky about retellings and Cinderella is not my favorite fairytale, but this one blew me away. I thought the writing was fantastic, I loved the magic and it actually is why "Cinderella" is forced to be a servant for her stepmother due to a fae promise kinda thing. And I loved the main characters, I loved Ember and Franco. It reminded me of Ever After which is one of my favorite romance movies. I think you will enjoy it. I will say, in case anyone cares, there is a sex scene in it but I truly loved watching these characters slowly fall in love with each other throughout the book. It is everything I wanted in a fairytale retelling and I hope you or anyone else would love it too (and if not that's okay too). Hope someone might find a new favorite. And I agree Once Upon a Broken Heart is my guilty pleasure! Loved that book! Thanks for sharing!
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 I love Ever After! There were definitely moments reading Heart of the Raven Prince where I was like, this reminds me of Ever After! I hope you enjoy the book!
@@books4everafter Ever After is such a beautiful movie. I loved it as a little girl and even now as an adult. It is so good. So glad to hear someone else loves it so much too! I really loved Heart of the Raven Prince. I feel like the book definitely had certain moments happen that reminded me of Ever After (I think of one scene in particular but I cannot mention it due to spoilers!). I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did and it doesn't disappoint you!
I hope this has been recommended to you. If not, please, pick it up! "Nice Dragons Finish Last" series by Rachel Aaron. Actually, I highly recommend all her series based in this universe ❤❤❤❤
I see those Ace colors for the tier ranks haha. Appreciate it! I want to recommend House of Scepters by Anne Zoelle. There is no romance in book1, but book2 is just perfection all around.
I think you might like These Broken Stars (and the whole Starbound trilogy), nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards back in the day. It's a little sci-fi fantasy romance, but I really enjoyed them. Especially book two - each book follows a different couple, but they all intertwine kind of like the Lunar Chronicles.
One of my favourite romantasy books is Heart of the Raven Prince by Tessonja Odette and books with romance as a side plot in the series l like The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova (Loom Saga) and Odin's Child by Siri Pettersen (The Raven Ring)
I've been looking for a new channel for fantasy/romantasy recs and you just won my entire devotion because the NUMBER OF TIMES they same names in Fourth Wing is out of control. I ranted to friends that if I never heard his stupid name ever again it would be a day too soon.
I've only read about half of these, but I agree with your thoughts!! I love romance that makes sense, that's sweet, and takes it's time to develop as well. Half a Soul is one incredible example, I get happy just thinking of those characters! ❤ Divine Rivals & OUABH are amazing as well 😍
Maybe you could try the Book of Tea duology? It’s a YA duology but it mixes court politics, YA drama, and the romance in a very cute and thrilling way! It’s one of the very few YA series I appreciate for its romance that I’ve read as an adult. And it includes a tournament arc like Serpent and the Wings of Night
The fae isles series from Lisette Marshall is not talked enough.... so underrated: -FL is half fae but lived all her life believing she´s human until she met the ML ( who is Fae/????) -Compeling magic system based on draining color to produce magic, were blue is atributted to healing and/or restoring, red for destruction, yellow for change etc.. -Morally grey ML that in my opinion is the best book boyfriend i´ve read. -Love that the romance is present in all books and doesn´t fade out after they get together (im looking at you ACOWAR). -The romantic leads resolve and heal from trauma together, love the dynamic, the banter, good communication. -Fantasy world that expandes more the second book. -And it has plenty of good spice with build up and tension that compliments the plot. The first book is really good but the other 3 are even better imo. There is also a prequel about the love story of her parents and a sapphic sequel is getting written (haven´t read those yet).
I have read precisely half of these. 😂 The three in your top tier that I haven't read are already in my wish list along with the other two books by Olivia Atwater (I've read Half a Soul). I cannot disagree with any of this ranking. 😁I feel very safe taking a fantasy romance rec from you. You probably saved me some time! Oooo! You asked for recs! Yay! The Mummy by Anne Rice (I remember laughing a lot with this one but that’s about it. It’s been a long time and it’s Anne Rice, so there may be concerning things in it.) The Wolf Gift Chronicles by Anne Rice The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker The Winter Night Trilogy by Katherine Arden Imajica by Clive Barker (Yeah… it’s a romance, an odd one, but it is :D ) The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop (really just the trilogy and Dreams Made Flesh, I wasn’t gung ho for the ones after. TW: SA, non graphic. Yes, ACOTAR is a fanfic of this series, no joke and I prefer this to it.) The Tir Alain Trilogy by Anne Bishop Dragon Prince and Dragon Star by Melanie Rawn (Yes, these books are dated by some of their content. Family Saga, Politics TW: SA) Pretty much anything written by Juliet Marillier except Blade of Fortriu (Her books can contain some very heavy themes.) The Banned and the Banished by James Clemmons (The writing isn’t great but the story is good and there is a minor romantic subplot. Hero’s Journey, Found Family). Pretty much anything by Alice Hoffman (Most of these are not “happy” stories but they are rich and rarely very long. Magical realism more than fantasy) The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (TW: Unalive. Magical realism? Reincarnation? Not really fantasy in the traditional sense. But it is one of my favorite books.) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern -Silly Supernatural/Fantasy Romance- The Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey (brain candy but super silly and cute retellings, just light and for fun.) Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson (Just freaking ridiculous and funny. Definitely brain candy. Don’t binge it though, it all starts to taste like beans after a bit. These books are in no way serious.) Just… Molly Harper (Again, brain candy, silly and fun. Not very long. Something cute to break up more serious reading stints.)
For some reason, this comment just suddenly reminded me that I started reading 'Lord of the Fading Lands' (first book in the Tairen Soul series) by C.L. Wilson, years ago, and I never meant to put it down, but somehow have gone years without finishing it-I was enjoying it, and I should really try and pick it up again sometime now! ((Maybe it's because you named a number of authors' work that is either in ultimate faves or has been on my TBR for ages-like Anne Bishop, and Anne Rice. For some reason, I feel like we don't really see people who read Anne Bishop and such on booktube quite so often, for whatever reasons.😊 Lol)) I don't know why, but I kinda think "The Shadow Queen" and "Shalador's Lady" would actually be a little bit more Elliot's speed than the OG trilogy, maybe-but I'm not sure they're especially friendly to any readers who might try and pick them up without having the context of reading the trilogy first. I liked them all equally much in completely different ways, but I should really pick up everything after Shalador's Lady one of these days-I failed to keep up with new releases after that, because I'm just the worst now at sticking with ongoing releases, honestly. Basically all my soft DNFs over the years have been because they were ongoing or such instead of completed series.😂😅😅😊
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 I know, right? I think it really is just that SJM is contemporary. UA-cam didn't show up on the scene until 2005 and SJM released Throne of Glass in 2012, with ACOTAR following in 2015, after BookTube had been rolling for a while. Anne Bishop did it all first but she really was writing at a time when the Fantasy Romance was still on the down low. The first books in Black Jewels came out in the 90s and Tir Alainn was the early 2000s. Melanie Rawn was even further back, The Dragon Prince was released in 1988 and is very dated in some of its treatments so people tend to not recommend those. I must confess that I don't remember "Tangled Webs" and "The Shadow Queen" and I'm pretty sure I didn't make it to "Shalador's Lady". That being said, I may go back to them. I'm one of those people who has trouble continuing in a world after the 'main story' is done 😅😁. But it's been many years since I read Black Jewels so I may be able to start fresh for the books after "Dreams Made Flesh". I had to do that to appreciate Ian C. Esslemont after finishing 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' by Stephen Erikson (they created the world together and write different parts of it). Thanks for reminding me that this is an option for other works, too! I've read 'Lord of the Fading Lands' and I didn't hate it but I didn't love it enough to go on with the rest of the series. I do hope you enjoy it though! Most of my DNFs are actually due to writing more often story. If I can't get passed either the writing style or the writing is bad enough, I'll stop. 😂 I have to REALLY want to know what happens to push through either of those things.
I've read only bridge kingdom (only first book) and I really enjoyed it, although it's not very original story and it seems predictable, but it's really enjoyable book. I'm planning to read The traitor queen in the future to end that duology.
This is so helpful lol i think our preferences might be similar so i have some new ones to try. Really been trying to find some more great sweet fantasy romance I would highly highly recommend the Red Winter Trilogy by Annette Marie. I've never seen any booktuber review her, maybe because you can only get her books if you go out of your way to buy them online... but Red Winter is one of my favorite series ever. Slow burn, characters really growing into themselves, not really any spice but i still felt all the feels. I re-read this pretty often for cozy feel-good times. Most of us fans consider it a good winter read (perfect time!). I would say this series is like... 60% plot and 40% romance? Not sure, the plot definitely comes first but romance is definitely part of it too without letting the plot drop off I hope you can read them some day!
I'd recommend The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Gogman. Lots of politics and mystery with a clever female lead and a slow burn romance. Oh, and also fae and dragons and a few vampires thrown into the mix.
A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden! I just discovered it a month ago, and it is so good. The sequel is coming out in April, with the last coming in October.
Hi! If you liked Enchantment of Ravens, I recommend Sorcery of Thorns by the same author. The romance is not in the forefront and is not predominant but I loved the protagonist and her journey, the worldbuilding (very good for a standalone) and the secondary characters. I hope you give it a chance😉
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a sweet fantasy romance that I think you would enjoy. You’ve Got Mail was my favorite movie as a kid (lol) and it encapsulates the essence of that movie. It’s got the mysterious pen pals, enemies to lovers, a good balance of romance/fantasy plot, and the romance is sweet/loving (not spicy). The second book in the duology comes out in December, too!
“I’m surprised this is for anyone” just took me out 😭💀
I liked Forcing fate would love you insite on it
Regarding too much sex in books -- I've said before in book commentary: sex isn't a plot. :)
I just finished One Dark Window and its sequel and, wow, this duology! It's quite dark and wow the magic system!
I started Divine Rivals and i’ve never been hooked so quickly by a book. This is high quality writing straight up
Agreed. I love the writing and how much time was spent on the characters' inner lives.
The world feels so lived in. I love the mix of the average person's life during war and then actually getting to see the realities of war. The love story is so sweet. Definitely highly recommend.
I really enjoyed the world building in Divine Rivals but I felt like the second half was so rushed. 😭 I wanted to see so much more of Attie and Marisol! Strong and fleshed out female friendships are so lacking in fantasy and that makes me sad.
I’m so sad that I couldn’t understand the hype around this book. It felt like a novella to a fantasy book about the background of some side characters 😭
......I feel like I read a different book, but to each their own!
"everyone has their own tastes and apparently poppy tastes like honeydew" I DIED
Ssaaammmeeeee!!!!!!!!!🤭🤭😅👀🫣🤣🤣🤣
I would recommend radiance by grace draven, the two main characters enter an arranged marriage to secure an alliance between their two kingdoms,however they are not of the same species, the fmc is human, the mmc is not and the funny thing is they find each other ugly 😂but then the two of them are wonderful and so a friendship develops between them and we just follow them. It’s so so good
The Wraith King series was such a fun read, I wish I could forget it just to read it again tbh
Best "romantasy" novel I've read in years!
Blows 95% of the rest of the genre clean out of the water.
Yes, I second this: The Wraith Kings series is great, but pretty much anything by Grace Draven is an autobuy for me ❤
Indeed! One of the best book i've read this year! I love grace draven books and novellas so much ❤
I read this book yesterday based on your comment! I loved it. Do you have any other recs? I liked their playful banter, easy friendship and health relationship. But it would be nice to have slightly more world building or a little bit more problems to overcome. Thanks!!
I think ACOTAR is actually often in the middle as a standalone and the feelings are more for the series as a whole. Either you thought the first one was fine, but the rest were amazing, or you think the first one was surprisingly decent and then it tanked.
Your story about Enchantment of Ravens is so great! It makes me happy.😅 That’s a lovely memory with a fantastic book.
It shocks me to hear how much downtime orchestras could have!
Daughter of No Worlds!
I just finished the second book in the War of Lost Hearts trilogy by Carissa Broadbent. So far I like it WAY more than Serpent and the Wings of Night. It’s very political and the romance is slow burn and believable. And there are very few love scenes.
And she sticks the landing in book 3! Each book is fantastic in the series. I hope she does do a T&M novella at some point as she's hinted at. Don't forget there is a free Max short story on her site 😉
Thank you so much for sharing your favorite books in this genre. As soon as you mentioned Final Fantasy 10 as being one of your all time favorite games, I knew I could trust your opinion. I am just getting back into reading and had a hard time picking between your two top tiers. Starting with OUABH and hoping to read them all eventually.
Now that Fourth Wing’s sequel is on the horizon I just smile and say “thanks I’m good.” Sometimes I flip through Ikea catalogues and think about Violet’s coital collateral damage and just sing “In the Arms of the Angel” to myself.
Many desks and chairs and armoires lie in splinters because she goes UNLIMITED POWERRRRR in bed.
I seriously can't that Violet was meant to be a disability rep, I wonder how that doesn't get in the way of spicy scenes...
@@ivylilybasketI suppose I could give that a pass since she also rides dragons in this book and I imagine that’s a cross between horseback riding and atmospheric reentry.
It’s not quite as bad as “I’m 85 pounds soaking wet and 5’ in heels but I routinely hunt bears for my family” but it’s a close second.
@@vigilantScrivener Well... does take the heels off to hunt those bears? Lol
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 oh, Jessamine Neanderlily would never wear heels until we reach the gala arc. Then we’d get descriptions about how terrible wearing heels are for fighting and how she’d rather fight bears than wear heels and on and on until Prince Fark Marbleston says she looks nice and the dark count Clyde Faminestorm steals her away to his Midnight Garden.
Y’know, the usual
@@vigilantScrivener 🤣🤣🤣 _Oy!_ 🙃😅🤦♀️👀
We agree on so many of these, it's hilarious to me. I feel like an underrated fantasy romance is the Spellbreaker duology by Charlie N. Holmberg. I really enjoy her writing. It is a historical so maybe that's why it's less popular but it was my introduction to fantasy romance and I LOVE it. I already loved romance and fantasy as separate categories so it really worked for me. Plus I love the magic system.
Have you read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea? It’s YA fantasy romance that’s sweet and cute, and the story feels very magical. It gave me Studio Ghibli vibes! Also, I read Half a Soul based on one of your videos and I loved it so much! Thank you for the recommendations :)
Ah, yay, I’m glad you enjoyed it! And yes! I love that one, and completely agree about the Studio Ghibli vibes. For some reason in my head it doesn’t *quite* fall into fantasy romance, even though it definitely has a nice love story in it :)
@@ebnovelsI was at a Target yesterday and saw a big book on The History of Modern Manga...thought of you. 😊
I don’t share all of your opinions on these books but I really appreciate how you described your thoughts here. Sometimes tier rankings get so exhaustive that they become honestly boring.
Have you ever read the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning? It's been awhile since I read it, but I remember the world building and plot more than the romance. It is a bit dark though (it has fae, but they are more in-line with the actual lore, as in evil and untrustworthy). It has many morally grey characters and is not the sweet/cozy type at all.
If you liked Once Upon a Broken Heart, you should definitely read the Caraval trilogy too. It kind of surprised me how much I liked it and I liked how the first two books focused on each sister and the third book focused on both of them. It’s not perfect but it felt unique and this year I’ve been really into reading books that don’t remind me of other things.
Also the Empirium trilogy was so good, actually a series without flaw in my eyes. It’s so well written and the world building and character relationships made me wish it never ended. And it is YA which I enjoy even at 24 but this felt way more mature than any other YA so I can’t recommend it enough.
I don't read a lot of fantasy romance anymore, but I still consider The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson my favorite in this genre. And I also really enjoyed her Dance of Thieves duology. It's both YA, though
I came here to say this! TRC is my all time favorite. DOT and VOT is a great follow up duology. The way she ties everything together is perfect.
Favorite of all time as well. It’s just so pure. ❤
Both series are an ABSOLUTE all time favorite of mine as well...
LOL! Your tier 4 was my tier 1!!! Loved Blood to sh and Fourth Wing!! lol
Everyone talks about ACOTAR but people rarely ever mention TOG. I think TOG is SJM’s best series. Wish people would talk about it more ♥️
Umm, I am new, so can you please tell the full form of TOG and SJM please
@@noshintasnim3205 TOG is short form of Throne of Glass and sjm is full form of sarah j mass author of the series.
Her work is not for everyone but if you aquire the taste it's difficult for other author to please you with their work.
In my opinion tog is her best work
@@srijitabanerjee8801 I read TOG for the first time last summer. And, I think it's the weaker of her series as it continued. There were SO many inconsistencies, continuity issues, and retcons. Just....no.
@@phAntasyluvr_04 Like I said its my opinion. Tog is her first series and the plot changed from of her actual plot. When i also read it for first time I also thought like you but somehow after tog whatever I read nothing has pleased me and kept on revisiting Tog and everytime I discovered new thing.
So yes her work is not for everyone but if you aquire the teast then you you are hard to please.
Tog is always my top tier now the empyrean series is close to that mark .
My favorite fantasy romance series is Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat. Personally, I do not consider it as a romance but a political/war fantasy with VERY dark and tabooed relationships. I have a soft spot for Laurent even after all he did. It's a personal story for me, I read it during a really dark time in my life, and it resonated deeply with me.
I love Captive Prince, I've read the entire series in two days. It is pretty heavy, though, and the author does not spare their characters, which is why I am not picking up their new series until all the books are finished.
I am conflicted on the romance in CaPri, which is why I'm probably never going to reread the original books. Luckily, there is enough fanfiction to satisfy my craving for romance in that vaguely historical setting, although not many fanfic authors manage to capture Laurent's character without writing him either as too mean or too feminine and sweet. And Damen, too, is often written as this clueless himbo, who cannot keep up with his hot bitchy husband, but is supportive anyway. It takes away from their original dynamic, where they are both capable and proficient in their own fields and can stand as equals both in marriage and in ruling. For me personally, their being equal (or at least balanced) in experience and social position is what makes the romance so compelling. It is more interesting to see two fully developed individuals clash and work to find common ground, than to watch one person be molded to fit their more experienced partner.
Anyway, sorry for my little rant. I just hate how underappreciated that series is, I want more people to know about it.
yeeeeeeess finally a kindred soul :))
Yay! I've found my people.
Radiance by Grace Draven is a great fantasy/romance book and I really loved Howls moving castle book. The love story and interactions between characters I felt was even better in the book and I love the movie. Also, Olivia Atwater has a new Victorian fairy tail book called The Witchwood knot coming out 11/28. I preordered that one right when I heard about it ☺️
Of the books in your video that I have read, I agree with you on their rankings, so I've added a few of the others to my TBR, thanks! I recently read and enjoyed Little Thieves by Margaret Owen and just started the sequel, Painted Devils. I think they may be YA, but they're quirky and fun but also deal with some serious topics.
Did you read the standalone Six Scorched Roses in the Nyaxia series? I think I enjoyed it more than the Serpent and the Wings of Night.
I just got through the first 2 books in the Marvelous Light series and feel like they totally caught me off guard with how great they were and am now eagerly awaiting the third one to come out. Very sweet, a bit of spice, queer romance, historical fictiony goodness with a fun and interesting magic lore that had me innnn it! Highly recommend
I feel you on trying to find a romance that’s similar to one like FFX (or just FF love stories in general) and it’s hard to find in western literature. I honestly really loved Carissa Broadbent’s “Daughter of No Worlds “ series (author of serpent sings of night) it’s the closest that I’ve read that feels final fantasy esque and I find it more enjoyable then the serpent series overall
I highly recommend Fable by Adrienne Young (The World of the Narrows duology). So beautifully written, the romance is a fairly plot-forward element while still remaining understated and letting the main story shine. So tastefully done and meaningful, while also exploring various familial relationships that were beautiful. It’s set mainly at sea too and the atmosphere was great.
More fantasy romance recs: Swordheart by T. Kingfisher, Radiance by Grace Draven, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
I would call Emily Wilde fantasy romance! I think we will definitely get more romance as the series goes on. It always makes me happy when you talk about This Vicious Grace because that book is so underhyped!
Loved hearing your thoughts on all of these!
This was a fun one! Your videos alerted me to Half a Soul, which I hadn't heard of. We're on the same page with Fourth Wing, From Blood and Ash, and Serpent and Dove. At least with Fourth Wing, I find it to be entertaining trash. 😂
You should try Carissa Broadbent’s previous trilogy the World of Lost Hearts, which starts with Daughter of No World, I like it even more than the Serpent and the Wings of Night, plus it’s a complete series
Yes, a respectful relationship between the two main characters built up over the course of the three books. It's one of my top three favorite series.
The Red Winter series by Annette Marie is a really good one. It's got a Japanese theme with yoki, slow burn, and unique mystery plot.
I'd put An Ember in the Ashes (and all the sequels) in S-tier for the romance between Elias and Laia. There's a lot of tragedy attached to that romance, but I still love it.
The romance in Ice Massacre (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai) is also really great.
Please read The Remnant Chronicles, by Mary Pearson. It's a trilogy that starts with The Kiss of Deception. Then there is a follow-up duology that starts with Dance of Thieves.
Yes!!!
I know it's not exactly fantasy romance, but I thought you would mention Yumi and the Nightmare Painter when you talked about Final Fantasy X, since it's inspired by it. If anyone else also likes FFX, definitely try it, it's really sweet.
The Mercy Thompson series and Anita Blake series should be part of this list. As well as the Alpha Omega and Merry Gentry series. However the series didn't start this year.
Mercy Thompson and Alpha Omega are my number one all time favorites!! I'm on pins and needles waiting for the next book to drop!!!!
You killed me with A Game of Fate. 😂 I actually really like that book and prefer it over Persephone’s PoV in A Touch of Darkness, but I get what you’re saying. I think it’s actually classified as erotica now that I think about it. 😅
Its light fantasy but you could try The
Kushiel's Dart trilogy. They are a little more political minded but the main character is a courtesan. It's actually quite beautiful. but, you need to get through the first 200 or so pages of the first book. It is about her childhood and it does make a difference to read it.
I'm so happy to see Emily Wilde in the top tier! I loved it so much ❤ the love interest for fell into the category of "I would never get along with you" but I shipped them with the main character so much 😅
i read "red winter" by annette marie recently and surprised me so much! great japanese mythology and the couples dynamic reminded a bit of evajacks. the only flaw is the ugly cover 😭
when you said fantasy isn't known for romance I was like whaaaatttt? (I've read mostly ya fantasy, which is pretty much all romance haha!)
It's primarily romance as a subplot, though. Or, romance + something-else both equally as plots, interwoven together.
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 perhaps for some books! but not so much in the ya fantasy genre (I'm thinking shadowhunters, howl's moving castle, once upon a broken heart, stuff like that -- plus a variety of other super trash books that I ate up nonetheless 😅)
@@alexamurray1800 Shadowhunters are actually NOT romance books though-they are urban fantasy books (or historical fantasy books, depending on which ones exactly) with romantic subplots, exactly like I was talking about. If you excised the romantic plotlines, you'd still have a book with a coherent plotline even without the romance. Most YA fantasy is like that. But of course there are some exceptions, more like Twilight.
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 perhaps, but the romances are a main focus of the books
It’s funny because I fell in love with EOF because of your recommendation and so I have added all of your top tier books to my TBR as well, I can’t wait!
This was a fun one! We have books on the same tiers and then some that are completely opposite! 😂 I specifically avoided fourth wing because of your review and I am ever thankful that I didn’t pick it up lol
Edit: what about the All Souls Trilogy? I consider it fantasy romance. I think I have rated the same as Acotar though.
Fourth Wing is amazing!!
❤📚📚♥️ I haven't read Fourth Wing, but the rest are so in sync with my own preferences...another reason I love your channel!
I felt the same way about ACOTAR! I enjoyed it well enough, but I was left feeling like I was good and didn't need to move into reading any of the other books in the series. I haven't loved Sarah J Maas' other books though so I think I just decided to quit while I was ahead haha
Ngl I feel like ACOTAR is the weakest of the series thus far (ignoring ACOFAS, which I didn’t like and won’t reread)
@@Beetlejam837ACOFAS did everyone (esp Rhys imo) so dirty. It’s the trilogy for me. Silver Flames (and probably the other upcoming books) just read like a bonus extra than actual canon to me
24:28 Oh my god, you need to read The Mirror Visitor - A Winter‘s Promise. I don‘t know if this is exactly your taste (first video I‘m watching from you), but it seems like you‘re kinda into more political intrigues and an interesting setting. I love the worldbuilding in that one, and although the romance is kinda suddle at first, I think this might be your book ;) (btw I would actually recommend this book to anyone who is more into fantasy without romance as well, cos the fantasy elements are just some of the vibiest things I‘ve ever read)
Looking forward to trying some of these books I haven't read.
I love Lindsay Buroker's Emporer's Edge series. She is an indie author and this is by far my favourite series of hers. The romance is slow burn. They don't really get together until the end of the series but there are interactions along the way building up to it which I love. It is quirky with a lot of humour, kind of steam-punk/fantasy and can be a corny at times but I love the characters and character development. Each book has the main character's POV and the POV of one other character - the secondary POV changes with each book so you get to know one of the characters better in when it is their POV. I thought that was a really cool way of getting to know the team members better and I have never seen anyone else do it.
I preferred the Danielle L Jensen's Malediction series over the Bridge Kingdom series. I really liked her take on the trolls.
As always, your video have a jovial nature that refresesh the tired and sored angles of daily life and stress. I was surprised about Wicked King, I should give it a try. I wish you would read Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray and let us know what you think about the romance in there. Thank you again and have a great week!
Oh my goddd. I was just thinking the other day that I don’t know any booktuber with exact or very similar taste to mine. All the booktubers I love have somewhat of different likings. I’m aware that a good portion of their favourites are not something I would love. But this is the most similar video with my thoughts and favourites😭I’m so happy. In fact I’m currently reading half a soul and it’s such a charming book! I’m loving it. The whole time I was scared that what is she gonna rank that book😬 Really glad to have found this video today ♥️looking forward to more videos from you!
I think we have very similar tastes. You rated everything I've read the same as I would have. I love this!
First acotar book was fun but the second one was brilliant!
If you’re ever interested: Baldur’s Gate 3 has met my fantasy romance urges in game form! With excellent writing, story telling, amazing characters it has fully immersed me and I have NEVER played a game like it or know anything about D&D. But that game made me not read for MONTHS lol
But asides from gaming- one of my recent faves was Yumi & The Nightmare Painter, it was so endearing and entertaining and the fact Sanderson wrote it for his wife 😭 then a Curse for True Love the final book in the OUABH series was a bit disappointing
Anyways, I really like your tier list! I definitely wanna check out Half A Soul, Paladin’s Grace, and Vicious Grace 👍🏼
I've read almost all of these same books. TBH... at this point I had DNF'd 'Half A Soul' and I can't remember exactly why... (I've literally finished 148 books this year according to my Kindle insights) I think it had something to do with children who are abused or in poor health... that topic shuts me down. I definitely enjoyed the 'Once Upon A Broken Heart' series... I love that Jacks got his own storyline 🤗🥰👑 but S. Garber writes in so much "character ambivalence" where (in this case Evangeline) spends hundreds of pages times 3 books worrying about Jacks motives... at some point what would be viewed as 'angst' just reads like the author intentionally 'word-padding' her books instead of advancing the story plot.
You've got a lot of the same books in your top tier that I do, so maybe I can recommend something good. With Christmas coming soon, I'd recommend "The Enchanted Sonata" by Heather Dixon Wallwork. It's a lovely take on the Nutcracker with an adorable couple. And I think it's even more appreciated if you have a knowledge of music due to some of the concepts within it.
I love this. Its fun to see where our reading opinions overlap and where they differ. For instance I love fourth wing, serpent and the wings night and the acotar series ( but not the first book acotar very much). I also have some issues with from blood and ash especially the next couple books.
Finally someone who’s not hating on Fourth Wing. I understand why readers won’t like the functioning of the war college and how students just die and the professors dont give a shit. But maybe thats the part of world building? Because they complain about having less riders on the battlefield but then they’re letting the students be murdered? Maybe thats a part of how theyre hiding the venins and wyverns stuff from the civilians so. The second book was too stretched out for no good reason but im hoping for the best in the third one. Ps- love the banters between the dragons.
You should read the Bone Season series! The pairing in that is very slow burn and intense, but each character is given such great depth individually and the plot of the story never takes a backseat to make room for the romance.
Love your rankings! Thank you!
I’m just getting back into reading, thank you for this list you have. I have added a few to my TBR list. For you have you read the Crave series? I’m on book 3 and really enjoying it
omg i'm so glad i found this channel you have such similar reading tastes!! nodding along the whole time. I'd really recommend strange the dreamer by laini taylor it's SO good so magical, the fantasy aspect is very present and the romance still is amazing and protagonical. Second book is a little bit more normal, just like a well-written YA, but strange the dreamer is just its own category to me and everything I wanted in a fantasy romance tbh
I also liked This Vicious Grace and Half a Soul and I always come to your channel for recs because I feel you're the closest booktuber to my reading taste (most others I tried are either full YA, full adult epic fantasy, or full spicy romantasy). But most books I liked are YA and I know you've read most known authors like Tricia Levenseller, Margaret Rogerson, etc. My most enjoyable YA fantasy of this year was definitely Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton. However, the romance is a fairly small side plot.
One YA fantasy with a lot of romance that was super cute and I wish more people knew about it is Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift.
Another YA fantasy that I feel is very underrated and unknown is Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee, it's so funny and unique take on Chinese mythology in urban fantasy setting.
I'd actually wish to read more adult romantasy but like... one that isn't all spice no plot. I wonder what are your recs for that except Half a Soul / Emily Wilde / One Dark Window / Hart & Mercy, etc. I bounced back off the writing style in Hurricane Wars hard, and I dnfed Jasad Heir (hah I reckon you had a dnf video about that one too).
Oh I remember what's cute and on my tbr: the mead mishaps series by Kimberly Lemming (the one where one book is called something like "That Time I Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf", or something).
Also, did you know Tricia Levenseller is releasing a companion novel to her Pirate series soon? That took me by a surprise.
Have you tried reading any adult paranormal romance?
I'd like to see more fantasy romance series done basically like adult paranormal romance series[ kinda], only...set in totally fantasy worlds, rather than in fantastical versions of Planet Earth. If that even makes any sense.😂😊🤭🤭💖🤍
I recently enjoyed The Book of Azrael and A Court This Cruel and Lovely! The relationship between the main characters and the even the supporting characters are great~
your setup is giving me oldschool booktube and i'm obsessed
You should check out What Lies Beyond the Veil. I came to it for the romance BUT I stayed for the fantasy/plot. It's a really good series. I'd consider it more a fantasy with a romance subplot so for me, the best of both worlds ❤
I got some recommendations!
I love this genre and totally agree with every opinion about every book I know on here. (Read about 50% + 30% more were already on my list (thanks for the rest!! :-)
Here are my 3 favorite fantasy-romance series: Kate Daniels, Fever (by Karen Marie Moning) and Mercy Thompson.
Have you ever tried urban fantasy? This ones aren`t your cliche paranormal romances, I promise. All are slow burn (romances) and characterdriven storeys.
The first two are a bit fantastical. Fever is also sort of cozy (to me). Mercy Thompson is brilliant. The story and relationships feel so real. I dropped it at first, it takes a few books to get really attached to the characters but every book gets better after the first few (and it`s never boring). All of these series have great audiobooks by the way.
Greetings from Bavaria! 🙂
I love picturing you in the pit reading An Enchantment of Ravens during the dialogue in a musical.
You should consider kimberly lemmings books! the first one is called " that time I got drunk and saved a demon " ! One thing I really am dissapointed with alot of fantasy romance is is the complete lack of diversity, it is soooo hard to find romance books in the fantasy genre with black female leads! so finding her books was such a treat for me, I dont mind reading fantasy with white female leads but sometimes it gets exhausting when the main character is always thin and delicate and has skin as white as snow. The series has some very interesting lore and I enjoyed the worldbuilding as I found it easy enough to understand quickly on a first read, and there were also some stakes so it wasnt like, completely stress free either. each book has a different main character and each one is diverse and has a very unique personality that is fun to read I think. I'd be super interested in hearing your thoughts on one of her books or the series in general.
I am a violinist and have also played in pit orchestras, so I know exactly what you mean. I disagree with you on ACOTAR, I think it should be top tier, but thoroughly enjoyed your video and hope to see much more from you!
There’s a really sweet romance in A study in Drowning by Ava Reid. It’s fantasy-lite and dark academia.
We have very similar taste (including loving FFX!) Have you read the Prison Healer trilogy? I picked them up recently and was hooked
OUABH and it's follow-up are forever a go-to read when I want to feel swept away.
I trust this list because I played FFX and totally get what you're looking for in a romance. I am genuinely surprised a lot of these books didn't scratch your itch. Heck you might as well try looking for Japanese fantasy novels.
Fourth wing being compared to Too Hot to Handle really resonates
If you like sweet romance you need to try Charlie N Holmberg. I particularly love the Spellbreaker duology by her.
I have two trilogies for you-one complete, one not; both are indie published but excellent. 1. On these Dark Sands trilogy(at least that’s the first book) by Vanessa Rasanen it’s a pirate fantasy with fae dove in an interesting way and political intrigue. And romance. 2. The Gate Chronicles by Alli Earnest will be completed next year I believe. Steampunk romance on a different planet.
I think you would really enjoy Blood & Steel/ Vows & Ruins. It’s a fantasy romance with Witcher vibes. One of my fav series of the year!
I'm reading the sequel to Paladin's Grace, it's a new love story in the same world but with other characters, so far it's really good and so funny, I already like it better than the first one, highly recommend.
I'm on the fence about even reading Fourth Wing. 😂 it's so insanely popular, but I feel like that means I'm going to be disappointed with it lol
The same friend who got me into From Ash and Blood (bc it was SoOooo spicy, but wasnt actually) and ACOTAR (I DNFd the second book) wants me to read Fourth Wing and I don't know how to tell her that I am slowly losing faith in her book recs bahahahaha
Thank you for these videos! I really like the way you explain your rationale behind the tiers and ranking! That being said, I so hoped that Irregular witches would be tier 5 😅. I really did not find this book special, cute, endearing... Didn't like the love interest, either. Everyone was mostly annoying 😂
Hi, was wondering your thoughts on the Crave series, I just finished the first book. Thought it was good and the ending was unexpected to me.
Great video, I have a few more things to read now 😊
Alright these are not fantasy romance, and I know they may be old news... But for fantasy books WITH romances that have stuck with me, which also contain lots of politics and adventure:
Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. Starting with the Song of the Lioness quartet. That one also happens to be my favorite, even though the writing is weakest since it was her first published series. The characters and romantic subplots are just too perfect for me.
I read "Heart of the Raven Prince" by Tessonja Odette and I LOVED it. Now it is like a Cinderella retelling with fae (I know...fae...overkill but I really enjoyed this book), BUT it does not follow the typical plot of Cinderella. To me it is more of an inspiration and the author nods to it with little things here and there. I felt she was very respectful of the original. I went into the novel blind and I suggest you do as well. I am very very picky about retellings and Cinderella is not my favorite fairytale, but this one blew me away. I thought the writing was fantastic, I loved the magic and it actually is why "Cinderella" is forced to be a servant for her stepmother due to a fae promise kinda thing. And I loved the main characters, I loved Ember and Franco. It reminded me of Ever After which is one of my favorite romance movies. I think you will enjoy it. I will say, in case anyone cares, there is a sex scene in it but I truly loved watching these characters slowly fall in love with each other throughout the book. It is everything I wanted in a fairytale retelling and I hope you or anyone else would love it too (and if not that's okay too). Hope someone might find a new favorite. And I agree Once Upon a Broken Heart is my guilty pleasure! Loved that book! Thanks for sharing!
If you say "it reminded me of Ever After" like that-I'm instantly adding this onto my tbr!🤭🤭❤🤣
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 I love Ever After! There were definitely moments reading Heart of the Raven Prince where I was like, this reminds me of Ever After! I hope you enjoy the book!
Ever After is my fav movie too! It's a major reason why I named my UA-cam channel name, Books4EverAfter 😊
Now I def need to add this rec to my tbr!
@@books4everafter Ever After is such a beautiful movie. I loved it as a little girl and even now as an adult. It is so good. So glad to hear someone else loves it so much too!
I really loved Heart of the Raven Prince. I feel like the book definitely had certain moments happen that reminded me of Ever After (I think of one scene in particular but I cannot mention it due to spoilers!). I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did and it doesn't disappoint you!
I hope this has been recommended to you. If not, please, pick it up! "Nice Dragons Finish Last" series by Rachel Aaron. Actually, I highly recommend all her series based in this universe ❤❤❤❤
I see those Ace colors for the tier ranks haha. Appreciate it! I want to recommend House of Scepters by Anne Zoelle. There is no romance in book1, but book2 is just perfection all around.
I would recommend Reign & Ruin by J.D. Evans. It's the first book in a great series and i've been devouring the books!📚
I think you might like These Broken Stars (and the whole Starbound trilogy), nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards back in the day. It's a little sci-fi fantasy romance, but I really enjoyed them. Especially book two - each book follows a different couple, but they all intertwine kind of like the Lunar Chronicles.
One of my favourite romantasy books is Heart of the Raven Prince by Tessonja Odette and books with romance as a side plot in the series l like The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova (Loom Saga) and Odin's Child by Siri Pettersen (The Raven Ring)
love your recommendations always
I've been looking for a new channel for fantasy/romantasy recs and you just won my entire devotion because the NUMBER OF TIMES they same names in Fourth Wing is out of control. I ranted to friends that if I never heard his stupid name ever again it would be a day too soon.
I've only read about half of these, but I agree with your thoughts!! I love romance that makes sense, that's sweet, and takes it's time to develop as well. Half a Soul is one incredible example, I get happy just thinking of those characters! ❤
Divine Rivals & OUABH are amazing as well 😍
I trust you because you loved Once Upon A Broken Heart. I love that book ❤
Maybe you could try the Book of Tea duology? It’s a YA duology but it mixes court politics, YA drama, and the romance in a very cute and thrilling way! It’s one of the very few YA series I appreciate for its romance that I’ve read as an adult. And it includes a tournament arc like Serpent and the Wings of Night
Would definitely love to recommend One Dark Window Books, it’s a duology and it’s so good I continuously think about these books
The fae isles series from Lisette Marshall is not talked enough.... so underrated:
-FL is half fae but lived all her life believing she´s human until she met the ML ( who is Fae/????)
-Compeling magic system based on draining color to produce magic, were blue is atributted to healing and/or restoring, red for destruction, yellow for change etc..
-Morally grey ML that in my opinion is the best book boyfriend i´ve read.
-Love that the romance is present in all books and doesn´t fade out after they get together (im looking at you ACOWAR).
-The romantic leads resolve and heal from trauma together, love the dynamic, the banter, good communication.
-Fantasy world that expandes more the second book.
-And it has plenty of good spice with build up and tension that compliments the plot.
The first book is really good but the other 3 are even better imo. There is also a prequel about the love story of her parents and a sapphic sequel is getting written (haven´t read those yet).
I have read precisely half of these. 😂 The three in your top tier that I haven't read are already in my wish list along with the other two books by Olivia Atwater (I've read Half a Soul). I cannot disagree with any of this ranking. 😁I feel very safe taking a fantasy romance rec from you. You probably saved me some time! Oooo! You asked for recs! Yay!
The Mummy by Anne Rice (I remember laughing a lot with this one but that’s about it. It’s been a long time and it’s Anne Rice, so there may be concerning things in it.)
The Wolf Gift Chronicles by Anne Rice
The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker
The Winter Night Trilogy by Katherine Arden
Imajica by Clive Barker (Yeah… it’s a romance, an odd one, but it is :D )
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop (really just the trilogy and Dreams Made Flesh, I wasn’t gung ho for the ones after. TW: SA, non graphic. Yes, ACOTAR is a fanfic of this series, no joke and I prefer this to it.)
The Tir Alain Trilogy by Anne Bishop
Dragon Prince and Dragon Star by Melanie Rawn (Yes, these books are dated by some of their content. Family Saga, Politics TW: SA)
Pretty much anything written by Juliet Marillier except Blade of Fortriu (Her books can contain some very heavy themes.)
The Banned and the Banished by James Clemmons (The writing isn’t great but the story is good and there is a minor romantic subplot. Hero’s Journey, Found Family).
Pretty much anything by Alice Hoffman (Most of these are not “happy” stories but they are rich and rarely very long. Magical realism more than fantasy)
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (TW: Unalive. Magical realism? Reincarnation? Not really fantasy in the traditional sense. But it is one of my favorite books.)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
-Silly Supernatural/Fantasy Romance-
The Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey (brain candy but super silly and cute retellings, just light and for fun.)
Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson (Just freaking ridiculous and funny. Definitely brain candy. Don’t binge it though, it all starts to taste like beans after a bit. These books are in no way serious.)
Just… Molly Harper (Again, brain candy, silly and fun. Not very long. Something cute to break up more serious reading stints.)
For some reason, this comment just suddenly reminded me that I started reading 'Lord of the Fading Lands' (first book in the Tairen Soul series) by C.L. Wilson, years ago, and I never meant to put it down, but somehow have gone years without finishing it-I was enjoying it, and I should really try and pick it up again sometime now!
((Maybe it's because you named a number of authors' work that is either in ultimate faves or has been on my TBR for ages-like Anne Bishop, and Anne Rice. For some reason, I feel like we don't really see people who read Anne Bishop and such on booktube quite so often, for whatever reasons.😊 Lol))
I don't know why, but I kinda think "The Shadow Queen" and "Shalador's Lady" would actually be a little bit more Elliot's speed than the OG trilogy, maybe-but I'm not sure they're especially friendly to any readers who might try and pick them up without having the context of reading the trilogy first. I liked them all equally much in completely different ways, but I should really pick up everything after Shalador's Lady one of these days-I failed to keep up with new releases after that, because I'm just the worst now at sticking with ongoing releases, honestly. Basically all my soft DNFs over the years have been because they were ongoing or such instead of completed series.😂😅😅😊
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 I know, right? I think it really is just that SJM is contemporary. UA-cam didn't show up on the scene until 2005 and SJM released Throne of Glass in 2012, with ACOTAR following in 2015, after BookTube had been rolling for a while. Anne Bishop did it all first but she really was writing at a time when the Fantasy Romance was still on the down low. The first books in Black Jewels came out in the 90s and Tir Alainn was the early 2000s. Melanie Rawn was even further back, The Dragon Prince was released in 1988 and is very dated in some of its treatments so people tend to not recommend those.
I must confess that I don't remember "Tangled Webs" and "The Shadow Queen" and I'm pretty sure I didn't make it to "Shalador's Lady". That being said, I may go back to them. I'm one of those people who has trouble continuing in a world after the 'main story' is done 😅😁. But it's been many years since I read Black Jewels so I may be able to start fresh for the books after "Dreams Made Flesh". I had to do that to appreciate Ian C. Esslemont after finishing 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' by Stephen Erikson (they created the world together and write different parts of it). Thanks for reminding me that this is an option for other works, too!
I've read 'Lord of the Fading Lands' and I didn't hate it but I didn't love it enough to go on with the rest of the series. I do hope you enjoy it though! Most of my DNFs are actually due to writing more often story. If I can't get passed either the writing style or the writing is bad enough, I'll stop. 😂 I have to REALLY want to know what happens to push through either of those things.
I've read only bridge kingdom (only first book) and I really enjoyed it, although it's not very original story and it seems predictable, but it's really enjoyable book. I'm planning to read The traitor queen in the future to end that duology.
Can you do a tier list for charismatic/witty characters?
This is so helpful lol i think our preferences might be similar so i have some new ones to try. Really been trying to find some more great sweet fantasy romance
I would highly highly recommend the Red Winter Trilogy by Annette Marie. I've never seen any booktuber review her, maybe because you can only get her books if you go out of your way to buy them online... but Red Winter is one of my favorite series ever. Slow burn, characters really growing into themselves, not really any spice but i still felt all the feels. I re-read this pretty often for cozy feel-good times. Most of us fans consider it a good winter read (perfect time!). I would say this series is like... 60% plot and 40% romance? Not sure, the plot definitely comes first but romance is definitely part of it too without letting the plot drop off
I hope you can read them some day!
I'd recommend The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Gogman. Lots of politics and mystery with a clever female lead and a slow burn romance. Oh, and also fae and dragons and a few vampires thrown into the mix.
A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden! I just discovered it a month ago, and it is so good. The sequel is coming out in April, with the last coming in October.
Hi! If you liked Enchantment of Ravens, I recommend Sorcery of Thorns by the same author. The romance is not in the forefront and is not predominant but I loved the protagonist and her journey, the worldbuilding (very good for a standalone) and the secondary characters.
I hope you give it a chance😉
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a sweet fantasy romance that I think you would enjoy. You’ve Got Mail was my favorite movie as a kid (lol) and it encapsulates the essence of that movie. It’s got the mysterious pen pals, enemies to lovers, a good balance of romance/fantasy plot, and the romance is sweet/loving (not spicy). The second book in the duology comes out in December, too!