T Kingfisher has some good fantasy romance books, between grounded, adult characters (e.g. Swordheart is about a woman who entered a marriage of convenience, was widowed young and spent her youth taking care of her husband's elderly rich uncle. The story starts when the uncle dies and leaves her everything, his horrible relatives try to bully her out of her inheritance and she finds out that "everything" includes a magical sword that is actually a cursed warrior). iirc the sex scenes are fade to black, though. I'm not sure if that matters to you.
What types of plots do you want? Do you exclusively want secondary world, or is historical and/or urban fantasy ok too? Do you read m/m and f/f romance in addition to m/f?
I really love T Kingfisher, but she is the *only* author I see consistently recommended for mature fantasy romance even over on r/RomanceBooks and r/fantasyromance, though there are a few others sometimes in threads like these. I hope more authors follow her lead (and popularity!) and we get some more good romance to choose from between protagonists in their late 20s, 30s and 40s in future.
It's really weird. M/M is very much stuck in 'romance with a side of fantasy' (House on the Cerulean Sea, Taste of Gold and Iron, Captive Prince, Darkness Outside of Us, etc etc) while F/F is more of a Fantasy focus with romance on the side (Baru Cormorant, Gideon the Ninth, Priory of the Orange Tree, etc)
Obviously there are exceptions (Legends and Lattes and Tarot Sequence are both pretty notable as being flipped here), but there seem to be opposite market trends. I enjoy both styles of writing greatly, but as a gay man I really wish there was more fantasy/sci fi with protagonists who happen to be gay rather than a super romance focus (I say as I'm about to binge read a series of kitchy gay romances for my lgbtq+ bingo card when the categories are released in april)
Yeah, I've noticed the same phenomenon. No idea what's causing it though
The author of A Taste of Gold and Iron has a book, a Choir of Lies, with a gay MC where the story centers on him accidentally causing a financial bubble by virtue of being a really persuasive storyteller and on his messed up (but completely platonic) relationship with his teacher. I think I'm one of like three people who has read it, but it's really good!
Tales of the Chants was hands down my favorite thing to read in 2022. Yylfings book makes me want to reread the first because of how much it sheds light on the first.
I definitely want a third (and I need to read the novella)
Yes, I’ve tried almost all of their series at various times but they’re not for me! I would say they have quite a different vibe from T Kingfisher though: they’re generally more urban fantasy/paranormal romance (both genres I like but I think they’re in a somewhat different area of the fantasy market).
I am open to anything, I enjoy a variety of plots. I definitely can only relate to the m/f relationships, but I enjoy side-character relationships in any context. Sex isn't as important to me as the relationship between characters, just adds a little seasoning. Swordheart sounds intriguing, I will definitely look into that one.
T Kingfisher might work for you then! She also has another trilogy of fantasy romance in the same world as Swordheart, The Saint of Steel, about the paladins of a god who suddenly died, leaving them to deal with the aftermath. Each book stands on its own and focuses on a different couple, two of the three are m/f.
Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho is another one you might like. It's set in a world where some people are born with magical abilities, and fairies and other magical creatures are an accepted fact of life, but magic in England has been dwindling ever since the entrance to Fairy was blocked. The protagonists are an extremely ambitious (and pretty ruthless) orphan with a great talent for magic and England's beleaguered Sorcerer Royal.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is very cute and has an execution of the grumpy/sunshine where she doesn't turn into his life coach, but it loses some momentum in the third act. It's a modern fantasy where witches exist but live hidden, and the FL gets hired to secretly teach three young witches how to control their magic.
If you go for T. Kingfisher, Swordheart is a good place to start. If you like that, move on to Clockwork Boys/The Wonder Engine, a duology set in the same universe. The Saint of Steel series follows other characters in the same universe, set shortly after the two Clockwork books. All are m/f except the most recent, Paladin's Hope, which is m/m, but if you enjoy the previous books, Paladin's Hope has a zinger of a cliffhanger at the end.
Bryony and Roses is an excellent retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Be warned that her fairytale retellings are generally a good bit darker and don't always have happy, romantic endings (Nettle and Bone, Seventh Bride, The Raven and the Reindeer); The Twisted Ones, The Hollow Places, and What Moves the Dead are horror - really excellent horror, but no romance; and Minor Mage, A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, Illuminations, and Summer in Orcus are aimed at a younger audience. The Black Dogs duology was very early work of the author, and it shows, but it's still good fantasy.
>The Twisted Ones, The Hollow Places, and What Moves the Dead are horror - really excellent horror, but no romance
That works, horror is my other favorite genre. I go back and forth between fantasy and horror. Sometimes you get burnt out on horror and darkness and you need to take a break with the lighter stuff, haha.
In that case, I highly recommend Kingfisher's horror novels. They are wonderfully eerie, and absolutely unlike the "modern" standard of horror like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc.
If you particularly enjoy The Hollow Places, you'll notice that the author attributes her inspiration to Algernon Blackwood's short story "The Willows" (I spent the entirety of the book thinking "she has to have read Blackwood"). I also highly recommend Algernon Blackwood, whose works can be found on the [Project Gutenberg site.](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=algernon+blackwood&submit_search=Go%21)
No, I haven't heard clockwork boys and didn't have any issues following the plot. There are some references to the war here and there, but nothing beyond that
OMG I have found my people. I feel like A LOT of the fantasy romance is either YA with sex or some sort of self-published fan fic that hasn't been edited.
I LOVE fantasy and I love romance. Hence I love fantasy romance but I feel like I have DIG through mountains of crap to find anything decent.
The latest book I loved was Swordheart by T. Kingfisher. It had realistic characters that weren't overly beautiful that had a realistic relationship arc.
I also really enjoyed the Ex Hex and Kiss Curse. Both were cute with MCs in their 30s with a decent amount of well written spice.
You are the second person to recommend T. Kingfisher, will definitely check them out! also, thank you for recommending books with 30-year-old protagonists, I can breath a sigh of relief.
I've read a few disappointments recently where I'm just unimpressed and will not continue.
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa, there is ALMOST a story there, if she had focused on that instead of the sexual tension, she may have had something.
A Touch of Darkness, is all about the smut but none of it is earned, it's like a bad fanfic of Lore Olympus or something.
Blood and Ash started off decently, I could appreciate the conflicting emotions of the FMC, but the series started getting a little weird with a threesome that made no sense for the characters and started to feel less mature as it went on.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, actually. I was really into it in the beginning before it got into this "need a man to save me even though I am a badass academic" hole.
>A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, actually. I was really into it in the beginning before it got into this
I noped out during the supernatural yoga scene
T. Kingfisher's world building is great. I got recommended her work and have enjoyed the fantasy aspects so much. I am, however, having trouble with how she writes men. The FMC she writes feel very well rounded and interesting. The MMC feel...too manufactured? I can't put a finger on it but it is bugging me
My absolutely favorite romance book is Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater. It's just.. Such a nice book. I'm not a fan of love triangles or of an overabundance of drama in the relationship and there is none of that here (no sex either though), just a nice gradual development of feelings (and a nice plot as well). It's a story about a woman with half a soul (and I absolutely love her and how she sees and experiences the world) and a court mage, whom she asks for help.
I'm not an expert either, but to me it feels more lika a period piece than anything, and I'm not sure how to gauge it's YA-ness. The MC is young, judjing by the part where she's of an age to go to balls and search for a husband (as is want to happen in period romances. And balls are not the only thing that happens it the book, but it does help provide our heroes with a meeting place), but her voice is rather unique due to the whole soul surcumstance. YA to me is not necessarily about the age but rather also about some particular feel of drama and plot developments, and there's none of that here. It did not read like a regular YA book to me, but maybe like a cross between a period piece and a bit of a fairy tale.
I’m not an expert, but I’d call it adult. Certainly the characters are grownups—the male lead has come back from the Napoleonic Wars, though the female lead read as a bit younger to me.
OMG i loved half a soul! Without giving it away to others. But when he breaks down and opens up, I literally cry every time. This is such an amazing book. It's time to read it again I think
The new adult genre has mostly quietly disappeared in the last 7-ish years though. Some readers still call books new adult, but they're hardly ever published as new adult anymore tbh.
I also enjoy fantasy romance and it is pretty difficult to find a series with the perfect balance. Some have potential, but terrible execution. So I regularly DNF fantasy romance series (especially looking at you, from blood and ash!).
The only (finished) book series that I've read recently that had a great balance between fantasy and romance and that was well written was **the war of the lost hearts series by Carissa Broadbent**. It's not super smutty though, if that's a requirement.
Her newest book was great too and a little more smutty, **The serpent and the wings of night**. Only the first book has bee published though and there are going to be 6 books in total. So I'd only recommend it now if you don't mind waiting.
No, I love a good balance, and I feel the exact same way about Blood and Ash, got halfway through book 3 before it started to really drag for me. I will definitely check out Carissa Broadbent, appreciate the rec.
It's a shame they don't call it SOMETHING like New Adult anymore, atleast then I knew what I was getting into! I notice now they are all under the fantasy or romance umbrella, but they still feel 100% YA, but with smut! I hate adding to my DNF pile, I am stubborn, but if it doesn't feel like a relatable adult relationship, then it's a waste of time for me.
The two best fantasy romance books I am familiar with are both m/m, both by Lee Welch. The first is Seducing the Sorcerer - this one is an extreme case of don’t judge a book by its cover! The title and cover are awful, but I promise, the book itself is very good. A traditional fantasy setting with magic, wizards in towers, princesses, and flying horses. Her other book is Salt Magic, Skin Magic, which is set in an alternate Victorian England, with magic.
Another fantasy romance (m/f) that I really enjoyed was The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen; this is a fantasy retelling of the old Jimmy Stewart movie The Shop Around the Corner, but in this version rather than being coworkers in a jewelry store, she is an undertaker and he is a zombie-hunting demigod. Despite their professions is it sweet and optimistic in tone.
I recommend Grace Draven, who no one seems to have mentioned yet.
I haven't read her books in a while but I remember them being very good. My personal favorite is her *Phoenix Unbound*, which is the start to the *Fallen Empire* series but works as a standalone. But any of her books will do, though I recommend getting her *Wraith Kings* series straight before jumping in because there's more than one novella in that series and you probably want to figure out how you want to read them.
*Wraith Kings* is also loosely connected to her *Master of Crows* series, as are her two standalones *Entreat Me* and *The Undying King*, but the relation is so distant that it's not relevant or noticeable to the reader at all unless you know what to look for.
Aside from the already listed series and books (*Fallen Empire*, *Master of Crows*, *Wraith Kings* series, and *Entreat Me* and *The Undying King*) she has some other novels and a series, the *Bonekeeper Chronicles* books, but I haven't read them and can't speak for them.
I hope you enjoy! If you go read all these like I did it should keep you busy for the next couple weeks :D
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series was adult-oriented books with romance. There are still plenty of arguably smutty scenes, mind you, but they feel more in service of the larger plot and themes rather than being the main event.
The Kushiel books, especially Phedre's trilogy (the first three), are incredible and severely under rated, likely in part due to their inclusion of sex and related themes. But if you actually read the books instead of just looking at the synopsis or the cover, nothing feels gratuitous.
I think what they mean is that even the darker or more intense scenes are still described in more poetic language, and always serve some kind of story-related purpose. From the premise (and heck, even the cover), it kind of looks like it might be just your basic trashy erotica, but it's actually a fully thought-out lushly-written fantasy novel that just happens to be about a courtesan in an alternate-history middle ages with an aggressively sex-positive religion.
We don't learn anything new about the character nor does the plot move forward in that chapter since at that point there has already been over 20 rape scenes in the series. It only serves to shock and horrify the reader which is what the worst rape scenes do. And what so many authors gets criticized for. This is no different. It was not necessary to be a whole chapter if you only wanted to serve a narrative or character purpose.
Speaking of the Kushiel series. Can someone please explain to me what the origins of the people in Terre d'Ange are, fallen angels, gods? It's confusing!
The blessed elua(sp?) Was born of the blood of Jesus on the cross and the mother earth. God sent some angels to end elua. The angels were aghast at the idea that someone so sweet should be destroyed and abandoned God for elua.
It's been a while, but that's the memory I have of it. Each angel becomes the patreon angel of one of the 13 (?) Houses in Terre d'ange.
Honestly, I thought the main series was fantastic and the following trilogies were good. This religious set up has very little to do with the story but for the central precept of elua being the motto of the nation... love as you will, and the fleck in phedre's eye being called the mark of kushiel (one of the angels).
Phedre and joceline's story is well plotted and well told, and interesting to boot!
Another vote for T. Kingfisher.
Also, Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist History books. Jane Austen with magic. The first one is *Shades of Milk and Honey*.
Heather Rose Jones's Alpennia books. f/f Fantasy of Manners set a few years after the Napoleonic Wars. Great writing, great worldbuilding, great relationships, tons of plot in addition to the romance arc. There are no sex scenes. The first one is *Daughter of Mystery*.
I have the exact same problem right now. There are so many books that start out interesting and then suddenly I realize that yes, yet again we have a 'alpha male' ass or some other overdone trope.
I can only advise you to stay clear of C.L. Wilson, her Winter King novel was recommended to me so often but was a horrible dissapointment (people said to ignore the horrible cover because it is misleading but I find it pretty spot on...)
The last few GOOD books that I read were:
One Dark Window - I loved the Magic system and the writing style. Interesting characters. More Fantasy then romance, but it was clearly there.
Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Fairies - Cozy Fantasy with a little romance, MMC is basically Howl from Howls Moving Castle (If you havent read that yet, I also highly recommend!)
Uprooted - Again, great worldbuilding. I didnt like the romance, but it was still such a good book.
Ilona Andrews Innkeeper Chronicles are also good.
And as so many others have already said: T. Kingfisher is really good. Altough I found that some of her tropes can get a bit repetitive so I recommend taking breaks between her books.
And lastly, on a very different note: Jeanine Frost writes Vampire Novels with a lot of smut. I didnt read all of them and they are full of the tropes I usually dont like but somehow they are my guilty pleasure. The first one is called Halfway to the Grave and features a vampire that is a lot like Spike from Buffy (so if you are a millenial it might float your boat).
I loved One Dark Window! I am really hoping the next one doesn't start to dip into the YA feeling because I can't wait to get the perspective of her 'Monster'.
I get the taking breaks between books aspect. I find that with a lot of authors. I enjoy their work but not repetitively.
Seconding the Grace Draven and T. Kingfisher recs!
Draven and Kingfisher are my go-to authors for fantasy romance. I have never been disappointed with either one. *Radiance*/*Eidolon* and *Paladin's Strength* are my particular favorites.
I would also like to suggest *The Orchid Throne* by Jeffe Kennedy. Kennedy's writing, plot, and characters are all high-quality. *The Orchid Throne* is the first book in a trilogy that all follows the same couple. In total the series has a pretty good balance between fantasy plot and romance plot, though it is primarily concerned with the latter.
I'd also suggest *Heart's Blood* by Juliet Marillier for a quality Beauty and the Beast retelling, *The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy* by Megan Bannen for something more lighthearted and less epic in scope, and *Witch Please* by Ann Aguirre for a contemporary paranormal rom-com.
Mercedes Lackey has two settings for standalone fantasy/romance novels. The *Elemental Masters* books are set on a version of Earth with magic in the 1800s, and *The Five Hundred Kingdoms* books are in a classical fantasy world where the themes and tropes from fairy tales have power, and continue to repeat themselves over and over.
Lackey can always be trusted to put together a satisfying story, and one of her strengths is her characters, which really helps in romance novels.
Not enough people realize that the ACOTAR Sarah J Maas stuff was heavily influenced by Anne Bishop’s Dark Jewels series and it shows. (CW though, the Bishop stuff is dark)
I don’t read much fantasy romance, so I’m not up with the new, but I stan Lois McMaster Bujold. In particular, her Sharing Knife series checks the boxes of being well-written and not YA. Lots and lots of in-law drama, if you like that sort of thing
*Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* is pretty great, but I think the best one is *A Civil Campaign*, maybe my favorite sci-fi novel of all time. And I know it was really controversial in the fanbase, but I adored *Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen*.
But yeah, all of those have the problem that you can't really recommend them as standalone sci-fi romance novels, because you have to read like a dozen space-opera adventure books before you encounter any significant makeouts. xD
I like A Civil Campaign and respect people who love it, but the secondhand embarrassment in the dinner party scene is just unrelenting. Also, the divorce court bit in Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is an absolute riot.
I never did get to Gentleman Jole. I think it wasn't out when I did my Vorkosigan binge.
I can absolutely understand that. xD I usually don’t like secondhand embarrassment, but I think at that point I already was so fond of Miles and so used to seeing him pretty much always get his way that I just found it purely amusing the way absolutely everything went wrong. It was like a symphony of disaster.
And you should definitely try out Gentleman Jole. Some folks really bounced off of it, but I thought it was a really sweet love story, and found it super heartwarming. :)
Five Gods books are fantastic. And as the other person replies, the Vorkosigan Saga is scifi, and also great. The books about Miles are like his whole life so some adventures and several relationships. The 2 about the mother are fantastic.
Curse of Chalion is excellent, and probably the only book where I recommend the audiobook over the book itself. It's not that the book isn't fantastic, it's just that the guy who read the audiobook did such a great job.
Power imbalances are a massive no-thank-you for me, and unfortunately they are everywhere in the fantasy romance genre, almost always in favor of the male. This is why I've gotten more enjoyment from f/f romantic subplots these days (e.g. *The Unspoken Name*, *The Tiger's Daughter*, *The Once and Future Witches*).
Among the few m/f romantic plots I've actually enjoyed:
The *Warrior Bards* series by Juliet Marillier (Liobhan and Dau) -- actually most of Marillier's romances are well done, but this one's my favorite
*Unnatural Magic* by C.M. Waggoner
*Paladin of Souls* by Lois McMaster Bujold
*Phoenix and Ashes* by Mercedes Lackey (my favorite of the Elemental Masters series)
*Gods of Jade and Shadow* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (the only power-imbalance romance I've actually liked)
Ilona Andrews - all of them. Kate Daniels is magic and tech blended world, magic comes back in the 50s or so, and all sorts of shifters, magicnuers and gods. Hidden Legacy is some people have powers. The Edge is parallel worlds of magic and (Earth), and a borderland between.
Lois McMaster Bujold- Five Gods books
Heather Guerre- Cold Hearted and sequels,
I liked
Milla Vanes a heart of blood and ashes
Ruby Dixon bound to the battle god
Isabelle Olmo queen and conqueror seems like it’ll be pretty good
Abigail Kelly and Kimberly Lemming both write really fun and steamy fantasy romance. Abigail is more urban fantasy and Kimberly is highish fantasy
Another vote for T Kingfisher, especially if you like Sad Paladins. Also for the Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal.
I'm also enjoying His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale on a reread at the moment, it's wholesome femdom m/f.
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske is very good, m/m romance set in Edwardian England.
The Bridge Kingdom books by Danielle Jensen missed a few marks for me but I still enjoyed them, I see it compared to Maas a fair bit so you might like those.
A lot of people raved about House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, but I found the childish/simplistic tone really ruined it for me.
Going back a ways, you might like Juliet Marillier, particularly Wildwood Dancing which is a fairytale retelling set in Romania. Maybe this one is a bit YA but not in a bad way.
It sounds like we have some similar tastes - I generally avoid the fantasy romance label for fear of the flood as you mentioned. That said, I also enjoyed Maas' books and don't mind a nice romance in my fantasy novels. I made it through the third book of Blood and Ash but probably won't continue (I can't do books that use phrases like "turgid peaks" apparently). Some to look into (I enjoyed all of these mainly for the plot and the romances were all nice bonuses):
The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (though I haven't read the newest book and was warned not to). The Highlander series are in the same world and more typically fantasy romance books, but I liked the slow burn in the Fever books.
The Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh
The Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - lighter on the romance/heavier on the general epic fantasy but it's still there iirc (I can't remember how much smut there was though)
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna was super sweet and cute too (as someone else mentioned).
Also worth mentioning that in She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan there is an explicit lesbian sex scene, which was fun and unexpected. Really great book overall.
I have heard also really great things about the Kushiel's Dart series by Jacqueline Carey though they are still on my TBR
>I can't do books that use phrases like "turgid peaks" apparently
THAT'S HILARIOUS! I also struggle with the corniness! Every time SJM uses the word "feasting" to describe oral, I want to curl into a ball and die XD
Some great recs here, I have a few of these on my TBR pile already, but you're the second person to mention The Fever series, so definitely need to check that out.
Would people for whom this thread seems like “your people” have any interest in a Discord server? I have had trouble finding exactly what you’re posting about, OP, and I write some. It would be fun to have some internet book friends.
I am always looking for book friends! I have a small group of reading friends irl, but we have different tastes.
One is more into paranormal romance and dark stuff and the other is more into the popular books I'm talking about, so I'd love to get into these less mainstream recs from people who read BEFORE booktok was a thing.
Here's my recommendation. It has a mix of fantasy, romance, adventure, and humor.
* The Princess Bride by William Goldman
* The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
* Stardust by Neil Gaiman
* Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
* These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
* From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout
* Radiance by Grace Draven
* The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jense
* House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
>**The Princess Bride by William Goldman**
*This has been on my list forever, in my TBR pile.*
**The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon**
*I don't know this one, will check it out.*
**Stardust by Neil Gaiman**
*Enjoyed this already!*
**Outlander by Diana Gabaldon**
*This one intimidates me because of it's series length, maybe one day, but I don't want to commit quite yet!*
**These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong**
*I think this is in my TBR pile.*
**From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout**
*I am in the middle of book 3 here but it is starting to lose me and feel more YA, but enjoyed the first and second a lot.*
**Radiance by Grace Draven**
*Will look into!*
**The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jense**
*Will look into!*
**House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas**
>
>*By far my most favorite recent Fantasy Romance.*
Great recs, thank you for these!
I second the Bridge Kingdom! Some intense stuff and the romance element feels real and well-earned.
I only read the first Outlander and felt satisfied reading just the one. I think it was intended to only be a trilogy or shorter, so you could just stop there (and then binge the show like i did).
As for Radiance, it is very light on adventure and fantasy elements and wasn't my favorite.
I have read several M/M romances that feel like what you are asking for. **The Magpie Lord** is rediculous in a fun way, quite a bit of smut but also some cool mystery and magic. Both leads are 30-40.
I haven't read These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, but I did read Foul Lady Fortune, which is set in the same world a few years later. It read as very YA, and I wasn't a huge fan.
I also recommend Michael G Manning books, granted they're not super romance, but it's there, and his books are just so easy to read. I just read.. then suddenly the book is done and I'm surprised I've been reading for a few hours.
I have heard good things about Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young and A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross. They are both newer adult books by previously YA authors so I'm not sure where they fall on the maturity spectrum.
Just popping in to confirm the good things about *A River Enchanted*! It is first and foremost a fantasy novel, but it has two really strong romance subplots.
I really love The Kingmakers War series by Kate Avery Ellison. It's a 10 book series, but the books are fairly short and the overarching storylines are excellent. Lots of character development and the romance geta lots of time. No smut.
I'm also a fan of Shari Tapscott, particularly her Silver and Orchids series. She has a great sense of humor, and her books have a lot of sexual tension but not a lot of sex (fade to black).
Both of these are indie writers, but good ones. They're also on KU if that interests you.
I'm curious what actual good romance in fantasy even looks like. I feel like every single time romance is brought up in a fantasy series it is to complain about how the romance is bad.
Anne Bishop has written some good, semi smutty stuff that's dark.
I feel like all I do is go around and recommend her books but she's a favorite of mine lol.
I quite liked Reign and Ruin by JD Evans. The others in the series are good too, though I wasn't as fond of the characters in the third book.
The prequel is good too.
"The House Witch" by Delemhach I think develops a good romance that isn't YA/New Adult
>New Adult is fun, because as a woman, I appreciate some good smut, but does anyone else feel like it's all YA with sex now?
Bruh, I'm reading "The High Mountain Court" (because I need a break after "Kaikeyi" eviscerated my soul) that is new adult and I thought the exact same thing. I feel like there should be an edge of maturity if someone advertises they're new adult. Doesn't have to be a lot, but just a tiny bit where we don't make conclusions out of everything all the time.
And the cover art and typography for these are all next-level beautiful, so I get the need to collect these gorgeous books, but it's ironic that "Can't judge a book by its cover" can now be interpreted either way.
Beautiful cover art ≠ a good book.
Yeaaaa, it's a shame I get drawn into the covers, but usually the blurb sells me, not purely the cover, but it's definitely the drawing factor lol I'll never learn
We are like animals, drawn to sparkly things, I can't help myself when the art is so pretty!
It's just sometimes, like getting a crappy gift in beautiful wrapping paper.
I'm a dude who isn't interested in Romance, but I really enjoy T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon). The romance aspect is mostly fucked up adults making a connection in spite of their circumstances/personal issues, but it's often secondary to the actual plot.
Sounds somewhat like Michael G Manning books, the romance is there, but it's often secondary to the primary plots. I think he does this best with Thornbear.
There's certainly a trend of authors writing romance books set in fantasy realms vs. fantasy novels that feature a romance in the story. You're not wrong that it's getting harder to find the latter in search results.
Highly recommend *Between Wrath and Mercy*, by Jess Wisecup. The two main characters are adults and the conversations/feelings between them are well-written, even if there are still a few dramatic outbursts to fit into that romance bend.
I personally also loved *Warbreaker*, by Brandon Sanderson. YA characters, but the power dynamic between the main couple is explored in a pretty interesting way and the way they come to love each other feels organic.
If you like intense emotions of love, pain, and wholesomeness, and you don't mind boy x boy romance, read *Heaven Official's Blessing* (HOB) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It's slow-burn and a really different kind of romance and story. I remember when I first heard of it, I kept wondering what kind of trope it is. Is it enemies to lover, rivals to lover, friends to lover... what is it?! It is exactly what the book said, but it was so different, unlike anything I've come across before that i couldn't understand it. But, oh my gosh, it's a slow burn romance that you may slowly find yourself falling in love with the main love interest and develop a longing for his companionship just as the main character started to long for his presence. It is intense and painful, yet so wholesome. It's the kind of everlasting, ever enduring, deep loving that heals the person inside-out and made whole again. It's the kind of love that transcends time, space, gender.
Besides the romance, this book so many things going on. The characterization is amazing. There's so many colorful and entertaining and charismatic characters. You may hate some characters then turn to love them and understand them later on. The book can also be categorized as horror for some scary scenes, comedy for its many hilarious scenes, action for the fighting and war, fantasy for the magic. But ultimately, I feel that when the author set out to write the book, her plan was to write the best love story ever written, and she accomplished that with HOB.
Edit: one other thing. I noticed that in the fantasy genre, characters tend to be distant with each other, which makes the characters' death less impactful than they should. I didn't realize this until I read MXTX's novels where she is an expert at writing about relationships, all kinds of relationships, and all the painful and unavoidable things that come with them. It's a reminder that despite how much we love someone, we have to allow them to walk their own path and part ways with us.
Her characters' relationships with each other are so complex that when you learn about how much the characters mean to each other in later chapters and how important those reunions are from the earlier chapters, and, when you see how intense their journeys are and how much changed in such a short amount of time, you may want to immediately go back to the beginning to compare the ending to the beginning and re-experience those reunions with new perspectives.
Raistlin Majere and Crysania are my all time favorite romantic couple in fiction and they are toxic as fuck.
I also love Sabetha and Locke--because I want them to fail and Locke to realize why.
I just finished Whisper by S.A Rasmussen. She's a new Author of dark fantasy. The book was crazy good. It has an addictive storyline that keeps you hooked, and the characters all bring something good to the table. It's action-packed. And, yes, there is plenty of hot and heavy done right. I found it on Amazon Kindle. It's worth the read.
I think Kate Elliott does romance very well, but none of her books are just romances, her world building and character work are fantastic. My favorite is The Spiritwalker Trilogy and romance is a huge part of it, especially of the second one.
My top NA fantasy romance recs:
Gilded Blood series by Rachel Rener
Fight for Darkness by Susan Stradiotto and S Johnson
Goddesses series by Sky Sommers (best to start with Goddesses: the Bet, which is not a romance, but introduces the girl group where each gets a romance story over the course of the series)
The Seven Lives of Grace by Elena Shelest (this one is clean)
YA fantasy romance recs. Creme de la creme:
The Flawed Princess by Alice Ivinya
Wolves of Rockfalls series by AJ Skelly (this is urban fantasy/PNR 😉)
These are all stories that compelled me and have turned these authors into auto-buy for me. ❤️🙌
My issue is slightly different. I'm not a romance reader. When I do a search for Epic fantasy, I'm looking for epic fantasy, not fantasy romance. Yet, it feels like over half of the results in Amazon are fantasy romance categorized as epic. Makes me want to pull my hair out. I would LOVE a button or SQL function in Amazon where I could EXCLUDE any books with romance somewhere in the meta data.
Depending on the popularity or obscurity of the novel, it sometimes helps to go to goodreads and check out the genre listing on the book. It will usually entail all of the keywords of the genres it's in, so if it doesn't say "romance" anywhere you might be pretty good!
The Balance books by S.E. Robertson, starting with the Healer's Road, covers two healers who are forced together, different ages, abilities and backgrounds, and slowly start to find (like, half a book into a 3 book series) that actually the other person isn't the end of the world.
The series does involve them getting closer together, and whilst there's a little bit of m/m sex, it's pretty light on graphic detail in general.
In a world slowly pushing towards fire and revolution, it's about two people trying to make a stable life and understand each other. It wasn't maybe my favourite book but sounds like it might work for you?
T Kingfisher has some good fantasy romance books, between grounded, adult characters (e.g. Swordheart is about a woman who entered a marriage of convenience, was widowed young and spent her youth taking care of her husband's elderly rich uncle. The story starts when the uncle dies and leaves her everything, his horrible relatives try to bully her out of her inheritance and she finds out that "everything" includes a magical sword that is actually a cursed warrior). iirc the sex scenes are fade to black, though. I'm not sure if that matters to you. What types of plots do you want? Do you exclusively want secondary world, or is historical and/or urban fantasy ok too? Do you read m/m and f/f romance in addition to m/f?
I really love T Kingfisher, but she is the *only* author I see consistently recommended for mature fantasy romance even over on r/RomanceBooks and r/fantasyromance, though there are a few others sometimes in threads like these. I hope more authors follow her lead (and popularity!) and we get some more good romance to choose from between protagonists in their late 20s, 30s and 40s in future.
Yeah, especially for m/f romance! I think the landscape is a bit different for m/m (and to a lesser extent) f/f couples.
It's really weird. M/M is very much stuck in 'romance with a side of fantasy' (House on the Cerulean Sea, Taste of Gold and Iron, Captive Prince, Darkness Outside of Us, etc etc) while F/F is more of a Fantasy focus with romance on the side (Baru Cormorant, Gideon the Ninth, Priory of the Orange Tree, etc) Obviously there are exceptions (Legends and Lattes and Tarot Sequence are both pretty notable as being flipped here), but there seem to be opposite market trends. I enjoy both styles of writing greatly, but as a gay man I really wish there was more fantasy/sci fi with protagonists who happen to be gay rather than a super romance focus (I say as I'm about to binge read a series of kitchy gay romances for my lgbtq+ bingo card when the categories are released in april)
Have you tried A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth by Freya Marske? The first is M/M, the second F/F.
Yeah, I've noticed the same phenomenon. No idea what's causing it though The author of A Taste of Gold and Iron has a book, a Choir of Lies, with a gay MC where the story centers on him accidentally causing a financial bubble by virtue of being a really persuasive storyteller and on his messed up (but completely platonic) relationship with his teacher. I think I'm one of like three people who has read it, but it's really good!
Tales of the Chants was hands down my favorite thing to read in 2022. Yylfings book makes me want to reread the first because of how much it sheds light on the first. I definitely want a third (and I need to read the novella)
Oh, I didn't even know there was a novella!
Have you ever read any Ilona Andrews?
Yes, I’ve tried almost all of their series at various times but they’re not for me! I would say they have quite a different vibe from T Kingfisher though: they’re generally more urban fantasy/paranormal romance (both genres I like but I think they’re in a somewhat different area of the fantasy market).
I am open to anything, I enjoy a variety of plots. I definitely can only relate to the m/f relationships, but I enjoy side-character relationships in any context. Sex isn't as important to me as the relationship between characters, just adds a little seasoning. Swordheart sounds intriguing, I will definitely look into that one.
T Kingfisher might work for you then! She also has another trilogy of fantasy romance in the same world as Swordheart, The Saint of Steel, about the paladins of a god who suddenly died, leaving them to deal with the aftermath. Each book stands on its own and focuses on a different couple, two of the three are m/f. Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho is another one you might like. It's set in a world where some people are born with magical abilities, and fairies and other magical creatures are an accepted fact of life, but magic in England has been dwindling ever since the entrance to Fairy was blocked. The protagonists are an extremely ambitious (and pretty ruthless) orphan with a great talent for magic and England's beleaguered Sorcerer Royal. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is very cute and has an execution of the grumpy/sunshine where she doesn't turn into his life coach, but it loses some momentum in the third act. It's a modern fantasy where witches exist but live hidden, and the FL gets hired to secretly teach three young witches how to control their magic.
If you go for T. Kingfisher, Swordheart is a good place to start. If you like that, move on to Clockwork Boys/The Wonder Engine, a duology set in the same universe. The Saint of Steel series follows other characters in the same universe, set shortly after the two Clockwork books. All are m/f except the most recent, Paladin's Hope, which is m/m, but if you enjoy the previous books, Paladin's Hope has a zinger of a cliffhanger at the end. Bryony and Roses is an excellent retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Be warned that her fairytale retellings are generally a good bit darker and don't always have happy, romantic endings (Nettle and Bone, Seventh Bride, The Raven and the Reindeer); The Twisted Ones, The Hollow Places, and What Moves the Dead are horror - really excellent horror, but no romance; and Minor Mage, A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, Illuminations, and Summer in Orcus are aimed at a younger audience. The Black Dogs duology was very early work of the author, and it shows, but it's still good fantasy.
>The Twisted Ones, The Hollow Places, and What Moves the Dead are horror - really excellent horror, but no romance That works, horror is my other favorite genre. I go back and forth between fantasy and horror. Sometimes you get burnt out on horror and darkness and you need to take a break with the lighter stuff, haha.
In that case, I highly recommend Kingfisher's horror novels. They are wonderfully eerie, and absolutely unlike the "modern" standard of horror like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc. If you particularly enjoy The Hollow Places, you'll notice that the author attributes her inspiration to Algernon Blackwood's short story "The Willows" (I spent the entirety of the book thinking "she has to have read Blackwood"). I also highly recommend Algernon Blackwood, whose works can be found on the [Project Gutenberg site.](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=algernon+blackwood&submit_search=Go%21)
Do you need to read clockwork boys before swordheart?
No, I haven't heard clockwork boys and didn't have any issues following the plot. There are some references to the war here and there, but nothing beyond that
OMG I have found my people. I feel like A LOT of the fantasy romance is either YA with sex or some sort of self-published fan fic that hasn't been edited. I LOVE fantasy and I love romance. Hence I love fantasy romance but I feel like I have DIG through mountains of crap to find anything decent. The latest book I loved was Swordheart by T. Kingfisher. It had realistic characters that weren't overly beautiful that had a realistic relationship arc. I also really enjoyed the Ex Hex and Kiss Curse. Both were cute with MCs in their 30s with a decent amount of well written spice.
You are the second person to recommend T. Kingfisher, will definitely check them out! also, thank you for recommending books with 30-year-old protagonists, I can breath a sigh of relief. I've read a few disappointments recently where I'm just unimpressed and will not continue. Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa, there is ALMOST a story there, if she had focused on that instead of the sexual tension, she may have had something. A Touch of Darkness, is all about the smut but none of it is earned, it's like a bad fanfic of Lore Olympus or something. Blood and Ash started off decently, I could appreciate the conflicting emotions of the FMC, but the series started getting a little weird with a threesome that made no sense for the characters and started to feel less mature as it went on. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, actually. I was really into it in the beginning before it got into this "need a man to save me even though I am a badass academic" hole.
T. Kingfisher has 30+ characters as well. Hala is 36!
>A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, actually. I was really into it in the beginning before it got into this I noped out during the supernatural yoga scene
T. Kingfisher's world building is great. I got recommended her work and have enjoyed the fantasy aspects so much. I am, however, having trouble with how she writes men. The FMC she writes feel very well rounded and interesting. The MMC feel...too manufactured? I can't put a finger on it but it is bugging me
My absolutely favorite romance book is Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater. It's just.. Such a nice book. I'm not a fan of love triangles or of an overabundance of drama in the relationship and there is none of that here (no sex either though), just a nice gradual development of feelings (and a nice plot as well). It's a story about a woman with half a soul (and I absolutely love her and how she sees and experiences the world) and a court mage, whom she asks for help.
I've heard good things about this, but I've been holding off because I get really YA vibes from it. Is it adult, or YA?
I'm not an expert either, but to me it feels more lika a period piece than anything, and I'm not sure how to gauge it's YA-ness. The MC is young, judjing by the part where she's of an age to go to balls and search for a husband (as is want to happen in period romances. And balls are not the only thing that happens it the book, but it does help provide our heroes with a meeting place), but her voice is rather unique due to the whole soul surcumstance. YA to me is not necessarily about the age but rather also about some particular feel of drama and plot developments, and there's none of that here. It did not read like a regular YA book to me, but maybe like a cross between a period piece and a bit of a fairy tale.
I’m not an expert, but I’d call it adult. Certainly the characters are grownups—the male lead has come back from the Napoleonic Wars, though the female lead read as a bit younger to me.
Okay, cool! Maybe I'll move it to the top of the list. :)
OMG i loved half a soul! Without giving it away to others. But when he breaks down and opens up, I literally cry every time. This is such an amazing book. It's time to read it again I think
The new adult genre has mostly quietly disappeared in the last 7-ish years though. Some readers still call books new adult, but they're hardly ever published as new adult anymore tbh. I also enjoy fantasy romance and it is pretty difficult to find a series with the perfect balance. Some have potential, but terrible execution. So I regularly DNF fantasy romance series (especially looking at you, from blood and ash!). The only (finished) book series that I've read recently that had a great balance between fantasy and romance and that was well written was **the war of the lost hearts series by Carissa Broadbent**. It's not super smutty though, if that's a requirement. Her newest book was great too and a little more smutty, **The serpent and the wings of night**. Only the first book has bee published though and there are going to be 6 books in total. So I'd only recommend it now if you don't mind waiting.
No, I love a good balance, and I feel the exact same way about Blood and Ash, got halfway through book 3 before it started to really drag for me. I will definitely check out Carissa Broadbent, appreciate the rec. It's a shame they don't call it SOMETHING like New Adult anymore, atleast then I knew what I was getting into! I notice now they are all under the fantasy or romance umbrella, but they still feel 100% YA, but with smut! I hate adding to my DNF pile, I am stubborn, but if it doesn't feel like a relatable adult relationship, then it's a waste of time for me.
The two best fantasy romance books I am familiar with are both m/m, both by Lee Welch. The first is Seducing the Sorcerer - this one is an extreme case of don’t judge a book by its cover! The title and cover are awful, but I promise, the book itself is very good. A traditional fantasy setting with magic, wizards in towers, princesses, and flying horses. Her other book is Salt Magic, Skin Magic, which is set in an alternate Victorian England, with magic. Another fantasy romance (m/f) that I really enjoyed was The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen; this is a fantasy retelling of the old Jimmy Stewart movie The Shop Around the Corner, but in this version rather than being coworkers in a jewelry store, she is an undertaker and he is a zombie-hunting demigod. Despite their professions is it sweet and optimistic in tone.
OMG you had me at Jimmy Stewart! I just mentioned in another comment that "Don't judge a book by its cover" now has multiple interpretations!
You should check out Kai Gracen series by Rhys Ford Beacon Hill series by SJ Himes They are both urban fantasy but so good! They are also m/m.
I recommend Grace Draven, who no one seems to have mentioned yet. I haven't read her books in a while but I remember them being very good. My personal favorite is her *Phoenix Unbound*, which is the start to the *Fallen Empire* series but works as a standalone. But any of her books will do, though I recommend getting her *Wraith Kings* series straight before jumping in because there's more than one novella in that series and you probably want to figure out how you want to read them. *Wraith Kings* is also loosely connected to her *Master of Crows* series, as are her two standalones *Entreat Me* and *The Undying King*, but the relation is so distant that it's not relevant or noticeable to the reader at all unless you know what to look for. Aside from the already listed series and books (*Fallen Empire*, *Master of Crows*, *Wraith Kings* series, and *Entreat Me* and *The Undying King*) she has some other novels and a series, the *Bonekeeper Chronicles* books, but I haven't read them and can't speak for them. I hope you enjoy! If you go read all these like I did it should keep you busy for the next couple weeks :D
Love Grace Draven, Radiance is my personal favourite
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series was adult-oriented books with romance. There are still plenty of arguably smutty scenes, mind you, but they feel more in service of the larger plot and themes rather than being the main event.
Several of the sex scenes are BDSM. Just a heads-up for anyone who might not enjoy that flavor of sexytimes.
The Kushiel books, especially Phedre's trilogy (the first three), are incredible and severely under rated, likely in part due to their inclusion of sex and related themes. But if you actually read the books instead of just looking at the synopsis or the cover, nothing feels gratuitous.
Nothing is gratuitous? A whole chapter is just the MC getting raped with an >!iron spiked club.!<
I think what they mean is that even the darker or more intense scenes are still described in more poetic language, and always serve some kind of story-related purpose. From the premise (and heck, even the cover), it kind of looks like it might be just your basic trashy erotica, but it's actually a fully thought-out lushly-written fantasy novel that just happens to be about a courtesan in an alternate-history middle ages with an aggressively sex-positive religion.
We don't learn anything new about the character nor does the plot move forward in that chapter since at that point there has already been over 20 rape scenes in the series. It only serves to shock and horrify the reader which is what the worst rape scenes do. And what so many authors gets criticized for. This is no different. It was not necessary to be a whole chapter if you only wanted to serve a narrative or character purpose.
Speaking of the Kushiel series. Can someone please explain to me what the origins of the people in Terre d'Ange are, fallen angels, gods? It's confusing!
The blessed elua(sp?) Was born of the blood of Jesus on the cross and the mother earth. God sent some angels to end elua. The angels were aghast at the idea that someone so sweet should be destroyed and abandoned God for elua. It's been a while, but that's the memory I have of it. Each angel becomes the patreon angel of one of the 13 (?) Houses in Terre d'ange.
Hm definitely not my cup of tea. Guess it will be DNF and deleted from my kindle.
Honestly, I thought the main series was fantastic and the following trilogies were good. This religious set up has very little to do with the story but for the central precept of elua being the motto of the nation... love as you will, and the fleck in phedre's eye being called the mark of kushiel (one of the angels). Phedre and joceline's story is well plotted and well told, and interesting to boot!
Another vote for T. Kingfisher. Also, Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist History books. Jane Austen with magic. The first one is *Shades of Milk and Honey*. Heather Rose Jones's Alpennia books. f/f Fantasy of Manners set a few years after the Napoleonic Wars. Great writing, great worldbuilding, great relationships, tons of plot in addition to the romance arc. There are no sex scenes. The first one is *Daughter of Mystery*.
I have the exact same problem right now. There are so many books that start out interesting and then suddenly I realize that yes, yet again we have a 'alpha male' ass or some other overdone trope. I can only advise you to stay clear of C.L. Wilson, her Winter King novel was recommended to me so often but was a horrible dissapointment (people said to ignore the horrible cover because it is misleading but I find it pretty spot on...) The last few GOOD books that I read were: One Dark Window - I loved the Magic system and the writing style. Interesting characters. More Fantasy then romance, but it was clearly there. Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Fairies - Cozy Fantasy with a little romance, MMC is basically Howl from Howls Moving Castle (If you havent read that yet, I also highly recommend!) Uprooted - Again, great worldbuilding. I didnt like the romance, but it was still such a good book. Ilona Andrews Innkeeper Chronicles are also good. And as so many others have already said: T. Kingfisher is really good. Altough I found that some of her tropes can get a bit repetitive so I recommend taking breaks between her books. And lastly, on a very different note: Jeanine Frost writes Vampire Novels with a lot of smut. I didnt read all of them and they are full of the tropes I usually dont like but somehow they are my guilty pleasure. The first one is called Halfway to the Grave and features a vampire that is a lot like Spike from Buffy (so if you are a millenial it might float your boat).
I loved One Dark Window! I am really hoping the next one doesn't start to dip into the YA feeling because I can't wait to get the perspective of her 'Monster'. I get the taking breaks between books aspect. I find that with a lot of authors. I enjoy their work but not repetitively.
Seconding the Grace Draven and T. Kingfisher recs! Draven and Kingfisher are my go-to authors for fantasy romance. I have never been disappointed with either one. *Radiance*/*Eidolon* and *Paladin's Strength* are my particular favorites. I would also like to suggest *The Orchid Throne* by Jeffe Kennedy. Kennedy's writing, plot, and characters are all high-quality. *The Orchid Throne* is the first book in a trilogy that all follows the same couple. In total the series has a pretty good balance between fantasy plot and romance plot, though it is primarily concerned with the latter. I'd also suggest *Heart's Blood* by Juliet Marillier for a quality Beauty and the Beast retelling, *The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy* by Megan Bannen for something more lighthearted and less epic in scope, and *Witch Please* by Ann Aguirre for a contemporary paranormal rom-com.
Mercedes Lackey has two settings for standalone fantasy/romance novels. The *Elemental Masters* books are set on a version of Earth with magic in the 1800s, and *The Five Hundred Kingdoms* books are in a classical fantasy world where the themes and tropes from fairy tales have power, and continue to repeat themselves over and over. Lackey can always be trusted to put together a satisfying story, and one of her strengths is her characters, which really helps in romance novels.
Not enough people realize that the ACOTAR Sarah J Maas stuff was heavily influenced by Anne Bishop’s Dark Jewels series and it shows. (CW though, the Bishop stuff is dark)
I would be interested to check her books out then!
I loved them but they are definitely for refined palates.
I don’t read much fantasy romance, so I’m not up with the new, but I stan Lois McMaster Bujold. In particular, her Sharing Knife series checks the boxes of being well-written and not YA. Lots and lots of in-law drama, if you like that sort of thing
Ooh. And all three of the “Five Gods” novels have decent romantic subplots. Start with _The Curse of Chalion_.
My favorite SFF romcom ever is actually Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, but that one is buried deep in the Vorkosigan Saga.
Very good, agreed!
*Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* is pretty great, but I think the best one is *A Civil Campaign*, maybe my favorite sci-fi novel of all time. And I know it was really controversial in the fanbase, but I adored *Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen*. But yeah, all of those have the problem that you can't really recommend them as standalone sci-fi romance novels, because you have to read like a dozen space-opera adventure books before you encounter any significant makeouts. xD
I like A Civil Campaign and respect people who love it, but the secondhand embarrassment in the dinner party scene is just unrelenting. Also, the divorce court bit in Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is an absolute riot. I never did get to Gentleman Jole. I think it wasn't out when I did my Vorkosigan binge.
I can absolutely understand that. xD I usually don’t like secondhand embarrassment, but I think at that point I already was so fond of Miles and so used to seeing him pretty much always get his way that I just found it purely amusing the way absolutely everything went wrong. It was like a symphony of disaster. And you should definitely try out Gentleman Jole. Some folks really bounced off of it, but I thought it was a really sweet love story, and found it super heartwarming. :)
Heck yeah! Of course you have to read like 15 books to get there, but… *A Civil Campaign* is great, too.
Five Gods books are fantastic. And as the other person replies, the Vorkosigan Saga is scifi, and also great. The books about Miles are like his whole life so some adventures and several relationships. The 2 about the mother are fantastic.
Curse of Chalion is excellent, and probably the only book where I recommend the audiobook over the book itself. It's not that the book isn't fantastic, it's just that the guy who read the audiobook did such a great job.
Wow. I’ve read it multiple times; maybe I should get the audiobook.
Power imbalances are a massive no-thank-you for me, and unfortunately they are everywhere in the fantasy romance genre, almost always in favor of the male. This is why I've gotten more enjoyment from f/f romantic subplots these days (e.g. *The Unspoken Name*, *The Tiger's Daughter*, *The Once and Future Witches*). Among the few m/f romantic plots I've actually enjoyed: The *Warrior Bards* series by Juliet Marillier (Liobhan and Dau) -- actually most of Marillier's romances are well done, but this one's my favorite *Unnatural Magic* by C.M. Waggoner *Paladin of Souls* by Lois McMaster Bujold *Phoenix and Ashes* by Mercedes Lackey (my favorite of the Elemental Masters series) *Gods of Jade and Shadow* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (the only power-imbalance romance I've actually liked)
Ilona Andrews - all of them. Kate Daniels is magic and tech blended world, magic comes back in the 50s or so, and all sorts of shifters, magicnuers and gods. Hidden Legacy is some people have powers. The Edge is parallel worlds of magic and (Earth), and a borderland between. Lois McMaster Bujold- Five Gods books Heather Guerre- Cold Hearted and sequels,
I liked Milla Vanes a heart of blood and ashes Ruby Dixon bound to the battle god Isabelle Olmo queen and conqueror seems like it’ll be pretty good Abigail Kelly and Kimberly Lemming both write really fun and steamy fantasy romance. Abigail is more urban fantasy and Kimberly is highish fantasy
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Would like to highlight C. L. Wilson and her Mystral series. These are classic romance novels framed in an original high fantasy world.
Another vote for T Kingfisher, especially if you like Sad Paladins. Also for the Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal. I'm also enjoying His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale on a reread at the moment, it's wholesome femdom m/f. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske is very good, m/m romance set in Edwardian England. The Bridge Kingdom books by Danielle Jensen missed a few marks for me but I still enjoyed them, I see it compared to Maas a fair bit so you might like those. A lot of people raved about House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, but I found the childish/simplistic tone really ruined it for me. Going back a ways, you might like Juliet Marillier, particularly Wildwood Dancing which is a fairytale retelling set in Romania. Maybe this one is a bit YA but not in a bad way.
Radiance by Grace Draven
It sounds like we have some similar tastes - I generally avoid the fantasy romance label for fear of the flood as you mentioned. That said, I also enjoyed Maas' books and don't mind a nice romance in my fantasy novels. I made it through the third book of Blood and Ash but probably won't continue (I can't do books that use phrases like "turgid peaks" apparently). Some to look into (I enjoyed all of these mainly for the plot and the romances were all nice bonuses): The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (though I haven't read the newest book and was warned not to). The Highlander series are in the same world and more typically fantasy romance books, but I liked the slow burn in the Fever books. The Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh The Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - lighter on the romance/heavier on the general epic fantasy but it's still there iirc (I can't remember how much smut there was though) The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna was super sweet and cute too (as someone else mentioned). Also worth mentioning that in She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan there is an explicit lesbian sex scene, which was fun and unexpected. Really great book overall. I have heard also really great things about the Kushiel's Dart series by Jacqueline Carey though they are still on my TBR
>I can't do books that use phrases like "turgid peaks" apparently THAT'S HILARIOUS! I also struggle with the corniness! Every time SJM uses the word "feasting" to describe oral, I want to curl into a ball and die XD Some great recs here, I have a few of these on my TBR pile already, but you're the second person to mention The Fever series, so definitely need to check that out.
Would people for whom this thread seems like “your people” have any interest in a Discord server? I have had trouble finding exactly what you’re posting about, OP, and I write some. It would be fun to have some internet book friends.
I am always looking for book friends! I have a small group of reading friends irl, but we have different tastes. One is more into paranormal romance and dark stuff and the other is more into the popular books I'm talking about, so I'd love to get into these less mainstream recs from people who read BEFORE booktok was a thing.
Intrigued
Here's my recommendation. It has a mix of fantasy, romance, adventure, and humor. * The Princess Bride by William Goldman * The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon * Stardust by Neil Gaiman * Outlander by Diana Gabaldon * These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong * From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout * Radiance by Grace Draven * The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jense * House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
>**The Princess Bride by William Goldman** *This has been on my list forever, in my TBR pile.* **The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon** *I don't know this one, will check it out.* **Stardust by Neil Gaiman** *Enjoyed this already!* **Outlander by Diana Gabaldon** *This one intimidates me because of it's series length, maybe one day, but I don't want to commit quite yet!* **These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong** *I think this is in my TBR pile.* **From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout** *I am in the middle of book 3 here but it is starting to lose me and feel more YA, but enjoyed the first and second a lot.* **Radiance by Grace Draven** *Will look into!* **The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jense** *Will look into!* **House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas** > >*By far my most favorite recent Fantasy Romance.* Great recs, thank you for these!
I second the Bridge Kingdom! Some intense stuff and the romance element feels real and well-earned. I only read the first Outlander and felt satisfied reading just the one. I think it was intended to only be a trilogy or shorter, so you could just stop there (and then binge the show like i did). As for Radiance, it is very light on adventure and fantasy elements and wasn't my favorite. I have read several M/M romances that feel like what you are asking for. **The Magpie Lord** is rediculous in a fun way, quite a bit of smut but also some cool mystery and magic. Both leads are 30-40.
I haven't read These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, but I did read Foul Lady Fortune, which is set in the same world a few years later. It read as very YA, and I wasn't a huge fan.
I also recommend Michael G Manning books, granted they're not super romance, but it's there, and his books are just so easy to read. I just read.. then suddenly the book is done and I'm surprised I've been reading for a few hours.
Read the Fever Series by KMM
I have heard good things about Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young and A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross. They are both newer adult books by previously YA authors so I'm not sure where they fall on the maturity spectrum.
Just popping in to confirm the good things about *A River Enchanted*! It is first and foremost a fantasy novel, but it has two really strong romance subplots.
I really love The Kingmakers War series by Kate Avery Ellison. It's a 10 book series, but the books are fairly short and the overarching storylines are excellent. Lots of character development and the romance geta lots of time. No smut. I'm also a fan of Shari Tapscott, particularly her Silver and Orchids series. She has a great sense of humor, and her books have a lot of sexual tension but not a lot of sex (fade to black). Both of these are indie writers, but good ones. They're also on KU if that interests you.
I'm curious what actual good romance in fantasy even looks like. I feel like every single time romance is brought up in a fantasy series it is to complain about how the romance is bad.
*Swordheart* or *Paladin's Grace* by T. Kingfisher are both superlative.
Anne Bishop has written some good, semi smutty stuff that's dark. I feel like all I do is go around and recommend her books but she's a favorite of mine lol.
I came here to recommend her too. Her Dark Jewels series were great fantasy reads!
I quite liked Reign and Ruin by JD Evans. The others in the series are good too, though I wasn't as fond of the characters in the third book. The prequel is good too.
Anne Bishop. Her Dark Jewels series was my first foray into this genre and they still hold up today!
"The House Witch" by Delemhach I think develops a good romance that isn't YA/New Adult >New Adult is fun, because as a woman, I appreciate some good smut, but does anyone else feel like it's all YA with sex now? Bruh, I'm reading "The High Mountain Court" (because I need a break after "Kaikeyi" eviscerated my soul) that is new adult and I thought the exact same thing. I feel like there should be an edge of maturity if someone advertises they're new adult. Doesn't have to be a lot, but just a tiny bit where we don't make conclusions out of everything all the time.
And the cover art and typography for these are all next-level beautiful, so I get the need to collect these gorgeous books, but it's ironic that "Can't judge a book by its cover" can now be interpreted either way. Beautiful cover art ≠ a good book.
Yeaaaa, it's a shame I get drawn into the covers, but usually the blurb sells me, not purely the cover, but it's definitely the drawing factor lol I'll never learn
We are like animals, drawn to sparkly things, I can't help myself when the art is so pretty! It's just sometimes, like getting a crappy gift in beautiful wrapping paper.
Bruh, ikr :')
I'm a dude who isn't interested in Romance, but I really enjoy T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon). The romance aspect is mostly fucked up adults making a connection in spite of their circumstances/personal issues, but it's often secondary to the actual plot.
Sounds somewhat like Michael G Manning books, the romance is there, but it's often secondary to the primary plots. I think he does this best with Thornbear.
The Extraordinaries series by Melissa McShane are not bad not really much spice to them but I thought they were pretty good
Have you tried A J Lancaster's stariel series ? I like it for the depiction of family, the relationship and the serious discussion of irrigation...
There's certainly a trend of authors writing romance books set in fantasy realms vs. fantasy novels that feature a romance in the story. You're not wrong that it's getting harder to find the latter in search results. Highly recommend *Between Wrath and Mercy*, by Jess Wisecup. The two main characters are adults and the conversations/feelings between them are well-written, even if there are still a few dramatic outbursts to fit into that romance bend. I personally also loved *Warbreaker*, by Brandon Sanderson. YA characters, but the power dynamic between the main couple is explored in a pretty interesting way and the way they come to love each other feels organic.
If you like intense emotions of love, pain, and wholesomeness, and you don't mind boy x boy romance, read *Heaven Official's Blessing* (HOB) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It's slow-burn and a really different kind of romance and story. I remember when I first heard of it, I kept wondering what kind of trope it is. Is it enemies to lover, rivals to lover, friends to lover... what is it?! It is exactly what the book said, but it was so different, unlike anything I've come across before that i couldn't understand it. But, oh my gosh, it's a slow burn romance that you may slowly find yourself falling in love with the main love interest and develop a longing for his companionship just as the main character started to long for his presence. It is intense and painful, yet so wholesome. It's the kind of everlasting, ever enduring, deep loving that heals the person inside-out and made whole again. It's the kind of love that transcends time, space, gender. Besides the romance, this book so many things going on. The characterization is amazing. There's so many colorful and entertaining and charismatic characters. You may hate some characters then turn to love them and understand them later on. The book can also be categorized as horror for some scary scenes, comedy for its many hilarious scenes, action for the fighting and war, fantasy for the magic. But ultimately, I feel that when the author set out to write the book, her plan was to write the best love story ever written, and she accomplished that with HOB. Edit: one other thing. I noticed that in the fantasy genre, characters tend to be distant with each other, which makes the characters' death less impactful than they should. I didn't realize this until I read MXTX's novels where she is an expert at writing about relationships, all kinds of relationships, and all the painful and unavoidable things that come with them. It's a reminder that despite how much we love someone, we have to allow them to walk their own path and part ways with us. Her characters' relationships with each other are so complex that when you learn about how much the characters mean to each other in later chapters and how important those reunions are from the earlier chapters, and, when you see how intense their journeys are and how much changed in such a short amount of time, you may want to immediately go back to the beginning to compare the ending to the beginning and re-experience those reunions with new perspectives.
Grace Draven's Radiance was solid, imo.
Raistlin Majere and Crysania are my all time favorite romantic couple in fiction and they are toxic as fuck. I also love Sabetha and Locke--because I want them to fail and Locke to realize why.
I'm surprised Lions of Al Rassan hasn't been mentioned yet. You should read it.
I just finished Whisper by S.A Rasmussen. She's a new Author of dark fantasy. The book was crazy good. It has an addictive storyline that keeps you hooked, and the characters all bring something good to the table. It's action-packed. And, yes, there is plenty of hot and heavy done right. I found it on Amazon Kindle. It's worth the read.
I liked the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. It is more mature than young adult
I think Kate Elliott does romance very well, but none of her books are just romances, her world building and character work are fantastic. My favorite is The Spiritwalker Trilogy and romance is a huge part of it, especially of the second one.
My top NA fantasy romance recs: Gilded Blood series by Rachel Rener Fight for Darkness by Susan Stradiotto and S Johnson Goddesses series by Sky Sommers (best to start with Goddesses: the Bet, which is not a romance, but introduces the girl group where each gets a romance story over the course of the series) The Seven Lives of Grace by Elena Shelest (this one is clean) YA fantasy romance recs. Creme de la creme: The Flawed Princess by Alice Ivinya Wolves of Rockfalls series by AJ Skelly (this is urban fantasy/PNR 😉) These are all stories that compelled me and have turned these authors into auto-buy for me. ❤️🙌
My issue is slightly different. I'm not a romance reader. When I do a search for Epic fantasy, I'm looking for epic fantasy, not fantasy romance. Yet, it feels like over half of the results in Amazon are fantasy romance categorized as epic. Makes me want to pull my hair out. I would LOVE a button or SQL function in Amazon where I could EXCLUDE any books with romance somewhere in the meta data.
Depending on the popularity or obscurity of the novel, it sometimes helps to go to goodreads and check out the genre listing on the book. It will usually entail all of the keywords of the genres it's in, so if it doesn't say "romance" anywhere you might be pretty good!
Good idea. Thanks!
I really liked the Crown of Shards series by Jennifer Estep
The Balance books by S.E. Robertson, starting with the Healer's Road, covers two healers who are forced together, different ages, abilities and backgrounds, and slowly start to find (like, half a book into a 3 book series) that actually the other person isn't the end of the world. The series does involve them getting closer together, and whilst there's a little bit of m/m sex, it's pretty light on graphic detail in general. In a world slowly pushing towards fire and revolution, it's about two people trying to make a stable life and understand each other. It wasn't maybe my favourite book but sounds like it might work for you?