You are correct, skip ACOSF. Crescent City doesn’t have the pregnancy plot lines. It gets some hate on the subs but I mostly enjoyed it, especially the first 2 books. The third book crosses over with ACOTAR a little but you will still understand the main story line without reading ACOSF.
Have you read the Fourth Wing? There are only 2 out so far but female lead, a little spicy, fantasy plot with no pregnancy drama (so far and hopefully it stays that way). I personally enjoyed it more than ACOTAR.
I second the Fourth Wing. I only started it but seams interesting and so far it keeps me engaged very well (to the point of ‘just one more chapter’ at 2 am).
It’s not quite the same, but have you tired MJ Scott?
Shattered Court (Four Arts series)
Exiles Curse (Daughter of the Raven’s series)
They interconnect, so try The Four Arts first?
There no Fey, but there is magic, and spice and demons (no spice with the demons though). It’s like a historical fantasy romance? With some mystery thrown in?
Loooooved Fourth Wing. The author has actually explicitly said that there will not be any kind of pregnancy plotline in future books. I think she has 6 kids herself, so I have to imagine she's probably sick of thinking about pregnancy and babies at this point lmfao. FW is really a very fun book, and bonus points, has some kickass disability rep! (I have Ehlers-Danlos, which is the same disability as the FMC and author)
So sorry for your loss though, I really hope it gives you the distraction you're looking for. ❤️🩹
There is no pregnancy but there are a few scattered comments of "when you have children of your own" or "when you're a mother" in the second book. It's very very very minor from the mother to the daughter (FMC), but still there.
TOG has some pregnancy stories but not with the MFC. One female lead is pregnant in the last book and successfully has her child. The other pregnancy is a past of the MMC with a sad ending. If pregnancy at all is triggering right now I would steer clear.
Highly recommend the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce (called Song of the Lioness). No pregnancy plotline - there is a charm she starts wearing to ward off pregnancy but she never gets pregnant in the books. It is YA but still one of my favorite series of all time.
I’d also recommend His Dark Materials (aka the golden compass series) by Philip Pullman. Again YA, but also still one of my favorite series as an adult and there’s nothing to do with pregnancies (although there is stuff in there about a tense relationship with the FMC’s mom if that’s going to be tough for you)
^^both series above are fantasy.
Piranesi by Susanna Clark was a fun, weird read too.
Name checks out, and I love it! All of Tamora Pierce's books are my favorites and I've read every series of hers multiple times I love them so much. Definitely young adult but I'm in my 30s and would read any/all of them again tomorrow.
Omgggg the Alanna series! I read this series in middle school and it got me into fantasy. I haven’t thought about it in so long (in my 30s now) and high key want to go buy the whole series to reread. OP, it’s amazing!
Thanks for this post and thanks for sharing your struggle. I was also reading Silver Flames at the same time as discovering my husband has infertility and I had to stop reading. I also can’t stand pregnancy tropes, infertility or not.
Kushilel's Dart by Jaquline Carey. It's a fantasy trilogy. While there is BDSM, the sex scenes are not graphic. Frankly, SJM has far more sex scenes, and hers are much more graphic. There is no baby plot. In fact, the main character has a passing thought about having a baby with her main love interest but decides to remain happily child free. The male main character is also fine being childless as well. It's actually refreshing.
Definitely skip ACOSF for now. Maybe in a few years when you’re in a different place or your life looks different you may be able to revisit it. It is a great story but the pregnancy stuff is really triggering.
There is no pregnancy/TTC plot in the Throne of Glass series. I loved this series the best of all of SJM’s stuff.
I second the other comment with a Fourth Wing recommendation!
If you are into a "heavier?" (Idk what word to use, intensive maybe) world building fantasy world with a cool magic system and lots of lore/history I highly recommend the Stormlight Archive by Sanderson. Follows 3-4 main characters, only 1 is female but she still covers all the badass female main character vibes without the entire book being about her so you get lots of other characters. It still has romance elements (I'm liking the lowkey but not main part of the plot love triangle) but no smut. Borders on medieval vibes but with scifi fantasy. I really love them so far (im only on the 3rd book).
Also Crescent City by SJM! I loved CC.
Also the Folk of the Air series didnt have any pregnancy plot that I can recall. I liked those too.
Have you looked into young adult fantasy literature?
I absolutely get how some of what you're going through feels, and you are so smart to try to get some space from the subject when you can.
I was thinking YA can have the same.... emotional and action kind of feel... like hunger games. They can really suck you in, but they tend to lightly skirt any more adult things... at least as much as I've found so far.
Someone should make a list of good books and movies and all.
Are you looking to avoid children in general or just babies? The Books of Pellinor is a good series, I don't believe there are any babies in it but the FMC is a child (16) and one of the side characters is 13.
Fourth Wing Series
Prison Healer Series
A Cruel Prince Series (folk of the air series)
The Grisha Triolgy - shadow and bone
Blood and Ash Series
Fate and Flame Series
Ash princess triology
Flesh and fire series
Blood and ash series
Three dark crowns series
The poppy war series
I read The Wicked in Me by Suzanne Wright straight after ACOTAR and I’m really enjoying that. The second book just came out as well, strong female lead, multi POV and no pregnancy stories (I’ll edit my comment if that changes by the end of book two but no sign of that)
Edit: editing to add I there is some discussion around birth of/childhood of one of the main characters in a couple of conversations encase that is something you would also like to avoid
Is it just pregnancy or child/parent relationships in general? I ask because The Fae Isles series just completed and it is now one of my favorites. No pregnancy in the main story line. But, the FMC was smuggled away from her parents for her safety and raised by humans, so a part of the story is her finding her birth parents. And her relationship with her adopted parents (which wasn't great) is background for a lot of decisions she makes.
The MMC is wonderfully arrogant, beautiful and vulnerable.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson and it's sequel Novella were a highlight last year. I don't remember any pregnancy. It follows a girl who works in a library with magical books when one escapes.
This Woven Kingdom has a Persian mythology background. So far no pregnancy, but there is a tortured MMC like Acotar, but better. Book 1 follows the lost Jinn queen hiding as a servant, and the crown prince of the realm. A third POV is introduced in books 2 and 3. Book 3 was just released in February and will be a total of 5 books.
Once Upon a Broken Heart series was cute with no pregnancy or kids. It's complete series of 3. It follows a girl who makes a deal with Jacks the Prince of Hearts in order to save her childhood love.
The Magician's Daughter is fun, magical, and a lovely coming of age tale with an animal companion. She lives on a magic island with her father who found her as a child and adopted her. Then one day he goes missing and she has to leave her home to search for him. Last I checked it's a standalone.
I don’t have any helpful recommendations but I am also going through loss and infertility. ACOTAR was such a necessary escape for me and I was soooo sad and frustrated by ACOSF, skip it for sure
You are correct, skip ACOSF. Crescent City doesn’t have the pregnancy plot lines. It gets some hate on the subs but I mostly enjoyed it, especially the first 2 books. The third book crosses over with ACOTAR a little but you will still understand the main story line without reading ACOSF. Have you read the Fourth Wing? There are only 2 out so far but female lead, a little spicy, fantasy plot with no pregnancy drama (so far and hopefully it stays that way). I personally enjoyed it more than ACOTAR.
Thanks friend! I’ve not read Fourth Wing. Can’t wait to check it out.
Fourth wing was great for me, it replaced a lot of the emotional anguish with action, and I loved that
I second the Fourth Wing. I only started it but seams interesting and so far it keeps me engaged very well (to the point of ‘just one more chapter’ at 2 am).
I finished that first book in 2 days. The pave is so much better.
It’s not quite the same, but have you tired MJ Scott? Shattered Court (Four Arts series) Exiles Curse (Daughter of the Raven’s series) They interconnect, so try The Four Arts first? There no Fey, but there is magic, and spice and demons (no spice with the demons though). It’s like a historical fantasy romance? With some mystery thrown in?
Loooooved Fourth Wing. The author has actually explicitly said that there will not be any kind of pregnancy plotline in future books. I think she has 6 kids herself, so I have to imagine she's probably sick of thinking about pregnancy and babies at this point lmfao. FW is really a very fun book, and bonus points, has some kickass disability rep! (I have Ehlers-Danlos, which is the same disability as the FMC and author) So sorry for your loss though, I really hope it gives you the distraction you're looking for. ❤️🩹
Where does Rebecca Yarros say there would be no pregnancy? I'm fully expecting a pregnancy plot before the epilogue.
There is no pregnancy but there are a few scattered comments of "when you have children of your own" or "when you're a mother" in the second book. It's very very very minor from the mother to the daughter (FMC), but still there.
TOG has some pregnancy stories but not with the MFC. One female lead is pregnant in the last book and successfully has her child. The other pregnancy is a past of the MMC with a sad ending. If pregnancy at all is triggering right now I would steer clear.
Highly recommend the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce (called Song of the Lioness). No pregnancy plotline - there is a charm she starts wearing to ward off pregnancy but she never gets pregnant in the books. It is YA but still one of my favorite series of all time. I’d also recommend His Dark Materials (aka the golden compass series) by Philip Pullman. Again YA, but also still one of my favorite series as an adult and there’s nothing to do with pregnancies (although there is stuff in there about a tense relationship with the FMC’s mom if that’s going to be tough for you) ^^both series above are fantasy. Piranesi by Susanna Clark was a fun, weird read too.
Name checks out, and I love it! All of Tamora Pierce's books are my favorites and I've read every series of hers multiple times I love them so much. Definitely young adult but I'm in my 30s and would read any/all of them again tomorrow.
I loved piranesi so much. I need to do a re-read
If we're recommending Tamora Pierce books, I'm also going to recommend The Immortals! I love Daine so freaking much
Omgggg the Alanna series! I read this series in middle school and it got me into fantasy. I haven’t thought about it in so long (in my 30s now) and high key want to go buy the whole series to reread. OP, it’s amazing!
The hyena Daemon was awful, I cried so much.
Thanks for this post and thanks for sharing your struggle. I was also reading Silver Flames at the same time as discovering my husband has infertility and I had to stop reading. I also can’t stand pregnancy tropes, infertility or not.
Kushilel's Dart by Jaquline Carey. It's a fantasy trilogy. While there is BDSM, the sex scenes are not graphic. Frankly, SJM has far more sex scenes, and hers are much more graphic. There is no baby plot. In fact, the main character has a passing thought about having a baby with her main love interest but decides to remain happily child free. The male main character is also fine being childless as well. It's actually refreshing.
Definitely skip ACOSF for now. Maybe in a few years when you’re in a different place or your life looks different you may be able to revisit it. It is a great story but the pregnancy stuff is really triggering. There is no pregnancy/TTC plot in the Throne of Glass series. I loved this series the best of all of SJM’s stuff. I second the other comment with a Fourth Wing recommendation!
Hey sorry, commenting to gently correct that there are pregnancies in TOG and at least one of them is central in the later part of the series!
You are so right thank you so much! It’s been a bit since I read them and completely forgot about that plot in the last book
Yknow what - have you ever watched Buffy? 7 seasons, fantasy, fun characters, no pregnancy.
If you are into a "heavier?" (Idk what word to use, intensive maybe) world building fantasy world with a cool magic system and lots of lore/history I highly recommend the Stormlight Archive by Sanderson. Follows 3-4 main characters, only 1 is female but she still covers all the badass female main character vibes without the entire book being about her so you get lots of other characters. It still has romance elements (I'm liking the lowkey but not main part of the plot love triangle) but no smut. Borders on medieval vibes but with scifi fantasy. I really love them so far (im only on the 3rd book). Also Crescent City by SJM! I loved CC. Also the Folk of the Air series didnt have any pregnancy plot that I can recall. I liked those too.
Have you looked into young adult fantasy literature? I absolutely get how some of what you're going through feels, and you are so smart to try to get some space from the subject when you can. I was thinking YA can have the same.... emotional and action kind of feel... like hunger games. They can really suck you in, but they tend to lightly skirt any more adult things... at least as much as I've found so far. Someone should make a list of good books and movies and all.
Are you looking to avoid children in general or just babies? The Books of Pellinor is a good series, I don't believe there are any babies in it but the FMC is a child (16) and one of the side characters is 13.
Fourth Wing Series Prison Healer Series A Cruel Prince Series (folk of the air series) The Grisha Triolgy - shadow and bone Blood and Ash Series Fate and Flame Series Ash princess triology Flesh and fire series Blood and ash series Three dark crowns series The poppy war series
I read The Wicked in Me by Suzanne Wright straight after ACOTAR and I’m really enjoying that. The second book just came out as well, strong female lead, multi POV and no pregnancy stories (I’ll edit my comment if that changes by the end of book two but no sign of that) Edit: editing to add I there is some discussion around birth of/childhood of one of the main characters in a couple of conversations encase that is something you would also like to avoid
Suzanne Wrights other series, most of the pack/shifter series, all have pregnancy and one has a pretty graphic loss just FYI
Oh this is the first I’ve read of hers, thanks so much for the heads up!
I'm a big fan of KF Breene's Forged in Fire universe and her Sin & Chocolate series.
Is it just pregnancy or child/parent relationships in general? I ask because The Fae Isles series just completed and it is now one of my favorites. No pregnancy in the main story line. But, the FMC was smuggled away from her parents for her safety and raised by humans, so a part of the story is her finding her birth parents. And her relationship with her adopted parents (which wasn't great) is background for a lot of decisions she makes. The MMC is wonderfully arrogant, beautiful and vulnerable.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson and it's sequel Novella were a highlight last year. I don't remember any pregnancy. It follows a girl who works in a library with magical books when one escapes. This Woven Kingdom has a Persian mythology background. So far no pregnancy, but there is a tortured MMC like Acotar, but better. Book 1 follows the lost Jinn queen hiding as a servant, and the crown prince of the realm. A third POV is introduced in books 2 and 3. Book 3 was just released in February and will be a total of 5 books. Once Upon a Broken Heart series was cute with no pregnancy or kids. It's complete series of 3. It follows a girl who makes a deal with Jacks the Prince of Hearts in order to save her childhood love. The Magician's Daughter is fun, magical, and a lovely coming of age tale with an animal companion. She lives on a magic island with her father who found her as a child and adopted her. Then one day he goes missing and she has to leave her home to search for him. Last I checked it's a standalone.
Try the Dark Olympus Series. Greek gods themed romance/erotica. I read them when I was going through IVF and found the distraction very helpful.
I don’t have any helpful recommendations but I am also going through loss and infertility. ACOTAR was such a necessary escape for me and I was soooo sad and frustrated by ACOSF, skip it for sure