So You Want to be a Fantasy Girlie
can you feel this magic in the air?
In November smutty romances were the main event at disassociation station. In February I found escape in thrillers, and now in March we have entered our fantasy era.
It is possible that after reading The Bell Jar and realizing how little has changed in the burdens of womanhood over the last 75 years, I found it necessary to yeet myself into completely foreign other realms.
So here’s a pithy collection of recommendations in the fantasy genre
[spoiler alert: I don’t have a pithy bone in my body]
If you haven’t read fantasy since The Twilight Saga, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is for you! (Casey Ann Brace Chadwick, I’m talking to you!)
Oh, you read the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas during the pandemic and haven’t looked back? Tale as old as time. (If you take this recommendation, you have to promise to commit to reading THE FIRST TWO BOOKS, you cannot quit after A Court of Thorns and Roses, you must continue with A Court of Mist and Fury. After that, if it’s still not doing it for you, by all means, be a quitter.
Sarah J Mass is heralded as “The Reining Queen of Romantasy” but I she’s really just fantasy with well-developed romantic subplots. ACOTAR leans the most heavily romantic (and that’s what why it’s the gateway series).
“Fated Mates” is one of the best tropes in Fantasy Romance
If you want an elaborate urban fantasy (that happens to have a slow-burn romance sub-sub-plot and many swoon worthy characters) look no further than The Crescent City series. These books are more about friendship than romance.
A current read for me is the Spark of the Everflame series. It was recommended to me at an Onyx Storm book club when I said I was looking for more romantasy. The first book was like NO ROMANCE but the second book, Glow of the Everflame is set up for the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers arc I crave!
I have yet to read a Jennifer L Armentrout book, but after the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and The Empyrean series, I wager From Blood and Ash series is the third most popular “romantasy” series. I’ve heard mixed things, but it is high on my TBR.
If you want a romance that just happens to be set in a fantasy world (think: Bella goes to high school and falls for the quiet kid who just happens to be a vampire in a generations-long feud with her family friend who just happens to be a werewolf) then The Omegaverse is for you! Jk jk, but really though… your hyper-fixation du jour should be knotting. (<NSFW link)
These recommendations could also be classified as “Monster Romance” or “Paranormal Romance.” In attempts to avoid that rabbit hole, here are some recs:
What is monster romance?
A monster romance is a paranormal or fantasy romance novel with at least one monster main character.
What is the difference between paranormal and fantasy monster romance?
…A good rule of thumb for discerning the difference between fantasy and paranormal monster romance: if you subbed out the monsters for humans in the story, would it mimic a contemporary romance? If so, you've got yourself a paranormal monster romance.
-The Romance Genre Specialist
Ali Hazelwood knocked it out of the park (on her first try) in a surprise to absolutely nobody!
Fated mates is one of the best tropes in Fantasy Romance, and she delivers! Bride was a surprise favorite last year!
Kiss of the Basilisk (fka Split or Swallow)
I think I’ve covered Lindsay Straube’s masterpiece enough on here, but honestly her extensive fantasy world building through this mammoth novel, while maintaining at least one explicit scene per chapter… extraordinary.
This was a last minute addition…
but at this point I don’t know if Ruby Dixon writes fantasy or a fantasy…
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Sarah J Maas may be “The Queen of Romantasy” but it will be a cold day in Hel before I ever categorize The Throne of Glass series as roman-anything. I just finished Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn this week and am bracing myself for Kingdom of Ash.
![Throne of Glass Paperback Box Set [Book]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JYJk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F191a9498-0205-4bbf-ae83-b2e99ce1b1d3_1000x747.jpeg "Throne of Glass Paperback Box Set [Book]")
When I first embarked upon my adulthood fantasy journey, some trusted friends recommended Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series. This is the series that taught me, I need a romantic storyline to keep keep me invested (sorry Brandon Sanderson fans).
Who doesn’t love a duology?! This series perfectly balances romance with fantasy. Divine Rivals isn’t obsession worthy in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the whole ride.
Probably one of the most delightful surprises of 2025 for me: Our Infinite Fates
A one-and-done was a reminder that “maybe I do just love good fantasy!”
The Scholomance Series
Bingeable-audiobooks! Belinda just read the first two on my recommendation and even though they’re “short,” it turns out they’re mostly internal monologues so 100% recommend audiobooking this trilogy. We love a sentient school and should-be villain turned hero!
One Dark Window & Two Twisted Crowns duology
I haven’t read these yet, but I CANNOT WAIT TO START!
Harry Potter and the Did You Really Think I’d Forget the Books the Forged Me?
Do I wish JK Rowling would just zip it with her transphobic opinions? OMG DON’T GET ME STARTED!
Do I think JK Rowling is one of the best authors in the history of the written word? Without question.
I owe so much of who I am to these books. I’m sure they’ll get their own dedicated post one day. But they set the bar for world-building and character arcs. The only author I trust nearly as much as JK is Sarah. But still not quite the same.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
I haven’t read these yet, but know I would love them and hear they really hold up. I bought them on sale a couple years ago and am excited to dive into them (maybe this summer).
Have you read any of these books?
What books/series did I miss?
Let me know please!! I’m loving this era!
Hyper-fixation du jour: my bob
I donated my hair for the 8th time? WHO KNOWS?!
If you want to purchase any of the books mentioned in this article, please consider using my affiliate link with my favorite independent book store, The Ripped Bodice, or using my referral link to libro.fm for an audiobook!