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The 50 Book Reading Guide: How to Fall in Love with Romantasy
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items Committing to reading 50 books can feel ambitious, especially if you're new to fantasy. This guide creates a curated path through fantasy and romantasy so you can discover the worlds, series, and authors readers can't stop talking about. The journey ...
Sections
10
January
February
March
April / May
June
July
January
Series Order: A Court of Thorns and Roses → A Court of Mist and Fury → A Court of Wings and Ruin → A Court of Frost and Starlight → A Court of Silver Flames. Sarah J. Maas's world-building here is second to none, and she's confirmed two more books ar...
The romantasy classic and my pick for the easiest entry point into fantasy. Book one is slower and a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling — stick with it, it gets much more addictive from book two on.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set
Book 1. A loose Beauty and the Beast retelling and the slowest of the series, so stick with it.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR 1) - Sarah J. Maas
Book 2. Where the series takes off; many readers call this their favorite.
A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR Book 2)
Book 3. Wraps up the first major story arc of the series.
A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR Book 3)
Book 4. A short, cozy novella that bridges into the next book.
A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOTAR 4) - Sarah J. Maas
Book 5. Follows Nesta and Cassian, and it is the spiciest of the series.
A Court of Silver Flames (ACOTAR Book 5)
February
Series Order: Fourth Wing → Iron Flame → Onyx Storm. A great follow-up after ACOTAR if you want more romance-driven fantasy — fast-paced with high emotional stakes and addictive pacing. Expect brutal cliffhangers.
Dragons, war college politics, and heart-pounding romance — one of the most bingeable series out there right now. Fair warning: the cliffhangers are brutal.
Fourth Wing Series 3 Book Set
Book 1. Dragon riders, a brutal war college, and enemies-to-lovers.
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, Book 1) - Yarros
Book 2. Picks up right where Fourth Wing ends; expect a cliffhanger.
Iron Flame (The Empyrean, Book 2) - Rebecca Yarros
Book 3. Read it right after Iron Flame while the details are fresh.
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, Book 3) - Rebecca Yarros
March
Shepherd King Duology — Series Order: One Dark Window → Two Twisted Crowns. A unique magic system built around Providence Cards, with strong political tension alongside the romance.
Crimson Moth Duology — Series Order: Heartless Hunter → Rebel Witch. Political intrigue and a rising rebellion, another completed duology if you prefer shorter series.
A darker, gothic pick if you want something moodier than the earlier picks. It's a completed duology, so it's an easy one to binge start to finish.
The Shepherd King Duology Box Set
A forbidden romance between a witch and a witch hunter, with political intrigue and a rising rebellion woven in. Fast-paced and easy to fly through — book two picks up right where this leaves off.
Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth Duology, Book 1
Book two of the Crimson Moth duology — wraps up the story in a satisfying, fast-paced way.
Rebel Witch: The Crimson Moth Duology, Book 2
April / May
Series Order: Throne of Glass → Crown of Midnight → Heir of Fire → The Assassin's Blade (read after Heir of Fire) → Queen of Shadows → Empire of Storms → Tower of Dawn → Kingdom of Ash. Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn happen at the same time, so m...
Leans more fantasy than romantasy, with a slow-burn romance and heavy focus on world-building. Read The Assassin's Blade after Heir of Fire — it adds great context to Celaena's story.
Throne of Glass Paperback Box Set
Book 1. Assassin Celaena competes to become the king's champion.
Throne of Glass (Book 1) - Sarah J. Maas
Book 2. The stakes rise fast, and the bigger story starts to show.
Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) - Maas
Book 3. A turning point, with new characters and a much wider world.
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, Book 3)
Prequel novellas. Read after Heir of Fire for the most impact.
The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass Prequel)
Book 4. The story returns to Rifthold and the plot threads collide.
Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) - S.J. Maas
Book 5. Happens alongside Tower of Dawn, so many readers tandem read.
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) - Maas
Book 6. Chaol's story, set at the same time as Empire of Storms.
Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, Book 6)
Book 7. The long, emotional finale that pays off the whole series.
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) - S.J. Maas
June
Fae & Alchemy — Series Order: Quicksilver → Brimstone. Kingfisher is one of the most memorable MMCs in romantasy right now, known for his sharp banter and wit.
Shield of Sparrows — Series Order: Shield of Sparrows → Rites of the Starling. Features a political marriage that sends the FMC into an unfamiliar kingdom, with several major reveals that reshape how you view earlier events. Ends on a cliffhanger, co...
A darker romantasy with strong fae elements and alchemy woven in — Kingfisher is one of the most memorable love interests in the genre right now. High tension and shifting alliances throughout.
Quicksilver: Fae & Alchemy, Book 1
Book two of the Fae & Alchemy series — leaves you eager for the next installment. A satisfying continuation if you loved Quicksilver.
Brimstone: Fae & Alchemy, Book 2
A political marriage sends the FMC into an unfamiliar kingdom — romance, monsters, court politics, and dangerous travel. Ends on a cliffhanger.
Shield of Sparrows, Book 1
Book two of Shield of Sparrows — several major reveals reshape how you view earlier events. A satisfying wrap-up to the duology.
Rites of the Starling: Shield of Sparrows, Book 2
July
A young diviner joins forces with a heretical knight to unravel the disappearance of fellow seers — dangerous gods, long-buried secrets, and a slow-burn romance that sneaks up on you. First in the Stonewater Kingdom series.
The Knight and the Moth (Stonewater Kingdom, Book 1) - Rachel Gillig
Bridgerton-inspired romantasy: magical bargains, glittering fae courts, and a royal marriage competition force one debutante to choose between duty and forbidden love. Book 1 of 2.
The Rose Bargain #1 - Sasha Peyton Smith
Book 2 of The Rose Bargain — the fae-court stakes and forbidden romance from book one come to a head.
The Thorn Queen (The Rose Bargain, Book 2) - Sasha Peyton Smith
Rival journalists separated by war find themselves connected through enchanted typewriters, as divine magic quietly reshapes their lives. Book 1 of Letters of Enchantment.
Divine Rivals: A Novel (Letters of Enchantment, 1)
Book 2 of Letters of Enchantment — the wartime romance and divine stakes from Divine Rivals come to their conclusion.
Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2)
August
A young goddess with messenger magic discovers a mortal man has been dreaming of her for a decade — a haunting, romantic standalone about choosing vulnerability over divine duty.
Wild Reverence - Rebecca Ross
A notorious assassin is captured and caught in a dangerous political game — her connection to a powerful king unravels shocking truths about her identity and a love that transcends time. Book 1 of The Moonfall Series.
When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall Series 1)
Book 2 of The Moonfall Series — the fallout from Raeve's shocking truths, with even higher stakes and a love that spans lifetimes.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons - Sarah A. Parker
September
A fugitive infiltrates an elite military academy under a false identity to solve a murder, hiding his true past as the sole heir of a conquered kingdom in an empire that drains life force from the lower class. Book 1 of the Hierarchy series.
The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, Book 1)
Book 2 of the Hierarchy series — the political intrigue and rising rebellion from The Will of the Many escalate.
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, Book 2)
A guard raised among an exiled people accidentally triggers an international incident and is captured by an enemy soldier — forced proximity awakens dangerous magic and buried secrets about her identity. Book 1 of Fire and Metal.
Metal Slinger (Fire and Metal, Book 1)
Four years after Jovie stripped Edmond's magic, that choice has ignited a war between the kingdoms. She's determined to protect Maile's people from the fallout, even if it costs her any chance of reconciling with Acker — who's now trapped in an arran...
Light Wielder (Fire & Metal, Book 2) - Rachel Schneider
October
Start here. Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet, which opens the Crowns of Nyaxia series.
The Serpent and Wings of Night - Book 1
Standalone novella set in the same world. Read it after The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Six Scorched Roses (Crowns of Nyaxia)
Book 2 and the conclusion of the Nightborn Duet.
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia, Book 2)
Standalone story in the Crowns of Nyaxia world with a new couple. It can be read on its own.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror - Carissa Broadbent
Book 3 of the series and the first half of the Shadowborn Duet.
The Songbird and Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia 3)
Book 4 of the series and the conclusion of the Shadowborn Duet.
The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia 4)
November
Book 1 of Crescent City, Sarah J. Maas's urban fantasy series.
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City 1)
Book 2 of Crescent City. Finish ACOTAR first, because the two series cross over.
House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City 2)
Book 3 of Crescent City. Pick it up right after House of Sky and Breath.
House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City 3)