There exists, in the realm of young adult literature, a genre so enchanting that once a reader tumbles into its pages, they may never quite wish to return. We speak, of course, of romantasy—those magnificent tales where magic crackles alongside matters of the heart, where dragons soar and fae princes brood, where young heroines discover powers they never dreamed they possessed, often whilst falling impossibly in love.
We have wandered through countless such worlds, and now we invite you to accompany us. Whether you seek enemies who become lovers, courts of dangerous immortals, or academies where survival itself is uncertain, we have gathered the finest offerings for the discerning young reader.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
If ever there were a prince designed to infuriate and fascinate in equal measure, it is Cardan Greenbriar—and Holly Black knows precisely what she has created. Jude Duarte was but seven years old when her parents were murdered and she was stolen away to the treacherous High Court of Faerie.
Ten years hence, Jude desires nothing more than to belong in this realm of immortal beauty and casual cruelty, despite her mortal blood. The fae, you see, despise humans—particularly the wicked Prince Cardan. The path these two walk together is thorny indeed, filled with deception, political machinations, and a hatred that simmers with dangerous intensity. Black has crafted faerie lore that feels both ancient and startlingly fresh.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
“No mourners, no funerals,” say the Dregs of Ketterdam, and never has a motto suited a band of misfits more perfectly. This is a heist story, yes—but what a heist it is. Criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker assembles a crew of six outcasts to attempt the impossible: break into the Ice Court of Fjerda and kidnap a prisoner worth thirty million kruge.
Leigh Bardugo writes with such poetry that even violence becomes beautiful. Each of the six—the spy, the sharpshooter, the demolitions expert, the Grisha heartrender, the former witch-hunter, and Kaz himself—carries wounds both visible and hidden. Together, they form something precious: a found family. The romance here blooms between multiple pairs, tender and tentative amidst the danger. We found ourselves quite unable to put this down.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
In the kingdom of Ilya, a devastating plague has divided society into two castes: the magical Elites and the hunted Ordinaries. Paedyn Gray is an Ordinary who would be killed if discovered—yet she has learned to pose as a Psychic, using keen observation to mimic powers she does not possess. When she saves Prince Kai’s life and becomes known as the Silver Saviour, she finds herself thrust into the Purging Trials.
These deadly competitions pit Elites against one another in brutal combat, and Paedyn must survive whilst concealing her secret. The tension between her and Prince Kai—fierce, sharp-tongued, and utterly compelling—builds like a storm gathering on the horizon. Lauren Roberts delivers enemies-to-lovers perfection, with twists that shall leave readers breathless. This series has captured hearts across countless reading communities, and we understand why completely.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
In a world inspired by ancient Rome’s brutal empire, Sabaa Tahir spins a tale of two souls whose paths should never cross. Laia is a young Scholar whose family is torn apart by the ruling Martials—her brother arrested, her grandparents killed before her eyes. Desperate, she agrees to spy for the resistance within Blackcliff Military Academy.
There she encounters Elias, the Empire’s finest soldier and the Commandant’s own son—a young man trapped between duty and conscience. The danger here is visceral and real, the stakes impossibly high. Their forbidden connection sparks amidst battles and betrayals, rebellion and sacrifice. This series landed upon Time’s list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, and we find we cannot argue with such placement.
The Caraval Series and Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Stephanie Garber writes worlds that shimmer with deception, where nothing—and no one—is quite as they appear. We recommend beginning with Caraval, wherein sisters Scarlett and Tella finally receive their invitation to the legendary magical game. The audience participates in the show, you see, searching for clues amongst the most gorgeous and terrifying wonders.
Then, once properly enchanted, venture into Once Upon a Broken Heart, where we meet Jacks, the Prince of Hearts—a Fate so compelling, so deliciously morally grey, that readers have quite lost their hearts to him. When Evangeline Fox bargains with him for three kisses, she has no notion of the dangerous game she has entered. Garber’s prose sparkles like champagne, her plots twist like labyrinthine gardens, and her romances are the stuff of dark fairy tales.
View Once Upon a Broken Heart on Amazon
The Selection by Kiera Cass
What happens when you mix a dystopian future with a royal competition for a prince’s hand? You get The Selection—a series that captured the imagination of millions. In the kingdom of Illéa, society is divided into castes, and America Singer is a lowly Five with no interest in marrying Prince Maxon. She loves another, you see.
Yet circumstances conspire to place her among thirty-five young women competing for the crown, and America must navigate a world of palace intrigue, unexpected alliances, and conflicting loyalties. The resulting love triangle is exquisitely agonizing, the palace politics surprisingly sharp. Cass delivers romance that makes hearts flutter whilst examining questions of class and choice. Small wonder this series has sold millions of copies in over thirty languages.
The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
On her sixteenth birthday, Meghan Chase discovers that her entire life has been a carefully constructed lie. Her father is not dead—he is Oberon, King of the Summer Fey. Her best friend Robbie is actually Robin Goodfellow—yes, that Puck from Shakespeare’s dreams. And her little brother has been stolen away into Faerie.
Julie Kagawa’s great innovation is the Iron Fey themselves—a new breed of faeries born from technology, poisonous to all traditional fae-kind. As Meghan ventures into the Nevernever to rescue her brother, she finds herself caught between Summer and Winter courts, between Puck who has always loved her and the enigmatic Prince Ash of the Winter Court, whose motives remain tantalizingly unclear. With seven books in the series and plenty more spanning this universe, readers will find no shortage of stories to explore.
Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
Not all dragon riders bond through whimsy; some are forged in the fires of revolution. Annie and Lee were children when their world changed forever—a brutal uprising that gave everyone, even the lowborn, a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders. Annie’s family was executed by dragonfire. Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries.
Seven years later, they are rivals for the top position in the fleet, friends forged in an orphanage, and perhaps something more. When survivors from the old regime emerge, bent on reclaiming power, both must make impossible choices. Rosaria Munda draws inspiration from the Aeneid and Plato’s Republic—and we assure you, the intellectual richness only enhances the drama. This is romantasy that thinks whilst it thrills.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
After her mother dies in a mysterious accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews enrols in a residential programme at UNC–Chapel Hill, hoping to escape her grief. Instead, she witnesses a magical attack on her very first night—and discovers a secret society of Legendborn students who claim descent from King Arthur’s knights.
When a mage attempts to erase her memory, Bree is drawn into a world of ancient power and dangerous secrets, including questions about what truly happened the night her mother died. Tracy Deonn weaves Arthurian legend with Southern folk traditions and Black spiritual practices, creating something entirely new and absolutely captivating. The romance unfolds amidst mystery and magic, whilst questions of legacy, identity, and power drive every page forward.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
In Elisabeth Scrivener’s world, books are alive—and some are exceedingly dangerous. Raised in one of the kingdom’s Great Libraries as an apprentice, Elisabeth dreams of becoming a warden who protects against grimoires that can transform into deadly monsters called Maleficts. When she is falsely accused of sabotage, she finds herself in the custody of her sworn enemy: a sorcerer.
Nathaniel Thorn is everything Elisabeth has been taught to fear, yet as they unravel a centuries-old conspiracy together, she must question everything she believes about magic, morality, and monsters. Margaret Rogerson crafts a slow-burning romance between two wonderfully stubborn souls, set against a backdrop of sentient libraries and demonic magic. The gothic atmosphere is utterly delicious, and we found ourselves quite enchanted.
Anticipated 2026 Releases: When Dealing with Dragons by Dana Swift
Arriving in summer 2026, this delightful tale offers something different: dragons who are prized for their precious scales, humans who bond with them to gain metal-crafting magic, and a family who believes dragons deserve far better than exploitation.
Copper-crafter Farren Walsh dreams of becoming a dragon veterinarian like her father. The last person she wishes to see is James Murphy, an arrogant dragon racer whose silver-crafting family represents everything she despises. Yet when James appears at her family’s sanctuary, secrets begin to unravel—including her own. Dana Swift promises a cozy enemies-to-lovers romance with environmental themes, and we are quite charmed already.
Anticipated 2026 Releases: The River She Became by Emily Varga
Also arriving June 2026, this high-stakes romantasy follows Yaseema, a brilliant scholar who serves the Empire by day whilst secretly reclaiming stolen fae relics by night. She seeks to restore magic to her conquered kingdom—and when she discovers a key to cross the River into the fae world, everything changes.
Emily Varga draws inspiration from Pakistani lore to craft a realm of monsters wearing beautiful skin, ancient curses, and a cold-eyed captain who sees through all of Yaseema’s lies. Think The Cruel Prince meets The Mummy, with relic-hunting adventure and dangerous romance intertwined. Given Varga’s status as a number one bestselling, Waterstones Prize-shortlisted author, we have high expectations indeed.
How to Choose Your Next Romantasy Adventure
With such riches before you, how does one choose? We offer this guidance:
For those seeking fae courts and political intrigue, reach first for The Cruel Prince or Legendborn. If dragons call to your soul, Fireborne and When Dealing with Dragons await. Should you desire found family and heists, Six of Crows is unmatched.
For those who prefer their romance slower-burning and their worlds grittier, An Ember in the Ashes and Powerless shall satisfy. If whimsy and mystery delight you, Stephanie Garber’s works shimmer brightest. And for those who enjoy competition romances, The Selection delivers precisely what the heart craves. For lovers of gothic atmosphere and sentient books, Sorcery of Thorns beckons most enticingly.
Whatever you choose, know this: these worlds will not let you go easily. But then, the finest stories never do.
We hope this guide helps you discover your next favourite world. Happy reading, dear adventurers—may your pages be filled with magic and your hearts with wonder.
