Romantasy Books: 14 Picks by Spice Level and Cliffhanger Risk

Feyre is a poor young huntress who kills a wolf that turns out to be a faerie, and the price is her freedom. She's taken into the faerie lands, where she falls for her masked captor while a curse spreads through his world.

• Why it's here: it's one of the best-known starting points for romantasy. With two new books on the way, the series is in the news again.
• Spice: Open-door. Reader report: StoryGraph readers rank sexual content among its top graphic warnings. The author's page simply calls it sexy.
• Other content: StoryGraph readers tag violence, death, blood and torture (Reader report). Language and faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: the main conflict wraps up inside this book, but Feyre's love story continues in book two (Reader report, published plot summary).
• Series: five books out (2015–2021; book four is shorter). Book six, A Court of Splintered Harmony, is due October 27, 2026, and book seven, A Court of Forgotten Melody, on January 12, 2027, per the author's site.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • First sold as young adult in 2015; it now sits with adult and new adult fiction (original YA edition record; publishing coverage).
  • About 448 pages (Bloomsbury 2020 paperback).
  • Hardcover, paperback, ebook and an unabridged audiobook narrated by Jennifer Ikeda (about 16 hours). A separate dramatized GraphicAudio version also exists.
• Skip it if: you want the love story settled in book one, or you're choosing for a younger teen.

A Court of Thorns and Roses · Paperback on Amazon (Bloomsbury 2020)

Violet wanted a quiet life as a scholar. Instead, her mother — a general — orders her into a war college for dragon riders, where cadets die often. She has to outlast rivals, including a dangerous wingleader with reason to want her gone, while starting to suspect her leaders are lying about the war.

• Why it's here: it's the other half of the romantasy boom. It tops Goodreads' romantasy shelf. Its third book, Onyx Storm, sold more than a million U.S. print copies in its first week, the fastest start for an adult title in BookScan's records at the time, per Circana (Publishing Perspectives, April 2025). Popular isn't the same as right for you, so check the labels.
• Spice: Open-door. Author or publisher information: the author's book page notes on-page sexual activity.
• Other content: the author lists war and battle, intense violence, blood, brutal injuries, death, poisoning and graphic language (Author or publisher information). Faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: on a cliffhanger (Reader report, critic review).
• Series:
  • Three novels: Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023) and Onyx Storm (2025).
  • Threshing Day (2026) is a story collection, not the fourth novel. The publisher recommends reading it after Onyx Storm.
  • The author says she's writing book four. Her Coming Soon page lists no title or release date for it.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Published by Red Tower Books, a new-adult imprint of Entangled. Libraries shelve it as adult.
  • The hardcover runs a little over 500 pages.
  • Hardcover, ebook and an unabridged audiobook narrated by Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton (Audible). A dramatized GraphicAudio version is sold separately.
• Skip it if: cliffhangers or unfinished series drive you up the wall, or you want little violence.

Fourth Wing · Hardcover on Amazon

Poppy has been chosen as the Maiden. That means a veil, no touching, and a life on hold until a sacred ceremony. Then a new guard is assigned to protect her, and he stirs up everything she's been told not to want, while a fallen kingdom moves in for revenge.

• Why it's here: it's a long, twisty series readers live inside for months, and one of the most-shelved romantasy series on Goodreads.
• Spice: Open-door. Reader report: sexual content is StoryGraph's top graphic warning.
• Other content: StoryGraph readers tag violence, physical abuse, sexual assault, blood, death and a parent's death (Reader report). Language: readers also tag cursing. Faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: on a cliffhanger (Reader report, reviewer).
• Series:
  • Six main books (2020–2025), plus novellas.
  • The author calls the next main book, The Throne of Bone and Ash, Poppy and Casteel's final book; no date is listed on her announcement page.
  • A finished four-book prequel series, Flesh and Fire, is set in the same world.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • The author files it under new adult/adult.
  • About 496 pages (Blue Box Press hardcover).
  • Paperback, hardcover, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Stina Nielsen (about 20 hours; Brilliance Audio).
• Skip it if: you want a short commitment, or physical abuse is hard for you to read.

From Blood and Ash · Paperback on Amazon

Saeris is a thief in a desert city, hiding a rare power to shape metal. One mistake opens a portal and drops her into a frozen faerie realm at war, where magic ties her to a hostile warrior who wants to use that power.

• Why it's here: it's the heat-seeker's pick, and one of the biggest BookTok romantasy books of the past two years. If you want explicit open-door romance, this is one place to start.
• Spice: Open-door and explicit. Author or publisher information: the publisher says it contains adult situations and is for readers 17 and up. Reader report: Romance.io readers rate it 4 of 5, "explicit open door."
• Other content: the publisher flags graphic violence. StoryGraph readers add war, blood, death and a parent's death (Reader report). Language: readers also tag cursing. Faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: on a cliffhanger (Reader report, review).
• Series: two of three books are out. Brimstone came out November 18, 2025, and the untitled finale is listed for September 7, 2027.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Adult, 17+.
  • First self-published in June 2024; now published by Hachette.
  • About 624 pages (paperback).
  • Paperback, hardcover editions, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Stella Bloom and Anthony Palmini, marked for mature listeners (Podium).
• Skip it if: you want low heat, a short book, or a series that is already finished.

Quicksilver · Paperback on Amazon

Oraya is the human adopted daughter of a vampire king, in a world where humans are prey. To earn a place there, she enters a once-a-century tournament held for the goddess of death, and allies with a dangerous rival she can't stop being drawn to.

• Why it's here: it's the closest thing on this shelf to Fourth Wing's deadly-contest feeling, and Oraya's love story finishes in two books.
• Spice: Open-door, but only a few scenes. Reader report: a reviewer describes the scenes as explicit but few, and TV Insider's Swooon rates it 2 of 5.
• Other content: the author's content warnings include violence, torture that happens off the page, a flashback to sexual violence, self-harm, emotional abuse and slavery (Author or publisher information). Language: Not verified. The gods here are invented; real-world faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: on a big cliffhanger (Reader report). The second book of this pair, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, finishes this couple's two-book romance arc (author's series explanation).
• Series: the wider Crowns of Nyaxia series has five books out. Book five, The Lion & the Deathless Dark, came out August 4, 2026, and a sixth and final core book is listed as TBA by the author. Each pair of books follows a different couple.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Adult. Self-published in 2022; now from Bramble, Tor's romance imprint.
  • About 480 pages in the Bramble hardcover, or 496 in its paperback.
  • Hardcover, paperback, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb (Audible).
• Skip it if: sexual violence, self-harm or torture is a hard no for you, even off the page or in a flashback.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night · Paperback on Amazon (Bramble)

Lara was raised in hiding and trained as a spy. Then she's married off to the king of a rival nation so she can break his kingdom from the inside. The longer she lives there, the less sure she is who the villain really is.

• Why it's here: it's a marriage of convenience (two people marry for a practical reason before love), with enemies who slowly fall for each other. It's also the longest series on this shelf that's completely finished. Its invented world has no magic.
• Spice: Open-door. Author or publisher information: Jensen's book-specific content notes list explicit, consensual sexual content.
• Other content: Jensen's content notes list profanity. Difficult material includes violence and gore, coerced marriage, drugging, emotional abuse, sexual harassment and references to past child abuse (Author or publisher information). Faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: on a cliffhanger (Reader report, Book Binge), but every later book is already out.
• Series: finished. Six books plus a novella; the final book, The Tempest Blade, came out April 14, 2026. Lara and Aren lead the first two books; later pairs of books follow other couples.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Adult.
  • First released as an Audible Original audiobook in 2018 and self-published in print in 2019; now from Del Rey.
  • About 448 pages.
  • Paperback, hardcover, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Lauren Fortgang and James Patrick Cronin (Audible).
• Skip it if: you want the romance wrapped up in one book.

The Bridge Kingdom · See hardcover, paperback and ebook options from the publisher

Luella is a village herbalist until an old treaty chooses her to marry the Elf King and live in his dying realm. She has to decide whether to fight her new life or save the land, and the cold king tied to it.

• Why it's here: it's a clear "one and done" pick: one couple, one book, and a happy ending, in the author's own words.
• Spice: Some on-page intimacy. Author or publisher information: the author describes just the right amount of steam and says her scenes usually focus on feelings more than explicit detail. StoryGraph readers mostly tag it moderate.
• Other content: StoryGraph readers tag drug use and addiction, death, violence and kidnapping (Reader report). Language and faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: happily ever after (Author or publisher information).
• Series: part of the Married to Magic books, which the publisher calls linked standalones you can read in any order.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Adult; the heroine is 19, per the author's page.
  • Self-published in 2020; now from Del Rey (paperback April 2026).
  • About 416 pages.
  • Paperback, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Elizabeth Evans. A dramatized GraphicAudio version also exists.
• Skip it if: you want a big, sprawling series or explicit scenes.

A Deal with the Elf King · See formats and buying options from the publisher

Hart is a lonely marshal who patrols a magical frontier, and he starts writing letters to an anonymous pen pal. He has no idea the person on the other end is Mercy, the undertaker he argues with every time they meet.

• Why it's here: it's a complete romance in one book, with a happy ending in the author's own words. Bannen calls it a fantasy romantic comedy, and the secret-letters setup is a natural next read for Divine Rivals fans who want an adult book.
• Spice: Some on-page intimacy. Author or publisher information: in a first-person feature, Bannen promises awkward, charming intimate scenes. She doesn't rate the detail.
• Other content:
  • Language: lots of strong profanity (Author or publisher information).
  • Hard material: many dead bodies, some of which get back up (Author or publisher information).
  • The world has invented gods; real-world faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: happily. The author says the book is emotionally intense but ends happily (Author or publisher information). She doesn't say HEA or HFN, so we don't either.
• Series: stands alone. Orbit lists it among its standalone fantasy books.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Adult (Orbit, August 2022).
  • About 448 pages.
  • Trade paperback, ebook and an unabridged audiobook narrated by Michael Gallagher and Rachanee Lumayno (Hachette Audio).
• Skip it if: swearing, corpses or on-page intimacy are outside your comfort zone.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy · See paperback, ebook and audiobook options from the publisher

Robin thinks he's taken a dull government job. Then a mix-up drops him into a hidden world of magic, where a curse and a missing predecessor force him to work with Edwin, a prickly colleague who doesn't want him there.

• Why it's here: it's a romance between two men in Edwardian England (the early 1900s), where the love story and the magical mystery matter equally. It's the shelf's best example of a couple who reach their ending while the bigger story keeps going.
• Spice: Some on-page intimacy. Reader report: All About Romance rates its sensuality "Warm," a middle rating on its scale. The author has said she's comfortable writing sex scenes in the series (Author or publisher information).
• Other content: the setup includes a deadly curse and a disappearance. Fuller content warnings, language and faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: Robin and Edwin get a happy-for-now ending; the author describes it that way (Author or publisher information). The wider magical plot continues in the next two books.
• Series: the Last Binding is a finished three-book series, ending with A Power Unbound. Each book centers a different couple, as the author explains.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Adult. First published in 2021; the current U.S. paperback is from Tor Books.
  • The U.S. paperback runs about 400 pages.
  • Paperback, ebook and an audiobook narrated by David Thorpe (Macmillan Audio, about 14.5 hours, Libro.fm).
• Skip it if: you want the whole fantasy plot wrapped up in one book, or on-page intimacy is a hard no.

A Marvellous Light · See paperback and buying options from the publisher

Elspeth survives in a misty, cursed kingdom with help from a dark, ancient spirit living in her head, which she calls the Nightmare. When she crosses paths with a highway robber who turns out to be the king's nephew, she joins a risky quest to cure the realm, while the spirit's hold on her grows stronger.

• Why it's here: it's gothic, eerie and low heat, and the two-book story is finished.
• Spice: Some on-page intimacy. Reader report: Rated Reads describes a sexual scene that shows some detail before fading to black. Swooon rates it lower, so we wouldn't treat this as a firm closed-door choice.
• Other content: Gillig's content notes list profanity. Difficult material includes possession, drinking, violence, gore, body horror, self-harm used for magic, references to violence against children and parental neglect (Author or publisher information). Faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: on a cliffhanger (Reader report). Chicago Review of Books confirms the unresolved ending. Book two, Two Twisted Crowns (2023), is already out, so you won't be left waiting.
• Series: finished two-book series, The Shepherd King.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Orbit, an adult imprint; the publisher doesn't state an age.
  • About 432 pages.
  • Paperback, hardcover, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Lisa Cordileone (Hachette Audio).
• Skip it if: you want lots of spice, or a light, bright mood.

One Dark Window · See formats and buying options from the publisher

Iris and Roman are rival newspaper writers chasing the same job while a war between waking gods spreads. Iris's letters to her missing brother land with Roman instead, and their anonymous back-and-forth turns into something more.

• Why it's here: it's a rivals-to-lovers story told partly in letters, with very little spice, and the two-book series is finished.
• Spice: Some on-page intimacy, without graphic detail. Reader report: Common Sense Media describes kissing and a brief sexual encounter, and rates it 13+.
• Other content:
  • Language: one strong swear word and some mild ones (Reader report, Common Sense Media).
  • Hard material: war, death and a parent's drinking.
  • Faith: invented gods drive the conflict. Real-world faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: with the relationship unresolved. The author's page for book two makes that clear (Author or publisher information), and a Locus review calls it a cliffhanger with a twist (Reader report). Book two, Ruthless Vows (December 2023), concludes the story.
• Series: finished two-book series, plus Wild Reverence (2025), a companion set in the same world and aimed at adults.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Young adult, ages 13–18 (publisher listing).
  • About 368 pages (Wednesday Books hardcover).
  • Hardcover, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Rebecca Norfolk and Alex Wingfield (Macmillan Audio).
• Skip it if: you want adult heat, or you'd hate stopping mid-story. Have book two ready.

Divine Rivals · Hardcover on Amazon

A faerie took half of Dora's soul when she was a child, so she barely feels fear or embarrassment, which makes the London marriage season very awkward. A gruff royal magician notices her curse and pulls her into a hunt for the faerie behind a sleeping sickness striking poor children.

• Why it's here: it's Regency romance with faerie magic, and readers name it again and again when they ask for romantasy without spice.
• Spice: Clean. Author or publisher information: answering a reader, Olivia Atwater says there's no sexually explicit content and calls it a clean young adult novel.
• Other content:
  • Language: the author notes one character uses a crude euphemism early on (Author or publisher information). Broader language: Not verified.
  • Hard material: StoryGraph readers tag classism, ableism, child abuse, kidnapping, war and a child's death (Reader report).
  • Faith themes: Not verified.
  • This is the clearest example on the page of "clean" not meaning "light."
• Book 1 ends: happily (Reader report). Nigel Robert Wilson's review for the British Fantasy Society explicitly describes a happy-ever-after ending.
• Series: book one of the Regency Faerie Tales. The main trilogy (Half a Soul, Ten Thousand Stitches, Longshadow) is finished, with extra stories on the author's site.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Published by Orbit, an adult imprint, though the author calls it young adult.
  • Self-published in 2020; Orbit edition 2022.
  • About 304 pages (Hachette).
  • Paperback, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Madeleine Leslay (Hachette Audio).
• Skip it if: you want spice, or child harm is a hard no, even off the page.

If the Regency half is what you love most, our clean Regency romance books are a good next stop.

Half a Soul · Paperback on Amazon (Orbit)

Elisabeth grew up in a magical library where the books are alive and some are dangerous. When a deadly spellbook gets loose and she's blamed, she has to team up with a sorcerer she was raised to distrust, to stop a plot against every library in the kingdom.

• Why it's here: it's a complete, low-spice young adult story, with publisher guidance for ages 14 and up.
• Spice: Kisses only. Reader report: Common Sense Media mentions a couple of passionate embraces and rates it 13+.
• Other content:
  • Language: occasional mild words like "hell" and "damn" (Common Sense Media).
  • Hard material: StoryGraph readers tag violence, death, blood, a parent's death, panic attacks and being forced into an institution (Reader report).
  • Faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: happily and completely. Author or publisher information: the publisher's description of the 2023 follow-up novella shows the couple together. Common Sense Media calls the book satisfying on its own.
• Series: standalone, plus a short follow-up novella (a short novel), Mysteries of Thorn Manor.
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Young adult, ages 14 and up (Simon & Schuster).
  • About 464 pages in the original hardcover.
  • Hardcover, paperback, ebook and an audiobook narrated by Emily Ellet.
• Skip it if: you want adult heat.

Sorcery of Thorns · See formats and buying options from the publisher

When a revolution burns the great library, a shy librarian escapes with forbidden spellbooks and a living spider plant to her family's old island cottage. She quietly starts selling magic to her neighbors, which is illegal, while getting to know the man next door.

• Why it's here: it's the cozy pick: small town, low stakes, kisses only, one complete story. The publisher pitches it as grumpy-sunshine (one gloomy lead, one cheerful one).
• Spice: Kisses only. Reader report: All About Romance gives it a sensuality rating of "Kisses."
• Other content: the opening includes a violent uprising and deaths. StoryGraph readers tag fire, grief, war and a parent's death (Reader report). Language and faith themes: Not verified.
• Book 1 ends: complete and happy. Macmillan calls it a standalone romance (Author or publisher information); Books and travelling with Lynn reports a happy ending (Reader report).
• Series: linked standalones in the same world:
  • The Enchanted Greenhouse (2025)
  • Sea of Charms (July 2026)
  • The Magical Cheese Emporium, due January 19, 2027
• Shelf, length, formats:
  • Bramble, Tor's romance imprint (July 2024).
  • About 384 pages.
  • Hardcover, deluxe paperback, ebook, large print and an audiobook narrated by Caitlin Davies (Macmillan Audio).
• Skip it if: you want danger, war and heat.

The Spellshop · Hardcover on Amazon