Best Books
Books Like ACOTAR: 17 Romantasy Reads Grouped by What You Loved
Quick answer
Read Quicksilver by Callie Hart next. It follows the same shape as A Court of Thorns and Roses: a sharp, half-starved human heroine is pulled out of her world and into a fae one, bound to a dangerous immortal who resents her, with a war waiting in the background. The romance is enemies-to-lovers and the spice runs higher than ACOTAR book 1.
The 3-book shortlist: Quicksilver (the closest match), From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (a long, twisty adult series for the ACOMAF crowd) and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (fae court politics with no spice, for younger readers). ACOTAR 6 publishes October 27, 2026; status below.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses hooks people for different reasons. Some fell for the fae courts and the bargains, some for the slow burn between Feyre and Rhysand, some for the darker turns in A Court of Mist and Fury, and some found it as teenagers and want something with the same magic and less spice. So the picks below are grouped by what you loved, and each one tells you what it shares with ACOTAR, how it differs, its spice level and whether the series is finished.
ACOTAR status, October 2026. Five books are out, ending with A Court of Silver Flames (2021).
Confirmed Book 6, A Court of Splintered Harmony, publishes October 27, 2026, and book 7, A Court of Forgotten Melody, on January 12, 2027, both from Bloomsbury. Together they open a new arc called the Valkyrie Cycle. Everything known: ACOTAR books 6 and 7.
Not confirmed A final part of the Valkyrie Cycle has no title or date. Reread order: ACOTAR books in order.
All 17 picks at a glance
| # | Book | Best if you loved | Spice | Series status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | House of Earth and Blood Sarah J. Maas | Maas’s voice + a crossover | Moderate–High | 3 books |
| 2 | Throne of Glass Sarah J. Maas | Epic scale + found family | Low–Moderate | Complete (7 + prequel) |
| 3 | Quicksilver Callie Hart | The ACOTAR book 1 setup | High | Ongoing (2) |
| 4 | Kingdom of the Wicked Kerri Maniscalco | A bargain with a prince of Hell | Low–High | Complete (3) |
| 5 | Uprooted Naomi Novik | The fairy-tale feel of book 1 | Low–Moderate | Standalone |
| 6 | Fourth Wing Rebecca Yarros | Dragons + a dangerous love interest | Moderate–High | Ongoing (3 + 3.5) |
| 7 | The Bridge Kingdom Danielle L. Jensen | A marriage of enemies | High | Ongoing (6) |
| 8 | Divine Rivals Rebecca Ross | A tender slow burn | Low | Complete (2) |
| 9 | The Serpent and the Wings of Night Carissa Broadbent | Danger + a morally gray rival | Moderate | Ongoing (5) |
| 10 | From Blood and Ash Jennifer L. Armentrout | A long series to sink into | High | Ongoing (6) |
| 11 | A Touch of Darkness Scarlett St. Clair | A bargain with a god | High | 4 books |
| 12 | Gild Raven Kennedy | A dark captivity arc | High | 6 books |
| 13 | The Cruel Prince Holly Black | Fae court politics | None | Complete (3) |
| 14 | An Enchantment of Ravens Margaret Rogerson | A one-book fae romance | None | Standalone |
| 15 | Once Upon a Broken Heart Stephanie Garber | A dangerous bargain | None | Complete (3) |
| 16 | A Curse So Dark and Lonely Brigid Kemmerer | The Beauty and the Beast retelling | None | Complete (3) |
| 17 | Daughter of Smoke and Bone Laini Taylor | A star-crossed epic | Low | Complete (3) |
How we chose and how we rate spice
We started from the books readers and booksellers most often recommend after ACOTAR and kept the ones that match on substance: fae or fae-like courts, a bargain or captivity setup, a romance that builds over books, or the same mix of danger and found family. Every series count and status was checked against the publisher or author listing, Goodreads and Open Library as of October 3, 2026.
Spice levels use four plain steps, based on the publisher’s age category (young adult or adult) and the consensus of widely documented reader reviews: None (kissing at most), Low (closed door or fade to black), Moderate (one or two on-page scenes), High (several explicit scenes). For reference, ACOTAR book 1 is Moderate and A Court of Mist and Fury is High. Content notes flag anything darker than ACOTAR.
If you want more Sarah J. Maas first
If you have only read ACOTAR, her other two series are the obvious next step, and they are now connected to it.
1. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Bryce Quinlan, half-fae and half-human, hunts the demon that killed her best friend in Crescent City, a modern city of phones, nightclubs and angels.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: Maas’s fae, found family, a slow-building romance with a brooding warrior and big final-act battles. Book 3, House of Flame and Shadow, crosses over directly with ACOTAR characters.
- How it differs: an urban setting with cars and smartphones, and a slower first half.
- Spice and content: Moderate in book 1, High in books 2 and 3.
- Series status: three books: House of Earth and Blood (2020), House of Sky and Breath (2022), House of Flame and Shadow (2024).
- Where to start: House of Earth and Blood (2020). Read ACOTAR through book 5 before book 3 for the crossover.
2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
An assassin competes to become the king’s champion, and the story grows into a continent-wide war with witches, fae and wyverns.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a fierce heroine with a hidden heritage, fae (Rowan and the Fae Queen Maeve), a found-family crew and an ending that ties the whole series together.
- How it differs: it begins as young adult and slower; the romance takes several books to settle.
- Spice and content: Low in the early books, Moderate later.
- Series status: complete in seven novels ending with Kingdom of Ash (2018), plus The Assassin’s Blade prequel novellas. Order notes: Sarah J. Maas books in order.
- Where to start: Throne of Glass (2012).
If you loved the fae courts and the bargains
Immortal courts, deals with strings attached, a human out of her depth.
3. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Our top pick. Saeris, a thief in a dying desert city, is pulled into the fae world by Kingfisher, a cursed warrior who wants nothing to do with her.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a human heroine yanked into a fae realm, a dangerous immortal love interest, a hidden war and lots of verbal sparring.
- How it differs: alchemy is the magic system, the book is long, and it is more explicit than ACOTAR book 1.
- Spice and content: High.
- Series status: Fae & Alchemy: Quicksilver (2024) and Brimstone (2025). Book 3 is untitled and listed for 2027, which we treat as tentative.
- Where to start: Quicksilver (2024).
4. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
When her twin is murdered, the witch Emilia summons Wrath, one of the Princes of Hell, and makes a deal with him to find the killer.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a bargain with a powerful immortal, rival courts (here the Seven Circles), slow-burn enemies-to-lovers and a sister at the center of the plot.
- How it differs: demons instead of fae, and a Sicily-inspired setting with a lot of food in it.
- Spice and content: Low in book 1, rising to High in books 2 and 3.
- Series status: complete trilogy: Kingdom of the Wicked (2020), Kingdom of the Cursed (2021), Kingdom of the Feared (2022).
- Where to start: Kingdom of the Wicked (2020).
5. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Every ten years the wizard called the Dragon takes a village girl into his tower. This time he takes Agnieszka, who is nobody’s idea of the chosen one.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a young woman taken by a cold, powerful man as part of an old bargain, a grumpy slow burn and a malevolent enchanted Wood.
- How it differs: a standalone with no fae courts, rooted in Polish fairy tales.
- Spice and content: Low to Moderate: one brief scene.
- Series status: standalone (2015). Novik’s Spinning Silver (2018) is a separate standalone in a similar vein.
- Where to start: Uprooted (2015).
If you loved the slow burn and the enemies-to-lovers
For readers whose favorite part was waiting for Feyre and Rhys to admit it.
6. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Violet Sorrengail is forced into a war college for dragon riders, where the students kill each other and the most dangerous one has every reason to hate her.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a physically outmatched heroine, an enemies-to-lovers romance with a powerful man, a war and a conspiracy the heroine slowly uncovers.
- How it differs: a military school with dragons instead of fae courts, and a faster, more modern voice.
- Spice and content: Moderate to High.
- Series status: three novels plus Threshing Day (September 29, 2026), a companion collection. Book 4 has no title or date as of October 2026. Full order: Fourth Wing books in order; more like it: books like Fourth Wing.
- Where to start: Fourth Wing (2023).
7. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
Lara is trained since childhood to destroy King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom, then married to him so she can do it from the inside.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: enemies-to-lovers across a political divide, a heroine with a secret mission and a romance that has to survive betrayal.
- How it differs: spy intrigue in a human kingdom, no fae, and a faster pace.
- Spice and content: High, per widely documented reader reviews.
- Series status: six books through The Tempest Blade (2025). Books 1–2 complete Lara and Aren’s story.
- Where to start: The Bridge Kingdom (2018).
8. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Two rival journalists, Iris and Roman, compete for the same column while a war between gods spreads, and Iris’s letters through a magic typewriter reach the last person she expects.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a slow burn built on banter and longing, a war at the edges and a softer emotional register like A Court of Frost and Starlight.
- How it differs: a 1920s-flavored world, no fae and closed-door romance.
- Spice and content: Low (closed door).
- Series status: complete duology: Divine Rivals (2023) and Ruthless Vows (2023); Wild Reverence (2025) is a prequel in the same world.
- Where to start: Divine Rivals (2023).
If you loved the darker turn of A Court of Mist and Fury
Higher stakes, morally gray love interests and more spice. All adult.
9. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Oraya, the human adopted daughter of a vampire king, enters a goddess’s deadly tournament and has to team up with a rival who is very clearly hiding something.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a mortal heroine surrounded by predators, a morally gray love interest, court politics and a reveal that reframes everything.
- How it differs: vampires rather than fae, and a tighter plot built around one tournament.
- Spice and content: Moderate: a slow burn with explicit scenes later in the book.
- Series status: Crowns of Nyaxia has five novels as of 2026. Books 1–2 complete Oraya’s story; later books follow other characters.
- Where to start: The Serpent and the Wings of Night (2022).
10. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Poppy is the Maiden, veiled and untouchable, until her new guard Hawke turns her life inside out.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a sheltered heroine who finds her power, a love interest with a hidden identity, ACOMAF-style reveals and a long series to binge.
- How it differs: vampire-adjacent lore instead of fae, and a chattier, more repetitive style.
- Spice and content: High.
- Series status: six main novels through The Primal of Blood and Bone (2025); a seventh, The Throne of Bone and Ash, is listed with no date. The Flesh and Fire prequel series shares the world.
- Where to start: From Blood and Ash (2020).
11. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
Persephone, a goddess with no power to speak of, loses a bet to Hades and owes him a contract: create life in the Underworld or be trapped there.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a binding bargain with a powerful dark ruler, a heroine discovering her strength and a love interest who is more gentle than his reputation.
- How it differs: Greek mythology in a modern city, and an explicit romance from early on.
- Spice and content: High.
- Series status: Hades x Persephone Saga: four novels through A Touch of Chaos (2024). A companion series retells the story from Hades’s side.
- Where to start: A Touch of Darkness (2019).
12. Gild by Raven Kennedy
Auren is King Midas’s favored, gold-skinned captive, kept in a cage in his castle. The first book is about seeing the cage for what it is.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a heroine recovering from a controlling relationship (Tamlin readers will recognize it), a fae warrior love interest and a slow climb into power.
- How it differs: a slower first book, a darker tone and a heavier focus on abuse and recovery.
- Spice and content: High. Content notes: sexual content, abuse and captivity.
- Series status: The Plated Prisoner: six books through Goldfinch (2024).
- Where to start: Gild (2020).
YA fae and fairy-tale picks
For younger readers, or anyone who wants the faerie magic without the spice. All are published as young adult.
13. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude, a mortal girl raised in the High Court of Faerie, wants a place in a court that despises her, and the cruelest prince of all is in her way.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: scheming fae courts, bargains, a mortal heroine who refuses to be prey and an enemies-to-lovers romance with a prince.
- How it differs: young adult, shorter books, and more political intrigue than romance.
- Spice and content: None.
- Series status: complete Folk of the Air trilogy: The Cruel Prince (2018), The Wicked King (2019), The Queen of Nothing (2019), plus novellas.
- Where to start: The Cruel Prince (2018).
14. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Isobel paints portraits for fae clients who pay in enchantments. When she paints human sorrow into the eyes of the autumn prince, he drags her to his court to stand trial.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: fae who cannot lie, a court with deadly rules and a human-and-fae-prince romance.
- How it differs: a standalone, light and quick, with no war.
- Spice and content: None.
- Series status: standalone (2017).
- Where to start: An Enchantment of Ravens (2017).
15. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Evangeline makes a deal with Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, to stop the wedding of the boy she loves. The price is three kisses, owed whenever he asks.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a bargain with an immortal that has hidden costs, a morally gray love interest and fairy-tale magic.
- How it differs: whimsical rather than dark, and young adult.
- Spice and content: None.
- Series status: complete trilogy: Once Upon a Broken Heart (2021), The Ballad of Never After (2022), A Curse for True Love (2023), plus a 2026 novella.
- Where to start: Once Upon a Broken Heart (2021). It is set after Garber’s Caraval books but works on its own.
16. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Harper, a girl from modern Washington, D.C., is pulled into a cursed kingdom where Prince Rhen has to make someone fall for him before he turns into a monster again.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: the same Beauty and the Beast bones as ACOTAR book 1, a human heroine in a magical land and a cursed prince.
- How it differs: young adult, with a heroine who has cerebral palsy and an emphasis on court politics.
- Spice and content: None.
- Series status: complete Cursebreakers trilogy: A Curse So Dark and Lonely (2019), A Heart So Fierce and Broken (2020), A Vow So Bold and Deadly (2021).
- Where to start: A Curse So Dark and Lonely (2019).
17. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou, an art student in Prague raised by monsters, meets an angel who should be her enemy, and their war is centuries older than either of them.
- What it shares with ACOTAR: a forbidden romance between enemy races, a war between immortals and gorgeous, lyrical prose.
- How it differs: angels and chimaera instead of fae, and a more literary style.
- Spice and content: Low.
- Series status: complete trilogy: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (2011), Days of Blood & Starlight (2012), Dreams of Gods & Monsters (2014).
- Where to start: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (2011).
If you only read one from each group
- More Maas: House of Earth and Blood.
- Fae courts: Quicksilver.
- Slow burn: Fourth Wing.
- Darker: The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
- Younger readers: The Cruel Prince.
Want the dragon side of romantasy? See our books like Fourth Wing list, or browse every list on our best book lists hub.
FAQ
What should I read after ACOTAR?
Quicksilver by Callie Hart is the closest match: a human heroine pulled into a fae world, a dangerous enemies-to-lovers romance and a war in the background. For something without spice, read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.
When does ACOTAR 6 come out?
A Court of Splintered Harmony, book 6, publishes October 27, 2026, from Bloomsbury. Book 7, A Court of Forgotten Melody, follows on January 12, 2027.
What is the YA version of ACOTAR?
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the most common answer: fae courts, bargains and an enemies-to-lovers romance with a prince, published as young adult with no sex scenes. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is the closest YA match to ACOTAR book 1.
Are there books like ACOTAR without spice?
Yes. The Cruel Prince, An Enchantment of Ravens, Once Upon a Broken Heart and A Curse So Dark and Lonely have no on-page sex, and Divine Rivals keeps its romance closed door.
Is Fourth Wing like ACOTAR?
They share a mortal heroine, a dangerous love interest and a romance-forward fantasy, but Fourth Wing is set at a war college for dragon riders rather than in fae courts. Most ACOTAR fans enjoy it; see our books like Fourth Wing list for more.
Should I read Throne of Glass or Crescent City after ACOTAR?
Crescent City first if you want the crossover, since House of Flame and Shadow brings in ACOTAR characters. Throne of Glass first if you want a finished, seven-book epic.
Seventeen books, five ways in. Start with Quicksilver if you want the ACOTAR feeling again, or The Cruel Prince if you want the fae without the spice.
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