I think that by this point in time the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by American author Sarah J. Maas needs no introduction, especially if you spend any amount of time on the Internet.
The story of the Archeron sisters and the infamous Bat Boys is all over the bookish side of social media, and it’s safe to say that it has influenced a whole genre of fantasy stories that have been coming out in the years since A Court of Thorns and Roses was first published.
Still, there’s only so much ACOTAR you can read—four novels and one novella so far. And there’s only so much Maasiverse you can expand to, with the author having published two more series that are happening in the same multiverse, Throne of Glass and Crescent City, for a grand total of ten novels and one collection of short stories.
And if you’re now finding yourself looking for something with a similar vibe to add to your TBR, then this guide is meant precisely for you.
1. The Cruel Prince (Holly Black)
If you want more stories about fairies, then Holly Black’s bibliography is one of the first places you should be looking. And The Folk of the Air tetralogy is undoubtedly the most famous of all her works dealing with this particular bit of folklore. If you love cruel fairies, magical contracts, and resilient humans, then these are the novels for you.
The main character is Jude Duarte, a mortal girl brought into the fairy realm as a young child by the man who killed her parents. After growing up in the treacherous High Court of Faerie, Jude desperately wants to belong in this world where everyone tells her how inferior she is because of her mortality. And none is saying it louder than the youngest son of the King of Faerie, Prince Cardan. Of course, we know that in the book world being very loud in hating someone means that hate might not be the actual emotion that is being felt.
2. The Dream Runners (Shveta Thakrar)
If you liked the idea of underground courts that are somewhat connected to dreams and nightmares in A Court of Thorns and Roses and its sequels, then you’ll love the concept on which The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar, brimming with references to Hindu mythology and folklore, is based.
The story follows Tanvi, a human girl who was kidnapped and spirited away to the realm of Nagalok—there, freed from all her memories and emotions of her previous life, she works in harvesting the dreams of mortals, which are one of the greatest commodities of the naga courts she now lives in. When Tanvi begins to remember her life on earth, though, she turns to the kingdom’s dreamsmith, Venkat, who might be the only person able to give her some answers. Romance, adventure, and magic ensue.
3. From Blood and Ash (Jennifer L. Armentrout)
It’s safe to say that From Blood and Ash, the first book in an ongoing series that currently totals five novels, sits firmly in the same genre as A Court of Thorns and Roses. Granted, ACOTAR has faes and FBAA has various kinds of vampire-like creatures, but the point is always the same and that is fantasy romance—romantasy, as BookTok calls it.
The story follows our main character Poppy, who has been designated from birth to be the Maiden of the kingdom she lives in and usher in a new era of salvation at the price of everything that would make her a person—no feelings, no personal desires, no physical contact. All that, of course, is brought into question when a new, mysterious, stupidly handsome man named Hawke joins her personal guard.
4. This Woven Kingdom (Tahereh Mafi)
This Woven Kingdom is the first installment in a trilogy inspired by Persian mythology, perfect for anyone who loves lost princesses—another Sarah J. Maas staple, even if comes into play more in her other sagas—and people who become lovers even when they’re perfectly poised to be enemies.
The main character of the story is Alizeh, currently in hiding as a disposable servant girl rather than the lost heir to a powerful magical realm that she is. And where would a lost princess be without a crown prince her very existence threatens to uproot? Enter Kamran, who will be forced to contend between his feelings and his kingdom.
5. Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros)
Sure, the “war college with dragons” setting that made Fourth Wing’s fortune has very little to do with the fae courts of A Court of Thorns and Roses, but there are so many other elements from these two stories that are similar—especially its main characters. Do you want a described-as-weak-but-surprisingly-feisty female lead and a big bad brooding male love interest with control over shadows? Fourth Wing has them.
The story revolves around Violet Sorrengail, who is being forced by her fearsome General of a mother to enter the most elite and deadly force of her kingdom’s military and train to become a dragonrider. As she attends Basgiath War College, she discovers a great number of things about herself, her kingdom, her family, and her supposed rival, ringleader Xaden Riorson.
6. Witches Steeped in Gold (Ciannon Smart)
The first installment of a Jamaican-inspired duology, Witches Steeped in Gold tells the story of two powerful witches, sworn enemies—one who has spent half her life in jail and the other the daughter of a Queen who would not hesitate to sacrifice her own children for power—who find themselves having to form an unlikely alliance to take down a mutual threat.
Perfect for all those who found the family bond of the Archeron sisters—as well as the female friendships that both Feyre and Nesta establish once in the fae realm—one of the most interesting parts of A Court of Thorns and Roses.
7. The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Carissa Broadbent)
The first book in a trilogy—whose latest installment still has to be released—titled Crowns of Nyaxia, The Serpent and the Wings of Night focuses once more on a young girl who grows up in a magic-steeped realm where everything is potentially deadly for someone like her. In this case, it’s the vampire kingdom of her adoptive father. She has one chance at survival, but to ensure that chance she has to partner up with what could be her most dangerous rival—enter Rahin, deadly, ruthless, and of course, incredibly attractive.
8. The Iron King (Julie Kagawa)
The first book of a ten-installment saga, The Iron King brings us back to the fey with protagonist Meghan Chase, who has always felt that she did not really fit in her ordinary mortal life. And there was a very good reason for it—she’s the daughter of a legendary fairy king and as such a pretty important political pawn in a deadly war for power. Enter a mysterious evil, high political stakes, and an icy fairy prince and you have all the elements for a perfect adventure.
9. Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Amélie Wen Zhao)
The duology known as Song of the Last Kingdom is perfect for anyone who loves fantasy stories, especially when they come in a wuxia form. Inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night tells the story of Lan, a girl doing her best to survive in a city that was conquered by the same people who destroyed her kingdom, killed her mother, and banned the magic her people used to possess. When a mysterious boy comes into her life bearing that same kind of magic, though, Lan finds herself thrown into a world of hidden kingdoms, ancient powers, and revolutionaries.
10. Once Upon a Broken Heart (Stephanie Garber)
Considering how A Court of Thorns and Roses started out as a fairytale retelling—another popular trend when it comes to recent-years young adult and new adult fantasy—then you might be interested in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy, which plays on classic fairytale tropes from true love to magical deals.
It all starts when Evangeline Fox learns that the man she considers the love of her life will marry another, and strikes a deal with the wicked Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding. In exchange, she promises him three kisses, which she will give him at the time of his choosing. If there’s one thing fairytales all agree on, though, is that making deals with immortals and magical creatures is risky business.
11. The Gilded Ones (Namina Forna)
The Deathless trilogy by Namina Forna follows the story of sixteen-year-old Deka, whose blood runs gold—something that would mean a fate worse than death if she stays in her village. She has a choice, however. She can join an army of girls just like her, semi-immortal warriors with rare gifts who fight to protect their emperor. But of course, as Deka’s training begins, she realizes that not everything is as it seems.
If you’re a fan of A Court of Silver Flames and of the Valkyrie warriors that are reintroduced during the course of the story, then this saga is definitely one for you to check out.
12. The Foxglove King (Hannah F. Whitten)
Not to harp on the recs for those who loved A Court of Silver Flames specifically, but if you enjoyed the idea of Nesta being called “Lady Death” and would like to throw in a bit of necromancy into your fantasy reads, The Foxglove King might be the story you’re looking for.
The main character, Lore, escaped from a cult in the catacombs under the grand capital city of the kingdom she lives in and she has been on the run from them ever since. She holds a rare power, magic born from death, and when things go awry and she gets captured by the King’s guard she’s tasked with finding out who or what is causing the death of a series of border villages. That is, while keeping her whereabouts secret from the cult that’s chasing her and navigating the dangerous politics of the King’s court—as well as forbidden romance, of course.
13. A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Brigid Kemmerer)
As said above, A Court of Thorns and Roses—as in the series’ very first book—is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. And so is A Curse So Dark and Lonely, the first installment of the Cursebreaker trilogy.
The story starts when Harper, a normal girl from Washington, DC, with a very hard family history behind her, is pulled into the magical realm of Emberfall—where Prince Rhen has been cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year until a girl falls for him. So now not only does Harper have to wrap her head around the existence of magical kingdoms and cursed princes, but she also begins to realize that powerful forces are amassing against Emberfall and that breaking Rhen’s curse might only be the very first step to take.
(featured image: Bloomsbury Publishing/edited by El Kuiper)
