The 20 best romantasy books to read right now

From TikTok sensation Carissa Broadbent comes The Serpent and the Wings of Night, the first book in a fantasy romance series described as The Hunger Games meets vampires. Adopted by a Nightborn vampire king, mortal Oraya has survived against the odds in a world that has always been against her. When she pits herself against her enemies in the Kejari: a tournament run by the goddess of death and full of the fiercest vampires, Oraya allies with rival Raihn to survive. Despite knowing that Raihn is her sworn enemy, Oraya finds herself drawn towards him and puts herself into the greatest danger she’s ever faced. 

Mattinesh Jay: heir to a struggling family business, about to get arranged-married, needs a swordsman to defend against challenges at the altar. 

Luca Piere: charming con artist, on the run, affordable duellist.

Both: not exactly what they seem. 

Will this shatter their growing alliance? And how many lies are they prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything they want?

Stealing to stay alive, Kierse scrapes by until the day she steals from a rageful monster in the alternate-day New York in which she lives. Finding herself trapped in his library, with no way to escape, Kierse must harness the powers she’s always known lie within her, and take a chance on taking a job with her captor. The start of an addictive new series, if you like your fantasy served with a side of romance, monsters and bookishness, The Wren in the Holly Library is for you. 

Anahrod has spent her life fighting to stay alive in the jungle of the Deep, and being on her own is what she knows and loves. Rescued by a group of adventurers after she’s captured by a local warlord, Anahrod is denied the chance to return to her solitary existence as the group tasks her with paying off debts by stealing from the hoard of a dragon who wants her dead. Will Anahrod make it out alive? A brand-new fantasy heist adventure from Jenn Lyons, author of the Chorus of Dragons series, The Sky on Fire is a tale of dragon-ruled sky cities, daring rescues, and a tonne of romance.

This is the long-awaited adult debut from bestselling YA author Mary E. Pearson. Expect forbidden romance, deadly faerie curses and pulse-pounding action. Bristol Keats and her sisters are struggling to survive after the death of their parents. In her desperation, Bristol agrees to meet with a mysterious 'aunt' she's never heard of, who has been writing to her offering help. What she learns changes everything she thought she knew about her family, and sets Bristol off on a journey to a land of gods, fae and monsters, and a deadly bargain with the fae king. 

Living a life hidden from view so her powers aren’t used for evil, Calista trades her magic power of intuition with a Baron’s promise to keep her safe. When one day, Calista sees a prince in need and her as his saviour, her intuition warns her of her short-lived joy and his ultimate betrayal. Will she follow her heart knowing it may be her downfall or continue her loveless life shrouded in secret?  A high-stakes romance from bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, Fall of Ruin and Wrath is an epic story of good and evil that will have you hooked. 

When Opal is offered a job with the last heir of Starling House, a mansion surrounded by mystery and tales of intrigue, she reluctantly takes it to help her brother get out of their hometown and onto better things. As she gets to know the house's brooding owner Arthur, Opal starts to unravel the thread of her family’s ugly past and develops feelings for Arthur she can’t ignore. A town obsessed with a haunted mansion, a young woman who dares to step inside and a secret a family has tried to bury for decades, Alix E. Harrow’s Gothic fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast is destined to become a modern classic. 

Ruthless crime bosses and a shadow, magical Manhattan, create the perfect setting for this most devastating example of a truly murderous enemies-to-lovers story. The Antonova sisters are beautiful, cunning and ruthless; their mother the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants. Their rivals, the influential Fedorov brothers, serve their crime boss father, whose enterprise dominates the shadows of magical Manhattan. A fraught twelve-year stalemate between the two families breaks, just as internal conflicts could destroy each of them from within, and fate draws two from each family together. Will anyone survive?

Welcome to the brutal and elite world of Basgiath War College, where everyone has an agenda, and every night could be your last . . . Violet, destined for a quiet life among books, is forced by her mother to become a dragon rider. Reunited with childhood friend Dain, and unable to escape the simmering wrath of family nemesis Xaden, romance and betrayals intertwine as Violet navigates the perilous path to graduation. 

A magnetic ‘will they, won’t they’ gay romance and intriguing mystery plot, entangled in the courtly politics of an Ottoman Empire-inspired world, where myth runs hand in hand with history. When the Queen’s brother, Kadou, finds himself under suspicion of attempted murder, he endeavours to rescue his reputation by taking over the investigation of another, apparently unrelated, incident. Accompanied by his handsome but distant new bodyguard, Evemer, he uncovers a complex crime network with a powerful, dangerous leader.

If you like your fantasy romance with a healthy dose of humour, or love Bridgerton and Downton Abbey but would like to introduce a little magic to your country (and reading) pile, then Freya Marske is for you. In an alternative Edwardian England, a Baronet and a magician must unravel a murder mystery together, whether they want to or not. The first in a trilogy, A Marvellous Light is a hugely entertaining comedy of manners, manor houses and hedge mazes.

Already hoovered up A Marvellous Light? Then you’re probably on the lookout for this. The second in the series features Maud Blyth, who had been hoping for an adventure until the adventure started happening, an ocean liner, and a dead old lady. Throw in a rude parrot and outrageous partner-in-(solving)-crime-come-love-interest and you’ve got another hilarious murder mystery. Think Titanic, but make it magic. And sapphic. 

This phenomenally popular series follows nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre as she is taken into the world of lethal, immortal faeries after accidentally killing one of them. Full of twists, passion and intrigue, there's a reason these books have sold millions of copies and been translated into thirty-seven languages.

If you’re looking for a fantasy romance series that you won’t be able to put down, Wolfsong is the book for you. Starring Ox Matheson, a teen with a trauma-filled past, and his new next-door neighbour, the enigmatic Joe Bennett, it’s a story of shapeshifting werewolves and queer love beloved by fans all over the world. Growing up together, Ox and Joe find themselves closer than ever; until murder tears their town, and the pair, apart. When Joe finally arrives back in town three years later, Ox realises it’s time to face his feelings for his former friend. Once you've devoured Wolfsong, you can read the next books in the Green Creek series: Ravensong and Heartsong.

Agnieszka’s village is blighted by the enchanted forest that lies beyond it, and relies on an ageless wizard, the Dragon, to protect them from it. But his help comes at a horrible price – every ten years a woman must leave the village and live with him. Agnieszka fears her dearest friend Kasia – beautiful, graceful and brave – will be chosen next. But when the Dragon comes, it's not Kasia he takes. The perfect read for those who like fantasy worlds built on traditional tales: Uprooted adds a new flavour to classic folk stories without losing their dark faerie aftertaste. 

How far would you go for the person who saved your life? After inadvertently releasing a storm of ancient magic, and reviving a sleeping warrior and their thousand-year-old war, Csorwe and Shuthmili face jeopardy at every turn. The soldier has bound Csworwe to her cause, and whilst Shuthmili is desperate to protect the woman she loves, she fears embracing the eldritch powers she knows she must use to do so. Expect priestesses, assassins, sorcerers, dark gods, giant snakes, underground temples, and, of course, romance. 

The first in this YA series is a searing epic inspired by ancient Arabia. The Hunter and the Prince of Death are both legends in their kingdom – but wish they weren’t. The Hunter’s real name is Zafira, and, forced to disguise herself as a man, she risks everything for her people. The Prince of Death is actually Nazir, bound to command of the sultan, his father. Both are sent on a quest to return magic to their fracturing land, when an ancient evil (and a few feelings) begin to stir. . .

This YA enemies-to-lovers fantasy is set at the Oath Gazette newspaper, where eighteen-year-old Iris reports on a war between gods. At home, she writes letters to her brother – missing in action at the front – with no hope of reply. But somehow they make their way into the hands of Roman Kitt, Iris's main rival at the paper. . .  

Talasyn, orphaned by the conflict, fights against the Night Empire in what's become known as the Hurricane Wars. Alaric is the son of the Night Emperor, and his most powerful weapon, and wants to crush the rebellion. They meet on the battlefield – and everything changes.