The literary subgenre romantasy, as popularized by the fervent readers of BookTok, has captured the hearts of women everywhere and taken the internet by storm. There’s something truly magical about the genre’s ability to completely lift you out of the real world and immerse you in its vivid, otherworldly settings, and, as a common side effect, make you never want to leave.
The perfect mix of transportive world-building and heart-fluttering romance, romantasy is the intersection of two beloved genres, romance and fantasy, often featuring tales of passion and love set against the sweeping backdrops of castles, courts, and otherworldly realms. Personally, when I read, I want to go somewhere entirely new, somewhere beyond the ordinary.
If you’re ready for your next post-book hangover, I’ve compiled a list of my top three romantasy books that left me captivated, emotionally wrecked, and rereading my favorite scenes at 2 a.m.:
- Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
-
Mary E. Pearson, the woman that you are. Alright, before I get into the meat and bones of Dance of Thieves, let me just say that the female lead, Kazi, is one of the best I’ve ever read. Kazi is an orphaned thief who was recruited by the queen of Venda (one of the more powerful kingdoms) to serve as a soldier in her elite guard, the Rahtan.
The action starts when Kazi and the rest of the Rahtan are assigned to investigate the powerful and illegitimate Ballenger dynasty, as well as its newly crowned leader, outlaw Jase Ballenger, who inherited the position after the sudden death of his father.
What begins as a mission of duty quickly takes a turn as Jase and Kazi find themselves bound by unforeseeable circumstances, forcing them to work together for survival and leading them to question the strength of their opposing loyalties (did someone say enemies to lovers?).
One of the things that I appreciate most about this book is how realistic Kazi is as a heroine. To me, she encapsulates the full spectrum of feminine strength, perfectly balancing capability with vulnerability. In a genre that I feel often glamorizes the unbothered, girlboss, overpowerful female archetype, Kazi is very much human, and I love that about her.
Not to mention Jase, who’s also a very complex character, in his constant struggle to uphold his family’s legacy while simultaneously grieving the death of his father, whom he looked to for strength and guidance.
Kazi and Jase find unexpected allies in one another, and just when you think you understand where their story is headed, Pearson tests the boundaries of what exactly love can endure.
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
-
The Cruel Prince, the first book in Holly Black’s young adult fantasy series The Folk of the Air, hits on every cylinder for me. Between its vivid setting, the depth of every character, the intensity of the politics, and the quality of the romance (did someone say enemies to lovers, again?), this book left me wondering just how Black managed it all.
The book follows Jude Duarte, a mortal girl who was taken to the treacherous High Court of Faerie as a child and has her mind set on assimilating into faerie society despite the fae’s unwillingness to accept humans (similar to Hermione Granger’s “muggle-born” status in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter).
The book gets interesting when Jude’s relationship with Cardan Greenbriar, her royal schoolmate and self-appointed antagonizer, takes an unexpected turn, and that’s all I’ll say!
Let’s talk about what makes this book unique in an industry saturated with enemies-to-lovers romance tropes. This might seem an odd thing to praise, but the two main characters, Jude and Cardan, actively hate each other’s guts. I mean, they really, really can’t stand each other, and not even in a cute or tension-laden way. They do some truly appalling things just to make the other suffer, and we love that for them.
Personally, I hate it when a romantasy book boasts an enemies-to-lovers arc and then the most you get out of the two main characters is some fairly negatively charged banter. Where’s the visceral hatred I was promised? Where’s the pure, unfiltered loathing? Well, ladies, I’ve found the answer. Black stole it all and put it into this book.
The Cruel Prince is a fantastic read, and quite frankly, a trip. I highly recommend it if you love shifting power dynamics and morally gray lead characters as much as I do.
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
-
Alright, now for the dark and twisty. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig follows Elspeth Spindle, a young woman infected with a treasonous dark magic. It marks her as a prime target for a ruthless coalition of hunters, called the Destriers, who’ve been sanctioned by the king to execute all those touched by the infection.
When Elspeth and the leader of the Destriers, Ravyn Yew, cross paths unexpectedly, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance complicated by political turmoil, deadly secrets, and, of course, unexpected attraction.
As if things couldn’t get any stranger, lurking beneath it all is another presence, one that exists within Elspeth’s mind. His name is the Nightmare.
He’s Elspeth’s constant companion, often speaking to her in rhymes and riddles, whispering words of warning, and making snarky comments. He’s the manifestation of Elspeth’s infection, as well as the source of all her power, because no magic comes without a price. He’s also totally awesome.
What I love most about this book is its conceptual creativity. The magic system is fascinating, the politics are riveting, and the characters are excellently developed. Not to mention the romance. Tension-filled slow burn, anyone?
The setting has to be my favorite part, though. Gillig’s descriptions are lush, and her prose immerses you from the very first page. She constructs a gothic, eerie atmosphere so beautifully that you can practically feel the mist engulfing you. Honestly, that’s my favorite thing a book can do, so if you start hearing voices after reading this one, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
What’re you still doing here? If you haven’t read any of these books, go get your hands on one! Take out your Kindle, open your laptop, or head to the library. Do what you need to do because your next obsession awaits you.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest!