With the sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series around the corner, we’re getting closer and closer to returning to the world of Prythian with each passing day. But there’s a decent amount of time between now and the release date — a little less than a month to be exact. And in these next few weeks, plenty of great romantasy books or fantasy novels can fill that reading gap. Here are some of the best.
- The Shepherd King series
- The Crescent City series
- The Throne of Glass series
- The War of Lost Hearts series
- The Cruel Prince trilogy
- The ACOTAR books
The Shepherd King series
Written by Rachel Gillig, the Shepherd King series features two novels: One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns. The first novel follows a young woman named Elspeth Spindle, who hides her own magical infection as she embarks on a quest to find a cure to save her kingdom alongside the prince, while an entity called the Nightmare shares her mind. The second book continues the story.
For fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses, it’s not as whimsical as those books, but I honestly think it's even better. It focuses much more on the novel's magic and worldbuilding than on romance, and it also features plenty of interesting, complex side characters. If you’ve never read them, you should certainly check them out.
The Crescent City series
The Maasverse is vast, and if you haven’t read these novels, you probably should, because they're closely connected to ACOTAR. The Crescent City novels mainly follow Bryce Quinlan, a half-human, half-Fae living in Lunathion. When a brutal enemy kills her best friend, her whole world stops. Two years later, she’s forced to face her trauma yet again when similar murders begin to rise.
A lot of people say that Sarah J. Maas’ books in the Crescent City series are her weakest, but I must admit, I sometimes like them more than ACOTAR. I think I click with the main characters more because they seem a little more mature, and the story feels more serious and daring. The series builds a solid connection as it progresses, so if you want to be fully invested, you should check it out.
The Throne of Glass series
What many Maas fans would call her magnum opus, the Throne of Glass books marked Sarah J. Maas’ first major novel series. It mainly follows a young woman named Celaena, who is pulled from a prison camp to fight in a deadly tournament where, if she wins, she can become the Champion of the King and earn her freedom.
If you think you know what’s going on in this series, you really don’t. It has massive twists and turns, and many fans have had to reread it to catch every detail. Plus, you won't fall in love with just the main character. It’s also the side characters, probably even more so, judging from readers' reactions. These novels also connect to Maas’ later work, so you might as well read them if you’re a fan of hers.
The War of Lost Hearts series
Written by Carissa Broadbent, The War of Lost Hearts is a high-fantasy romance trilogy that follows Tisaanah, a formerly enslaved person and magic wielder who wants to free her people but needs help. She seeks help from the most powerful magical order in the land. Still, to join, she must complete an apprenticeship under Maxantarius, a fire wielder who hates anyone with magical powers.
The books are considered to be some of Broadbent’s best, even though she grew in popularity when she began releasing her later novels. If you want intense worldbuilding and a slow-burn romance that hurts, these are the books for you.
The Cruel Prince trilogy
I have sung the praises of The Cruel Prince trilogy by Holly Black over and over again. Jude, a human, watched her parents get murdered by a faerie general when she was seven and was whisked away to the land of the Fae, where most despise her. Now older, she seeks to become a valuable member of this court to secure her safety, and she becomes a spy for the prince, revealing secrets she never would have known.
This series honestly has some of the best enemies-to-lovers work I’ve ever written. Like, it is true enemies-to-lovers, not just mild dislike, and it’s so fantastic. Nothing has compared. Plus, the worldbuilding is fantastic and some of the best in any YA novels I’ve read. It will certainly get you out of a reading slump.Â
The ACOTAR books
I mean, it’s a must at this point. It’s been five years since the last book in the ACOTAR series dropped, so you might as well reread the novels ahead of the next one. I don’t even have to tell you what they’re about; you already know.
Personally, I think rereading a series before the latest book comes out is the best way to spend your time. Refreshing what the novels were about and understanding what could come next will make the release of ACOTAR 6 all the better.
A Court of Splintered Harmony will be released on Oct. 27, 2026.
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