There's a ton of romantasy out there right now, but much of it is really disappointing, either poorly written, pushing problematic tropes, or confusing actual character development with sex scenes – and, yes, that includes some of the most popular BookTok book series. But that doesn't mean there's no good romantasy out there, because there is – quite a bit of it, in fact. It just might require a little more searching than relying on a circular social media algorithm to feed you book recommendations.

Romantasy is one of the most escapist of genres, offering readers sweeping, ionate romance and swoon-worthy love interests. That usually comes in the trappings of political intrigue, deadly competitions, or the backdrop of war. Magic and magical creatures feature heavily, sometimes as allies and other times as monsters to be slain. And, of course, there are the ubiquitous romantasy books and series have excelled at showcasing them more than others.

7 The Familiar

Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is no stranger to romantasy readers, even casual ones, thanks to her Grishaverse books and her separate, dark academia Ninth House series. While all those books are excellent, and beloved bestsellers for a reason, it's Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar, her most recent, standalone romantasy book that deserves more love. Published in 2024, The Familiar is exquisitely crafted, one of the rare romantasy books that can be accurately described that way.

Barudgo meticulously weaves historical details of the Spanish Golden Age with a sweet and melancholy love story about two magical outsiders who find each other. It's the most lush and lyrical of her books, every page weaving a sensual dream. There's some spice, but it's heavier on the connection and romance than sex, reminding readers that while romantasy is often spicy, a great story doesn't just need to rely on sex to enthrall. The framing of the one-off story makes it read like a long-ago fairytale, capped off by a surprising and incredibly fitting ending.

6 The City of Brass

S. A. Chakraborty

There's a lot of romantasy that follows the same general worldbuilding – vaguely Western, the "main" kingdom is mostly European-coded, and it's probably at war with another kingdom that also has very little diversity of people or culture within its borders. While there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, it can get a little stale and it all feels a bit cookie-cutter after a while. That's why S. A. Chakraborty's The City of Brass, the first book in her Daevabad Trilogy, is such a refreshing change of pace.

The City of Brass is both exotic and familiar, blending worlds together in one excellent tale of forbidden love and political intrigue.

Set in 18th-century Cairo, The City of Brass is rich with Middle Eastern and Islamic folklore, mythology, and culture, weaving a bright and colorful tapestry that transcends the formulaic fighting leathers and knives of too much romantasy. It dives deep into the mythology of the djinn, bringing them to life in a way that is largely unique to modern romantasy. The City of Brass is both exotic and familiar, blending worlds together in one excellent tale of forbidden love and political intrigue.

5 Five Broken Blades

Mai Cortland

While the aforementioned Leigh Bardugo has been a bestseller for a while, plenty of her readers would agree that her writing really evolved with her Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology. If you're one such person who loves Six of Crows, then Mai Cortland's Five Broken Blades is a perfect read. Five different assassins with secrets and dark pasts are drawn together under the premise of an impossible heist: kill an unkillable king. It's the start of what's planned as a trilogy.

But when tropes are well-executed, they can become something more, and they are all well-executed here, with each character being vibrantly drawn and shaped.

There are certainly tropes in Five Broken Blades: the exiled prince, the thug seeking peace, the femme fatale, etc. But when tropes are well-executed, they can become something more, and they are all well-executed here, with each character being vibrantly drawn and shaped. The worldbuilding is also interesting, and while Five Broken Blades packs a lot into the zippy pace, it never gets so bogged down in details that it loses you. It's lighter on romance than on fantasy, which makes sense for the first book in a series, but who among us doesn't love a good slow-burn romance?

4 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

V. E. Schwab

In one romantasy book that defies tropes, V. E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is built around an intriguing premise: in 18th-century , a young woman makes a bargain with dark forces to live forever. While she's granted the immortality she seeks, she's cursed to have everyone she meets forget her. The story flashes back to her childhood in with her current life in present-day New York City. After 300 years, she's shocked, however, to meet a man who not only doesn't forget her, but also re her name.

It's a character study of a life spent being forgotten by everyone, a refreshing option in modern romantasy, which too often forgets story and character development at the expense of plot.

What follows is a whirlwind romance between the pair as Addie realizes that the Faustian bargain she made to live forever isn't worth missing out on human connection and love. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is thought-provoking and bittersweet, deeply romantic and heartbreaking. It's ittedly plot-light, but that's not really the point. Instead, it's a character study of a life spent being forgotten by everyone, a refreshing option in modern romantasy, which too often forgets story and character development at the expense of plot.

3 Assistant To The Villain

Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Not all romantasy has to be heavy and full of dark and damaged heroines who are merciless with blades but have atrophied communication skills. Great romantasy can still come in the form of a bright and sunshiny leading lady with cheeky wit and an indefatigable sense of optimism. For those looking for that sort of lighthearted and slyly comical romp that skewers plenty of the tropes of the genre, Hannah Nicole Maehrer's Assistant to the Villain is a refreshing and highly entertaining read.

When the cheerful, restless Evie finds herself unexpectedly taking a job as the personal assistant to the kingdom's cruel and evil villain, she finds she's far more suited to be the villain's right-hand woman than she anticipated. Dealing with severed heads, dastardly plots, and cranky coworkers are all part of a day's work for Evie, but what she doesn't expect is that she – might – be falling a little bit in love with her boss, despite his best attempts to convince her he's evil. Assistant to the Villain is charming and laugh-out-loud funny at times, a truly delightful read.

2 The Priory of the Orange Tree

Samantha Shannon

Some of the best romantasy writing out there right now is in queer romantasy, which has consistently provided thought-provoking storytelling with great worldbuilding. An excellent offering in the queer romantasy space is Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree, which is complex, political high fantasy in the vein of Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings. Like those stories, the cast is sprawling, as is the worldbuilding, so it takes a bit more commitment to read than other low-lift romantasy stories, but it's well worth the investment.

As a feminist retelling of the legend of St. George slaying the dragon, layered and well-written female characters abound in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

As a feminist retelling of the legend of St. George slaying the dragon, layered and well-written female characters abound in The Priory of the Orange Tree. It brings together the storylines of a queen and her lady-in-waiting, whose positions in power are unstable, a friend of the queen who is banished on a quest meant to bring the queen down, a rebellious dragonrider, and an alcoholic alchemist. For those who love a lengthy and complex epic with their slow-burn romance, The Priory of the Orange Tree is one to dive into.

1 Salt & Broom

Sharon Lynn Fisher

Sometimes, the best romantasy takes classic literature and rewrites it with a twist. Such is the case with Sharon Lynn Fisher's Salt & Broom, a simple, sweet retelling of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre with a witchy twist. In this retelling, Jane Aire is a witch and healer teaching at a girls' school when she's suddenly hired by the enigmatic nobleman Edward Rochester to figure out the origin of the dark plague that seems to be hanging over his ancestral manor of Thornfield Hall.

Salt & Broom has just as much gothic imagery as the original Jane Eyre, but it's infused with witchcraft and herbalism, and much more romance and adventure. Rochester is a more sympathetic character than he is in Brontë's classic novel, and Jane far more interesting. It deftly weaves together the original story with modern sensibilities and herbal lore, making for a zippy but satisfying romantasy reimagining of the iconic Gothic romantic couple and protagonists.