It’s taken a little while for me to get into it (hence some of the more popular inclusions), but I thought I’d better see what all the hype is about. After all, we don’t like to limit ourselves here at Book Notifications. And what I found were some interesting books indeed.
So, let’s see what all the fuss is about as I introduce five of the best romantasy books to start your journey with.
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas (2015)
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Okay, we’ll start with a fairly easy choice. For many this will be familiar ground. But there’s no safer place to begin venturing into the genre than with Maas’s epic romantasy saga. It’s popular and it’s popular for a reason.
Killing what she believes to be a wolf while hunting in the woods, Feyre is whisked away from her family (thankfully, they’re useless) to stay with the ever-handsome fae Tamlin. However, that wasn’t really a wolf, but a fae she killed, and now she must pay the price permanently hanging out in the powerful fae’s mansion (oh, the horror). Not everything is as it seems though, as deep, dark secrets and curses threaten them all.
While more seasoned fantasy readers may be well aware of many (if not all) of the tropes here, it’s an engaging introduction to the genre for first timers (just beware of the mature content). There are elements of Beauty and the Beast, fomenting love triangles, and grueling battles to overcome. It’s all there, setting up a franchise that’s almost as long and epic as its optioning schedule.
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Not that it really needs to be stated (as it’s pretty self-evident), but much of this genre is simply fun escapism living vicariously through the ‘most important person ever’ protagonist. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Harry Potter did it, Twilight did it, and so did Star Wars.
And this series is no different.
Seen through the eyes of Poppy, it charts her journey as she is initially destined for the Ascension. But, with the future of the kingdom apparently all down to her, she yearns for another life. She wants to love and defeat the forces of evil that saw her family’s demise. That’s when Hawke, a handsome guard, enters her life…
Yes, although many regard fantasy escapism with scorn, it’s actually considerably difficult to do well. Sure, there’s going to be a fair few cheesy moments, but Armentrout handles them knowingly and with confidence, while never getting bogged down with self-consciousness. Definitely aimed at the New Adult demographic (the sex scenes are very much sex scenes), it’s another accessible entry point into the genre, complete with lore and world-building.
Whispers of the Deep – Emma Hamm (2023)
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One key subgenre of romantasy is the ‘monster romance.’ And sure, you have your Neon Gods and Bride, but my money’s on Hamm’s underwater fantasy as an ideal straightforward entry-point. Mermaids and mermen have been staples of books and film (The Little Mermaid, Shape of Water) for a while now; here it’s something quite different.
Taking place in Beta, a city beneath the sea, Mira works as an engineer maintaining the structure and keeping it secure. That’s when she encounters Arges, a merman of a thought-to-be-long-lost legendary race. Seeing the city as a threat to his race, he then kidnaps her to gain leverage, but soon an undeniable bond grows between them.
So far, so classic romance. It’s not simply the relationship alone though, but the world around them that brings it to life. It’s the start of a decent series, developing these ideas further. There are themes of colonization and climate change running underneath, making for an interesting intro to the genre.
Again, there are some steamy (or watery?) scenes.
This Woven Kingdom – Tahereh Mafi (2022)
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Inspired more by Persian fantasy and culture, this addition is an interesting one. A romantasy trilogy, it concerns itself with clashing kingdoms, complete with interpersonal politics and historical elements.
We follow Alizeh, who is, to everyone around her, a humble servant all but invisible to the world. She’s hiding a secret, though: she’s actually the heir to the Jinn kingdom, thought to be all but lost. It is then that she meets Kamran, the crown prince. He finds it impossible to forget her, and soon she will change everything.
Drawing from real historical periods, the world has a lot of substance. Similar to Game of Thrones (which drew on Wars of the Roses), this is clearly well researched, lending it an extremely tactile feel. That foundation, combined with the central relationship, makes for an engaging read with characters who don’t come across as cardboard cutouts.
While the romance may seem standard on the surface, you find yourself truly invested as the series progresses.
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Again with the political factor here, the intrigue is what made this book stand out for me. It is an enemies-to-lovers story, but there’s a whole level of world-building (in what was a surprisingly short novel) that propels it forward.
The story itself follows Lara, a warrior princess who has been training her whole life to take down King Aren. With this as her one true goal, she must go undercover as his bride to defeat him once and for all. But, as her conviction turns to passion, she begins to question everything she once knew. Now it’s up to her to decide the final fate of the kingdoms.
While I mentioned the intrigue before, it was also the character flaws that made this interesting. Too often the lead protagonist is pitch-perfect, with nothing they say or do questioned. Here, though, there’s less of that, allowing the story (and the political shenanigans) to take some less predictable turns (which I would definitely appreciate more of in my fiction).
And, obviously, the romance can’t go unmentioned, as it feels like a more fully fleshed out relationship.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A lifelong lover of quality storytelling, Sam grew up in rural England with little else but reading (okay, and some gaming). Starting with Charlotte's Web, he developed a passion for ghost stories and comedy. With his background in narrative and scriptwriting, he writes for Book Notification, providing recommendations both good and not so terrible.