“Romantacy.” A budding term to describe the combination of the romance and fantasy genre. In this list, there will be a romantacy for everyone. This list is in no particular order.
- “Paladin’s Grace” by T. Kingfisher.
“Paladin’s Grace” is the first of four books in “The Saint of Steel” series. It was published in 2020, and is named one of the Best #Booktok books. It also has a 4.1 out of 5 stars on Goodreads with nearly 46k reviews.
The book follows a Paladin named Stephen and a perfumer named Grace. Stephen was more than a little lost, a Paladin to a dead god wasn’t a Paladin at all. Now he acts more like a bodyguard than anything else. Grace is a fugitive who witnesses an assasination attempt and the two meet as they unravel a plot of poisoners and spies.
The two fall for each other in a very awkward, lovingly embarrassing way as the both of them attempt to come to terms with having to work together and not fall for one another.
- “Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree
“Legends & Lattes” was published in 2022. It became an instant New York Times Best Seller, a GoodReads Best Fantasy Award nominee, it received a Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2022 award as well as many others. It also has a 4.1 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
The book follows Viv, a battle-worn orc who wants to start fresh in a sleepy little town. She builds a coffee shop, only problem? She knows nothing about coffee. In comes Tandri, a succubus who decides to help Viv with advertising.
The two’s relationship is a loveable lesbian slow burn that has made it on everyone’s comfort reading list.
- “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries” by Heather Fawcett.
“Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries” was published in 2023. It quickly became a national bestseller, was named the Book of the Year by many different magazines including The New York Times Book Review, NPR, PopSugar, and so on. It currently has a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor who specializes in studying the different types of fae. City girl through and through in 1909, Wilde takes a trip up north to a town called Hrafnsvik where she’s in search of a type of fae referred to as “Hidden Ones.”
Wilde has her own personal reason for finding these creatures, but she also had a petty reason. She needed to beat her academic rival Wendell Bambleby. And when Wendell Bambleby shows up in her room at the rundown inn she’s staying at in the middle of nowhere, she’s even more determined to beat him.
But as she starts to put the pieces together, there might be more to the Bambleby story than she originally thought.
- “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” by Carissa Broadbent.
“The Serpent and the Wings of Night” was published in 2022 as the first of five books in the “Crowns of Nyaxia” series. It has a 4.3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and is a pick for the Best of #BookTok.
The book has similar themes to the rest of the books in the BookTok romantasy space, with its enemies to lovers, strong female heroine, and the whole world seems to be betting against the main character. That said, the book has its own special twists.
Oraya is the adopted human daughter of the vampire king of Nyaxia. In order to take over for her father, she needs to win the Kjeri, a tournament held by the goddess of death. If she doesn’t win, her father’s enemies might gain control, and send the region into ruin.
During the tournament, she has to team up with Raihn, one of her father’s greatest enemies, and in doing so what she thought she knew about her life starts to shatter.
- “North is the Night” by Emily Rath.
“North is the Night” was written in 2024 and is considered an Editor’s Pick on Amazon and the best in science fiction and fantasy. It also has 3.7 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
The book follows two young women, Siiri and Aina, in a tiny Finnish village where the Swedish encroach on their land every day, while the darkness of the forest keeps them from moving. Young women are beginning to disappear, so that Siiri and Aina are practically the only ones left.
It’s clear from the jump that Siiri has feelings for Aina, and the author teases the audience on whether or not Aina feels the same for a while. One day, the death goddess drags Aina to the underworld, and Siiri has to find a shaman only believed to be legend in order to follow her.
- “The Road of Bones” by Demi Winters.
“The Road of Bones” was published in 2023 and is the first of a series called “The Ashen.” It has a 4.2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
Silla is running for her life, the queen of the region is sending out troops to bring death upon her. When her father dies, he sends her on the Road of Bones, a thousand-mile stretch that is crawling with killers and robbers, and warbands.
Silla seeks refuge with the supply wagon of the BloodAxe Crew. When she’s found out, she has to win over the crew in order to make it to Kopa, and out of the queen’s domain.
- “Forged by Blood” by Ehigbor Okosun.
“Forged by Blood” was written in 2023 and is the first of the “Tainted Blood” duology. It has a 3.4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads with a little over 2,000 ratings. It is an Editors’ pick for the best Science Fiction & Fantasy.
Dèmi is just trying to survive a genocide. She is part of the Oluso, a magic-wielding people, and her people are being killed by the thousands because the nonmagic Ajes are occupying the land of the Oluso.
Dèmi trusts someone she shouldn’t ultimately end in her mother’s death, and now she is on a path of revenge. She kidnaps the Aje prince, Jonas, in order to bargain his life for the war to stop. But things quickly start to unravel.
- “Faebound” by Saara El-Arifi.
“Faebound” was published in 2024. It became an instant national bestseller, and received the British Book Award Winner: Pageturner, in addition to receiving the title Best Book of the Year by Elle and Book Riot.
The book follows two elven sisters, one battle worn, the other was a diviner, those who seek prophecies of a better life.
The warrior sister, Yeeran, is exiled from the land and Lettle follows after her; the two are left in the lands that border their kingdom. They stumble upon the fae court, a court that was said to be no more than legend.
Now they’re torn between themselves, their loyalties, and the lure of the fae world.
- “Assistant to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.
“Assistant to the Villain” was published in 2023. It has 3.9 stars out of 5 on GoodReads with nearly 3,000 ratings. It received the Goodreads Choice Award, and was a nominee for Readers’ Favorite Romantasy in 2023.
Evie Sage is desperate for a job, as most are these days, but there’s even more pressure on her to succeed with a family in not the best scenario. One day, she finally manages to land a job. It just so happens that the job is to be an assistant for the kingdom’s most notorious villain, but you know what they say.. Beggars.. Choosers..
While Evie is trying desperately not to have feelings for the villain, some things aren’t adding up. There’s a rat in their midst, someone who wants to take the villain out. Determined to keep the villain alive, absolutely just for job security and no other reason, she needs to sniff out the rat.
- “The Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf” by Kimberly Lemming.
The second installment of the Mead Mishaps series, “The Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf” was published in 2022.
After dealing with a pirate ship full of demons, Brie has been put through the ringer with the worst luck in the world. Now she’s dealing with the fact that she threw a drink, and it completely missed her target and instead landed on a love-struck werewolf.
Now, she’s got to explain to him that she’s not his fated mate, rather he’s just drugged.
It’s a very sweet, and fun story.