Books Like ACOTAR: 7 Romantasy Reads to Pick Up Next

The ACOTAR hangover is real. You finish A Court of Silver Flames, stare at a wall, and then type "books like acotar" into Google at midnight. I have been there more than once, so here is the list I actually give people.

First, the reading order

If you're not finished yet, the full Sarah J. Maas running order lives on the Sarah J. Maas reading order page, and the fuller genre explainer is in the romantasy books guide.

7 books like ACOTAR

1. Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros. Dragons, rivals-to-lovers, brutal stakes. The closest thing to the ACOTAR reading experience. More in what to read after Fourth Wing.
2. The Cruel Prince — Holly Black. Fae politics with a sharper, colder edge. Jude is the heroine you didn't know you needed.
3. From Blood and Ash — Jennifer L. Armentrout. Forbidden romance, a guard you shouldn't trust and a plot that keeps escalating.
4. The Serpent and the Wings of Night — Carissa Broadbent. A tournament, a touch-starved slow burn and gorgeous prose.
5. Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas. Same author, more assassin. Start order is on the Throne of Glass post.
6. Powerless — Lauren Roberts. Younger-skewing, very readable, huge on BookTok.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses (again). Genuinely — the reread hits differently once you know who everyone becomes.

Every one of these is on my bookshelf, with spines you can flip to see the covers, and the ones I've reviewed are linked from reviews.

What makes a book "like ACOTAR"?

• A heroine who starts powerless and ends dangerous.
• A slow burn that earns the payoff instead of rushing it.
• Court politics, bargains and a world with rules worth learning.
• Found family. Always found family.

If a book has three of those four, it will scratch the itch.

Reading them in the right order

Series order matters more in romantasy than any other genre, because half the emotional payoff is delayed. Save yourself the spoilers with the reading order hub, and if you want a spoiler-safe place to log progress, keep your own list on my shelf or use Goodreads.

Want the next one chosen for you?

That's exactly what the personalised book packages are for: you tell me what you loved about ACOTAR, I pick the next book, wrap it and post it. There's also a monthly book box if you'd like a romantasy pick landing every month, and the book club if you'd rather scream about it with other people.