---
title: "Books Like ACOTAR: 7 Romantasy Reads to Pick Up Next"
description: "Finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and need the next fix? Here are seven books like ACOTAR — fae courts, slow burn romance and heroines with teeth — ranked by how close they feel."
canonical: "https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/books-like-acotar-irish-readers"
url: "https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/books-like-acotar-irish-readers.md"
author: "Amy — Bella Bugs Books"
locale: "en-IE"
type: "blog-post"
date_modified: "2026-08-10"
---

# Books Like ACOTAR: 7 Romantasy Reads to Pick Up Next

Finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and need the next fix? Here are seven books like ACOTAR — fae courts, slow burn romance and heroines with teeth — ranked by how close they feel.

Category: Romantasy


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](/reading-order/sarah-j-maas) page, and the fuller genre explainer is in the [romantasy books guide](/guides/romantasy-books).

## 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](/guides/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](/blog/books-like-throne-of-glass).
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](/bookshelf), with spines you can flip to see the covers, and the ones I've reviewed are linked from [reviews](/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](/reading-order/sarah-j-maas), and if you want a spoiler-safe place to log progress, keep your own list on [my shelf](/my-shelf) or use [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/).

## Want the next one chosen for you?

That's exactly what the [personalised book packages](/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](/book-box) if you'd like a romantasy pick landing every month, and the [book club](/book-club) if you'd rather scream about it with other people.

---

_Every book recommended here is read in full and reviewed by Amy. No sponsorships, no gifted-book obligations, spoilers always marked._

## Related

- [What to Read Next, Based on Your Mood](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/what-to-read-next-by-mood.md)
- [What to Read After Freida McFadden](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/books-like-freida-mcfadden.md)
- [A Cosy Autumn Reading List for Dark Evenings](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/cosy-autumn-reading-list.md)
- [Best Books to Read in a Reading Slump](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/best-books-for-a-reading-slump.md)
- [All blog posts](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog.md)
- [Reading guides](https://bellabugsbooks.com/guides.md)