Yahoo News 16 Spicy Fantasy Reads To Devour After Rebecca Yarros's "Fourth Wing"
Fourth Wing took the book world by storm. The enemies-to-lovers-to-possible-enemies-again lightning-hot Empyrean Series from Rebecca Yarros has a dragon claw grip on fans that doesn’t seem to be loosening. The series has sold over 6 million copies and has an Amazon MGM Studios adaptation in the works. Yarros announced on social media that final edits for book three in the series, Onyx Storm, have been submitted to her publisher, and the paperback edition of Fourth Wing (with a bonus chapter) was just released this month and is already spinning out theories, like if Dain is actually a venin.
Onyx Storm officially releases on January 21, 2025. Instead of re-reading the series like you’re training for the gauntlet, check out the books below, all with varying levels of spice that might just sate your need for shadow-wielding hotties and badass heroines.
And just so it's clear, "spice" refers to sexual content of varying degrees. The books on this list have different spiciness levels but may contain explicit or implicit descriptions of nudity, sexual acts, kinks, or other things of a sexual nature. Make sure you review any content warnings before diving into their pages!
1.Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
The second in Maniscalco’s Prince of Sin series comes out late October, and you can expect spice and ice dragons in Throne of Secrets. Book one, Throne of the Fallen, is all about Prince Envy and feisty silver-haired Camilla Antonius. The dark fantasy romance is a delicious, addictive, and chaotic slow-burn affair. Brooding Prince of Envy needs help winning a deadly game full of killer riddles, hexes, and demented fellow players to save his demon court, and he isn’t beyond committing some sin to get what he wants...and what he needs is the fiery human artist Camilla to help him. Camilla’s busy being blackmailed by Lord Vexley, which forces her to reluctantly strike a bargain with the dark-haired and tall Prince — a bargain that will drag her into the dangerous and sultry courts within the Underworld. Envy and Camilla refuse, for an excruciating length of pages, to acknowledge that they’re interested in more than just playing games with one another.
Get it from Bookshop.
2.A Court of Thrones and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is the series that launched a thousand shadow daddies and female protagonists who are weirdly adept at weaponry despite malnutrition. Human Feyre either inadvertently or full-blown manslaughters a fae in wolf’s clothing, forcing her to leave her destitute home and pay penance for her crime in the fae territory of a High Lord’s court. She has to leave her deadbeat family to live with a beefcake-masked fae male named Tamlin, a High Lord who likes to play the fiddle. Zero red flags there.
Feyre then encounters all sorts of grotesque monsters (one named the Suriel, who eventually becomes her bestie) and attempts to return to the human world, but Stockholm Syndrome sets in for the 19-year-old. Feyre falls for the centuries-old fae with control issues. Finally, Feyre meets a dark-haired, violet-eyed captive of a sadistic queen named Rhysand, who turns out to be the shadow daddy to end all shadow daddies. Snark aside, this series is incredible and well worth the hype.
Get it from Bookshop.
3.Quicksilver by Callie Hart
An indie darling of 2024, Quicksilver by Callie Hart has high praise from book influencers like The Fantasy Fangirls, Book Huddle, and more. Sticky-fingered Saeris Fane has many problems: the oppressive heat, an even more oppressive royal regime, and a brother with a gambling addiction. She’d do just about anything to escape the drought-stricken kingdom she calls home, but when she’s caught for theft by the Undying Queen, she’s expecting a quick death…not for Death himself to come striding through a quicksilver pool in tight pants to transport her into another realm.
Except it isn’t really Death. It's a curt, devastatingly handsome fae named Kingfisher (Fisher to his friends) with a mysterious infliction. Saeris has to find a way back to her asshat brother, but the Alchemist’s magic discovered in her blood means she’s a valuable asset in many kingdoms. And there’s the whole molten hot attraction between Saeris and Fisher, the enemies-to-lovers and foul-mouthed fun that keeps her from leaving. The best part of this book is Carrion Swift, who I hope is the primary character in the second book. This book gets progressively spicier towards the end.
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4.Amid Clouds and Bones by Ella Fields
Ella Fields writes obsessive, toxic romances that leave you begging for more. Her latest is about a devilishly villainous prince and a poisonous protagonist who will have you in a claw grip the entire book. This enemies-to-lovers standalone begins with a politically arranged marriage between the heartless fae Prince Atakan and a cunning half-fae princess named Mildred (who her sister affectionately calls “Butter”) to ease tensions between kingdoms during a time of supposed peace. Except Mildred loathes Atakan, and has since they met — to the point where he tossed a two-headed snake into her carriage and she poisoned him in retaliation years later.
It’s pretty clear their kink is near-death experiences. When it’s time for Mildred (who Atakan calls “Dread”) to finally leave her home for the prince's, the marriage might not happen. When Mildred disappears before the ceremony, it turns out the aloof Atakan is willing to burn down a realm or two to get her back. Fields doesn’t hold back on the spice in any of her books, and this might be the most toxic and morally gray love interest she’s ever written. Multiple scenes, multiple “ways” of getting there, and really confusing feelings about my own mental stability, considering how hot I think Atakan is.
Get it from Amazon.
5.The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Brilliantly funny, original and steamy. The book hops genres like its characters travel through time, bouncing from romance, science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. This isn't a romantasy, it's something in between many genres. Bradley pulls readers into a sly whirlwind of themes and topics like colonialism, racism, the power of words, sexual consent, sexuality, and layered traumas that somehow all make perfect sense. Set in a not-so-distant future London, a young Ministry employee is recruited into a clandestine research program where she’ll act as the “bridge” for individuals pulled through time to the present.
The time traveler she’s been assigned is none other than Commander Graham Gore, a Victorian polar explorer who, according to history, was supposed to die a gruesome and drawn-out death during an Arctic expedition — but he’s now living in a very different London with his bridge, who likes to smoke weed and go on bike rides while attempting to explain things like “feminism” and modern technology to him. This is the best book I’ve read in 2024. The romance is a sweet, heart-wrenching, and sexy slow burn with open-door scenes that are worth the buildup. I can’t stop thinking about the ending.
Get it from Bookshop.
6.Filthy Rich Fae by Geneva Lee
Bouncing between contemporary New Orleans and a dark fae universe, Geneva Lee’s Filthy Rich Fae is a spicy romp with plenty of delicious banter and a heart-pounding plot to keep you interested. There’s a “party” (aka orgy) scene, touch-her-and-die vibes, forced proximity, and a twist I did not see coming. Cate Holloway is an ER nurse in a hospital owned by the Gage family, specifically by the pseudo-mafia king of New Orleans, Lachlan Gage. When her financially-challenged and habitual blunderer brother shows up in the ER with a gunshot wound and a connection back to Lachlan, Cate is irate.
She decides to find the criminal lord and force him to leave her brother alone. When she shows up at his posh hotel, Gage agrees to break the contract…if she binds herself to him. New worlds and new realities are quick to spin out after Cate agrees to the bargain with what turns out to be a powerful fae — a very attractive, dangerous, and strangely considerate of her needs fae.
Get it from Bookshop.
7.Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Hazelwood’s first jump into romantasy is a glorious one. Bride is a were-shifter and vampire romance about a marriage of political convenience. When the vampyre daughter of a Lord, Misery Lark, was only a child, she was sent to live in the human territories as a gesture of goodwill between the two species. She was assigned a human sibling who became her closest friend, and when her time as a bartering chip ended, adult Misery was left adrift between two identities and places, not feeling fully human or vampyre — and when the one person she does feel tethered to is kidnapped, she’s determined to get her back. She agrees to a political marriage with Lowe Moreland, the Alpha werewolf of his pack, as yet another interspecies political gesture to stop a possible class war of sorts...and because she suspects Lowe might be tied to her friend’s disappearance.
What she doesn’t anticipate is her immediate attraction to the Alpha. Lowe, who would rather sketch architectural designs than navigate the volatile natures of vampyres and his were-kin, is just as shocked to find himself attracted to his new vampire bride. But their initial union is anything but wedded bliss, with additional kidnappings, power-hungry grabs from both species, and a few twists, and it takes many pages before the enemies become lovers. And as for the spice, let’s just say you might be searching for anatomically-enhanced sex toys after reading this one.
Get it from Bookshop.
8.The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owens
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen is perfect for fans of Lore Olympus and The Hunger Games who crave a bit of spice. There’s plenty of humor, snark, and slow-burn spice in Owen’s modern romantasy inspired by the Persephone and Hades myth. Every century, the gods and goddesses come out to play and determine a new ruler of Olympus, and for the first time ever, the ruthless Hades enters the Crucible games. The human he selects as his champion is a beleaguered and cursed human named Lyra. Lyra, whose profession is an office clerk for the Order of Thieves, has for most of her life, attempted not to be noticed in Zeus’ city of San Francisco. But for reasons unknown to her, Hades plans on winning the games and believes Lyra is a mortal worth betting on. Hades might be your new favorite dark, brooding MMC, but it’s the pooch Cereberus who will steal your heart.
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9.Bloodguard by Cecy Robson
Filled with gladiators, dragons, and political intrigue with generous servings of lust and spice, Bloodguard from Cecy Robson needs to be on your TBR. Thousands of fans come to the brutal spectacle of the gladiator games featuring competitors from a variety of species, even dragons. In the Kingdom of Arrow, Leith of Grey is one of those gladiators and believes he’ll make his fortune to save his sister, but instead, he becomes a killer in the ring in what feels like an endless cycle of violence without hope for freedom. Until the striking elven royalty Maeve notices Leith from the stands, and he notices her, and their worlds shift. She recruits him to be her champion and the chance to win the title of Bloodguard, which means riches and freedom. But there are very few people either of them can trust in this world of deadly politics and magic, including each other. Bloodguard is from the same publisher as Fourth Wing, Red Tower Books, and this one is bloodier and a few chili peppers hotter on the spice scale.
Get it from Bookshop.
10.A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
All good romances begin with a good fish slap to the face. Jensen’s Norse-inspired romantasy A Fate Inked in Blood is a fierce action and slow-burn spicy romance perfect for Fourth Wing fans. Shield maiden Freya has been told most of her life to hide who she truly is. Where other men and women fall short, she viciously excels...given the divine magic gifted to her by the gods. But jealous men and fearful parents have kept her true powers hidden for most of her life. She’s forced into a marriage with a violent idiot and must pretend she isn’t as strong as her brother. One day, while she’s tossing fish her husband stupidly left to rot on a shore, she accidentally slaps Bjorn, the cocky, muscle-y king’s son, with one of the creatures she’s flinging back into the ocean. Things escalate from there: A few more marriages and couplings are arranged, and a prophecy is revealed that places Freya and Bjorn in a blood oath neither of them can — and maybe don’t want to — escape.
Get it from Bookshop.
11.Evocation by S.T. Gibson
S.T. Gibson’s latest series Evocation is a contemporary gothic-esque fantasy with hints of the paranormal, magic, generational curses, and secret societies and identities. David Aristarkhov was only a teen when he became a psychic prodigy — something his father would exploit for his own benefit well into David’s adulthood. David grows up to become an attorney in Boston by day and a medium for a secret occultist society by night. But when his dad dies, a sticky curse trickles down to David…and might bring the devil to his door. David needs help, so he calls on his ex, the charismatic and good-looking sorcerer Rhys. Rhys is willing to help, but David will need more than his charming ex to beat this particular curse — he’ll need Rhys’ wife, the enchanting astrologer Moira, as well. Together, they create a sexy and very complicated gang with tons of tension, gothic vibes, and emotional unravelings. The second in the series is expected in January and, according to sources, will be even hotter.
Get it from Bookshop.
12.The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole
Highly recommended by book influencer Zai Sylla is Amber Nicole’s dark fantasy romance The Book of Azrael. Its enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, snarky heroine, and grump morally gray “World Ender” make for an obsessively fun read. Zai says there might not be dragons, but there are plenty of monsters. A thousand years ago, Dianna sacrificed her life for her sisters and, in doing so, made a pact with the monster Kaden that she would become his weapon for centuries. Dianna uses sarcasm and humor to hide the trauma and abuse she inflicts and commits. When she meets the King of the Gods, Samkiel, aka Liam, they should be enemies but have a similar goal — to stop Kaden from getting his hands on a powerful ancient text, The Book of Azrael. Liam and Dianna’s tension and chemistry are wild and a little homicidal, but they work. The spice is a slow burn in book one, but the series progresses with more open-door scenes.
Get it from Bookshop.
13.The Book of Cin by H.M. Wolfe
If you disliked Dain in Fourth Wing, let me introduce you to H.M. Wolfe’s Taft — he’ll make Dain look like a green flag wrapped in a green flag. In the romantasy The Book of Cin, we meet Hyacinth (Cin), an orphan living at Asrai’s Academy, who's just aged out and has some big choices to make — stay in the only home she’s ever known or venture into the unknown and possibly dangerous Realms. Cin’s boyfriend, Taft, wants her to stick around and does all sorts of controlling and abusive tricks to keep her from leaving. But when a mysterious messenger whispers rumors of a god among the Fae, and Cin discovers hidden magic within herself, nothing is the same. She’s suddenly forced into a deadly game for survival and, with the help of her found family, ventures into those vicious Realms. There, she meets Landers, a hot, green-eyed 400-year-old Fae who is not about to suffer through Taft’s controlling nonsense. There are prophecies, dragons, some gut-wrenching scenes, and slow-burn spice. It's highly recommended by book influencer @Delaney_is_Booked, who loves how the female main character has similar internal and external struggles to Violet in Fourth Wing and that there’s a strong focus on what she needs to do to overcome and find her strength again.
Get it from Bookshop.
14.Cinnamon Rolls and Villainy by Chanté A. Campbell
You’re going to eat this one up. Cinnamon Rolls and Villainy is a high-stakes, riotously funny, and hella inclusive romantasy with a sugary topping of several steamy scenes that will make you hungry in more ways than one. It's a perfectly spiced adventure about the resilient and kind-hearted baker Ayc, who's thrust into a deadly competition by the ruthless fae villainess Loraphne. Ayc, who will likely remind readers of Flynn Rider from Disney’s Tangled, has been kept alive by his expertly raised buns and flare for magic tricks, and is now battling dragons, wraiths, rival teams, and even his heart. The Sovereignty Trials are an ancient and deadly game that determines who will rule over Everadyn. And when Loraphne, the daughter of the cruel Sovereign, insists Ayc join her team, there’s no saying no. But the build-up between the two has been going on for years.
Ayc cracks endless jokes to deflect his frequent near-death experiences, and Lora, stoically and usually with a blade pointed at Ayc’s throat, ignores him. But underneath their supposed disdain are several years' worth of intense emotions they both mask. Ayc, along with the rest of Loraphne’s selected team, which includes Ayc’s two closest friends, a smart sorcerer, a gifted navigator with his loyal guide dog, and a temperamental gryphon, must embark on seven dangerous quests. The story is a top-notch enemies-to-lovers romance with fabulous world-building and a diverse cast of queer, neurodivergent, disabled, and chronic illness representation.
Get it from Bookshop.
15.Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
Chloe Gong’s first foray into adult fantasy is fabulous. Immortal Longings isn’t a romantasy, though — it's a dark, toxic story with elements of romance and some spice. But it's similar to Fourth Wing in the irreverent banter and wit of characters, high action, intense relationships, and an intricate magic system. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, The Flesh and False Gods series is a Shakespearan-meets-dystopian fantasy series with political intrigue, violent action, wicked-fast dialogue, and deeply morally gray characters. Like patricide levels of possible gray. In book one, former princess Calla Tuoleimi competes in the deadly games of San-Er, where only one survivor will win. Calla has two goals in mind: to survive and kill the monarch and then place her cousin, August Shenzhi, on the throne. She had to fight assassins and “body jumpers” and ignore her own heart to win the games. She isn’t expecting the dry wit and somehow extremely sexy Anton Makusa, August's once best friend, to also be in the games. Or to find herself partnering with him to the bloody end.
Get it from Bookshop.
16.A Lair So Sinful by Zoey Ellis
Set in a world of dark magic, A Lair So Sinful is book one in Zoey Ellis’ fantastic The Last Dragorai series, full of dragon mythology and heated moments. This is a fantasy romance set in an omegaverse world with dragon riders and sex maidens, a world where there are alphas, dragons, and dragorai — a dragon and alpha pair with a bond established at birth. I'mya, struck with amnesia, wakes up completely naked in the lair of the brooding and powerful dragon lord Nyro. And there are other women in the lair as well...all there to sate Nyro’s whims. But I’mya isn’t without her own power, and when her magic unleashes, triggered by Nyro’s “needs,” an obsessive and toxic affair begins. It’s a perfect blend of Game of Thrones and the enemies-to-lovers trope fans of Fourth Wing love.
Get it from Bookshop.
Which of these books are you most excited to read? Tell us in the comments!
