Best Adult Romantasy Books and Series to Read

Editorial note: Romance weight, fantasy weight, and spice are comparative RomantasyOrder ratings. They are not official publisher age classifications.

Author

Sarah J. Maas

Series

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Audience

Adult crossover

Romance weight

Very high

Fantasy weight

High

Spice

Medium to high across the series

Status

Ongoing

Sarah J. Maas’s official reading guide describes A Court of Thorns and Roses as her “ultimate romantasy series.” Her official series page currently lists five published books and additional forthcoming installments, so readers should not begin it expecting a fully closed series.

Why Read It?

ACOTAR is one of the most influential modern adult romantasy series because it combines:

• Fae courts
• Curses
• War
• Political alliances
• Trauma and recovery
• Multiple romantic arcs
• Found family
• Increasingly explicit romance
• A world that expands beyond the opening couple

The first book begins with a narrower fairytale structure, but later installments become larger, more political, and more relationship-focused.

• Mature Themes

The series explores:

• Captivity
• Abuse
• Trauma
• War
• Grief
• Physical recovery
• Emotional healing
• Sexual relationships
• Political power
• Family conflict

The tone and explicitness change significantly across the books.

Readers should not assume that the level of romance or spice in the first installment represents the entire series.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

Romance is central, but the balance varies.

Some installments focus heavily on one relationship, while others expand the cast, court politics, war, and the emotional lives of secondary characters.

The series is more romance-forward than Throne of Glass, even though both include broad fantasy conflicts.

• Series Commitment

This is a long and ongoing commitment.

It is best for readers comfortable beginning a world that continues beyond the currently published main books.

Best For

• Fae romantasy
• Adult romance
• Found family
• Trauma and healing
• Court politics
• Increasing spice
• Readers who want a long ongoing series
• May Not Suit
• Readers wanting a completed series
• Readers avoiding explicit content
• Readers seeking fantasy without relationship drama
• Readers who prefer one couple to remain the only focus

Author

Rebecca Yarros

Series

The Empyrean

Audience

New Adult

Romance weight

Very high

Fantasy weight

High

Spice

High

Status

Ongoing

The Empyrean is set in a brutal war college for dragon riders. Entangled officially categorizes the series as New Adult Fantasy and advises readers to follow it in order. The wider series remains active, with additional Empyrean material continuing to be published.

Why Read It?

Fourth Wing is one of the easiest entry points for adults who want:

• Dragons
• Military training
• Dangerous trials
• Enemies-to-lovers tension
• A physically vulnerable but determined heroine
• Political secrets
• Explicit romance
• Fast pacing

The fantasy conflict is substantial, but the romantic relationship receives enough attention that the book remains clearly romance-forward.

• Mature Themes

The series includes:

• Military violence
• Death during training
• War
• Disability and chronic physical vulnerability
• Institutional secrecy
• Betrayal
• Grief
• Sexual content
• Moral compromise

Its academy setting should not be confused with a conventional teenage school story.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

The romance is prominent from the beginning and becomes central to the emotional stakes.

However, dragons, military power, magical abilities, leadership, and the hidden history of the conflict remain necessary to the story.

• Series Commitment

The main story is ongoing.

Readers who strongly dislike unresolved series should wait until more of the central arc is available.

Best For

• New Adult romantasy
• Dragon riders
• War-college settings
• Enemies to lovers
• High spice
• Fast pacing
• Ongoing theories and discussion
• May Not Suit
• Readers avoiding cliffhangers
• Readers seeking subtle romance
• Readers preferring low spice
• Readers wanting slow, literary fantasy prose

Author

Carissa Broadbent

Series

The War of Lost Hearts

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

High

Fantasy weight

Very high

Spice

Moderate

Status

Completed trilogy

Macmillan lists The War of Lost Hearts as a three-book series containing Daughter of No Worlds, Children of Fallen Gods, and Mother of Death and Dawn. Broadbent describes her own work as blending epic fantasy plots with a strong dose of romance.

Why Read It?

This is one of the strongest adult romantasy choices for readers who want the relationship to develop inside a serious fantasy conflict.

The story includes:

• A formerly enslaved heroine
• Magical training
• Political institutions
• War
• Trauma
• Slow-earned trust
• Moral compromise
• A central relationship sustained across the trilogy

The characters have urgent goals before the romance begins, and those goals continue to shape their choices afterward.

• Mature Themes

The trilogy deals with:

• Slavery
• Abuse
• Trauma
• War
• Political violence
• Loss
• Responsibility
• Power
• Sacrifice
• Recovery

The darker material is not only decorative atmosphere. It directly influences the protagonists’ beliefs and relationship.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

The romance is emotionally central, but the series remains expansive fantasy.

Training, politics, war, magical institutions, and the consequences of power occupy substantial space.

The relationship works because the characters must confront each other’s histories and values, not merely their attraction.

• Series Commitment

Three complete books.

This makes it a strong choice for readers who want a substantial adult series without waiting for a future conclusion.

Best For

• Completed adult romantasy
• Slow-burn relationships
• Same central couple
• Epic fantasy
• Character growth
• War and political conflict
• Moderate spice
• May Not Suit
• Readers seeking light escapism
• Readers avoiding trauma-heavy stories
• Readers wanting a short, uncomplicated romance

Author

Rachel Gillig

Series

The Shepherd King

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

High

Fantasy weight

High

Spice

Moderate

Status

Completed duology

Orbit describes One Dark Window as a dark gothic fantasy involving Elspeth, the ancient spirit trapped inside her mind, a kingdom infected by dangerous magic, and a quest involving twelve Providence Cards.

Why Read It?

The Shepherd King is ideal for adults who want a shorter series with:

• Gothic atmosphere
• Dark forests
• A distinctive card-based magic system
• An internal monster
• Treason
• Secrets
• Romantic tension
• A complete two-book commitment

It is accessible without feeling empty, and its magic creates consequences for both the individual characters and the kingdom.

• Mature Themes

The duology explores:

• Loss of control
• Dangerous magic
• Family secrecy
• Political oppression
• Identity
• Sacrifice
• Violence
• Fear of corruption

Its darkness is more fairytale-gothic than realistically brutal.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

The relationship receives sustained attention, but it develops through the central magical and political mission.

The characters must work together, conceal information, test trust, and decide what they are willing to sacrifice.

• Series Commitment

Two books, with the main story complete.

This is one of the easiest adult romantasy series to finish without committing to a long universe.

Best For

• Gothic romantasy

Completed duologies

• Dark magic
• Moderate spice
• Strong atmosphere
• Readers wanting romance and fantasy in near-equal balance
• May Not Suit
• Readers wanting extensive political worldbuilding
• Readers looking for very high spice
• Readers who dislike internal-voice or possession storylines

Author

Carissa Broadbent

Series

Crowns of Nyaxia

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

Very high

Fantasy weight

High

Spice

High

Status

First story arc available; wider universe ongoing

Macmillan describes The Serpent and the Wings of Night as a fast-paced vampire romantasy with a deadly competition and an ultra-slow-burn romance. Its Crowns of Nyaxia series page now includes several connected books and later story arcs, showing that the wider universe remains active.

Why Read It?

This is a strong adult choice for readers who want:

• Vampires
• A deadly tournament
• Enemies forced to cooperate
• Political danger
• Slow-burn attraction
• Betrayal
• Blood magic
• High romantic tension

The competition gives the relationship structure: trust develops while both characters have reasons to hide information and pursue incompatible goals.

• Mature Themes

The book includes:

• Violence
• Blood
• Death
• Parental control
• Prejudice
• Power imbalance
• Betrayal
• Sexual content
• Survival-based choices

Its world is deliberately dangerous and morally unstable.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

The romance is highly prominent, but the vampire society, tournament, gods, and political conflict still matter.

It is more romance-forward than Daughter of No Worlds and less fantasy-first than The Priory of the Orange Tree.

• Series Commitment

The immediate story belongs to a connected universe rather than a fully closed standalone world.

Readers should distinguish between completing one central arc and finishing all of Crowns of Nyaxia.

Best For

• Adult vampire romantasy
• High spice
• Deadly competitions
• Slow burn
• Enemies to lovers
• Darker romantic tension
• May Not Suit
• Readers avoiding blood or violence
• Readers wanting a completely closed fictional universe
• Readers who dislike betrayals within the central romance

Author

Sarah A. Parker

Series

Moonfall

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

Very high

Fantasy weight

High

Spice

High

Status

Ongoing

Penguin Random House describes When the Moon Hatched as a fantasy romance with dragons, an original magic system, rebellion, political imprisonment, a dragon-riding king, and a love story connected to the past.

Why Read It?

This is a strong fit for readers who want immersive adult romantasy with:

• Dragons
• Elemental magic
• Rebellion
• Assassins
• Lost memories
• Grief
• Fated or time-spanning love
• Dense invented terminology
• High emotional intensity

It is not a simple academy story. The world has its own mythology, history, magical structures, and political divisions.

• Mature Themes

The story includes:

• Imprisonment
• Violence
• Death
• Grief
• Trauma
• Political oppression
• Memory loss
• Sexual content
• Obsession
• Moral ambiguity
• Romance and Fantasy Balance

The relationship is central, but much of its meaning depends on hidden history and the fantasy world.

The book asks the reader to learn a substantial amount of lore while also following an emotionally intense romantic mystery.

• Series Commitment

The series is ongoing.

Readers should be prepared for unresolved questions and a larger continuing arc.

Best For

• Adult dragon romantasy
• High spice
• Lyrical or dense prose
• Fated-love themes
• Rebellion
• Readers who enjoy extensive lore
• May Not Suit
• Readers wanting immediate explanations
• Readers who dislike long books
• Readers avoiding unfinished series
• Readers preferring simple worldbuilding

Author

Rebecca Ross

Series

Elements of Cadence

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

Medium

Fantasy weight

High

Spice

Low

Status

Completed duology

HarperCollins identifies A River Enchanted as Rebecca Ross’s adult fantasy debut and the first book in the Elements of Cadence duology. It combines a Scottish-inspired island, elemental spirits, music, missing girls, political division, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

Why Read It?

This series shows that adult romantasy does not need high spice or extreme violence.

It offers:

• Adult characters returning to old responsibilities
• Community conflict
• Clan politics
• Family obligations
• Musical magic
• Elemental spirits
• Multiple relationships
• Lyrical prose
• A completed two-book story

The concerns are mature because the characters must make decisions about home, duty, leadership, family, and the future of an entire community.

• Mature Themes

The duology includes:

• Missing children
• Political division
• Marriage
• Family secrets
• Leadership
• Grief
• Social responsibility
• Belonging
• Sacrifice

The tone remains gentler than the darker books on this list.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

Romance is important but shared with mystery, family relationships, politics, and the island’s magical imbalance.

This is an especially good choice for readers who want adult emotional concerns without explicit romance dominating the page.

• Series Commitment

Two complete books.

Best For

• Low-spice adult romantasy

Completed duologies

• Lyrical prose
• Mature relationship development
• Folklore-inspired worlds
• Readers who prefer atmosphere to action
• May Not Suit
• Readers wanting high spice
• Readers wanting fast-paced battles
• Readers who dislike slow, reflective storytelling

Author

Naomi Novik

• Format: Standalone

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

Medium

Fantasy weight

Very high

Spice

Moderate

Status

Complete standalone

Penguin Random House presents Uprooted as a standalone fantasy centered on Agnieszka, the wizard known as the Dragon, and the corrupted Wood threatening her valley.

Why Read It?

Uprooted is a good adult recommendation for readers who want:

• A complete story in one book
• Dark fairytale atmosphere
• A distinctive heroine
• Corrupted magic
• Friendship
• Conflict between intuitive and formal power
• A difficult romantic dynamic
• Fantasy that remains larger than the romance

The central relationship is complicated and abrasive rather than consistently comforting.

• Mature Themes

The novel includes:

• Abduction-like social obligation
• Power imbalance
• War
• Corruption
• Sexual content
• Violence
• Fear
• Loss of autonomy
• Political manipulation

The presence of romance does not make the relationship uncomplicated or universally appealing.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

Fantasy dominates.

The relationship affects Agnieszka’s growth and magical development, but the Wood, war, friendship, and survival of the valley remain more structurally important.

Reading Commitment

One complete novel.

Best For

• Adult fantasy-first romantasy
• Standalones
• Dark fairytales
• Complex magic
• Moderate spice
• Readers comfortable with difficult relationships
• May Not Suit
• Readers wanting a gentle hero
• Readers seeking romance-first storytelling
• Readers uncomfortable with power imbalance
• Readers wanting a conventional happily-ever-after structure

Author

Samantha Shannon

World

The Roots of Chaos

Audience

Adult

Romance weight

Medium

Fantasy weight

Very high

Spice

Low

Status

Self-contained central novel in a connected world

Bloomsbury describes The Priory of the Orange Tree as an epic fantasy about a divided world threatened by dragons. Its story includes Queen Sabran, her secret protector Ead, and Tané, who has trained to become a dragon rider.

Why Read It?

This is the strongest recommendation here for readers who want adult fantasy first and romance second.

This is the right pick when you want a large fantasy canvas rather than a romance-first structure:

• Multiple cultures
• Queens and succession
• Religion
• Political alliances
• Dragons
• Several points of view
• A substantial sapphic romance
• Large-scale historical conflict
• A complete central plot

The characters’ relationships are shaped by political office, religion, secrecy, inherited duty, and the threat to the wider world.

• Mature Themes

The book explores:

• Monarchy
• Reproduction and succession
• Religious authority
• Political violence
• War
• Duty
• Loneliness
• Queer relationships
• Cultural conflict
• Sacrifice

Its maturity comes more from political and thematic complexity than explicit romance.

• Romance and Fantasy Balance

The romance is meaningful but not dominant.

Readers primarily seeking frequent couple-focused scenes may find it too fantasy-heavy. Readers who want an adult epic fantasy with a developed emotional relationship are more likely to enjoy it.

Reading Commitment

One very long central novel, with other stories set in the same wider world.

Best For

• Adult epic fantasy
• Sapphic romance
• Dragons
• Low spice
• Political worldbuilding
• Readers wanting a substantial self-contained plot
• May Not Suit
• Readers wanting fast pacing
• Readers looking for high spice
• Readers wanting one central couple to dominate the book
• Readers avoiding long, multi-perspective novels

Choose these when you do not want to wait for a final book:

• The War of Lost Hearts
• The Shepherd King
• Elements of Cadence

For one-book commitments:

• Uprooted
• The Priory of the Orange Tree as a self-contained central story
• Best Ongoing Adult Romantasy Series

Choose these when you enjoy theories, future releases, and expanding worlds:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• The Empyrean
• Crowns of Nyaxia
• Moonfall

Check the latest publication status before beginning, because an available sequel does not necessarily mean the central series is complete.

• Best High-Spice Adult Romantasy
• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• Fourth Wing
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night
• When the Moon Hatched

Spice may increase or vary between books. A series-level estimate should not be treated as a promise that every installment has the same amount of explicit content.

• Best Low-Spice Adult Romantasy
• A River Enchanted
• The Priory of the Orange Tree

These books are adult because of their characters, themes, structure, and intended readership—not because they contain high levels of explicit romance.

• Best Fantasy-First Adult Romantasy
• The Priory of the Orange Tree
• Uprooted
• A River Enchanted
• Daughter of No Worlds

These books devote substantial attention to magic, politics, war, culture, or community beyond the central relationship.

• Best Romance-First Adult Romantasy
• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• Fourth Wing
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night
• When the Moon Hatched

The fantasy remains meaningful, but the romantic relationship occupies more of the emotional and narrative experience.

• Best Short Adult Romantasy Commitment
• The Shepherd King
• Elements of Cadence
• Uprooted
• Best Long Adult Romantasy Commitment
• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• The Empyrean
• Crowns of Nyaxia
• Moonfall
• Adult Romantasy With Mature Protagonists

A common frustration among adult readers is finding a book labeled “adult” even though the characters still feel like teenagers.

Age alone does not solve this problem.

A convincingly mature protagonist usually has:

• Responsibilities beyond personal identity
• Experience that shapes present decisions
• Financial, political, professional, or family obligations
• Awareness of long-term consequences
• Relationships beyond the love interest
• An ability to reflect on past mistakes
• Goals that are not entirely romantic

Good options for readers seeking more mature emotional concerns include:

• A River Enchanted
• Daughter of No Worlds
• The Priory of the Orange Tree
• Uprooted

By comparison, New Adult books such as Fourth Wing often focus more heavily on first independence, training, sexual discovery, and the transition into adult power.

Does Adult Romantasy Always Mean Spicy?

No.

“Adult” and “spicy” describe different things.

Adult generally refers to intended readership, character stage, narrative complexity, and themes.

Spice refers to the explicitness and frequency of on-page sexual content.

An adult romantasy can be:

• Closed-door
• Low spice
• Moderately explicit
• Highly explicit

For example, A River Enchanted and The Priory of the Orange Tree are adult fantasy novels with meaningful romance but relatively low spice.

By contrast, ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, and Crowns of Nyaxia are more romance-forward and contain stronger explicit content.

Readers should check both audience category and spice level rather than assuming one determines the other.

• Adult Romantasy With Strong Worldbuilding

For readers who want more than a romantic trope inside a lightly sketched kingdom, choose books where magic and society affect the relationship.

• The Priory of the Orange Tree

Religion, monarchy, history, dragons, and political office shape every major relationship.

• Daughter of No Worlds

Magic, slavery, war, and institutional power determine what the protagonists can risk and whom they can protect.

• A River Enchanted

Clans, elemental spirits, music, land, and family duty create both political and emotional conflict.

• Uprooted

The contrast between formal and intuitive magic reflects class, education, control, and personality.

• One Dark Window

The Providence Cards influence law, illness, political authority, and individual identity.

Strong worldbuilding does not require dozens of invented terms. It requires the fantasy world to change how the characters live, choose, love, and suffer.

• Dark Adult Romantasy

Some adult readers specifically want dangerous worlds, morally gray choices, violence, and relationships shaped by power.

Darker options include:

• The Serpent and the Wings of Night
• Daughter of No Worlds
• When the Moon Hatched
• One Dark Window
• Uprooted

“Dark” does not always mean the same thing.

A book may be dark because of:

• Graphic violence
• Trauma
• Political oppression
• Captivity
• Obsession
• Betrayal
• Moral compromise
• Gothic atmosphere
• Dangerous romantic dynamics

Readers should look at specific content notes rather than relying only on a general “dark romantasy” label.

• Choose by Romance Weight

For romance-first reading:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• Fourth Wing
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night
• When the Moon Hatched

For a more even balance:

• One Dark Window
• Daughter of No Worlds

For fantasy-first reading:

• The Priory of the Orange Tree
• Uprooted
• A River Enchanted
• Choose by Spice

For higher spice:

• Fourth Wing
• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night
• When the Moon Hatched

For moderate spice:

• Daughter of No Worlds
• One Dark Window
• Uprooted

For lower spice:

• A River Enchanted
• The Priory of the Orange Tree
• Choose by Series Status

For completed stories:

• The War of Lost Hearts
• The Shepherd King
• Elements of Cadence
• Uprooted

For ongoing worlds:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• The Empyrean
• Crowns of Nyaxia
• Moonfall
• Choose by Worldbuilding Complexity

For accessible worlds:

• Fourth Wing
• One Dark Window
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night

For denser worlds:

• The Priory of the Orange Tree
• When the Moon Hatched
• Daughter of No Worlds

For lyrical or folklore-based worlds:

• A River Enchanted
• Uprooted
• Choose by Mood

For gothic atmosphere:

• One Dark Window

For dragons and military danger:

• Fourth Wing

For vampires and deadly competition:

• The Serpent and the Wings of Night

For epic political fantasy:

• The Priory of the Orange Tree

For trauma, healing, and long-form character growth:

• Daughter of No Worlds

For lyrical atmosphere:

• A River Enchanted

For a dark standalone fairytale:

• Uprooted

The best adult romantasy book is not automatically the darkest or spiciest option.

Choose A Court of Thorns and Roses, Fourth Wing, or The Serpent and the Wings of Night when you want the romance to occupy a large part of the reading experience.

Choose Daughter of No Worlds or One Dark Window when you want romance and fantasy to carry similar weight.

Choose A River Enchanted, Uprooted, or The Priory of the Orange Tree when you want an adult fantasy story where romance matters without overwhelming the world, plot, and characters.

Before you commit, compare Is ACOTAR Spicy?, Is Fourth Wing Spicy?, completed romantasy series, and best spicy romantasy books.

Before beginning a series, check three things:

• Whether it is Adult, New Adult, or YA
• Whether the main story is complete
• Whether its spice and fantasy-to-romance balance match what you actually want

“Adult romantasy” covers a wide range—from quiet low-spice folklore to explicit dragon-rider romance. The most useful label is not simply adult. It is the combination of audience, themes, romance weight, spice, and reading commitment.