If 2025 has proven anything so far, it’s that romantasy is thriving. Last year’s releases are delivering epic worlds, dangerous magic, slow-burn (and sometimes explosive) romances, and emotionally charged stakes that keep readers up way past bedtime. From long-awaited sequels to brand-new series that everyone is buzzing about, these books have quickly become must-reads in the romantasy community.
Some are continuations of series I already love, others are worlds I can’t wait to step into once I finish my current reads—but all of them are being highly recommended by readers across Goodreads and BookTok.
So here is the list of books I’ve started reading. I will let you know what I think as I go. I’ve read a few already, and the hype might just be right. Let me know what you think.
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1. Onyx Storm – Rebecca Yarros
(The Empyrean, #3)
Why you’ll love it:
Epic dragons, high-stakes war, political intrigue, and a romance tested by loyalty, secrets, and survival. It was one of the most anticipated romantasy releases of the year. This is the third book in the series, so you haven’t started yet. Start with Fourth Wing.
I’m currently reading Iron Flame. I absolutely loved Fourth Wing, and Iron Flame is shaping up to be a good read as well. Can’t wait to read this third installment.
Onyx Storm Official description (Amazon):
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.
2. Alchemised – SenLinYu
Why you’ll love it:
Dark, emotionally intense, and beautifully written, this is a romance for readers who crave angst, obsession, and morally gray love.
This story ranks high in my list. I can’t wait to get started.
Alchemised Official description (Amazon):
“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.”
Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.
In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.
According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?
To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.
3. Shield of Sparrows — Devney Perry
(Shield of Sparrows, #1)
Why you’ll love it:
Protective romance, emotional depth, and a love story forged through loyalty and danger.
I read this one—and absolutely loved it. This is probably one of my favorite books from last year. I will review it on my blog soon. In the meantime, here is a mini review from my IG account.
Shield of Sparrows Official description (Amazon):
Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros—where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.
The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.
I’ve spent my life kneeling—to their will and to my father’s. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.
I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.
But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.
Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him—bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.
But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?
And what if—for the first time—I reached for it?
4. Rebel Witch – Kristen Ciccarelli
(The Crimson Moth, #2)
Why you’ll love it:
Sharper magic, deeper emotional tension, and a sequel that raises the stakes in every way.
I just finished reading this book and loved the rick backstory, high stakes, and chemistry. The characters went through a lot amid all the twists and turns. This is an epic conclusion to this duology.
Rebel Witch Official description (Amazon):
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING CONCLUSION TO THE EPIC AND ROMANTIC CRIMSON MOTH DUOLOGY!
“A searing and breathtaking tale full of heartache and yearning, thanks to Rune and Gideon’s sizzling chemistry as they try to survive a world where magic and their lives are on the line, and no one is safe. I was enthralled from the first page.” – Isabel Ibañez, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.
A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by joining forces with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.
AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.
In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.
5. Brimstome – Callie Hart
(The Fae & Alchemy Series, #2)
Why you’ll love it:
Dark romantasy with obsessive love, dangerous magic, and intense emotional stakes.
Quicksilver is the first book in the series, and I loved it. The review will be up soon. I can’t wait to get started on Brimstone.
Brimstone Official description (Amazon):
The #1 New York Times bestselling romantasy series continues with more drama, higher stakes, and deadly consequences.
Stop here if you haven’t read Quicksilver, as the description below will contain spoilers.
Duty. Blood. Honor. Power.
Saeris Fane doesn’t want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court’s lips, but now that she’s been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she’s discovering that a queen’s life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders. Her ward—and her brother—need her back in her homeland…but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead….
“Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do not crack any jokes.”
Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.
A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.
Narrated in duet style.
6. The Knight and The Moth – Rachel Gillig
(The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
Why you’ll love it:
Moody gothic vibes, folklore-inspired magic, and a slow-burn romance steeped in tension and prophecy.
I’m looking forward to this book.
The Knight and The Moth Official description (Amazon):
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
“Prepare to meet your next obsession.” — Rebecca Ross, author of Divine Rivals
From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy sensation, a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess forced on an impossible quest with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Leigh Bardugo.
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
7. Silver Elite – Dani Francis
(Silver Elite, #1)
Why you’ll love it:
Elite factions, court intrigue, and a romance fueled by rivalry, ambition, and forbidden attraction.
This book is officially on my TBR. 🙂
Silver Elite Official description (Amazon):
In the first book of a sizzling dystopian romance series, psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.
TRUST NO ONE.
Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.
LIE TO EVERYONE.
But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harboring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead.
AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.
As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself to Silver Block. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.
8. Wild Reverence – Rebecca Ross
Why you’ll love it:
Lyrical writing, heartfelt romance, and magic tied to nature, devotion, and destiny. I can’t wait to dive into this one.
Wild Reverence Official description (Amazon):
Set in the world of the gods first introduced in Divine Rivals, #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Ross delivers a sweeping, beautiful adult novel filled with tension, romance, and dark secrets.
True love is more divine, than any ruthless god.
Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life—begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.
As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.
9. Dire Bound – Sable Sorensen
(The Wolves of Ruin, #1)
Why you’ll love it:
Direwolves, brutal survival trials, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a fierce heroine fighting for her family. It’s giving Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games—with darker, grittier stakes. Honestly, one of my favorite reads so far. The only reason I couldn’t read in one sitting was that I’m a mom and have a job. My review will be up soon.
Dire Bound Official description (Amazon):
Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this spicy, page-turning romantasy where humans and direwolves forge unbreakable bonds and fight for survival at all costs.
Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them.
Meryn Cooper has always hated the Bonded, elite warriors who form mental links with the massive, vicious direwolves they ride. While they live in luxury, Meryn struggles to keep her family out of poverty. When her little sister, Saela, is kidnapped—stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting—Meryn’s world falls apart.
Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army and is thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, where any mistake will cost her life.
Now Meryn must survive four months of training at the castle. She is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her cold and beautiful instructor, Stark Therion, is eager to punish any weakness.
Everything is a competition, and everyone is out to get her—everyone except the dangerously handsome crown prince, whose attention adds another target to her back. In the castle, every smile hides a knife…and the halls hide dark secrets.
It’s bond or bleed. Duel or die. Failure is ruin.
Dire Bound contains mature content including depictions of graphic violence, and is therefore recommended for readers 17+. For a full list of tropes and TWs, please visit the author’s website.
10. The Songbird and the Heart of Stone – Carissa Broadbent
(Crowns of Nyaxia, #3)
Why you’ll love it:
High angst, emotional depth, and a romance tested by darkness, war, and impossible choices. This is a series I’m dying to read.
The Songbird and the Heart of Stone Official description (Amazon):
New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.
Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire–her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels impossible.
But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.
Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.
Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. But most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness–and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.
As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in and angry gods grow restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.
Final Thoughts
From dragon wars and gothic kingdoms to dark magic and forbidden bonds, 2025 is an unforgettable year for romantasy readers. Whether you’re continuing beloved series or starting brand-new worlds, these books are already earning their place on must-read lists everywhere. While I’m still on my way to read them all, every book I’ve read on this list so far is deserving of this ranking.
✨ Which one are you picking up first? Let me know in the comments!