You know when you pick up a book and you get so engrossed in it, you can’t stop thinking about reading it even when you’re not reading it?
For me, this happened for the first time in MANY years on a Saturday evening, when I had wandered down to a wine bar to try and knock a writing slump and gain some inspiration, and downloaded a sample of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros to my eReader.
From that moment on, Fourth Wing (and later that month, Iron Flame) was the first thing I read when I woke up and the last thing I read when I nodded off.
So it’s safe to say that when Onyx Storm releases on 21st January, it will be one of the first books I want to get my hands on. And I’m sure, once I finish reading, I won’t be the only one looking for new books that scratch a similar itch. So I created the following list of books that you can dive into next (you’re welcome!)
For the dragon lover…
Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
This book has been called a cross between Red Rising and Game of Thrones and has a very small but VERY loyal cult following of readers who wish more knew about it. It sounds REALLY good, with power, politics and revolution themes, and I’m willing to take a chance on it.
Some people have even said they *gasp* liked it better than Fourth Wing, so I’m curious to see what my verdict is once I’ve finally read it myself!
For the brooding shadow wielder lover…
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I am personally not a huge fan of this series, or of Rhysand as a character (if you know me, you know I’m a Throne of Glass/Dorian girlie and think that people who come into SJM’s world and only read ACOTAR are sleeping on that series, but I digress…)
ACOTAR is credited as having two major selling points:
- It gets a LOT of newer or out-of-practise readers into the fantasy genre since it’s such a popular and easy series to get into.
- Rhysand is the original shadow Daddy of BookTok, and even I can’t argue with that.
So if you happened to start with Fourth Wing and somehow missed the boat on ACOTAR, you’ll probably really love it due to the romance, the worldbuilding, and the themes that get explored in this series. Especially if you loved Xaden as a character, Rhysand is the next book boyfriend you didn’t know you wanted to meet.
For more witty banter…
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
I haven’t read this book and it probably isn’t something I would have picked up on my own due to the cover (it didn’t really speak to me as a book I’d enjoy), but the reason it’s on my list is because apparently, it has excellent banter and a character that gives similar vibes to Tairn!
Tairn is one of my favourite characters of Fourth Wing, I didn’t expect to love him as much as I did, so I’m really compelled to pick this one up based on this factor alone.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
This one has been on my TBR since mid-2024 and was actually the one I planned to pick up next (before I got overwhelmingly busy and put it off), so I’m excited to finally pick this one up.
I have heard great things about the characters and their dynamic, which is what got my initial interest. I also enjoy a more simple fantasy setting, and love myself some angst. I’ve heard this one be compared to The Hunger Games (but with magic) and Throne of Glass, and, well, I like at least one of those series a lot, so I have a good feeling about it!
For more school setting vibes…
Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham
This series has been on my radar for a couple of years and every time I hear about it, it feels right up my alley as something I think I’d really enjoy.
Now, this has been called the ‘Sharknado of romantasy’ so I’ll let you decide what to do with that information, but it’s apparently a lot of fun, and has my favourite storyline of ‘regular girl gets involved in supernatural BS’ so you already know I’m all in.
The Iron Butterfly Series by Chanda Hahn
I’m not 100% sold on reading this one yet but it does contain a lot of elements that interest me, so I’ll probably download a sample and see if it grabs me.
The reason it’s on my list is because it has that classic magic school setting, a dark and mysterious love interest (apparently similar to Xaden who I did love in Fourth Wing) and animal companions, which is always a lot of fun! If you enjoy that sort of thing, this one might be for you too!
For more fantasy romance…
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
This book was a DNF for me, I tried to read it at some point and just could not get into it, but I’m fairly sure it was a personal thing.
I do, however, hear lots of great things about this series and similar comparisons to Fourth Wing and ACOTAR in terms of the fantasy romance aspect, so it’s on the list if you enjoy that sort of thing.
The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Clarissa Broadbent
This is another author that has been on my radar for some time now. I was curious about her books but once I started seeing them popping up in bookstores, I was fairly certain I was going to dive into her work at some point.
The only thing that has been putting me off is the chunky size of her books, as I get quite busy and tend to only pick up a few books each year. It isn’t a bad thing, I’ve just been trying to find the time to sit down and really enjoy these books in one go.
This one appears to be more of a slow burn romance, and it has vampires, factions, complex relationships – you know, all the fun stuff!
