How I rank
Here’s how I pick these: gut feeling, emotional damage sustained, whether I’m still thinking about it six months later, and whether I’d press it into a stranger’s hands on a train. This isn’t a popularity contest — it’s a quality-of-devastation ranking. I update this list when something earns its spot.
Okay, let’s talk about it. 2024 was THE year for romantasy (and the market data proves it). More books, more unhinged BookTok edits, more people finally admitting they read fantasy romance in public — and honestly? The writing was BETTER than ever. I read an embarrassing amount of it so you don’t have to sort through the mid ones yourself.
If you’re brand new here, go read the Ultimate Guide to Romantasy first (I’ll wait). If you’re already deep in this genre and have strong opinions about morally grey men — welcome home.
What Makes a Great Romantasy?
The best romantasy books pull off something ridiculously hard: they build worlds you want to LIVE in while making you lose your mind over a love story. The magic system, the politics, the lore — all of it exists to make you care MORE about whether these two idiots finally get together. When it works? Nothing else comes close. 2024 gave us several books that absolutely nailed it.
The Best Romantasy Books of 2024
1. Onyx Storm — Rebecca Yarros
Listen. This book broke pre-order records for a REASON. The third Fourth Wing installment dropped in January 2024 and immediately had everyone in a chokehold. Yarros takes the enemies-to-lovers tension and dragon-rider chaos to places that genuinely hurt. Violet and Xaden’s relationship gets SO complicated here — this is where the series stops being fun and starts being devastating (in the best way). Best for: You loved Fourth Wing and need more immediately. Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fated mates, war romance, dragon riders.
2. The Familiar — Leigh Bardugo
Bardugo said “what if I set a fantasy romance during the Spanish Inquisition” and somehow made it WORK. This standalone is darker, weirder, and more ambitious than anything she’s done before. The magic system is genuinely unlike anything else out there. The romance is slow, dangerous, and will have you physically gripping your book. I forced this one on everyone I know in 2024. Best for: You want romantasy that feels literary without being boring. Tropes: Forbidden romance, dark magic, historical fantasy.
3. Bride — Ali Hazelwood
A vampire-werewolf political marriage romance that is WAY smarter than that description makes it sound. Hazelwood brings her STEM-girl energy to full fantasy and the result is a book that made me laugh, stress-sweat, and swoon — sometimes on the same page. Surprisingly rich world-building for a standalone, too. Best for: You want romantasy with actual humour. Tropes: Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, monster romance, political intrigue.
4. House of Flame and Shadow — Sarah J. Maas
THE CROSSOVER HAPPENED. The third Crescent City book finally delivered the multiverse event we’d all been theorising about, and honestly? It lived up to the hype. Bryce Quinlan remains one of the genre‘s most compelling heroines — messy, fierce, and deeply human despite literally everything. Best for: Existing Maas readers (do NOT start here). Tropes: Fated mates, urban fantasy romance, found family, multiverse.
5. Daughter of the Moon Goddess — Sue Lynn Tan
If you want a book that will make you CRY in the most beautiful way possible, this is it. Chinese mythology, celestial realms, and a love story built on sacrifice and separation. Tan’s prose is genuinely stunning — this is what happens when literary fiction and genre romance stop fighting and become best friends. Best for: You want to feel emotionally destroyed but in an elegant way. Tropes: Slow burn, mythology retelling, sacrifice romance, epic quest.
6. Divine Rivals — Rebecca Ross
Rival journalists, a war between gods, and magical typewriters that became the most romantic plot device of the year. Ross writes prose that makes you want to highlight entire pages. The enemies-to-lovers is fueled by professional competition and genuine ideological disagreement — not just bickering. It’s cozy and devastating simultaneously. Best for: Readers who want romantasy that feels literary. Tropes: Rivals to lovers, epistolary romance, war correspondence.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses (Illustrated Edition) — Sarah J. Maas
Yes, it’s a re-release. No, I don’t care. The illustrated edition brought a wave of new readers into the genre in 2024 and reignited discourse about Tamlin vs. Rhysand that I thought we’d settled years ago. (We hadn’t.) If you haven’t read it, start here. If you have, the new art is gorgeous and you deserve it. Best for: First-timers and collectors. Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fae bargains, curse-breaking.
8. Assistant to the Villain — Hannah Nicole Maehrer
The BookTok darling that proved romantasy doesn’t always have to be serious. A comedy-romance where the heroine accidentally becomes the assistant to the kingdom’s most feared villain — and he’s… surprisingly reasonable? It’s lighter than everything else on this list, but the humor is genuine and the villain-romance trend it kicked off defined 2024 discourse. Best for: Readers who want to laugh. Tropes: Villain romance, workplace fantasy, comedic tension.
Romantasy Trends That Defined 2024
The morally grey love interest absolutely DOMINATED this year. Every major release featured a love interest whose moral compass was… let’s say “decorative.” I’m not complaining. See the full guide to morally grey love interest fantasy books.
Slow burn made a MASSIVE comeback. After years of instant-connection romances ruling BookTok, 2024 said “actually, make them WAIT” and I am here for the suffering. The slow burn is back, baby. The slow burn fantasy romance guide has everything you need to feed that particular addiction.
What to Read Next
Still hungry? The Ultimate Romantasy Reading List has 50+ books across every subgenre (you’re welcome). And if you want to go deeper on any trope that’s living rent-free in your head, there are dedicated guides to enemies to lovers, magic systems in fantasy romance, and books like ACOTAR.
What was YOUR best romantasy read of 2024? Drop it in the comments — I’m always looking for my next obsession. 💀
External resource: Goodreads: Best of 2024
📚 Recommended reads mentioned in this essay:
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