Perfect books are rarities, and that’s especially true when it comes to theromantasygenre. After all, novels in this category are tasked with juggling two important pieces: an engaging fantasy narrative and a compelling romance arc. It’s difficult to deliver a 10/10 story on one of those fronts, much less on both.
This makes 10/10 romantasy novels hard to come by, butthere are many great books in the category that almost get there. These novels are well worth your time, as they get nearly everything right. They might have minor shortcomings, but even these don’t stop them from being incredible reads.
8Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
Fourth Wingis one of themost popular books on BookTokfor a reason, and there’s no denying that it’s a gripping and fun romantasy novel.Rebecca Yarros creates a fully immersive world on par with hits likeACOTAR,and she wastes no time throwing readers into it.Fourth Wingestablishes its stakes and pacing from the jump, driving home why it deserves a spot on your TBR.
These aren’t the only things to love aboutFourth Wing,either. The book’s romance may move a little quickly, but the connection between Violet and Xaden is at its best as they’re figuring out whether they’re enemies, allies, or something more. The dragon lore also feels fresh and exciting, and the twists duringFourth Wing’s endingelevate the book to greatness.
There’s very little holdingFourth Wingback from being a 10/10 romantasy book, but it does have some minor shortcomings.
There’s very little holdingFourth Wingback from being a 10/10 romantasy book, but it does have some minor shortcomings. For one, the setup of its world — particularly regarding Navarre’s military and its recruitment — doesn’t make a ton of sense. The romance being sold as enemies-to-lovers also hurts the novel, as Xaden and Violet never really feel that way.
7A Court Of Mist & Fury
By Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist & Furyis one of the best — if notthebest —Court of Thorns & Rosesbooks, and it nearly reaches a 10/10 status.ACOMAFdoes an impressive job of subverting reader expectations, shifting Feyre’s love interest from Tamlin to Rhysand. It also handles her toxic and abusive falling out with Tamlin with an admirable amount of care.
In addition to doing Feyre’s journey justice on the heels of everything she endures in book 1,A Court of Mist & Furyalso manages to ramp up the stakes of the overall series. WhileA Court of Wings & Ruindoesn’t necessarily do enough with that setup,ACOMAFleaves readers feeling like the story is on an upward trajectory.
The main thing holdingA Court of Mist & Furyback from being a 10/10 book is thatMaas has a bad habit of having important thingshappen off the page, then telling readers about them rather than showing them. The book’svillain is also a bit underwhelming compared to Amarantha, though this could be chalked up to him being mysterious at this point of the story.
6Faebound
By Saara El-Arifi
Faeboundis a massivelyunderrated romantasy book that deserves more love, as it puts a memorable spin on Elven and Fae lore. The novel does a great job developing its heroines over the course of 300+ pages, and their sisterly bond is a highlight of the story. The fantasy elements are also masterfully crafted, with the unique drum-magic being a particular standout.
Faeboundalso benefits from fast pacing and some well-placed twists, helping the book get close to a 10/10 status. Sadly, the romance is what prevents the book from reaching it. Yeeran’s enemies-to-lovers relationship unravels a bit too quickly to fully get readers on board, which is a shame, given how great the characters are separately and how much potential they have together.
Saara El-Arifi’s 2024 romantasy novel is one of the rarebooks that would benefit from being a bit longer. This would give the romance more room to breathe, and it would give the author more time to sell readers on it.
5Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries
By Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeriesis a fantastic cozy fantasy book, and its focus on romance allows it to straddle the line between fantasy and romantasy. However you categorize it,Heather Fawcett’s novel is well worth picking up. It has a relatable and well-developed heroine, a charming love interest, and a unique approach to faerie lore.
Fawcett does a brilliant job of bringing all these things together, weaving a narrative where hardly anything feels out of place. The writing itself is also incredible, fully immersing readers in the world; indeed, you can almost taste Fawcett’s descriptions of food.
Butwhile Fawcett’s story comes together well, it lulls a little too much at times— even for a cozy book, which should be more slowly paced. The urgency picks up at the end, but its too-slow moments in the middle prevent it from achieving perfection.
4Heartless Hunter
By Kristen Ciccarelli
If you love witches and magic, Kristen Ciccarelli’sHeartless Hunteris a must-read romantasy book. It puts a fresh and interesting spin on blood magic, and it does so through the lens of a badass and likable heroine. Rune’s mission throughout the novel is admirable, and it’s easy to fall into her POV. Strangely enough, it’s just as easy to fall into Gideon’s.
Despite Gideon being a witch hunter, he’s a surprisingly understandable love interest.Heartless Hunterdoes a masterful job at creating an enemies-to-lovers dynamic that doesn’t feel toxic; given Rune’s and Gideon’s experiences in the past, readers can sympathize with both of them.
The only thing preventing it from being 10/10 is that it doesn’t go as deep into the lore of witchcraft and blood magic as it should.
The book also has plenty of action and a few key twists, along with a tragic ending.Heartless Hunteris another nearly perfect romantasy bookthat deserves more attention. The only thing preventing it from being 10/10 is that it doesn’t go as deep into the lore of witchcraft and blood magic as it should.
3Five Broken Blades
By Mai Corland
Five Broken Bladesis another hugely underrated romantasy book, and it makes agreatSix of Crowsreplacementwith its twisty heist narrative and cast of morally dubious characters. Even with six different POVs to follow,Five Broken Bladesensures each of its main characters is interesting and sympathetic in their own ways.
The story also plows forward at a breakneck pace, making it an easy novel to read in just one sitting. The twists and turns are all well-crafted, andFive Broken Blades’ending is one most readers won’t see coming. The book is a standout in the romantasy category, though it doesn’t quite reach a 10/10.
As the first installment in the series, there’s a lot of setup happening in this book, and it feels like the characters are constantly moving without much happening. That could be overlooked, given how intriguing the characters are, butFive Broken Bladesalso moves its relationships a bit too quickly. Fortunately, its sequels just get closer and closer to perfection.
2Powerless
By Lauren Roberts
Lauren Roberts’Powerlessis a book that gets a lot of attention on TikTok, and it’s a fun addition to the romantasy genre. The two leads have great chemistry, their banter is top-tier, and both Paedyn and Kai are likable characters in their own right. Paedyn’s circumstances as she enters the Purging Trials also set high stakes, and the book delivers on those.
Powerlesstakes readers on an action-packed ride, and it packs an emotional punch at the very end.Its fast-pacing and engaging world bring it close to achieving a 10/10 status, but unfortunately, the novel doesn’t bring anything new or unique to the genre. It’s entertaining all the way through, but it doesn’t stand out, and that prevents it from being a perfect read.
1Divine Rivals
By Rebecca Ross
Divine Rivalstook BookTok by storm in 2023, andit’s easy to understand why Rebecca Ross' romantasy book was such a hit. It’s charming and atmospheric, and its focus on two characters who work at a newspaper feels both unique and fun. The fact that the narrative revolves around magic typewriters also makes the novel unique, and that’s not all it has going for it.
The rivalry and romance between Iris and Roman is well done, even if it develops a little quickly, and both of them being on the war front raises the stakes significantly. Sadly, while the romance doesn’t leave much on the table,Divine Rivalswould benefit from a bit more world-building and a greater focus on the fantasy aspectsof the story.
It’s this that prevents theromantasybook from being a 10/10, even though it’s an otherwise spotless read. Fortunately, Ross does get to expand on the world and lore in the sequel — and the author also has a spinoff coming out later this year.
