34 books like Masks and Shadows

More music-and-magic—this one is an alternate history, part of a series set in the invented European country of Alpennia that explores the lives of a community of queer women in the early 19th century. While not exactly a romance, Mother of Souls focuses on the relationship between Serafina, who can see magic, and Luzie, who has musical powers that only Serafina can perceive. Both women are struggling in different ways, and I loved seeing the way their relationship and their musical connection helped them both to move forward. I also loved the depth of the worldbuilding—the city of Rotenek feels as real as any place I’ve been to.

I love fantasy stories where music and magic intertwine, and this novel combines that with one of my other favourite tropes—characters going on a shared journey. It’s the perfect way to throw characters together, force them to get close, and make them jointly deal with all kinds of situations. Annice is a bard whose flute playing has magical powers. Finding herself pregnant after a one-night stand, she ends up on the run with the baby’s father, a man she never expected to see again. They’re drawn together initially by Annice’s music, and I love the way music helps them come to understand each other better. 

This romance novel takes the classic “opposites attract” trope and spins it into a heartfelt exploration of loneliness and connection, turning points and second chances. Indie rock guitarist Ali knows she should quit dreaming about her brother’s band hitting the big time and commit to her future career in engineering, but it hurts to let go. Kristen has been a country pop star since she was a kid, and the grueling lifestyle has already taken its toll on her. I loved seeing them gradually come to trust one another through their shared passion for music, and the scenes where they write songs together are as intense and charged as the romantic scenes.

This Young Adult romance takes place over the course of a single weekend, and it captures the urgency of young love perfectly. Sure Olivia and Toni fall hard and fast, but it’s no wonder—a great music festival can pull you far enough from your day-to-day that you feel as though you’ve been there a lifetime, even as an adult. And this book captures that so clearly, bringing you right into both girls’ perspectives, letting you feel every triumph and every moment of despair as they chase their dreams, musical and otherwise, and figure out who they are.

This series is set in a magical land that’s hidden and protected from the rest of the world. It’s filled with delightful villages that have festivals and games, where the locals work at their craft and then drink beer at the tavern in the evening—basically, the exact place I would design to live in.

In Brewed in Magic, Lilia is a brewer who travels the countryside with her mobile tavern. On the way to a festival, she camps out with another traveler and they hit it off—until he disappears in the morning. Turns out he has rushed to beat her to the festival and steal her spot with his own mobile tavern. They continue to spar but must team up when all the beer disappears.

That’s right: the level of conflict in this story is “if we can’t find the beer, the festival will be ruined.”

This is an adorable love story between a nerdy queen with magical powers who wants to be left alone in her laboratory to work on spells to protect her people, and a passive archduke who’s been used as a pawn by his in-laws.

The queen hides behind a persona of being evil, such that even the archduke’s in-laws won’t mess with her. When the archduke finally escapes his home, he decides to go to her castle and beg for help—only she mistakes him for the dark wizard she advertised for and hires him to organize her library.

Most of the book is a comforting time spent in the castle as the couple try to keep their secrets and prepare for a final showdown. The story has enough action to be interesting without any stress.

Alexis Hall is the most well-known author on this list, and this sapphic Regency fantasy will not disappoint readers who like a Byronic love interest.

I loved the way the novel is narrated by the very opinionated Robin Goodfellow (aka “Puck”), who has been kicked out of the fairy court. Robin describes how Maelys Mitchelmore’s social life becomes complicated when an unknown ill-wisher curses her.

A chance encounter introduces her to the dark, brooding, and attractive Lady Georgianna Landrake, who helps Maelys discover and defeat her adversary. But Lady Georgianna suffers from her own family curse, and magical forces nearly tear the two lovers apart.

It takes courage, wisdom, and the help of Maelys’ friends to free Lady Georgianna and allow love to triumph. 

Fans of monster romance should check out this low-heat novella, which begins when protagonist Mary Clegg runs away from home to escape an unwanted marriage.

A detour through the forest gets her thoroughly lost, but not to worry: she conveniently encounters a handsome young centaur. He’s supposed to be surveying the land, but he’s just as lost as Mary, and the forest seems to be working magic of some sort to keep them together overnight. In addition to the forced proximity trope, there’s a bit of class difference at play, because centaurs are not considered genteel.

Quenby Olson’s gift for a witty turn-of-phrase is on point here, and I loved that the book was short enough to enjoy in a single setting.

This is the second of Stephanie Burgis’s Regency Dragons books, but in my opinion, it can stand on its own.

The protagonist and viewpoint character, Rose Tregarth, is slowly emerging out of a fog of depression caused by the loss of her parents. She now lives with loving and somewhat eccentric cousins in Wales. Part of the charm of the book comes from the diverse cast of secondary characters, which includes a sapphic couple, a young girl with an anxiety disorder, and a young woman of color.

As an autistic reader, I very much appreciate that Rose’s love interest, a renowned dragon scholar, is coded as autistic, because it’s difficult to find good autistic representation in historical romance. Dragon fans take note: the book abounds with adorable miniature dragons with magical powers! 

I love the verve and charm of this story, told through a series of letters between two young Regency women who are best friends. Though the magical elements add mystery and keep the plot moving, I especially enjoyed experiencing the narrative through their correspondence with each other.

The letters add nuance to the characters, making me imagine that I am involved in the events of their lives—even though it takes days for the post to carry the letters to their destination. A side note that makes me love the book even more is the story of how it came to be: a fan met an author, and they collaborated to create this project.