Here are 14 books that The Four Kingdoms fans have personally recommended once you finish the The Four Kingdoms series.
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As a life-long lover of fairy tales, I believe the reason these timeless stories resonate so deeply is because they speak to an unquenchable desire in the center of each of our souls: the hope for a grand romantic adventure that will change our lives from the inside out. As an author, I strive to create those kinds of soul-speaking stories, crafting characters my readers relate to as friends... and respect as heroes. When my readers adventure alongside these fictional friends, I hope they are encouraged to bravely face the real-life challenges of our modern world, while being emboldened toward acts of everyday and exceptional heroism.
Wolves and Roses is a fun and snarky start to a big series in which humans exist in a modern world alongside shifters, witches, and fairies. Sounds fun, right?
Bryar Rose is expected to follow the Sleeping Beauty story template for her life. Unfortunately, something glitched in her personality, because no part of that story appeals to who she truly is, or what she wants out of life. When Bryar meets Knox, a powerful werewolf shifter in the midst of his own identity crisis, sparks fly.
If you enjoy strong, rebellious female leads and bad-boy heroes (yes, please!), this book has all those vibes, plus intrigue, witty banter (my fave), and action. Fans of alternate-history fantasy, paranormal romance, and modern-set fairy tale retellings should add this book to their TBR.
Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose has a problem. She’s descended from one of the three magical races—shifters, fairies, or witches. That makes her one of the Magicorum, and Magicorum always follow a fairy tale life template. In Bryar’s case, that template should be Sleeping Beauty.
Should being the key word.
Trouble is, Bryar is nowhere near the sleeping beauty life template. Not even close. She doesn’t like birds or woodland creatures. She can’t sing. And she certainly can’t stand Prince Philpot, the so-called “His Highness of Hedge Funds” that her aunties want her to…
As a reader, I have always been partial to fantasy—the sweeping worlds, the heroics, the adventures, and the characters. I grew up immersed in fantasy, and as I began my writing journey, I remained immersed in it. I love being transported to another world and escaping the mundane of life, exchanging it, if only briefly, for a life of excitement and magic. I am a fantasy romance writer at heart, and my writing personifies my love affair with both fantasy and romance. To me, romance is just as tantalizing as world-building. My books consist of powerful romances that weave perfectly with the magical world in which they bloom.
I don’t typically read fairytale-inspired books, but this one was so beautifully crafted that I couldn’t put it down. The fantasy world-building is reminiscent of a Tim Burton film with vivid imagery and characters.
Alyssa is the great-great-great granddaughter of Alice. She worries her fate will leave her in an institution like others in her family until she finds herself in Wonderland.
This series has two romances—one between Alyssa and Jeb, and one between Alyssa and Morpheus. Jeb is her love in the human world, but Morpheus offers his own temptation. As the series progresses, she is torn between the two men and their two worlds, both feeding different sides of her.
There is no shortage of fantasy creatures and happenings in this series, nor is there a shortage of romantic sparks.
A descendant of Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 16-year-old Alyssa Gardner fears she is mentally ill like her mother and predecessors until she discovers that Wonderland is real and, if she passes a series of tests to fix Alice's mistakes, she may be able to save her family from their age-old curse.
I grew up an avid reader of children’s and YA fantasy, which is how I discovered the subgenre of Regency fantasy. When I stumbled across Wrede and Stevermer’s work in libraries and used bookstores, I absolutely loved it. As an adult, I enjoyed exploring the Regency romances of older authors like Georgette Heyer and Marion Chesney as well as more recent Regency writers. But when I began writing romance myself, I went back to the fantasies that were my first introduction to the Regency era. My Regency novels are primarily romance, with just a pinch of magic, but I hope both romantasy fans and historical romance readers can enjoy them.
Atwater’s Regency fairy tales include not just human magicians but also the fae.
In Half a Soul, an elvin lord tries to steal Theadora Etting’s soul, but her quick-thinking cousin helps her preserve half of it. With only half a soul, though, Dora both thinks differently and feels emotions differently than other people. (Author Olivia Atwater has said that Dora’s magical condition parallels real-life neurodivergence, and autistic readers may see themselves in Dora.)
Because of those differences, Dora believes herself to be unlovable, but she is proven gloriously wrong when she encounters Elias Wilder, one of the most powerful sorcerers in Europe. She and Elias work together to stop a magical plague threatening vulnerable children in workhouses.
“Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm” (India Holton), Olivia Atwater’s delightful debut will transport you to a magical version of Regency England, where the only thing more meddlesome than a fairy is a marriage-minded mother!
It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.
Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment—an unfortunate condition that leaves her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season—but when Elias Wilder, the strange, handsome,…
As a life-long lover of fairy tales, I believe the reason these timeless stories resonate so deeply is because they speak to an unquenchable desire in the center of each of our souls: the hope for a grand romantic adventure that will change our lives from the inside out. As an author, I strive to create those kinds of soul-speaking stories, crafting characters my readers relate to as friends... and respect as heroes. When my readers adventure alongside these fictional friends, I hope they are encouraged to bravely face the real-life challenges of our modern world, while being emboldened toward acts of everyday and exceptional heroism.
If you’re a fan of reimagined classic fairy tales, you’ll love C. J. Redwine’s Robin Hood-esque take on Snow White (with dragons!)
Unlike the classic Princess Snow White of old, Princess Lorelai is no simpering miss. She’s a powerful magic-wielder with a cause. As Lorelai learns to control and develop her magic, friends (and dragon-shifters!) join the quest to rid her kingdom—and the young shifter king she loves—from its menace: her wicked aunt, who used magic to take over the land.
With some imagery loosely borrowed—and creatively adjusted!—from the classic Snow White story, this new tale features a fresh heroine who doesn’t expect anyone to rescue her kingdom for her. The Shadow Queen is a romantic and epically-reimagined fairy tale with beautiful themes of sacrificial love.
PERFECT FOR FANS OF VICTORIA AVEYARD AND SARAH J. MAAS Lorelai, crown princess and fugitive-at-large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. She'll have to be stronger, faster and master more magical power than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. When the queen's huntsman - a dragon-shifting king - tracks down Lorelai, sparks fly between them. Can the king overcome his predator side - and can Irina's dark magic be defeated?
I’ve spent years fascinated by how the mind works. In order to better understand myself and various situations in life, I've leaned into learning about psychology and neuroplasticity. Through that, I’ve found a greater appreciation for memories and how they affect us as a whole person. As a YA fantasy author, I’ve been able to explore themes of identity surrounding memory loss and how that influences relationships with ourselves and others. As a reader, I’m always thrilled to find another book that provides a solid twist on the amnesia trope! Below you'll find some of my best recommendations for young adult fantasy books that explore missing memories. Happy reading!
I picked up this book from the library and instantly fell in love. It was such a good portal fantasy standalone that I read it in one day–almost in one sitting!
The main character, Tessa, stumbles into a dangerous, magical world full of twists and turns, inhuman characters, and a dark circus that kept me hooked. She suffered memory loss from time in a mental asylum before the start of the book, which just made everything that much more intriguing as I followed her journey with the immortal Nicolai in the Mirror Lands.
This book was magical, adventurous, romantic, and all-around fun! Plus, the ending stuck with me long after I’d finished reading. I still remember going on a walk after and thinking, “I want to read that again!”
All Tessa LaRoche wants is to be the most ordinary person on Barrow Island. After a stint in a mental asylum, she's had quite enough of being anything else, thank you very much. But when a commission at her new reporting job forces her into the path of a not-quite-human murder suspect, Tessa finds that the unordinary is not through with her yet.
Spirited away by a devilishly charming Nicolai to the Mirror Lands-- a parallel reality manipulated by the immortal Deathless-- Tessa loses one of the most precious tethers to her sanity. In order to reclaim it, she must…
I’ve spent years fascinated by how the mind works. In order to better understand myself and various situations in life, I've leaned into learning about psychology and neuroplasticity. Through that, I’ve found a greater appreciation for memories and how they affect us as a whole person. As a YA fantasy author, I’ve been able to explore themes of identity surrounding memory loss and how that influences relationships with ourselves and others. As a reader, I’m always thrilled to find another book that provides a solid twist on the amnesia trope! Below you'll find some of my best recommendations for young adult fantasy books that explore missing memories. Happy reading!
This was the most beautiful kind of slow-burn read for me. The characters gently pulled me in as the story wove together, and before long, I couldn’t help being thoroughly invested in Gemma, Milo, and Ollie’s story. I don’t read contemporary fantasy as much, but a book like this–where themes of friendship, family, enduring love, and dealing with change and grief abound–is almost guaranteed to draw me in.
This book did just that and then some! The memory exploration aspect of the book is a unique take involving dreams and magic, and a large part of why this book hits so hard by the end! Did I cry reading it? Yes. Do I have regrets? Absolutely not!
Gemma and Oliver have been best friends their entire lives. But no matter how well Ollie thinks he knows Gemma, there’s one secret standing between them, one secret she swore she’d never tell: magic is real. And she’s waited her whole life to have it. On their seventeenth birthday, Gemma and her twin brother, Milo, will be Claimed by one of the three branches of magic. Only then will they have access to the power they’ve always seen but been unable to touch.
Gemma’s counting down the days until she becomes one of the…
I’ve spent years fascinated by how the mind works. In order to better understand myself and various situations in life, I've leaned into learning about psychology and neuroplasticity. Through that, I’ve found a greater appreciation for memories and how they affect us as a whole person. As a YA fantasy author, I’ve been able to explore themes of identity surrounding memory loss and how that influences relationships with ourselves and others. As a reader, I’m always thrilled to find another book that provides a solid twist on the amnesia trope! Below you'll find some of my best recommendations for young adult fantasy books that explore missing memories. Happy reading!
I love a good fairytale retelling and Melanie Cellier’s are consistently ones I enjoy. This retelling of The Little Mermaid caught my attention with the way it twists the amnesia trope. Rather than one character dealing with missing memories, the entire world has forgotten one of their fellow kingdoms, now submerged underwater. I thought that was such a clever twist and made for a fascinating foundation for the story!
This was the perfect blend of sweet fairytale romance, twisted tropes, and a light, easy-to-read story. I loved listening to the audiobook before bed; the writing style is well-suited for it! I’ve already reread this book since the first time and imagine I will again!
Isla may be a mermaid princess, but she’s never felt at home in her undersea kingdom. Instead she dreams of the day her people can return to the surface—and the boy whose life she once saved. But while Isla foresees danger for her people beneath the ocean, she has no concept of the dark forces working to keep her people submerged. When an impetuous vow sets her on the course of the truth, Isla discovers that shadowy foes beset the kingdoms of both land and sea. And when she finally finds herself onshore, Isla realizes the fight will require not…
Since discovering the Enneagram a few years ago, I’ve been absolutely fascinated by the psychology behind personalities. Each one is unique, influenced by innumerable things from both nature and nurture. And the misunderstandings that come from different types of interaction have contributed significantly to challenges in my personal life. But they also make stories more interesting to read, especially when you get to see things from the perspective of multiple different characters. Nothing is juicier to me as a reader than watching characters initially misunderstand and dislike each other, but over time grow to understand and even respect each other as close friends and/or romantic interests as the story unfolds!
This book is positively overflowing with witty banter. Hilarious witty banter between the love interests who won’t admit they’re madly in love and spectacular witty banter between the various sibling POVs we also get to read. My favorite character besides the FMC and MMC is Finn, a brother of one of the characters whose sense of humor is second to none. His undercover vigilante work, which his family misunderstood as laziness and lack of direction, made me respect and feel for him more, which balances out his apparent inability to take anything seriously well.
This book has the classic mutual pining I love so much and enjoy reading from both love interests’ perspectives, and the incredible sibling banter adds richness to the story I rarely find. This is my most recent read actually and I’m already running for the rest of the series right now!
Princess Soren of Nyx is no stranger to loss after a decade-long war with the neighboring kingdom of Atlas. But with her best friend slowly succumbing to a cruel Atlas poison, she hatches a reckless plan: kidnap the enemy prince from the battlefield and use his life to barter for the antidote.
But when that prince calls her by a different name...the name of his sister, whose death began the war ten years ago...everything changes.
Stolen away to Atlas, trapped behind enemy lines, Soren must navigate a kingdom she knows nothing about, surrounded by a family she doesn't remember, and…
I’ve spent years fascinated by how the mind works. In order to better understand myself and various situations in life, I've leaned into learning about psychology and neuroplasticity. Through that, I’ve found a greater appreciation for memories and how they affect us as a whole person. As a YA fantasy author, I’ve been able to explore themes of identity surrounding memory loss and how that influences relationships with ourselves and others. As a reader, I’m always thrilled to find another book that provides a solid twist on the amnesia trope! Below you'll find some of my best recommendations for young adult fantasy books that explore missing memories. Happy reading!
The first thing that drew me in with this book was Juliette’s unique voice; there’s a poetic cadence to the writing style that I found so compelling, especially in audiobook format! I’m a fan of a good dystopian book–especially if it has a romantic subplot–and this series delivered with rebellion, people with abilities, complicated relationships, and things not being quite as they first seemed.
Juliette’s inability to touch people without it being lethal added a lot of tension from the start. And the way memories were woven into the greater story? This brings a fun spin on the memory loss trope that expanded more and more as I read on. It’s easily my favorite aspect of the books!
Stranger Things meets Shadow and Bone in this first instalment of an epic and romantic YA fantasy series - perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. Now a TikTok phenomenon.
A fragile young teenage girl is held captive. Locked in a cell by The Reestablishment - a harsh dictatorship in charge of a crumbling world. This is no ordinary teenager. Juliette is a threat to The Reestablishment's power. A touch from her can kill - one touch is all it takes. But not only is she a threat, she is potentially the most powerful weapon…
I’ve always loved fairytales. What little girl with a growing romantic heart doesn’t? By the time I was eight, I told people I was Cinderella because of all the work I did at home. An exaggeration, even for the oldest child, but still. My first prom dress, during a year I won’t mention, was reminiscent of Cinderella’s blue ballgown. As I became a writer myself, I noticed my stories held themes I learned from fairytales. Love, loyalty, courage, and a dose of magic. I simply add space or aliens to the mix.
Can you tell Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairytales to read in all its retellings? This one is set in our modern world. It takes a look at the ugly side of bullying in high school, a murder mystery, ghosts, money extortion, lots of people keeping secrets, and through all of this, two people have to learn to see into each other’s hearts.
A fresh twist on a classic story, Bellamy and the Brute proves true love really is blind.
When Bellamy McGuire is offered a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family, she's reluctant to accept. After all, everyone in town knows about the mysterious happenings at the mansion on the hill―including the sudden disappearance of the Baldwin's eldest son, Tate. The former football star and golden boy of Wellhollow Springs became a hermit at the age of sixteen, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Rumors abound as to why, with whisperings about a strange illness―one that…
