2024 Romantasy Titles and Trends
Working Title: Readers are excited about these titles. Writers should use that info to set themselves up for success!
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Now that the winter solstice is past and the days are getting longer, its time to look ahead to the coming year. One of my favorite things to do once my holiday preparations are complete is to add new books to my TBR. 2024 already has a number of titles receiving a fair-amount of hype. This post lists the top romantasy books I’m excited to read, followed by a brief guess about what these titles indicate as far as trends in the coming year. Readers of romantasy can feel free to skip that part, but writers in the genre should take note.
And now, without further ado, here is the list of my most anticipated books of 2024. YA titles are listed first, adult titles are later in the list. Click the cover image to read the full blurb on Goodreads.
Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
This YA debut is sure to appeal to the romantasy crowd, with its enchanted library, imperiled human village, and possible love triangle between two fae males and one human woman in search of her own power. Early reviews note the worldbuilding and magic systems are in-depth with a cottage-core flavor. I’m happy to see both BIPOC and LGBTQ+ rep in what is sure to become a series. There are a few ARC reviewers who noted they wished there was more in the romance category, but this may be due to the fact the title is YA. That is also why I am guessing it features a love triangle and not a MFM tale. (Click here for my article on romantasy heat levels if this observation has left you with questions).
Expected publication date: February 27, 2024
Heartless Hunger by Kristen Ciccarelli
I’ve got three words to make every romantasy fangirl swoon: Enemies to Lovers. Add in a fast-paced story, a witch, and a witch-hunter and you have a YA title sure to make an appearance on BookTok. A quick glance at the blurb is giving me some serious Crescent City and Bryce Quinlan vibes, as the female lead, Rune Winters, uses a vapid, party-girl facade to hide her witchy secret. Gideon Sharpe, a notorious witch-hunter, sees beneath the mask. The tagline to book one of the planned duology is “The only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.” ARC reviewers agree the romance in this volume is HOT.
Expected publication date: February 20, 2024
Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer
Book three and concluding title in the Defy the Night series is coming in January! For those of you already familiar with the series, you will finally get the answers about Tessa and Corrick’s fates! For those of you who don’t like to start a series until all the books are published, its the perfect time to pick up Defy the Night and join its obsessed fan base. Marketed as a YA romantasy inspired by Robin Hood and featuring a lot of political intrigue, what are you waiting for?
Expected publication date: January 23, 2024
Bloodguard by Cecy Robson
The first adult title on my list comes from award-winning author Cecy Robson and romantasy-forward Red Tower Books (of Fourth Wing fame). I am so excited about Bloodguard—the main character of this forbidden romance is a man! Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a review out there to confirm if its told in first or third person POV. Sadly, there is scant information on the worldbuilding inspiration. One can imagine ancient Rome will feature, and perhaps Germanic paganism as the love interest is an elf, but that is a guess. Fingers crossed I happen upon an ARC, so I can give you a bit more insight. It is listed as book one in the series, though there is no information on forthcoming installments. Come on Red Tower. I know you are a new imprint, but enquiring minds want to know.
Expected publication date: March 5, 2024
To Cage a God by Elizabeth May
The second duology on this list comes from another award winning writer, Elizabeth May, who has pivoted from historical romance to romantasy. Everything about her real-life biography has me convinced she is magic IRL, considering Sarah J. Maas herself wrote the cover blurb for May’s first series.
To Cage a God is the story of two sisters, Galina and Sera, who had magic grafted into their bones to allow them to become living weapons. In a setting inspired by Imperial Russia, this sapphic romantasy has Shadow and Bone and Monstress vibes. Some reviewers noted it does take a while to be fully immersed in the story. My guess is that having five POV characters makes the learning curve for the reader tougher. But—dragons. Worth the work.
Expected publication date: January 23, 2024
A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
I do love a good fae story as well as a fairytale retelling, and a Feather So Black is both. This Swan Princess inspired novel features some sizzling romance and a world heavily inspired by Celtic mythology. Early reviewers are in love (well, as much as you can trust Goodreads), and I am HERE FOR this book and future volumes in the series.
Fia, our main character, is a fae-blooded changeling left in place of the Princess Eala. Rather than being put to death, the queen raises Fia to be a spy. Eventually Fia is sent to retrieve the missing princess. Sparks begin to fly in more ways than one as Eala’s bethroted assists Fia, while Eala’s fae captor intrigues Fia. Another love triangle? I do hope so!
Expected publication date: March 12, 2024
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
Shield Maidens! Norse Gods! Ax-throwing! Forbidden love! These are my favorite worldbuilding elements, as my novel Rowena’s Song also is heavily inspired by Norse culture (though technically Rowena and Hengest are proto-Norse. But I digress.) I can’t wait to hold that gorgeous cover in my greedy hands. Some reviewers of A Fate Inked in Blood did note they had a hard time with learning the Norse world, as not everything was fully explained. But Jensen is also known for writing smoldering love scenes, and early reviews say this book delivers. Could this be the “IT” romantasy book of 2024? Fingers crossed!
Expected publication date: February 27, 2024
Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The conclusion of the Flesh and Fire series is highly anticipated—so much so there isn’t even a blurb yet! Does the fact the word “born” is in the title means there is a surprise pregnancy trope? We will see. As noted above, if you haven’t started the series because you want to binge them, add all four books to your 2024 TBR! Book one is called A Shadow in the Ember, opening with Seraphena Mierel being promised to the Primal of Death as a consort. But Seraphena has a secret—she’s an assassin targeting that same Primal so she can save her kingdom.
What could possibly go wrong?
Expected publication date: May 7, 2024
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
As of October 2023 Book Three in the Crescent City series had 750,000 preorders! Will it hit a million by January? I hope so. If you are not included among those who have already purchased this title, its likely because you aren’t familiar with Romantasy Realm’s fair queen, Sarah J. Maas. Long may she reign! If you read or write romantasy, you need to be well versed in Maas’s catalog.
Begin with the entire Throne of Glass series. You can chose to start with either Throne of Glass or the novella prequel, The Assassin’s Blade. I am not a huge fan of reading a novella to jump into a world and suggest reading TAB after book four, Heir of Fire. Please note the early books are YA, but by the aforementioned HoF, Queen Sarah has pivoted to adult smut. Yay!
Move on to the fabulous A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy. You may choose to skip A Court of Frost and Starlight as it was fan service and did not really add to the world. Disregard this advice if become as obsessed with this author as I am. Also note the final book in ACOTAR, A Court of Silver Flames, is told from a different POV than the other books.
THEN you are ready for Crescent City. IT IS SO GOOD. It’s romantasy set in an urban/modern world, though that world is populated by the same species of fae and witches found in the previous two series.
EVEN BETTER—THERE IS CROSSOVER between series. Little easter eggs here, bigger easter eggs there. Did I mention I’m OBSESSED?
Expected publication date: January 30, 2024
What the Hype Around These Titles Indicates
First and foremost, romantasy is set to dominate the best-seller lists in 2024, especially if Rebecca Yarros manages to publish the third installment of Fourth Wing. Romantasy fans are willing to purchase swoony books, but they also have standards.
Many of the reviewers with access to ARCs above noted the real-world inspirations for these particular titles. They wanted to see authors who had done their homework as far as research while also using what they learned in a creative manner. They also expected the author to educate the reader on page about cultural elements that your average English-language reader might not be familiar with. If you are going to write a Norse inspired world, be ready to teach yourself some Viking history. If you are going to incorporate cultural elements or language, consider hiring a sensitivity reader to make sure you are not appropriating a culture you are unfamiliar with.
Books with fae and witches remain a popular favorite with romantasy readers. Enemies to Lovers and Forbidden Love remain the fan favorite as far as the romance tropes go. Dragons are a no-brainer. I was hyped to see sisters featuring in this list as well. Elsa is my favorite Disney Queen, and sisterly love is another type of love worthy of exploration.
I also noted there isn’t a stand-alone title on this list. Writers: Don’t publish your first book unless you know how the final book in your series concludes. Pantsing and romantasy are not a great combination. Our readership is smart and will notice if you haven’t fleshed out the world or your narrative arcs.
The one thing that I was sad to see was the lack of BIPOC representation on my list. Publishers, you need to do better. I know there are folks of color out there writing romantasy. Find them, please, and give them the platform we all deserve. I’d love a story set in a world inspired by African or Asian culture, yet I couldn’t find any. Readers, if you have a 2024 romantasy title by a BIPOC author that belongs on this list, PLEASE tell me in the comments so I can give a proper shout out.