Let’s be honest, we all love a little romance in our fantasy stories, especially when it adds an exciting element to the adventure! There are so many incredible YA fantasy romance series that we love, it’s almost impossible to choose our favorites, or even decide what to read next! We’ve included a few of those favorites here, as well as some new ones that we are excited to read. Don’t miss out on your newest romantic reading adventure!
1. Lady Midnight – Cassandra Clare
Starting off our list of YA fantasy romance series, we have Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare!
Emma Carstairs is now a young woman, determined to discover what killed her parents and to avenge their deaths. Teamed up with Julian Blackthorn, Emma investigates a demonic plot that encompasses all of the Los Angeles area. As things quickly become complicated, Julian’s brother Mark is returned from the faeries as a bargaining chip. The faeries want to find out who is murdering their people, and in order to do so they need the Shadowhunters’ help. However, due to the difference in how time works in faerie, Mark hasn’t aged, and barely recognizes those he loves. Will Mark ever truly be able to return to his family?
Buy Lady Midnight here
2. Court of Bitter Thorn – Kay L Moody
Eager to win a chance to become the High King, Brannick, a fae prince, tricks Elora into a bargain. She must teach him her sword skills. Elora is forced to enter the realm of Faerie and will not be allowed home until the prince succeeds at becoming the High King or is taken out of the running.
Desperate to return to her starving young sisters, Elora decides to sabotage Brannick’s chance for the crown so that she can return home quickly. During the day, she helps train the prince and tries to ignore her growing attraction to him. At night, she works with a nearby king who plans to destroy as much of Faerie as he possibly can.
Can Elora reach her goal and stay alive?
Court of Bitter Thorn will be released on August 18, 2020
Pre-order Court of Bitter Thorn here
3. The Shadow Queen – C. J. Redwine
Shadow Queen is one of our favorite additions to our list of YA fantasy romance series!
Lorelai Diederich is both the crown princess and a fugitive. She has one mission: to kill the evil queen who killed her father and took the Ravenspire throne. In order to do that, Lorelai needs to use a weapon that she has in common with the Queen: magic. Queen Irina is the most dangerous sorceress that Ravenspire has ever seen, and Lorelai will have to work hard to be stronger and more powerful than the wicked queen.
When Prince Kol of the neighboring kingdom of Eldr loses his father and older brother to an invading army of ogres, the responsibility of saving the kingdom suddenly falls on his shoulders. In order to be successful in his efforts, Kol needs magic of his own. To get it, he makes a deal with the queen of Ravenspire – to become her personal huntsman and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
Unfortunately for Kol, Lorelai is nothing like he had expected. Despite the dark magic involved, Lorelai is intrigued by the troubled yet passionate king. As she fights to stay one step ahead of the huntsman and control her growing feelings for him, Lorelai does everything she can to ruin Queen Irina. But the Queen isn’t going down without a fight, and her tactics may cost Lorelai the one thing she stands a chance of losing.
Buy The Shadow Queen here
4. Cinder – Marissa Meyer
In the crowded streets of New Beijing, a deadly plague ravages the population. In space, a ruthless lunar people watch those on earth, waiting to make their move.
Cinder is a cyborg. She is reviled by her stepmother, blamed for her stepsister’s illness, and considered a second-class citizen. But when she crosses paths with Prince Kai, she finds herself at the center of a forbidden attraction and an intergalactic struggle. In the midst of it all, Cinder must uncover secrets about her past that will enable her to protect the future of her world.
Buy Cinder here
5. The Elite (The Selection Book 2) – Kiera Cass
Continuing our list of our favorite YA fantasy romance series, we have The Elite by Kiera Cass!
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN’T READ THE SELECTION:
Out of the thirty-five girls who originally came to the palace to compete for Prince Maxon’s heart, only six remain. The competition is fierce. The struggle is even more complicated for America Singer though, because she is still trying to decide what direction her heart really wants to go. Does she truly love Prince Maxon? Or does her heart still yearn for her first love, Aspen?
Buy The Elite here
6. The Wrath and The Dawn – Renee Ahdieh
Continuing our list of YA fantasy romance series, we have an amazing fantasy inspired by A Thousand and One Nights!
In a land ruled by a ruthless killer, every dawn brings horror. The eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, Khalid, marries a new bride every day. When the morning comes, the bride is executed, and a new bride is chosen. Sixteen-year-old Shahrzad surprises everyone by volunteering to marry the Caliph. She has a plan to stay alive and bring revenge to the Caliph for murdering her best friend. However, Shazi doesn’t count on the fact that she starts to develop feelings for the very person who killed her closest friend.
As she discovers that both the king and the deaths of the girls are not everything that they seem, Shazi becomes determined to unearth the reason for the murders and to break the vicious killing cycle.
Buy The Wrath and The Dawn here
7. Strange The Dreamer – Laini Taylor
Since the age of five, Lazlo Strange has been obsessed with the lost city of Weep. When the opportunity comes to cross half the world in search for it, he jumps at the chance to follow his dream and discover what happened to the mythical lost city. In this beautiful novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, the past and present come together to create a mythical world of love and war, beautiful dreams and terrifying nightmares, and wonder beyond your wildest dreams.
Buy Strange The Dreamer here
8. The Cruel Prince – Holly Black
From bestselling author Holly Black comes the story of Jude, a mortal girl who has been stolen away to the High Court of Faerie. Despite the fact that many of the fey despise mortals, Jude wants so badly to belong. The one who despises her the most however, is Prince Cardan, the most wicked son of the High King. In order for her to win a place at court, she must defy Prince Cardan. However, civil war threatens and Jude will have to risk her life to save not only her sisters, but Faerie itself.
Buy The Cruel Prince here
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
When Nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf , a creature arrives and demands retribution for it. As a result, Feyre is dragged to a magical land that she is only aware of from legends. Feyre’s captor is Tamlin – a lethal immortal faerie who is one of many that once ruled their world.
As Feyre lives at Tamlin’s estate, her feelings for him change from hatred to interest and passion that makes her forget every warning she has been told about the dangerous world of the Fae. In addition to her struggles, an ancient shadow is growing over the faerie lands. Feyre has to find a way to stop it, or Tamlin and his world will be doomed forever.
Buy A Court of Thorns and Roses here
The Kiss of Deception
In her tradition steeped society, Princess Lia’s life is to follow a preordained course. She is expected to have the gift of sight, which she doesn’t actually have. She knows her parents are arranging her marriage to secure an alliance, and that she will be married to a prince she has never met. On the day of her wedding, Lia runs away to a distant village to start a new life. She is hopeful when two mysterious strangers arrive, completely unaware that one is the prince she was betrothed to, and the other is an assassin bent on killing her. As deception abounds, Lia unlocks secrets that put her life in danger. To make things worse, she finds herself falling in love…
Buy The Kiss of Deception here
Caraval
Scarlett and her sister, Tella, live on a tiny island with their cruel father. Scarlett dreams of seeing Caraval, a once-a-year performance where audience members participate in the show. Her dreams are dashed when her father arranges a marriage for her.
Soon however, Scarlett is surprised to find that her long-awaited invitation to Caraval has arrived! She and Tella escape their father and travel to the show, with the help of a mysterious sailor. But upon arrival, Tella is kidnapped. As Scarlet searches for her sister, she learns that this particular Caraval revolves around Tella. Whoever finds her first wins the game.
Become enthralled in a game of magic, love, and heartbreak as Scarlett plays to find her sister and win. Scarlett must be careful though, careful of being swept too far away…
Buy Caraval here
Reactive
Adopted daughter of the Supreme Elite, Lune Tatum has lived inside her father’s walled city for over ten years. She wants nothing more than to get out and return home to her mother. Unfortunately for Lune, she can’t just leave. Clans and mutated beasts roam beyond the electrified, impenetrable walls that are there to protect her life. Her only chance at freedom is to win the Elite Trials and earn Title of Choice.
However, a boy from her past arrives and threatens Lune’s carefully laid plans. The boy carries dangerous secrets, which means he is not to be trusted. What he could reveal will ruin the only chance at freedom that Lune is willing to die for.
Buy Reactive here
Angelfall – Susan Ee
Angels of the apocalypse have descended to demolish the world. When they fly away with a helpless little girl, her sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. In the process, she ends up making a deal with an injured enemy angel named Raffe. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco. There, Penryn will risk everything to rescue her sister and Raffe will fight for the chance to be made whole again.
Buy Angelfall here
The Bone Witch – Rin Chupeco
Our list of YA fantasy romance series wouldn’t be complete without Bone Witch!
Tea learns that she is different from all the other witches in her family when she accidentally raises her brother from the dead. She is a bone witch, and her community fears and ostracizes her. Soon, Tea is able to find solace and instruction from a wiser, older, bone witch who takes her to a different land for her training.
As she adjusts to life in her new home, Tea focuses all her strength on becoming an asha – someone who can wield elemental magic. Unfortunately for Tea, dark forces are quickly approaching. In the face of imminent danger, Tea will have to face and overcome the obstacles in her way, and make a choice that could change her world forever.
Buy The Bone Witch here
The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Elisa has been chosen for greatness. Her simple existence is turned on its head when she becomes the secret wife of a handsome king. The king needs her to be strong, not a failure. But there are others hunting her. Soon, her life and even her very heart are at stake.
Buy The Girl of Fire and Thorns here
The Scourge
Fennel, a seventeen-year-old Groundling, is Sightless. Though she has never seen her forest home, she knows its secrets well. Fennel knows how the shadows shift. She also knows how to hide in the caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how the Groundlings’ tree-dwelling neighbors are arrogant and devious. And she knows that one day she will face the Scourge. Alone.
Buy The Scourge here
That wraps up our list of YA fantasy romance series! Let us know which ones you will be reading!
Be sure to check out Kay L. Moody’s upcoming new release, Court of Bitter Thorn!
If you enjoyed our favorite YA fantasy romance series, you’ll love our list of YA fantasy books with crowns on the cover!
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